Botanic providence

Shop will be closed this weekend and next Friday and Saturday ( still open for body work during the week!) as I travel back home to Italy to spend some time with my family and friends💕🌿
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One of my dear cousins, Cristina, is an aesthetician and owns her own lovely little spa in the city of Verona. She also formulates, and specializes in Lavender based skincare and works with the most stunning lavender farm close to her. I’m so excited to visit!
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Here are some pics from a few years back when I was still living there . I’ll post the journey from this round in my stories, as there will be some truly special moments to share.
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I also will be sharing about the Botany, Clinical herbalism and medicine making intensive I am part of for the next 6 months with 7Song at the Northeast School of Botanical Medicine. First weekend was this past weekend and it was everything I knew it would be. More on that soon.

A Mediterranean experience to enjoy in your own home. Allow your bathroom to get steamy. On dampened skin, massage the Beldi onto your skin creating a silky, emollient texture. Massage it in. Then take the exfoliating glove and gently massage your whole body, and rinse.
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Pat dry, and apply the Liquid Silk body oil. This oil is so special! It is a blend of infused Dittany of Crete (which I got on my last trip to Crete), Carrot seed, Neroli, Petitgrain, and other virtuous extracts creating a nourishing oil that is also easily absorbed and a beautiful ally not only for your skin, but for your senses.
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No synthetic fragrance. Pure extracts made in house ( I even processed the olives for the Beldi). You can purchase these items in the shop separately, or as a home spa kit. We also have a variety of really sweet little locally made ceramic bowls and bamboo bowls for you to put the Beldi in before you step into your shower/bath. Keep in mind that Beldi can be slippery on a shower floor. It is a solid gel like consistency, so it’s rather easy to use without spilling. Just be sure to apply to damp skin to avoid “drag” on the skin.
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Beldi has been used for centuries in Hamam and Bath houses across the Mediterranean. It’s a beautiful experience and so good for the skin. It’s one of my favorite ways to indulge in a simple, self care ritual, utilizing the plants and herbs that are so close to my heart.

May schedule for shop hours/service days!
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Our team has expanded, and with that so has our service list! We offer a wide range of body work, facials, and of course, Herbal consultations, classes, workshops, and monthly Community Tea Time.
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You can book bodywork, herbal intake and/or sign up for community tea time through our linktree in our bio at the top of our page. Note that this month’s community tea time isn’t on the schedule as I will be visiting my family in Italy.
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Feel free to DM me here with any questions about the schedule, or services we offer🌿🥰

Happy belated Ta**us Season✨🌷
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I’ve been super busy at our little neighborhood tea/apothecary shop making all kinds of botanical and herbal support for the community!
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Had a final root harvest at the farm, making plans to move our farm to another location, closer to home! Lots to tell there in due time. About to start the clinical internship with 7Song at the North Eastern School of Botanical Medicine. I’ve always wanted to study with him in person, so I’m super excited to learn about the community clinic and all the knowledge he brings.
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Did you know that we have over 120 loose leaf herbs, roots and resins in stock? As an Herbalist, I can guide you through a blend suited to your needs, and for deeper support, I can guide you through that as well.
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The herb shop is truly a lovely little gem, meant to be enjoyed by the community. We start community Teatime back up in June ( I’ll be in Italy visiting family end of May). Last Saturday of the month from 3-5. You will learn all about the herbs in your cup, their system affinities, their energetics, their lore and cosmological affinities, as you sip and enjoy. You also go home with all the handouts and info to start your own herbal journal!
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Stop by and tell your friends! I’ll be there from 12-6 Thursday through Saturday, and you can always DM me if you need your herbs on any other day, and will soon be receiving volunteers for the farm again once we are settled

Making/straining the Dittany of Crete oil today☀️
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This potent and precious plant/herb was wild harvested in Crete on my last visit from my lovely local Cretan herbalist/friend . It has been used for Millennia in Crete both internally and topically for its deep therapeutic effects. Internally it is commonly used for inflammatory issues, digestive and respiratory support, and overall immune support. It’s a close cousin to Oregano. It’s endemic to Crete and a protected plant, I feel incredibly fortunate and grateful to have it as an ally and companion. It’s a member of the mint family ( doesn’t contain menthol, though). It’s super high in carvacrol and thymol, two terpenes known for their antispasmodic effects. So the oil makes a great addition to a pain ointment or salve. It’s super beautiful in person, a variety of greens, blues, almost grey, and slightly fuzzy.
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Known also as “the wound healer” it is dedicated to the goddess of hunting, Artemis to heal the wounds caused by arrows.
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I will blend this super potent extract I made with other skin healing warriors such as my super potent Calendula extract, and my Frankincense +Mastic oil extracts ( still infusing) to make a gorgeous skin living facial cream, and combine it with other infusions I have brewing such as St.Johns wort, Comfrey, and Chickweed as part of a formula for a healing salve. More on that soon.
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The process to make this oil is slow. But that’s what I do best…slow, intentional botanical beauty. Swipe to see the various stages. The Dittany has been infused in organic Jojoba oil. You can see how it went from a golden yellow to the deepest emerald green, so rich in constituents. This oil is pure magic.

