Odds and Ends

There’s a file I save on my computer called odds and ends filled with items I find around the web, that for a variety of reasons, grab my attention. I recently reviewed the contents and found several things that went from file to shopping cart and will be making their way into my home.

Votive candles are taking a rest while I embrace the simplicity of tapers. I saw them used in restaurants and bars throughout my last two trips abroad (Scandanavia, Italy, England) and their beauty caught my eye a number of times. Single or grouped, they make an elegant statement. Floral Society makes a range of tapers in some of the prettiest muted colors around.

I have stacks of white linen napkins I rarely use. Audrey Louise Reynolds created a dye sourced from ingredients in nature – minerals, seaweed, flowers, earth, sea salt, coral, etc. – to safely alter pigment without harmful chemicals.  I plan on dyeing my white napkins to a soft blush pink, and then use them casually. The ecru and grey are also lovely shades.

With plastic straws on the out, a clever, eco-friendly alternative has surfaced. Biodegradable Hay! Straws are made from wheat and can be used for both hot or cold drinks without becoming soggy. The short, cocktail version will be a useful addition to our bar set up.

Using an old tradition of infusing cotton with beeswax, jojoba oil and tree resin, Sarah Kaeck created Bee’s Wrap – a washable, reusable and compostable alternative to plastic. It can be used to wrap cheese, vegetables, sandwiches, bread, just about anything except raw meat. See Bee’s Wrap for instructions on use and care for the wraps. Through 4/26, they’re celebrating Earth Week with free shipping at checkout using EARTHDAY19.