Taste of the Tea

Have you ever wanted to try one of our teas but you just don't like chamomile, or peppermint, or just wanted something a little different? Well now is your chance! Come see us at Squidfire's Winter Art Mart on Saturday and together we can design a custom blend of your very own!

The Festival of Saint Nicholas night 2

Image courtesy of http://rjdent.files.wordpress.com

So did you read along with us last night? Our cookies got foiled by a nice long power outage so thats a bust another night tonight though.

In the second portion of the story The Bishop Nicholas we encounter a little girl who is the cause of her own loneliness. From her encounter with Nicholas we learn how we can be more like the Sun to give our love to others and fill their hearts with love. My children will wake the following morning to an orange to help them remember what it feels like to share good things with others. The orange tastes sweet like sunshine and love.

So be the sunshine and spread your love! One great way to do that would be to buy handmade and help the Maryland Foodbank.

The Festival of Saint Nicholas

Image from http://www.daskochrezept.de

What some of you may not know about us is that we are a homeschooling family. On December 1 each year we start telling the story of Saint Nicholas in preparation for the festival in his honor on December 6. This is a common thread if you are familiar with Waldorf education.

Tonight after dinner my children and I in our pajamas will get in our pajamas and gather round on the floor of the boys room as I will retell the same story we hear December 1 every year, the story of The Little Boy Nicholas. After we read this story with our hearts filled with hope and love  into bed they go and down to the kitchen I go. I will bake cookies for them to awake to along with 5 shiny pennies representing the cookies and coins in the story and the children who helped the little boy who could not use his legs. These cookies and coins will remind my children to be kind and helpful to each other. This year we are using this cookie recipe Haselnussmakronen as we are currently gluten free and I don't have flour in the house and no time today to get our usual snicker doodle ingredients.

So come back tomorrow and see how we will celebrate on Day 2 of the Festival of St Nick!

Frantically getting ready!

Its a busy week at the Lana Bella HQ aka my house! Our youngest assistant is about to have a birthday turning ONE on Friday! Happy Birthday Finn!! Its been a great year!

We are also getting ready for our very first craft show. The elves they are busy cutting, wrapping, simmering, & decanting. Take glimpse behind the scenes images taken by 5yo Jack.

Get in the Holiday mood by attending Sophia’s 6th Annual Holiday Fair Saturday, November 21, 2009 Noon to 5 pm

Memorial Episcopal Church 1407 Bolton Street Baltimore, MD 410-669-0220 

Begin your day by having a light lunch and beverage, then you can shop ’til you drop for Christmas gifts made by our very talented crafters, and before you leave purchase a home made dessert for your Thanksgiving feast!

TELL YOUR FRIENDS AND NEIGHBORS AND BRING A FRIEND!!

What is coming soon...

Ever wonder just what is up my sleeves? Well here you go a glimpse of whats on the racks or in pots I have 36 hours until my deadline of getting all of these done for holiday giving!

lavender oat
chocolate lavender
lavender vanilla
lavender eucalyptus & bergamot
moroccan fig
rosemary mint
mint julep (peppermint orange)
vanilla latte
orange vanilla
Ant-y thing bars
la-min-chouli (lavender spearmint patchouli)
scarborough faire
mojito
nekkid jaybird
chai
citrus basil
moonlight path
vetyver
doggie bars

Shampoo Bars:
redheaded stepchild (Hibiscus, red clover & rose)
blondes have fun (lavender & chamomile)
deliciously dark (lavender & sage)
squeaky clean (lemongrass, lemon balm, yarrow infused with rosemary, tea tree & peppermint essential oils)

Thats all I can think of for now!

Oh and did you see if you purchase through this weekend (11/6-11/8) you get free shipping if you use code "keenrory" in the etsy seller comments.

Save the Date!! December 6th

What I'm working on .... Soap of Course

Its been busy busy here! Fall is HERE in Baltimore which means for the girl who has been living in sunny warm South Carolina for the past 4 years its COLD! There are adjustments being made with my children and I who are just not used to cold like this so early! With the cold and the rain .. oh the rain there is much more time being spent inside so there has been much more crafting going on.

