Tuesday, January 31, 2012

Old House Love

On nooks and crannies... I think the English have got this right.  In our old country cottage which was built in 1927 we have many interesting features.  Some may say they are drawbacks or quirks one deals with and tries to remedy.  While I happily feel they make our little house a home.  A list of my favorite old house quirks...

* an old brick chimney in our kitchen
* a miniature linen closet built into the hallway with a small cabinet door
* a tall thin built-in bookcase on the landing on the upper floor
* a pixie sized attic door leading from the girls room into the south attic disguised with little shelving for special little girl displays
* another door in the boys room leading to the north attic (note: large attics with easy accessibility is definately another old house charm)
* a vanity in the master bedrooms closet (okay this one isn't my favorite, for one the vanity isn't pretty and for two even I would prefer a seperate bathroom from my closet)  or we could just pretend it's a dreamy "ladies dressing room" and then maybe it will seem more desirable
* a secret reading nook in the basement under the stairs

These are just a few of the little details that offer up the charm that drew me in the first place.  It's funny though sometimes I see new houses with all their gleaming shiny and convenient features and think I must be crazy.  It just takes a little while to settle back in at home and then I remember it's the imperfections that enable me to relax, cozy up with my family and not sweat all the living we do here. I don't worry about wear and tear because use and age is what makes it more beautiful!

What about you?  Old house love or all new?
Blessings,
Olivia

Tuesday, January 24, 2012

Apothecary

For a very long time I've been drawn to anything having to do with herbs... growing, cooking and creating with them.  Since I became interested in gardening as a young wife (with our first home) and started growing things from seeds (because it was what I could afford) I have always had herbs in my garden.  Even before that while I took some massage therapy courses I also dabbled in arometherapy. 
So as I began soul searching for a new sense of direction recently, I wanted to use what has already been established in my life.  My gardens and love for all things creamy and herbal.  And so soap! 
I have been dabbling and trying out recipes and combinations.  I have done oodles of research on packaging ideas, labels, ingredients, formulas, suppliers and such.  And finally, now it is time for
a place to be, my own studio.

In the place our office now resides there is the potential for a new place to create! Tucked conveniently between our kitchen and potager is a room that has struggled to find her best purpose until now! 

Here are some of the items I plan to use:
2 lovely stainless steel tables in the middle with caster wheels, shelves below &
mismatched stools all around
(I wish I had a photo but they aren't set up yet)
a chandelier from pottery barn glowing prettily overhead
simple open shelving above with mixing utensils, jars & the like
(no toaster but the rest can stay!)
And voila! 
Not only are soaps pretty but they are oh so practical too!  I am looking forward to getting set up so that I have more space to work in.  Just another month or two and we should be able to move some things around and create the space I'm dreaming of!  Not only do I plan on working in the studio but I also look forward to the day when I can pass on what I have learned in some workshops.  I would love to teach young women just starting out in life not only the practical skill of soap making but also some of the concepts of entreprenuership too.  I love being part of our community which is a small farming town.




The Boys

While the girls are away the boys will play!  They didn't catch much but look at the sunshine and clear skies in mid-January!  Just a little glimpse into the calm before the storm that recently overtook our area for 8 very loooooong days!  So glad to see normal Pacific NW rains today (who says that?!)

About Me

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wife & mother of 4 beautiful children, 2 girls & 2 boys. small business co-owner; catering and a restaurant/alehouse, writer, gardener, lover of freedom and humility found in christ, small town enthusiast, book reader, admirer of noble truths, beauty and love

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