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| Tonight Angie came over and we made lavender bath salts and put them into tea bags and packages. I'm a "shower person" but when I get ready to make bath salts, I always test out my recipes by taking baths. Heavenly. Don't know why I don't do it more often. The warm water and lavender aroma just makes the world go away. The only thing you can focus on is how good it feels. Clears the mind while cleaning the body. 11 5 13 |
Some say "Wake up, and smell the roses" but I say "Relax, and smell the Lavender." Melt away stress with lavender-filled neck wraps, eye pillows, sachets made from beautiful fabrics.
Bath Salts
Happy Halloween! The last of the lavender for 2013. Cut the final batch from Angie's house and hung it to dry last week. I'll be using it to make my products for the upcoming Lavender Association Christmas Fair. I worked at Shabby Chic this afternoon and had a chance to talk with a number of people who suffer from back/neck problems. They purchased my neck wraps because they like the relaxing aroma of lavender and the warmth from heating the liner gives relief to their neck pain. It is so nice to be able to offer a product that really helps people feel better. 
River in Bend, Oregon
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| Deschutes River at Bend, OR |
Pic from outside our condo, beautiful river. Too bad we have to leave today - it is so beautiful here and we haven't had time to walk the trails. But we're off to Lincoln City and the ocean. Yesterday we visited with Gordon Knight and his wife who own 10,000 lavender plants at Tumalo, OR. We had their lavender lemonade and talked quite a while -- it was a great time and learned a lot more about lavender. Hopefully, we'll stop at Stonegate (the best known farm in OR) on our way out of town in a few days. ... on the road again ... just can't wait to get on the road again ......
Definition of Vacation = EAT
I haven't written in so long I had trouble finding my blog, yipes!!! Today I am in heaven ... well maybe not exactly heaven ... but a beautiful place in Bend Oregon. We're staying at a lovely resort a bit above the town in a condo in the trees ... flowers, pathways ... etc. The air is beautiful with a slight breeze. I came to the office to get some extra coffee packets and I am using their computer. A nice woman just brought me a fresh cup of coffee and 2 choc chip cookies .... I could get to like this. They are so nice, expecially when one is a paying customer ... well, that was a bit snarky -- I'm sure they're nice anyway. The place we wanted to go for dinner last night was a bit, uhhmmm, pricier that the internet menu ... so we wandered down the street to where some folk were sitting outside eating. It was a little bar/grill that served Mexican & Peruvian food. Wonderful .... the game was on the TV and the waiters were all rooting for Miami as we were. It was fun. Con had chili rellanos which he always tries when in a new restaurant - good. I have some Peruvian pork/tomato dish that I couldn't pronounce. It was very good -- too much food -- and it came with cilantro rice. The rice was great, I'm going to try making it at home ... I love the flavor of cilantro and lime.
Since we were on vacation (how often do I use that term?) I thought I'd surprise Con and order dessert which was a flaming banana dish over ice cream. They made it at the table with a little gas burner and a fry pan where the waiter heated up butter, brown sugar, then added sliced bananas and coated them. When it was good and hot, he tossed in 3 different types of liquor -- one at a time and we watched them flame. It was very cool. When it was flaming, he keep sprinkling cinnamon onto the flame and it would sparkle. It was great -- the show was worth the $14 cost. So we ate as much as we could and then waddled back to our resort.
So tonight it will be tuna sandwiches for dinner and a stroll around the lake. Shuuuurrrrrrrrrr. "We're on vacation and that means EAT!
Since we were on vacation (how often do I use that term?) I thought I'd surprise Con and order dessert which was a flaming banana dish over ice cream. They made it at the table with a little gas burner and a fry pan where the waiter heated up butter, brown sugar, then added sliced bananas and coated them. When it was good and hot, he tossed in 3 different types of liquor -- one at a time and we watched them flame. It was very cool. When it was flaming, he keep sprinkling cinnamon onto the flame and it would sparkle. It was great -- the show was worth the $14 cost. So we ate as much as we could and then waddled back to our resort.
So tonight it will be tuna sandwiches for dinner and a stroll around the lake. Shuuuurrrrrrrrrr. "We're on vacation and that means EAT!
Springtime in the Rockies
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| What a difference 5 days can make! |
I attended a short program on lavender today at the Botanical Gardens. It was presented by Kathy Kimbrough, www.gardenscentsations.com who is the past president of the lavender association and an enthusiastic Lavendeer. There were many other Lavendeers in the audience ... we are always ready to pick up a new little piece of information about our favorite plant. I took a few photos of a pruning demonstration but can't get my camera matched up with my new Windows 8 computer ... don't get me started on THAT topic!
