My Lavender Kingdom

I'd like to invite you to my Lavender Kingdom today. It is called "La bottega della lavanda " or a "Lavender shop".

This is lavender:

By the way, this bicycle by the entrance works just fine!

I have all what you want: perfuse, cosmetics, air fresheners, lovely sachets, soaps and bath products, candles and also house decor items and ceramics.

Everything here (including me) is either lavender colored or has lavender fragrance. Even our cash register is purple! According to psychologists, lavender color works to relax you. It calms your down and even improves your vision!

Even ancient Romans known beneficial effects of lavender. Now you can find lavender in almost everywere in Italy, especially in north. You can see it in gardens or on balconies or terrassa. It is a beautiful plant blooming with small flowers.

Do you know that one drop of lavender oil will ease the discomfort of mosquito bite? It’s also a mosquito repellent. Not many people know this natural remedy.

If you will get a chance, try to see the amazing lavender fields of the Friuli-Venezia-Giulia region in the north of Italy. Once you see it you will almost instantly fall in love with this beautiful flower!

Lavender will help calm down your nerves and will help you think clearly. You can also use it in cooking or you can drink it as a part of a herbal tea.

Lavender sachets placed in the closet will absorb odor and also will disinfect the air. It is said that if you will place a lavender-based natural air freshener in your bedroom or place a lavender sachet right on your pillow during day, you will never have a bad dream. You will wake up refreshed and full of energy!

As you know, I'm a creative person so I wanted to create something to wear it at work. 

This necklace I made a threading on organza ribbon - glass, acrylic, crochet beads and crochet flower. It's beautiful and attractive necklace. I like to wear it with simple white t-shirt and purple skirt or pants.

To make this necklace, you'll need a few items - organza ribbon, beads in any design or shape you please and your fantazy! Cut one end of each ribbon on a sharp angle so that the ribbon comes to a point. This makes threading the pearls or beads onto the ribbon easier. Make a node before and after every bead to keep it. I used clasp closure, but you can simply make a node and hide it inside of the bead.

 I hope you enjoyed your short trip to my Lavender Kingdom. If you are ever in Italy please stop by!

Barley with smoked bacon

Many people did not have a very positive impression about pearl barley during his/ hers childhood. However, I know a way to make it taste great! 
I found this reciepe on one packing of barley and tasted it. It was so good that also my husband cleaned the plate with bread! So before wrinkle your nose, try to cook this reciepe. It's easy to prepare and does not require many ingridients.

You will need: 

1 cup of pearl barley

3 cups of water
2 lbs of tomatoes, chopped or 1 can (28 oz) of diced unsalted tomatoes

1/2 lbs of salted smoked bacon, diced
1 large onion, chopped
olive oil

Wash the pearl barley several times. Leave it soaking in the water for at least 4 to 5 hours. Bring it to a boil, then reduce the heat to low. Cover and continue cooking until the barley is tender and liquid is almost absorbed or use a colander to drain barley (reserve some cooking liquid). 

Heat the olive oil in a deep skillet and sauté the onions over medium-high heat until golden in color. Add the bacon and cook for about 5 more minutes, stirring occasionally. 

Add the tomatoes and simmer all together on a low setting.

Stir in the cooked barley and reserved liquid. Continue to cook over low heat until heated thoroughly.

Add some salt if needed. I is not use any salt in because the bacon is salty already. But if you feel you need to add some, feel free. 

Enjoy!

Yellow&Orange poppy flower brooch and pendant

Today I present new addition to my leather jewelry collection. Yellow and orange leather flower brooch and pendant are made from recycled genuine leather.
The center is securely fastened with a brass tone brad.

Eco-friendly!
So Sweet and feminine!
Each is different, each is unique!
This simple and gorgeouse flowers are the new MUST HAVE for fall!

Crimson poppy flowers earrings and brooch

Today I present new addition to my leather jewelry and accessories collection. You can find it in special section in my shop.
Crimson poppy flower earrings and Crimson poppy flower brooch are made from dark red recycled genuine leather. Actually I made also necklace but it was immediately sold)

Crimson is a strong, bright, deep red color. It is endlessly multifaceted color. Perfectly go together with gray or light beige.
Few historical facts:
Crimson was always the color of the Church.
to produce the color crimson was used Expensive kermes and later cochineal dye. Cochineal dye was used by the Aztec and Maya peoples of Central and North America and was discovered by the Spanish explorers of South America. The Cochineal insect is a small parasitic sap-loving insect that feeds primarily upon the sap of certain cacti. A great many insects must be processed to produce any useful amount of the highly prized red dye extract. In recent years it has become commercially valuable again. One reason for its popularity is that, unlike many commercial synthetic red dyes, it is not toxic or carcinogenic