Learning about French Linens

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Earlier last month another favorite author and blogger that I admire wrote a blog post about french linens. She just recently returned from her MONTH long trip to France! Gosh, I was foaming at the mouth while following her on Instagram looking at all of her pictures and watching her videos.

What a dream! She also got to stay with the wonderful Sharon Santoni (another great author and blogger) at her swoon worthy chateau in Normandy. But let’s get back on track with french linens.

This was an outstanding post! So informative and enticing.

One thing that I learned was that it is environmentally friendly. Linen is biodegradable. That’s interesting. 

Shannon talked about how hypo allergenic it is, that it lasts longer than cotton (good to know), is stronger than cotton, get’s softer with each wash, and is extremely absorbent. Great facts!

Shannon also gave a wonderful list on tips on how to care for your linens:

Tips About Buying & Caring for Linen

  • If purchasing vintage linen, make sure you open the entire sheet to see if there are holes or marks. Often the marks can come out, but you will either want to determine if you can darn (fix) the holes or pass on the sheet as it will only get worse with wear and wash.
  • Vintage sheets are usually only large enough for a queen or double. If you find a sheet that has a seam down the middle, this is absolutely fine as it shows that they combined (usually hand-stitched) two smaller sheets together to preserve them. 
  • Often on vintage sheets you will see the family name on the bottom left or right edge as the sheets would be washed by the staff in a wash house along a river, and if the sheets were accidentially swept away or mixed up with other sheets, they would be able to determine whose sheet was whose. 
  • With vintage linen, the top sheet will contain most often a monogram (see in my image – 3rd below), and it is placed on the very top of the sheet (the top sheets are very long to enable you to fold back about 1-2 feet over the top of the blanket). 
  • Most vintage pillow cases are only sized for Euro (large square) or the long bolster pillow that lays behind the two Euro pillows (you can see how Sharon made the bed below with this approach). I saw oodles of bolster linen pillowcases at the brocante boutiques.
  • Price for vintage linens at markets – the average I spent was 35-40 Euros (a sheet).
  • Vintage French linens do not have available a fitted sheet; you simply use a flat sheet and tuck to fit.
  • New linen French bedding makes available the standard pillowcases and fitted sheets we are accustomed to.
  • Line dry only – preferrably outside under the sun as the sun will keep them white AND if you can, Sharon shared to lay them flat out on grass as the chlorophyll helps keep the sheets white as well. 
  • Yep, you will have to iron them, but your body will thank you with a deep sleep. 

And last but certainly not least she shared where to find the best linens. I never thought that Etsy would be a great place but it is. Here is her link to the shops. 
I must admit I am really loving this linen dust ruffle coverlet below. I may have to save for this purchase!
Isn’t it gorgeous? There were so many linen items that I wanted. I even looked for linen aprons but we will see. 
If you wish to read Shannon’s blog post about french linens you may view it here. It is wonderful blog post for those of you interested in this beautiful material. 
(photos via Pinterest, tips via Shannon Ables)

Add the Brooch….

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This is just a quick little post about how I love to add brooches to my totes.

You may remember this item from my Beautiful Trinkets at H&M post back in March. Sadly, this tote is no longer available online but you may stumble upon it at a local store. I have seen it happen. 
Since I have purchased it I have been carrying it non-stop. It is such the perfect tote for me. I love the color and the size. 
I recently added this beautiful little brooch to it. I found this beautiful item at Banana Republic. They always have exquisite brooches and this one was an excellent purchase. It adds the perfect amount of sparkle to this bag. 
I have caught women staring at my tote. It has been very funny. It’s chic, looks leather and you are not quite sure how much it costs. 
Adding brooches is a good way to set you bag apart from the rest. You should try it and watch the eyes wonder. 
(photos via Mrs. Shockley)

Recent Ann Taylor Purchases

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Autumn is approaching and I have began my hunt for some things……. not a lot. I have so many great pieces and items in my wardrobe that I don’t know if I will be buying anything for the fall but we will see.

I did however lust over these earrings for about two months. I finally ordered them when Ann Taylor had a 50% off sale.

These are called the rosa earrings and I am sorry but they sold out before I could even share them. They are so lovely. They really are. I am not a chandelier earring kind of person but these are the perfect size and just enough sparkle. 

The next item that I ordered but I have not worn yet are these chic gray pumps. 
I adore the tassels on them. They are called the devin suede tassel kitten heel. They are the perfect heel height for me. Perfect for the office and an evening dinner. The gray color is very neutral and will go with most items in your closet. 
Well I hope that you enjoyed these quick little finds. I love sharing these with everyone. Especially when they are on sale. 
Enjoy!

