Freeze Your {Herbs}

Well, It's finally beginning to feel like summer here in NC! The hot weather and humidity are definitely keeping this girl indoors more than she would like. Having said that, I'm also getting a host projects done around the house because I've have been cooped up so much. There's a bright side to everything.

You know those moments when you say to yourself, "Why didn't I think of that?!"  I experienced just such a moment when I saw a Pin about freezing herbs.  This gardener has an amazing and informative blog that will leave you with more ambition for gardening than you'll know what to do with.  Well, at least it had that effect on me. I often find myself wasting a lot of my herbs because I don't have the time or recipes in which to use them.  Here's my solution!

I'm no expert here, but I can show you what I did through this process by following The Gardener's Eden tutorial (click on link above for more info).

Materials Needed:

• Ice cube trays or molds
• Fresh herbs
• Olive Oil or room temp water
• Zip-lock bags 

Step #1:
Gather fresh herbs from your garden. Here I am using pineapple sage (yum!).  Rinse, pick through herbs, and pat dry.

                           Freshly picked pineapple sage.

Step #2:

Tear herbs into desired sized pieces and place in ice cube trays. Here you will want to decide how you will be using your herbs in the coming months. Herbs used for soup can be frozen in room temp water, vegetable broth or chicken/beef bouillon. Herbs to be fried or roasted can be frozen in vegetable oil or olive oil. Freeze herbs in water to use in herbal teas. Fill trays with desired liquid.

                                 Place herbs in trays.

                         I used roughly 2 tbsp olive oil for pan-frying.

Step #3:

Place trays in freezer for 24 hours. Be sure to note the contents and liquid measurements of your trays, especially if you are freezing multiple varieties of herbs and liquids. 

Step #4:

Once removed from the freezer, pop the cubes out of the trays and place in labeled zip-lock bags.

Now all year round you will have access to those delicious herbs you've grown.  No more buying from the grocery store! And no more wasting the herbs that have been sitting in your garden too long.

Independence Day {Fashion}

Only Stars Sweat Top

Cambridge Satchel

Hilfiger Denim Flag Print T-shirt

Three Quarter Sleeve Top

Maisie Wedge

Metal Keeper Super Skinny Belt

Pencil Skirt

Above the Fold Dress

Deco of the Past Dress

Bow to Stern Scarf

American Flag Hairpins

Wayfarer Glasses

Stackable Bracelets

Starry Bib Necklace

Wishing Star Necklace

Monogram Wallet

United States Necklace

Happy {4th} Wreath

Each year I attempt to add to my seasonal decor by crafting for a new holiday. Last year I snagged a few awesome deals on July 4th decor so I decided to make it my "new" holiday this year.  Well, no holiday is good without a wreath to commemorate its coming.

Pretty simple, but I love the colors.

Materials needed:

• 2 grapevine wreaths
• 1 roll of 3" burlap ribbon
• 1 roll of 3" blue wire ribbon (I chose blue chevron)
• 1 roll of 1" red ribbon
• floral wire
• scissors

Step One:

Begin with about a 5" piece of wire and wrap it around the burlap and then through a few branches of the wreath. Twist the wire tightly so the burlap is snug against the wreath. 

 

Continue this process around the entire wreath until you have come to the point where you began. You will want to give each section quite a bit of slack so it "puffs."

Step Two:

Now begin a second trip around your wreath. This time you will weave the burlap back and forth in a zig-zag pattern over the first strip of burlap. Cut the first strip of burlap where you ended so you begin at a new starting point for the second strip. I tucked the second strip of burlap under the first at each connecting point so you couldn't tell where each ended and each began. 

This is what the wreath looks like after the second strip of burlap is added. You may have to adjust things here and there but remember it doesn't need to look perfect.

Step Three:

Here comes the color! My favorite part.  Layer the narrow ribbon over the wide ribbon.

Push the floral wire through both layers of ribbon and then attach it to the wreath.  Once again, tuck the connecting points beneath the burlap.

   

    

    

Step Four:

Making the bows. I only had a little bit of ribbon left over, so I couldn't do anything elaborate with the bows here. I folded a piece into thirds, overlapping the ends. 

Then I secured it by wrapping floral wire around it.

I then took a shorter piece of ribbon and tied it around the center, knotting it behind.  I attached it to the wreath with wire. 

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