The health or condition of the hair from an outward perspective is maintained or depends on the products you use and the processes you choose, such as chemical processes, heat styling, and over exposure to the elements such as sun, salt (sodium + chloride), wind, etc. This is why I love specific treatments for the different seasons.
Read moreThe Beauty of Spring Clearing ( Body. Mind. Spirit. Home)
Spring is officially here, and this year it is particularly a welcome change charged with energy, and dare I say even a big sense of eagerness and readiness to get out and live life. This energy is a strong and upward moving energy (think of the plants emerging from their roots) that we also experience within ourselves and although a totally normal response to the shift from dormant Winter to Spring, can feel overwhelming for us, especially in an already tense or anxious climate we have all felt in the culmination of the last two years.
Read moreThe Beauty of Providence
The Beauty of Providence
This has certainly been an interesting Winter. I must admit that I am struggling a little as I write this because I, on the one hand, want to share my enthusiasm I have for the upcoming Spring Season. The awakening of all of the plant life and trees beginning to bloom around us, the birds, bees and butterflies coming back to create the lovely and lively eco system full of texture, sound and color. My enthusiasm for people starting to gather in the city. Pedestrian traffic everywhere.
However on the other hand I can’t ignore, and must honor the ongoing hardships with this new war we are witnessing in Ukraine. All of the injustices that take place daily. Our tireless yet exhausting fight to change things for the better. Slowly coming out of the Covid world ready to enjoy the little and not so little things again.
There is a saying and understanding in the spiritual world that everyone has a role and participates in the healing process in one way or another, even when what they do isn’t blatantly obvious in it’s healing ability or in it’s importance. You don’t necessarily have to be the one on a podium preaching/teaching to make a difference. We can all make a difference in many ways, small and big. Sometimes the most powerful thing you can do is make someone smile, genuinely make them smile. Or laugh. The important thing is to be active, contribute in some way. That is the purpose and power of community. Anyway…I digress. What I am trying to say is that despite how hard things are and can be, it’s just as important to not lose sight of the good things we have around us. The things we look forward to, because those are the things that can help pull someone out of a very low moment. Something beautiful to look forward to and to hold hope for.
With that I will share my eager anticipation for the Spring to unfold! There are so many awesome things that happen in our city as the ice begins to thaw out and the landscape begins to bloom.
Take a look at the area around Flipp and all of the amazing small and unique businesses we have around us. Great little cafes, really cool and unique food trucks and restaurants, an outdoor beer garden next to a lovely sunflower field, 10,000 Suns! Cute little shops (NAVA just got a facelift!), a beautiful pedestrian area extending to India Point park…and the waterfront! Walking around the city, you can spot so many incredible murals done with the help of the Avenue Concept and a variety of incredibly talented street artists. If you love coffee as much as I do, the choices are a whirlwind! In one block alone you can choose from Coffee Exchange, Dave’s, Seven Stars, L’Artisan, and Bolt inside of RISD. With just a 5/10 minute walk you can go from having a great little cocktail/mocktail at Tiny bar or one of the many great little spots around South Main, South Water and the jewelry/knowledge district to the RISD Museum or the Providence Athenaeum. Feeling like something sweet while perusing some art? Small Format on Wickenden street is a great place supporting local artists. Plant City has amazing Vegan desserts and you can do a little food shop for all of your vegan needs.
Late Spring is also when the outdoor markets begin and the Providence Flea is a staple! Let’s not forget about Waterfire and all activities happening there such as food vendors, artisan vendors and entertainment, all while walking the city. Michael S. Van Leesten memorial bridge has made it super easy and convenient to get to the West Side and Downtown from the Eastside and Vice Versa to explore all of the coolness in all areas of our little city…on foot.
All of this is just a fraction of what we have around us to enjoy. How healing it is to pack a little lunch and to sit at the waterfront? Chances are if you do it on a Friday you may run into the Providence Drum Troupe during a rehearsal. So beautiful in it’s simplicity.
So while we are navigating through some unsure moments still, and mixed feelings about a lot, Spring this year cannot come fast enough! I for one am super looking forward to greeting friends and exploring our little city and all the beautiful things it has to offer. To savor and enjoy these things, as some happiness and joy in these experiences are the fire to warm up a Winter that has been two and a half years too long.
Happy New Year 2022
A Note on Goals vs. Intentions
Here we are folks! It’s 2022, and a New Year has begun.
This past year has certainly been a full one, complete with challenges, joy, sorrow, fear, defiance and everything in between. Anxiety has been at its highest and doubt also has been prevalent. We have had a lot to think about, and also have had the opportunity to explore ways in which we can serve ourselves in much more meaningful and significant ways.
