Thursday, September 22, 2011

Feeling A Little Nostalgic

In most areas of the country the nights are growing cooler and the sun is setting earlier. Here in Sunny California the days are growing shorter but we are still maintaining the steaming heat. I love living in a place where the summers are long and the winter is in the high 50's. While I thoroughly enjoy my long summers and short winters I still find myself feeling nostalgic and sometimes even a little melancholy. I do believe that this is relationship with the amount of daylight these autumn and winter months have to offer. I have learned many tricks to keep my tired mind occupied during these darker days. For one I surround myself with lovely flowers and plants. Another little trick is having every room scented with my favorite aromatherapy and the last I look through my vast collection of postcards dreaming of my future adventures and the places I will visit. Beautiful plants, heavenly smells, postcards of far far away and chocolate...Better than Prozac. In the meantime here are some lovely postcards newly listed and treasury that have featured my beautiful collectibles.
A wonderful 100 year old + novelty postcard heavily embossed Thanksgiving Greetings
http://www.etsy.com/listing/82308879/antique-heavily-embossed-novelty


Another Antique from 1930's featuring everyone's favorite Tom Turkey.
http://www.etsy.com/listing/82236760/antique-postcard-thanksgiving-greeting

Early 1900s makes this over 100 years old.  To me that is amazing I love these beautiful cards.
http://www.etsy.com/listing/82236439/antique-thanksgiving-greeting-postcard


Sunday, September 18, 2011

Time Is Relative...I can prove it

This Amazing clock was found in ETSY shop Pragmatic Effect at http://www.etsy.com/people/PragmaticEffects?ref=ls_profile
Einstein said that time was relative...yes I do believe it is. Not only is time relative so are weekends and mine has officially been changed from Friday - Saturday to Sunday - Monday.   I am dazed and confused this beautiful morning as I try to sort through my mind what I will be able to do and not do and what is closed and what is open on my precious day off.

To survive my long grueling workdays I plan my weekend.  All week long I dream of what wonderful little resale shops I will visit, which garage sales I will hit and what exciting treasures I will find only to realize on this fine morning that today is not just any day, it is Sunday.   A day, to most, meaning rest, relaxation and of course that their stores are closed. Just because it is my "Saturday" does not mean that it is "Saturday" for the rest of the world. Therefore I conclude that yes Einstein was correct...Time is relative.

While significant to me, I do believe that his theory was much more profound than whether a garage sale was open or not or at what time Micheal's Craft Store opens in the morning.    But he may have been able to prove his theory based on these cold harsh facts.  
This amazing wall hanging was found in ETSY Shop Vegan Robin at http://www.etsy.com/people/veganrobin?ref=ls_profile
All kidding aside it is a strange sensation to be used to having a certain schedule only to wake up one morning running on a different calendar than the rest of the world.  I wonder...Am I now living in a parallel universe? As I begin my weekend is there another Colleen ending her's right as we speak?
A wonderful watercouler found in ETSY shop K Bailey Art at http://www.etsy.com/people/klbaileyART?ref=ls_profile
Have a wonderful Friday...I mean Saturday... Wait no Sunday... Ah nuts!  Who cares, it's all relative anyway.

