Waxed Cotton

I can hardly believe that September is already here. It came too fast. Although I am thrilled about cooler weather! I love having the windows open!

Last month we met my family in North Conway, NH for a much needed vacation. Years ago my family used to vacation in North Conway and I have nothing but good memories of the area. Well... almost. The black flies are quite awful, but other than everything else is wonderful! Adam trained each day for his AMGA Rock Instructor exam (that he took the following week) but we had time in the evenings to be together. During the day my family would explore the area and reminisce. There was one day that it rained so Adam and my Dad could not climb. My mom, sister and I decided to take advantage of the day and leave Mo with the guys while we went thrift shopping. We also make a point to visit the April Cornell outlet. It is a good thing there is not one closer! They had amazing deals! I walked away from the store with a dress and an awesome sample bundle (which consisted of linens from past collections put on a ring and sold for $10). The whole day was a much need respite as the summer had proven to be quite awful leading up to our trip (more on that in another post).  Anyway... I could go on about our trip to NH. I will eventually get some photos uploaded to share a bit of our trip with you.

The following week my family and I headed to IN while Adam stayed in NH to take his exam. On the way to my parents house we stopped by the Vermont Country store. It was a much needed break from a long drive. While there I came across some waxed cotton food covers/ wraps. I forgot to look who made them but once I got home my wheels began to turn. So this week, with a beeswax donation from the kind owner of Thrive in Nashville, I attempted to recreate what I saw. I have to say that I was a bit skeptical at first... but I have been using the covers I made now for a few days and really like them! I can hardly wait to buy more beeswax and make more. They are so fun to make! I used my iron to melt the wax into the cotton. I had read about using the oven but I ended up liking the results of the iron better.

To make the covers you will need:

• 100% cotton, cut in circles to fit bowls and some cut in large squares for sandwiches and bread (I cut one about 10x10, and another 11x17)
• beeswax, grated (although after grating beeswax I think I will buy pellets next time)
• parchment paper
• iron
• scrap material (like an old bed sheet)

1. Drape the bed sheet over your ironing board and top with one layer of parchment paper
2. Lay your fabric on top of the parchment and sprinkle with beeswax.
3. Top with a piece of parchment to cover the whole piece of fabric.
4. Iron on medium high until the wax in absorbed into the fabric (adding more beeswax if necessary).
5. Hang to dry.

Store your finished product with folded or rolled. I have mine rolled and placed in a vintage pitcher. Clean with a damp cool cloth.

Have fun!

The other day as we were going to church I noticed a gorgeous elderflower bush in bloom alongside of the road. On the way home we stopped so that I could gather a few elderflowers to make syrup. I had been craving it for a few weeks. Growing up my Mom used fragrant flower for so many flavorful delicacies. One of which was elderflower syrup which she added to sparkling water for us to sip on hot summer days. I loved it. Lightly floral and scented with a touch of lemon... ahhh, yes.

I was a bit nervous about making the syrup as it had been years since I had helped make it. But it was quite simple. I added some sugar and lemon zest to a heat proof jar added the flowers (I had only picked about 3 huge heads) then covered it with boiling water. I then shook the bottle til the sugar dissolved and let it steep overnight. The next morning I was greeted with beautiful golden nectar with that delicate yet unmistakable flavor. The childhood memories rush back in a instant. Bliss.

Today I (along with my little helper) worked very hard in our vegetable garden garden. Once we got cleaned up from our sweaty labors, and Mo went down for a much needed nap, I wanted a yummy drink. Upon perusing the fridge for ingredients I ended up pulling out a small bottle of Bolthouse mango juice, elderflower syrup, and some San Pellegrino sparkling water. Let me tell ya... the combo was the perfect post gardening refreshment. If by any chance you may find the same ingredients in your cooler I highly recommend combining the three!

Mango Elderflower Spritzer

1/2 cup mango juice
1/8 cup (or to taste) Elderflower Syrup
1/2-1 cup sparking water of choice

Add all ingredients to a tall glass and gently stir. Enjoy!


Elderflower Syrup (small batch)

3-5 fully bloomed elderflower heads (remove as many stems as you can)
1.5-2 cups sugar
1 scant Tablespoon lemon zest
boiling water

Add sugar, zest, and flowers to a 1 litre/ 34 oz. bottle (I love my Quattro Stagioni milk bottles for small batches like this. Slowly add the boiling water to the bottle. Wrap a towel around the bottle and gently shake until the sugar is dissolved. Let it set overnight or up to two days. Strain the liquid and refrigerate for up to week (if it lasts that long!). Enjoy!

Fresh Start

I have been wanting to revamp my blog for a while now. (Why I chose pink as my main color... when I am not really a pink kinda girl is beyond me!) So the other night after I put Mo to bed I set out on the quest to refresh my blog. I wanted to change the name of it to describe my life philosophy in one word. While contemplating this notion the word 'Selah' kept coming into my mind. And although I like the word itself I felt like it was a bit to "religious" in a sense. Not that that is a bad thing, but I wanted it to have a bit more... flare (so to speak).

I Googled the word 'Selah' and found out that one of the meanings is "forever". This really struck a cord with me but again the word was not quite right. It seemed a bit to... daunting, final, grandious, and almost too cliché. Then I was reminded of the French translation for forever: toujours. This was it: forever, every day, all the time. It stuck a chord and got the wheels turning. I began to think of what I do every day. Every day I try to learn the 'art of being', whether that means being a better wife, mother, Christian, gardener, artist, seamstress, etc. Learning the art of being still and listening with full awareness. This 'toujours' and 'learning the art of being' is what I see the Lord challenging me to pursue. Being fully aware of Him in every aspect of my life, which has been quite the challenge lately as I have been really going through some tough things with my health right now. Not that I have not been aware... but I certainly have not been resting in Him as I should.

All this to say that some things will be the same here and other things will be different. I am not looking for fame or glory, but just a place that may be an outlet to encourage at least one person, in one way or another. Join me as we journey through this life learning the art of being... toujours.

xo,