Herbal Concoction: Miracle Grains Facial Cleanser

The herbs for my Queen of Hungary's Water will be done extracting this week, so I thought I would make a cleanser to use with it. I've been buying handmade facial soaps for a long time, but I wanted to try something different. Enter Rosemary Gladstar's recipe for Miracle Grains. Cleansing grains are a mild, nourishing soap replacement that is suitable for all skin types. One of the things that I love so much about it is that it's completely biodegradable: it won't hurt the environment or leach toxic chemical into the water as some commercial cleansers do.

There are many variations that can be made to this basic formula; it practically begs for creativity. I decided that for my first batch, I would only use the basic formula to get a feel for it and then play with it after I see how my skin responds to it.

2 cups white clay
1 cup finely ground oats
1/4 cup finely ground almonds
1/8 cup finely ground lavender
1/8 cup poppy seeds or finely ground blue corn (optional)
1/8 cup finely ground roses

1. Combine all the ingredients. Store the grains next to the sink in a glass container or in spice jars with shaker tops. (I prefer the glass container with a well sealing lid to keep the moisture out.)

2. To use, mix 1 to 2 teaspoons of the cleansing grains with water. Stir into a paste and gently massage on the face. Rinse off with warm water.

Here's a tip: if you're going to be making a lot of your own homemade cosmetics, invest in a coffee grinder. I bought a cheapie one at Target for $15 and that's what I used to grind up the grains and herbs in this recipe. Just keep in mind, however, that you do want to leave some grit to them which is what serves as the cleansing "grains." *Don't use your regular everyday coffee grinder for this unless you want your herbal products to smell like coffee beans and your coffee to taste like roses and lavender.*

As soon as I made it, I realized that the glass jar that I picked up at Goodwill over the weekend would be the perfect container. And the shell that I found on the beach that I knew would make a perfect scoop actually measures a teaspoon. The whole project came together so beautifully!

Needless to say, I had to try it immediately. My skin has never felt so soft! My Queen of Hungary's water isn't ready yet, so I just used some witch hazel as my toner. It truly was a miraculous result, these miracle grains! I love how my slightly troublesome skin glowed after using it. These light grains gently cleanse, distribute excess oil, remove dead cells, and improve circulation.

I haven't tried it yet, but they can also be made moist for ease of use as well as the benefits of the additional ingredients.

1. Combine the dry Miracle Grains with enough honey and rose water (or plain distilled water) to form a paste.
2. Gently massage onto the face. Rinse off with warm water.

The honey serves as a natural preservative for the grains and also adds moisture. Rose water has light astringent properties. Only mix enough moist grains for a week or two to prevent spoilage, however. If the grains do spoil, it's because the ratio of honey to distilled water was off. The distilled water should simply give the mixture a smoother consistency; you don't need much.

This blog post is a part of the December blog party on the topic of Herbal Aesthetics hosted by Aquarian Bath. I love this topic and I'm really looking forward to reading all of the entries.

Simple Joy Sunday

Finding the simple joys each week...

This week kind of escaped me, so here are a few highlights.

Monday night I went shopping for birthday and Christmas presents for my best friend's little boy. While I was out, I found my new tree topper. I picked it up and put it down three times and then wandered around the store wondering if I should go for it. Finally, I decided that I could always return it. Enter Yoda wielding his light saber...


I have to admit, I really love him.

Spending time on a rainy day cuddled up on the couch, reading my book, and drinking tea.

Spending time with family on Thanksgiving. Scott and I went to his parents house and all of the siblings and all of their significant others and kids were there. It was really nice to see everyone.

Driving home from Thanksgiving, I saw a shooting star. First one I've ever seen in my whole life. It was so beautiful and so freaking cool.

Spending time making more herbal concoctions. I am so behind on blogging about what I've been making lately, but I promise I will share soon! On Saturday, I made Miracle Grains Facial Cleanser, Thyme Syrup, and Yogi Tea from scratch by decocting spices.

As always, check out more Simple Joy Sundays over at Cool Zebras. What were some of your joys this week?

American Version of Running with the Bulls Sale

One of Scott's sisters made the joke that this weekend is the American version of running with the bulls as a joke about the crazies people get as they hit all of the sales. Personally, I will not go into a retail store this weekend, but that won't stop me from shopping online. Or from offering some sales of my own.