Spring hours for the shop✨
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Lots of movement happening this Spring. I will keep you posted on schedules as we add more services to the shop, such as Reiki and Massage therapy. You can already book in for Craniosacral/fascia and TMJ work with the amazing . Update on the other modalities/schedules for Spring Summer schedules coming soon!
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We are moving farms as well, as Shewatuck no longer offers land to small/micro farms. We’ve seen a few around the state and are very close to making a decision. More on that soon as well.
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New website and all the features in the works as well as a refresh on packaging/labels, and of course new additions to the apothecary. Always small batch, always seasonal, always deeply botanical and nourishing.

Deeply happy about this new addition!
If you know me, many things I make are inspired by my ancestry. I am mostly Southern Italian, and f you know the rich and complex history of the Italian Peninsula, of course I am also a mix of Greek, Northern African and what was considered Asia Minor, and Middle Eastern. To sum it up, I am entirely Mediterranean ✨
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I have experienced Hamam in many of these places during my travels, and the 16 years I lived in Italy. It’s always been a dream of mine to recreate Beldi ( the black soap used in traditional Moroccan Bath houses), as the experience of using Beldi is so special! You can recreate the experience in your own home by massaging the Beldi into your skin, then turn on your shower and sit with the steam for a few minutes (5-10 if you can) in your shower ( not under the water stream, just the steam), as the soap begins to dissolve into an oil like consistency, begin to massage the body with the exfoliating glove. Your skin will never feel better, and it’s such a beautiful and fragrant ritual.
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I made this one by processing the olive paste myself before the final formulation. This batch is made the traditional way with Eucalyptus oil, and real olive paste.
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Olive paste on its own is deeply moisturizing, high in oleic acid, antioxidants, polyphenols, and most importantly alpha-hydroxy acids which promote cell turnover, and create a natural exfoliating action. It also improves overall elasticity. Paired with the glove, your skin will be the softest it has ever felt. This was my experience the first time I used it in Hamam, so as I said, I’m deeply happy about making this a part of my line! I will also be formulating a variety of versions.
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Swipe through to see the gorgeous texture and rich color. I wish you could smell it through the screen! It needs to cure for a few weeks, hopefully ready for the .wickenden market!

Happy belated Spring equinox ✨
In the spirit of Aries/fire, many new beginnings/updates are in the works! Such as new packaging and labels.
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I am super excited to switch the entire line ( new products launching this Spring/Summer) over to Violet glass. This packaging is not only super sexy, it is quite literally the finest packaging as far as protecting the integrity of every product in absolute.
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Scientifically tested, and the research to back it up, this gorgeous glass is not only infinitely reusable/recyclable, it is categorized as “biophotonic” which means it protects the biophotonic activity (light particles generated by almost all living cells) of natural products, keeping them fresh for much longer than traditional glass. Think of this glass as a sort of antioxidant material within itself.
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It is the deepest Violet, almost black. It has a nice weight to it, super luxurious and a beautiful vessel to house the really special formulations being made. More on that in the next few days.
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I’m really feeling/living the cardinal fire of this particular Aries season. Lots of movement, birthing and rebirthing of things, including the farm! More in that soon as well!

Just one of the latest additions to our apothecary ✨
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I’ve created these ultra skin loving soaps with the extracts that have been brewing since my last trip to Greece and Italy. At a 5% super fat calculation, these bars create a creamy, rich lather that leaves the skin soft, not stripped. Paired with the 3 C’s body oil ( extracts of Carrot seed, Calendula and Chamomile blended with The Helichrysum oil I made) your skin will feel luxuriously supple and radiant, and as the oil is designed to nourish and sink in, it doesn’t leave an unpleasant residue. Just velvety softness✨.
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There are a few other special things in the works, and I cannot wait to share! However a couple of these things need some time to “cure”…yes there will be another bar ( I will do 2 types per season), but that’s not what I’m referring to…for now I’ll just say there is an element of fragrance, and a very strong element of ancestry, ritual, and tradition. My Mediterranean heritage plays a central role✨
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You can find these items ( and some super cute trinket/soap dishes) at the shop. My website is getting a makeover in the next few weeks, as is my packaging and labels. I can’t wait to share all of that as well! I’m at the shop Thursdays-Saturdays12:30-6.
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Mondays, you can book your facials with ( link in our linktree)
Tuesdays, you can book in for Craniosacral, Fascia, and TMJ work with ✨
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These women are absolutely amazing at what they do, and I am so honored to have them on board in our little haven of a healing space.