february in the studio
February is perhaps my least favorite month. That may be why I’ve included an extra quartet of photos in this month’s post, I’ve been making an extra concerted effort to create and notice beautiful things and share them with you. One of the best antidotes I know for late winter days!
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above, clockwise from top left:
taking a few minutes whenever I can to enjoy the afternoon sunshine in the studio
packing up a beautiful parcel of treats for longtime stockist FOLK in Kittery, Maine
my second batch of paperwhites in full, glorious bloom. can’t recommend a constant supply of these enough.
pouring ever more tiny beeswax tapers. pure sunshine encapsulated.
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I’ve been celebrating what would have been Nina Simone’s birthday (February 21st) by keeping her on repeat this month…
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below, clockwise from top left:
blending up a fresh batch of our rose & cardamom assam tea. add a little finely grated fresh ginger while you simmer the tea with the milk, and then add a splash of rosewater before serving. a late winter lift par excellence!
just a little corner of the studio, freshly stocked with all the freshest vintage treasures
newly poured luminescences, in shades of petal and moonstone. a little shimmer goes a long way as the days grow longer.
more sunshine!
I couldn’t resist sharing a few more photos from behind the scenes this month. Also, I started a fantastic book, Entangled Life, recommended to me by my friend Elise. The wait list for it was long at the library, so I had to return it before I was finished reading, but I’m back in line with my ending page number in hand to pick back up where I left off. A real marvel, highly recommended!
below, clockwise from top left:
all the drafts so far of a new scent I’m working on based around the two precious bottles I have left of an exquisite geranium sur fleurs oil that I panic-bought before White Lotus Aromatics closed and rediscovered while taking inventory last month. it sounds like such a simple thing, to create a subtle network of support around a beautiful single oil without cluttering it up, but it really is a lengthy process. one I am very much enjoying, however. i’ll let you know when and if it will be ready to share.
meanwhile, my carnation fixation continues apace.
a freshly blended batch of our jasmine green tea facial masque has just arrived in the shop. this powerhouse is my current midweek evening treat while I soak in the bath, blended with raw honey and few spritzes of our forest facial tonic. clay masques mixed only with water or hydrosol can be a little drying for some people, especially this time of year, but the addition of raw honey makes it a perfectly balancing and renewing ritual. hope you’ll try this variation!
obsessed, what more can I say? have you tried grand street?
more winter musings
This month brings with it the celebrations fo the Lunar New Year outside our studio doors in Chinatown & the Lower East Side. Flowering quince branches and bundles of colorful carnations fill the shops, as family and friends reunite for the festivities…