Layering with natural fabrics

 Layering with natural textiles is a perfect step to take for success. As we are facing increasing vast ranges of temperatures in our daily lives. Natural fabrics are a the a great agent for redemption from heat. 

Silk 

Cloths have the ability to give us a tranquility and a sense of calm, especially when we take proactive options to choose high quality, outstanding, stunning natural fabrics such as silk, linen, hemp, and cotton. All those fabrics have varying levels of breathability  that allows for our own bodies to moderate and cool, assisting in keeping us stylish and refreshing. 

Linen

As we style and think deeply about what cloth we want to choose, we get the opportunity to realize our own potential as a fashion celebrant. Choosing how you layer your own silk, linen, hemp and cotton, will set your course for the day, and showcases your knowledge of the power of fashion! At Jcrewthrifted you can find all your cool fashion needs. 

Stay cool and blessed! 

Xoxo Frolicking Americana 

Finding that little piece of treasure

 Finding the perfect fashion piece is the thrill of the hunt! Recently, I was able to find the most dreamy gem, a Mila Schon purse. As my hands grazed the soft and luscious leather I knew it was a true rare find! One of my favorite things is a "new to me" purse that is leather and hand crafted, when you find quality you just know it. 

Leather is one of those items that you can tell right away from the smell and feel, as my eyes located the ideal features of this purse, I knew it was something that I needed to explore, the wonderfully hand stitched details made my heart swoon. When I saw the Milano Italy, I knew I had found the one. 

Milan, is one of the fun, artistic, fashionable cities in Italy, and as world traveler, it is one of my most memorable cities. What I enjoyed about the city is that people truly took joy, in fashion, life, food and beauty. They were not impressed by the name/brand but knew that beautifully handmade items and artisans should be respected, valued, and honored. As a fellow artist, I felt it was a treasured place, that had a culture and a history that was meant to be respected. 

Jcrewthrifted is not about a brand, but about finding the confidence you are looking for and obtaining high quality items, that will be durable, beautiful and will last the test of time. I encourage you to find the wonder in the small things in life and truly partake in the simple beauty of life. 

Sending you love, hope and joy!

Xoxox

Frolicking Americana.

Sponsors 

AKRON HONEY                                  UTOPIAN SEED

Maintaining the Goodness

Maintaining the the focus on the good things in our lives can be a challenging. There are so many distractions that can take our focus away from the good things happening in our lives and communities. Sometimes we have to pause and take a breath and enjoy the small treats of life. 

Browsing my closet, is a small treat that I an indulge in easily, and always brings such warmth. Roving my hands across the soft cottons, silks and linens, each item has a particular good memories, that invoke the feelings of charm and wonder. As my eye covers each item I am reminded of my family legacy of the Parms Cleaners in Akron, Ohio and how my family helped the community to look their best daily. 

Taking steps to maintain your natural fabrics can be a challenge, anyone from Ohio can tell you about the one time they put their wool sweater in the washer and ended up with a shrunken sweater that can fit a toddler. A lot of the washing rituals come with a  lot of trial and error, for example silk needs to be hand washed every time. At Jcrewthrifted we focus on only having the best vintage clothing and at Frolicking Americana we are focused on giving our readers the content they need to maintain the beauty of their clothing. 

Maintaining our skin is another way that you can focus on self care and taking joy everyday. My favorite skin product Thieves Hand and Body Wash I use is by Beauty by Apothecary a women led company that uses the highest quality ingredients that make the difference.  Taking moments of peace in these everyday moments allows us all the opportunity to explore, ourselves and what creates hope in all of us. It gives us a chance to explore, know, and partake in our skin, clothing and life. 

Sending you love, hope and charity! 

Xoxox 

Frolicking Americana

Thanks to our Sponsor Akron Honey 

Linen and Lemonade

There is nothing like linen clothing in the summer, it brings up memories of high fashion, sustainability, and culture. I have always thought of linen as the perfect summer outfit as it is chic, fun and cooling especially during the hot summer. 

As an avid lover of clothing, I have always found that exploring clothing beyond cotton fabric, is always a great start to a grand adventure. Linen comes from the flax plant family Linaceae and for all those organic, crunchy, health advocates it is also a seed that you can eat. I am always down for a good two for one deal, and with flax it is as good as it gets! 

Flax can be made into beautiful, stunning, fabulous linen yarn, flax seeds that can be harvested and eaten, (pro tip you can grow out your own flax)  and you can make linseed oil. Hello,  pork chops and potatoes frying up in a vintage caste iron pan (check out my  instagram  jcrewthrifted for pictures of the pork chops and lemonade). Many countries around the world grow out large quantities of flax for all the numerous uses above. (here's looking at you China and our friendly neighbors Canada.)

Lemonade is also a tradition of summer and allows us to connect to our childhood memories of fun in the sun and the carefree summers, before work, and life responsibilities have taken their place. I encourage you to still enjoy the summer season, get out into nature and enjoy all the sights and sounds in the woods. Studies have shown and deep forest time several times a week and helps with depression and anxiety and increases out health outcomes. 

