Cloudy Night

Thinking of Brideshead Revisited, Evelyn Waugh's story of beauty and the ultimate beauty of finding God, I love how Anthony Blanche tells Charles that he is "that very rare thing... an artist." How Anthony complements Charles in this respect, makes it sound so beautiful and charming. But, as artists know, there's the eccentricities: the obsessive frustration while painting, the feeling of madness, even, when a painting isn't quite as it's needed to be. Yet, there's that deep feeling of contentment when a piece is finished. Even more beautiful, is the discovery that years after a painting is completed, and an artist revisits their work, they see something new. Revisiting my painting, "Cloudy Night," this is the case. It now makes me think of St. Paul's Romans 5:

". . . We also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us."

I had the honor of sharing "Cloudy Night" at an art show and speaking about its symbolism. Doing so was revealing scars, yet very cathartic. That's the thing about sharing art: it's perfectly okay to be emotional. People don't judge you, they want to hear your story. This is what art is.

"Cloudy Night" is a winter piece. It's surrealism. It's also a landscape. But it also conveys a lot of emotion: confusion, sadness, heartbreak, depression, pain, scars. But deep within the clouds is the slight yellow, the hidden happiness coming through... and that is the silver lining. Winter doesn't last forever. Snow will melt, beauty will flower again... and our sufferings bring us closer to Christ.

Cloudy Night, painted by me. Watercolor and Acrylic. 

Old School Gaming

I've been a gamer since... well, since I can remember.

If you were a product of the 80's (like me), you'd remember the glory days, too. I remember playing the Atari Pitfall! and then there were the hours I would spend on the Apple II, playing games such as Oregon Trail and Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego? Oh, those were good times, indeed. But it got even better, with the release of the NES and Sega consoles. With the NES and SMS came some serious business: obsession and fandom of certain franchises.

With the NES's Zelda franschise, came the cartoon as well as the cereal (which tasted like lucky charms... it was oooooh sooooo gooood) so my childhood was certainly impacted by Nintendo. But the Sega Master System and it's successor, the Sega Genesis/Mega Drive, truly enchanted my childhood. I would draw maps of Phantasy Star's dungeon mazes, take them to the very nice school librarians, who would laminate the maps for me.

My obsession for Zelda remains, though, and I get excited about every new game released. As much as I enjoy the new games, I'll always remember the good ol' days. With this in mind, I am sharing an artwork I made in celebration of The Adventures of Link. Retro Zelda tends to be under-appreciated while so many (er, too many) continue to lavish praise over the very mediocre Twilight Princess.

So, here's to old school gaming, and old school Zelda.

The Adventure of Link artwork, drawn by me. 

Beer Soap

Ah, the wonders of beer. ("Mmmmmm. Beer." -- Homer Simpson.)

Ahem, well, Captain Obvious and all, but my Irish kin are certainly reputed to enjoy the stuff, exporting some of the most popular of beers, such as the widely known Guinness.

How long humans have been making beer is uncertain, but what is known is that beer has been fermented since ancient cultures, at least since the time of Sumer, and his people, the Sumerians. The Sumerians celebrated their fermented libations with documented hymns, such as the following, as translated by Miguel Civil of The Oriental Institute of the University of Chigago):

In the reed buckets there is sweet beer,
I will make cupbearers, boys, and brewers stand by,
While I circle around the abundance of beer,
While I feel wonderful, I feel wonderful,
Drinking beer, in a blissful mood,
Drinking liquor, feeling exhilarated, 
With joy in the heart and and a happy liver,
While my heart full of joy,
And my happy liver I cover with a garment fit for a queen!
The heart of Inanna is happy again,
The heart of the queen of heaven is happy again!


The ancient Sumerians sound like a bunch of dancing hobbits in the above song. But, mad props to the Sumerians here: the stuff is indeed great, not only because it's, uh, beer, but also because of its beauty benefits! Yes, indeed: Cleopatra took beer baths, just as many in Eastern Europe today take beer baths. It's said to be great for the hair as a rinse; others claim it's great for beautifying the skin. I have used it as a toner for the skin and I'm a fan, hands down. But what's also great about beer, is that it makes an incredible soap. No harsh, unneeded chemicals such as Sodium Lauryl Sulfate -- put simply -- beer, used in making soap, means bubbles..

When my Etsy site is launched (sooooooon) such wonderful beer soaps will be available for your bathing pleasure.

My Dragon's Blood Beer soap. 

(No dragons were harmed in the making of this soap.)

Rose Syrup

"A rose by any other name would smell as sweet," wrote Shakespeare, but historically, a rose isn't just any rose when it comes to medicine. Roses such as R. damascena (Damask rose) and R. gallica officinalis (Apothecary rose) are, specifically, herbal roses.

Today, roses are commonly placed in gardens and lawns for their beauty, but in medieval times, the herbal roses were mostly grown for medicinal purposes. The Apothecary Rose, in particular, was used historically to treat a variety of ailments, such as sore throat and indigestion. Classically, in ancient Rome, the rose was also used to treat hangovers. On that note, Roman author and naturalist Pliny the Elder wrote of thirty-two remedies made from the rose.

