Adding Style to Everyday Life

Sometimes life can become mundane, and the simple patterns of life repeat and repeat. An easy way to break the pattern of monotony is to add fabric accents to your home.

I could be adding new curtains, a rug, window treatments, table centerpieces or, a new outfit to wear out on the town. My favorite designer Yetunde Sarumi often gives me inspiration on how to add elegance to my home. Her company YS (Yetunde Sarumi) uses unique fabrics from West Africa to create stunning clothes that stand out and make an impact.

Drawing inspiration from her amazing collection, I used a piece of long fabric to create a curtain between the washroom and the mudroom. Every time I look at this personally curated curtain I am inspired to look for other ways to add simple elegance to my home.

Who knew, how easy it could be to create a warm and welcoming home.

                                       Picture of the curated curtain

Friendships are the best!

Friendships are crucial! I was so happy when my bestie from childhood arrived with her husband and two cute little ones to South Carolina. We had such a blast eating, laughing, and catching up. I realized that friendship, true friendship is so vital to life. With so much going on now a days its great to have a friend who will always have your back. 

While we were all outside enjoying the beautiful SC weather, my friend mentioned that the mosquitoes here were very strong and she had a ton of bites. My husband and I both laughed and said yes, at own house they are quite ferocious. Thankfully, my resourceful Mom was there and heard her comment, the first things she said was, April! Get your friend some essential oils! I ran into the house and retrieved the lime oil along with some apricot oil as a carrier oil. 

My friend tried the oil and it worked! She was so happy and so were all the rest of us. Soon all of us were doused in oils and thankfully mosquito proof! That way her sweet kids could enjoy the animals and the rest of us could laugh and giggle at their cute kiddie ways. 

Having an organic and sustainable life can sometimes seem hard in this past paced world, but really it can be easy to gradually add simple things that make your life easier and healthier.  Essential oils has been a boon for my family, and each oil has so many remedies for everyday household needs. From Eucalyptus when you aren't feeling well, to Lavender when you just need to relax there are thousands of oils and you can specialize which oil you want to use based on your needs. This is just one of the ways that I keep my family healthy and happy. 





What are some things that you do to be healthy at home? 

The start of a new journey.......

Life takes you many places and is in a constant flux. And so my life has changed, I've gone from a traveling single woman to a married woman who is focused on things at home. With this recent change, I have become more and more involved in the homestead movement. On the future posts for this blog, I will be writing about how to have a more organic and sustainable lifestyle. Quick and easy tips that will transform your life and make it easier to be healthy in this fast paced society. 

While living in Munich, Germany I loved being able to get amazing beers. It was such a pleasure to be able to stop by the grocery and purchase beer for 70 cents and bottled in a glass too! When I returned home I was shocked by the high price for beer, and most of the beer lacked the flavor and artisan love that I found in Germany. So my frugal Ohio-ways came into play and I decided if the price is too high, just make it yourself. I was overwhelmed by the complexities of making beer so I turned to making a simple wine.Thinking about what flowers/herbs I had on hand at home I decided that I had tons of mint, and would make a mint wine. After doing some extensive research I created my own Delicious and Refreshing Mint Wine Recipe. 

Delicious and Refreshing Mint Wine Recipe. 

1. Boil a little over a gallon of water

2. Add Mint 2 cups worth.

3. Boil on a high for 30 minutes. 

4. Add 3 cups of sugar let cool.

5. Once cool add to a gallon container, and add your yeast.

6. Let it sit for 3-4 weeks then bottle and rack. 

I hope you enjoy this refreshing treat as summer turns into fall. You can create this wine with many different kinds of  herbs. Later I will post another recipe that I created using a medley of herbs. 

What kind of wine would you create?