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Lady Violette

The Romantic Lifestyle

Archive for April, 2012

Vintage Violet Easter Spool Bunny ~ Happy Violette Easter!

Sunday, April 8th, 2012

Delightful Little Violet Easter Bunny Made From a Vintage Wooden Thread Spool!

I was looking for something delightful and old fashioned to make with children ages 4 and 6 to put in Easter baskets when I came across this delightful little spool bunny. He is so sweet! And a perfect Vintage Violette make-it-yourself art project! I was enchanted. And he is easy to make! So, here he is, to wish you a Happy Easter! Spool Bunnies. and directions to make them from vintage wooden thread spools and bits of felt. Happy Easter Everybody!

This and other cute craft projects are from the website Fun in the Making. net.

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Violet Ice Cream Recipe! A Lady Violette Dream Desert

Saturday, April 7th, 2012

Violet Ice Cream ~ A Lady Violette Dream Desert

I am dedicated to all things Violet and sharing them and found this Recipe for Violet Ice Cream  on Meera Freeman’s blog yesterday. I’m trying to get organized to make it this weekend. I literally have thousands of violets blooming in my yard. They are scattered throughout the grass as well as the flower beds which is alright with me!

Here is what she says:

After quite a bit of thought and fiddling around, I finally came up with a violet ice-cream recipe.  Not too much colour… very subtle flavour, most of it coming as an after-taste, like most perfumes  (think truffle, jasmine… an ethereal waft that floats between the nostrils and the tip of your tongue).

Violet Ice-cream

4 egg yolks
135g sugar
400 ml full cream milk
100 ml heavy cream, chilled
1 tbsp Monin violet syrup
1 tbsp violet liqueur (Creme de Violettes)
2 drops pink food colouring
2 drops blue food colouring

Heat the milk with half the sugar taking care not to let it boil.
Beat the yolks with the remaining sugar until the mixture is thick and white.
Slowly pour the heated milk over the yolk mixture, beating well.
Return the mixture to the saucepan and simmer, whisking continuously, until the mixture thickens slightly and coats the back of a spoon.
Make sure it doesn’t boil.  If you have a candy thermometer, the temperature of the mixture should reach 85°C.  Remove from the heat immediately. Stir well and add the chilled cream. Flavour with the violet syrup and liqueur and tint with the food colouring.
Cool completely and churn in an ice-cream churn.
Garnish with fresh or crystallised violets.

This is almost a frozen Violette Cocktail as it is flavored with violet liquor! It sounds so delicious!

I am grateful to Meera Freeman who is a cooking teacher and cookbook writer and photographer for coming up with this elegant recipe as it  sounds pretty grand to me! Thanks Meera!

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Violet, Violet Leaf & Ionones in Perfumes

Friday, April 6th, 2012

Violets, Violet Leaves and Ionones Used in Making Perfumes

Flowers are blooming as spring is finally coming and I have the loveliest little violets blooming in my garden.

I always want  to enjoy them all year long so search for perfumes that feature them. Here is a good description of violets used in the making of perfumes and how they work that I thought might interest people who love violets. The Perfume Shrine blog explains their use in Perfumery Materials: Violets, Violet Leaf & Ionones,

I was very lucky to find a vintage bottle of Caron’s Fleurs de Rocailles yesterday – from France in the 1960s and still good. The original formulation in a rare lovely glass bottle with stopper. I am happy! How I love vintage shopping! I admit it! And I will give you a tip, the vintage perfumes are often better than the newer versions. It is quite possible to find old ones in the original pretty bottles with still perfect contents. I have been doing it for years and have amassed quite a good collection at very reasonable prices, too.

You can find them at estate sales, thrift shops, and antique malls. People who don’t really like the scent or enjoy perfume, or are allergic to it, will sell them for a fraction of the price in perfume shops or department stores. The trick is, to keep your eyes open and your nose alert!Find a seller who hated his grandmother’s or mother’s perfume! And doesn’t appreciate the pretty little glass bottles!

You can always test the perfumes in stores to find out which ones you like. I have no trouble remembering the scents and how they are supposed to smell so I can easily tell if a vintage perfume is still good. You can learn to do this through experience. Good luck! As the weather improves yard sales will begin as well and bring more opportunities to find great perfumes at great prices…

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