MERRY MAKES

...Alabama Corn and Oatmeal Cookies!

noreply@blogger.com (Merry Makes..) — Sat, 18 Feb 2012 11:26:00 +0000

Remember this book I mentioned in my last post on my recommendations on the best books to help you stitch? The Alabama Stitch Book by Natalie Chanin...

It has more than just ideas for reverse appliqueing and embellishing your jersey-wear. Among the many pages of Alabama women and their crafting history, the author shares some great recipes from her community. This one for Jen's Oatmeal Cookies was inviting as it contains wholewheat flour as well as being relatively low in fat content.

I first tried the original recipe then last night made the same with a cup of cornmeal to substitute a cup out of the two cups of wholemeal. In addition, the original calls for 1cup of wheat-germ. I didn't have any so I used half a cup mixture of sesame seeds and black onion seeds.

Here's...

WHAT YOU NEED:
Dry ingredients:
3 cups oatmeal
1 cup cornmeal
1 cup wholewheat flour
1/4 cup sesame seeds
1/4 cup black onion seeds
1/2 tsp salt
2 tbsp sugar

Wet ingredients:
1 cup water
2/3 cup sunflower oil (or any cooking oil)

WHAT TO DO: Preheat oven to 325F/150C

1 Mix the dry ingredients in a bowl.
2 Mix the wet ingredients in a separate bowl.
3 Pour the wet into the dry. Mix well until the dough comes together.
4 Divide the dough into 3 or 4.
5 Dust the top of a clean worktop and roll out the dough to about 1/2 cm thickness.

6 Using a knife, cut into squares or rectangular shapes.

7 Place on a baking sheet and pop into the oven.
8 Bake for 1hr at 325F.

THE VERDICT:
These cookies have more crunch and crumble than in the original recipe. Store them in an air-tight container or jar. Nibble at tea-time, snack-time or pop a few into the children's lunch boxes.

...Best Books to Help You Stitch Easy!

noreply@blogger.com (Merry Makes..) — Sat, 04 Feb 2012 18:01:00 +0000

I had harboured an irrational mental block over anything to do with stitching and embroidery for a very long time. However, I'm working on getting over it, taking small steps towards breaking through my fear-barrier that sets off alarm bells in my head. So far, so good and you can see some of the evidence in the last couple of posts.

As I was chatting to a friend just last week about some of my creative and 'making' projects, she said something that made a lot of sense. The penny dropped about why I am constantly reading and researching different methods of creative media. She said,

'So basically, you're researching to understand the science behind the art.'

There it is in the plain of daylight: I am studying the science behind the art of embroidery. To get onto good terms with needle and thread I first needed to understand how others do it.

And today I want to share with you some of the resources that I have found useful in advancing my understanding, and knowledge, of how the needle and thread work in harmony to produce amazing embroidered art that can, with years of practice and perseverance, look like this...

Embroidered artwork in a Beijing gallery
(image from arts.cultural-china.com)

or this....

English embroidery designed by William Morris
(image from www.meg-andrews.com)

or even this....

'Nakshi Kantha' or 'Embroidered Throws' of Bangladesh
(image from artequite.blogspot.com)

Now, I can't even begin to imagine achieving this level of embroidery skills. At least, not in the near future. One can dream and take a few small steps in the right direction.

So, here are the resources that I've been browsing through to help me to consider the age-old art of embroidery, without suffering palpitations or feeling that it's totally beyond my humble creative reach.

Books which helped me to jump my mental hurdles towards needle-and-thread art:

1 Alabama Stitch Book:

The book took away my fear of getting every stitch perfect, as part of the charm of the 'reverse appliqueing' was the raw handcrafted look of the finished work. There were also a few recipes hidden between the pages, one of which I will share in the next post!

2 Lagartera Embroidery and Stitches from Spain: by the South Australian Embroiderer's Guild

This book is very methodical, and while it doesn't look easy is perfectly catered for the basic beginner's 'running stitch'. There are an additional 6 stitches explained with large, clear diagrams and a host of project ideas with accompanied pattern charts.

3 Stitch - Step by Step: by Maggi Gordon and Ellie Vance (Previously published as The Needlecraft Book)

It's all laid out, step-by-step, just as the title promises. This is great for those first basic stitch samples to practise and experiment with. It's a treasure-trove of examples that I would keep in my collection to inspire me whenever I get the stitching itch!

Do you have any books that you refer to frequently for either instruction or inspiration when crafting? Why not share with the rest of the readers so they can benefit from your recommendations too? Thanks!

...Fabulous Fibre Art - Part2!

noreply@blogger.com (Merry Makes..) — Sat, 28 Jan 2012 08:08:00 +0000

Thanks to my friend Little Patience, I'm constantly looking for ways to bring excitement and novelty into my creative crafts, whether or not I think I'm up to it is irrelevant. For me, the point is to research and find inspiration. And I think I've just hit on something big!

Embroidery requires patience, a steady hand, and lots of time. I only have one of these in good supply - time. With two out of three missing, I think I'd make a lousy embroiderer.

But as I've said before, I am not a giver-upper. So here's another way to avoid a direct confrontation with embroidery and still get a fabulous piece of fibre-art out of it!

Last year I'd bought a metre of white fabric with a machine-embroidered pattern on it.

My plan was to practise filling in the design with simple embroidery stitches so I could develop a steady hand at it. I tried, once or twice. I failed to persevere with it and I didn't like the look of what I was producing. So I stopped. And let it sit for a few weeks (maybe months, even). As we moved to a new house in September I had to sort through pretty much everything we own, including my craft supplies. When I came across this piece of fabric again I decided the time had come to tackle it head on.

With the children on their winter holidays, I enlisted Merry Jr.s help. She was glad to have something other than homework and projects to do. Or at least, that's how it seemed.

First, we painted all the leafy motifs alternatingly, in two different shades of green fabric paint.

Then Merry Jr. started to paint the flower motifs and then she promptly quit as enthusiastically as she had started! So, I went all in and started to paint the petals of each and every remaining flower randomly, in all the colours in my fabric paint kit.

Next, I hand-stitched a piece of plain white fabric as backing, using contrasting purple thread (more about the origins of this idea later) and added a few loops of purple velvet ribbon so that it can be hung on the wall.

With a piece of bamboo to match the length and width of my work to pass through the loops, and a couple of hooks on the wall will be enough to get my new fibre-art on display!

Is this an idea you would want to try for yourself? Or are you proficient enough with a needle and thread to produce your own embroidered designs?

