Urban Comfort

Pimm's Cup

It's the first day of summer and a Friday, so I can't think of anything more appropriate than starting the weekend with a Pimm's Cup. The Pimm's Cup is somewhat synonymous with New Orleans, but it's actually an English cocktail, created during the mid-1800s. However, New Orleanians have adopted it with such fervor that it may as well be our own. It's low in alcohol and just the antidote for the sweltering heat. 

The following recipe is my husband's slight variation on the classic. He adds a strawberry to the mix and it makes me even happier than the original, so I thought I'd share. But a word of warning - these go down quickly and your guests will most certainly ask for another!

 

Pimm's Cup:

2 ounces Pimm's No. 1
2 strawberries
3 slices cucumber
3/4 ounce freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/2 ounce simple syrup
2 ounces 7-up

In a cocktail shaker, muddle 1 strawberry and 2 slices cucumber with the lemon juice. Add the Pimm's, simple syrup, and ice. Shake well, then strain into a cocktail glass. Top with the 7-up; stir to combine. Garnish with the remaining strawberry and cucumber slice. 

Simple Syrup:  Bring 1 cup sugar and 1 cup water just to boil; stir to dissolve sugar, then remove from heat. After it's cooled, it can be refrigerated for several months.

Aromatherapy: In Search of Joy and Vitality

 

 

New York City is a chameleon, offering such a myriad of possibilities that a visitor can shape and define her so that she never looks or feels the same way twice. I'm a bit of a chameleon as well, which is why it's one of my favorite aspects of the city. I can look back over the many visits since the first, 28 years ago, and track my own journey, with all its many offshoots, twists, and turns. What I purchase during my visits to the city reflect a great deal as well.

This time, when I arrived in the city, it took me a couple of days to get into the rhythm. New York sounded louder to me than it ever had, more crowded, confusing...I felt a little unsettled, the first time in all my history there that I had felt that. It was weird, I thought that maybe the rhythm of New Orleans had finally overtaken my natural, innately faster pace. 

But two days into my trip, I was spending the day with a good friend and we made a quick stop at Muji so she could stock up on sketchbooks. As I walked into the store, I was greeted with an unbelievable scent, so fresh and clear that it stopped me in my tracks.

Now, I'm not much of a home scent person and I constantly marvel at the ridiculous number of air fresheners on the market. I can't quite figure out why our homes smell so bad that we feel the need to cover them with perfume. Most of them also give me a headache and make me feel nauseated. I'm just too sensitive to them.  Occasionally, I'll find a scented candle that makes me swoon, but usually there's a price tag attached to it that makes me swoon as well. Pass.

But this, this wasn't something I wanted, this immediately felt like something I needed.  I perused the store, but kept circling back to this scent of lemongrass and ginger, pulled in in such a way that I knew I wouldn't leave the store without the Ultrasonic Aroma Diffuser and essential oils in hand. It was perhaps my best purchase of the trip - an investment in my psychological well-being. 

The two scents that attracted me the most were Vitality, the lemongrass and ginger blend of pure essential oils, and the Grapefruit pure essential oil, meant to be uplifting or joyful. My nose, it was telling me exactly what I needed, and standing there in the cool mist, I could feel a physiological difference as well as a psychological one. I bought all of it, not a single regret.

I've been using the diffuser and oils since I got home a few days ago. The diffuser is the size of a pillar candle and resembles one as well. It's powerful enough that the scent filters through most of my downstairs, but isn't at all cloying. My husband loves it as well, and he's even less focused on scent than I am. He's mentioned several times what a good purchase I made.

Aromatherapy's not new to me - I spent many years living in Los Angeles and aromatherapy is very much a California thing, but finally, I get it - and I'm sold!

 

Title photo from Muji

Sunprint Botanical Pillow Sleeve

I was out of town last week, one of my husband's birthday gifts to me being a ticket to New York. I had a great week, on lots of different levels, which I'll share as the week progresses.  But for now, I'll get back to the blog post I had planned to publish last week.

