Shop the local stores!

I always try to do as much shopping in privately owned shops as possible. As as previous shop keep myself, its important to me (and should be important to everyone) that the shops that work hard to have unusual, unique, and special items stick around for us to enjoy. A while back, I wrote about 10,000 Villages and today I stopped in to visit The Dusty Rose, a purveyor of "Fine Gifts, Antiques & Such". The Dusty Rose is a great find, nestled in next to the grocery shop near my house, and just a few doors down from my favorite Chinese restaurant.
In the window are giant hand-blown orbs of glass which are just the tantalizing beginning. Owners Jerry and Barb Striker search far and wide for delightful home accents, jewelry, tabletop items, candles, fountains... all sorts of cool stuff. Today I found 2 gifts for my daughter. It's perfectly safe to mention them here, because she finds me far too boring to ever peruse this blog. Sigh.... Anyway, they sell a line of fairy jewelry, and I got her a tiny fairy wand necklace for Christmas, and another - a tiny frog with a crown - for her upcoming birthday. They are really sweet, she'll love them. The Dusty Rose can be reached either by email - dusty.rose3@verizon.net , or at 717-581-1775.
I should mention here that Jerry is a long-time friend. He's the slave-driver I worked for who forced me to learn how to use the computer. His sense of humor can be found throughout the shop in some of the more unusual items. A couple years ago I found an egg separator for a friend that had Jerry written all over it. It was a ceramic piece, resembling a human head. You poured the egg into the top of the head, and the white of the egg came out the nose, while the perfect yolk remained inside.
Barb worked at the same place, and we've been friends a long time too. Her eye for display and taste are evident in every detail. The customer service is incredible.
Yep, I love the small shops.
Jerry supplied a recipe for Elderberry Pie that will be in the upcoming Jan/Feb issue of The Essential Herbal, that he brought back from his aunt's recipe collection in Ohio.
Even though the holiday season is drawing to a close, be sure to stop in and support local business whenever the opportunity arises. The big boxes may seem convenient now, but when they become the only choice, life will sure be boring.

pink tree... pity me.

A couple of years ago we found this tree, and thought it was just crazy enough to be cool. Molly kept it in her room, holding beads, hats, and neckwear. Its small, maybe 4" tall, so it was just in the corner minding it's own business. We didn't use it for it's intended purpose, going for more traditional greenery. Maybe it is just me, but when making a purchase such as this, it doesn't immediately occur to one that typical ornamentation is not really sufficient. We decided that this was the year to give it a shot. I think it still needs work, maybe a match and some starter fluid.
This angle isn't the best either... not that there really IS a good angle, mind you. I bought lights today, passing over the tiny pink bulbs that would have worked better (in retrospect), and choosing instead a set of 7 round bulbs in different shades of purple, pink, green, and yellow. They aren't turned on right now. Its not good. There are large paper flowers, a few flamingos, lots and lots of lunaria in the branches, and a ton of icicles.
This seemed like a good year to bring this tree out. It hasn't been a traditional year. It's been a strange, crazy year and we weren't willing to invest a lot of $$$ in making this tree (and therefore this year) look any better than it really is. All I can say is we were willing to try it once, and this will be enough. More than enough, but still...
Now that the decor is pretty much finished, its time to turn attention to other last minute bits and pieces. Time to settle in and spend some time doing some more tradional things like (ugh) baking cookies, wrapping gifts, stuffing stockings, and visiting with relatives and friends.
I know one thing for sure, this baby is coming down on New Year's Day.

El Rodeo with Steph and Valerie

Every now and then I get together with some buds from my old work-place (now known as "the printer"). A fairly new restaurant opened up in the area with authentic Mexican food and terrific prices, so that works for us.
Here are Steph and Val in a jovial pre-holiday mood.... which isn't always easy after a long day of work. Its fun to get together over a basket of chips and talk about what's going on in our lives. Steph shares many of the same interests that I have, and Valerie has daughters around the same age as mine, so we never run out of stuff to talk about. Steph even tried the fudge recipe that was recently posted, and brought some along for us to try. Yummmm. It was good.
One of the things I love about this restaurant is the decor. Bright and cheerful!
How could you not have fun at a table like this? All carved and painted with a thick glass top. I secretly covet this table for my own dining room. Now the booths, on the other hand, are the same tables, except they are higher - so they come up almost to my chin. That's not so much fun. We finally caught on and asked for a table instead. They have a Mariachi band every so often, but I haven't been there on the right night for that yet.
So on other fronts, there is one more weekend at the Frog Hollow shop, and then we'll decide how to proceed. The magazine is my priority, glass torchwork is Maryanne's, and then there are all the things that fall in between that we do together. I'm so excited to see how the next year unfolds.