(photos via Mrs. Shockley)

Trying Natural Soap

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I have been so inspired by Jennifer L. Scott’s natural home series on Youtube. I first shared a book called The Woman’s Herbal Apothcary and I have not stopped reading it. The next item that I was inspired to try was some natural soap.

Jennifer posted a video about natural soap from a company and I was just too curious not to try some.

Now I did not order the natural soap that she posted about in her video but I am going to be ordering the goat milk bath very soon. It sounds wonderful. 

I did however see this natural soap stand in my local mall. I was curious about it and began to ask questions. This is Finchberry Soap. All of of their soaps are natural and safe to use.

The Finch Berry promise…. 
Their soaps contain, water, olive oil, coconut oil, palm oil, shea butter, sunflower oil, lye, mica, oxides, select essential and/or fragrance oils and it smells WONDERFUL!
I purchased the sweet dreams bar. It smells so good and I have been USING it. My skin is so soft and afterwards so is the water. It’s kind of weird but it does something to the water too. 
It is a beautiful bar and you can smell the lavender and vanilla. It is quite lovely. The price was great too! Only $9 which I thought was very fair. If there are some natural soaps near you give them a try or order one of these delicious bars. I don’t think you will be disappointed. 
(photos via Mrs. Shockley, opinions are my own and this is not sponsored)

Refreshing Moments

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On Saturday and Sunday mornings I do my very best to make sure that I sit down and enjoy a quiet breakfast. Before I got my new settee I did not use my sitting room (see blog post here). I just did not like the way it looked.

It’s amazing how one item changed the whole environment of a room. I now look forward to my weekend mornings in that room. Especially on Sundays. Sundays are the best for me because I usually have all of my weekend chores done and all of my errands finished.

I am completely dressed when I come down for breakfast and I usually make some whole wheat toast with butter, some fruit, a cup of tea, orange juice and water. 
On this particular morning I made scrambled eggs.
I will open my window and listen to the birds chirping and watch the butterflies fly around. 
We had a lot of butterflies this season! I love our butterfly hydrangea bush. We planted it last year and it has done very well this year. 

It has a wonderful light smell and the butterflies can’t seem to stay away from it. It is a wonderful sight in the mornings while I enjoy my breakfast. 
While I eat, sip and watch I do take a moment to read my devotional and plan my week using my day designer. 
I really do enjoy these moments and it does feel like a “refreshing moment” happens. I sit look around at my home and I take it all in. I remind myself of how grateful I am and how life can be good. 
Enjoy your moments!
(photos via Mrs. Shockley)

A Frozen Banana Treat

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Another great and quick recipe that I saw on Youtube….

This is great for that Friday evening that you will be spending at home. I put some bananas in the freezer and left them in there for about 3 days. I took them out and let them thaw a little. Then I cut them in halves and poured chocolate syrup on them and added a few sliced almonds. 
It was delicious and very simple. Honestly you can add any kind of toppings that you want and it still will be healthier than most desserts. I hope that you enjoy this recipe and let me know if you try it. 
Enjoy!
(photo via Mrs. Shockley)

My Herbal Teas

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I have been on a quest for healthy living. Ever since I have been reading this book called the Women’s Herbal Apothecary my interest in herbs has been sparked.

In the first section of the book she discussed the many different ways to use herbs and herbal teas was one of them. She talked about all of the natural herbs that could be used for certain types of ailments. She mentioned chamomile tea as a good tea for mood swings and your menstrual period. She mentioned the same about peppermint tea.

Here are my herbal teas. I have been making weekly visits to our organic stores here in our city. These are all of the herbal teas that I have purchased so far.

The first tea is my detox tea. I normally have this Saturday morning. The chamomile tea has been my favorite. I usually have this at night while I am in the bed. I love it with two teaspoons of honey. The herbs in this tea is used to sooth and support your digestion. My herbal peppermint tea is a tea that I normally have with my lunch. This is so refreshing and aromatic. 
The next herbal tea is my organic Belly Comfort tea with peppermint flavor. I normally have a cup of this after dinner. It is suppose to relieve feelings of fullness or gas and get the juices flowing. 

Now this has been my favorite too! Do you see the box? Relieves temporary water weight gain? Yes, please! I have a cup with two teaspoons of honey when I feel bloated and it helps! Plus the cranberry flavor is marvelous. 
Here are the honeys that I use. You can find these teas or honeys at your local grocery store or Walmart. I did find this on the Traditional Medicinals website. It will help you to find your best herbal teas for you. 
Well I hope that you enjoyed this post and are inspired to take a glimpse at some herbal teas that may help you.
Enjoy!!

(photos via Mrs. Shockley)