In honor of the insanity of the Thanksgiving holiday shopping weekend including Black Friday and Cyber Monday, Athena's Armoury will be offering sales in both Etsy and Artfire shops until midnight EST on Monday night.

All orders will ship for free (except armor) and come with a free gift. The free gift will be a suprise, but it can be anything from a cell phone charm, a pendant, a bracelet, or a pair of earrings.

So, come check out Athena's Armoury Etsy Shop or Artfire Studio for special sales for this weekend only.

Simple Joy Sunday

Don't forget, my birthday celebration is continuing until midnight tonight! Check out this post for more details.

Finding the simple joys each week...

Making pumpkin bread. I love pumpkin bread. I had the stroke of brilliance of adding chocolate chips after it was already in the oven, though. Undoubtedly, there will be more pumpkin bread to come this season... I'll have to do it then.

Awesome happy surprise on Monday morning. A work friend said that he was shopping over the weekend and found something with my name written all over it. It's a Wonder Woman mug!! I love it and I love how sweet he was to think of me. That was a really great way of starting what was looking to be a dismal Monday morning. =D

Got home Monday night to a sale in my Artfire Studio! It's just a little pair of earrings, but a sale is a sale and it always makes me happy.

Had a really nice time at this month's FL Herb Society meeting. We made herbal vinegars.

I thought I might add jogging/running to my work out schedule, so I gave it a shot on Wednesday. It really wound up being walking with short stints of jogging, but I'm just starting. It was fun to work out outside and I enjoyed the feeling of strength that came with running.

Thursday night, a lighting designer friend of mine was in town. I don't get to see him that often, so we were going to get together for a drink. Once he found out my birthday was the next day, he insisted on taking me to dinner. Italian food, drinks, and good company. It was a really fun evening.

I've felt all kinds of love from friends for my birthday: an unexpected e-mail, a postcard joke, love from friends on Facebook & twitter, a card from a group of friends at work... Made me feel all warm and fuzzy inside. Scott really tried to make the day special for me since I was at work during the day and he was at work until midnight. I walked into my office full of presents, flowers, and a cake: it looked like my birthday exploded in there. And then later on during the day, he arranged for another cake and singing from all of my stagehand friends. He's such a sweetie.

Scott and I had a nice time yesterday wandering around downtown St. Pete. We went to the farmer's market and an art show. We were planning on going to the movies, but when the website was wrong and the movie we wanted to see wasn't playing, the manager gave us free passes for next time. Sweet. We hit Haslam's (an independent new & used bookstore) and some thrift stores before heading home to for some yummy pizza, leftover birthday cake, and catching up on our tv shows.

As always, check out more Simple Joy Sundays over at Cool Zebras. What were some of your joys this week?

Birthday Presents for Everyone!

I was originally thinking that this week's regularly scheduled Friday Finds blog post was going to turn into a general wish list for me because.... today's my birthday! Instead, however, I thought it would be more fun to give gifts to all of you! And you can choose what gift you'd like! And it's not just good today, but all weekend!

For every purchase in either Athena's Armoury Etsy Shop or Artfire Studio, choose one of the following:

-Free gemstone & sterling silver earrings
OR
-Free shipping
OR
-Free Euro 4-1 bracelet
OR
-20% (for November 20th, my birthday!) off

Make your purchase and leave me a note with which free gift you'd like. If it's free shipping or 20% off, you can either wait for me to send you a revised invoice before you pay or feel free to pay the full price and I will send you a refund through Paypal.

The celebration will last all weekend until 12:00am (midnight) on Sunday, November 22, 2009.

**20% off not good on armor.

FL Herb Society Meeting: Herbal Vinegars

As of last night, I'm officially a member of the FL Herb Society. Really nice group of ladies, a topic I enjoy, and an excuse to get out and do something. Okay, I'm in. =)

At last night's meeting, we had an herbal vinegar hands on workshop. Beautiful bottles filled with fragrant herbs and some good quality vinegar equal a really pretty, easy to make project that will last throughout the year. Herbal vinegars are a simple way to add flavor to salads, soups, stews, marinades, beverages, and even desserts without added calories, fat, sugar, or salt.