I like to celebrate the seasons as much as possible, turning the natural materials just outside my door into art supplies.  I also like to make temporary decor for my home, pieces that can be put away after the season just as I do with holiday decorations. It keeps things fresh, and even if I bring it back the following year, I find that I can use it in a new way or mix it with whatever new finds I've incorporated into my basic decor.

Spring and summer are all about botanicals for me. I can't get enough of the bounty that grows in garden beds and pots, spills from trees and bushes, or comes up between the cracks in the bricks along the courtyard. Even weeds get an opportunity to be turned into something useful. This year, I gathered up a sampling of plants and pressed them in a flower press for a couple of days. When they were sufficiently pressed (and dry enough), I arranged them on a piece of fabric and used Inkodye to create a sun-printed botanical fabric that I turned into a temporary pillow sleeve for a basic accent pillow. Easy peasy, as my son would say.

Here's how I made it: 

Materials:

Collected plant specimens
Flower press or heavy books
Natural fiber fabric (I prefer cotton or linen)
Scissors
Rotary cutter and cutting mat
Ruler
Inkodye (I mixed red and blue for this project)
Foam paintbrush
Small dish for Inkodye
Paper towels
Sturdy surface (I like to use a piece of scrap plywood)
Laundry soap or Inkowash
Iron and ironing board
Fusible hemming tape 

Step 1: Collect and press botanicals

For the most part, I find that it's easier to handle plants on a dry day, when the leaf edges are crisper. But if you happen to be gathering on a damp day, just blot them with a paper towel before pressing them and have fine tip tweezers on hand so that you can arrange as desired, separating fronds and stems, etc. I arrange mine in a flower press I've had for decades, but you can also place them between the pages of books weighted down with something heavy, such as a brick. 

If flower and plant pressing is something you see yourself doing more of, invest in a press. It makes it easy to do a bunch at once. You can generally find them in abundance on Etsy and Amazon. If you'd like a more sophisticated version, I like this one from Terrain.

 

Step 2: Cut fabric to size and create a basic arrangement

 

You'll need to cut a piece of light colored natural fiber fabric to the desired length and width, leaving enough extra fabric in the length to accomodate a folded edge for the seam (I used a fine weave linen in a flax color, wanting to see how Inkodye worked over something other than white fabric). Also, I prefer to cut my fabric a little wider than necessary, then go back and trim the edges with a rotary cutter after the fabric has dried. This gives me more control over fraying the edges, which naturally occurs when you rinse the fabric anyway. 

Once your fabric is cut, wrap it around the pillow you want to cover and create a basic arrangement with your pressed botanicals, ensuring you have enough to cover the front of the pillow.  I don't get too strict with my arrangement, knowing I'll probably make changes in the moment, but if you create an arrangement you're particularly enamored with, shoot a photo to guide you when it's time to lay it out before printing. 

 

Steps 3-5: Coat the fabric with Inkodye, arrange botanicals over the treated fabric, then print.

You can use your Inkodye as it comes or mix the colors to create your own custom shade (See below). It took me 13 capfuls of Inkodye (from the 4 oz. bottles) to cover a 15-x-27-inch piece of fabric.

Once your Inkodye is well mixed, lay your fabric out on a sturdy surface (cover with a garbage bag or plastic if it's not a surface you want to get Inkodye on!) in a darkened room and coat the fabric with an even layer of Inkodye. You don't want pools of excess dye anywhere. 

When the fabric is completely coated, work quickly and arrange the pressed botanicals over the middle of the fabric (which will become the front of the pillow) - you will want to start exposing your Inkodye treated fabric while it's still damp.

Bring your botanical covered fabric outside to a sunny spot and let it develop for about 5 minutes (it can take more or less time, depending on time of day and quality of light).  When it's developed to the desired intensity, take the fabric back inside and remove the botanicals (in a darkened room since the fabric under the botanicals is still treated with Inkodye and therefore, still sensitive to light).

 

Step 6: Wash and dry your print

Immediately wash excess dye from the fabric, either by handwashing in very hot water or running it through 2 cycles in the washing machine (on hot). I'm too impatient to wait for 2 machine cycles, so I handwashed mine in the sink with a couple of capfuls of Inkowash. The important thing is to make sure that all of the excess dye has been washed out of the fabric. After washing you can soak it in clear water. If the water stays clear, then you know you're done. If not, keep washing (scrubbing it under running water is the fastest way to get the dye out). 

