And Now for Something Completely Different

When I returned to my WIPs over the weekend, I sadly discovered that my wrists grew sore after only knitting for about half an hour.  This, my friends, is unacceptable!  But I have to accept it, I suppose, or else I'll make myself miserable. So, what's a crafty girl like me meant to do? Yeah, you guessed it ~ try something new!

Ever since I started weaving, I've been wanting to make a rag rug so I did some research and went into action.  I pulled all my old bed sheets out of my linen closet and picked two queen-size flat sheets that should have been retired many years ago. I tore them into 2.5 inch strips and split-spliced them together.  

I then went to my local DIY big box store, picked up some dowels and elbow connectors, and McGuyvered (yes, that's a word, right?) myself a 3x4 loom.  I've never felt more geeky but in a really good way!

This is my progress so far, and I'm pretty happy with the result.  These aren't colors I would particular want in either my kitchen or bathrooms but as a first sample, I'm loving it.  Oh, did I mention that I have a fantastic local fabric store in my neighborhood?  Tomorrow calls for rain so guess what I'll be doing?

DIY Diary: Deer Repellent

In case you haven't noticed, I popped two new buttons on my sidebar:  one for my DIY Diary posts and another for my patterns.  I really love how Kristina designed these and am excited that I figured out how to link them ... yes, all by myself!

How better to launch my new DIY Diary button than to post a new DIY! I've been wanting to make a gentle but effective deer repellent for a while and am pleased with this concoction.  I don't know about you, but where I live, sharing the land with hungry deer is just part of everyday life.  I feel for them (most of the time) as they have less and less land to live on with all the houses and commercial developments being built yearly, but they have become bolder than ever before and, over the years, eat more and more of my garden.  After some research, I decided a pepper spray was my best option.  This spray could not be simpler to make. and it's really economical compared to some of the repellent products on the market. 

All you need is cayenne pepper and water -- really!  I used a hot sauce that had cayenne pepper in it which cost me all of $1.99.  In a large container, pour 6 to 8 drops of hot sauce and mix with 1 gallon of water.

I liked using this fancy carafe -- just for fun!



Blend well and pour into a clean spray bottle.

 

Spray liberally over flowers and plants that deer love.

 

You can see where the deer have dined on this hosta.



When deer attempt to dine on these plants, they'll experience a slight burn on their tongues and avoid them.  This spray won't actually hurt them but simply repel them, a win-win in my book.  You'll need to reapply after a few days and/or after a heavy rain but one bottle should last most of the summer.  I can attest that this spray has worked!  Try it and let me know your results.

DIY Diary: Balsamic Strawberries

Remember when I mentioned that we were having multiple family birthdays this month? Xavier's was on Sunday ....

... and yesterday was Mark's.  All those years ago, we wondered if Xavier and Mark would end up sharing the same birthday but Xavier decided he needed a day just for himself (smart boy).


To celebrate Mark's day, we spent it it the city:  shopping, lunching, and walking the High Line.  Back home, we ended the evening with a small gathering of friends for an al fresco dinner and cake:  all in all, a perfect birthday, if I say so myself.


For the menu, I turned to my Pinterest boards where I try to pin yummy recipes for everyday meals and special occasions.  Recently I came across an appetizer that I had to try -- balsamic strawberries and goat cheese canapes -- and they were fun (and simple) to make and delicious. I modified the recipe just a touch for my own tastes.  These are perfect for a summer meal, so here's what you do:

Roast 9 - 10 large fresh strawberries at 400 degrees for about 10 minutes.

With a fork, gently mash the roasted strawberries and then add 1 tablespoon of honey, 1 tablespoon of Balsamic vinegar, and 1 tablespoon of olive oil.  Blend until just combined.

Cut up one large baguette into 1-inch slices and spread with goat cheese.

 Top each slice with a 1/2 teaspoon of balsamic strawberries and voila! 

Pretty and yummy canapes!

We followed the canapes with a summery Salad Nicoise!  I love summer eating!  Let me know if you try these balsamic strawberries and what you think.  I'd love to see your photos, too!

DIY Diary: Frozen Yogurt Pops

Here in New York, we're bracing for a two-day heat wave, and I, for one, am not looking forward to it.  I've lived on the east coast for my entire life so you'd think I'd be used to the heat and humidity that accompanies summer in NY, but I'm a wimp when it comes to hot weather, especially the steamy kind.


But I'm also a have lemons, make lemonade kind of gal so I thought some home-made frozen yogurt pops would help us survive the blast of heat headed our way tomorrow. What I love about DIYs is the simplicity of ingredients.  For these frozen yogurt pops, all you need are:  fresh strawberries, plain yogurt, and honey or brown sugar syrup.

Take a cup of strawberries and slice some, quarter some.  Puree the sliced strawberries in a blender or food processor and set aside in a bowl.

In another large bowl, add one cup of plain yogurt and two tablespoons of honey or brown sugar syrup.

Add one heaping tablespoon of strawberry puree and blend lightly.

In a frozen pop mold, layer some strawberry puree, yogurt, quartered strawberries, and honey or brown sugar syrup.

Pop the tops on and freeze for at least four hours before eating.

Enjoy!!

DIY Diary: Fragrant Salt Rub

Whenever we visit London, we make sure to spend some time at Covent Garden (yes, of Elizabeth Doolittle fame). I love the old structure where the vendors gather, and while I know it's changed a great deal since its original days, I always enjoy strolling around the shops and cafes soaking up the energy.