We were told to bring some herbs and bottles, but it turns out that they supplied an enormous amount of gorgeous, fresh herbs and some complimentary bottles (someone had a lot of those little wine bottles laying around!). There were a lot of amazing suggestions for herb & fruit combinations. I made two vinegars while I was there and another when I got home. Since I love Italian food, I made an Italian inspired vinegar while I was there (basil & garlic). I also used one of the suggested combinations of cranberry & rosemary because it just sounds amazing and looks so beautiful in the bottle. Since I had collected a bunch of my own herbs, I made one more vinegar when I got home with basil, rosemary, oregano, and garlic. I used red wine vinegar for all three.

A good rule of thumb is one cup of fresh herbs to flavor one quart of vinegar. Use a good quality vinegar between 6-8% acidity. Clean your herbs and pat dry. There are many recipes that call for heating your vinegar, but it's not necessary. Heating it will infuse it quicker, but the results of the slightly longer wait are supposedly more than worth it (it's my first try, so I don't know yet). Loosely fill your bottle with your herbs of choice and then fill with vinegar. Cap (you should probably use a cork or wax paper with a rubber band since the vinegar's acid will eat away metal) and store in a cool, dark, dry place for 4-6 weeks. When you are satisfied with the flavor, strain through white paper towels or coffee filters until the paper is clean (it may take several tries). Add some fresh herbs to a clean, sterile bottle, fill with the filtered vinegar, seal & label.

Fruit vinegars are made a bit differently. Combine all your ingredients (fruit and vinegar alike) in the top of a non-aluminum double boiler. Simmer, uncovered, approximately 10 minutes. Place in a large glass jar and store 3 weeks. Strain, pressing the fruit to get the juice out. Filter. Add a few berries, fruit, and herbs to your sterilized bottle and fill with your filtered vinegar. Seal and label.

Flavored vinegars will keep up to 18 months or longer if stored in proper containers in a cool, dark place. Some fruit sugars are likely to caramelize after a while and turn slightly brown. It's not attractive but it isn't harmful either. Use fruit vinegars within 3 months to avoid this. Vinegar is a natural preservative, so refrigeration is not necessary.

Cleanliness is essential. Be sure to wash all utensils, bottles, and equipment in hot, soapy water and then rinse in hot water. Always use non-reactive materials such as glass, plastic, or stainless steel.

If you are making some herbal or fruit vinegars for gifts this holiday season, dip your cork into hot wax, add a label, and write a recipe for its use on a small hang tag to tie around the neck of the bottle.

Of course, herbal vinegars can be used medicinally as well as culinary. Herbal vinegars are nutrient dense containing large amounts of calcium, the nutrients from the individual herbs used, and the healing properties of vinegar.

Herbal Concoction: The Queen of Hungary's Water

The skin is the largest organ of the human body. What many people don't think about is that what they spray and slather on their skin is, in fact, absorbed into their bodies. For this reason, I really started reading the labels of my personal care and body products a few years back. There were ingredients in there that I couldn't pronounce and that the European Union's version of the FDA won't allow into products due to their many harmful effects. I started to not only buy handmade, but also all natural and organic products as much as possible. In the past year or so, as I started to make my own household cleaning products, I also started to make some of my own personal care products (deodorant powder, lip balm) as well. I'm taking it a step further with my herbalism studies now.


I recently made a batch of The Queen of Hungary's Water. It has as many uses as it has variations, but my primary intent for this batch is to be used as an astringent (or toner). Astringents are used to remove excess oil, dirt, and cleanser from the skin. They tone the skin and help prepare it for moisturizing. While astringents are especially appropriate for oily skin, all types of skin can benefit from their pore-tightening effects.

Legend has it that Gypsies formulated The Queen of Hungary's Water and touted it as a cure-all using it as a hair rinse, mouthwash, headache remedy, aftershave, footbath, and I'm sure more. Another legend states that Elizabeth, Queen of Hungary originated this as a perfume to either preserve her youth or catch a husband, depending on which version you read.

This is one of the world's finest cosmetic formulas. It combines gentle common herbs in a masterful way, it's easy to make, and it's a versatile formula that serves many purposes. Not only can it be used as an astringent, but it can also be used as a rinse for dark hair; or as an ingredient in deodorants, herbal baths, lotions. The Vinegar of the Four Thieves is a variation of The Queen of Hungary's Water and can be used as a disinfectant.

Here is the formula I used from Rosemary Gladstar.

