housekeeping

If you want to have that Medieval, Old-world feel in your home here are a few simple things you can do.

1: instead of using regular bedspreads, buy a down duvet, it is so warm in the winter and they have summer ones now as well. they have many styles of covers you can get to put over them or make one yourself, make the cover cotton, velevet or chenelle, and match that with your sheets. my whole bed is crushed flannel cotton, it is soo warm and sooo comfy.

2: over your mattress use a down feather bed.

3: use plain thick tapestry for you windows (velvet or chenelle work great) and instead of mini-blinds you can put fancy stencils on your windows, or hang stainedglass in your windows.

4: keep plenty of candles in your room and when you sit in there to read or fold cloths light the candles and some incense. (i love folding my laundrey on my bed with candles and incense burning and music playing)
Some music suggestions : Loreena McKennit (my favorite) Enya, Maire Brennan, Clannad (Enya's sister).
Soundtracks from RobinHood, A Knights Tale, Elizabeth, Ever After, Man in the Iron Mask, Hamlet, DragonHeart.

5: if you have a fireplace, you can dress up the mantle with Ivy, candles and incense.
and in the fireplace you can use incense, herbs or potporri by sprinkling some over the wood. Lavendar is perfect for this, i grow lavendar in my backyard but do not have a fireplace so i burn them with the potpurri on my stove in a ceramic pot.
(take potporri and water and simmer in a ceramic pot on your stove, make sure you always have water in the pot, you dont want to ruin your pot.)

6: if you have the chance hang out your cloths on a line to dry, the sun will not only warm them up but it is a natural bleach as well. forget the dryer! there is nothing better than fresh crisp cloths right off the line. I even hang my out in the winter, sheets towels blankets everything goes out on the line!

7: I have an old monogram stamp seal that you use by melting the red wax, it adds a little medieval touch to my cards and letters i send out for my business. I am going to get one for personal use as well. you can buy these at some specialty card stores in Boston or online. I got mine at Bel Tempo on Summer Street. (great place!)

8: Take the flowers you get and instead of throwing them away hang them upside down and let them dry (you can just tie them off at the stems with ribbon and hang them on a door, wall ect...if you are worried about and died flowers put a thin towel under them and dry them on a windowsill)...spray them with alittle frangrance oil and they will smell nice again.

9: alittle music, candles, incense... will make cleaning your house alittle more enjoyable. i have always liked cleaning, i always bring alittle comfort and relaxation into doing my chores. try it, you see what a difference it makes. especially cleaning hte bathroom! :-)

10: The Kitchen is the most important room, this is where the 4 elements come together, useing wood or earthenware is one way to be more in toon with the earth, plastic is convenient but they did not have it back then ;-) you can get some really inexpensive Ceramic Canisters for your selves at places like Marshalls or TJ Max. use wood or iron shelves for nicknacks and plants. i have a wrought iron shelf over my stove for my "stuff" and wrought iron corner shelves for my plants. A wooden Hutch unfinished is what i use for nicknacks and kitchen linens. I use linen napkins for both kitchen and dining room, candle centerpieces so i can light them while eating, it gives the room a more inviting feel rathen then having the overhead lights on. (and romantic too) Use ceramic pottery for baking instead of Aluminum, (the food will taste better too.)

11: hit every garage sale and flee market you can, find some old furniture and re-sand it or pick up some great vintage
candle holders or hurricane oil lamps (just remember they are oil and burn fast so be careful of them getting too hot)
old heirloom quilts are a steal at flee markets and they are one of a kind if hand made, something to pass down in your family. Not to mention the cloths you can find sometimes! There was a house on my street that was being torn down and re-built, in the basement there were 2 brass filigre wall sconces, they were cover in green and black tarnish and looked horrible, my husband brought them home and i soaked them in brass cleaner, after 30 minutes they were beautiful. they are in my living room on the wall near my windows and i put ivory candles in them, every loves them and always askes where i got them. ;-)

12: Grow your own herbs in your backyard or kitchen if it gets alot of sunlight. I have 3 windows in mine and the one to the back of the house gets sun all day! it is perfect for growing herbs, now only if I could get my two babies to stop knocking them over. especially the catnip! You can grind the herbs yourself when you are ready to use them, the thing is pasta sauce so i love to grow my own basil and oregano, grind them in a mortar or pestle. you can find these on line. check out some of my links.

13: Try to make your computer area as comfortable as possible too. this area of your house is so hi-tech theres not much you can do to change it. but you can soften it up alittle, get a comfy chair to sit in maybe add a nice down throw pillow for your back, a few candles for light and some incense for some scents, I use unscented white candle alot so i burn inscense.
it is cheaper than scented candles.

14: if you use a dryer throw a sachet in there, you can also put one in your hamper. Also try not to use a plastic hamper invest in a cloth and wood one, (I bought 2 for around $30 and you can take the canvas/coth off the wood frame nd wash it. ;)
I make all my sachets with lace and potporri tied with ribbon. i change the potporri every 4 months. (i buy the potporri at the christmas tree shoppe, its 5$ for a bag thats 4 times the size of the ones you see in other stores.)

Until next time... Bright Blessings!