by Chloe Calendula

and welcome to my blog!

this is where I talk about ecological crafts & herbs. I also share updates about the process of building our own, earthen home.

Butterflies aren't just beautiful fairies who grace our gardens, they are also key players in our local ecosystem. As adults they pollinate flowers and as caterpillars feed a birds of all kinds.

The first step to helping butterflies is of course planting organic flowers for them. But, there is so much more to butterfly ecology than planting flowers. Each and every butterfly has a unique relationship with a plant (or group of plants) called their host plants. And recently I made a video all about butterflies, host plants, and how I keep track of everything I have learned about both;

Yarrow ~ Achillea millefolium

In herbalism yarrow is considered diaphoretic, carminative, astringent, pungent, antispasmodic, and stomachic. A lot of words, I know.

So... what does all that mean?

In simpler terms, yarrow helps heat up the body, especially useful if you want to break a fever (diaphoretic). Also, yarrow warms up the digestive system (carminative) kind of like cinnamon does, and also helps create an ideal situation for digestion.

I made it to California! During the flight I finished one novel and started a new one. And on the train I met a really nice & interesting guy who recommended me a bunch of books I'd never heard of before 📖🌳 I visited my sister in SoCal and spent a lot of time with friends and family in NorCal.

I also brought a backpack full of zines with me. Would you like to check them out?

Each time I travel from my current home of Argentina to where I grew up in California, I try to bring a bunch of zines to restock my Etsy store. Selling zines is definitely not a money making adventure. I make zines for the love of the craft and just hope to cover some expenses with a sale here & there. I love to share the zines for free by giving them to the people I meet along the way. And to me, that is the point of zine making; sharing my art with the world!

What does is look like for a young couple to build their own home on their own terms?

Let me show you with this short building vlog!!

Crataegus spp. - otherwise known as Hawthorn - has been a staple in my herbal apothecary for years. I use both the flowering tops and the berries in herbal teas and other preparations. Today I want to focus on the berries which are in season during fall and are a main ingredient in this simple syrup for cardiovascular health <3