Friday, May 24, 2013

The Amazing Cucumber!




 Cucumbers contain most of the vitamins you need every day.  Just one cucumber contains Vitamin B1, Vitamin B2, Vitamin B3, Vitamin B5, Vitamin B6, Folic Acid, Vitamin C, Calcium, Iron Magnesium, Phosphorus, Potassium and Zinc.

 
 
Feeling tired in the afternoon?  Put down the caffeinated soda and pick up a cucumber.  Cucumbers are a good source of B Vitamins and Carbohydrates that can provide that quick pick-me-up that can last for hours.
  


 Tired of your bathroom mirror fogging up after a shower?  Try rubbing a cucumber slice along the mirror, it will eliminate the fog and provide a soothing, spa-like fragrance.


Are grubs and slugs ruining your planting beds?
Place a few slices in a small pie tin and your garden will be free of pests all season long.  The chemicals in the cucumber react with the aluminum to give off scent undetectable to humans but drive garden pests crazy and make them flee the area.



Looking for a fast and easy way to remove cellulite before going out or to the pool?  Try rubbing a slice or two of cucumbers along your problem area for a few minutes, the phytochemicals in the cucumber cause the collagen in your skin to tighten, firming up the outer layer and reducing the visibility of cellulite.  Works great on wrinkles too!



Want to avoid a hangover or terrible headache?  Eat a few cucumber slices before going to bed and wake up refreshed and headache free.  Cucumbers contain enough sugar, B vitamins and electrolytes  to replenish essential nutrients the body lost, keeping everything in equilibrium, avoiding both a hangover and headache.


 Looking to fight off that afternoon or evening snacking binge?  Cucumbers have been used for centuries and often used by European trappers, traders and explorers for quick meals to thwart off starvation.

 

 Have an important meeting or job interview and you realize that you don't have enough time to polish your shoes?  Rub a freshly cut cucumber over the shoe, its chemicals will provide a quick and durable shine that not only looks great but also repels water.


Out of WD 40 and need to fix a squeaky hinge?  Take a cucumber slice and rub it along the problematic hinge, and voila, the squeak is gone!


  Stressed out and don't have time for massage, facial or visit to the spa?  Cut up an entire cucumber and place it in a boiling pot of water, the chemicals and nutrients from the cucumber will react with the boiling water and be released in the steam, creating a soothing, relaxing aroma that has been shown to reduce stress in new mothers and college students during final exams.

 
Just finish a business lunch and realize you don't have gum or mints?  Take a slice of cucumber and press it to the roof of your mouth with your tongue for 30 seconds to eliminate bad breath, the phyto-chemicals will kill the bacteria in your mouth responsible for causing bad breath.


 
Looking for a "green" way to clean your faucets, sinks or stainless steel?  Take a slice of cucumber and rub it on the surface you want to clean.  Not only will it remove years of tarnish and bring back the shine, but it won't leave streaks and won't harm your fingers or fingernails while you clean.


Using a pen and made a mistake?  Take the outside of the cucumber and slowly use it to erase the pen writing.  Also works great on crayons and markers that the kids have used to decorate the walls!


This information was in The New York Times several weeks ago as part of
their "Spotlight on the Home" series that highlighted creative and fanciful
ways to solve common problems. 



Wednesday, May 22, 2013

Collections


Antique Green Glazed Export Ginger Jars


These beautiful aqua/green glazed ceramic jars with their decorative relief designs were the equivalent of our mason jars.


Pickled fruit or vegetables, like ginger root, would be packed inside, covered with a lid and sealed with wax and then tied with strips of rattan.


I remember the day I found my first one.


It was the color that first attracted me because it was that same gorgeous shade of green on the bamboo of our Chinoiserie Fireplace.


I don't know about you but I am a very tactile person and the way something feels in your hand is part of its charm.


For me it is the combination of the patina, the weight, the texture, the wear and tear, i.e. chips, cracks, crazing, and discoloration that endears it to me.


This one with the red bottom is my most recent acquisition found at an estate sale a few weeks ago.


They say that 3 makes a collection... 


It seems I've got myself a nice little collection now but somehow I don't think I would be able to resist adding to it if I came upon another, yet I should.


We need to know when to stop collecting something and just be satisfied.


When enough is enough.


I think collections can be too big and lose their impact.


What do you think?


I'm curious, have you seen these little jars before?


I find them perfect for holding blossoms and paintbrushes.


What do you collect?


How do you decide when to stop adding to it?


I think it is a good thing to ponder...


For people like us...


 seeking beauty


 feeds our souls.



Monday, May 20, 2013

Get your PEONIES


NOW AVAILABLE AT
TRADER JOES





I wait all year for them...


They showed up late.
 They usually make their appearance around Easter and I'd all but given up on them until I walked into my local Trader Joes on Mother's Day and lo and behold, there they were!

Oh happy day!
Get them while you can!












Thursday, May 16, 2013

Repousse


REPOUSSE

Shaped or decorated with patterns in relief formed by hammering and pressing on the reverse side.  Used especially of metal. 









My favorite find of the week.
7 sterling silver repousse knives.




Wednesday, May 15, 2013

The Roots of Comfort



But ...  to plant an orchard, to enlarge a dwelling, to be always making life more comfortable and convenient, to avoid trouble, and to satisfy the smallest want without effort and almost without cost.  These are small objects, but the soul clings to them.

___ALEXIS DE TOCQUEVILLE


When I came across this quote recently it totally resonated with me.

 

I had just recently re-organized this storage closet in our garage where I store extra sets of china and decorative accessories.


It has been quite a while since I have even opened it.


I always get the urge to spring clean this time of year and tackled it with relish!


It really didn't take me long and the result makes me very happy, hence the quote.


It really is all about the simplest of things,


wouldn't you agree?