A Hint of Mint

Growing bug free vegetables is the challenge of every gardener. No matter which part of the world you may live in, the bugs come seeking to devour your precious plants. Rather than use insecticide, there are many natural methods to repelling these bothersome creatures.

Mint is a common herb but one that can help in this endeavor. It is a hardy plant, and it can grow in almost any environment. It brings a fresh fragrance to your garden, but it also serves as a bug deterrent to ants, flies, fleas and even mice. It doesn't just repel, though. It attracts a gardener's favorite friend: the earthworm.

 To begin planting mint, you can start from a seed or buy a plant. Buying the plant is suggested since mint takes longer than others to sprout and come to maturity. Make sure to plant the mint in a location that will receive the bright morning sun but some shade in the afternoon.

The one downfall to mint are its roots. Although it will not choke your other plants, it can quickly take over a garden. It spreads its roots outward while sprouting new leaves, and it can soon become a pesky weed rather than a simple bug deterrent plant. To keep it in check, many have suggested the use of mulch around the plant as well as constant thinning.

As it matures, the mint will continue to grow steadily, and its leaves can be used for many things inside the kitchen. One of my favorite things to do with mint is add it to my black tea. This gives it a lovely, subtle hint of flavor.

Mint is a perfect plant to add to your garden bed for this growing season. Enjoy gardening! :)

-----Amanda

Vintage Shopping on Etsy

From antique malls to yard sales, one can hunt for that perfect item that will spruce up the living room or those perfect vintage shoes that will add pizazz to your wardrobe. Shopping, as we know, can be an adventure filled with surprise and disappointment. Hunting down that 1950's rotary phone that would look great on your shelf can be quite a task, but here, we hope to help you narrow down your options of vintage sellers that can be found on the wonderful site of Etsy.

AttentionVintage is a great shop filled with fantastic vintage finds and beautiful photos of products. Browsing through the shop, you feel as if you have stepping into a vintage shop on your street corner. From glasses to clothespins, this little shop has finds that you will fall in love with.

Vintage Toy Cowboys

Vintage Lighter

Vintage Handmade Bees

ReverseChronology takes on the task of combining a shop with handmade and vintage items. Located in Portland, the owners are a couple in love with vintage, art and old cars. Their shop has unique items that can fit your needs in fantastic clothes, vintage love, and handmade decor. Check out their shop as well as their art shop.

Bird in a Jar Diorama

1943 Short Spanish Review Grammar Book

Hand-Painted Kitchen Utensils

The last shop on this fantastic list is The Things That Were. Located in Bulgaria, this gorgeous shop holds wonderful items and fun photos. Recently discovering his love for vintage, the shop owner enjoys discovering and giving items a new purpose. Check out his vintage shop for fun finds, vintage clothes, and more! He also runs a fantastic photography shop if you want some beautiful wall decor.

Vintage Industrial Scissors

Karls-on-the-Roof Vintage Badge

Ukranian Plastic Doorbell

Enjoy shopping vintage lovers!

Shopping Vintage: Week 4

Picking out your next unique piece of jewelry or vase for your table has never been easier with the vintage category on Etsy. Making life even easier for vintage buyers is an Etsy team called Etsy Vintage Elite. Here, you can discover vintage and antique items from over 100 vintage stores. These are three beautifully put together stores from this team where you can find a large array of classic items.

The first store is called Reconstitutions. Their slogan is "filling the present with the past", and you can do exactly that with their store. With beautiful, bright photos, their store has a large amount of decor and vintage items for the kitchen. The store owner is from Kentucky and has been instilled with a love for vintage since she was a child. Check out her About page and store! Here are some of her fabulous items below.

Victorian Floral Brooch

Colorful Enamelware Saucepan

Vintage Car Planter

The second fantastic vintage shop is Larch Trading Co.  This little Etsy shop is filled to the brim with wonderful vintage items that can be used to decorate or use. From cameras to typewrites to odds and ends, this little shop is the vintage place to go for that unique decor item for your house!

Aqua Blue Typewriter

Blue Rotary Telephone

Mid Century Wood Canisters

Located in Astoria, Oregon, this little vintage Etsy shop is called PASTORIA Vintage. With over 250 items in her shop, there are many things to choose from. The owner is passionate about vintage and loves the stories behind the items she finds. Living in a 1896 farmhouse, she brings you a beautiful shop with fabulous items to pick through. Check out her shop!

Vintage Metal Wall Hanging

Vintage Liz Sport Color Plaid Shirt

Vintage Camping Stool

Hope you enjoy these shops and more! I apologize for the delay in blogging these wonderful vintage finds, but now I am back and will continue to post our wonderful Etsy comrades for your shopping pleasure.

Etsy Vintage Elite: HAPPY ANNIVERSARY EVEteam!

Such an amazing team to be apart of! Celebrate with us! Every shop is have a 10% off sale with the use of the coupon "eveteam". Hats off to vintage!

Etsy Vintage Elite: HAPPY ANNIVERSARY EVEteam!: By far, the most wonderful team! Not only are each and every one of you totally awesome! But look how many photos I received!! So darn cool...

Vintage Sale from over 100 Etsy Vintage Shops!

EVETEAM ANNIVERSARY SALE! Sunday, May 12th to Saturday, May 18th, midnight to midnight. Save 10% on fabulous vintage finds from over 100 participating shops HERE by using coupon code “eveteam.” 

An Open Letter To Moms from Kid President

Happy Mother's Day. :)

Etsy Vintage Elite: EVE Team Review: Best Shops of the Week

Etsy Vintage Elite: EVE Team Review: Best Shops of the Week: It's May Day! Off we go full speed into Spring. I'm thinking gardens, wild flowers, fairies, and green fields. :) Check out these wonderful shops!