Sarah Cioni can track trends through her floral arrangements. Based on floral orders, the Boulder florist can tell you what month most Boulder County residents die (January, which matches National Center for Health Statistics).

Photo by Kasia Broussalian In photo: Sarah Cioni

She can tell you when surges of local babies are born (right now — and mostly boys) and when most couples get engaged (Christmas and Valentine’s Day). As soon as the engagement rings pop out, the brides-to-be begin placing orders for weddings.

“When I actually stop and sit and think about it, people wouldn’t believe it, but a florist shop reflects the pulse of the city,” says Cioni, from her Boulder-based shop, the Painted Primrose.

Increasingly more brides are ordering loose flowers to make their own centerpieces, and overall people want less expensive flowers.

Last year, Cioni says she saw a surge in floral arrangements delivered from spouses working out of state or in Australia or Holland — the only places they could get hired. But lately, Cioni says she has seen increasingly more deliveries celebrating, “Congrats on your new job.”

Over the years, Cioni says, she has designed flowers for proud new parents, eager brides, tearful widows and even the Dali Lama.

“I have found that being a florist is not just about arranging pretty flowers in a vase,” she says. “It’s about the circle of life.”

— By Aimee Heckel

WarmlyYours — Radiant floor heating
Thermostat-controlled and programmable, these electric coils can be placed under any floor surface, especially effective with tile. They can warm your entire bathroom, especially your toes. Check out www.warmlyyours.com.

Find this at Floor to Ceiling of Brighton, Evergreen Heated Floor and Tile and DreamMaker of Denver. 

Jacuzzi — Sedona steam shower
Turn your drafty, dated shower into a steamy escape with this built-in unit. The steam generator is housed in the bench, giving you a place to sit and enjoy  your shower.

— By Kristen Sotelo
Sotelo is an independent interior designer [hec: in what city?:  ]. Contact her to discuss your design projects at mrsksotelo@gmail.com.

Chocolate roulade
Separate six eggs into two bowls.

Beat yolks with 4 ounces of fine sugar ‘til light and fluffy.

Microwave melt 8 ounces of bittersweet chocolate.

Allow melted chocolate to cool before folding in to egg yolk mix.

Beat six whites ‘til stiff. Gently fold into chocolate egg yolk mix.

Line a 17-by-12-inch sheet pan with foil. Using a pastry brush, wipe foil with vegetable oil. Toss a tablespoon of plain flour onto foil; shake pan so flour lightly coats the entirety of the oiled foil.

Pour the chocolate egg mix onto the sheet pan, using a spatula to work the mix to the edges.
Cook in the middle of a 350-degree oven for about 10 to 12 minutes or until the top is set, even cracking in spots.

Remove pan from oven. Cool completely. Now take opposite corners of the foil and lift the roulade onto the counter. Take a long sheet of cling wrap and cover top of cake, then flip cake over so that the foil is on top and cling wrap underneath.

Gently peel the foil off, and spread cake with a thin layer of whipped cream. Take the two corners of the cling wrap nearest you and gently roll the cake inward, leaving the wrap behind.
Place rolled roulade onto a serving platter and decorate the top with sifted icing sugar and the edges with a mix of fresh strawberries and raspberries.

— By Louise Ross
Ross, of Boulder, writes a recession-strategy food blog, www.markettomouth.blogspot.com. Here, she shares tips on grocery shopping on a budget and cooking healthy meals with no waste and no fuss. Contact her at markettomouth@gmail.com.

Nygren

Dear Manora,

Dear Out of the Mood,
People have used herbal tricks to increase sensuality and intimacy for hundreds of years. Here’s what ancient Chinese medical wisdom tells us.

For you: Dong Quai, 400 mg or 1 tablespoon in tea.
For him: Ginseng, 400 mg or 1 tablespoon in tea.
For both: Licorice, 200 mg or 1 teaspoon in tea.

Why?

According to the Chinese tradition, Dong Quai is a female tonic and ginseng is a male tonic. Use them before your romance begins.

Dong Quai carries blood to the uterus, increases lubrication and stimulates desire. It is clinically seen to have possible estrogen-like affects.

Ginseng increases masculine energy and is clinically seen to improve blood flow and testosterone levels.

Licorice increases energy levels via cortisol function and supports libido.