...Fabulous Fibre Art!

noreply@blogger.com (Merry Makes..) — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 10:44:00 +0000

Along with her vintage crochet pieces, my mother stitched many embroidered items in her youth. But though I've always admired embroidery from afar, after a couple of attempts I realised that my hands don't produce particularly even stitches; at least not even enough to achieve the kind of smooth finish I admire the most.

Having Little Patience hanging out with me every day of my life, it's difficult for me to persevere with embroidery. Still, I am not a giver-upper,

Several months ago, a friend offered me a bagful of scraps of embroidered fabrics (which had been passed on to her by another mutual friend who couldn't bear to bin them so cut around them and saved them from every sewing project she'd ever done!). That's a whole lot of embroidered scraps with nowhere to go, and some serious untangling for me to do!!

The colours and textures grabbed my attention so I accepted the bag of scrap though I wasn't sure what I could use them for. When I started sorting through them I found that many were flowers or parts of ...

and some looked like stems and tree-trunks ...

The textures on these scraps made me think of date tree-trunks, especially the tessellated triangles that are formed after large fronds fall off or are removed manually.

... and others strongly resembled fronds of palm though not everyone in my family agreed with me. I have a bit of a reputation for having a strong imagination :)

I had picked up some heavy burlap-like remnants from a craft-store earlier in the year, again, without any concrete idea of what I would do with them. Now they seemed to call out to the colourfully sequined and beaded scraps.

And so I brought them together...

...arranging and rearranging several times...

...until I was happy with it all.

Having pinned the pieces into place I used fabric glue to secure most of them to the background. However, stitching the scraps proved a lot more difficult than I had expected.

I picked up a few books from the library on decorative stitching and as I browsed through them these past few weeks, I learnt that the solution to my problem was in choosing the right kind of needle. For this densely woven fabric I needed a fine needle with a large eye also known as a crewelling needle.

And so, finally, I was able to use various stitches to add a little subtle embellishment to some of the pieces,

This fine mesh lace was too flimsy to stick down with fabric glue so I used the bright yellow thread in a simple running stitch to add to the network.

...and further secure the beaded ones.

I used a stitch known as 'couching' to hold down the beaded edges of the 'clouds' above my fantasy gardenscape.

Although the stitching is complete, to make it into a wall-hanging the finishing touches will include a red fabric border, stitched to frame the gardenscape. I will also add loops .

Look out for photos of the finished wall-hanging in the near-future.

As I like to know what others are up to, I started surfing for examples from the many professional fibre-artists out there. I picked out some pieces that caught my eye - mostly for their colours, compositions and textures:

This piece is by Emily Barletta, a fibre artist based in Brooklyn, New York and is featured on 'MocoLoco' and includes many other artists' work.

This is crocheted in both 2-D and 3-D, with further beaded embellishments.

'Sheba Kitty Productions' features the work of fibre-artist Cynthia Gaub:

These gorgeous greens are made up of a variety of textiles and beaded segments. The ripple above the top edge adds funk.

This final piece is from Nancy Waldman's page:

Click on the link to read about how this piece came about through the collaborative work of six different artists, each hiding his/her work before passing it on to the next person in line!

Since Little Patience isn't likely to let me complete a whole embroidered piece from scratch, my fantasy gardenscape is a happy alternative for me. It looks like I spent months slaving over the beading and sequins and embellishments when in reality of those things were pre-prepared.

Do you consider this cheating?

Or is it just a nifty shortcut?

Would you be prepared to give it a go?

Your answers in the comments' box below are appreciated.

...Time for Close-ups!

noreply@blogger.com (Merry Makes..) — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 20:39:00 +0000

A couple of days ago I decided to step out to the park for half an hour with my point-and-shoot camera. It's nothing special, really, but when I take the time to look a little closer even the small local park is full of beautiful surprises.

Here's what I caught on camera, close-up...

This time I'm leaving it up to you to provide the words in the comments box.

...Impromptu Art Display!

noreply@blogger.com (Merry Makes..) — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 08:46:00 +0000

This was not planned to be a blog-post but I want to share these with you. Head on over to the link for my facebook page to see what's happening:

http://www.facebook.com/MERRYMAKES

Here's a tiny peep...

While you're there, you may even like the page!

...Cool Connections to Free Super Math Giveaway!

noreply@blogger.com (Merry Makes..) — Sun, 20 Nov 2011 14:57:00 +0000

I know that Halloween is over, but as we rapidly approach the end of the first term you may be among parents who find your child struggling with that all-time scary subject - Maths. Well, here's some good news for concerned parents:

Caroline Mukisa over at MathsInsider, has sent me news of an excellent Back to School Giveaway. Here's what she said:

'Bon Crowder (Math Four) and I have teamed up for the Super Math Back to School Giveaway.

We're giving away 7 free resources that will give parents fresh ideas and resources to help children get started on the path to maths success this year!

Parents will need to sign up at www.supermathgiveaway.com and will receive their free maths gifts in their inbox over the course of a week.

The gifts include:

The Four Facts of Math: A video report where Bon explains how to avoid Math Negativity
21 Seriously Cool Careers That Need Maths: A full color e-book highlighting how maths is used in some really cool occupations
If You Give a Man Some Hands: A cute little cartoon e-book that parents can use to share maths concepts with their children
The Maths Insider Interviews: Interviews with 3 mathematicians who share their tutoring secrets
The Importance of Times Tables: A video report featuring practical times tables ideas

Please could you share news of our giveaway with your readers - there's lots of valuable information in these resources and they're all free!

The link once again is www.supermathgiveaway.com'

These great resources will help to support you in supporting your child with their mathematics. So let these experts show you how to take the heat out of daily maths struggles, and learn how to act cool around your kids' maths-fears.

I've checked out each of these products personally and my advice is: don't delay, act today!

Visit MathsInsider for further 'quick tips and practical advice to help you guide your child to maths success (the stress-free way!)' ,

And click on over to MathFour to benefit from '..free, regularly updated and dynamic content...' to help you with 'Maths teaching strategies... because they HAVE CURIOSITY, WILL LEARN'.

...Steady Goes The Humble Hummus!

noreply@blogger.com (Merry Makes..) — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 11:59:00 +0000

Back in the 90s, as a student in London, I was introduced to hummus by Middle Eastern friends and loved it from the very first mouthful. The next time I went to the supermarket I picked up a tub of hummus but found the price a little steep for the tiny quantity inside, and of course, my limited student budget. I took the hummus home, ate it, then read the ingredients off the side of the tub. And the rest, as they say, is history - I have been making my own hummus ever since.