Titus Pullo could  probably use some of dat rose med.
From HBO's series, Rome.

A decoction of the Rose, wrote 16th herbalist Nicholas Culpeper, is good for headaches, and pain in the eyes, ears, and throat. I have seasonal allergies which gives me a sore throat, and I am an eccentric, so I wanted to be my own guinea pig and make a Rose syrup, using  a very basic recipe with my own UNSPRAYED Apothecary Rose petals (R. gallica officinalis), freshly picked from my personal garden. If curious, you can probably buy rose syrup online, but please consult a doctor before consumption, to be safe. The following is the result of my own experimentation, and, like the rest of this post, is intended for educational purposes only.

In a saucepan, I slowly brought the sugar water to a boil. I then turned off the stove and removed the saucepan from the stove surface to allow the mixture to simmer. When the mixture cooled, I added my own Apothecary Rose petals to the mixture, stirring occasionally. I allowed the petals to simmer in the mixture for several hours, stirring occasionally. The mixture turned a gentle pink in color. I then strained the mixture through a sieve before bottling.

Simmering Apothecary Rose petals.

Apothecary Rose Syrup... what's left of it, anyway.

Needless to say, I am very pleased with my homemade Rose syrup. The subtle flavor of the rose in the syrup is lovely. Not only did I add the syrup to smoothies, drinks and dishes, I used it medicinally, taking a tablespoon of it before bed to help a sore throat from allergies, and soothing the mucus felt in the throat. For me, personally, I was pleased with it, overall. Rose Syrup FTW!


This post was written strictly for educational purposes only, is not approved by the FDA, and is only to reflect my own personal experiences with herbs.The rose recipe linked and the rose notations is not intended to diagnose, treat or cure any disease and is to reflect my own experience. Do not use or treat yourself with any herb, especially while pregnant or nursing, before consulting a physician.
For more information, please see: 

The Apothecary's Rose, by Rosemagazine.com

Plant Profile: Rose by sacredearth.com

The English Physician Enlarged by Nicolas Culpeper (see page 278, specifically)

Milky Mint Soap

'Wanna tell hand eczema to take off? Milky Mint Soap is the best way to do so!

Of recent months, this refreshing batch of soap has been a hit, as family members have been demanding it, which is pleasing, but also kind of annoying. (Me: "Family, stop mooching my soap and give me five bucks!")

'Can't say I blame 'em, though. Eczema runs in my family, as we all have sensitive Irish skin that doesn't take kindly to the harsh "soap" (i.e., detergent, not soap) from stores. That being said, I do have to admit, there's nothing quite like bathing in an all-natural, milky-mint soap. Made with nourishing organic milk, and using mostly Spearmint essential oil with a touch of Peppermint, the smell is so wonderfully invigorating in the shower! Spearmint essential oil has a sweeter scent than Peppermint, and is also less irritating to the skin, so a ratio of just a little Peppermint essential oil with more of the Spearmint essential oil makes a fine, minty soap.

Freshly poured batch of my Milky Mint Soap

Other essential oils, such as Lavender and Cedarwood, are known to help eczema, but this soap, with the addition of Nettle Leaf powder (known to aid in eczema) as well as the soothing milk, left my hands soft, smelling sweetly, and eczema free. Some people swear by goat milk for soap intended to aid eczema, but in my experience, organic cow milk is just as effective.

Fresh-cut milky mint soap, curing alongside my dragon's blood beer soaps. 

My etsy and ebay sites are under construction, but if you wish to order a batch via paypal, please email me at floweredunicorn@gmail.com.

This post was written for educational purposes only and only to reflect my own personal experiences with herbs and essential oils (I am my own guinea pig; what works for me may not work for you, and please consult a physician before using essential oils). My soaps are not intended to diagnose or cure any disease. Do not use essential oils while pregnant or nursing before consulting a physician.

Elderberry Pie

A couple of weeks ago (late August), I was driving towards Corbett from Troutdale (AKA: the boonies) and did a double take as I spotted something in the corner of my eye. I then yelled "WHAT! That's Elder!" and then did an epic u-turn back to confirm that the massive, deciduous bush was, indeed, blue Elder, which is native to the Pacific Northwest. Of COURSE I then picked the powdery-blue berries that resemble little Earths.

Blue Elderberries (Sambucus cerulea).

The Sambucus species native to Oregon is S. cerulea (blue Elder) and S. racemosa (red Elder). You can eat a few blue Elderberries fresh off the bush, but consuming more than a handful can cause stomach upset in some people due to the small amount of hydrocynanic acid content. Cooking the berries thoroughly destroys the toxins. Red Elderberries (S. racemosa), however, have a higher amount of these toxins, and therefore should be regarded as toxic. Sambucus cerulea, much like its well known herbal cousin Sambucus nigra (European black Elder), has powerful medicinal properties. Blue Elder was an important source of food and medicine for Northwest Native Americans; infusions were used to aid a variety of ailments, including but not limited to fever and gastrointestinal issues. 