Want to learn more about herbs? Check out these upcoming events:

Integrative medicine: Herbal and nutritional treatment for illness and injury.  Research-based protocol that compliments your pharmaceutical therapy. Office near Boulder Community Hospital. $30-50 per session, depending on illness.

Counseling: Private illness counseling. Learn to remain strong throughout an illness and let physical healing come through emotional and spiritual growth. $60 per hour.

Classes: 6:30-7:30 p.m. on the first Thursday of the month. North Boulder Pharmaca, 2700 N. Broadway in Boulder. Topics vary. Free.

Spiff up for Spring: 6:30-7:30 p.m. March 18, North Boulder Pharmaca. Learn herbal remedies and psychological techniques for building energy and vitality. Free.

— By Manora Nygren
Nygren is a certified medical herbalist and illness counselor who has taught and practiced nationally for 11 years. She brings together pharmaceutical and natural health care through an integrative, research-based approach.

2. Balance your bed by adding same-size bedside tables to both sides.

3. Add fire colors: cranberry or orange pillows or a duvet cover.

4. Have art that encourages partnership. Ditch the image of a woman waiting at a table alone.

5. Move workout equipment or your office out of the bedroom to encourage restful sleeping and a relationship that’s not hard work.

Read more in the February/March edition of Womens Mag!

– By Liz Canavan, www.alchemyoforder.blogspot.com

If we decorate our virtual home — and let’s face it, that’s what Facebook has become for even the best of us — with pictures that make us happy, why don’t we do so with our actual homes? As much as we all love prints of Anne Geddes babies, sunsets, Monet water lilies and landscapes, you have something much more unique you can frame for decoration: your family.

Photo by Dory Johnson.

“I find it really interesting that people have this bizarre twist on how they spend their money,” says Dory Johnson, a photographer in Boulder. “I see it in a number of ways. One, they’ll go and spend $3,000 dollars on a tiny little painting, but it’s a ‘masterpiece.’ Or, they’ll spend $3,000 on a bureau. Or, they’ll go get a poster, but they so often won’t often think of putting up large photographs of the family. A photograph always sets a tone. It says ‘home.’”

The expensive, adorned, art-museum frames may be unnecessary to surround these family portraits. Johnson suggests canvases as a high-quality and longer lasting alternative.

But go ahead and rattle your creative bones. Montage one of your living room walls with family portraits from throughout the past decades in colorful, unique frames. Transform portraits into oil-paintings that will last hundreds of years. Splurge for professionally assembled end-table photography books of the family that guests can flip through as they sit in the living room.

On a low budget?
Hang clipboards holding portraits, slide pictures under the glass of your coffee table for an assorted collage, or insert them in plastered self-made frames from painted, old-school popsicle sticks. At Mike’s Camera in Boulder, morph your family portrait into decorative boxes, cutting boards and decorative tiles.
For gifts for two of her friends, Johnson mounted photographs onto wooden, Mexican swinging doors and attached ropes to hang them high from the ceiling.

“You can get really creative hanging photographs that speak to something within you or of your family,” Johnson says.

Photo by Dory Johnson.

And why the emphasis on the professionally shot family portraits? Portraits should be more than a few clicks on the point-and-shoot camera, cheaply printed and stored in shoe-boxes.

“In the long run for families, when you get a portrait taken, you’re really making an heirloom that is going to last through generation after generation,” Johnson says. “How many of us have poured over pictures of our grandparents?”

We all say photographs capture moments, but really, they immortalize moments. Those pixelly, distorted, just off the family printer photographs are simply not eternal heirlooms.

What if your family is different?
To all the ladies not quite ready to settle down with babies and a hubby, grab your substitute family — your friends or your pet. Unconventional, perhaps. But, why not document yourself at this age and this time in your life? The real you with your real loves. Farfel’s Farm, 906 Pearl St., will gladly photograph you and your pooch’s portrait, as will most professionals. Mantelpiece-worthy, for sure.

“We often find that as families view their slide show of their pets, they cry,” says Sandy Calvin, co-owner of Farfel’s Farm. “They explain that it’s the emotion of looking in at the relationship they’ve never really witnessed — the pure love between them and their pet. Often, if we visit photo customer’s homes after photographs are hung, we are amazed that the pet images are more prominent and larger than non-pet photos.”

Though Facebook’s online home offers a nice forum for picture sharing and bragging, decorating your actual home with timeless family portraits guarantees to spark a comment or two from your friends — the non-virtual ones.