Quite frankly, if you don't know how to make hummus, I think it's high time you did :) because...

... hummus is made from chickpeas (aka garbanzo beans), which in my opinion is a super-food.

Not only are chickpeas high in protein and fibre (so help the digestive system to function well), but relatively low in carbohydrates (helping to keep blood-sugar levels steady); they are also rich in a number of nutritional essentials including magnesium, iron, folic acid and zinc.

Hummus ...
... is quick to make...
... requires very few ingredients...
... is popular with the young and old...
... is totally versatile as either a snack...
... or even part of a substantial meal ...
... keeps in the fridge for up to a week (that's if the family can resist it!).

WHAT YOU NEED: for a very basic and humble hummus
- a jar (2 cups) of cooked chickpeas
- the juice of one medium lemon
- 2 tbsp of extra-virgin olive oil
- a big pinch of salt
- 2tsp of tahini (sesame seed paste)

WHAT TO DO:
1 Place chickpeas in a medium bowl, rinse three times and drain the water.

2 Add all the other ingredients to the chickpeas.

3 Use a hand-blender to combine all the ingredients together. If the consistency is too thick add a tablespoon or two of water.

4 Transfer into a serving bowl. Drizzle a little extra olive oil over the top and serve.

THE VERDICT:
You can flavour your hummus with anything from roasted peppers or garlic to a sprinkling of paprika or cumin. Or you can have it plain and simple - humble hummus.

Enjoy your hummus as a delicious dip...

... with sticks of crunchy carrots and cucumbers
... with corn chips or crackers,
... on toast,
... as a sandwich-spread topped with slices of tomato or cucumber.

Sometimes we like to stir a tablespoon of hummus into our soups to add a little umph! However you choose to handle hummus, it's guaranteed to become a staple in your diet.

Do you already make your own hummus? Then why not share your version of the recipe in the comments section so we can try it out? Let's hear it for the humble hummus!

...A Crocheted Crocus Gift!

noreply@blogger.com (Merry Makes..) — Fri, 28 Oct 2011 21:16:00 +0000

As I've mentioned in a previous post, my mother was an avid crocheter in her youth. Some of her vintage pieces are in my possession, sure to become beautiful heirlooms to future generations.

Since receiving my mother's work, I wanted to return her the gift of handmade of fine white-thread crochet, which can only be described as a labour of love because of the fine threads and crochet needles used to achieve the lacy quality of the work.

It took me many ravelings, and despite my Little Patience, too many late nights and early mornings, and quite alot of Heart brand number 10 crochet thread, this is the finished piece measuring 50cm in diameter.

The entire piece is made using triple crochet (American terms) sized 1.1 mm metal crochet needle and not too much tension in the threads. I gave it to my mother over my visit to her in the summer, and it now sits proudly on her dresser-top.

It features 12 crocus motifs and a whole lot of picots which sit prettily around the edges...

...and the centre is a study in blooms!

I'm happy to have completed a classic white-thread piece for the lady who's given me so much.

And guess what? My gift put a lovely smile on her face. Now that's worth a million crocuses any day!

For any of you who would like to try your hand at the same piece, the pattern by German-born designer Hartmut Hass can be found at www.coatsandclark.com.

Hartmut Hass also has his own website www.hassdesign.com where you can sign up to crochet-along doilies, as well as pick up basic tutorials and a whole lot more.

...Foolproof Flapjack for Friends!

noreply@blogger.com (Merry Makes..) — Mon, 26 Sep 2011 11:45:00 +0000

I've invited a few friends for breakfast in my local park tomorrow. They were all kind enough to offer to bring something along and I accepted. This leaves me to provide the tea, tomatoes, cheese and olives. Though I would like to offer them a couple of other goodies, too.

I've just finished making two batches of oatmeal flapjacks with dried fruit in them. The flapjack recipe is probably the oldest one in my recipe book which includes all well-tried, well-tested and well-tasted recipes some of which are at least 15 years old.

This flapjack's always been a firm favourite because it's so simple and quick to make.

And then very easy and quick to finish!

I also love making this for the children's lunchbox or for after-school snacks. There's only so many manufactured biscuits one can eat before craving for real snacks.

The oats are a great source of complex carbohydrates, which the body breaks down slowly, for a steady supply of energy. The dried fruit mixture has too many vitamins and minerals in it to count, and the (relatively) low quantity of butter gives me no guilt-trip.

So here we go - foolproof flapjack.

WHAT YOU NEED:
Makes 48 slices (if you count them before you start eating!)

pre-heated oven at 385F/190C
4 cups quick-cook porridge oats
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 tsp salt
big handful of chopped dried fruit (raisins, apricots, dates and figs - or any combination you prefer)
200g melted butter

WHAT TO DO:
1 Mix all the dry ingredients in a bowl.

2 Cut the butter into cubes and melt in a pan (but don't boil) or place in the microwave oven for 1 minute on a medium setting.

3 Pour the melted butter over the other ingredients and mix well with a spatula, making sure that all of the oats are coated.

4 Lightly grease two baking trays 9"x7" and divide the mixture into the two trays. Press down firmly with the spatula.

5 Bake for 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 5 mins then cut into desired sizes and shapes.

Leave to cool fully (if you can) before enjoying with a glass of cold milk or a hot coffee!

THE VERDICT:
I'm not ashamed to admit that I've just nibbled around the edges and finished at least four pieces (but they were a little overdone).

If these flapjacks were not so yummy, THAT would have been my excuse. But as it is, I don't need an excuse, and neither will you.

Guilt-free nibbling to you all, then!

If you try this recipe let me know how far you got with the nibbling. Did you make a hot coffee or was it a glass of cold milk with your flapjacks?

...Some Vital Statistics and A First Birthday Wish!

noreply@blogger.com (Merry Makes..) — Tue, 20 Sep 2011 19:43:00 +0000

I know people tend to hide their real ages and lie about it but claiming that I'm just a year old is a little insane!

No, it's not me, just my blog that's a year old today. That's right, I first published in cyberspace on 20th September 2010 and http://merrymakes.blogspot.com was born.

So, how shall we celebrate? First and foremost, there would be no first birthday without you, my dear reader, Google or Twitter follower or facebook fan.

I celebrate you all for supporting this blog by subscribing, liking, following, or just even being the casual visitor clicking, reading and passing by.

