Spice Up Your Potpourri

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 “One man’s toxic waste is another man’s potpourri”

If you want to ramp up the insides of your home in an eco-friendly and cost-effective way, then bulk potpourri is a perfect solution for you. As potpourri is 100% natural & organic, it not only makes the environment eco-friendly, but also freshens up our body and mind and enhances energy in ourselves after a day’s hard work.

Isn’t it great to invigorate your senses with a burst of fresh perfumed air as soon as you step into your room? Obviously, everyone will agree with it. There are a number of DIY recipes available on the internet. You can use the remedies to experience this awesome feeling. One can spice up their potpourri by putting some more ingredients into it. The below article is about the process and ingredients that can make potpourri more effective. If you are interested to make a different type of potpourri or you want to know more about it, all you need to do is to scroll down and read the whole article.

Mehogany Spoon 

Here are the top 5 ideas to spice up your potpourri:

1. Essential oils:
One of the best ways to rejuvenate your home environment is to use essential oils. It is amazing to take the fragrance of a tantalizing mixture of clove, lavender, peppermint and chamomile after a grueling day at the office. As soon as you open the door, a heady and flavourful essence fills up your senses and makes you feel refresh. The fragrance is enough to revitalise you from a depressed and weighed down mood. If you are planning to have a spa at home, essential oil is just perfect, as it provides your home with the aura of spa.

2. Dried fruits and nuts:
Some other ingredients that can make your potpourri awesome are dried fruits and nuts. You can put some berries and nuts in the combo. Some orange peels can be dropped into the bowl, or you can drop a handful of acorns, almonds or junipers into the mix, which can spice your potpourri up.

Potpourri Gift Boxes

3. Scented water:
It can be quite surprising for you to know that potpourri can be spiced up with scented water, while we all know that potpourri is made of bone dry things. And it is also known that the slightest of moisture can be the reason of infected potpourri. But the truth is, one can make alternative potpourri that includes nuts, pine cones, wood pieces and other paraphernalia that are soaked in scented water. In order to get the water, all one should do is to heat oils and simmer herbs extracts in low temperature.

4. Cranberry delight:
Any kind of citrus fruits, cranberry and rosemary can be put together in a pan in low heat to get the aroma that may cause your olfactory organs to go into tizzy.

5. Spices and flowers:
Dried spices and flowers are mixed together in required portion that are used as an effective remedy for deep and sound sleep. One can get dried flowers in any florist store, nursery, orchards or garden.
Our R&D team is continuously working on the latest designs for potpourri available in various packing options of loose, poly bags, PVC boxes and other gift boxes.

For inquiries & orders please contact sales@interconimpex.com or visit www.interconimpex.com. 

How to use Dried Flowers to create lively work of art !!

Flowers ignite our creativity like no other object in this world. From poets to common men, flowers are praised by everyone. Fresh flowers have been used for decoration since ancient times as they up lift the mood at any time. But flowers bloom for a limited time; hobbyists and artists prefer to dry out the flowers so that they can be used for a longer period of time.

So how are flowers dried?

There are many ways to dry the flowers so they are well preserved. Mostly people put flowers inside a heavy book and leave it undisturbed for few days. This is known as the ‘press’ method. If you choose to dry the flowers using the press method, then you should make sure that you line the page with parchment or wax paper. This protects the pages of the book from getting destroyed from the moisture that come off the flowers. Flowers can also be left in the vase till they dry.

Potpourri Mixes

Another method is to hang them upside down in a well-ventilated place away from sunlight. Flowers can be dried in microwave or using silica gel. No matter which method you choose, you have to wait for the results except for microwave method. But microwave method is fussy as you have to use cat litter to cover the flowers. Ordering dried flowers in bulk quantity is an easy way to get dried flowers for professional or other creative requirements. Companies that supply dried flowers use the right method to preserve the flowers. They use machine drying and various processes on the fresh flowers and botanicals to give them a dried and everlasting finish.

Uses of dried flowers

Dried flowers have many uses. Dried flowers are used in cooking. They add distinctive flavour to teas. Preserved beauty of nature, dried flowers are used to make potpourris that can be used as decoration or as natural air fresheners. Dried flower sachets are full of fragrance, and placing them in drawers and closets act as insect repellent. They are used as natural dyes.

