DIY Lavender Spray

photo by Janell Davidson

I've been using unscented laundry detergent for years now, and lately I've noticed that certain items never really smell clean. (Or is "good" the word I'm looking for? They are clean; they just don't smell like it.) This is especially embarrassing with guest linens. Lavender linen spray has been a sometimes indulgence that seems to help...but it's so expensive! A quick Google search revealed some recipes to try. Here's my favorite, adapted from Apartment Therapy:

—1 tsp. lavender essential oil
—Optional:1 tsp. vanilla or orange oil (to enhance the scent)
—1/4 cup grain alcohol (like Everclear or unflavored vodka)
—3.5 cups filtered water

Mix the oil/s and grain alcohol in a clean, empty spray bottle. (The alcohol is a natural disinfectant and works as an emulsifier, allowing the oil and water to mix.) Add the water to your spray bottle and shake. Shake before each use.

Some people seem to prefer a mix of oil and grain alcohol only—no water. Not as cost-effective, but apparently it dries faster.

I've got a garden full of lavender right now, and I'm currently working on a DIY lavender essential oil. I'll keep you posted!

Time For A Glass of (Natural) Wine

Wonderful, wonderful wine...

This was not a good week to finally watch Chris Smith's film Collapse. (Click on the trailer below if you don't know what I'm talking about.) Say what you will...the film is interesting, and it definitely rattled me. Coupled with the oil spill still raging in the Gulf, my anxiety level is higher than I'd like. Which brings me to...wine. Frivolous? Yes, but then, that's the point.

The Times ran a story Wednesday about the Natural Wine movement, but the far more interesting read was on Grist. I always knew there had to be a reason I didn't like "2-Buck Chuck" from Trader Joe's...now, thanks to writer Tom Philpott, I know why. Here's to buying wine from small, independent (and even better—organic, sustainably-produced or biodynamic) producers, where you can actually taste all the weird and wonderful flavors of the wine.