One shop that Miranda and I always go into is LUSH, which you can now find in NYC and other large cities.  As soon as you walk in, you're bathed in fragrances from all the wonderful lotions, bath bombs, and salt rubs.  We've splurged on occasion, but I was recently inspired to make my own salt rub which is super easy to do. Here's a simple recipe that you can customize.

 

You need sea salt, grapeseed oil, and essential oil.  Yup, that's it!  Combine 1/4 cup of grapeseed oil with 1 cup of fine sea salt. Some folks like a brown sugar scrub, but I prefer salt as I find that it's a more effective exfoliant. Mix these two ingredients until blended. 

Add 10 drops of high-quality essential oil.  I love lavendar for relaxation but lemongrass is great if you want a rub that is refreshing.

There you have it:  a great exfoliant for hands and feet that will leave your skin feeling smooth and smelling delightful.
 

Keep your salt rub in a well-sealed container and avoid using it on your face -- the salt will sting and I don't want to make you cry!  Which fragrance will you use?  Enjoy.

DIY Diaries: Citrus Clean -- 3KCBWDAY5

I had wanted to try creating a podcast for today's post as something new and different but, put simply, I don't know how!  Yes, that's embarrassing, but Xavier is excited to teach me so pod casting may be an addition to Project: Stash in the near future. For now, I'm choosing to post a new DIY as it's been a while since my last diary entry.

I'm a huge citrus fan and since we only use white vinegar and water to clean our kitchen and bathroom surfaces, I thought it would be great to scent our natural cleaner with another natural ingredient:  lemons! This recipe could not be simpler.  Take four lemons and cut each in half so to fit easily in your juicer.

In a large glass container, add the rinds and fill with 3 to 4 cups of white vinegar. Cover the container with plastic wrap and leave mixture to marinate for two weeks. Strain the rinds and pour citrus vinegar into your spray bottles.  Voila!  You've now got some freshly scented, natural cleaner.  Easy peasy, right?



The DIY Diary: Liquid Soap

As you know, many of my Christmas gifts this year were made by hand.  While I really like the way the bath soaks and laundry soap turned out, I wanted to make a gift that would serve as a centerpiece to the other hand-made, non-knitted gifts.

Two very simple ingredients

I've mentioned before how much I love fragrant soaps and wanted to try my hand at making liquid soap especially after I found these beautiful glass soap dispensers.

Making liquid soap could not be easier or simpler.  Use your favorite bar soap -- I love Mrs. Meyer's and the scent of lemon verbena -- and grate the soap into a large pot.  Add nine to ten cups of water and two tablespoons of vegetable glycerin.  Heat to boiling, stirring constantly, until the soap flakes are fully melted.  Remove from heat and let cool.  

Pour liquid soap into bottles and voila!  One batch of liquid soap filled six of these dispensers and I still have enough left over to fill about another four bottles.  As my sisters said, just call me Laura from Little House on the Prairie. 

My sister's soap dispenser in situ

The DIY Diary: Bath Soaks

I'm mid-way through my one-week winter break from work and somehow I still feel like I'm rushing around when I should be slowing down and enjoying time off to hang out with my family.  Christmas weekend was absolutely lovely but busy and each day since, I've found myself with little "to do" lists.  While I love being able to check off things from those lists, what I also want to make sure I do is take time to sit still, read a book, listen to music, knit, or just daydream.


There are people in my life who give themselves those types of moments because they love to indulge in baths. I wish I took more baths because they can be incredibly soothing, but I never seem to have the time for a good soak.  I even have a huge bathtub with jets and everything but it rarely gets used these days.  Still, I love bath salts and soaks and soaps and ... yes, fragrant bath goodies that make the air smell warm and cozy.  So, for this Christmas I made bath soaks as gifts and they couldn't be easier to put together.

Here are the simple ingredients -- sea salt isn't shown

In a large bowl, mix together 4 cups epsom salts, 1 cup baking soda, 1/4 cup sea or kosher salt, a few drops of essential oil, and herbs.  I love lavender and know how relaxing it is so used that as my oil and herb.

I got square jars with heavy glass lids and filled each to the top.  Tied with a bright red ribbon, these bath soaks made such a happy gift.  And I saved a little for myself to remind me to take a nice, long soak sometime this week!

The DIY Diary: Boozy Bacon Jam

My friend Beverly is a huge fan of bacon and admittedly, I am, too.  In fact, I really love all types of pork:  ribs, loin, belly, chops.  But I have a soft spot for bacon and when I came across a recipe for boozy bacon jam, I knew that I had to try it.

Amazingly, I had all the ingredients including a pound of bacon (okay, I confess, I had two pounds of bacon in my fridge).  The spices included in this recipe are ones that you probably have in your pantry, too -- cinnamon, ginger, paprika, chile, salt, and pepper.  The sweetness comes from maple syrup and the acid from apple cider vinegar.

I'm partial to red onion so substituted one for a yellow onion but otherwise, I stuck to the recipe.  And I even had the boozy part of the recipe:  a nice French brandy (who knew?).  As I was simmering this gorgeous concoction, the house smelled deliciously wonderful. Spicy, boozy, bacony, and sweet.

After the jam simmered for about an hour, I cooled it down and thickened it in the blender. This is a terrific recipe that makes a really sweet gift (pun intended).  I jarred some up for Beverly and another friend, Polly, and I hope they like it.  I know I do!