Dried flower can have many creative uses. From decorating a room for celebration to create beautiful creative works of art, dried flowers add beauty to whatever they touch. In the creation of candles, papers, scrapbook and many more, hobbyists prefer to use dried flowers to create unique pieces.

3 ways to use striking beauty of dried flowers to personalize items:

If you want to gift something special to your loved one or create beautiful items for personal use, all you need is a bunch of dried flowers. 

Potpourri Gift Packs

Magical jewelry: Beautiful pendant and bracelets can be made using dried flowers. Dried flowers can be woven into headbands, crowns and bracelets. They look beautiful and go well with a dress to achieve a feminine or bohemian look. It can be a good idea for your theme outdoor party or brunch. They are easy to make. One idea could be to use small hollow glass globes or tiny DIY jars and bottles to make pendants and charms. Just fill these tiny transparent containers with beautiful dried flowers and plant parts. Adding some glitter can add a fairy touch to your charm or pendant. Seal it and it could be used as a pendant or bracelet charm. They look magical.

Nail art: Dried flowers can be used to create attractive nail art which not only enhances your beauty but which is also unique. You will get many compliments for your nail art. There are many ways to use dried flowers to decorate your nail. One simple way could be to use white nail paint as base. Now arrange the dried flowers in desired pattern with tweezers. Seal it with clear coat and let it dry. Once it is dry you can flaunt it in front of your friends. Make sure you use good quality dried flowers or else you won’t get the good effect.

Cards, letters and scrapbook: Dried flowers are used to make decorative handmade paper. Beautiful handmade paper with dried flowers petals appearing unevenly on its surface, are best medium to express your feelings. Dried flowers are used to decorate scrapbook. Scrapbook decorated with dried flowers both looks and smells beautiful. If you want to add a unique touch to your scrapbook use the magic of dried flowers. One of the most personalized gifts is cards. If you are making a card for your loved ones then decorate them with dried flowers.

For bulk queries on dried flowers you can order at sales@interconimpex.com or visit the website www.interconimpex.com

Let's do the Haarlem Shake !!!

My tryst with travel goes way back to when I was a kid. Every moment I would find to travel I would grab on with both my feet. The idea of exploring new places, food, people & cultures have all been very fascinating to me since the beginning. Though I haven't travelled a lot but the little trips that I have made, made me think that I should account some of the details. 

So the place I want to write about is Haarlem - This small iconic town is approximately 100 kms from Amsterdam. You can visit the place by road or train. Coincidentally the first Intercity railway connection in Netherlands was between Amsterdam and Haarlem. The city of Haarlem screams about it's medeival culture and aesthetics. We were lucky to have a friend with us who was equally inquisitive to explore the town and was well versed with the cultures of Holland. Fun fact - “Haarlem Shake” the famous song is actually based in a town in the USA with the same name - Haarlem. It was named by the Dutch when they went from Haarlem to the USA. 

It was an overcast day and we arrived by a car to the town. Since it's a small town we decided to park the car and explore the place on foot. The city is well planned and easy to navigate using Google maps or the city map available in all shops.

Yummy in my Tummy 

When in the market you definitely can’t resist the yummy street food of Holland, first up was Kibbeling, it’s a popular Dutch snack consisting of battered chunks of fish commonly served with mayonnaise based garlic or tartar sauce. My love for fried food just quadrupled after having this one. Next, I tried another popular fish based finger food called herrings. It is a raw herring fish soaked in vinegar, sometimes the marinade may contain cider, wine or herbs. Other than these you should definitely grab your hands at the traditional French fries which are famous across Holland. 

One of the counters of the market serves delicious freshly baked pizza tossed right in front of you. For desserts, you should visit any small cafe, the smell of cinnamon (commonly used in most desserts in Holland) will surely mesmerise you. You must try the apple cake and the Dutch cookie. 

Exploring Haarlem 

St Bavo Church - So right at the centre you come across a must visit gothic styled Protestant church- St Bavo. There is something pleasant and beautiful about this one when you see exquisitely decorated wooden ceilings, stained glass work all across the walls depicting the ancient times and historic artefacts around the church. One of the most interesting facts is the beautiful organ that is placed in the church, it was once played by Mozart himself when he was 10, it is still played at regular intervals. However, the most interesting fact was that the floors of the church were actually graves, where people were buried along the times. Earlier times, people of Haarlem were actually allowed to be buried in the church. Spooky as it may sound but yeah people walk on them and you can actually see the name of the people buried on the floors. Now, I believe due to shortage of space people have started to cremate. 

