Handmade gift: Bath Salts

I make little jars of bath salts almost every year. It's easy and cheap to assemble, and a lot of fun to customize! I use coarse "ice cream" salt, baking soda, and olive oil for my base, then add natural fragrance oils and herbs. Salt draws out toxins and helps soothe soar muscles, while baking soda is great for itchy, dry skin.

Here are some fragrance blends I like:
- Lavendar, clove, and tangerine (great for soothing headaches)
- Tangerine and clove are very festive
- Eucalyptus and mint for circulation and cedar is anti-fungal (great foot soak!)
- Lavender and extra baking soda for someone with sensitive skin

I find most of my essential oils at Super Supplements and a great store in Ballard called Danelion Botanical Company . They have great products at reasonable prices (note: Rose oil is NEVER reasonably priced, no matter where you get it)


You will need:
1+ cups of coarse salt
1 to 2 tsp Baking Soda
1/4 tsp dried herbs (your choice)
1/2 tsp citrus zest (optional)
6+ drops essential oil
1 tsp Grapeseed or Olive Oil

A bowl and spoon for mixing
A jar, plastic bag, or other grease-proof container



Add the herbs (here I use peppermint tea) to the salt.


Now add citrus zest, if you are using it. I would recommend chopping it into tiny pieces so it's less likely to clog your drain (forgot to do that in the pictures!)


Stir the herbs and zest together, then add the grapeseed or olive oil. Mix until evenly distributed. Now add the drops of essential oil. You can add more or less, depending on your preference. Mix well.

Sprinkle the baking soda over the mix and stir to combine.


Lastly, spoon the mixture into your bag or container. I like these little decorative cellophane bags, especially since they won't shatter if dropped in the shower!

Note: If you choose to use peppermint oil instead of tea, limit it to 2 drops. I have ruined many baths by putting in too much peppermint oil. My! Does it burn!

Holiday Gift Guide: Guys

gifts for guys by fleur-d-elise on polyvore.com

I always struggle with what to get for the men in my life. Mostly it's just because guy stuff is kinda boring, so I am even more prone to buying something I like as opposed to something the man I'm buying for likes. "Enjoy your bubble bath set! Lemon Verbena is kind of a manly scent, isn't it?" It's either that, or they end up with the same thing every year (I always have to stop myself from buying my dad barbecue sauce every year).

I have this inkling that some of you might have the same problems, so I've come up with a short list of tried-and-true guy pleasers (my husband owns all of these things).

1. Tanner Lanyard
Made in the US from English bridle leather and tanned with natural vegetable dyes, this lanyard is perfect for keeping wallets and keys close to the body. It looks pretty tough, too. Available from Blackbird Ballard.

2. Filson Travel Kit
So $90 this isn't exactly a steal, but it sure is nice. These waxed-canvas bags are made in Seattle by a company with a long and interesting history. All their products are durable, high-quality, and super cool (at least according to the men I know). Check out the Blackbird website to learn more about the company and their products!

3. Stanley Thermos
Nothing says "tough and manly" like a Stanley Thermos! They come in quite a few colors now, are still made of high-quality stainless steel, and are great for keeping coffee piping hot.

4. LUSH Soak and Float Solid Shampoo and Tint
Cade Oil gives this solid shampoo its distinct campfire scent. My husband's favorite scent (and flavor) is smoke, so he was pretty thrilled when I found this shampoo bar. Every once in a while he gets very worried that they discontinue this scent and swears he's going to go buy 10 of them just in case. This one bar has lasted him for so long though, that I'm pretty sure 10 would last him the rest of his life. The bar is $10.95 and the tin was free with purchase. Make sure you get the tin or you will think your bathroom is on fire!

Oh no.

Whoa. My foot is BAD. Going back to the doctor ASAP. My aunt suggested her friend, who is a refelxologist, but I think I may be past that point. I think I may need crutches and a brace. Yeah, that bad.

I would like to say "So I've been spending more time resting and sitting" but actually it's not that different from the usual :/ I guess I will just busy myself with some more Polyvore Sets. Such a wonderful time sucker. I am also going to make some cards, though, and fold laundry. Sooo exciting.

May I suggest checking out this blog ? It's the Blackbird Blog! Blackbird is one of my favorite boutiques in Seattle, and I know I've mentioned them at least once. Funny enough, I just noticed their latest post is thanking all the bloggers, websites, sandwich board painters, etc. who have featured their products!

Here is my latest Polyvore set! I think it's SO CUTE.

Dogwood by catiebeatty featuring hair clips accessories

Saturday

Finally a Saturday off! My boyfriend and I went to our favorite Seattle neighborhood, Ballard, to check out the newly-remodeled Field House. They seem to have made it bigger, but I'm not sure how. Maybe just took down shelving. Also, I'm hoping their plan is to get more products, because it seemed kind of empty.

