thank you

i wanted to thank each and every one of you for commenting (here, on twitter and facebook) on my last post. for anyone out there that has lost a pet my heart truly goes out to you. it's absolutely heart breaking.

what scares me the most is the thought of loosing my own little fur bebes. which, i know it will happen but i just hope that day never comes. of course, when it does i won't be able to get out of the bed for at least a week. it saddens me just to think about it.

thank you all again for your loving outpouring affection you have shown to me and to my family. we are all very grateful.

popcorn 1999-2010

i got some bad news this evening. my parents dog (my doggy sister as i am an only child) had to be put down yesterday. she was only 10 but had been having some recent problems with fluid around her heart and having seizures.

it's always really hard loosing a pet. they are our kids, our sisters/brothers, our friends - they are family.

popcorn happy to meet one of her own kind (she was full blooded chihuahua)

the last picture i took of popcorn over christmas

popcorn you will be always be in my heart and will be greatly missed.

dress down day

from left to right: melissa, lisa, julie, shanin, and moi

my massage therapy classmates and i got to enjoy a rare occasion at morgantown beauty college a recently - dress down day. for most people that mean jeans and a sweater or hoodie. not me of course, i rocked my tranquilit from top to bottom! it was so nice that we got to enjoy a day out of our scrubs.

gifts from far away

my sweet darling brazilian friend bela went to amsterdam, belgium, paris and back home to brazil over the holidays. she asked me what i wanted from paris. well, being the tea fanatic that i am of course i asked for mariage freres tea. and just look at the load of tea she brought me back from all over!! plus i got a fantastic scarf her god mother made for me. i love it!!

she got me mariage freres earl grey french blue tea and it is fantastic!! she also got me teas from brazil and belgium. there is some melitta coffee in there as well. she said it is popular in brazil. of course it is, it's melitta ;)

and for ryan's drinking pleasure there is a bottle of cachaca which we will enjoy plenty of caipirinhas!!

monday moment of zen

"the future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams."
~ eleanor roosevelt

what are your dreams? no matter how grandiose our dreams may seem we can take one step a day towards achieving those dreams. what small step can you make towards your dreams today?

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green beauty

my dear friend lela makes beauty products with all natural ingredients. in fact, it couldn't be anything but naturally lela!

my favorite product right now is her "peach fuzz and ginger buzz" lip balm. she has a wide array of lip balms to choose from: sunshine, mystical mint, berry embellished, perfectly plain, mint chocolate lips, nouveau espresso, berry mocha and vanilla chai. all are reasonably priced between $3 - $4. she has more green beauty products on her website and more are being concocted all the time. i highly recommend everything she makes!

you can check her fabulous products at naturally lela's online store or if you are local you can purchase her products at bliss bliss bliss. be sure to become a fan on her facebook page as well.

raindrop therapy

hour and a half massage + reiki + raindrop therapy = total bliss

that is what i experienced yesterday at bliss bliss bliss. for those of you curious to what exactly raindrop therapy is bliss bliss bliss describes it as this:

"Raindrop Therapy is a gentle massage employing 9 highly therapeutic essential oils. The oils are massaged into the back, legs and feet. These oils are anti-viral, anti-bacterial and are said to stimulate the immune system. The heat of hot stones is used to help the oils penetrate deep into the muscles. Raindrops & Stones is a beautiful meditative massage treatment that brings a warm spa like bliss."
if you've never experienced a raindrop therapy session i highly recommend it. elizabeth, massage therapist and owner of bliss bliss bliss said she gets her raindrop essential oils from young living. they offer tons of other essential oils, skin care, thieves products and more. you can see more here.

if you would like to experience your own raindrop therapy treatment you can contact elizabeth through her email elizabeth.blissblissbliss@gmail.com or call 304-685-9942.

if you are local and would like to stay current on all yoga & massage events, you can follow bliss bliss bliss on twitter or become a fan their facebook page.