6 parts lemon balm
4 parts chamomile
4 parts roses
3 parts calendula
3 parts comfrey leaf
1 part lemon peel
1 part rosemary
1 part sage
vinegar to cover (apple cider or wine vinegar)
rose water or witch hazel extract
essential oil of lavender or rose (optional)

1. Place the herbs in a widemouthed jar. Fill the jar with enough vinegar that it rises an inch or two above the herb mixture. Cover tightly and let it sit in a warm spot for 2 to 3 weeks.

2. Strain out the herbs. To each cup of herbal vinegar, add 2/3 to 1 cup of rose water or witch hazel. Add a drop or two of essential oil, if desired. Rebottle. This product does not need to be refrigerated and will keep indefinitely.


After the photo above was taken, I added more vinegar for it to rise the full inch or two above the herbs (the jar was full). You can see in this picture all of the beautiful colors of the herbs. Well, it's been infusing for a little more than a week and you can actually see the vinegar taking on the properties of those herbs. The vinegar is turning a gorgeous deep rose. I'm going to let it work it's magic for the full three weeks. I can't wait to try it.

Simple Joy Sunday

Finding the simple joys each week...

Although, I didn't get to the beach early enough last Sunday to go for a good walk, I still enjoyed my time there. Not only was it a delight to my senses, but I got some pretty pictures, too.

On Monday, I had a pretty crappy day at work. I let a lot of little things get to me. I know it wasn't personal, but it bothered me nonetheless. When I finally got home late that night, however, the day finally turned around. There were two packages waiting for me by the front door. One was from Tropical Tea Company. I had some problems ordering from their website, so I have to admit that I kind of had my doubts about the order. When I opened the box, I discovered my order plus another full size package of tea, a smaller one, and an individual serving; all of various other flavors that they carry. I thought maybe the order got confused, but they did include a note about the free samples. Score.

The second package was addressed to Jack (The Official Kitty of Athena's Armoury) from my mom. You can check out my blog post from earlier in the week detailing the antics that ensued after opening that box.

I randomly found out that a guy I went to high school with will be in the theatre where I work for the next month or so. He was a few years younger than me and we were in the theatre group together. Sweet guy and very talented. I'm glad to see how well he's doing! Talk about a crazy small world!

This week at work FLEW by! It's amazing how fast time goes when you actually have something to do. The work I was doing wasn't particularly exciting, but it kept me busy and I wasn't quite as miserable there as I usually am.

Because I was so busy this week, though, I still haven't had a chance to blog about some of my recent herbal concoctions. I made three different things last Sunday (Lavender Honey, Goldie Locks Vinegar Hair Rinse, Queen of Hungary Water), another during the week (Fire Cider), and I suspect I will be formulating again today. I'm hoping to tell you more about them this week.

Yesterday, Scott finally had a day off (this was another week of 16 hour days for him) and we had such an amazing day. It was an absolutely gorgeous day out, so we grabbed our bikes and road down to St. Pete. It wound up being about an hour to get to downtown. We had a super yummy lunch at Lucky Dill and then hopped back onto the bikes for the return trip. We were both kinda sore and tired on the return trip and were riding against the wind, but we made it. It was such a fun day. Happy.

In other news, I've been pondering the meaning of life (well, my life anyway) and am starting to feel like I'm getting back on track. A few different people have said things to me recently that have really struck a chord and made me think. Here's to hoping!

As always, check out more Simple Joy Sundays over at Cool Zebras. What were some of your joys this week?

Friday Finds - Biking Accessories

The weather is finally starting to cool off down here in the Sunshine State. This weekend, in fact, it's supposed to be in the mid to upper 70's. I've been really looking forward to getting the cooler weather mainly because Scott and I got these amazing bikes over the summer and I can't wait to be able to get out and ride! We tried when we got them, but I nearly collapsed from heat stroke. Not fun.

We got Giant bikes and this particular model can be used both on the street and off road. Me being me, I had to get a standard bike instead of one specifically built for women. Partly because I hate the fact that things are considered either standard or for women (women aren't normal, I guess?) but also because the women's bike fit me a little too small (I'm a bit Amazonian). The regular bike also, somehow, felt more rugged and I like that (I miss my Jeep).

Because my bike is so rugged feeling, a handlebar pouch just doesn't feel right (and don't even get me near a handlebar basket!). I really like this hip pouch for carrying the necessities.

Hip Pouch in Black by Death and Texas

It's important when going on long rides to make sure you've got your miscellaneous bike repair accessories with you: bike tool, extra tube, pump, etc. This is such a great little roll up case to store everything in. Plus, it attaches under your seat. Click on the link to see it stored.

