Busy, busy, busy.

You may not hear from us every day, but we've been busy!...  

Linen Love

I just recently ordered several towels to include in our holiday gift baskets from a new line of linens in the emporium. My order wasn't due to arrive until next week, so it was a fun surprise to receive them today. 

I bought the Provence Black Striped Towels (possibly my favorite of the bunch) and the Lara Natural Linen Tea Towels (dark, unrefined linen is always a favorite of mine.)  Also lovely are the Lucas Natural Striped Linen Hand Towels.  By the way, they all come with a nice strong loop for hanging -perfect!

I was so excited when I opened the package, I immediately had to see how they would look, so I grabbed a wire basket and gathered a few things to fill it, just to get an idea.

Great Gifts

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I've gathered many great items in the emporium for gifting.   If you can't decide or you need a last minute option, I suggest sending a gift card via email or facebook and you can personalize your message with a few links to things you spied in the emporium you think they might like.

Shop Gift Cards Here
free 1 day shipping or
you can elect to send via email or facebook 
~even include your own photos.

I, for one, love receiving gift cards. 

- Contemplating all my options is half the fun!  

about   the emporium

May Featured Items:

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Activewear essentials by Gaiam
Low eco-impact dyes 94% organic cotton/6% spandex.

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Hidden Gardens of Paris
A guide to the parks, squares and 
woodlands of the city of lights.

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A chronicle of a joyful year in one of 
the most beautiful cities in the world...
New York Times bestselling author Eloisa James took a leap that many people dream about:  she sold her house, took a sabbatical from her job as a Shakespeare professor, and moved her family to Paris. 

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Rachel McKenna has captured a host of unforgettable dogs in a variety of stunning locations, from stately chateaux to chic Paris addresses to cobblestone streets in quiet villages.

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My favorite: Breathe (By Bliss featuring
Sophie Barker.)

MORE PICKS FOR MAY [HERE]

April Highlights:

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From the stately mansions of Carnegie Hill to the cobblestone streets of Little Italy, over the perilous cliffs of northern Italy to the white-capped lakes of northern Minnesota, these star-crossed lovers meet and separate until finally...-excerpt from the publisher, The Shoemaker's Wife

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Spring Cleaning with 100% pure essential oils.  

Lavender, Lemongrass, Rosemary and Tea Tree oils.

For general purpose cleaning - mix 1 cup vinegar, 2 cups purified water and 20-30 drops of this cleaning blend essential oil in a spray bottle.  Shake before each use.  For floors or larger cleaning areas, double or triple the recipe.  For wood surfaces, add olive oil to the recipe.  

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(us) ~ (uk) ~ (ca) ~ (fr) ~ (de) ~ (it) ~ (es)

Featuring bathrooms as never seen before, Magnificent Baths celebrates the most striking and eccentric bathrooms beautifully presented through the photography of Massimo Listri, whose travels have taken him to the most luxurious and idiosyncratic homes, palazzos and hotels around the world.

Ever romantic and wonderfully indulgent, Magnificent Baths visits the lavish bathrooms of writers, artists, fashion designers and other notable figures who have added their own personal touch to create sensuous, dreamlike spaces. -excerpt from the publisher.

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Listen to the sample:  [La Guagua, Juan Luis Guerra]


~Style:  New for Spring



March Highlights:

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February Highlights:

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Valentine massage essentials

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A favorite song from this album:  

"Mio Fiore Mio" (My Flower of Mine)(MP3)

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Probably not what you are thinking...

but a lovely Valentine's gift all the same.

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The latest.  If you somehow missed

the previous album, you'll want that too: [here]

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Trembles with belonging (and longing) 

and love and sex. -The New York Times

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An aphrodisiac cookbook -need I say more?

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"Come to the altars smoking with incense, while the cool water sifts through the apple branches, and everywhere is shaded with roses, from the shimmering leaves, enchanted drowsiness descends into the meadow where horses graze.  And the spring flowers blossom and the winds blow gently." -Sappho 5-6BC

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At the top of my Coelho list.

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[after sex]

Viola De Lesseps:  I would not have thought it:  

there IS something better than a play!

William Shakespeare:  There is.

Viola De Lesseps:  Even your play.

William Shakespeare:  Hmm?

Viola De Lesseps:  And that was only my first try. 

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Audrey is always a pick-me-up.

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Gift yourself a Sunday afternoon 

with chocolates and Chocolat.

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"Love is a simple thing."

LOVE LOVE LOVE!   

