Happy 4th of July !!!

1. More Quilts, 2. Patriotism Then And Now, 3. Summer Slices, 4. Red, White & Blue Berries - Macro Monday 05/07/2010, 5. The Post, 6. patriotic bike, 7. Americana Quilt (Detail), 8. It's Red, and I'll Take It, 9. Jasper Johns @ MOMA, 10. red, white, and blue, 11. Red, White & Blue., 12. Red, White and Blue Jeans (Explored #18, 07/04/10), 13. American Flag, 14. '49 Jimmy - Americana Style, 15. red door, white lace, 16. LeMoyne star detail

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Post from pleasant-home.com

Aqua and White Flickr Favs Friday - by Pleasant Home

There is just so much I love about this blog, I have shared from Jodi before here.  

From Pleasant Home - Be inspired!! 

I love this mosaic of Aqua, not only does the color speak to me 

but also I love, love, love the vintage elements.

1. What is the winter for? To remember Love., 2. DSC00396, 3. White and Aqua Breakfast Nook, 4. Quilted Pillow ., 5. Blue + white beachy bathroom: Farrow & Ball paint + antique fixtures, from Coastal Living, 6. Vintage Ribbons - Blue, 7. Let it snow!, 8. Vintage Blue, 9. IMG_4387, 10. High Society Collection - Helena Pillow -Tiffany Blue and White, 11. Untitled, 12. Little Mermaid Bracelet - Blue Lampwork Beads, White Keshi Pearls, Sterling Silver and Blue Swarovski Crystals Bracelet, 13. aqua house, 14. Cottage Rules aqua blue, 15. Blue Pitcher, 16. 1954 Chevy Bel-Air Interior

Powdered Laundry Detergent

I shared with you in a post about some of my kids that suffer with eczema. I have heard a lot about people making their own Laundry Detergent, not only is it a great idea for saving money but really a great idea if you suffer from allergies or eczema.

Powdered Laundry Detergent
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2 - Fels-Naptha bar soap grated (comes out to about 4 cups) You can find this in the grocery store laundry aisle. Grate it on a cheese grater 

2 cups - Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda*

2 cups - of Borax comes from the grocery store laundry aisle and some hardware stores.

1/2 cup - OxyClean or Baking Soda (not necessary, but we add it) 

Grate soap or break into pieces and process in a food processor until powdered. Mix all ingredients. For light load, use 1 Tablespoon. For heavy or heavily soiled load, use 2 Tablespoons. Yields: 6 Cups detergent. (Approx. 80 loads)

*Arm & Hammer "Super Washing Soda" - in some stores or may be purchased. Baking Soda will not work, nor will Arm & Hammer Detergent - It must be sodium carbonate!!

 TIPS FOR LAUNDRY SOAP:
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We use Fels-Naptha bar soap in the homemade soap recipes, but you can use Ivory, Old Fashioned Handmade Lye Soap, Sunlight, Kirk's Hardwater Castile, Zote White bars. Don't use heavily perfumed soaps. We buy Fels-Naptha by the case from our local grocer or online. Washing Soda and Borax can often be found on the laundry or cleaning aisle. Recipe cost approx. $2 per batch.

Inexpensive Fabric Softener Recipes
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(instead of fabric softener which is so bad for you and the environment, you don't even want to know)

1  Cup White Vinegar - Add vinegar to rinse cycle. Works great. Removes residue and odors. Also helps to keep washing machine and hoses fresh and clean too.

25-30 drops essential oil – optional. (Straight vinegar works just fine though.)

A great website - 10 Homemade Laundry Soap Detergent Recipes & Homemade Laundry Detergent FAQ

Laundering Vintage Linens

This beautiful post is from Stone Gable, check out her heart lifting blog.

Wash Day, Part I

Today is Wash Day at StoneGable. I am freshening up some lovely old napkins and a vintage pillowcase.

Caring for antique table linens takes a gentle hand and a little know how. Today I am focusing on general laundry care for linens. More aggressive stain removal will be addressed on a future post.

Always launder vintage linens by hand. Never use a washing machine or dryer. They are too rough and may damage fragile fabric.

Start by inspecting your linens for any stains. Very badly stained fabric will need extra cleaning steps, look for a post coming soon to address stain issues. If your linens are not heavily soiled proceed with washing instructions.

Use a very mild detergent or soap and cool water.  Never use hot water as this could damage the fabric.

I like to use Ivory Snow or Dreft laundry detergent. They are very mild and leave linens smelling wonderful.

If I feel that I need a laundry booster I use Borax All Natural Laundry Booster.  A little bit of Oxiclean can be used in place of the Borax. DO NOT USE BLEACH OF ANY KIND! Bleach is very hard on even todays fabrics.

Because these cleaning agents are powder they must first be dissolved in hot water. Let the water cool before putting the articles to be washed in the water. I usually put the laundry powders in a large pitcher and fill it with hot water. I set it aside until the detergent is dissolved and the water is cool. Then I pour it into an old basin and add cold water. Do not use a metal basin. The detergents may react with it.

Before putting linens in the water, test a corner to see if it is color safe. Wet the corner with water. Using a dry paper towel dab the wet area. If no color comes off of the fabric and on to the paper towel, it is PROBABLY color safe.

Launder like colors together.