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monday moment of zen

"for fast acting relief, try slowing down."
~ lily tomlin

we know this but somehow we always need a gentle reminder to slow down, especially on a monday morning. this is my gentle reminder to you. before things get hectic at the office, before you see the piles of paperwork that need to be taken care of by lunchtime, before your co-workers start complaining about what a lousy weekend they had... slow down, take 1o deep breaths and center yourself so you can manage your monday with zen.

have a mindful monday and a wonderful week. namaste

image credit ici

green beauty

i am always on the look out for a good mascara. i recently came across the physicians formula organic wear 100% natural origin mascara and i am loving it!

according to their website it is:

- 100% free of harsh chemicals, synthetic preservatives, parabens, clumping, smudging, flaking, fibers & dyes

- 100% recyclable eco-brush defines each lash with ultra-soft plastic bristles.

if you are looking for a more green, eco-friendly, and awesome mascara i highly recommend this one!

monday moment of zen

"sometimes when our life falls apart it is because it is not held together with consciousness, it is held together by illusion, and so it crumbles, and what is left is actually a clearer vision of what is real and of value. so many have found their life path only after what they had formerly perceived as their life crumbles to dust. in other words, it is the illusion of our life which crumbles, leaving reality in its place."
~ max strom

this has happened to us all at some point or another. sometimes it is really hard to do but the best thing you can do is to pick yourself up, dust yourself off and keep moving forward. in fact, it's the only thing you can do. sure we can take time to pity ourselves but we mustn't linger here long because nothing good can come out of it. at the end of the day will you be proud of yourself that you kept your head held high and pushed forward or will you feel ashamed because you wasted your day feeling sorry for yourself? life is too short to spend our time moping around. take whatever reality you've been served and make something great out of it! namaste

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goodies in my mail box

i got something in the mail today that totally made me smile. i got a beautiful new year's card from the adorable chelsea b from pencil skirts & pearls. she was thanking me for the holiday blogger gift exchange present that i sent her.

along with the card was an adorable peace coin. i love it! thank you so much for being so thoughtful chelsea b. hugs!!

tulips & tea interview

i was absolutely filled with glee to come home and find that the darling and adorable analiese from tulips & tea featured moi on her "blogging with heart" series.

the blogging with heart series in analiese's words "is a series of interviews with bloggers whose voices resonate with authenticity, sparkle, and soul." she has features absolute blogging gems such as the adventurous kaileen elise and the heart warming soul lauren of everyday revelry. i am absolutely honored to be among these fabulous ladies.

read my interview, check out previous interviews and be completely inspired by analiese's tulips & tea blog.

if you know of any "bloggers with heart" be sure to nominate them by sending analiese an email ambendorf(at)gmail(dot)com.

thank you SO much analiese, you made my week!! much love & hugs to you sweetie!!

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monday moment of zen

“in the midst of movement and chaos, keep stillness inside of you.”
~ deepak chopra

most of you are putting your nose back to the grind after a your holiday vacations. remember when things get hectic (and you know they will) just to take a minute to sit quietly and do nothing but breath. that stack of papers and those deadlines will still be there. have a mindful monday. namaste

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masala chai

after being out and about for 4 hours running errands and indulging in a mani/pedi, i was pretty much frozen. after all, it was only 16 degrees out there! i was bound and determined to have some hot tea when i got home.

as you are all aware, i am crazy about tea. i especially love a good cup of masala chai yet i've never made it from scratch at home. today i remedied that situation and let me tell you, it is fantastic.

masala chai recipe
(serves 4)

4 whole cloves
1/3 teaspoon ground cardamom (or 1 cardamom pod)
1 cinnamon stick
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

crush (or break as in case of cinnamon stick) above ingredients and put into a saucepan
add 3 cups water
bring to a boil - remove from heat - let steep for 5 minutes
add 1 cup milk
2 tablespoons of granulated sugar (or more if you like your tea sweeter)
bring to a boil -remove from heat
add 3 bags of black tea (i used darjeeling but can substitute ceylon) - cover and let steep for 3 minutes
stir - strain - enjoy!!

i ground my fresh black pepper from my beautiful new pylones russian girl pepper mill (isn't she adorable?! ok, so she's my new favorite kitchen gadget!