Blue Elderberry competes with the Huckleberry as my favorite berry. In other words, blue Elderberry cooked in baked goods is a total foodgasm. The flavor of blue Elderberries in a pie has a slight "bite" to it. The only downside in using Elderberries is removing the berries from the stems, which is a real pain in the ass. No, really: Plan to destem for at least a couple of hours. Also, you want to be really careful when destemming, as the stems and leaves are toxic.

I made a pie with the blue Elderberries, and it was epic. It was so epic that I refused to leave the house before eating a piece for breakfast/brunch/lunch (or if you're a pig like me, all three). Now as for a recipe to share, this is the thing... when I cook, I don't often use recipes -- it's usually something like, "Eh, that should be enough there, a dash of this here, throw in some of this stuff" -- but below is basically the recipe... as much as I can remember, anyway.

Blue Elderberry Pie

About 3 1/2 cups blue Elderberries
A tiny bit of water, about 1/4 cup (if berries are frozen, don't add water)
Juice of 1 lemon
1 cup of sugar, add more to taste
3 1/2 tablespoons of cornstarch
Dash of cinnamon
A little honey, about a tablespoon

For the gluten-free crust:

2 cups of flour, Bob's Red Mill All Purpose Gluten-free flour OR 1 cup of Bob's Red Mill Sorghum flour, 1/2 cup Bob's Red Mill White Rice Flour and 1/2 cup Bob's Red Mill Tapioca Flour
Dash of salt
About 1 teaspoon xanthan gum
2/3 cup of vegetable oil
1/3 cup of milk

Mise en place ingredients. Mix flour with salt and xantham gum in a bowl, add the vegetable oil and milk and blend well. Divide the mixture in half and roll out the dough on a sheet of wax paper. Place the dough in a 8" pie pan.

Cook the elderberries in a saucepan until soft. If fresh, add the water. Add the berries to a blender and blend for about ten seconds. Return the mixture to the saucepan, add the sugar, honey, lemon juice, cinnamon, and then the cornstarch and bring to a boil. Remove from surface to allow the mixture to cool and thicken.

Add the mixture to the pie crust, top with the other half of the dough (a lattice crust is recommended, but any sort of pie topping will do). Pinch sides, cut slices in center of pie, and brush the crust with milk to aid browning. Bake at 350 degrees for about 40 to 50 minutes, or until pie crust is golden brown. Serve with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

This basically evaporated.

This post was written for educational purposes only. When foraging for wild berries, please be 100 percent positive of identification. Remember that red Elderberry (S. racemosa) is toxic and should not be eaten. For more information, please see:

Sambucus cerulea at BLUE ELDERBERRY at USDA Plants Database

Wild Berries of the West by Betty B. Derig and Mararet C. Fuller - has excellent Elderberry recipes!

Mica and Cold Process Soap

I'm pretty strict when it comes to making soap. I only make soap the traditional, Tyler Durden way (cold process, although I'm open to hot process, as well). Since I first began making soap, I've only used natural ingredients: this means plant-based colorants and essential oils in scenting. I'm still all about the natural (um, hello, hippie blog and all), but I've relaxed a little and expanded my horizons to using mica colorants (micas are derived from natural Earth minerals, and I use mica cosmetics, so really, why the heck not). Now, the thing is, micas are known to work especially well  in transparent "melt and pour" soap, but... "melt and pour" soapmaking kinda defeats the purpose of why I make soap. I have nothing against "melt and pour" soaps, which are lovely and kudos to those who enjoy it. But... Tyler Durden is basically my hero, and honestly, do ya think Tyler Durden would make foofy "melt and pour" soaps? Considering that an enlightening moment in the film Fight Club involves NaOH, I wouldn't think so.

"What is this?"

"This... is a chemical burn."

Anyway, where was my point in this? Oh: Since Cold Process soap is opaque, not all micas will work, but some will. One idea: if you're interested in stamping your soap with an image, you can dip a stamp in a little mica and press onto soft, freshly unmolded soap - I've tried this myself and the effects are pretty nice. Another idea is to layer and sprinkle cold process soap with a little mica. Also, as an alternative to Titanium Dioxide, I personally like to use pearlescent mica in lightening my soap. Now, you may be wondering where to get great micas to work with in your soapmaking. I order my mica colorants from Oregon Trail Soapers Supply. They carry awesome mica colorants, among other much-needed soap-making supplies.

Pearlizer mica from Oregon Trail Soapers Supply. 

You can add this to cold process soap to lighten it. 

Even with opaque cold process soap,

the sparkle will reflect in the light.

I recently made a batch of beer soap, made with Guinness and scented with an essential oil blend of Frankincense, Myrrh, Clove, with touches of Vetiver and Vanilla. I lightened some of the soap with the pearlizer mica, and swirled it up. It's a very smoky, spicy scent... perfect for guys and gals alike, and soon to be available via my shop.

Soooooooap.