Soap making in action. Believe it or not these pictures are not as easy to take yourself WHILE making soap!

solid soap oils measured out and heating up (Coconut oil, Palm kernal oil, Shea butter, Cocoa butter)

Ok really there were multiple batches measured out to be made back to back because thats how I roll. Its just easier to make a bunch after bedtime than spend many nights doing it. Its like making two lasagnas at once so you can freeze one rather than spending the time to pull everything out multiple times as far as I'm concerned.

Welcome to the complete overtaking of my kitchen.

Water and Lye solution cooling in my sink.

Melting in progress.

Essential Oils measured mixed and set aside (Lavender, Sweet Orange & Geranium)

Oils melted (liquid oils of olive and sunflower added) and lye solution mixed together. Just Started blending.

Coming along well.

Poured into the mold (sorry missed a few steps with the camera there like I said its hard to photograph yourself making soap).

Unwrapped and ready to be cut. Smells delicious!

Cut, staged and photographed ready to be listed in the etsy store in a few more weeks. We have to let them cure a bit first!

Check and see what we do have ready for you today! Lana Bella' Etsy Shop oh and as a special treat how about a 5% discount with code "SoapMaking" added to the seller box now through 10 am tomorrow (October 28)

Thinking Pink closer to home...

Since I was a little girl and my grandfather was diagnosed with lung cancer its always been on my mind and supporting research or those with cancer has always been dear to my heart. Those days spent sitting in a bed next to him reading to him even after he fell asleep are some of my fondest and saddest memories. I remember walking the streets of my neighborhood asking for donations whenever a new packet would come in the mail lung cancer, leukemia, the heart association I'd fill out all the paperwork in my best handwriting feeling so proud that I was doing something to help. I'd skip playing with friends ( a big thing in the 8-11 age bracket) to go door to door doing my part. Sure I often got invited in when it was cold for a cocoa or some cookies or sometimes I was just the only face they had seen that day, or week and people just wanted to talk sometimes it was for fifty cents (as we lived in one of those working class suburban neighborhoods in the old italian section of town) sometimes it was for ten whole dollars I didn't care I was a kid it was the mid 80's .50 still meant something. 


Fast forward some 25 years I've lost three of my grandparents now to one type of cancer or another, had cervical cancer myself over 10 years ago but none of that hit home harder than what was to come.  


To say that my Mom and I haven't had the best relationship ever would be an understatement. She knows all the buttons to push, views the world differently than I, and is so much more trusting of other things which just sets us off on each other. In so many ways the best thing for our relationship was being 1000 miles apart when we moved to South Carolina. In the past four years I've seen my mom twice for less than a week both times and that was fine. So much changed this past winter. Just after Christmas my mom called and told me they found something on her mammogram and they wanted to look further into it. I honestly didn't think anything of it because she has had a few non cancerous cysts removed over the years. They kept looking at it one doctor saying it was nothing but luckily her radiologist was very insistent that it wasn't nothing and kept checking it. 


In late February just days after her 55th birthday she got the dreaded news it was Breast Cancer. It would take two months of weighing the lumpectomy/mastectomy and co-ordinating the surgical schedules of her doctors before her surgery. What was thought to be nothing by doctors just four months earlier and then changed to a stage 2 just before surgery changed drastically to a stage 3B post op and after scans revealed spread to her lymph nodes. 


I'm dealing with the emotional aftermath of feelings of how this woman my mother who I've never been overly close to could very well have been gone had this one radiologist not been so insistent, and with the idea of no longer having a mother possibly sooner than later. I've never once thought of my Mom as an optimistic person (to which she will beg to differ), but this diagnosis has changed that. We are closer than we have ever been. It has changed everything, how she eats, how she lives, how she looks. 

Somehow this has all made my Mom a much more optimistic person, someone I want to take this second chance with and really get to know while I can.