I celebrate you all for making me want to write more and to write better.

Then, I celebrate numbers, some of them MUCH, MUCH BIGGER than 1, numbers I had thought were impossible.

As every first-time blogger knows, the first few months we tend to obsess over the all-important statistics as a measure of how well the blog is progressing. Just before I say goodbye to the status of being a first-timer, let me share with you some of MerryMakes' vital statistics:

Including this one, I've written and published some 79 posts on http://merrymakes.blogspot.com, which you've (collectively) read!
MerryMakes' pages have been viewed around 17,000 times, at the time of this post going out.
MerryMakes pages have 265 comments left by you and myself, in response to yours
I've published 4 pieces on ezinearticles.com, all of which are linked to the right of this page
3 of my guest-posts have been published ( over on www.mathsinsider.com and www.crochetspot.com)
I've taken innumerable photos for this website, and published at least 225 original photographs

And so, I also celebrate fellow bloggers who frequently host linking parties, without which I wouldn't have as many big numbers to celebrate, I'm sure. To see who's linking bloggers up, click on any of the sites under 'Parties I've Been To' on the right of this page.

As for the statistics for all the valuable things I've learnt on the way, they are far too many to mention here. So here are my most-valued lessons:

If I've got something useful to say, people WILL read it.
It's better to blog a little, regularly, than to blog a lot and then take time out!

So, a couple of blogger's wishes for the coming year, of which one is to blog as regularly as possible, at least once a week.

Most importantly, I want to continue to write about the little (and sometimes big) things in life that bring inspiration into my life. Sometimes it's beautiful things in nature that I notice, or the short road-trips we take, or gift items that I make, the interesting things I learn about through my crafting and crocheting. Other times it's education or jewellery tutorial, or my favourite fast foods (and I mean, real food, real fast)!

It's all with the hope of passing on a little inspiration to you to try something for yourself, to make that inspiration your own. You can check out my inspirations to see which ones you can take from, and take ownership of.

Just click on the links to the posts under 'Labels' or 'I write for ezinearticles'. Or why not check out today's 10 most popular posts?

Over on MerryMakes' facebook page, you can join in the celebrations by adding your original photos of 'Beautiful Nature' to the album mentioned. Click on over and start uploading.

...A Gallery of Your Photos!

noreply@blogger.com (Merry Makes..) — Sun, 18 Sep 2011 12:13:00 +0000

Despite the fact that I've never had any formal training in photography, from time to time I quite fancy myself as a serious photographer. It isn't just family photos that I have been taking since the age of 14, just a few months ago I was asked to photograph a friend's daughter's engagement party and I think I did a pretty mean job!

Back in the days of manual cameras and rolls of 35mm film, I would point and shoot, then hope for the best. A lot of precious moments were captured just so, while a whole bunch of others were not!

What with the advent of digital cameras and the massive array of software available for editing photos the fun never stops, although I do prefer to keep the touching-up of my photos to a minimum.

I can honestly say that through the course of nearly a year's worth of blogging, I've aimed for and succeeded in using my own photographs for the majority of my posts. However, I've got my eyes peeled for any short photography courses in my new neighbourhood.

Here are the latest photos of nature in my home that I've tried to capture:
...some stems from a vine-like plant whose leaves are edible and rather like spinach...

I'm waiting for these to start growing roots so I can plant them in my new vegetable patch.

...and the pattern in a horizontally cut pomegranate I prepared just yesterday...

Look like natural rubies, both in colour and cut!

If like myself, you feel that you're pretty good with the point and shoot, come on and show off your talent by sharing your best shots on MerryMakes' facebook page.

To upload your photos, just 'like' the page and then upload photos into the album titled 'Beautiful Nature by MerryMakes' facebook fans'.

I look forward to enjoying and learning a thing or two from your work.

Wild Plants from the West!

noreply@blogger.com (Merry Makes..) — Sun, 11 Sep 2011 07:18:00 +0000

After a long, long summer of happiness with family, it is the inevitable return home that usually makes me drag my feet a little. But not this time as I’ve just come back and right away moved into a new home that meets the changing needs of all of us. Right now we are feeling very blessed, and long may it continue.

As for keeping you, my readers, updated, it was near impossible to make the time to upload pictures so here’s a treat to feast your eyes upon.

I wanted to begin in the north-eastern coast of the Black Sea. As I went for a brief ramble with the children, I stopped frequently to marvel at the many natural deIights on display along our winding upward climb.

However, I seem to have misplace those particular photos, so until I locate them, here are some shots from just outside of London, our other 'holiday spot'.

As I accompanied 6 energetic children to our local park, I encouraged them to stop and appreciate beautiful nature on our doorsteps.

There's BlackBerry and there's the real McCoy - wild blackberries...

...and their blossoms.

Gorgeous bunches of red berries for the birds...

...and orange ones.

A puff of dandelion...

...sycamore 'copters...

...a hidden ladybug...

...yellow daisies...

... and perfect little white berries...

Which of nature’s beauties do you enjoy and appreciate around you?

Or do you live in a busy city and feel as though nature is an entity too far beyond your reach? Maybe you can make time to take a little hike out of town for a couple of hours and explore the galleries of beautiful nature.

Holiday Announcement!

noreply@blogger.com (Merry Makes..) — Wed, 29 Jun 2011 19:41:00 +0000

Dear readers, old and new:

As we have a very long summer break ahead of us, it will be difficult for me to continue to blog regularly throughout the next two months.

However, I will try to update you as frequently as possible, on some of the interesting things I come across on my travels.

Hope to see you back here very soon,

In the meantime, keep making...
... discoveries,
... time for yourself,
... healthful recipes,
... personal improvements,
... and of course, whatever crafty business you enjoy!

If you're stuck for inspiration, why not have a browse through the archives here and see what takes your fancy - just click on the labels on the right of the page and check out the titles that grab your attention!

Happy holidays and merry-making :D

Merry

..Three Low-Cost, All-love, Last-Minute Gifts For Dad!

noreply@blogger.com (Merry Makes..) — Thu, 16 Jun 2011 15:31:00 +0000

Guest-post By Sherry Richert Belul

If you’ve got one of those dads who has everything, or you are one of those people whose bank account has barely nothing, then read on!

I’ve got three gift ideas for you that you can easily pull together in a short time. Any of the three can be done without spending a dime. And the best part? He’s gonna love ‘em! (And you!)