I have come to an awareness within myself and I believe that many of us fall into this. We have developed this idea or ritual (if you will), that with every approaching New Year we have to set a list of goals/resolutions. We set expectations within ourselves that quite frankly most of the time are too many, too big, too far out in time or “end result” motivated and are unrealistic. In my opinion this sets us up for disappointment and can even feed into our subconscious beliefs that we aren’t already enough, or good enough as we are at the present time. This also feeds into the “What’s next?” and the “do more/have more” mindset which steals from us instead the mindset of being in the “here and now”, actually finding the joy and gratitude for what already is. To actually live in the moment and savor it, which does wonders for our sense of purpose, self esteem and overall sense of happiness.
Now, don’t get me wrong…I’m not saying we shouldn't have something that motivates us to strive for growth. This is where intention comes in. I believe it may be better for us to set intentions for ways that we can realistically nurture our process in growth. It can help change the road map and the journey on how to BECOME instead of merely arriving at a goal oriented destination.
Intentions can be set and honored in a plethora of ways, each unique to the individual. Tools like visualization, meditation and journaling are great. These tools also give you an opportunity to slow down and breathe deep, which in turn nourishes the nervous system, instead of a goal oriented race to the finish, or a you against the clock kind of attitude.
My sincere wishes for everyone in this new year are that we can all practice and enjoy the slow journey to manifesting our intentions. May we all find joy in the small things and the many moments that make up our hours, days and months ahead…one beautiful day at a time - minute by minute.
The Architecture of a Haircut and the Science of Texture
What makes a good haircut, great? It’s the first thing we stylists ask ourselves before we begin cutting and it happens in an alternate universe that only exists in the stylist's brain, which allows us to also consult with you in the very same moment we are designing the blueprint in our minds . After the initial consultation, and as we begin to map out the actual cutting, the wheels begin to spin as we reflect on these two points;
The Architecture of a Haircut (the shape that will be created affected by gravity, density, angles, tension + grip), and the Science of Texture (the shape that will be created affected by the natural texture of the hair, climate, amount of damage done by prior treatments, heat, and exposure to the elements).
There is so much that happens “behind the scenes” of a Haircut.
It starts with the education, training and apprenticeship a stylist will receive once enrolled in school, continuing into their entire career through advanced education, personal experience and mentorship.
Other things that formulate the overall experience of a visit to the salon are relationships, bonds of trust that are formed between stylist and client ( which I spoke about in another post) and a detail that I would like to get into with this post; the architecture of the Haircut. The design, the form that is sculpted around the face of the person sitting in front of us. The overall shape it will take on once it’s finished and how different it may look once the person leaves us to play with it on their own...through the vision of their own eyes and how they best see/feel themselves (which is something we always work with and also take into consideration while designing the look). The tools we choose to create a shape will depend on how “heavy” we want a line to be, or how soft we may want that line. The softer the line, the more volume you can achieve in the overall look because the hair will have more buoyancy with a softer edge on the “ends” This is where we may choose a razor to sculpt out the hair, or use our shears to incorporate a variety of techniques such as slide cutting, channel cutting, or deep point cutting. The heavier the line, or the more bluntly we cut the ends, the more we can achieve a stark, shaper look. This is where we would use shears. Think of the classic Vidal Sassoon five point bob.
How will gravity affect the shape/look of the design? Once more, using the proper tools to sculpt the hair, we leave it more blunt and heavy at the edges, or tapered and airy to achieve a lighter, flexible effect. How to sculpt the curls so as to not leave a “shelfy” disconnected look. How to sculpt ultra straight hair so as to not leave steps, to make sure it all blends seamlessly and softly. Leave it crisp and clean, perfectly asymmetrical or purposefully disconnected? Will there be many layers and if so, will they be squared, rounded, a combination of both? Held at 90 degrees to the round of the head creates a drastically different effect than holding the hair out to a 45 degree angle and cutting. Will we slide cut, or deep channel?
Then there is the Science of texture. The overall feel, appearance, physical state and form of the hair that one is born with, and what they achieve or end up with after chemically altering the hair, or it being over exposed to the elements such as the sun, wind, salt which can influence the texture of the hair through its porosity (ability to hold or repel water/moisture and artificial color).The texture must be taken into consideration as a foundational assessment before creating a final shape. If the texture is too damaged the shape will not perform, for example.
All this in a nutshell are some of the “diagnostics” we use while creating your desired look. This also gives us a blueprint on how to choose and suggest the best products and treatments for you to use.
We use products and treatments that are plant based and non toxic on your hair, skin and scalp. These formulations and products contain botanicals that are either humectant and moisturizing in nature. They attract the moisture from the atmosphere, great for volume and curls. Perhaps a more astringent, “drier”, and smoothening in nature, or anti-humectant product is called for. These products repel the moisture in the atmosphere, great for sleeker looks and frizz control. SIDE NOTE: when I say astringent or drier I don’t mean they literally dry or astringe the hair, it means the properties of these products tend to seal the outer layer or cuticle of the hair leaving it sleek. ALL the products and botanicals we use are nourishing to the hair.
