AROMATHERAPY NECKLACE

  I have been asked a lot about aromatherapy jewelry for those who do not have their ears pierced. Well, here is the solution: aromatherapy necklace!

Now available on Nelland Boutique!

  It took a lot of research to find the proper type of pendant, because I want all my jewelry to be first and foremost be safe to wear. Essential oils are so strong, that I do not want to risk their contact with the skin.
  This pendant is solid in the back, so it will not leak any oil when in touch with clothing or the skin. The front is abundantly cut open for the oil to evaporate through, while still protecting clothes from staining.
  I fixed the pendant to the middle of the chain, so that it always stays in place, keeping the lock in it´s place in the neck as well.

  I welcome this new type of aromatherapy jewelry to my collection with open arms! On days when I want to wear teeny tiny stud earrings (on which it is impossible to add essential oil), I can now boost my being with aromatherapy via my new necklace! Cool!

  Check out more on Nelland Boutique on Etsy!

OSTARA EARRINGS

  These are the latest additions to the selection of my aromatherapy earrings. Designed and hand made by me, of pure wool, metal and glass, these earrings upgrade any look with a touch of sophistication. Pastel colors suit Ostara/spring perfectly, while white and blue suit any season.

  
  All available online on NellandBoutique, only 20 euro/pair (including shipping + handling worldwide).
  Needless to say, a pair of aromatherapy earrings make an excellent and unique gift idea!

CELEBRATE WINTER WITH COOL SNOWFLAKE EARRINGS

  Proud to present to you, the newest aromatherapy earrings! Enjoy and embrace the season in a new and beautiful way, and most of all, enjoy life.

These cute metal snowflakes are adorned with tiny "snowballs" (a.k.a. pearls  =). They complete your everyday look perfectly, making you hip and tuned in with the season. Classic snowflakes are easy to combine with anything, from jeans to blazers. 

For more festive occasions go these bigger and fancier earrings. Rhinestones glisten along with nature´s authentic snowflakes, making the bearer a sophisticated, but fun, classy beauty. Perfect for evening wear, and they go with any colored clothing!

  Add peppermint or eucalyptus essential oil on these earrings, and you feel as cool as you look!

  Both earrings are available on my online shop Nelland Boutique for 20/22e (incl. shipping & handling).

IMBOLC FASHION: SNOWFLAKES

  When I pulled out my Imbolc garderobe last week, I noticed, for my own surprise, that it was one outfit short. A slight setback, since I thought I had covered it all last year. Oh well, now I got to let my imagination fly again, and here´s the result:

A loose-fitting, light blue stretch jersey dress. I see Imbolc mainly in light blue and grey, so this outfit nails the essence of it, snowflakes and all.

These snowflakes I made three years ago, when expecting our daughter. Back then I still had the time and peace to work on something as time consuming and detailed as these. They are just right for this freezing wintery weather, turning cold into beauty. The dress fabric is quite thick and up close actually looks a bit like quilt material. =)

For once the makeup is showing! I repeated the cool light blue in my eyeshadow, binding the whole look together. Besides the eyeshadow the makeup is very natural. Only nude tones are used on the face, light beige on the cheeks and clear glittery gloss on the lips.

  It was a lot of fun creating and making this outfit. Now I´m kinda glad I was one outfit short!  =)

LAST MINUTE PRESENTS

  Last winter my son lost all but two pairs of his winter gloves. The same seems to continue this year, and I´m pretty upset about it truth be told. In the fall, when it begun to get cold, I bought him a pair of good quality gloves. He wore them twice, and on the third day he came home without them. He´d lost them already (I do not want to think anyone at school had stolen them...).

  This Christmas I´m happy to give him this gift, self made my mommy:
 

Four pairs of dark blue fleece mittens.

The fleece I use is thick, warm, and keeps the wind and snow out. As opposed to knitted mittens, fleece beats them clearly in wearability. And that´s what counts most in kids´ clothes.

