• Fashion,  Home keeping,  Lifestyle

    Ironing and Pressing, Aren’t They the Same Thing?

    The terms ironing and pressing are sometimes used interchangeably but they are not the same thing. One removes wrinkles and the other is used most often in clothing construction. Some modern fibers have dramatically decreased the need for ironing; knits can be washed and hung on hangers to dry, which greatly speeds the chore of weekly washing and caring for clothes. Natural fibers like cotton and linen -my favorite go-to summer fabric- require ironing to achieve that crisp look. When I put on a linen dress or blouse, it has to be well-ironed and free of wrinkles. As the day wears on, I’m fine with the creases and wrinkles that…

  • Home keeping

    Fall Cleaning

    Fall cleaning time is here. What’s that you say? Never heard of it? Fall cleaning is preparing your home for the coming season of winter. It is a deep clean of each room in the home; clearing away the dust and grime that has entered over the summer months when we open windows and patio doors to enjoy fresh air and natural breezes. Still not convinced? Take a quick look at a few windowsills around your home. Pretty dirty, huh? That is the dirt that makes its way inside. How about under the beds and behind furniture? Is it covered in dust tumbleweeds? This is the dust that is inside…

  • bed sheets hanging to dry in the fresh air
    Home keeping

    Hanging Laundry in the Fresh Air

    Hanging laundry outside in the fresh air says clean and ‘home’. I think it’s satisfying to watch your clothes drying outdoors in the sun. There is something soothing about watching the breeze catch and gently float the clothes. Or to hear the occasional loud ‘flap’ when a strong wind them whips them back and forth. The clothes dryer reliance is largely an American one. In Europe, you will find laundry hung on nearly every balcony of Italian homes. It can be from multiple stationary lines, strung from one side of the balcony to the other. Or ‘Stendibiancheria da balcone‘, a metal frame with lines of plastic covered wire, which juts…