On the Web
Because photo mouse pads, mugs, T-shirts — even the occasional bedspread — quickly endanger the sophistication of your home, check out these Web sites for creative ways to decorate with photographs.
www.photowow.com — Create end-tables, pillows and handbags from digital pictures.
www.kimbrastudios.com — Craft your own lampshades, nightlights and wineglass charms.
www.personalizationmall.com — Fashion cookie jars, serving platters and tree ornaments with your family’s portraits.

Looking for your own portraits?
Here are some local photographers who can help you decorate your home with heirlooms of the people you love:

Dory Johnson’s Olac Photography: 303-449-4759, www.olacphoto.com.
Julie Afflerbaugh Photography: 303-704-9999, www.julieafflerbaugh.com.
Stone Crandall Photography: 303-506-9362, www.stonecrandall.com.

— By Caroline Seib

Here in the United States, pie is the holiday dessert, and because it’s often served with ice cream, I thought I’d share my recipe for “Aussie Ice Cream Plum Pud.” You’ll love it with your favorite fruit pie or on its own with hot fudge sauce. Plus, it can be made with any vanilla ice cream — even the iced-over leftovers at the back of the freezer, and any leftover holiday dried fruits and nuts.

Aussie ice cream plum pudding
2 pints of vanilla ice cream
½ cup unsalted toasted almond slivers or toasted pecans
½ cup raisins or cranberries (or a mix of both)
½ cup candied orange and lemon peel
½ cup chopped candied ginger (or chocolate-coated candied ginger pieces)
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon nutmeg
½ cup Bailey’s Irish Cream
½ cup brandy

Soak raisins and cranberries, candied peel and ginger in brandy overnight. The following day, soften the ice cream, and empty into a large bowl. Add the soaked fruits, toasted nuts, spices and Bailey’s. Mix well so all ingredients are sufficiently blended. Then spoon mixture into a freezer tray and pop in freezer until solid.

— By Louise Ross
Ross, of Boulder, writes a recession-strategy food blog, www.markettomouth.blogspot.com. Here, she shares tips on grocery shopping on a budget and cooking healthy meals with no waste and no fuss. Contact her at markettomouth@gmail.com.

Following a river high into the mountains, you splashed cool water on your face. You saw the golden flicker of Osha leaves and smelt its fresh aroma. Osha root promotes respiratory health and has antiviral activity.
Walking down, you sat in a cool pine forest, leaned back and looked up. Bright green Usnea crawled along the pine bark. Usnea Lichen increases immune function against viral or bacterial infection.

At the bottom, meandering along the river, a cluster of purple elderberries caught your eye. Elderberries prevent viral activity within the cell and support immune function.

Ninety drops four times daily of the tincture of one or a combination of these herbs will clear that tickle in your throat.

— By Manora Nygren

Nygren is a medical herbalist and illness counselor in Boulder. She uses complimentary medicine well researched for use in combination with pharmaceutical therapies and counseling techniques specific to living with illness. For a health care or counseling appointment, contact her at manoranygren@gmail.com or 720-226-0652.
Nygren welcomes e-mails inquiring about herbs in this column and discussing your experience if you try them.

Louisville
1. Luminary Emporium, 924 Main St., Louisville
Flower necklaces by Stephanie Cox of Drama Queen: outrageous jewelry design.

These bright, jeweled flower necklaces are perfect gifts for anyone, from your BFF to your mother-in-law to your child’s elementary school teacher. The loud colors contrast with those gray, snowy skies outside. $25.

2. Vie Vie Luxe, 909 Main St., Louisville
Jingle bell slipper socks.
The joys of winter: Cold weather, snowflakes, soggy boots, wet wood floors. Give these slippers to your kids this season to warm their feet (and keep your floors dry) as soon as they walk in the door. $14.

3. The Bronze Elk, 901 Front St., suite 110
Jewelry box, handmade from glass bangle bracelets.
For your friend who loses her car keys, one earring from every pair she owns, and all those extra buttons for her sweaters and coats. This decorative box will hold all her tends-to-go-missing jewelry and accessories. $37.95

Lyons
4. Quilting Hands, 424 Main St., Lyons.
Premade fabric bundles.
Quilting Hands holds more than 6,000 bolts of fabric in its store, so instead of spending hours scouring for the perfect fabrics, purchase bundles of pre-cut quilting squares with complementary patterns and corresponding colors. What a fun gift for your crafty aunts, grandmothers and sewing pals. Prices depend on size of finished quilt. $25-$50.

