Sunkissed Casa :: Future Abode

Happy Tuesday dreamers! Been super busy with my all natural skin care line the last couple weeks, as I'm preparing to sell my products in a local store! I've been creating some new products, building up inventory, labeling, pricing, photographing etc. etc....Luckily I really enjoy both sides of my business - the creative and the "business" side of it. It's slowly but surely growing and I'm very hopeful that soon enough more people will find and love my products and the message I am sharing. 

Anyways...I thought I'd take a break from that to share some of my favorite Pins on my "la casa" Pinterest board. I love our home right now, it's a hundred year old beauty with a gorgeous yard - but one day when we own our own place, I will be more than ready to customize it to our perfect cabinesque+bungalow+spanish-style+colorful+bohemian abode. Enjoy the following photos and be sure to find all the links on my "la casa" board and follow along with me for more!

ps: Sunkissed Dream has it's own Instagram now! 
I'd love for you to follow along with my journey.

Keep dreaming. xoxo

Sunkissed Dream :: New Site :: Fresh Look

So excited to finally be launching a FULL NEW WEBSITE!
I've done website design and management for local businesses for years now and finally got around to making one for myself... 

Head over to the new sunkisseddream.com to browse my fresh look!
Be sure to stay tuned here for new blog posts & fun, sunkissed content!

Until next time. xoxo

Sunkissed Dream :: Artisan Fair Vendor :: the STOCKMARKET

I'm so, so, so excited to be a vendor at my first artisan market & street fair!  

:: The STOCKMARKET :: located in Stockton, CA on Saturday July 18, 2015.

 I can't wait to showcase my all natural beauty products and hand poured soy candles IN PERSON, create my own booth, meet new people and let them sample my products, meet other vendors and see their wonderful creations, and just actually be a part of something so creative & beautiful instead of just being a visitor!

If you live in the Central Valley of California, or even a couple hours away - I would suggest visiting this event. It is a curated marketplace of local artists, creators & vintage with local food trucks, drinks and live music! There will vendors inside & on the street. FIND MY BOOTH INSIDE!

:: visit their website here ::

:: find their facebook page here ::

It's going to be a busy next few weeks for me - but so fun and a wonderful learning experience! 

I hope to see you there!

Follow along with all my sunkissed adventures on my facebook page. 

Until next time. xoxo

Sunkissed DIY: All Natural Facial Cleanser with Olive Oil + Rice Flour

Good morning! Things have been very busy for me lately as I'm trying to get all my new products completed, labeled, photographed and up on my Etsy shop! I also just found out I was accepted into an artisan fair next month (my very first one)! So that should keep me very busy these next few weeks!

If you're wondering what's new in my shop...well I'll tell ya =)

• All Natural Facial Cleansing Oil
• All Natural Herbal Toner + Astringent + Primer (I've been using this SO much lately & absolutely love it)
• All Natural Anti-Aging Facial Serum
• Mucho Mango Hand Poured Soy Candle (smells divine)

I'd love for you to head on over & take a look!

--------------------------------------------------
The main reason for today's post is to tell you about one of the best and easiest facial cleansers you can make yourself! It is all natural, great for pretty much any skin type and has ingredients that are easy to come by or you may already have in your casita!
This cleanser is something you can mix up every morning or evening or make a larger batch to use up within a couple days or a week. 

This cleanser is great for removing dirt, oils and grime from your face and promoting a bright and healthy complexion. Here's the ingredients & why you'll love them: 

RICE FLOUR is a wonderful cleansing grain because it's gentle enough to not disturb the protective coating of your skin while still removing dead skin cells, polishing, soothing and nourishing your face. OLIVE OIL is a great emollient oil for most skin types and is full of nutrients that your skin loves & needs- using oil is one of the best ways to cleanse your delicate skin. LIME JUICE is what will give your skin that extra wake up call- with it's antioxidant and astringent properties it helps kill bacteria on your skin, as well as brightening & toning your face. CHAMOMILE is a wonderful calming and anti-inflammatory herb that has been used for medicinal & skin healing purposes for centuries. Adding this ingredient will help liven up tired & dull skin, diminish puffy eyes and aid in healing acne scars.