In addition to being extremely great to wear, they´re also ridiculously easy to make. Simply draw the outline of your kid´s hand on paper, add 1/2 inch seam allowance (except to the tip of middle finger), and cut out of fleece. Then sew , right sides together, with a regular straight stitch as close to the edge as you can. Turn right side out and you´re done!

  In the fall and spring, when it´s still muddy and dirty, but chilly already, I like to place these fleece mittens inside the rubbery rain gloves to keep the little hands warm. After coming back inside it is so neat to pull the two gloves apart and they´ll dry easily and won´t stink at all!

BLACK & WHITE FOR WINTER

  Black and white is always a stylish choice, a classic combo that never goes out of style.
   Here´s my latest contribution to achieving the perfect look:

  All these earrings will not only make you look chic, but feel superb as well. They are aromatherapy earrings you can wear with a drop of any essential oil you like. Whether you need a kick in the morning, brighten up a rainy day, or spark up that relationship, there is an all natural oil for every occasion.
 You can get these earrings from my little shop Nelland Boutique!

MABON FASHION: SCOTTISH PLAIDS

  Alike all of my outfits, this one also comes from my imagination. It is an image that has formed in my head over the years as a result of all the things I´ve seen so far.

  Why I associate green plaids with the Scots, I do not know, but this style suits Mabon so well, that I need the look in my collection:

A dark green kilt-like mini-skirt with a tweed top.

I was sooo tempted to make a miniature beret of the skirt fabric, and attach it to a headband or something, but it would have made the look too costume-like. So instead I opted for a regular woolen dark brown beret, which repeats the color of the pants nicely binding the whole together.

The outfit consists of several smallish pieces, the shirt, mini-skirt, and pants, so I added only earrings as accessory. And remotely imitating a kilt, it is also somewhat masculine, so loads of jewelry did not seem appropriate.

Makeup is surprisingly colorful (which once again does not show properly in the pic, but take my word for it =) to balance the muted brown in the tweed-like jersey top. I added bright light green on the inner 2/3 of the moving lid to repeat the green of the skirt. It is of different hue, but green nonetheless. Then the rest of the face is accentuated with different types of brown. Medium brown on the outer 1/3 of the moving lid, beige blush on the cheeks, and beige lipgloss. The earrings are, naturally, my own aromatherapy ones made of coppery metal and white wool.

  This outfit replaces the kilt one I made a couple of years ago. The skirt back then ended up twisting around me as I moved, being a drag to wear. What I´ve done different this time is sewn the skirt straight on to the waist of the pants, so it is impossible for it to twist and move around.

SPIDERS & PEARLS FOR HALLOWEEN

  Time to start planning for Halloween! I made these cool and gloomy aromatherapy earrings (the only kind I wear anymore!) for starters. They set just the right mood.

Made of jewelry metal, felt, glass beads, and silver plated hooks. Now also available on Nelland Boutique.

  My latest love in essential oils is rosemary. The scent is fresh, similar to eucalyptus, yet woodsy, and suits fall, along with these spider earrings, perfectly. Rosemary gives more energy, revives memory, blood circulation, and hair growth, and eases aches and pains. Suits me!

PURE HOME FASHION: COUNTRY DENIM DRESS

  This fall I have begun to listen to country music through online radio stations. That´s practically the only way to hear it over here, and one can not even by accident stumple on anything country overall. It has to be sought after, or created by your own. That´s what I did when designing and making this new home dress for myself:

Basic denim and ruffles combined with browns. Since this outfit is for the real-world use, I did not add layers of white lace or ruffles (which was tempting, but not easy to wear without looking ridiculously over-the-board  =). And since country style is not common in my neighborhood, I wanted to give hints of it rather than go all the way with cowboy hats and boots.

This is an authentic milieu I wear the dress in.

I can even sit on a tree stump without dirt showing too much on the dress. A nicely carefree garment for home wear and with kids.

