Smell Good. Feel Good.

The air quality in the house is all out of whack lately between the painting, staining and varnishing. Add humidity to the mix and a headache quickly follows. In an effort to counteract these smells, I've strategically placed homemade air fresheners around the house. 

Using ball jars, I filled them part way with baking soda and added 10-12 drops of essential oil to them. Each one is covered with a light fabric with either the top to hold the fabric in place or some jute.

The living room and bedroom have lavender scented air fresheners, while the kitchen and bathrooms have lemon and grapefruit mixtures. Fingers crossed, things start smelling fresher. 

Bug Off

We're talking bug spray -- couldn't help the cheeky title. I'm having a hard time believing it is already the end of May. With a full weekend centered around being in the yard, bug spray went on the shopping list. Then I paused and thought, hey, I bet I could make my own. It was easy peasy.

Supply List:
- 3 oz. spray bottle
- 3 oz. witch hazel
- 1/2 teaspoon lemongrass essential oil
- 1/2 teaspoon eucalyptus essential oil
- 1/2 teaspoon citronella essential oil

If you're looking for essential oils, they can be found at natural health food stores, natural wellness/pharmacies or even online for a fair price. 

Combine all the ingredients in the spray bottle and shake well. I'll warn you, these essential oils are strong, which means when you're mixing the ingredients it's not the best smelling concoction. Once it's diluted in the witch hazel though, the smell greatly improves. One other thing to note: you'll want to shake the bottle well before each use.

Earth Angels

The February issue of Where Women Create, had an advertisement on the back cover for Earth Angels - the art girls' roadshow shopping event, featuring handmade artful decor and accessories. The event immediately went on my calendar. It was held at the Schuyler Pond Home and Garden. What a setting it was. The property has an old restored barn filled with eclectic things for the home and an attic full of shabby chic furniture vignettes. Do you even need to guess where I spent most of my time [wink]?! 

Brimfield

If you like old stuff, collectibles, walking and people watching, then Brimfield Antiques and Collectibles Show is for you. The show takes place three times and year and for me its a sight to behold with something for everyone. Empty fields in this sleepy New England town come to life with a sea of antiques. For me, it's worth just poking around, more than it is anything else (things do tend to be over priced) and snapping some fun pictures. Saturday was a perfect sunny day to spent walking the fields, taking it all in. 

Settling In

Maine. It's was lovely. It always is. It broke a little piece of my heart to leave, but it gives me something to look forward to. The trip got off to a rocky start with me feeling under the weather, but it was quickly remedied with good medicine and sunshine. Most of the trip was spent driving from one small, quaint town to the next checking out the scenic landscapes, rugged beaches, lobster shacks and charming store fronts. 

As I settle into the afterglow of a rejuvenating trip (and do yet another load of laundry), I leave you with a few pictures to enjoy.  

Friday's Quote

Friday's Quote - a day early. As I pack for a long weekend by the sea, I feel that warm, relaxed vacation feel seeping into my being. It reminded me of an article by Dorothea Benton Frank that I keep in my nightstand, hoping it will guide my dreams --waking and sleeping.

I leave you with two of my favorite quotes from her article:

"...You have to find your power spot...Where do I belong on the planet? Where do I feel my strongest physically, mentally, and spiritually? For me, it's always on the coast."

"...when I'm in New York too long, I find myself yearning for the simple life. Yearning is a strong word, but yearn I do. Give me a pair of worn-in flip-flops, a good book, fresh seafood for supper, and a little house by the sea, and happiness rides the sweet breezes."

May you find and know your power spot.

Sea Shells by the Sea Shore

Sewing...where to even begin? Let's begin with a confession, shall we? I am not that great of a sewer. As much as I wish I were, it's not the case. My patience for sewing is limited, which is one of the reasons, I'll be taking a class this fall. Sewing requires planning and precision and when I'm working on an art project, I much prefer to work with free flowing energy and see where it takes me. I digress. 

By this point, you must be wondering why I would take on a sewing project then? A long weekend by the sea with friends brought on this urge to try sewing once again. A decent amount of time will be spent competing looking for sea shells, sea glass and sand dollars. The dilemma is that between the four of us we rarely have one plastic bag or container to hold our loot treasures. Solution: stenciled 'His and Her' drawstring burlap bags. Burlap is chic, affordable, durable and in between the weaves, the sand can seep through.  

Although there are are no pictures with sewing instructions here on Lavender Nest for the bags [it was a frustrating process, that meant putting down the entire project for a week and needing some major help from my husband the next], I am happy to report that this mission has been accomplished and I learned a lot to boot. 

The stenciling of the bags, was more my speed and a great way to decompress ;)