As always, we highly suggest (and are happy to have) a consultation prior to making a major change. It’s a complimentary service we offer and is the best way to decide together with your stylist on how to approach your desired result. We encourage that you have photos as a reference, as to make sure we are on the same page as terminology can be confusing sometimes.
So...what does the Season bring for you? Are you ready to approach something bold and new? Are you feeling comfort in a familiar favorite? Is there color in your future, or are you loving your beautiful grays? Shags, Mullets, Pixies, Bobs and everything in between...we are HERE for it!
The In-Between and the Beauty of Lemon Balm
This time of year always feels magical to me. That energy of summer coming to an end and the Fall approaching slowly. It’s harvesting season. Time to gather what has been sown and nurtured, and to savor it in the upcoming nesting season.
As a child, this time of year was filled with excitement to start a new school year. To see friends I hadn’t seen all summer, compare stories...plan for Halloween!
When I lived in Italy through my 20”s and 30’s I would always come home to RI for the month of August to spend time with friends and family. It always felt bittersweet as the first days of September arrived, that same energy I used to feel as a kid would be there. Only in this timeframe of my life I was eager to return to seeing friends back in Italy which at the time was home for me, but it was really hard to leave the family and friends I had back here not knowing if the next visit would be sooner than the usual one per year period.
Although the past year and half has been a super heavy one for so many reasons and for so many of us, I will say that I still feel that energy. That eager energy to start fresh, to enjoy the friuts of all that was planted and grown over Spring and Summer. The crisp energy that accompanies the Fall, and in a way a fresh start. The farm is looking great, and we have so many amazing things ahead for the Apothecary and Salon!
Some of the plants we will be working with are Tulsi, Ginger, Mallow, a wide variety of Mints (including Sage), Chamomile, Violets, Angelica and many more herbs. These plants have been infused in many different “menstrums” and forms and will be used in a range of nurturing services. Some of these plants have warming qualities to them while others have more cooling qualities. Some are astringent in nature, while others are hydrating or moistening in their nature. Either way, we will use them in a variety of nourishing and supportive ways. It’s exciting to think about and plan all of this! I will share some info on one of these amazing plants that for me speaks of summer sun medicine, and is also a great ally for the times at the bottom of this post.
I really hope that this year ahead will be a grounding one for all of us. We surely will be here to try and provide the support needed, especially as our Apothecary grows. What we are growing at the farm is such a big part of that. We will continue to formulate, blend, and mix special potions for you all. We will also continue to use the space as a gallery for our local and oh so many talented artists. We are also hoping that by Spring, we can bring live music back...even if it’s outdoors! This is the energy that I feel right now...the same as I felt as a child during this in between….A sense of excitement and hope, regardless of the obstacles we have learned to navigate around.
So with all that, I leave you with the Beauty of Lemon Balm ( Melissa officinalis).
Lemon Balm originated in central and southern Europe, the Mediterranean, Iran, and central Asia. It has since naturalized throughout the world. It’s use dates back over 2000 years. It has been used in medicine, food, skincare, and perfumery. It is especially important for pollinating insects including many kinds of bees.
During the Middle Ages, lemon balm was noted by herbalists, philosophers, and scientists. It was thought to be restorative and promote vitality while also helping to improve mood.
Ancient Herbalists such as Avicenna described it by saying “It makes the Heart merry” and in modern Herbalism it is still used to support anxiety, depression and insomnia.
The list of medicinal usage and properties of lemon balm is extensive. Melissa officinalis is reported to possess sedative, antistress, anti-anxiety, and mood-enhancing abilities. It was also found to ease digestion, nausea, sleep disorders, depression, and headaches, among many others. The use of lemon balm as complementary and herbal medicine continues to the present day.
Folklore says that the fragrant balm was used in baths to attract love, and its planetary ruler is said to be Venus. It was used in many ancient cultures to attract love and success into one’s life.
For me, the bright and citrusy sweet fragrance of Lemon Balm speaks to Heart center and inspires happiness, calm and reassurance. It’s flavor is delicious on it’s own and blends well with many other herbs in the Mint family, or in the Nervine category to create a more indicated blend for a person’s specific needs keeping their constitution and tissue states in mind.
It’s also AMAZING to use infused oils, both edible and for topical use on its own or as part of a blend or base for salves and creams. Tinctured, it makes a great base for a citrusy inspired perfume, or as a lovely medicine when you want something a little more potent than a cup of herbal tea (which if steeped long enough can also be quite potent).
Sources-
The Lost Herbs - Nicole Apelian
Cunningham, S. Encyclopedia of Magical Herbs
Beyerl, Beyerl, P. The Master Book of Herbalism