:: WHAT YOU'LL NEED ::
(this makes about 2 applications)

• 1 TBSP Brown Rice Flour like Bob's Red Mill
• 1 TBSP Extra Virgin Olive Oil (preferably cold pressed +  organic)
• 1 tsp Fresh lime juice (optional)
• 1-2 tsp Chamomile flowers- freshly ground or powdered (optional)

:: DIRECTIONS ::

• In a small, ok very small, bowl mix together rice flour and chamomile flower powder (if using) 
• Drop in olive oil and stir
• Squeeze fresh lime juice (if using) and mix well again
• It's ready to be used!
• Sometimes I'll make enough to last me a couple days and just leave it in the fridge. It does harden when it gets that cold, so I'll take it out about 20 minutes before I'm going to use it so it has time to liquify again.

:: TO USE ::

• Dampen face with warm water or cloth to open pores
• Spread cleansing mixture onto fingers and gently massage in upward motions into face and neck
• Do this for about a minute to loosen dirt and grime from pores
• Rinse face with wet cloth or cool water
• Follow up with a toner (to remove excess oil) and moisturizer
• Enjoy the glow!

Isn't it so wonderful & rewarding when you know that everything you're using on your skin comes from the earth? 

Until next time. xoxo

Sunkissed DIY: Herbal Infusions with Olive Oil

The old saying goes, "good things come to those who wait," right? Well, that old proverb sure holds true when it comes to creating your own herbal infusions. I started about 7 new dried herbal infusions over the past couple days and already want to open them, smell them, and utilize their powerful properties! But, sadly I can't - yet. They just looked so beautiful, I had to take some photos. 

I'm making these for creams and salves, so I have them all infusing in organic, cold-pressed, extra virgin olive oil. I plan on doing tinctures (alcohol based) & some vinegar based hair rinse infusions as well- but I ran out of jars - so those will have to wait until I make a trip to Walmart again. 

• The basic rule is 1 oz, by weight (I use a small digital scale), of freshly dried herb - to 4 oz carrier oil. 
• For "fluffier" or flowery herbs, you'll have to use a few more ounces of oil in order to fully immerse the herb. They will absorb some of the oil, so just make sure you have enough oil to fully cover the dried herbs in your container/jar. 
• Close your jar with a tight fitting lid, label it with contents & date, and let it sit for 3 to 6 weeks, shaking it everyday (or as often as you remember).
• Once they're ready, line a bowl with a muslin cloth (you can put a strainer under the cloth as well), pour the contents of the jar into the cloth and let the oil seep through. Squeeze the bottom of the cloth, trying to get out as much oil as you can. Note that you will lose a small percentage of the oil, since the herbs drank it up!

I chose olive oil because it is one of the most stable oils (long shelf life), and is very emollient & great for most skin types. Since these infused oils are going to have new plant material introduced to them and will be sitting on the shelf for 3-6 weeks, you want to make sure they will not go rancid! Other stable oils are safflower, sunflower & palm kernel. Always make sure any oils you're using are cold pressed (nutrients are not lost by high heat processing) and preferably organic. 

My infusions consist of:

Burdock Root

Calendula Flowers

Comfrey Root

Chamomile Flowers

Chamomile Powder

Rosehips

St. Johns Wort

I get most of my herbs from a local health store, but I highly recommend Mountain Rose Herbs or Starwest Botanicals if you're purchasing online. 

Can't wait to open these up in a few weeks! Happy infusing!

Until next time. xoxo

|| Coconut Woman || All Natural Face + Body Cream

 I don't know about you, but where I'm at (basically the middle of California), it's gettin' hoooooot. The scorching, dry heat is slowly creeping in and will be here to stay for many months. The worst part is, this summer I'm in a house without a pool...I know so sad. I do have a lot of sprinklers though- which may come in handy for more than just watering my lawn- very soon. 

So, in honor of the sunny summer days ahead, I'd like to share with you my newest product: 

Coconut Woman - All Natural Face + Body Cream! 

Made with delicious smelling organic coconut oil & organic jojoba oil, as well as many other nutrient filled and skin soothing ingredients! All my "guinea pigs" (humans) that have tried it so far, really love it- not just for the smell but for the moisturizing and softening effects.

The name of this lotion was inspired by Harry Belafonte's song, "Cocoanut Woman," and just the fact that anytime I put on his record I want to dance! 

Available exclusively in my Etsy shop in a 4 oz, 2 oz or sample size.

Here are the full ingredients & benefits: 

• Organic Extra Virgin Coconut Oil: full of good fats & fatty acids that helps the skin retain moisture, ward off infection and stay clean and soft. Also contains vitamin E and proteins that help diminish premature aging signs, and promote overall healthy, strong skin. 