More Natural Ornaments

From The Essential Herbal

WAX POMANDERS
1 ounce beeswax
1/2 cup applesauce
1-1/4 cup assorted powdered spices (cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg, clove, etc.)
1 T orris root
Melt beeswax slowly with the applesauce. Stir in the spices and orris root. After the mixture has cooled slightly, pour onto a protected surface. Roll dough into balls. Roll the balls firmly in lavender buds, rose petals, or citrus peel granules. Allow to dry 3 or 4 days.

MINI GARLAND ORNAMENTS
Gather bay leaves (lots), dried apple and orange slices, large dried rosehips, and cinnamon sticks. Soak the rosehips and cinnamon in warm water for a few minutes to make them soft enough to pierce with a large needle.Thread large needle with dental floss or quilting twine. Begin with a rosehip, then a cinnamon stick, then an apple slice. Add enough bay leaves (through the center) to fill about 1", then an orange slice, then another inch of bay leaves. Apple slice, cinnamon stick, rosehip. Leave enough twine at either end to tie off, and enough on one of the ends to form a loop for hanging.p.s. You can string these in any order you'd like - this is just an example.

GOLDEN LEAVES
Although I titled this leaves, it works well with many, many of the things found outside - although it may be just a little late if you're under snow right now. I look for nice thick oak leaves, and other sturdy, well shaped leaves, pinecones, milkweed pods, clumps of acorns (the acorn needs to be glued into the cap, because it shrinks as it dries and falls out) and larch branches are great if you can find them. Also the Crepe Myrtle seed pod sprays are gorgeous.Spray or hand paint them in shimmery metallic colors and attach twine, ribbon or wire to hang.

Hoar Frost for the holidays

Today was a gorgeous day - in a sort of otherworldly, foggy dreamy kind of way. I drove up the back roads to the shop, trying to avoid icy patches while still watching the scenery. It was so unusual!
We'd had several inches of snow last week but then the weather warmed up a little bit. Overnight, there was a heavy fog that then froze with just a light coating on everything it touched. I think that is termed a "hoar frost".
I passed horses grazing in the mist, a weeping willow completely covered by this crystalline magic, and weeds that seemed to be blooming with ice flowers.


Once I arrived at the tree farm, I headed straight up the hill with the camera to catch the frozen fireworks and the frosted "flowers.
It was simply gorgeous, and here are some wintry photos I wanted to share with you.
The shop we cobbled together has been a lot of fun, and provided us with a real reason to do a lot of things (whipped shea butter, emulsified sugar scrubs, soap stones, etc) we've been wanting to do. Only one more week. Maryanne got a lot of good feedback on her glasswork, and enough sales to have her fired up.
I teased the Yahoo group mercilessly about the next issue - which just went to press. Once I have the completed cover and can scan one in, I'll put it up and tease you too :-).... well, I can say that this is the best issue ever.
Somehow we managed to get everything taken care of for the holidays here. The shop(s), the next issue, and even almost all of the shopping and shipping done. Heck! There may even be time to send a few cards out this year. We'll have to see about that one, though.
One last thing - fudge!
This was (I believe) a Rachel Ray recipe, posted by Monica on The Dish. It is simple, and takes about 3 minutes. You need:
4 T. butter
1 can (14 oz.) sweetened condensed milk
1 pkg (12 oz.) semi-sweet morsels
1 cup (or more) pecans - optional
Melt butter slowly. Add chocolate to melted butter. When the chocolate is just melted, stir in the sweetened condensed milk with a whisk. I then add about enough pecans to make it more like fudge coated pecans.... yum! Mini-marshmallows, peanut butter, walnuts, coconut.... whatever you like can go in. Chill until firm, cut and serve.

Simply Natural Ornaments

We're pretty busy putting the finishing touches on the next issue, so I thought I'd post something from The Essential Herbal holiday issue the first year - 2002. We did an article listing ways to make things to decorate the tree.