Hang to air dry or you can use a hot iron to speed up the drying process. 

 

Step 7: Create a frayed edge 

If you haven't trimmed your fabric to size before dyeing, go back and trim with a rotary blade. Then pull out a few threads on either side of the fabric to create a frayed edge. If you cut the fabric to size before you dyed, then your fabric will likely already have a frayed edge, albeit messy. If that's the case, go back and cut loose threads and clean up the frayed edges as much as possible.

 

Step 8: Create a finished back seam

Place a strip of fusible hemming tape along the top or bottom edge (the short edge) of the length of fabric; remove the paper backing.

 

Fold the raw edge of the fabric over the hemming tape, then iron to fuse together. Place another strip of hemming tape over the folded edge and press in place with your fingers (not shown).

 

Wrap the length of fabric around the pillow you're covering, with the finished edge covering the raw edge of the fabric; remove the paper from the hemming tape. With the hemming tape layered between the finished edge and the fabric below it, iron the fabrics together to fuse (I do this while it's on the pillow, so that I can make sure the finished sleeve is tight enough.)  When you're finished, your pillow will look like this on the back side.

Done! 

 

Color Mixing:

I suggest mixing tiny amounts of Inkodye and printing small scraps of fabric to test the shades beforehand. I only loosely took my own advice and I wish I'd waited until the last sample was fully developed before I made my final decision. I was looking for a red violet color, more red than violet. What I discovered was that a tiny amount of blue went a long way! If I do yet another version of this project, I'll test a little more extensively. But I admit, I was impatient to just get on with it!

The shade at top left was created using half blue, half red. The shade at top right was 9 capfuls of red, 4 capfuls of blue. The shade pictured in the title image (bottom color) consists of 11 capfuls of red Inkodye and 2 capfuls of blue Inkodye. To get a truly reddish violet, I should have reduced the blue to a capful, possibly even less. 

In Pursuit of Beauty (Part III)

 

My 6-year-old son was pondering my upcoming birthday and asked me which birthday I wanted to celebrate this year. I said I hadn't decided yet and he thought a while, then said these magical words, "Well, you can't be that old because you don't have any wrinkles. I think this year you look...25."  Yes!! That boy is going to make some woman very happy one day!

But he's right about one thing. I may not really look 25, but I don't have many wrinkles either. I'm sure I have Retin-A to thank. After two years of regular use, I can say that not only has it seemingly halted any additional signs of aging, it's given me a few years back as well. When your doctor looks surprised by your age, then you know you're on the right track.

Of course it's not all perfect and I could find plenty of things on my face and body to obsess over. But I'm feeling pretty good in my skin, imperfections and all.  That doesn't mean, however, that I'm ready to throw in the towel and let nature take its course. I'll take my help where I can get it. So in that vein, here's what's been working for me over the last year:

 

SKIN

Cleanser: Aveeno Positively Radiant Brightening Cleanser has been my go-to for several years now. It doesn't irritate my sensitive skin and it removes all of my makeup, which is a plus for me since makeup removers do tend to bother me, even the ones that say they won't. 

 

Sunscreen: Neutrogena has been hitting it out of the park on this one. Last summer I started using Neutrogena UltraSheer Liquid broad spectrum daily sunblock (SPF 70). It's the only sunscreen I've ever used that's felt comfortable under makeup in the high humidity of summer. In the winter, when my skin was drier, I switched over to Neutrogena Visibly Even daily moisturizer (SPF of 30).  I'll continue to buy these two products as long as they're available.

 

 

Anti-Aging: In my region, my Retin-A regimen doesn't cost me more than $100 a year. In my book, that's a bargain. But I recently received a sample of DermaLastyl Professional Strength Face Cream, and after using it for a month, I think I'll take the plunge and buy a full size bottle.  It's definitely the priciest product I use and while my skin is already in good shape from the Retin-A, there are a few reasons why I'll continue to use it.  