City Hall - Next up is the City Hall, it’s a very short tour but totally worth your time as they have some nice artefacts from the earlier times of Haarlem and they have a very nicely made movie to show you about the history of Haarlem and why it was an important town for the trade route of Holland. 

Grote Market - In dutch , Grote means Grand. This big market was in the centre right next to the St. Bavo Church. A very popular place and since it was a weekend it had many families who had come there for shopping and eating food etc. Being brought up in India I am well aware of bustling markets called bazaar here, I got to experience a  typical Saturday market in Haarlem. Families were celebrating Saturday afternoon by coming out to explore the market. 

Frans Hals Museums - I’m not a very big fan of museums but this one surely was worth while. So as the name suggests, the museum is named after Frans Hals the famous Dutch painter, after his death he was also buried in the St Bavo church that I was talking about earlier. The museum was home to many famous painter’s works. Depicting paintings and portraits of different ages and time zones p, wars, life at the palaces and much more. 

Teylers Museum - Teylers museum was another popular stop during the visit to Haarlem. This museum had real artefacts from the history of Haarlem and Holland. It housed all kinds of weapons, war & military artefacts and much more. 

Molten de Adrian - Holland is famous for its windmills and this one is a special one. Overlooking the water body it looks serene to be near the windmill. It also has the medieval machines still intact which were used to pull the boats on to the shores. A fascinating experienced for sure. 

Hofjes - These are actually beautiful garden courtyard homes spread across the town. We had spotted an interesting hofjes that was actually an old age home and I can safely say, what a home to retire !!

Shopping - While exploring the cobbled streets of Haarlem, you come across many cool and edgy fashion wear by the local designers. The famous Holland shoes are also available in shops here.

I hope you liked my small attempt to highlight some of the amazing moments I had in my trip to Haarlem. I will see you soon in my next travelogue.

Cheers !!

Anant

To New Beginnings

“And suddenly you know its time to start something new and trust the magic of new beginnings !!”

With this thought I start with my first blog. It has been a while since I have been thinking to communicate ideas through a blog but it needed the right push. The blog is called potpourri as it is a mixed bag of some random thoughts that come to my mind. Since this is a new beginning , my very first blog is about my work currently and some of the new things we have started at work this year. It has been a year of new beginnings for us at Intercon Impex and within 3 months of the year Intercon Impex has gone a complete makeover. We constantly believe in reinventing ourselves which gives us the push to bring something new to our customers, partners etc. 

At the outset, I would like to say that we, at the INTERCON family, always strive to spread happiness among people, their families, friends, loved ones and we make absolutely no exception about it.

Our offerings reflect our philosophy of recreating nature’s bounty into decorative yet functional products. They not only add aesthetic value to your interiors but also show appreciation for the nature. All our products and services are inspired by nature.

It’s the beginning of the new financial year and the harvesting season in India. We have also begun our journey of a transformation of the company. Intercon now proudly offers over 4000 products ranging from dried decorations to home accent products like candles , lanterns , decorative vases etc. making us a one stop shop for all your decor and interior requirements.

We have revamped the Intercon website with new colors ,features and products. Our website will be live later this month. One of the exciting new features of the new site is the sale stock section where you can get an update on our export surplus stocks that we offer at throwaway prices. We aim to constantly improve our website to make it easier for you to browse through all products and details of the company. I would love to have your feedback on our new website and suggestions for improvements. Please write to me at anant@interconimpex.com.

Another area where Intercon is moving ahead is the fact that now we offer shipments from PAN India using our warehouse from 4 major ports of Kolkata, Chennai, Tuticorin & Moradabad offering our customers the shortest lead time and the most competitive prices. With our strategic alliances with logistics partners we offer the complete solution to our customers with end to end to supply at the most competitive prices.

Last but not the least, an important strive we are making this year is the relaunch of our in-house brand Floralis. With an aim to provide an e-commerce portal for all your home decor and gifting needs. We will be delivering flowers,gifts and much more worldwide. Watch out for the space for the latest updates on this exciting website.

Here’s wishing you a fun filled experience to you and do keep visiting us for exciting offers and clearance sales.

Warm Regards,

Anant Jhunjhunwala