1. Make him a Love List:

One of my all-time favorite gifts for someone who has everything is simply a list of reasons why you love him. Set aside a half hour or an hour in a quiet place and think back on all the years you’ve had with Dad. Think about qualities that are unique to him, things he does for you, special times you’ve shared together. Your Love List can include big things and small things, funny things, and sweet things.

Tell him you love that he always answers the phone with a hearty “Hey there!” That he taught you how to ride a bicycle when you were little.
That he used to bring you home the doggie bag when he ate at fancy restaurants. Tell him you love his eyes, his intelligence, his love of puns.
Tell him you love how well he treats Champie, the family’s four-legged, furry gal.

Your list can have twenty things or two-hundred things.

It can be written in pen on a plain white piece of paper.
Or you can do a fancy design on the computer and print it out.
You can add a photo or two.
You can draw a picture on it.
You can frame it.

Use your imagination!

If you want some ideas on how to present your love list once you have it written, check out this free video. There’s also a free download of a ready-made Love List template — all you have to do is fill it in!

Alternatively, you could make a list of things you’ve learned from Dad. Same process as above. It could also be three top ten lists: what I love best about you, my favorite memories of times we’ve shared, and things I’ve learned.

These lists are treasures for someone to hear. I swear to you, they are the best gift someone can receive.

It is amazing to receive a gift that mirrors who you are.

It is a gift to be seen.

And unfortunately, people often don’t get to hear these kinds of things in their lifetime. For some reason in our culture, folks wait until funerals to express their love.

Love Lists are a way to express your love and appreciation NOW!

2. Go for experiential, rather than material:

One of the other things I always suggest for those folks who have everything is a gift that can be experienced together.

Can you give Dad a handmade certificate good for a free jazz concert in the park, an upcoming outdoor summer festival, or a ride on the lake in your canoe?
Does he have a favorite hobby that you can join in somehow?

Could you plan an afternoon bike ride and the two of you bring your cameras to feed his love of photography?
How about morning bird watching followed by a cup of tea at a local cafe?

What people of any age, but especially adults, really want is quality time with people they love. Give Dad the gift of your time and attention.

3. Lend a Hand:

Another great gift for someone is something that helps him out. Again, think about a gift of time and effort.

You could set up a new program on his computer or cook a gourmet dinner at his house.
If you have handyman skills and you notice he needs something replaced, you could buy all the parts and do the work.
You could make him a gift certificate good for “Three hours of at-your-service help around the house.”

Think about your Dad and what kind of help or needs or what kind of help would make his life more fun.

Need a few more ideas? There are three more great ideas for you on the sample pages from the ebook, Present Perfect: 127 creative, one-of-a-kind, no-to-low cost, wow-em gifts they'll never forget. Check out the samples and if you like what you see, you can download the book instantly for just $10.

***

Sherry Richert Belul lives in San Francisco and is mom to a fabulous 10-year-old boy.

Sherry is founder of Simply Celebrate, which is dedicated to helping people find more joy, color, connection, and spontaneity in life. Simply Celebrate offers practices and products to turn ordinary days into an extraordinary life! Sherry’s current focus is helping people foster deeper relationships through conscious and creative gift giving.

..Roly-Poly Apple-Pie Recipe!

noreply@blogger.com (Merry Makes..) — Wed, 08 Jun 2011 18:51:00 +0000

During my first few years in London as I set off to university every morning, I used to pass a little baked-goods shop. Often I'd grab a freshly-made crispy lunch roll with seeds on top. And as often as possible, I used to love snatching an apple turn-over, too.

Apple-pie is something else that I love, and I imagine that one day, someone will teach me to make the world's greatest apple-pie! As apple turn-overs are made with puff pastry (high fat alert) and I am never satisfied with just one of these treats, I have silently been on the search for a suitable substitute and at last, I think I've found one.

I first noticed this delicious desert at a friend's house a few years ago and while I adored the taste, I never really got round to making it because I thought it tasted too good to be easy to make! I couldn't have been farther from the truth.

Having made it a couple of times over this past week, I feel confident sharing it with you.

WHAT YOU NEED:

Preheated oven at 200C/400F

For the pastry:

100g butter, softened at room temperature

3 cups of all purpose flour

1 tsp baking powder

3-4 tbsp natural yogurt

For the stuffing:

4 grated apples

1/2 cup sugar

1 tsp cinnamon

WHAT TO DO:

1. Put all the ingredients for the apple stuffing in a small pan and cook on a medium heat, stirring occasionally, until all the water evaporates from the mixture. Allow to cool.

2. Sift the flour into a bowl. Add the baking powder.

3. Add the soft (but not melted) butter and rub it into the flour until the consistency of the mixture roughly resembles bread crumbs.

4. Add the yogurt, a tablespoon at a time. Bring the flour together to form a moist, but not sticky, pastry.

5. Divide the pastry into 4 and roll out, one at a time, to a thickness of 1/2cm.

Then, proceed as follows:

6. Place the apple rolls on a baking sheet (no need to grease the sheet) and bake for 10-12 minutes. Wait until they are completely cold, then using a fine sieve, dust with icing sugar before devouring, I mean, serving.

TIP: only dust with icing sugar just before you eat as the sugar tends to end up sticky and the gorgeous ice-dusted look disappears :)

THE VERDICT:
I love this treat with a hot cup of coffee, not to mention popping a couple of them into the kids' lunch boxes.

Apple pies, apple turnovers, or apple rolls - what's your favourite and how do you like to eat yours?

..A 'Green-Day' Weekend!

noreply@blogger.com (Merry Makes..) — Wed, 01 Jun 2011 19:36:00 +0000

Over the weekend I attended a local monthly event: the Working Women's Lunch. I hadn't been for the past 2 months. In fact, I gave up an end-of-year party to turn up at the Lunch. You might be thinking: 'Are you crazy?! You gave up a party for a lunch gathering?!!'

Well, I'm glad I did so.

These Ladies' Lunches are always packed with fun, including a whole lot of competitive games that we play.

And guess what?
I actually won 2 prizes!

Yes! One was for being a runner-up in the 'Green Fashion Show' where we showed off our outfits in the colour of the day.

Photo: flickr.com
Children in costumes made up to look like flowers. Wildflower Preservation Society, Illinois Chapter. 1902.

My other prize was for coming top in the 'Points-Score' game. Our host called out various things for which if we qualify, we award ourselves points and add up the score. Highest score wins a prize. It's a whole lot of girly fun!