Soak linens for a couple hours or overnight.  This will gently loosen soil and light stains.

Gentle squeeze fabric with both hands moving water around and through the fabric. If there is any light stain left, gently rub Fels Naptha soap right into the stain. Continue to let that linen soak for an additional hour or so.

Rinse lines 3-4 times with cool water. Agitate water with your hands. Do not use a fabric softener.

Do not wring water out of linens, but roll linens in a white towel to absorb extra water.

Linens can be hung to dry out of direct sunlight or dried flat. I like to hang my linens out on my porch. Do not hang linens if it is windy, as this could damage the fabric.

When linen are dry they can be pressed with an iron.  Be very careful to test how your linens react to the heat of the iron. If the iron is too hot the fabric could scorch or stick to the iron. 

Starching linens gives them a crisp refined look.  I use a heavy type spray starch or a liquid starch.  Look for an upcoming post about old fashion liquid starching. Once you use a liquid starch on your linens it will be hard to go back to the spray!

A word of caution. If your linens are priceless or have irreplaceable sentimental value, have them done by a professional.

Laundering any type of vintage fabric has its risks. So don't launder it you could not part with it.

That being said, most fabrics launder very nicely if you are nice to them.

The best way to keep freshly laundered vintage linen is to roll it around an acid free tube. Linens can also be place in a Linen Keeper (look for an upcoming post to make one).  Never put them in plastic bags. I just press mine and keep them lying flat. If at all possible do not iron creases in the fabric.(I don't follow my own advice here- but it is better for the fabric not to have creases). I have an old cedar chest that I keep some of my more sentimentally valuable pieces in, just as my grandmother did.

 Look for upcoming StoneGable posts on:

~Removing Stains from Vintage Linens

~Old Fashion Liquid Starching Vintage Linens

~ Making a Linen Keeper

The Blessing of Stewardship

I love springtime for so many reasons, but one of my favorites is that somehow, the cool breeze and warm sunshine motivate me to thrust open the curtains and get cleaning.

I write about this in my e-book, Spring Cleaning for Normal People, and in it, I share a three-step process to use in ten areas of your home over the span of two weeks. The idea is to work just a little bit each day for a few weeks, so that you don’t burn out or get overwhelmed before finishing.

This process deals with the physical clutter.  It gives you practical ideas for dealing with the stuff.

But spring cleaning is merely a band-aid unless you frequently take some time to evaluate your inner life and heart. This is because holding on to clutter is merely a symptom of a deeper heart issue -- and this is the place where the root needs to be nurtured and fertilized.  And sometimes pruned.

As we manage the stuff in our homes that God has entrusted to us, the question for all of us is this -- 

"Where do I put my trust?"

Do I put my trust in the stuff around me?  Do I hold on to things because,  I'm able to find a use for them around my home or they add beauty to our environment?  Or do I hold on to things out of fear?

 • Am I scared to sell our plethora of unused children's clothes given by my mother-in-law because it might damage our relationship?

• Even though our unloved Christmas china would sell for a pretty sum, am I holding on to it because I feel like it defines who we are as a family?

• Do I hold on to my old high school notes, the souvenirs from my European trip in college, and the ticket stubs from our honeymoon because if I let them go, I'll forget that they were important?

All of these questions point to heart issues; a conflict of interest between our material things on Earth and the author and perfecter of our faith.  It's good to wrestle with this conflict regularly, so that our hope remains in heaven and nowhere else.

This isn't to say having stuff is bad.  It's not.  Many, many times the material things in our life truly are blessings, and in light of these things, we must be thankful.  God blesses us richly.  Heck, nine times out of ten, He blesses us beyond all we ask or imagine, with things we don't even need.  He owns the cattle on a thousand hills. But while on Earth, we constantly need to be mindful of our status here as stewards, not as owners.  And stewardship means to manage well.

 Let's manage the stuff that truly is a blessing with honor and integrity, to the glory of Him who gave it in the first place.  And the things that are no longer a blessing for us -- let's bless someone else by giving it away or selling it.

Because with spring cleaning, that's all decluttering really is -- thanking God by fully enjoying His blessings in our life, and passing on everything else so that it can bless someone else.

How will you bless someone else with your "stuff" this week?

By Tsh Oxenreider

** Since I shared this post Tsh has since started her own blog theartofsimple and wrote a great book.

Organized Simplicity

This book spends the first half sharing compelling evidence that our modern-day homes are too big, that they too often don’t represent our values, and that once we revamp our budgets, calendars, and purpose, we can our house a place that just makes sense.

The second half maps out a ten-day approach to jump starting a new lifestyle in your home—clutter-free, filled with only the beautiful and useful, and as a haven that just works for your family. It’s more than a how-to book; it challenges you to think differently about that place you call home. Does bigger really mean better? What purpose does each room serve?

Order your copy here:

• Amazon (also on Kindle)
• Barnes & Noble (also on Nook)

I Found this Great Website!! The Style Sisters

http://thestylesisters.blogspot.com/

I came across this great web site and my heart starting going pitter patter. I love table cloths, dishes, glassware, entertaining, cooking and overall making things pretty. I love setting the "mood". It is the little things that matter and make it special.

Go check it out.

Yellow and White-Tablescape-Doris-Day

Thanksgiving Tablescape

Don't Wake Me...

Family