There are so many beautiful ways to decorate the Yule tree without spending too much money. It does require a bit of forethought, but the results are well worth it. Here are some ideas.....
* The flowers that were pressed during the summer make lovely decorations if you have access to a laminator. Clear contact paper works too, but will not be as defined. Lunaria makes a great background. Add some deep blue larkspur, maybe some monarda, some arborvitae or boxwood leaves. Cut close to the flowers to avoid big empty areas. Punch a hole and add a ribbon.
* When peeling and eating citrus fruit, keep the peel as intact as possible. Use cookie cutters or scissors to cut out stars, hearts, or whatever shape you like. Cut a hole for hanging before drying. To dry flat, put a weight on top for a few days... although they will still curl a bit.
* Miniature (4") garlands are fun and fragrant. Soak 2' cinnamon sticks in warm watter to soften them. Combine with bay leaves, and string. Rosehips are a nice touch too.
* As a change from the traditional cranberry and popcorn garland, try a spice garland for incredible scent. Gather juniper berries, allspice, rosehips, 1" cinnamon pieces, cardamom pods in green and white, tonka beans or vanilla beans, star anise and hawthorne berries. Put all the hard dried spices in a large bowl of warm water. In a few minutes they will be soft enough for a needle to pierce. String with abandon. If these are stored properly to avoid tangles, they will last for years.
* Make tiny tussie mussies with dried flowers. Put lace around the outside, and glue small spring clothes pins to hang them from.
* Cut small dried goards to make a cup. Fill with moss, and then glue dried flowers to make a miniature floral arrangement. Drill holes in the sides to tie a ribbon handle - like a bucket.
* Use clear balls that can be opened to make tiny terrariums, using moss and wee woodland plants. If you look under the leaves, its easy to find pretty little plants to use. Mist lightly, seal, and hang.
* For a bit of sparkle, spray gold or silver paint onto pinecones and seedpods. Spray glitter works well too.
* Spice Clay Mix available at www.siblinggroup.com can be mixed with applesauce, rolled out like cookie dough, and cut with cookie cutters to make scented ornaments.

Today in the waiting room

I took my older brother in to the hospital for day surgery. The waiting room is huge, and it is the same room I spent 3 days in last March while my mother died. I wasn't looking forward to sitting there today. As I registered at the desk and got my beeper, I heard beautiful singing - quiet and many, many voices. Off to the side (well actually one whole side) of the room were between 30 and 40 Amish people. I have no idea who they were there for, or what had happened (although there was a nasty accident last night where a buggy was hit by a truck), but they were there to support someone. They sat in a huge circle holding hands, singing. Since the Amish here speak the Pennsylvania Dutch dialect, the words of the songs weren't important as much as the sound...at least to me.I sat near enough to not be distracted by all the other small groups of people sitting and talking, but far enough not to intrude. Eventually a man stood at the head of the circle and started to pray in English. He prayed for all the people in the hospital, for all the family members, and for everyone touched by hardship or tragedy. No fire and brimstone, just a request for a blessing and peace...After that, they continued singing while taking turns going to see the person they were there to care for. It was very moving to see so many people caring so deeply and gathering in that place to do what they could. It completely changed the way I felt in that room. It was really beautiful.

Frankincense and Myrrh

In my imagination, things were going to slow down once the shop finally got finished and open. Yes, I can hear you chuckling, and as the wholesale orders rolled in on Monday and yesterday, I realized the folly of my plan. The days are getting away from me, and now I'm thinking, "as soon as the next issue goes out....". That probably won't happen either, but I like to pretend. In the meantime, I'll post this snippet on these familiar yet exotic resins.

Frankincense and Myrrh

The two fragrant resins are often referred to, but rarely do we see them in use. Many people have never seen them or smelled their exotic perfume. Others who attend churches rich in ritual are much more accustomed to censors pouring forth the smoke of frankincense.

During the holidays, these are two of the famed gifts of the Magi from the Bible, given along with gold to the baby Jesus, and are found sometimes in small quantities packaged for gift giving.

They are both resins, or saps from plants. Frankincense comes from the plant Boswellia carteri, and is grown mainly in Ethiopia. The scent is sunny and piney. It comes in different sizes, tear, pearl, and powder and is a warm variety of yellows. It is also available in essential oil, a form that is easiest to use in winter. In aromatherapy, frankincense is used to calm and release tension. It is also said to assist in meditation. When blending fragrances, frankincense oil is very valuable, because it quickly grounds blends that are too heady or lightens blends that are too base.