Now before you start thinking 'A fun-filled lunch sounds like a good deal but you did miss a party', that's not all we got up to. As a bonus, we have a guest speaker to engage and inform us about various relevant subjects, as well as an array of stalls.

At the start of our lunch meeting, we had a dedicated lady by the name of Mary, asking us to 'rethink, re-commit, reuse, recycle and reduce' ; then she went on to tell us why we should, and how we can be responsible consumers.

Our speaker's main aim was to convince us not to submit to media pressure for more consumption of harmful products, whether they be present in cleaning products or make-up ingredients.

She offered us a simple solution - become discerning customers and make responsible choices, for today and for the future of our children's world.

Something that I've been trying to implement in my home over the past several years, is the use of vinegar, baking soda and lemon juice. Vinegar's great for cleaning mirrors and window-panes; baking soda is far too versatile to even start explaining here :) but you can read more about baking soda here (40 tips) and here (60 tips); and a little lemon juice goes a long way in polishing brass-ware or just rubbing the white pith of lemon-peel to remove stains from your teeth.

During the Q&A session I offered my top 3 practical 'green' tips:

1. The shorter the ingredients list on food packaging, the better. If an ingredient is too difficult for an average citizen to read or recognise, then put it back. That ingredient is very likely to have been made in a laboratory i.e. synthetic or so far processed that your body won't be able to absorb or use it.

2. Recycle printer-paper for writing quick notes (click here to see how to make an origami note-holder). Tear up paper which still has one side that can be used for jotting down lists and notes; then store them in this handy note-holder for easy access.

3. Try using a light brushing of baking soda as a deodorant. It prevents the growth of under-arm bacteria and eliminates odours effectively for up to 24 hours.

Coincidentally, on the day there was a young lady present who’d made her own deodorant paste from a mixture of cocoa-butter, shea-butter, baking soda and some fragrant essential oils. After lunch, her pretty little pots of this original product were on sale.

All in all, it was a refreshing and inspiring experience in more ways than one, for all who attended :)

If you're interested in finding out more on the subject of taking environmentally-friendly actions today, then this site, Care2.com has in-depth information on how to make up your own cleaning products at a fraction of the price of ready-to-use equivalents, as well as a whole host of practical ideas for helping the environment. And LiveScience has an article questioning the 'greenness' of commercially produced 'green cleaning products'.

I'd love to hear about your experiences with 'green-living'. Have you managed to incorporate any excellent habits into your own and family's lifestyle. Or do you struggle to make a commitment, thinking: what difference can one person make?

..Two Super-Tasty Summer Salads to Share!

noreply@blogger.com (Merry Makes..) — Sun, 15 May 2011 19:44:00 +0000

You know you're extremely blessed when in just one week you receive amazingly fresh produce from the gardens of neighbours and friends.

A few days ago my neighbour H brought me these mouth-wateringly delicious sun-ripe tomatoes.

Last weekend S brought me a basket full of produce from her garden. (As these arrived after sunset, the only lighting available was from our fluorescent tube-lamp).

There's the fine sand that's ever-present in the air we breathe here - the tomatoes and greens were are covered with it.

Next morning, I washed and separated all the contents of the basket. There were five different fresh products: plum tomatoes, mint, parsley, baby leeks and basil...

...so, the baby-leeks went straight into scrambled eggs for our weekend brunch, side-by-side with quartered plum-tomatoes and white cheese...

..and the parsley went into a 'tabouleh' salad, adorned with a few slices of plum-tomatoes and sprinkled with fine bulgur grains:

As for those blushing beetroots from my garden: well, I've improvised with what I picked up and the result is way too delicious to hide from you all.

So, today I'm sharing, not just showing off. After all, what's a happy moment if you've got no-one to share it with? I shared some of the fresh blessings from my garden with my neighbours, and now for sharing the recipes.

Super-Tasty Summer Salad No.1: Tabouleh

Tab-tab-tabouleh salad! A Middle-Eastern delight - so simple, so refreshing.

WHAT YOU NEED:

2 medium ripe tomatoes (washed and sliced)
1/2 cup of fine cracked wheat (aka bulgur or use couscous grains)
big bunch of parsley leaves (washed and dried with a salad-spinner)
lemon juice
extra virgin olive oil
salt

WHAT TO DO:

1 . Throw the parsley leaves and lemon juice into a large bowl.

2 . Rinse and drain the bulgur grains in a small bowl. Add boiling water until the grains are just covered and cover with cling film until all the water is absorbed. Add a little more (2-3 tbsps) boiling water and cover again. Leave for another 5 minutes.

3 . Add the swollen bulgur grains and salt to taste to the big bowl of parsley leaves. Mix well with a spoon.

4 . Transfer to a serving dish and garnish the top of the salad with tomato slices.

5 . Drizzle with olive oil, add salt to taste and serve.

THE VERDICT:

Tabouleh is a very popular and widely available salad mix in the Middle East. Super-easy to make (apart from the time it takes to pick all the parsley leaves off the main stem) in addition to aiding the control of high blood pressure, parsley is a stimulant for the kidneys, making them work more efficiently.

Both the refreshing and reviving qualities of tabouleh salad will make it one of my long-term favourites.

Super-Tasty Summer Salad No.2: Rocket-n-beet leaves

WHAT YOU NEED:

bunch of rocket leaves aka arugula (washed and drained)
bunch of beetroot leaves (washed and drained)
lemon juice
extra-virgin olive oil
salt
generous pinch of sumak (click this link for another delicious recipe with sumak in it)

WHAT TO DO:

1 . Tear the leaves into a bowl.

2 . Add the other ingredients and mix well.

3 . Serve and enjoy together.

THE VERDICT:

What's left to say?

Well, apart from the fact that rocket leaves rock and bite (!) and beetroot leaves are very pretty AND amazingly tasty, my teenage daughter keeps asking for an extra-large portion.

So, here's hoping your family, both of the young and older variety, will be just as enthusiastic about this offering from my garden :)

If you try either or both of these super-tasty summer salads, leave a comment to share your thoughts on them. Sharing helps your heart grow strong :)

This post is linked to Hearth And Soul Blog Hop where you can find a whole load of other great recipes.
It's also linked to Thursdays At Life As Mom, hosting the ULTIMATE RECIPE SWAP.

..Colour-Funk Festival from the Garden!

noreply@blogger.com (Merry Makes..) — Mon, 09 May 2011 15:33:00 +0000

I'm not a naturally boastful person but today I'm making an exception for myself.
Note: there has not been a technical problem on this site; I just thought you should get to see the colour-funk up close, hence the giant photos :)

Though a little late in the year for this part of the world, my 2m x 2m vegetable patch is just coming alive.

