Carly's Herbal Adventures

​It has been a pretty gloomy, rainy summer so far. So, what to do on a rainy afternoon? Fix some loose pages in old cookbooks! It's a thrill in finding a vintage cookbook—perhaps a tattered community collection from the 1950s or a stained, handwritten family heirloom— bursting with the evidence of a life well-lived. Often, when I open an old book there will be a characteristic "pop"—the sound of a signature pulling away from the binding or a single, cherished recipe page finally surrendering its connection to the spine.

​Excitement.  Meeting a friend for a treasure hunt together. Destination? Centerville Indiana. A picker’s heart will flutter when you walk the aisles of a grand, historic antique mall. But alas…we come up empty-handed this day. You know the feeling: the beautiful displays are there, the history is palpable in the dust motes dancing in the light, but nothing speaks to you. Nothing whispers, "Take me home; I belong in your shopping cart."

Are you interested in turning a boxed cake mix into an herbal masterpiece? Whether you are prepping for an intimate dinner party, looking for the perfect lunchbox treat, or simply indulging in a "just for me" dessert, small-batch cakes offer portion control without sacrificing the elegance of a full-scale dessert.

Instead of paying hundreds of dollars on skin creams and mists that don’t often do anything, you can make your own natural beauty care items that actually nourish and take care of skin problems, all using simple ingredients.Harnessing the potency of nature to elevate your beauty routine is more than a fleeting trend; it is a return to the fundamentals of plant-based wellness. Essential oils, concentrated extracts distilled from flowers, leaves, barks, and roots, offer a sophisticated way to address diverse skin concerns—from managing occasional breakouts to maintaining a vibrant, hydrated complexion.

Embarking on your aromatherapy journey is akin to setting up a kitchen pantry. You don’t need an overflowing cupboard of rare and costly ingredients to cook a nourishing meal; you simply need a few high-quality staples that can be used in a multitude of ways. When you are just starting, the sheer number of essential oils available can be overwhelming. To build a solid foundation, I recommend focusing on three of the most versatile and effective oils: Lavender, Lemon, and Peppermint.

This is the primo time of year for yard sales, but the best is when you stumble upon a good town-wide yard sale. It isn’t just about the hunt for a bargain; it’s about the stories woven into the fabric of a community, the way objects pass from hand to hand, and the shared excitement of a Saturday morning spent under the open sky. Last weekend, I found myself in the charming, history-steeped streets of Darrtown, Ohio, and I couldn't have asked for a better treasure hunt.

When I recently completed building my new tile patio and walkway, I was left with a network of intentional gaps, cracks, and planting spaces. Rather than filling them with sterile grout or standard sand, I envisioned soft, vibrant ribbons of green weaving through the stone. I wanted a garden that stepped out of its designated beds and crept right underfoot. This spark of an idea set me off on a passionate search for the perfect plants to fill those spaces, leading me deep into the aromatic world of creeping herbs. I love that fuzzy green carpet I’ve seen in other gardens as it exudes a certain wildness.

Warm weather is finally here. So our thoughts turn to outdoor grilling or even picnics. But it is fun to shake things up a bit and think outside the box. We love herbal tea and add herbs to our dishes...so what if we bring back a little fancy by planning a formal tea party? When you combine the refined elegance of a traditional tea service with the lush, unpredictable beauty of a garden, the result is an unforgettable sensory experience. An outdoor tea party is more than just a midday meal; it is an intentional pause, an invitation to slow down, converse, and appreciate the finer nuances of flavor and presentation.

I love to investigate the history behind plants, ones used in ancient times, and compare it to how we use it today. There is one special herb that was highly prized but may have gone extinct due to the love ancients had for it. For over half a millennium, a single plant served as the backbone of an entire economy, a staple of gourmet kitchens, and the most sought-after medicine in the Mediterranean. It was depicted on currency, praised by philosophers, and eventually, so highly prized that it was worth its weight in silver denarii. This was Silphium, a plant that once grew in a narrow strip of land in Cyrenaica (modern-day Libya) and nowhere else on Earth.

The atmosphere in a room filled with hundreds of people seeking a connection to the "other side" is palpable. It is a unique cocktail of grief, hope, skepticism, and electric anticipation. When I walked into the Sharonville Convention Center to see psychic medium John Edward, I was one of those hundreds—clutching a quiet hope but keeping my expectations firmly grounded. I never imagined that by the end of the evening, I would be one of the few voices chosen to participate in a profound, public validation of the afterlife.

By Chris Bailey