Love is in the air

Can you smell it? Take a deep breath…..LOVE is in the air. Most of us know what LOVE feels like…..an intense feeling of deep affection.  But what exactly does LOVE smell like? 

When you were in grade school did you ever borrow your boyfriend’s cologne to spray on your bedroom pillow? I admit it, I did.  But why? Memories, emotions and feelings are often triggered by our sense of smell.  Scent has the power to evoke memories which then can affect what we are feeling (emotionally and physically).   In my teens, LOVE smelled like Cool Water cologne.  

Now years later, happily married with 2 boys.  LOVE smells a little different. Sometimes LOVE smells like the scent of my children when they were little, after playing outside, warm and sweet with a tiny hint of musk. My husband the woodworker; woodsy with a hint of spice. Sweet flowers picked fresh from our garden.   And home…..cozy and warm.

Just in time for Valentine’s Day, I am excited to share one of my new Dahl Farmhouse Signature Scents: LOVE

The Dahl Farmhouse LOVE candle and wax melts are available now,

https://www.etsy.com/shop/TheDahlFarmhouse

Subtle Scent of Fall

It’s scientifically proven that smell, sights and sensations generate unconscious associations with happy memories.  

I’ve created The Dahl Farmhouse Seasonal Scent FALL candle. It captures the subtle scent of Earth’s transforming beauty and abundance of FALL.
The warm and inviting fragrance is the perfect balance of cinnamon, a hint of citrus, the sweetness of apples, fallen leaves and spice.

Let’s be honest, life is busy. You might not have time to mark off all the things on your fall bucket list: apple picking, hay rides, frolicking through the forest….but you don’t have to miss out on the memories of fall. When you light the Dahl Farmhouse FALL candle; one breath and the wonderful memories of fall will fill your heart and soul and elicit the subtle warm feelings of fall.

CANDLES

are made from 100% all natural American grown Soy.
Hand crafted (by me) in small batches in our farmhouse kitchen.
Made with premium phthalate free fragrance and essential oils.
Free from carcinogens, reproductive toxins and other potentially hazardous chemicals often found in fragrance.

VESSELS

are elegant but unpretentious, with a rounded base for a streamlined silhouette. With a modern, soft-touch matte finish. The ceramic vessel can be repurposed into a storage container or planter.

LID

Simple and modern bamboo wooden lid. Bamboo is a renewable, sustainable resource, which makes this lid eco-friendly as well as beautiful.

CANDLE CARE

Burn your candle 1-4 hours. Trim wick back to 1/4″ before each use. Keep wax pool free of debris. Burn on a flat service away from fabrics. Keep out of reach from children and/or pets.

ENJOY,

Tori

To purchase The Dahl Farmhouse Fall Candle visit

https://www.etsy.com/shop/TheDahlFarmhouse

What are Wax Melts?

Imagine a candle without a wick.  Now imagine cutting the candle into one inch by one inch tiny cubes.  Simply said, wax melts are cubes of 100% scented soy wax.   Wax melts are heated with electric wax melt warmers or tea light wax warmers.    When the wax is warm, within minutes, scent is released into the air.  Each wax melt cube provides at 8-12 hours of scent.  

The Dahl Farmhouse Spring Wax Melt

Benefits of wax melts and wax warmers: 

Warmers come in various styles to fit your home decor

With the use of low light, warmers create a soothing ambiance 

Most warmers may be left unattended

Warmers may act as night lights

Wax Melts have longer burning times than candles

Electric warmers are permitted for use in places where open flames are not allowed (work, offices, dorm rooms, etc.).

Electric warmers may be used around pets and children; no open flame. 

You can control the amount of scent by the amount of wax you melt.

They don’t create soot as candles do.

Wax melts can make creative and cute gifts.

Electric Wax Warmers

Use a 7-15 watt light bulbs to warm the wax  

Tea Light Wax Warmers

Use one tea light candle to warm the wax

To Purchase The Dahl Farmhouse Seasonal Scent Wax Melts Visit

https://www.etsy.com/shop/TheDahlFarmhouse

The Scent of Solitude

2 years ago I converted our unused guest room into my home office. I had no idea how much I would come to depend on my home office during these past 12 months. My husband works from home and (thanks to 2020) I now have 2 teenage boys at home attending online school. I went from having a few hours everyday (while my kids were in school) to zero time alone. During this past year, my office has became my sanctuary where I find solitude.

Don’t get me wrong, I love having this extra time with my children. 98% of the time the door to my office remains open. Throughout the day, my kids pop in, sit on the bed and share this or that. But…..on those rare days, for whatever reason, when I need my space, I shut my office door. This is their signal, which indicates, do not disturb, mom is seeking solitude.

I turn on the classical station, grab a book, snuggle under a cozy knit blanket, take a deep breath and read. Awe, the comfort of a little peace, quite and solitude does wonders to restore my soul.