I have hardy and pungent basil,

shiny, budding aubergines,

ravishingly red beetroot,

and totally rocking rocket leaves, amongst other greenery...

I also have coriander, baby leeks, tomatoes, sweet-peas and spinach in the making (I mean, growing) - though some seem to be a little difficult to distinguish from each other at the moment. Here's some of the coriander:

This is because despite my explicit instructions, our 'gardener' seems to have walked around the perimeter of the vegetable patch, randomly sprinkling the various seeds to a happy tune of his own. Each to his own, I suppose.

On the other side of my house, looking out of my den window I see these glorious blooms....

...and am completely overwhelmed by the intensity of their colour, as well as by their unusually large size. I know I've written about bougainvillea before but believe me, this season's giant bunches are really something to write home about!

The blanket flowers are spilling over much more than their rightful share of the lawn-border and the hibiscus seem to be screaming 'ENERGY' at me! Here you see not 1, not 2 but 3!! hibiscus flowers on the same branch, with two additional buds near the tip.

Tell me what you've got to boast about as we go head-long into summer: is it people or plants? Or something you've done recently that makes you feel good? Share your happy experiences in the comments box below.

..Twirling Around My Guest-post!

noreply@blogger.com (Merry Makes..) — Mon, 18 Apr 2011 16:08:00 +0000

I haven't been blogging for some time now but it's mostly because I've been busy with my other passion, teaching.

But I managed to find the time to write up a guest-post on a crochet tutorial titled '3 Ways to Use Crocheted Twirls' which you can read over on Crochetspot, where you can also find a whole host of crochet ideas, patterns, and tutorials.

In this photo you can see two uses of crocheted twirls; to find out how to make twirls and to learn about a third fun way to use twirls, head on over to Crochetspot.com

..A Trip Down Memory Lane

noreply@blogger.com (Merry Makes..) — Thu, 24 Mar 2011 08:13:00 +0000

As a child, I loved making snacks with my mother in the kitchen. I didn't master rolling out any kind of pastry until I was well into my teens, but my mother always encouraged me to divide the dough, and cut strips and fold into triangles (but not the same dough that was cut into strips) and other little tasks which I carried out with a feeling of great self-importance. After all, I was making things, edible things, which others would appreciate.

Three years ago when we finally managed to get broadband back again, the surfing began and with it began hours of a kind of making I'd not touched since the age of 8. Crochet. Yes, that hooked needle that can hook you faster than you can say 'slip stitch'.

Actually, it wasn't totally random. Years ago, I remember my mother knitting a pullover for one of my brothers and as I sat (too close, probably, for her to knit comfortably) she handed me a crochet hook and some light blue yarn and showed me how to make a chain of stitches. I must have been a fast learner for I remember that soon I was making an over-the-head poncho for myself, under my mother's guidance.

What happy memories do you have of making things as a child? Who supervised you? Were you successful? and most importantly, how did it make you feel? Share similar experiences in the comments box.

..Second Vital Tip to Help Your Child Grow!

noreply@blogger.com (Merry Makes..) — Wed, 23 Mar 2011 09:55:00 +0000

Taking up engaging hobbies can benefit your child in as many as 18 different ways. Having lived here in the Middle East for the past 4 years, I have noticed a disturbing 'normality' in children who've grown up here. They don't seem to be interested in anything in particular. Buying expensive toys, from which children don't get their money's worth of use out of, is a common practice amongst expatriate parents. While it's nice to be able to buy our children the latest trendy toy or electronic games, it does nothing to challenge their abilities or encourage them to grow as individuals. What they should be doing is taking up age and ability-related hobbies.

My article titled '18 Ways Your Child Can Benefit From Hobbies' is a thorough and comprehensive description and explanation of how you can help further your child's personal and academic development. Included in this article are numerous suggestions for activities and interests that you can offer your child.

Just a few of the hobbies that are popular with my children: origami, model-making, Rubik's cube, painting and crochet. There's also athletics, football, skate-boarding, table-tennis, hula-hooping and baking, all happening on a regular basis around here.

It is best to expose your child to just a few activities at a time and see which ones she shows sustained interest in. The best mix of hobbies are those which will encourage your child to try a new experience, as well as those which enhance any skills she already has. A healthy balance of new and familiar will prove best for improving your child's development in all aspects of life.

You can read my latest articles as published on ezinearticles.com by clicking on the links in the section 'I write for Ezinearticles'.

...First Vital Tip to Help Your Child Grow!

noreply@blogger.com (Merry Makes..) — Sun, 20 Mar 2011 09:41:00 +0000

I've been quite busy with a couple of my younger students, one of whom I tutor for English and the other for Maths. Recently, I've had long discussions with parents of both of these students regarding their overall personal development and how this is affecting their ability to learn. What facts emerged from these discussions have inspired me to put together key pointers for all parents to help their children's learning, both academic and extra-curricular.

All children grow and develop at different rates, in different aspects of their personality and their learning ability. Even in the case of twins, these differences can be quite striking and the individual who is developing at a slower rate can be negatively affected by his own and the parents' perception of where the child should be at. So, it's vital to convey a sense of self-worth and 'can do' attitude to your child. One great way you can achieve this is by teaching your child to be responsible.

Helping your child to become a responsible person is crucial in advancing both his moral and academic development. A responsible person is more likely to find ways to help his own learning, to take the initiative, ask his own questions and look for answers. A responsible person is also one who is thoughtful and considerate of others, the sort of person everyone wants to have as family and as a friend.

The Webster's Concise Edition Dictionary and Thesaurus (Edition 2009) defines responsibility as:

In other words, a responsible person is able to choose their response to any stimulus, good or bad, easy or difficult. Instilling a strong sense of responsibility in our children can only lead to a better world, and isn't that what we all want?

In my article titled 'How to Teach Responsibility to Your Kids', I outline 3 levels of responsibility that we can teach our children. I also give specific actions you can take today to start teaching responsibility to your children. Encouraging them to act responsibly and to make positive contributions, in the familiar settings of daily individual, family and social circles, will set the standard for their futures as responsible and productive citizens.

In the short term, by teaching your children to be responsible, you will be empowering them with vital skills and the confidence with which they will become responsible learners. Responsible learners show more initiative to learn, are more resourceful and able to interact with others.