Tamale Green, Blue, and Natural Pears/Natural Duck Cloth by Bike Burrito

Right now, our garage is so packed with stuff, it's difficult to move. If I can find a bit of wall space, our bikes would be up out of the way and showed off quite nicely on these wall mounts.

Wall Mounted Bike Rack (reclaimed wood) by cantilever and press

Attack Cat

It has been a long, long time since there were any gratuitous cat pictures on the blog of Jack, The Official Kitty of Athena's Armoury. So, today Jack gets his own blog post.

My mom had made me a crocheted lap blanket once upon a time. Last winter, I had been keeping it out to be all cozy like in front of the TV. Well, there were quite a few times that I would wake in the morning only to find it pulled off the couch and on the floor. Then one day, I caught Jack, red pawed, with it *in his mouth.* Needless to say, the blanket only came out when I wanted to use it after that.

Along with so many other people this year, my mom's company downsized and she was let go. She was starting to feel besides herself lately with nothing to do, so I suggested that maybe she should start crocheting again. She asked if there was anything that I needed. Me? No. Jack? Yes. Maybe if he had his own blanket, he'd leave mine alone.

Monday night, I arrived home to a couple of boxes: one was Jack's blanket. It came out adorable! I didn't know she was going to do this, but my mom sewed felt letters onto it spelling out his name. Upon closer examination, I realized that they were filled with catnip. I couldn't help but laugh, but also had the realization: "Oh, no... He's going to destroy this..." Well, here's the progression from innocent, discovering kitty to evil kitty.

Loving my new blanket. Look! It even has my name spelled out in felt letters! It gets even better!!! The letters are filled with catnip!!!!!!

Must Get to Catnip

(Blanket licking quickly proceeds to pulling at, burrowing in, and playing with the blanket.)

(Evil kitty takes over and attacks the brand new kitty blanket.)

What? Did I do something wrong?

Beach Walk

Despite living only about ten miles away from the beach, I somehow only managed to get there a handful of times this summer. Lately, I've been feeling the need to connect with Mother Nature so I've been trying to make up for the lack of summer beach time. I'm trying to make a weekly ritual to get there for a walk, meditation, or just enjoy a sunset. This past weekend, I got there fairly late in the day and it was super cloudy and windy out, so I spent some time taking pictures and just "being".

There is only very limited parking, but what is available is free. Makes parking on beautiful summer days a little difficult, but not so much in the cooler weather. This is the pathway from the parking area down to the shore.



The very first thing I do whenever I go to the beach is immediately take off my shoes and put my feet in the water.



There was some rough weather in the Gulf with Hurricane Ida, so the surf created these little sand cliffs when the tide came in earlier.



Depending on the time of day, tides, and even weather, you will find powdery soft sand on our Gulf beaches or you may find patches of broken shells.



Please keep off the sand dunes and do not pick the sea oats. There are some endangered plant and wildlife species that inhabit these areas. The dunes also capture sand from being blown into populated areas. Not only are sea oats beautiful, but they also preserve and stabilize the sand dunes. It is illegal to pick sea oats.



It may have been cloudy, but the sunset was still beautiful creating a play of light through the clouds.



It got dark pretty quickly after the sunset, so I was forced to end my time visiting Gaia.

Thanks for visiting the beach with me!

Simple Joy Sunday

Finding the simple joys each week...

After I posted last week's Simple Joy Sunday, I went on a walk to the beach. I adore the beach and am totally befuddled as to why I don't go more often. Upon arrival, I promptly took off my shoes, sunk my feet into the sand, and deeply inhaled the magnificent salt air. Listening to the waves on the shore, I walked in the surf for nearly an hour before just camping out in the sand for a few minutes. The water was incredibly wavy (totally not the norm for the Gulf); you can even see a surfer in the background of this shot I got on my phone.


It felt wonderful to clear my brain and get outside and spend time with Mother Nature for a while. I really think this needs to become a weekly ritual for me. (Don't know if it's going to happen today: there are supposed to be gusty winds up to 30mph. That may not be that fun with sand whipping around. Sad.)

