Past Weekend was Smithville. Coming up - Blues & Wine Festival!

It may have been a drizzly, overcast weekend, but things were hopping in Historic Smithville. If you've never been there, you really should stop by. There are dozens of charming shops with unique treasures hidden in every corner. I recommend the Chai Lattes at the Cooks Corner. Make sure to stop by Evermore Herb Farm. That's a new shop that has a terrific selection of cooking, health and garden herbs - including some lovely teas! Smithville is a day long adventure well worth the trip - even if there isn't a craft fair taking place!

This coming weekend, May 23 & 24th, is the Blues & Wine Festival on the incredible Natirar Park grounds in Peapack/Gladstone.

Amid the over 20 New Jersey vineyards will be dozens of crafters displaying their wares - including Celtic Chairde Creations! And you'll hear the amazing Craig Thatcher Band and blues guitarists Matt O'Kee. The wine festivals, sponsored by The Garden State Wine Growers Association, are always fun. The wine festival runs from noon to 5 pm both days. We hope you'll stop by and visit us and the sample the wonderful wines from New Jersey's vineyards.

Being Smooth Even When it's Frosty

The days may be finally getting a little longer, but the temperature is dropping by leaps and bounds. Flaky is good for pie crusts, but not for your skin. Icy temperatures combined with the drying effects of indoor heat can really wreak havoc on your skin. A little TLC will keep your skin glowing until the warm spring sunshine returns.

Tip 1: Humidify
Heat keeps us nice and toasty warm on frigid winter days. But it also drys out the air, which in turn drys out your skin. Running a humidifier will aid some moisture back into the air - and your skin.

Tip 2: Cover it all Up

The one thing I hate most about winter is the bundly layers of clothes. But layers help you stay warm. And by wearing your glove and scarf and covering up exposed skin you'll help prevent evaporation and retain vital moisture.

Tip 3: Moisturize
All moisturizers are part water and part oil/butter. The easier the pour, the more water is in the cream. In tough winter weather, your best bet is a butter salve or lotion bar. These products are high in butters and oils, which adds a protective barrier over your skin. They help you retain your own moisture and oils, as well as sooth itchiness. Our Body Butters and Lotion Bars are perfect for all over wintery weather care.

Tip 4: Don't forget your lips
Lots of people use lip balms on a regular basis. The one thing to avoid in harsh weather are flavored lip balms. We make a number of yummy balms, but when you have a flavored balm you tend to lick your lips more. Try our Tingles or Sweetest Kisses, especially if you have a cold to boot. Tingles has anti bacterial and anti viral herbal constituents when will help cracked and cold sore lips heal. Sweetest Kisses uses the power of honey to add softness and emolliency to your lips.

Tip 5: Helping Hands
Cover up your hands with gloves whenever you have to go out in the cold. The skin on the hands is thinner than elsewhere, so it is easily affected by chill air. And after you wash your hands, make sure to dry them thoroughly, then follow with a moisturizer. Our Lotion Bars or Gardeners Salve are soothing and softening for on active hands. And here's a quick tip - if you find yourself with out a good hand salve you can always use a little lip balm. It's a great quick fix for cracked, dry cuticles.

Spring isn't that far away, so give your skin some extra care and you'll be ready for the warmth to come. For more information on caring for winter skin, check out the article at WebMD.

There's still time to Stop the Globilization Act of 2008

Congress may still be on it's summer sabbatical it won't be long before work begins again in full swing. In a Presidential election year, all politicians are out to prove something, and this year is no exception. So if you want to be heard about something - now is the time to do it.

The FDA Globalization Act of 2008 is draft legislation which, if put into action, would impose such enormous fees on small cosmetic businesses - like Celtic Chairde Creations - that many of them would go out of business. This would mean fewer choices for you, the consumer, and higher prices from those choices you do have. But there are things you can do to keep this draft from going any further.