• Organic Jojoba Oil: this oil, which is technically a liquid wax ester, closely resembles human sebum (our skin's natural oil). Therefore, it can act as a kind of "second skin", protecting and holding in moisture while still allowing the skin to breathe. Wonderful for skin and hair.

• Organic Sunflower & Sweet Almond Oil: these two lighter oils are great emollients for the skin as well. Both are high in vitamin E which nourishes the skin and helps diminish fine lines. These oils contain anti-inflammatory and skin lightening properties, and can help with skin irritations. 

• Aloe Vera Gel: produced from the inner fillet of organically grown aloe vera plants, this natural soothing gel is not only great for burns and bites, but also wonderful for toning and firming skin. It is a non-greasy moisturizer, trapping skins' moisture in! Contains hormones that stimulate healing and reduce inflammation. The list could go on forever- aloe is amazing!
• Vitamin E Oil: for an extra boost of skin nourishing vitamin E, and also a natural preservative. 
• Organic Essential Oils: 
• Tea Tree: to increase the antimicrobial action of the cream and help with healing/preventing acne
• Lavender: great for all skin, anti-inflammatory, anti-septic, cell-regenerating, calming & soothing, and of course smells glorious.
• Cedarwood: to add a little extra earthy scent and help with oily skin problems. 

There you have it! I'm actually going to create a little spin off of this with peppermint essential oil very soon - just because coconut + peppermint are an intoxicating and refreshing combo! Go ahead and visit my shop to find out more and take a look at my other all natural beauty products and soy candles. Thanks for stopping by today and hope you can try this and enjoy it as much as I have! 

Until next time. xoxo

Sunkissed Salads: They'll Have Your Mouth Watering

I LOVE salads! They're so pretty and colorful to look at and have so much room for creativity! My mom taught me how to make the perfect, classic salad when I was little - it was always my job to make one for our family dinners after that. Lettuce, tomatoes, cucumber, green onions and homemade ranch dressing. I'd add cheese and pepper on top too. Now I know all that ranch and shredded cheddar cheese kind of cancelled out the point of eating fresh veggies- but at least I learned to love them at a young age, right?

Since I've exed the ranch dressing...my salads usually consist of spinach, tomatoes, avocado, orange or yellow peppers and dress it with olive oil & lemon juice (delish!). But now and again, when I have more time to prepare a "special" salad - I like to add even more fun ingredients, some type of meat, and use a different type of dressing.

So, here's 5 salads from some beautiful blogs I've found, that are packed full of even more nutrients and proteins, have a little sweeter side, or are just plain beautiful to look at (not to mention scrumptious)!

Tomato, Cucumber, Avocado Salad via Green Valley Kitchen

Sometimes you don't need any lettuce! And ripe, red cherry tomatoes are thee best!

--------------------

Watermelon Watercress Salad via A House in the Hills

This salad is perfect for warmer weather with the addition of sweet watermelon! 

--------------------

Jane's Mango & Coconut Salad via Autoimmune Paleo

You had me at mango...and then again at coconut.

--------------------

Shrimp Avocado Salad via Add A Pinch

This one reminds me of ceviche, but a little quicker to make - just say "shrimp" and I'll eat it!

--------------------

Grilled Pineapple, Chicken & Avocado Salad via Gimme Some Oven

This is like the perfect mix of fruit salad and veggie salad with yummy chicken to top it off!

-------------------------------------------------------------

Even if you're not a big salad person, I'm sure one of these will tickle your fancy. Now I need to go figure out which one I want to try tonight... 

(All photos are from their respective blogs/websites)

Until next time. xoxo

Sunkissed Discount | Save Some Moolah!

Getting my Etsy Shop up and going has been so much fun! Creating luxurious, natural and organic beauty care products, giving out samples to everyone I know, making labels and packaging, taking photos - I LOVE running my own little business! I'm still in the beginning stages of my store as far as sales, so I want to offer a discount to encourage my bloglovin' amigas to try out my products! I have some really fun & bright decor items, hand poured soy candles as well as all natural beauty products - in all different sizes to choose from! 

So please go ahead & check out my shop and pick something out for yourself! 

I'm in the middle of creating some new all natural beauty products as well, so stay tuned for those in the very near future!

| etsy.com/shop/sunkisseddream |

Until next time. xoxo