You can read my latest articles as published on ezinearticles.com by clicking on the links in the section 'I write for Ezinearticles'.

..First Cushion Covers!

noreply@blogger.com (Merry Makes..) — Wed, 09 Mar 2011 16:56:00 +0000

I was over at Clara's Crochet Room and she's posted her oldest piece of crochet from 1977! The post is linked up to froufrou's who's been clearing out her cupboards. I'm all for clearing out cupboards so I couldn't resist taking a look at what froufrou's unearthed from hers. It's 'a real shocker'! Both froufou and Clara have invited others to share our earliest project and that's what this post is for.

As the first piece of crochet I ever did is no longer in existence (I believe it was a tiny piece of clothing for my friend's doll. At the age of 8, I was far too cool to play with dolls, footballs and secret clubs were more my things :)

Since re-teaching myself to crochet a couple of years back, the oldest item I have is this:

It actually started off as squares for a patchwork throw for my daughter. After making 30-40 squares, I went back to the yarn shop to stock up on more colours and found out that some of them were not going to be available again.

At this point you might ask: didn't you make your calculations for how many grams of yarn you'd need to complete the project? My answer: absolutely not! Like my friend, Little Patience, I am very impulsive at times and getting started seems more important than finishing a project.

So, I had no option but to unravel the painstakingly stitched together squares and rearrange them to make two of these cushion covers. I'm just very happy that not all of my first project ended up as a lost cause :) As for the bedspread that I DID complete for my daughter, you can read about it here. And in retrospect, I notice that I have a thing for the forest-green and fuschia-pink combination of which colours I later made a designer jacket.

What's the oldest piece of knitting or crochet you ever did? If you still have it, take a snap, write a quick post about it, then nip over to froufrou's and link up to share.

..Free Crochet Back-Scrub Pattern!

noreply@blogger.com (Merry Makes..) — Sun, 27 Feb 2011 13:53:00 +0000

Having benefitted from the many free online crochet patterns that I've used and practised my crocheting skills from, I got thinking about what I could do to give a little back to the online crocheting community.

As I really enjoyed making children's washcloths with some brightly coloured yarn from my stash, I decided to make something that everyone can use!

Today, I'm happy to present my very first original crochet pattern for a back-scrub. It's quick and easy to make and very functional for reaching that hard-to-reach place when washing - the back.

With my new original crochet pattern, you don't have to rely on anyone to scrub your back for you! Just throw it over your shoulder and get scrubbing! :)

This back-scrub features a generous width to comfortably cover a large area of your back, a loop at either end for a good grip...

... and a multi-textured surface for effective exfoliation.

Crochet pattern for back-scrub

Hook size: 7mm

Yarn: 100g worsted yarn in any colour, used as a double strand or any yarn that gives the equivalent of 6 wraps per inch (when wrapped around a ruler)
Size of finished back-scrub: length (not including loops) = 60cm, width = 13cm
Abbreviations used are in US crochet terms: ch = chain, sc = single crochet, dc = double crochet
Copyright: This is an original crochet pattern. It may be printed and used for personal projects. The pattern cannot be sold for profit, and is the property of MerryMakes 2011 - all rights reserved. However, items made from this pattern may be sold for profit.

Round 1 - ch 4, close to form a ring.

Round 2 – ch1, 3sc in ring, ch1 and turn. (3st in total)

Round 3 – 2sc in 1^st st, sc in next, 2sc in last st. ch1 and turn.

Round 4 – sc in each st, ch1 and turn. (5st in total)

Round 5 – 2sc in 1^st st, sc in next 3st, 2sc in last st, ch1 and turn.

Round 6 - sc in each st, ch1 and turn. (7st in total)

Round 7 – 2sc in 1^st st, sc in next 5st, 2sc in last st, ch1 and turn.

Round 8 - sc in each st, ch1 and turn. (9st in total)

Round 9 – 2sc in 1^st st, sc in next 7st, 2sc in last st, ch1 and turn.

Round 10 – sc in each st, ch1 and turn. (11st in total)

Round 11 – 2sc in 1^st st, sc in next 9st, 2sc in last st, ch1 and turn.

Round 12 – sc in each st, ch1 and turn. (13st in total)

Round 13 – 2sc in 1^st st, sc in next 11st, 2sc in last st, ch1 and turn.

Round 14 - sc in each st, ch3 and turn. (15st in total)

Round 15 to Round 36 *[skip 2st, 3dc in next st]* 4 times, ch1, skip 1st, dc in 2nd of ch3 from last round (15st in total), ch3 and turn.

Round 37 – ch1 and turn, sc in each st to the end of the row, ch1 and turn.

Round 38 – sc2 together, sc in each of next 11st, sc2 together, ch1 and turn. (13st in total)

Round 39 – sc in each st, ch1 and turn.

Round 40 - sc2 together, sc in each of next 9 st, sc2 together, ch1 and turn. (11st in total)

Round 41 – sc in each st, ch1 and turn.

Round 42 - sc2 together, sc in each of next 7 st, sc2 together, ch1 and turn. (9st in total)

Round 43 – sc in each st, ch1 and turn.

Round 44 - sc2 together, sc in each of next 5 st, sc2 together, ch1 and turn. (7st in total)

Round 45 – sc in each st, ch1 and turn.

Round 46 - sc2 together, sc in each of next 3st, sc2 together, ch1 and turn. (5st in total)

Round 47 - sc in each st, ch1 and turn.

Round 48 - sc2 together, sc in each of next st, sc2 together, ch1 and turn. (3st in total)

Round 49 – ch4 and join with slip stitch to 1^st st in this last row.

Round 50 – ch1, 2sc in ring, ch40, 2sc in ring. Continue with sc along outer edge of the completed piece, 2sc into the other ring, ch40, 2sc in ring. Continue with sc along the other edge of the scrub. When the round is completed, slip stitch to join to the first sc.

Cut off yarn leaving 10cm to weave in.

Weave in all loose yarn ends.

--------------------------------------------------------------------

This wonderful back-scrub is very quick to make (took me about an hour) and would look great in everyone's bath or shower room. Keep two for yourself, make one each for everyone else in your family, and then spread the love by making a few extra as gifts.

This post is my second contribution to 'The Gift Project' by The Herbed Kitchen where Joy writes: 'The theme for this month’s Gift Project is love and affection.'

And you can find my first contribution here when January's theme was COMFORT.

Surprise someone with a token of your love and affection. They'll be glad you helped them become self-sufficient enough to scratch their own back :)