I absolutely love to decorate our house for Christmas, especially the trees. I just unpacked our ornaments (25 years worth!) and I'm surprised at how many beeswax ornaments I own and how lovely they look mixed in with my collection of blown glass ornaments and handmade paper baubles.
Today I wanted to share a quick tip with you on how to remove the dry white bloom on your beeswax ornaments and candles. All they need is a quick burst of air from a hair dryer! I have 2 identical Santa ornaments to showcase the difference: before (left) and after (right) a bit of hot air.
Be careful not to melt the beeswax - don't hold the hot air source too close to the ornament or for too long. You may see a greasy sheen appear, but relax, the beeswax will firm up once you stop the hot air and your ornament will look fresh and new.
It's also worth noting that I gave my beeswax ornaments the hot air treatment last week and they still look smooth and honey colored- no bloom has returned.
There aren't any presents under the tree yet and I still need to make and hang my gingerbread men, but our Christmas tree already looks beautiful. All of our decorations have been in storage for the last 2 years and it was a happy reunion when we unwrapped them and found that none of our fragile ornaments broke on the trip cross-country. Hallelujah! Remember when I decided to pack most of my vintage ornaments in Costco apple containers? I added a layer of bubble wrap and it worked perfectly!
I am covering the 2016 Northwest Flower and Garden Show to provide insight and increase enjoyment. My blog posts will spotlight specific categories and will leave a trail a breadcrumbs to help my readers find the items or features that will interest them the most. The categories are: Apartment Living, Farm Chic, French Flair, Romantic Touch, Love of Cuisine and Bee Specific.
Gardeners know that bees are everything. I noticed all kinds of bee and honey related items in the show and I want to put them in the spotlight and encourage you to help keep the bees in Washington state strong. I thought these mason bee homes were very interesting and they are on the shelf in McLendon Hardware (booth 2434, green, Plant Market).
To brush up on the necessity of bees, you can sit in on a free seminar:
"Beneficial Orchard Mason Bees: Our Northwest Native Pollinator" on Friday, Feb 19 at 10 am on the DIY Stage
or
"Gardening 101: Protecting Vital Wildlife and Pollinators" on Saturday, Feb 20 at 2:15 pm in the Rainier Room.
Bee sure to look for Bainbridge Beewax Works (booth 2150) which offers exquisitely designed beeswax pillars. Burn them if you must, I would leave them in their natural glory as art on the shelf- delicate vines and flowers twisting round and round.
Have you ever served white cheddar cheese with a slice of apple and a dab of honey on a cracker? It is delicious! Tarboo Creek Honey (booth 2426, green, Plant Market) is selling gorgeous jars of honey (above) and beeswax candles from their own bees. We tried a sample and bought a jar on the spot.
Northwest Flower and Garden Show at the Washington State Convention Center in Seattle. Show is open Wednesday, Feb 16 - Saturday, Feb 20 from 9am- 8pm, and Sunday, Feb 21 from 9am - 6pm.
#NWFGS #springinfeb #seattle
Isn't this beautiful! I stopped in my favorite bee-inspired store, Bedazzled (in Benzie County) this Summer and behind the counter was this display. Except it isn't a display at all, this is simply a rack that allows candles to set/cure after making them.
The shop girl had just finished dipping these outstanding beeswax tapers. The scent was heavenly and I bought some (that were packaged and ready) on the spot. When I asked her if I could take this photo, she quickly and casually blurted out, "Sure!" To her, this display represented a job well done. To me, it was as beautiful as art.
For this third day of the 12 Days of Valentine's Day, why don't you delight in candlelight this evening.
I love this little place! Tucked away in northern Michigan, BeeDazzled is an herb garden and beeswax shop in Benzonia that specializes in "gifts from the hive." My favorite part is what you see here. Walking from the car and seeing this view. It smells like honey and Springtime and calm.
A favorite of mine is their lavender-scented lotion bars (when you hold them, the warmth of your hand melts the bar and releases the emollient oils) - they make wonderful hostess gifts.
So the next time you see a sign for a shop that sells honey, bee sure to stop in! You never know what handmade treasures you'll find.
A tray of just-made beeswax candles cooling on the porch of BeeDazzled, a store that specializes in "gifts from the hive." What I think is interesting about this photo is that the candles actually look like honeycomb. Do you see what I mean? A bee's life comes full circle.These candles smell heavenly too - like wax comfort. As my husband would say, these candles are the "bees knees."
I was out & about on Saturday adding details to my "Leelanau Tour #4" and I was lucky to arrive at my favorite beeswax place, Beedazzled, while they were making candles.
The sweet aroma of these votives is one of my favorite scents - they truly smell like honey. Plus the garden out front is lovely. When you walk on the path, your footsteps crush the herbal ground cover and your walk becomes scented. This is delight.
