Celtic Roots

I remember sitting in my sons bed, writing out my 2015 New Years resolutions, with a heavy sense that this year was going to be one of change. The list consisted of becoming a blogger, spending more time with my family and growth as an individual. Little did I know that creating a blog would open the door to writing articles, create an awakening within myself to see what drives and motivates me. What started off as a lifestyle blog, became more of documentary of what was taking place within myself and I felt inspired by what was around us, obtainable, beautiful and free. My time spent at home consisted of creating decor or personal remedies through nature. Time spent with my family consisted of being outdoors and recognizing the glorious bounty of land, trees, plants and open space to breathe. I was creating and sharing my creations with my best friend Sara, whom started to create within her home as well, all from natural ingredients and essential oils. It was therapeutic for me, it was reeling me back to a time as a young girl when my imaginations drove me to create special lotions or cook fresh herbs on a cast iron pan heated by the sun alone. I was always living in a slight magical world! My imagination only grew as I read Anne of Greene Gables or Little House on The Prairie, all of which were spun and woven with natural remedies and living off the land. My heart still skips a beat thinking of living a life like that!

 {Our Lady Bergamot body cream, smells heavenly!!!}

{Foraging Cedar for our smudge bundles within my backyard :)}

As long as I have known Sara, which boasts a friendship well over 13 years now, she has always been curing herself or her family with natural remedies. Her grandmother passed on this beautiful legacy through old worn herbal books and passing her infinite knowledge of old culture ways to Sara. Aligned, creating products, sharing our love of nature, herbs, medicinal and therapeutic...something within us stirred and within a moment of clarity we forged what was once a beloved hobby into a young blossoming business. Combining  our Irish heritage, my Celtic sir name Mahoney and Sara's, O'Malley we both agreed upon the name Celtic Roots LLC.

{My business partner (and bestie) Sara and I in her gorgeous garden}

Our goals and dreams are to bring back what once was, what was simply second nature at one time. Surrounding us, in our yards, roadsides, pathways and forests thrives an abundance of plants which are medicinal, that at one time our ancestors foraged and prized as potent healers. A lot of these herbs are considered weeds. We want to create and offer salves, home remedies, personal remedies all from what we have foraged and crafted from our land. To teach you, share our knowledge as we grow and learn ourselves, to become acquainted with what has been freely given to us.

         

       {Celtic Roots facial grains;  a great way to exfoliate and cleanse in one product}

We live in a world that has been mesmerized by quick and easy ways to get what we want, but are laced with pesticides, toxins, hormones, the list could go on. Our hope is to introduce a "living off the land" mentality, to connect with nature yet again, to simply get back on a path that leads us to health and knowledge. Where we can help ourselves. Our business is still young, we are still paving our way and fine tuning. But we have stock to sell from within our homes. You can find us on Facebook, Celtic Roots. Feel free to like our page, leave us a note or send us a message! We have some amazing products that we have hand crafted; lotions, foot scrubs, cleansing grains, face cream, lip
balms....check us out!

{Our Rose Petal facial moisturizer}

We are currently working on opening up shop on Etsy, eventually we will own our own apothecary nestled within our community, our attic adorned with fresh drying herbs and shelves lined with blue bottled tinctures, the fragrance when you walk through our hearth will be heavenly (which of course is our real dream!). But patience and hard work is key to success, as well as passion, which is like a mountain spring within Sara and I. We hope to hear from you, meet you at local fairs and become friends! We hope you fall in love with our products as much as we do. There will be something for everyone; women, men and children! Lastly, If you have a dream, follow it, never dull what you are passionate about!

{Cedar smudge bundles}

Tousled

{Brigitte Bardo - I lalalalala love her!}

Tousled hair, pink lips lingering on a glass of chardonnay, day dreaming to tunes from The Girl From Ipanema, whipping up  something savory for my family, sporting an over-sized t-shirt paired with my husbands wool hunting socks......these are all signatures of who I am.  My personal style is forever evolving, I love to have fun with clothes, I haven't ever settled for one particular style! I have an open mind when it comes to clothes, food and music. But a couple of things remain constant: BIG crazy tousled hair and pink lipstick. And wine. Ha!

I tend towards the messy. Meaning, messy wavy hair. I like it to look like I am ready to have a little fun, it's a sure match for my spontaneous fun-loving persona! I love to laugh and be a little....crazy. Life is too short to be taken too seriously, eh?!  And if I could, I would end each sentence with an exclamation point.....but when proofing my posts, I realize I sound like a madwoman. For me, hair alone can speak for itself, it gives a glimpse of who you might be without a single word being uttered. My icon is Brigitte Bardot, although my hair tends to say Janis Joplin. Which, might rein true. A mixture of sex-kitten, undertones of free-spirit, lined with femininity and wild unbridled energy. I adore both icons.

{Hello, darlin!}

So, how do I get my hair to be so big, wild and lioness like? Why, I simply wake up like this. Yep. NOT! HA! My hair rituals and go-to's are fairly short and sweet. I am not a hair junkie. I used to be, but as a mother and wife, it was time to have some modesty in that department. I do have some great products that I am loyal to. First off, before we start, consider the texture of your hair. I have very thick, coarse hair, with natural wave to it. So if your hair is fine, these products aren't for you (I'm sorry!!). Waves and curls need a lot of moisture or they tend to become frizzy. I do not mind minimal frizz.

Before heading into the shower, I always brush my hair to get all the tangles out. Especially if I am going for waves, I do not want to brush my hair after I shower, since it will minimize the waves and that is not the look I am going for. Right now (since I do tend to switch up my shampoo and conditioner, I feel like my hair ends up getting used to a product once used for too long), I am pretty happy with the Tresemme Renewal Hair & Scalp line. Whether I do a blow out or create waves, my hair has just the right amount of moisture to keep it bouncy and voluminous.

The next step I apply product that will keep my waves soft, touchable, slightly defined and larger than life. First I add a over generous quarter sized dollop of Miss Jessie's leave-in Condish. I really make sure to pay special attention to the tips of my hair, working my way up to my scalp. With this harsh cold weather, the more conditioning, the better! I follow up with another generous quarter size amount of Miss Jessie's Pillow Soft Curl's. I really love these products, they have become a staple of mine! My next purchase will be a deep conditioner from their line, I will have to keep you posted on the results.

Once I feel as though my hair is ready for styling, I attach a large diff-user to the end of my blow-dryer. If you do not have one, you can simply purchase one from Walmart or Sally's Beauty Supply. If you have a lot of hair, in which case I do, you want to opt for the largest one the retailer offers. Basically, the drying process takes the longest. For me, it takes between 20-30 minutes. I start by flipping all my hair over to the right side of my head, then  using the diff-user as my hand I gently scoop hair into its "claw" gathering and bringing it as close to my scalp as possible. I do this until I feel it mostly dry. Then I flip all of my hair to the left side of my head, repeating the first process. Lastly I flip it upside down. Once its dry or nearly dry, you are finished.

{my biggest secret: DIFFUSE}

You want to refrain from toying with your hair with your hands or fingers while drying and styling as it creates frizz. So I do a little "placing" once I am done drying and finish it with a mist of hair spray. I am not a fan of aerosol, so I like to use either Tresemme's Tres Two-Spray which is an non-aerosol extra hold hair spray that keeps my hair in place without the freeze effect.

And there you have it lady loves! Hope your waves are looking wild and free, remember, the bigger the hair, the bigger the dreams ;)

Carla, XO