We have two new lavender filled sachets posted on LittleFrenchBoutique.com.
They are both sewn with fabric in shades of white.
One of the sachets has sheer lavender colored organza sewn from corner to corner, with a delicate little ribbon tied in a bow to compliment it.
The other has Victorian style lace sewn across one corner for a refreshingly delicate look.
The Victorian style sachet has a hanging ribbon aready attached to it, and the sachet with the sheer organza can have a hanging ribbon added at no extra cost.
Of course, they are Filled with lavender, and they are both beautiful, elegant, and perfect for any occassion.
Our Home in France
Have you ever looked into a picture, heard a song, or smelled something familiar, and suddenly you were transported back in your mind to a familiar place or time in your life?
I would love to share a simple picture that always takes me back to a very faraway place. In fact, it carries me all the way to the place where I grew up as a small child.
This is a picture of a very modest house, with stone walls. The house sat right up against the cobblestones of the main street, which runs through a very small town that is South East of Paris, France.
The streets have been paved now.You can still see the outline ofthe "old door" above the front door.
This house had a wooden front door with a window in it, and to the right of the door was a French style window complete with shutters, with another window above the door.
The window above the front door wasn’t always a window. Oddly enough, it was a door that opened up to nowhere. In the OLD days, it was a loft with "easy" access. But as children, we would open the door and sit on the edge with our feet dangling out. It was fun to just sit there watching everything that was going on outside.
Of course, our mom would tell us to close the door, and get back in before one of us would fall and get hurt! But you know how kids are. We were fearless.
This was a one bedroom house before mom and dad added a second floor. That gave us two more bedrooms. The middle room upstairs was essentially a small room used for laundry, where an ironing board could be set up and where the clothes could be folded. This room had only two small little windows to bring in sunlight. It was "VERY" cozy.
When grandma moved in with us, it became my brother’s bedroom. Since the room was so small, we would tease him because he had to sleep with his door open so that his legs could stretch out with his feet sticking out the door. He didn’t think it was so funny :-).
Sadly enough, the house has recently been demolished, with new construction being built in its place. As always though, the memories of it with my family will live on.
Recently we found an enchanting little treasure right here in Virginia Beach.
Looking at a map, as you are heading down Blackwater Road in the outer reaches of Virginia Beach, eventually you will cross Milldam Creek. Just before you get to the bridge though, you will notice a little “Public Access Boardwalk.” It seems like a small obscure little place where you might have a boat ramp or something of that nature. But it is open to the general public, and it is near the water (right off the Intracoastal Waterway of the North Landing River), and seemed like a great place to see nature with very few other people around.
We were right!
What a wonderful little sanctuary away from the hustle and bustle of the big city life, and right here in our own “back yard!”
There is no official parking area though.
It seems that the folks across from the “Boardwalk” have reached a limit with people using their property for that purpose, as they make it very clear for you not to park on their land. We say that to say this, you have park a bit away from the entrance.
But it is worth it.
We had no idea of what lay ahead.
The entrance was overgrown with trees and bushes and such, and once through, you are met with the first actual sign about the boardwalk. This boardwalk has no name, and the sign is purely informational about what you will see along the way. It is neat that the sign was donated by the Boy Scouts.
The boardwalk passes over a small creek and immediately makes a sharp right turn.
Looking ahead, it seems to open up in front of you forever.
And you are only seeing to the first bend. The “boardwalk” was like a very, very long pier, which just kept getting longer and longer.
As we were not expecting any of this, it was quite breathtaking. The whole scene was beautiful.
The boards are weathered, and the boardwalk has suffered from neglect as there is much disrepair along the way, but somehow, this only added to the enchantment of our visit.
We were the only ones there, except for the bees.