Spending time with my herbs made me incredibly happy this week. I managed to find some more Mason jars (who knew they were so hard to come by?) so I was able to store all of my bulk herbs (the closet in my workroom is being taken over!). I mixed another batch of my Nerve Tonic Infusion to make throughout the week. I also made my first tincture: Brain Tonic Tincture. It is so grounding working with these amazing plants. I can't help feeling like a wisewoman (even though I know I still have a long way to go). It's so medieval. ;)

I made some special time for me at work on Wednesday. I made time to do some things I enjoy:
-I gave the blog some love
-did some herbal studies
-I lit a lovely vanilla candle
-at the suggestion of Julie at Mermaiden Creations I created a new channel on Pandora and gave Kate Bush a listen
-drank some of my soothing Nerve Tonic infusion

Scott's been working an insane amount of hours lately. I'm talking 8am until 10pm for about two weeks straight; and it's not going to ease up for probably a month. Luckily, though they will start to have Saturdays off at least. Friday night, he called me on the way home from work to see if I wanted to go out and get a drink. It was a really fun, last minute idea. I haven't really seen much of him lately, so it was really nice.

I spent the day Saturday cooking a TON of food. With Scott's crazy schedule, I still want him to be able to eat halfway decent. So, I stocked up the fridge with a massive amount of food that can easily go into Tupperware and be heated up in the microwave. Although cooking isn't one of my favorite things to do, I was pleased with how much good food I made:
-turkey tenderloin with ginger and teriyaki
-chicken & apple sausages
-zuchini & squash
-stirng beans & tomatoes
-chicken broth enhanced brown rice
-rosemary roasted potatoes
-a whole chicken seasoned with lemon, parsley, and rosemary; with a ton of potatoes and veggies surrounding it
Having a full refridgerator is a very, very good feeling.

As always, check out more Simple Joy Sundays over at Cool Zebras. What were some of your joys this week?

Friday Finds - Avalon

The Mists of Avalon by Marion Zimmer Bradley is one of my favorite books. It recounts Arthurian legend from the point of view of the women involved. It is a truly unique, detailed version of a tale steeped in myth. I highly recommend it for fantasy lovers, feminists, faery folk, Goddess worshippers, and everyone in between.

Sojourn of the Moon Triple Goddess Circlet by Thyme2dream

Magick of Avalon Ritual Oil by MoonlitHerbals

Glastonbury Tor by Lhosphotography

King Arthur Digital Collage Sheet by Sinister Concept

Herbal Concoction: Brain Tonic Tincture

Among the many gorgeous, incredibly fresh herbs I received from Mountain Rose Herbs I got the ingredients I needed to make a Brain Tonic Tincture. This tincture is excellent for calming and strengthening the nervous system and increasing memory. You won't wake up overnight feeling like Einstein, but after consistent use (daily for anywhere between one to three months) there will be a subtle but noticeable increase in memory and mental alertness. I figured since I'm studying herbalism, this would be a great introductory tincture for me!

Herbs included in this tincture include: Gota Kola, Gingko Leaf, Peppermint, Sage, and Rosemary. The herbs are being extracted in vodka for six to eight weeks. You can see in the picture above how the herbs settle to the bottom of the jar: a simple shake daily keeps the herbs and vodka mixed.

People say that I must be very patient for making chain maille. Making maille doesn't need patience, but working with herbs does! It takes time for them to work their magic.

Simple Joy Sunday

Finding the simple joys that keep me going each week...

I was so excited to find out that three of the guys that I toured with years ago (in what feels like a previous life) are in town this week. I love these guys and was so happy to see them! Scott and I went out for drinks with them and had such a good time.

My Chain Maille Dice Bag was included in a maille treasury by jsanderso at Sartorial Steel.

I had an amazing time on Monday night. I had a severe case of the Mondays and needed a pick me up. I got some supplies on the way home and made my first concoction with some of the new herbs I have on hand. You can read more about it here. Beyond that, I ate sushi and a brownie, watched Eastwick (a new guilty pleasure), read some of my book, and had a glorious night's sleep.

Because I worked a really long day on Wednesday, I got to be off on Friday. We all know how happy that makes me! I made a tincture that I'll have to tell you about in a future post.

Halloween wasn't too terribly eventful here. I wound up re-organizing my closet to make room for all of my herbs and doing some of my herbal homework in the afternoon. When Scott got home from work, we threw a pizza in and watched The Crow in the dark. We made some spiked apple cider for dessert. It may not have been exciting, but it was nice.

As always, check out more Simple Joy Sundays over at Cool Zebras. What were some of your joys this week?