17 January 2019.  Anyone else ready for a reset this January?  Here at Shop Fog Linen, we're looking for ways to make a clean start to 2019 by refreshing what's on our table.  This 7 day reset from Anna Jones, a cook and author based in Britain, looks like the perfect place to start.  Anna's healthy plant based recipes sound nourishing and comforting to both body and soul.  

While we're freshening up the food on our table, we're also freshening up our tabletops with the Jenn linen tablecloth.  Jenn's clean lines and simple windowpane pattern will refresh your space in an instant.

Here's to new beginnings! 

10 January 2019.  Happy New Year and welcome to 2019!  The start of the year always feels like a clean slate, a chance to try new things and refresh our spirit.  

In the past, we've made long lists of resolutions, some easier to keep than others.  This year we're going to skip the resolutions and focus on simple things that make us happy.  

Here's our list of "non-resolutions":

Invite friends to dinner more often

Make time in the day to read or listen to something enjoyable

Cook a new recipe from a favorite cookbook

Get in touch with a friend or relative just to say hello

Light some candles

Drink more water

Be outside

Stretch

Good luck on your own resolutions or lack thereof!  In the meantime, we are wishing you all a happy, peaceful and healthy new year.

19 December 2018. As the winter solstice approaches we are thinking of ways to to make our days feel bright and fresh despite the cold and fewer hours of daylight.  Our favorite pick-me-up for this time of year is citrus.  Lemon, grapefruit, orange, tangerine, we love them all!

This ginger grapefruit curd recipe from Heidi Swanson hits all the right notes for us.  It's great spread on toast or alongside a buttery piece of shortbread.  Or just eaten right off the spoon!  Making a batch to gift to friends and family is a wonderfully easy holiday treat.  And don't forget to save a bit for yourself.  

We're wishing you all a warm and sparkly holiday and a happy new year. We are so thankful for all your support throughout 2018 and look forward to seeing you in the new year. XO

*Warehouse Holiday Hours: Mon-Sat 11a-6p, Sun 12-5 through December 24th.

*Our Online Shop and Warehouse will be closed December 25-January 1. Orders placed during this time will be shipped on January 2, 2019.

4 December 2018.  Have a kid that likes to cook or wants to try it out?  Why not tie on an apron and head for the kitchen?  Homemade treats make wonderful holiday gifts and we love giving kids a chance to make something for their teachers, friends, grandparents, or anyone on their holiday list.    

Yes, it might get messy, but the results will be worth it.  Giving children confidence in the kitchen is a gift in itself!

Start out simple...no need to re-create a Great British Baking Show challenge.

Here are a few easily baked favorites that kids and parents can get behind:

Chewy Molasses Cookies

Hazelnut Chocolate Thumbprint Cookies

Earl Grey Shortbread Cookies

And did we mention we think aprons make great gifts as well?

Check out our full selection of aprons for the whole family.

Happy holiday baking!

20 November 2018.  When I remember my grandmother and her cooking, I always picture her in an apron, for she never cooked without one.  She passed her formidable cooking skills along to my mother, and in turn, her habit of wearing an apron.  

In spite of this, when I began cooking, it didn't occur to me to wear an apron.  This was a huge oversight, and many favorite articles of clothing were splattered with tomato sauce, olive oil, and various other substances that never came out in the wash.  I'm not sure when I realized that an apron would solve this problem, but one day I happened across a linen apron in a small shop and had the sense to buy it.  A full apron in natural linen, it was practical but not too matronly.  It was not my mother's or my grandmother's apron, but it fit me to a T and years later I continue to wear it everyday in my kitchen. In fact, I can't cook without it.  

Often when cooking, I think of my grandmother, her aprons, and her wonderful recipes.  This season I'll be making her corn pudding, and her pecan pie, while my mother will make her apple pie and her famous dinner rolls.  And we will be tying on our aprons, preserving both our clothing and our memories!

If you're looking for an apron to help you out in the kitchen, check out our full selection.  We hope you'll find your perfect match!  And don't forget, our aprons make great gifts for friends and family.  Just saying!

6 November 2018. Holiday season is fast approaching.  Time to set your table!  This year we're not going to get worried about being too formal.   While it's great to follow tradition, it's fun to create new ones as well. 

Not surprisingly, we love setting our tables with linen.  Starting with our linen tablecloths, we build color and texture with our linen napkins, adding flowers and candles if we're feeling fancy. 

For some simple rules on how to go elegant or casual with your place settings, check out The Emily Post Institute's guide for table setting.  