These were big fat yellow and black bees, about the size of bumble bees, hovering just above the boardwalk. And they were everywhere. In fact, they were carpenter bees, guarding their nests. Outside of looking very formidable, they did not bother us. Actually made for a few interesting pictures. We found some great information about the bees from the Oklahoma State University if you are interested … Honey Bees, Bumble Bees, Carpenter Bees, and Sweat Bees.
All in all, it was an excellent experience.
Visit our Milldam Creek Public Access Boardwalk Gallery to see more Pictures
The Lavender Garden – beautiful varieties to grow and gatherby Robert Kourik
From the beginning of written history, Robert Kourik guides you through the fascinating story of Lavender, how it spread throughout the world, how it was used, who used it, even what “who used it” were called.
The reputation lavender has acquired in herbal lore has been validated by modern medicine, and its medicinal properties are impressive. Yet as impressive as all that is, that is just the beginning, because Mr. Kourik goes on to show you how all this fits into your garden, for this is what the “Lavender Garden” is all about. He gives you the knowledge necessary to make this remarkable plant a part of your life.
What makes a lavender plant unique from other plants? Into cosmetic what family does it fit, and what are its characteristics, from the stem, to the leaf, to the calyxe, to the corolla, to the bracts.
And with such a large selection of lavender to choose from, considering size, flower color, foliage color and fragrance, how do you choose.
To help, Mr. Kourik gives you the common names of each, with its scientific name beside. This is important for when you go to the nursery to pick out your plants. What you are looking for in your garden will also determine what you select, whether for shrubs or borders. What effect you are looking for in your garden.
Not only does he give you the description of the different lavenders, but there are also wonderful pictures of each to help in your selection. These full page pictures are scattered throughout the book, and the photographer, Deborah Jones, truly did a phenomenal job in capturing the essence of the lavender.
You will want to know the bloom periods, and which zone the particular species of lavender grows best in. How hardy is this plant, and what is the typical landscape use. And of course, you will want to know about any culinary uses for the particular lavender you are looking at. Mr. Kourik will also give you any “special” uses or comments about each lavender. So armed with this invaluable knowledge, you can go out and make the right selection for you.
When you bring the lavender plants home, there is a whole added world of information you will need to know, about planting, soil, fertilizer, weed control, pests and those dreadful diseases. Not to worry, this book provides all the necessary tips and information to produce healthy, vibrant lavender plants.
Now that you have the lavender plants, with their beauty and fragrance, Robert Kourik gives you many ideas of how to take this lovely plant from your garden to inside your home. How do you harvest and dry the lavender, for potpourri, culinary uses, and floral bouquets.
He offers a great section on the “Essential Details about Lavender Oil,” and the blending of oils for perfumes. Mr. Kourik finishes the book with an excellent selection of wonderful recipes using this fragrant herb.
As a special treat, you will find splashed through the pages of this book awesome little quotes, some from poems, some from sonnets of centuries ago, but all about the unique herb called lavender.
http://www.robertkourik.com/books/lavender.html
More Book Reviews »»
Brand New Sachets at LittleFrenchBoutique.com
We just wanted to take a minute to officially introduce you to our beautiful new colors!
These sachets are FILLED with lavender buds, just as our other sachets are, so you get the full impact of the wonderful fragrant lavender buds.
Besides, the more lavender buds you have in the sachet, the longer the sachet will be able to keep that dazzling aroma.
To compliment our frilly, lacy sachets, these sachet fabrics stay within the rich, bright, colorful French style, so we can offer you both traditions.
We love them both!
The other thing which sets these sachets apart from the others is that the attractive ribbon which loops around the individual sachet can be used to hang the sachet also. Just unloop it from around the sachet, and your sachet is ready to hang from a hanger, hook, door knob, or any where else you would fancy to hang one.
So these sachets are perfect for your drawer or closet, with nice bright colors that can appeal to anybody.
They offer an especially great way to introduce the "younger generation" to the delightful lavender sachet, with chic new colors.
Either way, with shades of lavender or bright vibrant colors, our sachets are perfect for any setting.
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February 2010