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Nespresso Aeroccino Plus

The perfect gift for the cappuccino lover in your life.

visit   the emporium

for much more!

visit our new site:

www.linenlavenderlife.com

Alex's Picks

shop alex's picks

A few recommendations from my daughter...things she has and enjoys as well as a few items still on her "wish list."   

She's currently in Italy and I am missing having her here for the holidays!  I feel fortunate, however, to live in this day and age where technology helps bridge the miles between us. 

 (Thank you Al for sharing.  Love you!  xoxo-mom)

visit our new site:

www.linenlavenderlife.com

I'm dreaming...

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...of a white Christmas

Just like the ones I used to know

Where the treetops glisten

And children listen

To hear sleigh bells in the snow.

I'm dreaming of a white Christmas

With every Christmas card I write

May your days be merry and bright

And may all your Christmases be white.

~White Christmas by Irving Berlin

the emporium

Top:  

Ceramic Bracelet White Glitz Watch by Fossil, $167; 

Classic Silverplate Piggy Bank by Reed and Barton $37;  

Clear Quartz Flower Ring by BORA, $150

Bottom:  

Hand-Blown Glass Wine Decanter by Peugeot, $69.95; 

Cascade Bib Necklace by Kate Spade $62.50 -update:  bib necklace no longer
available, but see this beautiful option:  Kate Spade Crystal Chips Necklace

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If you're not already in the holiday spirit, 
this is sure to take you there.  Enjoy!~

visit our new site:

www.linenlavenderlife.com

MORE GIFTS we ♥ ...

Holiday or Hostess Gift Idea - Limoncello!

A wonderful, unique gift idea for your neighbors or friends is a bottle of limoncello. Whether you choose to make it yourself (how-to video following) or you buy a favorite brand, this sipping liqueur is a welcomed treat and makes a perfect holiday or hostess gift.

As budget permits, a fun addition would be a set of sipping glasses like these by Bormioli Rocco:

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Wrap everything up in linen towels:

and arrange in a wire basket or charming wood caddy.  

How to make homemade limoncello:

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Suggested bottles for homemade limoncello:

Bormioli Rocco Bottles, set of six for $32.

or for many other options,

go to

the emporium

 [Pantry & Storage]

(us) ~ (fr) ~ (uk) ~ (ca) ~ (de)

If you don't want to make your own or you just prefer gifting 

an authentic limoncello from Italy, try:

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Limoncello di Capri

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Recipe for Limoncello Cheesecake Squares

Another idea:  
include a card with a recipe for making limoncello or 

a recipe where limoncello is one of the ingredients.

Tip:  If you decide to gift this to several people on your list, you can break up the set of limoncello glasses and gift two to each person stretching one set out to be part of 3 gift baskets.  

Of course,  a bottle of homemade -or purchased- limoncello is gift enough all on its own, so don't hesitate to keep it simple.  

Cheers!

linen & lavender

visit our new site:

www.linenlavenderlife.com

Looking for more gifting ideas?  Go here for more gifts plus gift wrap and gift basket ideas:   

{w i n e  ~  essentials & gifts}

&   {a p o t h e c a r y : Natural Health & Beauty}

shopping days...

  image via Côté Ouest Dec01-Jan02

I'm all cozy at home shopping on-line today...making my way through my list of family and friends.  I thought I'd take a moment to share one of my favorite gift ideas- a magazine subscription.

Here is how you can make a magazine subscription special and on par with any gift you give this year:

If you can opt for a bit of a splurge, it's fun to gift a foreign magazine in their favorite genre...whatever they are passionate about.  For me, living here in the U.S., that would include anything from Côté Maison or say, Belle (Australia) or the French edition of Elle Decor...These range in price from $39-$110 and up.  

Once you decide on the magazine, make it special by printing out a photo found here or elsewhere on-line or pulled from a magazine if you happen to have something that will work well.  You are looking for something that is best representative of the magazine's content...a dreamy image of a chateau for a French design magazine, for example.  

Put the image in a simple black frame (or any frame you think they will like/re-use) and wrap in a box along with a handwritten note expressing your holiday wishes and why you thought they would enjoy this particular magazine.  (Include the subscription start date, length and any other pertinent details you received when ordering so they have all the follow-up info handy.)

Of course, the very best part is that this gift continues on for months after... They will be thinking of you each time they open their mailbox to find another issue waiting for them!  

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shop our other gift suggestions:

 {shop}

visit our new site:

www.linenlavenderlife.com