Tidbits about houseplants and greening up your bower...

Houseplants are an excellent way to add a touch of Nature to your bower and they are a must for creating a satisfying atmosphere of feng shui. Plus, they help to clean the air via the biolgical processes of photosynthesis and respiration (science IS fun!) Human beings have been beautifying their homes via potted greenery since the times of the ancient Egyptians and Greeks and, during the 15th century, explorers of the New World began collecting exotic plant specimens as gifts for their Kings and Queens. The cultivation of houseplants became a particularly popular hobby amongst the people of the Victorian era and, with the invention of the climate-controlling terrarium by a Dr. Nathaniel Ward, the number of exotic Palms, Jasmines, and Ferns became an increasingly common sight in European households. In the United States, the craze for houseplants reached its height during the 1950s and 1960s when homes began to be equipped with climate-controlling devices (air conditioning, heating, etc.) which allowed for suitable growing conditions for all manner of tropical plants. Today, the number of houseplants available to the consumer is endless, but most folks tend to stick to the reliable standards such as Pothos (often called 'ivy'), Mother-In-Law's-Tongue, and Philodendrons, to name a few. Recently, I discovered a beautiful little plant called the Silver Philo which looks and grows like a Pothos but has satiny, almost iridescent, leaves smattered with white spots. It is a fast and viny grower which does well in almost any household location so long as the light is filtered and somewhat abundant. It requires very little water and, in fact, does best without having its roots overly wet. Just like the Pothos, the vines can be cut and placed in a jar of water for rooting and cultivation of new plants. The Silver Philo is available at almost all nurseries and department stores such as Home Depot, Target, and Wal-Mart. If you're in the mood to add a new and unique touch of greenery to your bower, give the hearty and viny Silver Philo a try - it will do most of its upkeep all by itself ;-)
Information source: http://houseplants.suite101.com/article.cfm/the_history_of_houseplants

Sparkly Rings to Bedazzle Your Bower....

A few years ago, whilst perusing the pages of the now defunct website store 'GirlShop,' I stumbled upon the absolute magnificence of the rings produced by Rings Eclectic by Melanie Lynn Macy. I truly believe that one would be hard pressed to find rings of comparable uniqueness, style, and beauty in boutiques or anywhere on the web. Each ring is handmade in the USA and includes a super-smooth and comfortable molded acrylic base with several meticulously placed components such as: plated brass findings, semi-precious stones, Swarovski crystals, and artist-designed buttons. Rings Eclectic currently features four collections of rings which correspond to a specific element or mood: 'The

Cocktail Hour,' 'The New York,' The Swarovski Dazzle,' and 'The Modern Day.' I can honestly say that there is not a single ring that I would not LOVE to own! I currently own five, one of which I wore on my wedding day as my 'something new' element and, funnily enough, the comments on the ring surpassed the comments on my wedding bands! The Rings Eclectic website currently states that they are accepting wholesale orders only. However, I wrote to Melanie Lynn two years ago and she very happily obliged me by allowing me to place an order of three rings... but I am not sure if she is still willing to do this. The Rings Eclectic website states that Melanie Lynn's jewelry is available at Anthropologie and Nordstrom, but I was unable to locate any rings currently for sale on those websites (maybe they are at the actual stores?) I found a smattering of websites that sell Rings Eclectic jewelry, such as Net-A-Porter.Com, but the selection was rather thin... For Valentine's Day, birthdays, just-because-I'm-awesome-days - whatever reason strikes your fancy - do what you can to seek out a Rings Eclectic ring to add sparkle, dazzle, and uniqueness to your bower! You will be ever so pleased that you did!

Excellent Scrubby Product to Help Keep Your Bower Clean!

Admittedly, the new Lysol Dual Action Disinfecting Wipes are not the most environmentally friendly of cleaning products, what with their wipe-n-toss functionality, but I am so hooked on their cleaning prowess that I am willing to forgo my eco-consciousness for a few moments each day whilst I tidy up my bower. These wonderful new cleaning wipes, along with proclaiming the usual 'kills 99% of viruses and bacteria!' mantra, feature a unique, textured, scrubbing side via some manner of embedded, hardened, fibres. This scrubbing side makes cleaning household surfaces much easier and faster, especially yucky toilets and greasy stove tops. Plus, you have the satisfaction of knowing that you are disinfecting as you wipe and scrub - yay for 'dual action!'

The make-up lifesaver for skin wrought with winter pallor...

In the mid 90s, I stumbled upon the wonders of facial highlighters via purchase of a product that I believe was called 'Cosmic Glow by Maybelline.' After years of struggling with the proper application of foundation and, especially, blush, I found salvation in the simple and easy beauty imparted by highlighting 'light-catching' areas of my face such as cheeks, nose, chin, etc. When I actually decide to put make-up on, the facial component of my regime now consists of little more than a quick sweep of highlighter on my face. The result is a rosy, glowing, sun-kissed, healthy-looking complexion - absolutely wondrous for my uber-pale, 30-something, how-the-hell-did-those-spots-get-there skin! Alas, 'Cosmic Glow' disappeared into the ether long ago and I have had to seek out replacements over the years - some have been good, most have been bad. However, I have had nothing but successful and excellent results with the facial highlighters produced by the company benefit, San Francisco. My absolute favorite benefit highlighter is 'HollywoodGlo' - it has just the right amount of shimmer and light-catching pigments to impart a gorgeous, sun-kissed radiance. Plus it is light, blends easily on the skin, and smells like roses - perfection! Unfortunately, I believe that benefit has discontinued 'HollywoodGlo' so I have been scouring the Internet and eBay in order to stock up. Not to worry, though, benefit makes two other excellent highlighters, complete with built-in applicator brushes: moonbeam and highbeam. Moonbeam is my fave because it creates a very subtle, peachy, iridescent glow on the skin. All of these highlighters are fabulous products that work wonders for the skin in both winter and summer, for both young and old, and for both make-up aficionados and make-up antagonists. Overall, I highly recommend adding a bit of iridescent facial highlighter, no matter what brand, to your bower to create an aura of radiance!