Not long after my Mom started chemo she got even more bad news, she was being downsized because of the failing economy. Its been a blessing and a curse. While she can concentrate on getting through chemo and not have to feel pressured about missing too much work, she now is out of work and has medical bills piling up. So this October for me its not about supporting more cancer research its about helping to deal with the aftermath of a failing economy and a cancer diagnosis. My mom still had months of chemo left and then radiation in her treatment and thousands of dollars in medical expenses so this October I'm thinking pink closer to home and will be donating 10% of all sales to my Mom's medical bills and for every 10 items sold you get a little surprise treat and she gets and extra $10! What are you waiting for go  SHOP NOW!

I also have it on good authority that some of my fellow BEST members are also donating to cancer causes as well so be sure to check out greenstarstudio and Spa Therapy Works and see just what they are up to as well. 

What I'm working on .... Elderberry Immune Support Syrup

We have been taking elderberry syrup in my home for years to help with everything from being run down, common colds and illnesses, allergies and I even took it this past year to help boost my immune system from a case of mastitis. I adjust the recipe here and there to provide better benefit for the issue at hand.

My current batch of elderberry syrup is inspired from the hard crafting ladies of BEST who have been working so hard to make wonderful treasures and goodies for you. Lack of sleep is the worst thing you can do to your body as that is when we heal and replenish ourselves. On top of lack of sleep they are going to have many many interactions with hundreds of people and anytime you interact with many people you introduce yourself to different things not bad just different and its those interactions that put our immune systems on alert. I want these new friends of mine to not have to worry about coming down with a cold when they can least 'afford' to thus Elderberry Immune Support Syrup!

Organic Ingredients: Filtered Water, Honey, Elderberries, Licorice Root, Rosehips, Echinacea, Cinnamon Bark, Elecampane, Slippery Elm Bark, Ginger Root, Oregon Grape Root & LOVE

What do these herbs do?
Elderberries are known to be effective in fighting at least eight 8 strains of influenza suggesting elderberry is superior to vaccines in flu prevention because vaccines can only protect against know strains that are also continuously mutating. It was also found that elderberry disarms the enzyme viruses use to invade otherwise healthy cells in the linings of the throat and nose. Taken before an infection it will help prevent an infection, after it will help prevent the spread through the respiratory and other systems.

Licorice Root's most common use world wide is to treat common colds and coughs. In Chinese Medicine it is also used to treat fatigue. Has a generally pleasing taste.

Rosehips have one of the most concentrated forms of vitamin C that is available which has led to them being included in many cold preventatives and remedies such as this very syrup. In addition to vitamin C, rosehips also contain vitamins A, D and E, as well as antioxidant flavonoids that may reduce the effects of aging and help prevent cancer. The various flavonoids in rose hips have potent antioxidant action, helping to protect the body from the effects of stress, aging and the environment. The iron in rose hips make them an excellent supplement for women.

Echinacea is one of the first choice herbs for the treatment and preventions of colds because of its immune stimulating qualities.

Cinnamon is one of the most recognizable of flavors in the world, has been used  in just about every type of food product available. Cinnamons beneficial effects on the digestive tract are attributed to its antioxidant catechins, which may also help fight bacterial, fungal, and parasitic infections. Cassia bark has been used for over a thousand years in both Eastern and Western medicine in treating chronic diarrhea, colds, kidney trouble, abdominal and heart pains, hypertension, and cancer, among others.

Elecampane related to both sunflowers and ragweed is named for Helen of Troy, who carried its flowers with her. In traditional Chinese Medicine and Ayurvedic medicine it is recommended for bronchitis and asthma. During the middle ages it was regarded for restoring health to the heart. It is an antiseptic expectorant and will relieve chest congestion. As a bitter it will also stimulate digestion.

Slippery Elm Bark added to hot water has a slippery consistency and was also served as a food during famine and for making porridge for small children and elderly persons. The mucilage in slipper elm bark also relieves inflammation and irritation in the throat and urinary tract. Slippery elm also helps neutralize excess stomach acid.

