The Dance of the Harvest, Halloween, Samhain, Dia de Muertos

If you live in the city, you may not appreciate the change of seasons as much as those of us who live outside an urban area.

While I've always enjoyed the change of seasons (as a gardener, even in the city I paid attention to their passing), I especially notice them nowadays.

On my drive from Hoopeston, IL to my shop in Urbana this morning, I saw one of the huge harvesters just pouring down a shower of golden corn into a trailer. A glorious sight that brought home to me what all the acres of corn and soybeans are about.

Mind you, I tend to favor smaller, organic gardens and the concept of organic farms. Nonetheless, there is beauty in seeing the dance of the harvest on such a grand scale. Yet to produce this harvest, corn, soybean and other plants must die.

Halloween, Samhain, Dia de Muertos (Day of the Dead), All Souls, are all holidays that, in their own way, celebrate the concept of harvest. The seed of the grain harvested this Autumn will not only feed people, cattle or fuel cars, it will give us future harvests when planted. Even in the death of the corn (or wheat) is found life. These holidays, which celebrate the dead, also acknowledge the living and our connection to the circle of life and death.

Many blessings to you and yours during this harvest season.

Beads N Botanicals Class Schedule for Fall/Winter 2008 in Urbana, IL

BEADS N BOTANICALS Fall/Winter 2008 Classes in Urbana, IL

Please feel free to pass this information on to whomever you think might find it of interest. Please remember I am also offering tarot readings, herbal consultations, hypnotherapy for relaxation, behavior modification and past life regression, as well as Reiki energy heali
ng....Catherine

P.S. We will also be hosting a reflexologist, a Medium and other psychic readers by appointment.

Body/Mind/Spirit Classes Fall/Winter 2008
Held at Beads N Botanicals
117 N Broadway Ave, Urbana, IL 61801
217-365-9355
Please pre-register and pay for all jewelry making and craft classes
at least two days in advance of the actual class.

Wednesday, October 29
Basic Wire Working: How to Make Earrngs: A great starter class! You’ll make two pairs of earrings. Cost: $15, materials included. … 6 p.m. Please Note: This class is a pre-requisite for our Wire-Wrapping Pendants class.

Meditation for Relaxation … Cost: $5. Calm your mind and let go of stress, easily & effortlessly. 7:15 p.m.


Wednesday, November 5
Basic Stringing: Necklace Design: Want to learn how to put together a necklace, but not sure how to begin? Or, how to end it? Cost: $18, materials included. … 6 p.m.

Crystal Healing… Cost: $5… … 7:15 p.m.

Thursday, November 6
Introduction to Aromatherapy: Learn about aromatherapy--its historical and modern development. Discover the therapeutic uses of essential oils for healing, and why they work. Gain confidence in your own abilities to evaluate, purchase and blend essential oils.

Cost: $10… 6 p.m.

Saturday, November 8
Basic Wire Working: How to Make Earrings. Cost: $15, 1 hour, materials included … 11 a.m.

Making Solid Perfumes: Solid perfumes are spill proof and make great gifts, especially when they are made in nifty little containers
. Learn how easily basic solid perfumes can be made, for personal use and for gift giving…Cost: $18, materials included.…1 p.m.


Wednesday, November 12
Basic Stringing: Bracelet Design: Want to learn how to put together a bracelet, but not sure how to begin? Or, how to end it? $15, 1 hour, materials included. …6 p.m.

Basics of Psychic Protection … Cost: $5…7:15 p.m.

Thursday, November 13
Building Immunity Herbally: Find out about alternative approaches to building immunity. Learn how to fight colds
and flus. Includes information not only about appropriate herbs but also essential oils and other natural aids. Cost: $10…6 p.m.

Saturday, November 15
Basic Stringing: Necklace Design: Want to learn how to put together a necklace, but not sure how to begin? Or, how to end it? Cost: $18, 1 hour, materials included. …11 a.m.

Making Dream Pillows: Get a good night’s sleep by using herbs and oils to enhance sleep and dreaming…Cost: $10…1 p.m.


Wednesday, November 19
Basic Wire Working: How to Make Earrings. A great starter class! You’ll make two pairs of earrings.Cost: $15, 1 hour, materials included. … 6 p.m. Please Note: This class is a pre-requisite for our Wire-Wrapping Pendants class.

Tapping into Your Intuition … Cost: $5…7:15 p.m.

