Entre Nous.

Lilac Mania

My obsession with lilacs has moved beyond the vase on my bedside table. They've bloomed rather early this year, what with our mild winter, and I was craving a way to preserve them post their bloom date. After seeing several friends posting on Instagram their clever lilac creations, I decided to tackle a few lilac DIYs of my own. I started yesterday by making lilac sugar. From there I made a small batch of lilac simple syrup and lilac ice cubes this afternoon. What with all this lilac deliciousness, a cocktail recipe or two will be in order soon! But that will have to wait until I'm post my 30 days no sugar. The irony of tackling these sugar laden projects when I can't consume a bit of it.

Lilac Sugar

• 1/2 cup lilac petals (stems and green bits removed)
• 1 cup sugar

Layer petals and sugar in a jar. Let stand in a cool dark location for a few days. Shake every now and then. Pick the petals out and now your sugar is ready to use.

Lilac Simple Syrup

• 1 cup water
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup lilac petals (stems and green bits removed)

Combine the water and sugar over medium heat on the stove. Heat until dissolved. Add the lilac petals and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from heat, drain through a sieve, bottle, and store in the refrigerator.

Lilac Ice Cubes

Self explanatory. Fill an ice cube tray with water then place a number of lilac petals, sans stems, in your tray then freeze.

Next I want to tackle lilac perfume. The one ingredient wonder. And I'm contemplating a lilac sugar scrub or bath salts. The scent seems right at home in a bathtub.

Lilac Perfume

• Fresh lilac petals
• Cheesecloth

Put 1 cup of lilac petals inside the bowl on top of the cheesecloth. Pour 2 cups of distilled water over the lilacs. Make sure they are completely covered. Place a plate on top of the bowl. Allow the flowers to soak overnight. Using the edges of cheesecloth pull it out of the bowl and gently squeeze the scented water into a small pot. Simmer the water until about 1 teaspoon is left. Let it cool. Pour your lilac perfume carefully into a dark glass bottle with a tight fitting lid and shake.

Shhh!

After spying Eugenia Kim's "Do Not Disturb" straw hat I instantly coveted it. Though after discovering the price point I was slightly appalled. I don't know about you, but I don't have $440 to spend on a straw hat. So I immediately started contemplating a DIY. I found a similar straw hat at Forever 21 for a whopping $8. Then at Jo-Ann's I purchased enough sequins to compose the text. I used super glue to adhere the words to the hat.

         

             

Et voilà!

Marble Easter Eggs

I've always been intrigued by the marbling nail polish technique. With Easter looming I thought why not give it a go on some Easter Eggs.    

       

Here's what you'll need: nail polish (obviously), disposable cups, lukewarm water (the polish will sink if the water isn't the right temperature), gloves (!!!) and something along the lines of a toothpick to create the marbling pattern

      

Directions: Dip one side of the egg in the cup, which will cover half the egg. Set the egg aside and let it dry. Once dry dip the other side. As a personal preference I actually preferred the look of the eggs with only part of their surface covered in polish.

      

The project is extremely messy, so gloves are a must. I would also suggest using the cheapest nail polish. I went through a bottle of OPI and a fair amount of my Butter London polishes, and they're a bit pricey to waste on Easter Eggs. Looking back, I'd also suggest tackling this project out of doors as that much polish in an indoor space can be headache inducing. The perk to using nail polish is that after the eggs are dry, you can go back and correct any imperfections with a q-tip soaked in nail polish remover.

Behind the Scenes

March's installment of 'Behind the Scenes' highlights Marisa of The Crafty Fox. Marisa and I have been friends since our early twenties. Which was just a few years ago, obviously. The way we met is quite an interesting tale, but best saved for another time. Marisa is one of those people who make you jealous by their layers of talent. She's a brilliant artist, designer, turtle rescuer, and also a musician. Her Etsy shop will be launching this spring. Brace yourself.

Collects  old books on fairy tales among many other things!

Admires  Squirrels. The way they can keep adapting to the crazy stuff humans do out there.. it's pretty amazing.

Daydreams  Ah… living in a little stone cottage, with a view of a darling little garden, with a cozy fireplace, a library room for all my books, and in the bathroom a large claw foot tub - preferably with Colin O'Donoghue soaking in it.

Guilty Pleasures  pizza & pie - my stomach is a bottomless pit for both

Weekend Pursuits  I don't really have weekends; everyday is just a day. But, on days I pull back, I do enjoy discovering a new town or falling down the rabbit hole of a new book.

Libation of Choice  Jameson with seltzer

Coffee or Tea  coffee, coffee, coffee!

Blooms of Choice  lilacs, lilly of the valley, monks hood and fox glove

Favorite Book  oh this is a toughie! For now I am going to name two "A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court" by Mark Twain and "Peter Pan in Kensington Garden"s by J.M. Barrie… but really who can pick just one?!?!

Where I’d Rather Be  in that bathroom with the large occupied claw foot tub - hey, whoa, what now!

Lipstick or Gloss of the Moment  Tarte's "Amazonian butter lipstick" in Plummy Rose

Nail Polish Du Jour  "Cerulean Rock" by Mineral fusion. It's a really pretty blue/green water nymphy colour

Signature Scent  when I remember to I wear a cream perfume called "Forest"

Style Icon  Chuck from Pushing Daisies

Can’t Leave the House Without  tissues, lipstick, a book, and a mug of coffee (I run errands with an actual mug - not a thermos or travelers type cup - of coffee)

Pending Vacations  Austin, Tx - Gilmore Girls reunion! <jumping on bed>

Social Media of Choice  I am not too media savvy - I use the Facebook as my website for now.

Crushing On  Colin O'Donoghue (he plays Hook on the show Once Upon A Time) Aye, aye Captain indeed!

Tiffany Pratt is My Spirit Animal

You know sometimes when you're feeling uninspired or life is getting you a little down? Yeah, me too. Well I've discovered the cure and her name is Tiffany Pratt. Every time I pull up one of her videos I feel instantly happier and more creative. With her signature orange locks and her unapologetic rainbow and unicorn style, she'll soon have you too under her spell.