The concept behind the store is pretty neat. They carry a lot of things that an old general store would have; pipes, wool blankets, eggs and milk, penny candy, new and vintage clothing (mostly men's), and the wonderful mending kits shown below.


These mending kits are assembled by hand by the Field House employees and come with everything you need to keep your clothes tip-top. I have a thing for kits, and couldn't pass them up. My favorite feature is the pincushion affixed to the top of the lid. Such a great idea!

As for clothes at Field House, I have included a picture of my boyfriend, who could be a poster-child for the store. Levi's, Filson jacket, bandanna, vintage boots; he really should work there.

In These Photos:

J.Crew Cardigan

Thrifted top & scarf

Ray Ban Wayfarers

Zella Leggings

Chloe Flats

Aldo Bag

Ooh la la

I always hate showing a lot of leg, so this tights-and-knee-highs trend is right up my alley. It's not exactly subtle; it really draws attention to the legs; but I feel more covered up.

Plus, by some miracle, my legs have gotten slimmer!! I haven't lost weight, but for some reason I can wear more boots and these sheer tights suddenly look OK on me. I'm so happy because I LOVE BOOTS.

The shoes are from Forever21. They are basicly knock-offs of Miu Miu shoes from last Spring. They are massively uncomfortable and nearly impossible to walk in, but oh! are they lovely! I wore them on New Year's Eve but only because the festivities were at my own house. My friends made fun of me all night because I had to shuffle very carefully to get anywhere.


The bracelet is one my newest creations. The "stone" is called Goldstone, and I just found out it is actually a man-made mineral, comprised of silica, copper oxide, and other metal oxides. And there is your fact of the day! Anyway, I added the ribbon and the chain is gold-fill.

In these photos:
Vintage wool sweater
H&M scarf
Islay slip from Blackbird Ballard
H&M skirt
Forever21 socks and shoes

COVET.

"Tripod" is Numero Uno on my Christmas list: I need a tripod. BADLY. There is absolutely no natural light coming into my apartment anymore, so I'm going to have to venture outside. A tripod would be much easier to carry than the bookshelf I am currently using to prop up my camera.

Anyway, repeated apologies for my absence.

This week's COVET. is not horrendously priced, but I am so low on funds right now, it might as well be $1,200. In reality it's only $140 and is what experts like to call a "Comme des Garcons wallet." But that is just the technical term. The locals refer to it as "Oooh pretty!" This specimen features embossed leather, gold hardware, and a separate pocket for coins.



Let's face it, this is about as close as I can get to affording Comme des Garcons anything, but it is still not close enough. Really, I could have picked anything this week, and it would have been out of my reach, but I must remember another rule of COVET. is that it must be nice too! It must be something that other people might drool over as well, and from what I can tell, people like CdG. They make very nice high-quality leather goods in wonderful colors. What else could you want? ...Don't say vegan leather. That is just vinyl. It's like saying vegetarian hot dogs are good for you. You know what else is full of soy? Gas station food.

Annnyway. My point is, I am broke because I went to H&M like 5 times in a week.

If you are interested in seeing more wonderful Comme des Garcons products, I recommend visiting Blackbird's website. They're one of my favorite local boutiques here in Seattle. Nice guys, even nicer stuff!

Hope everyone is enjoying their November :)

Secret Party!

Success!

I threw a surprise party for my boyfriend this weekend. He would never agree to a party or birthday celebration, so his sister and I were forced to go behind his back. It was a lot of fun. A couple friends asked me the usual "What did you do today?" to which I replied "I worked at the cafe and lied to Trevor. A lot."

The theme was Trevor-themed, which meant everyone dressed up like him (denim, plaid, and denim) and we put cowboy decorations up and wore fake mustaches. Our friend Tara made him a cake based on his favorite cookies: molasses and ginger snaps. It was amazing and I'm sad I left the rest at the party.

I stole his Cheap Monday jeans (fit perfectly!) and a vintage Wrangler I bought for him a while back. I topped it off with my vintage cowboy boots and a belt he brought back from Texas for me.

As always, Trevor looked a little like a bum. A bum who is wearing $650 worth of Bum Brand clothing. He had on his Wings & Horn sweatshirt (which he gets a lot of comments on), A.P.C. jeans, and Lucchese horse-leather boots. Really, I don't think I would know about these brands if it weren't for my boyfriend. They seem to be brands that are real popular among guys, and not so much among the ladies. I have an appreciation for A.P.C., though. I'm always drawn to their stuff when I'm at Blackbird in Ballard.