I sometimes have to take a break for a couple of days from Retin-A because of skin sensitivities. DermaLastyl doesn't cause any skin irritation for me. It's hydrating, but so weightless I don't even notice I have it on. I've noticed that my skin isn't as dry and it's really soft. I use it in conjunction with Retin-A, layering it over the Retin-A at night (about 20 minutes afterwards). After I've used it for awhile I'll come back and tell you more about it, but so far it looks promising - enough that I'll make the purchase. 

 

BB Cream: I'm still using Smashbox. It's fabulous and it works for me. I find that I barely have to add any foundation over it. But I do have to use the Neutrogena daily moisturizer under it or it's too drying. Still, I love it, and it's part of my daily routine.

 

MAKEUP

Foundation: I use Raw Natural Minerals powder foundation in the summer. It's simply the best mineral makeup I've ever tried. But I am finding that my skin is drier on occasion, especially in the winter, which makes a liquid foundation a better choice for me at times. I wish I could say I'd found the magic liquid formula, but I'm still searching. I tried a pricey liquid mineral makeup which looked beautiful but ended up making me break out (something that never happens under normal circumstances), I returned another that looked too heavy, and I'm still on the fence about a couple of others. With summer here, I can afford to take my time. But, if anyone has a liquid foundation they love, I'm open to recommendations! 

 

Blush: This was a big switch for me this year. I started using a cream blush (I apply it over BB Cream, under my powder mineral foundation) and I can't believe it took me so long. It looks so much more natural on me than powder blush. I use Bobbi Brown Pot Rouge for Lips and Cheeks in Powder Pink. Love, love, love!

 

Eyes: I've been using eyeshadow a little less this year (less time to play and experiment), but I always line my eyes to some extent, day and night. As I get older, the key for me is soft. I use a wet brush with a powder shadow to line my eyes and then I immediately use a smudge brush over the line to soften it. I find that a smudged line is softer and sexier, easier and faster than a precisely lined eye. At night I use Smashbox Layer Lash Primer under Maybelline Volum' Express the Falsies Flared mascara. During the day I use just the mascara.

Lips: After years of neutrals, I suddenly find myself craving red lips, so I've been prowling makeup counters looking for the perfect lipstick. But I still love my Kevyn Aucoin Flesh Tone lip pencil in Medium. It's perfection. One thing I can't live without - some type of lip balm (not too glossy, please). I've been using standard Blistex lip balm forever, but I got an early birthday gift from Sephora which consisted of two Sugar Advanced Therapy Lip Treatment (in clear and rose) from Fresh. The texture is so wonderful. I go through buckets of lip balm, but I might just have to splurge on this next time.

 

TOOLS AND TECHNIQUES: 

Afer years of casual makeup usage, I've made one very important change - I've been investing in brushes. I purchased a concealer brush (to use with Amazing Concealer by Amazing Cosmetics), liquid foundation brushes (flat and a texturizer, both by glo-minerals), smudge brush (Paula Dorf), and an eyebrow brush (Ulta). They make a difference, they really do. 

My favorite new technique for applying liquid foundation - Stippling. As a crafter, this actually makes so much sense to me. I can't believe I never thought of it for makeup! But it really works and you're not pulling and tugging at your skin, so it's low-impact. It's takes a couple of tries to get used to it, but once you get the hang of it, you can apply your foundation in seconds. (The tutorial I've linked to suggests a dense, flat-top brush like the Sigma F80, although I've been doing it with the Texture brush and I'm happy with the look I get.)

 

Another thing I've been doing (something my mother taught me years and years ago, but that I never used) - setting or reviving my makeup with a mist of water. I picked up e.l.f. Makeup Mist & Set at Target for a few bucks and I love it. My mother always used Evian Spray, but really, I can't tell you if there's much of a difference.  A light mist over your makeup and everything just settles into your skin (in a good way).

 

BOOKS:

 

My mother-in-law saw all of the makeup books I had listed in my Amazon wish list and asked if I was having a bad day that day, which gave me a good laugh. But I do love books that offer solid techniques and give me inspiration (since being a makeup artist is one of my secret fantasy careers). Two of the favorites from what I purchased this year are Timeless Makeup by Rae Morris and Makeup Makeovers in 5, 10, 15, and 20 Minutes by Robert Jones.