It was during one of these quite moments of solitude when I knew I had to create a seasonal scent to capture this feeling.

The Dahl Farmhouse Seasonal Scent, Solitude.

Solitude Wax Melts and Linen Spray

Solitude Reed Diffuser

Perfect for your home office desk

To Purchase The Dahl Farmhouse Seasonal Scents Wax Melts and Linen Sprays

visit https://www.etsy.com/shop/TheDahlFarmhouse

The Dahl Farmhouse Seasonal Scents

I’ve spent the past few years sharing decor and seasonal designs of our home, The Dahl Farmhouse.   What I’ve never shared, but have always been passionate about, is creating a warm and inviting atmosphere in our home using scent to capture the wonderful essence of mother nature each season.   

My passion for scent began when I was a little girl.  I grew up on 3 acres in the Texas hill country. Mountain Laurel grew wild and every spring the branches would bloom with beautiful and fragrant blossoms.  Growing up I would wake up early to the sound of the lawnmower every Saturday morning.  From March until April, while the blossoms bloomed and the weather permitted, I would throw open my window and the scent of freshly cut grass combined with the scent of Mountain Laurel would fill my room.   Throughout my life scent has continued to play an integral part of creating a warm and inviting atmosphere in my home. As well as evoking fond memories from my childhood.

The sense of smell is unique among our five senses. Memories, emotions and feelings are often triggered by our sense of smell.  The  limbic system in the brain controls emotions, memory and creativity. The olfactory system of the brain processes smell.  When we smell, these two parts of the brain interact and are responsible for emotional memories.  

Scent is a word that is used to describe a fragrance.  We smell scents, therefore, scent has the power to evoke memories which then can affect what we are feeling (emotionally and physically).   

For the past 12 months

I have been working on developing a line of light, fresh and clean scents intended to capture the wonderful essence of Mother Nature each season. The line includes 100% soy wax melts and linen sprays for the home. 

Introducing……..

Why Wax Melts? 

Wax melts are a  great flameless alternative to candles.  On a few too many occasions I have left candles burning while not at home.  I made the switch from candles to electric wax melt warmers (set on timers) and now when I hurry out the door I don’t have to worry about open flames. 

Why Soy Wax?  

Soy wax is made from the oil of soybeans.  The soy wax I use for my melts is eco-friendly, renewable, sustainable and 100% American grown. This is especially important to me. I grew up spending summers at my grandparents’ soy bean and corn farm in Nebraska.  The Dahl Farmhouse wax melts are crafted by hand, by me, in small batches in my kitchen.  Wax melts are then cured and stored for two weeks. 

Clean Scents

I’ve spent months developing signature scents for every season. Each one is hand crafted with premium phthalate free fragrance and essential oils. Free from carcinogens, reproductive toxins and other potentially hazardous chemicals often found in fragrance.

Hand Crafted Room and Linen Spray

Each 4oz Linen and Room Spray in careful made (by me) with Witch Hazel, distilled water and phthalate free fragrance.

Packaging

It was important to not only create a line of clean, eco-friendly products, but to curate renewable and sustainable packaging for The Dahl Farmhouse Seasonal Scents. Wax melts are packaged in 100% cotton reusable drawstring bags. Room and linen sprays are packaged in recyclable glass bottles.

The Dahl Farmhouse Seasonal Scents

Avaliable for purchase https://www.etsy.com/shop/TheDahlFarmhouse

The Dahl Farmhouse Seasonal Scent Summer. Avaliable June 1, 2021

The Dahl Farmhouse Seasonal Scent Fall will be avaliable September 1, 2021

The Dahl Farmhouse Seasonal Scent Winter will be avaliable December 1, 2021

.

To purchase The Dahl Farmhouse Seasonal Scents

visit https://www.etsy.com/shop/TheDahlFarmhouse

When you fill your home with the The Dahl Farmhouse Seasonal Scents I hope they not only fill your home with the wonderful scent of the season, I hope they will evoke wonderful memories as well.

Enjoy!

Tori

Making a statement with Conversation Candy Hearts

In 5th grade I opened a Valentine (from the cutest boy in class) and tucked inside was a conversation candy heart that read, Be Mine. My heart skipped a beat when I thought he was asking me to go steady. My heart was quickly shattered when I learned he had given a candy heart to every girl in class.

I still have fond memories of conversation candy hearts but these days instead of receiving them as Valentines I incorporate these sweet treats in my Valentines Decor.

After purging 10 tubs of holiday decor from our attic, thanks to what I call the 2020 Purge, I realized I had to pivot my Valentines decor to align with my new simplistic decor style. Remembering I had ziplock bags of candy hearts stored in the freezer (left over from 2 years ago); I gathered other supplies from around the house to create a Conversation Heart Centerpiece for our kitchen island.

