IT FEELS LIKE SEPTEMBER; Upcycled on Etsy

Fall is suddenly approaching, the days are growing shorter and the lazy summer nights are becoming cooler.  Even in the desert you can notice a change; crows have found their voice and are chatting away about their upcoming winter adventure as the hum of crickets and Cicadas are dying down.  Kids are back in school and settling into their routines, summer vacation has already become a memory for most and parents rushing from work to school to practices and games has become the family's beaten path. 

I have always enjoyed September, while in the Midwest I was an avid gardener and loved this time of year.  The garden would be winding down but the bright Sunflowers, Mums, and Marigolds would fill out into their splendor and as I drove up my driveway they would always great me with their cheery burst of color.  I lived by an apple orchard for much of my life and so September has always been associated with the beginning of the apple harvesting season. 

How beautiful and simple is a ripe red apple hanging from the tree.  Bushel baskets lining the little shop wall with every flavor and color of apple possible with cute patterned signs announcing their names; Macintosh, Golden Delicious, Granny Smith, and so many more.  Although we visited the orchard regularly we would always have to sample the different apples as if this was are first time stopping in. 

These are some lovely items that are handmade and upcycled that I found on ETSY that really remind me of those lovely Septembers of years gone by.  And here's to many more lovely Septembers of the future!

APPLE COLLAGE recycled book page art print - an upcycled antique dictionary page with a retooled antique flower illustration - wall art from
AnamnesisPrints
https://www.etsy.com/listing/100914090/apple-collage-recycled-book-page-art

Kitsch vintage glass marble RED APPLE fruit earrings - opaque marbles upcycled into striking dangle drop rockabilly style earrings from
DollyDecades
https://www.etsy.com/listing/155994011/kitsch-vintage-glass-marble-red-apple

Vintage Ceramic Apple Pendant Necklace / Jewelry Necklaces Statement / Upcycled Jewelry Jewellery / Handmade Ceramic Pendant / Clay Apple
 from GarageCoutureClothes
https://www.etsy.com/listing/159511413/vintage-ceramic-apple-pendant-necklace

Wine glass charms Peach Apple Apricot Raspberries Fruit cooking handmade upcycled postage stamps OOAK From
WiseLines
https://www.etsy.com/listing/130378713/wine-glass-charms-peach-apple-apricot

Upcycled Book Apple 7", MADE TO ORDER, great Teacher's Gift for Back to School from
whimsysworkshop
https://www.etsy.com/listing/86868595/upcycled-book-apple

Original Art. Title: Eye Crow. Totem. Painted Collage. Mixed Media. Denim. Upcycled Clothing. By Laima
from artweeds
https://www.etsy.com/listing/153776793/original-art-title-eye-crow-totem

 

Crow Silhouette - upcycled inner tube papercut black bird crow / raven art from
Gloomstopper
https://www.etsy.com/listing/120846908/crow-silhouette-upcycled-inner-tube

Upcycled Vintage Sheet Music Page - Crow Print - 8-1/2 x 11-3/4 from
UnseenCurios
https://www.etsy.com/listing/81911439/upcycled-vintage-sheet-music-page-crow

 

Salvaged Chandelier Crystal Crow Raven Blackbird Necklace from
capablefather
https://www.etsy.com/listing/155341740/salvaged-chandelier-crystal-crow-raven

 

Crow and SunFlower Pillow from
FolkArtTextiles
https://www.etsy.com/listing/109546532/crow-and-sunflower-pillow-2012-1

 

Van Gogh Sunflowers Scrabble tile pendant charm handmade by IMCreations (OL150) from
IMCreations
https://www.etsy.com/listing/78501709/van-gogh-sunflowers-scrabble-tile

 

Upcycled Yellow and Black Vintage License Plate Sunflower  from
LicenseToCraft
https://www.etsy.com/listing/129545202/upcycled-yellow-and-black-vintage

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.

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