5. Red Canyon Art Company, 400 Main St., Lyons.
Handcrafted salt and pepper shakers, made by Colorado artist, Diana Abbott.
Give these shakers, adorned with light blue stones, to your grandparents who have been married for 50 years or your college friends who have been married for two. The salt shaker for one, the pepper shaker for the other. An adorable set for an adorable set. $14.

Longmont
6. The Orange Door, 370 Main St., Longmont.
Handcrafted throw pillows made by Longmont designer, Julie Kendall.
Using recycled buttons, fringe, stuffing and zippers, Kendall creates her pillows to be flipped for two completely different looks. One side shows off the colors and imagery of springtime. The other side, deeper colored fabrics with a wintry mood. Fabulous for your trendy, homebody buddies, $20-$25.

7. Encore Home Styles, 439 Main St., Longmont
Lolita holiday wine glasses.
Every year we all find ourselves searching for creative presents for our closest friends. Why not host a holiday appetizer and wine party, and instead of distributing goody-bags like you did in fourth grade, let your friends take home their wine glasses, each one bedazzled with different designs — snowmen, holly berries, elf shoes and many more to choose from. $26.50 per glass.

8. Caycenne Kitchen, 372 Main St., Longmont.
Scented hot pads in gingerbread, cranberry-orange and sugar cookie.
Do you have a million friends and less than a million bucks? Treat your office friends, carpool moms, volunteer club and the rest of your long list with smelly-good hot pads (heating a kettle of tea makes your whole house smell good!) for a very reasonable price. $4.50 each.

9. Bead Lounge, 320 Main St., Longmont
Beading basics class
Guys, this one is for you. Instead of shopping for jewelry at department stores this year, make your sweetie a unique necklace, bracelet, or pair of earrings. When you sign up for this class, you’ll walk out with two one-of-a-kind pieces of jewelry. One for your leading lady, one for your other leading lady (we know you’re still a mama’s boy at heart, and we love it). $35, beads included.

– By Caroline Seib

“I feel that we’re getting a reputation as being upscale, which brings in high-quality items. But we still sell if for a really great price,” says owner Patty Ross, 51, of Boulder.

It’s because of that mix that Clutter, which opened in August at its location just south of Ninth and Pearl St. in Boulder, has clients from college students outfitting their first apartments to seniors buying pieces for their assisted-living residences.

We sat down with Ross for some tips on holiday decorating.

The great part about all of this: Clutter can be a great place to gain inspiration and load up on what you’ll need for the season.

1. Mix and match.

When setting a holiday table, bring out the good stuff and fill in the holes with consignment pieces. Display that etched glassware that’s too fancy for back yard BBQs, and serve your family favorites on vintage china — such as Clutter’s beautiful set of Franciscan china, a whopping 101 pieces, for $495. Pair that with festive linens, scented pinecones and pine foliage, your grandmother’s candlesticks and you’re set.

2. Double up.
Ross suggests having two Christmas trees: one theme tree, where you can really go all out, and one family tree with those sweet ornaments your 5-year-old brings home. Ross also suggests bucking the norm with your tree and adding decorative picks. Picks are long decorative pieces that are often added to bouquets and floral centerpieces. You can purchase picks at Clutter, online or in floral boutiques.

3. A tradition of collecting.
Ross also suggests starting a holiday collection. She and her husband have been collecting nativity scenes from their travels all over the world, which they display for the holidays. Many people collect ornaments, like Santas or angels, or ornaments by a certain artist or manufacturer. Clutter sells ornaments and might be a great place to gain insight on starting a collection of your own.

4. Inside-out.
Bring outside lights inside, and not just on your tree. It’s fun to hang oversized ornaments and wreaths throughout the house. Traditionally, Christmas was, in part, about renewing our sense of nature in the house during a time of year when little is blooming. A fresh, fragrant pine wreath will do just the trick.

5. Hostess with the most.
When it comes to getting your guests in a festive mood, Ross suggests decorating a small tree in the guestroom. She also replaces wall art with holiday-themed prints or wreaths. Adding holiday linens and other small touches with make your guest feel special.

On the Web
Visit Clutter Consignment online at www.clutterconsign.com.

— By Annie Brokaw