1) Sign the petition. If you go to the Indie Business Blog, you can sign the petition and joins hundreds of others in opposing the Globalization Act of 2008.

2) Write your Congressmen and Senators. Below is a sample letter that you can use, also from the Indie Business Blog:
Dear Representative [or Senator] Name:

I own a small cosmetics business in [state] and I am writing to you because I am familiar with your commitment to small businesses in our state. The draft discussion of the FDA Globalization Act of 2008 is now being marked up in the House Energy & Commerce Committee and I am strongly opposed to it.

The stated purposes of the draft law are to provide FDA with funding and to protect consumers. But cosmetics have a stellar safety record and there is no need to pass laws that would hurt small businesses while offering no safety benefits consumers.

If passed, the new law would impose fees on my business of from $2,000 to $12,000 per year and require me to comply with burdensome paperwork and manufacturing requirements that no small business can afford.

I write to ask you to vote against the FDA Globalization Act of 2008 when the time comes. At a time when small and family businesses like mine are dealing with increased shipping and materials costs, as well as increases in consumer prices, it is unfair and unnecessary to enact new laws that would put small businesses out of business. Please refer to a Petition that a trade group I belong to [am familiar with] has prepared to help spread the word. At the link, you can watch a short video, read the Petition and then read the comments of literally thousands of people across the nation, many in our state, who oppose this new law.

I would like to request a short telephone conference call meeting with a staffer in your office who handles important issues affecting small businesses. Please call or email to let me know who to contact about this urgent issue.

Thank you for your time and consideration.

[signed]


Most businesses have started out small, with a dream for something bigger and a desire to provide something unique for customers. This legislation, if passed, would kill more than small business owners dreams, it would kill a part of the American Dream.

Next stop - Jersey Fresh Food and Wine Festival

We are VERY excited to be participating in our first Garden State Wine Growers Association wine festival. Won't you join us at:

JERSEY FRESH FOOD & WINE FESTIVAL
FEATURES HUNREDS OF WINES,WINE EXPERT SEMINARS AND GOURMET RESTAURANT FARE
August 9 & 10, 2008 (Noon to 5:00 p.m.)
at Hopewell Valley Vineyards
Pennington, New Jersey

We've heard such marvelous things about these festivals, and what could be better than spending a day sampling wines, shopping and enjoy a beautiful vineyard on a lovely summer day?

Now, I'm not a wine drinker. Oh, I'll have a well watered down glass of sangria once in a blue moon, and some champagne on New Years. But, in general, I really don't drink - well anything. Cindy, on the other hand, is very knowledgeable about wines. We both enjoy cooking - and adding wine to different dishes makes for a wonderfully unique flavors and depth. So we thought - why not mix pleasure with pleasure. We love getting

to see all of our customers and talking about our products, and we love learning about wines and food and all the wonderful products and farms available in New Jersey. This one event pulls all of that together.

There will be executive chefs giving cooking demonstration, professors and farm experts talking about organic farming and how to be a wine expert, samples and so much more. Plus there will be an amazing array of culinary treats and samplings. Me - I can't wait to try gelatto from The Bent Spoon. Ever since I read about them in edibleJersey, I've been dying to try some of their interesting creative confections.

How does all this food and wine go together with amazing skin care products? Can't you picture settling in for a nice warm bath with our Soft Skin Soak or Lavender Champagne Bath Vinegar, and sipping some fine wine to help relax away the day? Or enjoying a deeply softening Honey Pumpkin Face mask with a glass of sangria and maybe some Bent Spoon sherbet? Sound like a match to me!

Hope to see you Hopewell Valley Vineyard in Pennington, NJ on Saturday and Sunday. Check the Garden State Wine Growers Association website for all the details.

Celebrate your Freedom... and Stop the Globilization Act of 2008

The Fourth of July is a time when we think of barbecues and beaches, fireworks and family, the birth of our country and the freedoms that we have. I love the Fourth of July. But this year, even more than others, I can't help but think about the people that have helped make our country great.