Timeless Makeup focuses on makeup that makes you look younger than your years. What I love about it is that the models are age appropriate, inspiring, and not airbrushed to death (and it helps that they look amazing). Makeup Makeovers has a lot of step-by-step tutorials, with plenty of accompanying photos, for looks that range from 5 to 20 minutes. 

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As another year has slipped by, I realize yet again, that beauty comes at every age. I'm reminded of my 90-year-old grandmother who was in the hospital recently. I went to visit and asked how they were treating her. She waved me off nonchalantly, "Oh, I've had so many visitors here. The nurses keep bringing in their colleagues to look at me. All they can talk about is my skin, my hair, and my legs!"  We should all be so lucky.

Herbal Syrups

One of my favorite aspects of summer is the wild riot of herbs that grow happily in our courtyard. I use them in savory dishes, but my true love is incorporating them into cocktails, baked goods, and ice cream. I also like to make infused syrups with them. It's an incredibly simple process, but the resulting syrup will keep in the refrigerator for up to three months, just about taking you through the end of summer.

You can add the flavored syrups to sparkling water to create herbal sodas, flavor and sweeten iced tea and lemonade, toss with fresh berries, brush onto a pound or sponge cake, or use to elevate simple cocktails. I keep them bottled and labeled, ready for spur-of-the-moment inspiration - which is exactly the way I think summer living should be - easy and spontaneous.

There's no real rule to the ratio of herbs to sugar and water, but for the best results, harvest your herbs just before making the syrups.  If you're using herbs from the grocery, you may need to add a few more sprigs to get a concentrated flavor. But to set you off on your exploration, here are the basic guidelines that I follow for the more common herbs. I've also included a couple of extras, lavender and fig leaf. The lavender I cheat and buy dried from good markets, and the fig leaf isn't an herb, but the syrup is made in almost the same way. I figure while you're at it, why not try whatever you can find in the garden!

 

Herbal Syrups:

Add 1 cup sugar and 3/4 cup water to a saucepan and bring just to a boil, stirring to dissolve sugar. Turn off the heat, add the chosen herb (pushing the sprigs under the liquid), cover the pot and let steep until cool. Strain the syrup into an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for up to 3 months. 

General guidelines for ratio of herbs to 1 cup sugar/3/4 cup water (increase as desired):

• Basil:                      Four 4-inch sprigs
• Lemon Verbena:     Six 4-inch sprigs
• Mint:                       Eight 4-inch sprigs
• Rosemary:              Two or three 4-inch sprigs
• Sage:                      Two or three 4-inch sprigs
• Tarragon:                Six 4-inch sprigs
• English Thyme:      Six 3-inch sprigs

 

 

Extras:

• Lavender:  1-1 1/2 teaspoons dried buds (culinary lavender, found in better grocery stores)
• Fig Leaf:  8 fresh fig leaves, approximately 5 inches in length, 1 1/2 cups sugar, 1 1/2 cups water
  
  I use a slightly different process for this one.  Wash and dry your leaves, and cut off stems. Bring the water and sugar to a rolling boil, then add the leaves and let the mixture simmer for 15-20 minutes. Turn off the heat, cover, and let it cool. Remove leaves, pressing on them with a spoon to extract any additional syrup. 

 

 

Sparkling Herb Sodas:  In a glass, mix 2 - 4 tablespoons of herb infused syrup, a tablespoon of freshly squeezed lemon juice, and a few ounces of sparkling mineral water or club soda. Add ice cubes, stir well. Top with more sparkling water, if needed, and stir again. Garnish with an herb sprig.

Cocktail Ideas:  If you Google herbal cocktails you'll come up with all kinds of combinations. But in the interest of simplicity, start small.  Add a little rosemary or thyme syrup to gin (or vodka) with grapefruit juice, sage or lemon verbena to a gin and tonic, fig leaf to gin and pineapple juice, lavender to any lemon based cocktail or a margarita, mint to your favorite margarita recipe, etc.  

I found this link to pairing herbs with fruit which may be helpful as well. But bottom line - Experiment and have fun!