5 Fun Facts About Linen And How to Make A Great Linen Bag

I'm having a love affair with linen. There's a linen covered couch in my den that is understated and relaxing. Linen clothes are breathable and become even softer and more comfortable over time.

Linen bags are an eco-alternative to plastic bags. Linen is antibacterial and antimycotic, which suppresses the growth of fungi. Perfect for carrying produce and groceries.

5 Fun Facts About Linen

1. Linen textiles may be the oldest in the world. 2. Fragments of straw, seeds, fibers, yarns and various types of fabrics found in Swiss lake dwellings have been traced back to about 8000 B.C. 3. Linen was used as currency in ancient Egypt. Mummies were wrapped in linen because it was seen as a symbol of light and purity, and as a display of wealth. 4. The term "linen" refers to yarn and fabric made from flax fibers. 5. Today linen is often used as a generic term to describe a class of woven bed, bath, table and kitchen textiles because.

DIY Linen Bag

On a hot pursuit stroll through the blogosphere for a simple linen bag to make, I stumbled onto Between The Lines. This Parisian craft blog covers "anything that involves fabric, yarn, wool, paper, paint and glue." The creator, Pascal provides the perfect TUTORIAL for an aesthetically stylish linen bag.

Here's the intention behind the creation:

"I like to find out how things are made, how I can put things together in a simple, yet effective way. Sewing is a mental process to me. It's all about techniques, and seeing through whatever I try to make…I like things to be as minimal as possible. Whatever can be left out I leave out." ~ Between The Lines

10 Reasons To Write In a Journal and 10 DIY Journals

I had a chance to peek into the journals of friend, prescription composer, viagra order author, pharm and master traveler, Margaret De Wys. Margaret has made traveling a seductive art form and her journals inspired the book, Black Smoke: A Woman’s Journey of Healing, Wild Love, and Transformation. Margaret is game for just about anything, and she keeps track of her escapades by journaling. Some write journals knowing they will be published, but most people journal for themselves.

Journaling (or keeping letters or diaries) is an ancient tradition, one that dates back to at least 10th century Japan. Oscar Wilde once said, “I never travel without my diary. One should always have something sensational to read on the train.”

10 Reasons to Make Journaling a Daily Habit:

1. sharpens writing skills 2. can help heal emotional experiences 3. helps keep track of ideas 4. writing is relaxing and it relieves stress 5. journals have unconditional acceptance 6. keep a document record 7. learn to reflect about yourself 8. to feel in control 9. for a creative outlet 10. to document travel or an event

Whether a journal is the culmination of a globe-trotting trip to save the world, or a place to store the ramblings of the day, creating a uniquely personal journal can fuel the body, mind and spirit. Do you journal? CLICK HERE FOR 10 DIY JOURNALS

Credit: Sugarpixel Design

A Tipsy Idea: DIY Lamp from Wine Bottles

You've had a lot of fun emptying those wine bottles and now they are just ripe for an upcycled illuminating reuse. No doubt you've seen candlesticks made from wine bottles with overflowing candle drippings. That's one simple retro way to repurpose those wine bottles. Here's a more fashionable DIY lighting solution...CLICK HERE FOR MORE

The Home Ice Advantage: Make An Eco-Skating Rink

I am convinced that there are certain experiences from your childhood that define whether you like winter or not. I am a lover of everything winter. I can thank my hockey player dad for that. For my brother and I, winter had its own culture with unique customs and rituals that included a backyard ice skating rink. The first snowfall of the season, my dad would unveil his latest collection of sleds, skates and skis that he had gathered at tag sales. In the garage he would fix up his finds for all the neighborhood kids. His goal was to get all the kids on the block to love winter. Then he would haul out four long wooden two by fours and a plastic liner and water our backyard to make a skating rink. If we lived in a higher elevation, I am sure he would have created a ski slope and a rope tow to tower over the rink. As it was, it was quite unusual in my New York suburban neighborhood to have an ice rink in the backyard.

Some of my favorite memories are of my dad all bundled up very late in the evening hosing down our backyard ice rink like he was watering prized roses. I remember Dad was overly eager to get up early in the morning after a snowfall to shovel the rink. Then he would set off to the more important task of clearing the driveway. For the kids, our reward was all the afterschool exercise we could get and unlimited hot chocolate.

Those fond memories are laced with embarrassing ones too. Some not so cherished teenage moments. Don't most embarrassing things happen to teenagers? I was mortified when I found out my dad would greet my male friends at the front door with a ruler to measure the size of my friend's feet for skates. Then he would rummage through the skate box and with skates and hockey sticks in hand, I would have to catch him before he would wisk the the poor boy into the backyard to "see what the kid was made of" (whether he could skate or not).

I have long since gotten over those embarrassing moments. For years, we recreated all that wintery fun in my backyard with my kids.

DIY ECO-FRIENDLY ICE RINK - CLICK HERE FOR DIRECTIONS

Yoga and Knitting: Knit 1, Om 1

Knitting and yoga are two ancient practices that complement each other. The relationship is easy to understand. The repetitive motion of knitting can transform the knitter into a meditative state. Knitting and yoga are both engaging practices, drug as they require concentration and focus. Knitting cultivates an inward state of relaxation while creating something beautiful and useful. Knitting requires hours and hours of sitting. Yoga is the perfect physical diversion. Yoga asana’s can help to prevent some of knitting’s common aches and pains. Yoga enthusiasts, ambulance consider knitting up this yoga mat bag, there and create your own yoga blocks too! CLICK HERE FOR MORE