If you're looking for some floral inspiration, this Gardenista DIY is a good place to start.  We also love Foraged Flora by Louesa Roebuck and Sarah Lonsdale*.  

Beeswax candles are our favorite way to light up the table.  If you're local to the Boston area, stop by our sister store, Pod, in Cambridge, MA for a lovely selection of unusual shapes and sizes of beeswax candles from England.  

But as much fun as it is to create a beautiful setting, the most important part of a holiday table (besides the food!) are the people gathered around it.  Enjoying a meal and sharing a sense of community are what make a holiday gathering special.  Here's to wishing you a warm and wonderful celebration wherever you happen to be, and whatever you are celebrating!  

* we carry this book at our brick and mortar sister store, Pod too!  stop by in person to purchase!  

24 October 2018. Looking for a way to up your holiday gathering game?  May we suggest our linen coasters?  Usually the workhorse of summertime gatherings to sop up moisture from sweating glassware, our coasters can do double duty for fall and winter entertaining too.  In colors and patterns ranging from cheerful plaids to elegant whites, we've literally got you (and your surfaces) covered. 

Use these in place of disposable napkins and you've got an eco-friendly way for your guests to set their drinks down safely or even hold a handful of nuts, olives, or any other tasty bite-size tidbit you're serving.  

And while we're on the subject of tasty tidbits, here are a few links to some of our favorite holiday knoshes.

Warmed Spiced Olives

Brined and Roasted Rosemary Chile Almonds

Creamy Cauliflower Dip with Endive for Dipping

Last, but not least, it wouldn't be a celebration without a seasonally inspired beverage!  How about this Cranberry Rosemary Spritzer recipe for a pretty holiday cocktail/mocktail?

Let us know how your party turns out!

16 October 2018.  As the holidays approach our minds are on gift giving.  And along with gift giving comes...gift wrapping! 

We're happy to offer free gift wrapping with your order, so let us know if that's something we can help you with.   

When you place your order on-line, please let us know if you'd like it gift wrapped in the "notes" section of the order form, along with any sentiments you'd like us to include on the gift card. 

We like to keep things simple, so each gift is wrapped in white paper, given a Shop Fog Linen sticker and a bit of gold and white or red twine.  We'll use our best handwriting to add your gift note on one of our Fog Linen postcards.

If you're someone who enjoys wrapping and artfully presenting your gifts yourself, take a peek at our Linen Fabric Tape Set, for a lovely way to use linen to decorate your packages.  For the perfect seasonal gift topper, give our Brass Ornaments a try.  

In the meantime, we hope you enjoy the lead-up to this exciting time of year, with one or two less gifts to wrap, since we've got you covered on our end!

5 October 2018.  The days are getting shorter, the nights are getting longer, and while many of us are lamenting the loss of summer and sunlight, let's just take a moment to think about the advantages of chilly, dark, evenings.

1.  Let's hear it for cozy.  Light a candle, cook something comforting, and set your table with some pretty linens.  Then make some tea or your favorite cocktail, put on some comfy clothing and embrace the chance to slow down and relax.  

2.  Read a book.  Could be something long and challenging that you read a smidgin of each night.  Or something light or cheery to lift your spirits. We like seeing what's new to read here.  And here's some inspiration if you need help choosing a tried and true classic.  Then take a visit to your local library or favorite independent bookstore and see what's on offer.  

3.  Take a walk.  Looking at the night sky in fall and winter is a treat.  Bundle up and get out there.  Even a quick spin around the block in crisp evening air can help to clear your head of the fall and winter blues.  You might just catch the moon on the rise.  

4.  Check out what life is like for those who live above the Arctic Circle. Perspective!

 26 September 2018.  We love summer, but honestly, when fall arrives with its crisp air and earthy colors, it feels wonderful to embrace the change of seasons.  

And of course, this is reflected in what we like to cook and eat!  Trading lazy no-cook summer meals for simmering soups and things that need to go in an oven is all part of embracing fall.  

Inspired by this lovely image by Jenny Hallengren of fall mushrooms and our Thick Linen Kitchen Cloth in Black Natural Check, we are dreaming up our version of a perfect fall menu.

Mushroom Soup

Simplest Kale Salad

Grain Bowl with Spiced Squash, Mushrooms and Curried Yogurt

Apple Raisin Cake

In our dreams we are eating this on a fall picnic in the woods, but seated around a warm and cozy table with friends and family works just as well.