During the hot season I have started to create my own secret family recipes of lemonades, each bright, fun and flirty that are perfect to pair with a beautiful linen top. I wish you a happy and healthy summer, and I toast you for being you. 

Xoxo, 

Frolicking Americana, 



Parms Family Secret Lemonade Recipe
Take one large mason jar
Add water
Cut 2 lemons add to water
Cut 2 limes add to water
Cut 1 Orange add to water
2 tablespoons of honey add 
Cover with a lid and leave out in the sun for 30 minutes to 1 hour. 

Enjoy

Special Thanks to our Sponsor Akron Honey 

JcrewThrifted Creating Joy in Vintage Fashion

 

Fashion is about individual style and gives us all a way to express ourselves, values and culture. That is one of things that drew me to vintage shopping, I was able to see the cultural changes of our society through clothes. Seeing the changes in construction, fabric choices and color selection as trends in fashion are always changing. Rejoicing in the clothing trends, colors, and boundaries lines that are broken through the expression of fashion. No need to ask for forgiveness for your fashion choices, it is about the rejoicing in the better day of great fashion.

Vintage clothing allows for one to assess and see what is important to you in an outfit. Are you particular about the types of fabrics that will drape your body? Partial to the smoothness and comfort of silk, and the way the fabric is so breathable during the hot summers? Or do you believe that cotton is king, a fabric that is durable, sustainable and can take a beating and keep on ticking, looking stunning, fashionable and fun. Linen has historically been used amongst many cultures because of its' ease of use, coolness during the heat and a fabric that is light to pack.

As fast fashion has gained in our society, there has been a pushback to high quality clothes that are hand crafted and made with care. Clothing that is made to last, is the way to shop, because you can keep your favorite clothes longer. Finding vintage clothing that is impressive, fun and reasonably priced. To find freedom, and victory in vintage fashion, to see joy, hope, peace through the fashion process. 

That's why I started Jcrewthrifted to give people an opportunity to enjoy the beauty of high quality clothing at a great price. Vintage clothing is an opportunity to create your own space in fashion to express yourself and to explore the beauty of colors and fabrics. Make all things new and fresh with your own take on clothing. As you start your journey I encourage to find the perfect outfits for your lifestyle and way of life. Become the life of party in your Jcrewthrifted fits, and enjoy vida! 

https://www.instagram.com/jcrewthrifted/

Using Every Part......

When I picked up my organic, local heritage Duroc pig at the Caughman's Meat Plant, it had all the usual parts, pork chops, ribs, ham and ground pork. My favorite is the ground pork, it is so versatile, easy to use and every time I cook it, it tastes amazing. Ribs are my second favorite, but unfortunately a pig only has so many ribs, so its limited how many times we have ribs for dinner. Hams are large and I can make many meals out of one ham which is such a great value. 

When you have a whole pig processed you get the regular cuts of meat but you also get things like neck bones, jowls, liver and the whole pig head. I give the pig head and other parts to a family friend who usually has a bunch of people over for a pig party. Which is such a great idea, who doesn't love a party? 

Since I had these extra parts of a pig that I normally don't know about or use, I decided to start experimenting with the neck bones and jowls. What my research has shown, is that neck bones make the most delicious broth, that is fragrant and meaty. I cook up onions garlic and a carrot with the neck bones, add water and let simmer for two to three hours. I then freeze that broth for soups, tomato sauces, gravy, ect. 

When I cook using the Duroc pork broth, it adds a special element to the cooking that is meaningful and delicious. Using every part of the animal is a great way to be economical and ecological, not letting any part of the animal go to waste. 

Life is about making memories and having experiences, when I daily take the time and effort to cook for my family, I feel great, because I am making great memories for my family. 


Sending you love and happiness in the New Year! 


XOXOXO,


Frolicking Americana

A coconut dream

When you think of a coconut one would think of warm beaches, sunny skies and tropical weather. All those things are true, but I especially use coconut when the weather turns cool. I especially love coconut cream. It is creamy, smooth and delicious, and always digests well. Unlike milk it is less likely to curdle in your tea and it evokes in every sip a slight nutty flavor.

Also, I buy a particular brand of coconut milk that I buy in Atlanta at the Dekalb Farmers market. Which is a huge market that has everything one your imagine. There is a meat, deli, vegetable, cheese, spices, coffees, teas and much more. What I enjoy about the store is that I can purchase large cases of coconut milk and stock up for future use. Many times while I am shopping another customer will ask me, what are you going to use all that coconut for, and I just smile and say I love coconut.

Coconut milk can be used in teas, coffee, cookies, cakes and right now I am using it in my homemade breads. I love that it adds extra flavor, and depth to each loaf. Coconut milk has vitamins C, E, and load of B vitamins, as well as minerals including iron, selenium, and magnesium. So when you are drinking coconut milk you are really drinking to your health!



Cheers,

XOXO

Frolicking Americana