Conversation Heart Centerpiece

Conversation Heart Centerpiece

How to Make it

Using a 3 gallon acrylic fish tank, measuring 12″ H x 9″ W, insert a smaller clear glass votive holder into the center on the larger vessel.

Leaving the center vessel empty, add candy hearts up to the rim of the center vessel. I used 8 bags of candy to fill the container, totaling 3,234 candy hearts but who’s counting?

Insert fresh flowers, faux flowers or a plant into the center vessel. TIP: I covered the plant with a paper plate to add more candy hearts to the vessel.

I completed the centerpiece by adding a metal Valentine Conversation Heart stake from the Round Top Collection, http://www.shop.thertc.com

A few other simple Valentine Conversation Heart Statement Piece Ideas

If you don’t have any children or pets who could potentially eat the candy, fill a tray with conversation hearts and add a simple flower arrangement.

Fill a clear container 1/3 of the way and add a candle.

Helpful Hint

After Valentines Day , store the candy hearts in ziplock zipper bags in the freezer to reuse next year.

Happy Valentines Day.

All you need is love.

(and lots of candy hearts)

Creating a St. Patricks Day Breakfast your little leprechauns will never forget.

You do not have to be Irish (or a leprechaun) to celebrate St. Patricks Day. It’s a day to celebrate blessings, luck and all things green.

The taste, smell and SIGHT of food can bring back memories of a certain place and time. Creative presentation is one of the simplest way to turn ordinary food into memorable meals.

3 simple St. Patricks Day Breakfast ideas your little leprechauns will never forget.

Semi-Homemade 4 Leaf Clover Cinnamon Rolls

1 package of cinnamon rolls, frosting, green food coloring and green sprinkles
2 cinnamon rolls make one 4 leaf clover. Unroll the prepackaged rolls and roll into longer sections to create the leaves and stem.
Add 1-4 drops of food coloring to 1/2 C of frosting to create your desired shade of green.

BAKE according to package directions. Let cool and frost. Finish it off with a hand written note.

“May GOOD LUCK be with you wherever you go and your BLESSINGS outnumber the SHAMROCKS that grow.”

-unknown

Lucky Charms, the magically delicious cereal

Make morning cereal a little more magical this St. Patricks Day by sorting Lucky Charms cereal & marshmallows. Serve just the green shamrock marshmallows in milk.

Milk served with SHAMROCK milk cubes

Shamrock candy mold purchased at Michael’s Craft Store. Add 4 drops of green food coloring to 1 C of milk. Pour colored milk into candy mold. Freeze 1-2 hours.
Serve in a cold glass of milk.

Shamrock Covered Kitchen

Simple shamrock cut outs can be crafted at home with green construction paper or purchased online or at your local craft store.

Every St. Patricks Day, my little leprechauns wake up to a Shamrock filled kitchen, to remind them (just in case they forgot) how blessed and lucky I am to be their mom.

Food For Thought

Creating memorable moments in the kitchen does not always require hours of preparation. Sometimes its the simplest ideas that will create the longest lasting memories.

Seasonal grocery store flowers styled with fruits and veggies

Most grocery stores offer a beautiful selection of seasonal prepackaged bouquets as well as an assortment of a variety of individually wrapped blooms you can purchase to create your own one-of-a-kind arrangement. But don’t head to the check out after selecting your blooms. Head over to the produce section.

Grocery store blooms accented
with artichokes

Simple Steps to have you styling flowers (and produce) like the pro’s.

1.Floral Selection: Don’t overthink it when selecting flowers. I often select blooms that coordinate with the decor of my home.

PRO TIP: Flowers have expiration dates marked on their wrapping. Just like picking packaged lettuce, select the stems with the longer expiration date.

Thinking Outside of the Floral Department: After selecting your flowers head over to the produce section. Oranges, apples, strawberries, artichokes, lemons provide beautiful texture, color and add an element of surprise to any arrangement.

2. Tools of the Trade: Floral tape, scissors and wooden skewers

Waterproof floral tape may be purchased at any local craft store or on online.

Cut strips of floral tape and make a grid on top of a vase or container to hold arrangements in place.

PRO TIP: always cut at least 1/4″ off of the stem before arranging. This allows water to be absorbed by the stem.

Insert a wooden skewer into the fruit or veggie and add to the arrangement using the Design Rule of Three. Things arranged in odd numbers are visually appealing to the human eye.  Slice the oranges and lemons before adding them into your arrangement and they will provide a wonderful aroma to your blooms.

Putting it all Together

Rhythm and Balance. Balance does not necessarily mean symmetrical. When you are finished arranging your flowers, step back and take a look. Your eye should “move across” the arrangement rather than honing in on one spot. Keep arranging until you find your rhythm and balance. Your eyes will know when you’ve created a beautiful and balanced arrangement.