Thursday, September 8, 2011

Aromatherapy Thursday - Cinnamon

A wonderful fragrant tart found in ETSY shop Back Home Scents at http://www.etsy.com/people/BackHomeScents?ref=ls_profile  
As the weather became cooler and it seemed to be raining or at least misting every other day I would start longing for one of my other favorite scents...Cinnamon.  During those chilly Midwest Septembers Apple and Cinnamon just seemed to be the appropriate scent wafting through the rooms, it warms the heart and the home.
Scent your home with this wonderful Cinnamon Room Spray found in ETSY shop Inside Brogans Behive at http://www.etsy.com/people/InsideBrogansBeehive?ref=ls_profile
While the spice, Cinnamon, is harvested from the soft inner bark of the Cinnamon tree, the sweet aroma of Cinnamon essential oil is distilled from the tree's leaves.  This wonderfully fruitful trees are found in Southeast and South Asia.  Most people will find the spice a common seasoning in their kitchen, but most of them are also using the preground or "powdered" Cinnamon.  I suggest to the passionate cook invest in a spice grater.  Nothing compares to the scent and flavor of a freshly grated Cinnamon or even Nutmeg.  It is a little time consuming but well worth the investment, I actually grate my own spiced right before using them in my dishes and find the difference well worth the time.
This wonderful fragrance oil was found in ETSY shop Ecco Lights at http://www.etsy.com/people/eccolights?ref=ls_profile
The scent of Cinnamon essential oil from the leaves is much more delicate than the hearty scent of the bark.  The oil from Cinnamon has a rich history in religions and spiritual traditions.  Although I think of it more for its aesthetics, Cinnamon oil has many practical uses.  It is a known antiseptic  and its scent can help reduce nausea so it could be a wonderful aid during the flu or other illnesses.  Cinnamon dons other holistic properties that are said to help with respiratory symptoms, as an aphrodisiac, an astringent and also to combat fatigue and depression.  Please see the safety notation at the end of this post.
What a beautiful find!  This amazing soap was found in ETSY shop RUSTICONATURAL at http://www.etsy.com/people/RUSTICONATURAL?ref=ls_profile
There are a few simple and inexpensive ways that one can enjoy the fragrance of Cinnamon. One  would be to add a few drops of Cinnamon essential oil or sprinkle a teaspoon of Cinnamon spice into a small pan of simmering water, turn heat off, and allow the fragrance to waft through the room.  While traveling you can use a cotton ball with one or two drops of the oil stored in a sealed bag until used.  I prefer to buy a wonderful finished product such as the ones found on ETSY.

Note:  When using any essential oil too much of a good thing can have a negative impact so make sure to practice safety.  Aromatherapy should never replace medical treatment and you should consult your physician before using any alternative medicine.  Please note that Cinnamon oil should be avoided during pregnancy and with small children.  Also dilute essential oils prior to use directly to the skin by mixing 2 drops essential oil to 1 teaspoon carry oil such as sweet almond.  Cinnamon oil can irritate the skin so preform an allergy test prior to use and remember that natural and homeopathic treatments have side affects so consult an expert before using for any kind of treatment.

Tuesday, September 6, 2011

Antique Thanksgiving Postcards

Things are finally slowing down just a little at work so I have been blessed to have a few moments to list some of my antique postcards. I love the fall and so listing these amazing postcards is especially enjoyable for me. They would be great for a collection, display or to use in your holiday decorations.  I hope you get a chance to stop by my little shops and check out all of the new listings. Have a beautiful day. 
http://www.etsy.com/listing/81149431/rare-antique-postcard-thanksgiving



http://www.etsy.com/listing/81205209/antique-thanksgiving-greeting-postcard?ref=v1_other_1
http://www.etsy.com/listing/81222091/antique-postcard-twisted-thanksgiving?ref=v1_other_1
http://www.etsy.com/listing/81222457/antique-thanksgiving-greetings-postcard?ref=v1_other_1
http://www.etsy.com/listing/80767079/antique-postcard-sienna-thanksgiving


Thursday, September 1, 2011

Aromatherapy Thursday ~ Scent Memories ~ Apple

I think the reason I love Aromatherapy and creating natural products is due to beautiful scent memories.  It is September 1st and my thoughts wonder back trough scent memories of summer's end...new erasers, new shoes, pencil shavings..  Needless to say these are not exactly a potpourri fragrance, but the wonderful fragrance of a hot apple pie cooling in the kitchen is. 
This wonderful fragrance oil was found at ETSY shop Adamsboro Sundries at http://www.etsy.com/people/AdamsboroSundries?ref=ls_profile
Most of my life I have lived in the same area of the Midwest next door to an apple orchard called Shefelbines.  Every weekend we would go to their wonderful little home based store and pick out the fruits for the week.  They had little samples of their many many different apples along with a variety of beautiful pumpkins, gourds, and squash.  Even if I grew our own pumpkins the festivity of their shop was so enticing that I would have to fight the urge to purchase another.  The scent of crisp fresh apples filled my lungs and would remind me that the crisp autumn months are just around the corner.  Now and forever the scent of apples and the month of September will be partners. 

I have since moved away and the trips to the homey apple orchard are a distant memory.  So the first week of September I switch out all of my summer candles, potpourri, and oils to an apple cinnamon.  A sweet melancholy comes over me.  I enjoy this phase in my life but I miss the days when they were little and all the joyous moments we had.  That chapter has closed but I love to reread those pages about our trips to the Shefelbine's Apple Orchard; the memory of the sweet scent of crisp apples still fills my senses.
This beautiful print was found at ETSY shop Vickie Wade Fine Art at
http://www.etsy.com/people/VickieWadeFineArt?ref=ls_profile