Herb Harvest

Hi everyone! It's still warm and sunny here at the beach. One dry day last week my friend and I harvested herbs in her garden. [My friends with tropical garden and sunflowers.] She mostly grows her herbs in pots, but she had a nicely producing lavender patch also this year.
We cut lavender, mint, and citronella.

We decided to transplant the rosemary and try to winter it over indoors; we did not cut any of it.

Citronella is a new idea. I am thinking to mix it with rosemary for closet sachets, to repel any creepies that might wish to sneak in this winter. I'll have to do some research to see if it repels moths too.

I also cut the pods off the canna plants for my dried arrangements . I love their purple-red woolly look.

Back home I made bunches of the scented herbs and hung them to dry.

They'll be ready to use soon,

in sachets like these toile hearts, for my etsy shop.

This batch of hearts is a French text toile, linen and cotton. Not scented so far. They can be used on a little tree, or in a bowl with pine branches, or folks can add their own perfume and use them as sachets. I also offer the option of having the hearts scented by me with essential oils, in bergamot or lavender.

Target had very cute trims! The hearts will get a tape bow, and a fleur de lys charm or an antique button. Their cellophane gift bags will be tied with the sweet little green paper Trees, if purchased for the winter holiday season.

I'm planning other sweet little things, including sachets made from this gorgeous vintage purple toile.

And sewing emeries, and a doll quilt!

I

love

lizzy

gone to the beach...

Christmas Past

I hung up this crib quilt,
since you all thought I should display more quilts!

Hi! I hope everyone has been having a delightful holiday! Did Santa bring you just what you wanted? [he brought me pale pearl grey UGGs! with bows! via my kids, I was thrilled.]

This post is for friends and family who asked what I served for the holiday meals. We celebrate both days---first, Christmas Eve is for me and my children. We always have a big platter of antipasto for nibbling, as we open our gifts.

Dinner is my homemade lasagna, with homemade sauce of course. This year I simplified, with a less-heirloom tablecloth and festive paper napkins. For dessert we have Christmas cookies. This year I made the pecan snowballs and peppermint sugar cookies.[ only so-so].

A pretty, shimmery candle, some old-fashioned ornaments...

Christmas Day is bigger, for extended family and friends. Everyone is invited for 4-ish, to join us in a champagne toast. I made another snack tray, this was cheeses and fruits. We open gifts again.

I just wear khaki capris or jeans, a black t-shirt, red clogs and I always wear my special candy cane apron---from my dad---to cook, and, on it I always wear my vintage rhinestone Christmas Tree pin, from my mom who found it at the Wellfleet  flea years ago.

Dinner is at 6, to accommodate the early diners/ travelers. The table is redecorated, with a treasured Swedish linen cloth, hand embroidered with reindeer and trees and stars. A Swedish red and green linen runner, greenery, a snowball candle from my brother and SIL. I again kept things a bit simple, not multi-courses with many plates and confusing silverware. Just my Wedgwood Christmas plates [modern, 1990?].

The menu was:

Prime rib with horseradish crust, gravy &/ or creamy horseradish sauce

Potato tart [mashed potatoes, white cheddar, bacon, scallions].

Roasted brussel sprouts

creamed baby onions 

stuffed mushrooms.

A friend brings all the wines; Champagne, pinot noire.

For dessert another friend brought 

peppermint brownies and vanilla bean ice cream. 

I also put put bowls of traditional candy---

marzipan fruit , red and green Cadbury

eggs.

Grand Marnier/ Tea. 

roast doesn't look so good here but it was excellent!

We had so much fun, happiness and laughter.

new froggies! from Costa Rica

Mo got good prezzies and only threw up twice.

It was very warm, dense fog AND rain, so the party broke up early. All evening we could hear the fog horns moaning, warning ships of the islands in the fog.

These were taken on my late evning walk with Mo, looking for the Christmas full moon in the fog.

*****
Handmade presents are a personal tradition of mine, from my family, who made gifts such as my Ark each year. I love making presents, the planning and thinking of what will please my friends or family. I made these mug rugs for close girlfriends. They aren't quilters or patchwork lovers, they like things plain, beachy, modern. I used a coastal linen, just outline quilted the large motifs.

I found these cool mugs,

added teas or hot chocolate,

a little descriptive tag. [Used a tag on Pinterest for the copy.]

The other gift I made was recycled sweater pillows.

You may recall I found them at the thrift shop a few months ago, washed and felted the sweaters. They came out great! Soooo soft.

So that's the story! I am still doing dishes and washing slipcovers [again]; the house is quiet. Mo and I are enjoying the peaceful days again.

love

lizzy

gone  to the beach...