The necklace has a big silvery sunflower on it as a focal point. It adds the same country feeling as traditionally big belt buckles do, but in a more subtle and feminine way.

 The beads are from a craft store, and were readily assorted to match each other. Making wired jewelry is a new thing to me, and I have completely fallen for it. It creates an airy, light, and modern look to beading.

This is a good apple year, and I have eaten them soooo much. This pair of my aromatherapy earrings suit country style well, and they have been my favorite recently.

Yummy!

  I first ran into country music, and the culture around it, during my exchange year in Kentucky long ago. It felt bizarre and overwhelming to hear only country music, and see folks wear boots and hats and stuff. But I got used to it of course, and now it feels somehow nostalgic and intriguing.
  The movie Country Strong was on tv some time ago, and it inspired me even further. And as a funny coincidence, I learned recently that my sister has also listened to some country lately.

LAMMAS FASHION COLLECTION

  Yay, I have completed my Lammas garderobe!

#1: Linen & peach.

#2: Ragdoll.

This year I made a new necklace to the outfit. The wooden thread spools, of which I was looking for last year, finally reappeared in the craft store, and I was able to execute my initial plan.

#3: Mary had a little lamb.

The earrings are self-made aromatherapy ones.

#4: The nude hippie.

#5: Animal print dress.

Another pair of my aromatherapy earrings.

  Now seeing all the looks here one next to the other, I am pleased with the versatility. The overall feeling of the whole collection remains warm, natural, and calm. Just the way I like my Lammas to be. Happy!

LAMMAS FASHION: ANIMAL PRINT DRESS

  Animal print is a newcomer in my interests. Never until now have I thought it was for me, or for everyday wear. But when I saw this fabric in the shop earlier this summer, I just knew I had to include it in my Lammas collection somehow. Here´s how:

Tiger print is more interesting, and less seen, as the usual leopard, and it is also lighter colored. Two reasons I fell for the fabric. Plus it drapes beautifully and is cool in hot weather. But making the look casual enough for everyday wear was tricky. I did it by choosing a loose and simple pattern for the silhouette, and kept accessories in control. At my work I may meet people from all social classes, from the homeless to the president, all in one day. That sets an impossible challenge for a girl to dress properly to the occasion. So I just go with whatever I like, since I´m dressed wrong no matter.  =)

Ahh, I love these late summer/early fall warm days! I felt like a cat on a hot tin roof (quite literally in fact =).

Golden accessories are a must. The belt is important for creating, or showing, the feminine waistline, which is the key to all of my looks. That´s what separates us women from men, regardless of weight. I mean, men can even have boobs, but not a waist like us women. Let´s celebrate our femininity by showing it off!

Another important key to keeping the look casual is wearing minimal makeup. This classy lady does not look like she´s off hunting for men, does she? (And I´m not yet in cougar age either, so no worries there  =). My aromatherapy earrings here add to the exotic and oriental feeling, and if ylang ylang essential oil was used, the outcome would be quite tempting...

  Animal print goes well during Lammas because now the weather is at it´s warmest, and closest to the natural habitat of tigers and leopards and the kind. At first I was tempted to add a touch of safari style too, but found it too masculine after all. I feel very feminine in this outfit, and in a different and new kind of way. I´m so glad life is for learning and evolving, at all ages!

LITHA FASHION COLLECTION

  Here it is, finally, the whole of my diy Litha wardrobe at a glance:

"The Biker Boy". (I ditched the original diy jeans because the fabric ended up stretching a lot in use. I have not yet had time to make another pair, so for now I settle for my pair of demi curve Levi´s.)

"Minnie Mouse".

"National Dress of Nelland".

"Nautical Polka Dots".

"The Pirate". The cropped pants look really wide here, which they are not quite so when worn.

  I call this mission accomplished! (For a perfectionist there is always room for little fixing here and there, but is important to keep evolving, for the better that is.)