Ginger Root is probably the most widely used remedy on the planet being used as both food and medicine. Fresh ginger is used to relieve dryness and heat, while dried ginger is used to relieve dampness and chill. Scientists have found evidence to support ginger's wide range of medicinal actions including lowering cholesterol levels, relieving allergies and asthma, arthritis, colds, and nausea; and protecting the digestive tract and liver against toxins and parasites. Laboratory science confirms the concentration of compounds found in raw ginger  kills cold viruses. Ginger is especially useful in small doses in pregnancy as  an age-old remedy for morning sickness.

Oregon Grape Root is a useful substitute for goldenseal, which has been over harvested in the wild. Oregon grape root may also give the immune system a mild boost. Oregon grape root and other herbs that contain berberine are scientifically proven to protect against bacteria, viruses, fungi, protozoans, worms, and chlamydia.

So there you have it a handcrafted alternative to chemical laden over the counter cold products. Herbal syrups are fun and easy to make and last typically 2-4 months if refrigerated and taste good too! Enjoy I know my family does. 

For educational purposes only. This information has not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration.

This information is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

By purchasing and/or using any items from Lana Bella, it is implied that you have read and understand the risks of using herbs and herbal products and therefore release Lana Bella from any and all liability.

Please do your own research and/or discuss with your healthcare provider before using herbal products.

How Lana Bella happened...

Back in the spring of 2004 I was a happy little cloth diaper maker who was buying this great wool wash from another WAHM sewing along on my merry way and giving out samples with all my wool covers. Then one day in 2005  I got an email that she was closing shop but selling her business. Well in 2005 there weren't many WAHM wool washes out there and I loved this one so it was only natural or so I thought that I should buy it. I casually mentioned it to an online friend and we decided to try together. Long story short she sold it to someone else.

Then the other friend mentions why don't we make out own so together in 2 states hundreds of miles apart we decide to do just that. It was in my kitchen that the liquid wool wash and spray lanolin for Sheepish Grins was born. Unfortunately I was also getting ready to move with 2 small children and one Coast Guard Hubby from Cape Cod, MA to Charleston, SC. My partner wanted to grow Sheepish Grins big and fast and I wanted slow and small so I could move then get adjusted. In the end we parted ways (she later went on to sell Sheepish Grins) so we could remain friends.

A few months pass I'm settled in our new home somewhat and lonely and nearly out of all the wool care products I made before the move. I need to make more for myself but I also want to stock my store but what do I call them they have no identity anymore. I pose the question to my little online group of mommy friends. One of the suggestions is LANA BELLA loosely translated to beautiful wool in Italian (which I am partly) interestingly so wool was also used as currency during the Renaissance period. Its perfect!

So you see it all started with wool washes. The per Pelle idea came to fruition a few months later when I needed to figure out gifts for relatives 1000 miles away on a very tight budget so I pulled the lanolin tweaked the recipe some and the very first of the skin care bars were on their way to CT. During the same time I was involved with a wonderful produce co-op and someone was mentioning some skin issues and I mentioned my soaps which had been working so wonderfully on my own daughters eczema that one bar gift of soap opened the door to a whole new market for me a market not online but in the real world. A similar situation happened a few months down the line in early 2006 at my chiropractors office and thus my first brick and mortar location. although it was farmers market style with a basket of my soap and an envelope it got more of my soap out in the local area.

I began playing with more herbs and teas and natural pigments more and more and by 2008 I was growing all of the herbs used in my soaps. Along came early 2009 and the salves really were launched other than just the diaper balm and others here and there as people needed them. Spring 2009 came the herbal teas and pink lip balms.

Currently far away from that local market I fell in love with and residing in Baltimore, MD I'm feeling a bit misplaced but have stumbled across once again hopefully at the right time a group who could help me really turn this overrated hobby shop into a real business. I will always look fondly of those days where I feel I really got my start sitting on the grass in the sun surrounded by great friends and sounds of laughing, playing children  with a basket of soap being passed around and ideas of things to come.