The last class I lead at Shabby Chic Boutique www.shabbychicgj.com where I have my shop was fun. So I have another one planned for early May. If the interest is there I'll do more. They are only an hour or hour and fifteen minutes so they are easy to squeeze in to a busy day. And classes are small so we have time to discuss and have fun.
I finished 6 pretty new Neck Wraps and will take them to the store tomorrow. Will try to get photos on here for you to see them. Bye for now. 4/17/13
Hidcote Giant Lavender Plants
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| 4"pots of Hidcote Giant Lavendin |
Last week I lead a class on how to plant lavender in pots. I purchased plants, soil, pea gravel and pots so everyone could plant their own while learning useful information. Handouts described the what, where, how etc. Planting in container pots would require that a fairly small plant would be used. We can't plant outside until May without the danger of a late frost. And some people may want to try keeping an indoor plant all year rather than setting it outside. My plan was to use Munstead Lavender which grows to about 12-14" and is a pretty and hardy type. I was assured by the nursery last month that they would have some ready for me to pick up when the time came.
Ahh, the best laid plans of mice and men! When I arrived to pick up the plants it was evident that the Munstead weren't ready. In fact, there were none on hand. A tour through the hothouse was quite disappointing. None of the smaller varieties were ready. The propogated plants were not impressive, some a bit scraggly. It was understandable because it is not yet time for lavender purchases so the nursery was working on other priorities. Although I understood that fact, I doubt if the class members would be very happy to see the specimens. There was, however, one variety that looked fabulous, healthy, bushy and light green. Unfortunately it is Hidcote Giant - yep Giant. Definitely not the first choice for a container plant. Having no time to change plans, I had to decide between scraggly and giant -- I chose giant.
I explained to the class that it can reach a full size of 24" to 36" (emphasizing 24" part to minimize any thoughts of potting the teacher). My suggestion was to move to a larger pot 3 or 4 times or, better yet, plant it in the ground.
The size issue brought us around to discussing the possibility of bonsai lavender plants. I've not seen or heard of anyone doing them but said I would check it out. We also talked about trying to keep the Hidcote Giant in a pot and trying to limit it growth size by frequently cutting it back. So I am going to experiment with that and hopefully someone else will attempt the bonsai -- I don't have the patience for it.
Everyone went home happy and want to be invited back to future classes. A fortunate turn of events was that there were 2 master gardeners in the class. They are so knowledgeable about gardens and plants that they can make a class sparkle. Thanks to them we all learned a great deal.
If you have every heard of bonsai lavender plants, let me know.
PS: I was asked to put some photos of my shop at Shabby Chic Boutique on the blog but haven't been successful in doing so ... yet. I'll keep trying. In trying to set up a new camera software I messed up the old one and now neither are cooperating. Here is the url to see my page on the main website. 4 1 13
My Shop at Shabby Chic Boutique
I'm heading over to the new Boutique that came about last November. The woman who set up has done big art/craft shows for years. She had planned on just through the holidays. But the response was so good (100 or more vendors and ton's of customers) she decided to do it year round. So I have a little shop there along with many other vendors of a variety of handmade (mostly) really nice products. No junk. Part of the deal is that we volunteer to work the store 16 hours a month so I try to do every Wed afternoon. It's actually quite fun. Since all of the vendors can't be there all the time, we have gotten to know about each others products so we can answer questions for customers.
In addition to my products, I'm carrying some locally made lavender essential oils and hand made lavender soaps. I plan to get a couple of copies of the Lavender Association's cookbook, "Spike It with Lavender" to see if they will sell.
As Angie reminds me often, "if you're making money, it's a business; if not, then it's a really fun hobby." Can't lose that way!
In addition to my products, I'm carrying some locally made lavender essential oils and hand made lavender soaps. I plan to get a couple of copies of the Lavender Association's cookbook, "Spike It with Lavender" to see if they will sell.
As Angie reminds me often, "if you're making money, it's a business; if not, then it's a really fun hobby." Can't lose that way!
Haven't posted lately.
I've been away from this blog for a while -- too much going on in my life and I can't juggle it all. Wonder why I give up the things I really like to do when I enjoy them so much. Like writing this blog and posting pics of stuff I am making.
The winter has been cold-but I like it. When I left Michigan 20 some years ago, I said I would never again complain about winter -- and I haven't. Nothing here in CO compares to the miserable winters I've had back there. But I guess weather has changed there too.
Although we've had some snow, I am going to drag out the hose tomorrow and put some water on the lavender plants. As long as the temp is above freezing. It was beautiful today and probably will be tomorrow too. 3 2 13
The winter has been cold-but I like it. When I left Michigan 20 some years ago, I said I would never again complain about winter -- and I haven't. Nothing here in CO compares to the miserable winters I've had back there. But I guess weather has changed there too.
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| Last Winter backyard lavenders |
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