My one set of grandparents were from Poland. They came to America to escape the Nazi's (something my great grandparents weren't fortunately enough to do). They came to participate in the opportunity this country had to offer. My grandfather opened a bakery, a rather successful one at that. What better way to celebrate the freedoms he had in America that he didn't have in Poland.

My other grandparents were first generation Americans. Their parents had come from

Hungary on my grandfathers side and Ireland on my grandmothers side. My greatgranpa Stephen owned a bar in Perth Amboy for years. My other great grandfather worked the trolley in Philadelphia. Again, they were here for the OPPORTUNITY this country had to offer.

Why do I keep mentioning opportunity? Because that is truly what America is about. And it is what we must fight to maintain. Government, no matter how well meaning, often creates rules and regulations that take away opportunities from business - particularly small business. That's what's happening right now, with the Globalization Act of 2008.

Below is information from the Indie Beauty Network blog. Please take a moment to read it and go to the blog to sign the petition. This proposed legislation would cripple so many small businesses, like Celtic Chairde Creations. And not just small handmade beauty product companies, but small farm markets and grocers as well.

So while you are celebrating this fine countries birth, remember the opportunities we have, and how many small businesses you deal with. And remember we need to be ever mindful to keep both to remain the strong, wonderful country that we are.



This video summarizes the Indie Beauty Network's position against the Discussion Draft of the FDA Globalization Act of 2008, the legislation that would put thousands of Indies out of business by forcing them to pay outrageous registration fees and comply with burdensome paperwork.

If passed, this law would drive consumers back to the days when they could only choose between a few huge, faceless, nameless big box stores and brands for their cosmetics and personal care products. And fewer consumer choices always leads to higher prices.

Tell Congress you want none of it by reading this Petition and then leaving your comment below as your signature to the Petition opposing the draft law.

Petition

We are the owners of small cosmetics companies, and the customers who love their products.

We understand that laws must be in place to protect everyone from unsafe products, but we are outraged by the Draft Legislation that would require small cosmetics companies to pay thousands of dollars a year in registration fees and comply with burdensome paperwork that would serve only to put them out of business.

If passed the legislation would deny thousands of families the ability to earn an honest living, and also deprive consumers of the variety of cosmetics and personal care products available to choose from.

We oppose this law and condemn any companies that support it as being interested only in creating an unlevel playing field where small and family owned businesses will be forced from the marketplace before they even get a chance to start out.

We urge you, as our representatives in Congress, to stop this law which would serve only to make it even harder for families to support themselves. We call instead for a real and meaningful discussion about how Congressional goals can be accomplished without enacting unfair laws that make it impossible for small businesses to survive.

In signing this Petition, we formally request that the Discussion Draft of the FDA Globalization Act of 2008 be marked up so that the legitimate concerns of small businesses and the consumers they serve can be translated into reasonable laws that protect consumers without also killing small businesses by making them pay unfair fees and comply with burdensome paperwork.

We sincerely thank you for your time.

Spread the Word!

Please feel free to post the video at your blog, myspace page, website and anywhere else it can help spread the word against this anti-small and anti-family business legislation.

Please send your customers and colleagues to this blog post to sign this Petition so we can easily keep count of the number of signatories.

After you sign the Petition by leaving your name and comments in the comments section below, you could even cut and paste the Petition text and send it to Virgil Miller at virgil.miller@mail.house.gov. Mr. Miller is a Professional Staff Member with the House Energy & Commerce Committee.

Our goal is to collect 100,000 signatories to present to Congress. Support small businesses! Support a vibrant marketplace! Make Your voice count!

The Happiness of Honey...

Bees are amazing little creatures. It always makes me happy to see them buzzing around my garden, investigating all the flowers. They do so much for us, too. They pollinate our plants, giving us fruits and vegetables. The wax from hives has a myriad of uses, including use in candles and skin care products. And of course, there's honey. It's used as a sweetener in teas and recipes, it's filled with vitamins and minerals that help with digestion, helps battle allergies, has anti-inflammatory properties that help soothe sore throats, and is generally yummy.

