Happy Spring! I love this time of year when things start to turn green and I can plant things in the ground. I had a lovely start to this new season as was invited to attend a meeting of The Rogue River Garden Club, in Rogue River Oregon. If you have ever visited this town you have seen the beautiful planters and hanging baskets. This is the work of this group. They also provide scholarships to local students, wishing to pursue plant based studies. I love how plants not

Dandelions are some of the first spring flowers to appear. They are a useful beauty ingredient added to the bath or used as a hair rinse. The jagged green leaves can be infused in oil to fade age spots and freckles. Here is a simple recipe to try at home: Dandelion Age Spot Oil 1 /4 cup fresh, chopped dandelion leaves 2 tablespoons castor oil 2 tablespoons sunflower oil Make sure the dandelion leaves are clean and dry. (Also be sure the leaves you use have not been sprayed

Cold cream is the model for all creams and lotions; it's one of the oldest and best known of all beauty creams. It is a mixture of oil, wax, water and mild alkali. The combination of oil and wax provides a cleansing action when it comes in contact with your skin. It also acts an emollient to soften and smooth. If you are a beginner to DIY beauty this is a good cream to master as then you can substitute the oils, liquid (try herbal teas), scent and natural color and the num

Fabric bath bags are simple to create and just as easy to use. I like them when I don't want to use jars and they also create a fragrant and soothing bath with out any mess. (They are like a big "tea bag" for the tub.) Here is how I make them and you can use any natural fabric. Even recycled fabric scraps. Fabric Bath Bags Cut out two pieces of fabric 6 inches by 8 inches and stitch up the two long sides and one short side to create a little bag. Now fill your bag with y