Thursday, November 20
Overcoming Stress Herbally: Find out about alternative approaches to overcoming stress. Distinguish between types of stress: resulting from overwork, physical injury or emotional upset. Includes information not only about appropriate herbs but also essential oils and other natural aids.… Cost: $10…6 p.m.

Saturday, November 22
Holiday Home Fragrancing Techniques …
11 a.m. and 1 p.m.
Cost: free

Wednesday, December 3
Basic Bracelet Design … Cost: $15, 1 hour, materials included… 6 p.m.

Meditation for Relaxation …Calm your mind and let go of stress, easily and effortlessly. Cost: $5… 7:15 p.m.

Thursday, December 4
Secrets of Herbal Teas & Tinctures: Tasty and healthy brews. The differences between a cup of tea, medicinal teas and herbal tinctures. How to prepare a medicinal herb tea. Cost: $10…6 p.m.

Saturday, December 6
HOLIDAY OPEN HOUSE: Stop by for hot cider and holiday goodies.

Spicing up the Holidays: Mulling Spices for flavoring hot seasonal drinks …
11 a.m.,1 p.m., 3 p.m.
Cost: free

Wednesday, December 10
Basic Stringing: Necklace Design: Want to learn how to put together a necklace, but not sure how to begin? Or, how to end it? Cost: $18, materials included. … 6 p.m.

How to Work with Pendulums... Cost: $5…7:15 p.m.

Thursday, December 11
Introduction to Chinese Medicinals: This class highlights the differences between Chinese and Western descriptions of body systems. Learn about some commonly used Chinese herbs. Find out about the concept of Yin/Yang as it relates to health. Discover how easy it is to incorporate Chinese herbs into your everyday diet.

Cost: $10…6 p.m.

Saturday, December 13
Basic Wire Working: How to Make Earrings …. (See Description listed above)… Cost: $15, materials included.11 a.
m
Basic Bracelet Design … Cost: $15, materials included…1 p.m.

Scent of the Week: Crackling Firewood

Told a friend last weekend that I just got a "Crackling Firewood" oil in and she went gagga. For anyone who has ever attended a festival with a great bonfire...like Sirius Rising or Starwood, when you can't make it one year (or, in my case, several years), the scent of flaming wood can be rather nostagic.

Never mind that wood burning fireplaces can be so romantic, anyway!

The special at Beads N Botanicals this week (well....we're extending it through next Saturday November 1st because I'm just kicking it off) is....CRACKLING FIREWOOD incense sticks and Reed Diffuser Oils. Here at the shop (brick-and-mortar) it will be discounted.

We'll be featuring a new scent each week

Scent of the Week:Crackling Firewood

Special Discount

Incense Sticks

$2.50 per pack

Reed Diffuser Oil

$4.00/ounce $7.50/two ounces $11.50/four ounces

Beads N Botanicals Takes Urbana by Storm!

Okay, maybe that headline is a little bit of an exaggeration ;*)

Just been sooo busy that I forgot to post our new address and contact information here at the blog. Silly me.

Beads N Botanicals
117 N Broadway Ave
Urbana, IL 61801
217-365-9355

Business Hours:
Tuesdays: 11 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Wed-Fridays: 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Saturdays: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
And by appointment

Got the best phone call this morning from a customer in North Carolina. Lisa called me up all excited about the sample of Black Amber Musk I had sent her. (She'd ordered African Musk from my webstore).

Originally from Long Island, N.Y., Lisa'd been living in North Carolina for about nine years. She'd found that finding the scents she loved so much was much harder down there than up in New York. So she'd googled "African Musk" and decided to try mine, scent unsmelled. And was delighted when she received her order the other day.

Then...she smelled the Black Amber Musk....."It's killing me," she said. "Killing" in this instance being a good thing! LOL She was also delighted to find out I had a "killer China Rain" and wonderful patchouli oil.

Asking if I made this into an incense....I told her, "not yet, because it's new, but sure can." So, she ordered oils and incense...and then found out I can also add scent to unscented body wash, hand creme and shampoo, as well as make glycerin bar soaps.....So, that's on her list for the next order.

Lisa's enthusiasm was just what I needed this morning. She reminded me of what I've always said about my business...we're boutique, NOT Walmart. You can get almost anything you want here ("'cepting Alice"....for Arlo Guthrie fans who get the reference from "Alice's Restaurant.")