Honey has been a boon to human kind for hundred of years. It has wound healing

properties, which made it an important part of medicine for centuries. As an antibacterial, it helps to heal burns quickly, depriving bacteria of moisture while aiding the healthy skin to regenerate.

Honey is an important part of our products for all these reasons, and so much more.

Honey Pumpkin Face Mask combines this buzzy golden treasure with the punch pumpkin. Without giving you that over tightened feeling, this mask adds elasticity, removes dead skin cells and softens your skin, giving you that honey-kissed glow.

Sweetest Kisses Lip Balm uses honey for it's yumminess and softening ability, so your lips are smooth, soft and sweet for the kissing.

Honey Rose Bath Vinegar creates a magical bath that is fabulous for your skin. Vinegar balances your skins pH, and honey softens and helps you heal.

We go through a lot of honey at Celtic Chairde, and we're always trying to create more ways use this gift of nature. We'll keep you posted of our progress, but if you'd like to find out more about honey - or if you'd like to buy some locally grown honey, you can check out E&M Gold or Herbertsville Honey. These are two terrific local honey producers.

And remember to take care with bees. There have been problems the past few years with the mysterious Colony Collapse Disorder. There are many factors that are still be considered as possible reasons for the loss of our little buzzy friends. While it's being studies, the one thing we can do is let honey bees do their job around our gardens without disturbing them. After all, they help bring us fruits and flowers and that wonderful honey.

Thanks, honey.

There's Something About the Irish

March is one of my favorite months. It's the month the brings you the in's and out's like a lion or lamb. It's the month that daylight savings time begins. It's the month that holds within it the promise of spring and increasing sunshine, of lovely little flowers and plants pushing their way through the soil. It's my birthday month! And it is the month where everyone, no matter their race, creed or color, can make the claim of being Irish and the only repercussion is a hearty pat on the back and a welcoming smile.

There's just something about the Irish. Just mention "Irish" and stereotyping, however un-PC it is, makes many people think of: beer and bars; bawdy songs or haunting ballads; parades; green; comhrá (that's talk in Irish); bagpipes; beer; storytelling; and a general joy that warms like the upcoming spring sun.

I've often wondered why that is?

Certainly, Ireland hasn't always had it very easy - wars and disputes, starvation and poverty. Doesn't sound like a jolly spot, does it? There are volumes of websites and books on Irish history. In fact New Jersey has a very large population boasting Irish decent. In fact, there's a book - The Irish in New Jersey - written by Dermott Quinn, that talks to this very point. But all you need do is look at the grace and elegance of the land, the friendly faces of the people, and hear that lilt in their speech, and your heart open up like a flower.

This enchantment with the Emerald Isle and her people has been with me my whole life. My dear old sainted grandmother, Katherine Bridge nee Dalton Papp, may she rest in peace, was born on March 17th. She was a woman who enjoyed life immensely. It was because of her I took a shine to my Irish heritage.

So, through out my life, I've gravitated to all things Irish. Ireland is one of the Celtic nations, having once been home to the Celts. I've been to Ireland - although it was many years ago - and was enthralled with the history and beauty. I'm part of an Irish theatre company. I like potatoes! I follow the Celtic wheel of the year and have a real love of the land that many Irish share. Some of my dearest friends are in an Irish musical group called Croi na mBan (A Woman's Heart) . And I'm a partner in Celtic Chairde Creations.

Chairde means friend in Irish. And my business partner, Cindy, is one of my oldest and dearest friends (oldest as in I've known her a long time - not that she's old). We went to college together, were and still are involved with Irish theatre, and we both have Dalton's in our lineage (althgouh we don't think we're related). That's where the Chairde comes from.

So you see, there really is something about the Irish. And this is the month to celebrate and discover just what that something is.