Myrrh is from a plant native to northern Africa. It is Commiphora myrrha. It comes in shades of red, amber, and brown and can be found in chunks, granules, or powder. The fragrance of myrrh is dark and mysterious. It is perfectly balanced by the brighter frankincense. Myrrh is rarely used in aromatherapy blends, but is found in mouthwashes and toothpastes (often along with goldenseal) to heal gums and keep them healthy. It does NOT taste good. It was also used in mummification.

In the summer with windows open, these may be smoldered on charcoal blocks to release their fragrant full bodied scents. In the winter, that isn’t possible. Instead, try adding some to a simmering pot. It takes a little while, but the hot water releases the scent. They can go into the fireplace in small quantities, or set in a dish on a heat source. They will however ruin the dish, so keep that in mind. The small pea-sized pieces may also be strung using a heated needle and worn about the neck. Body heat will slowly release the fragrance and surround you with mystery.

opening weekend

We opened our little shop doors on Friday. It was a fun weekend, even if I'd forgotten what hard work retail can be. The weather turned cold last week, so it was perfect to get folks into a holiday mood. Bob spent his days going up and down the hill with the frogmobile and wagon, hauling down trees. Although I'd like to whine about being on my feet and any other little things that were uncomfortable - at least I was warm inside the shop!
Yesterday I finally wised up and took along some things so I could work on a couple articles for the next issue. The deadline is only 2 days away and the schedule is very tight this year.
At some point this week we need to make some more product for the shelves. The whipped shea butter, the salt soap bars, and the soap stones were bigger hits than we'd anticipated.

The shop and stuff

Well first, I thought I'd share an image of Thanksgiving
at my sister's house yesterday. Her dining room and kitchen are open and there is a spread of appetizers behind the siblings and kids. Maryanne is in the background working on the gravy. This year my brothers, sister and I stepped into the role of oldsters, as we are in the position of being without any older relatives. It seems lucky to me that there just aren't enough kids to really gang up on us and tell us that we aren't making sense, or all the things kids do to make you feel out of touch. I figure we can go on thinking that we're "with it" forever if we can just keep the kids quiet.
So today (as I mentioned earlier) was the first official day of business for the shop at the tree farm. Here is a picture of the front of the shop where Maryanne generally does all of her torch work and soaping. At those times, it is her studio but for the next month it is known as the shop. To the right there is a large bay where her husband Bob makes pine roping and wreaths while the customers are up on the hill searching for the perfect tree. When Rob is home from college, he helps his dad. The studio is warm and cozy, and the bay where Bob works has a woodstove that takes some of the chill off. The family sheltie "Rudy" also helps out by making sure the kids all get a chance to pet him. He's a herding dog, so none of the kids get too far away from their parents, and he really gets tuckered out by the end of the day.
One of the things we've been working hard on for the last few days is gift baskets. We learned at our old herb shop that they make great gifts, and we really enjoy putting them together. Lavender and Wise Woman blend were always the most popular, so they were first. But first that required making up lotions, milk baths, and whipped shea butter, oh, and a really great sugar scrub that isn't greasy - it's creamy! All the new products require labels and tags.
Then there is a fragrance called Ginger Essence that we both fell in love with. The spritz is delicious, and we made a pile of different items in that scent for baskets. We also made some gorgeous soaps using a red mica... oh they are so nice!
We used a coffee scent for another group of baskets - something more unisex. That one includes a coffee flavored lip balm in addition to the other body care products.
Lastly is a small basket called "Scents of Christmas" with a balsam sachet, some frankincense and myrrh,and a great forest scented candle - all tied up with a spice clay ornament.
When Maryanne isn't making soap or fixing an incredible spread for the holidays, she's working on her torchwork beads and vessels. Lately she's been making some pendants that are fairies, mermaids, goddesses, and angels. It's pretty amazing stuff. I'm hoping at some point to get a few lessons in, although I can't imagine ever having the patience to get the kind of detail she gets in her pieces. I'm thinking my work would be more "organic". And just in case all the soaps, toiletries, books, jewelry, don't hit the spot, we put together a few holiday treats. Whew! We're finally ready.