A Gift Just for You!

Gift-giving is important to us, especially when handmade and given from the heart . Our gifts need to be thoughtful and personal. They need to say: "This was made just for you!" And we also strive to wrap them in a unique and non-wasteful way.

Maybe it is because I'd much rather sew than cook (I see those heads nodding!) that some of my favorite gifts to give are fun and unusual food mixes. And, if there absolutely has to be "cooking" involved, I so enjoy giving handmade soaps and other beauty products. And wouldn't you know it: I found the perfect book with recipes for both! With beverage mixes like Orange Spice Capuccino or Southern Peach Tea, followed by a long list of mix recipes for brownies and bars, cakes and pies, cookies, muffins, breads, seasonings and dips (among them Hot Jalapeño Jam, and Sweet, Hot, and Tangy Sauce), plus a whole section on snacks. And, my personal favorite: soup mixes galore! And then the beauty products: Herbal Oatmeal Bath Sachet, Raspberry Bath Splash, Strawberries and Cream Milk Bath Mix. There's even something for our four-legged friends: Bone Appetit Dog Biscuits and Catnip Cut-Out Cookies. I double-check and yep, I have absolutely everybody on my list covered with this one book alone: Gifts for Giving: Gift Mixes & Delights from the Kitchen, Plus Year Round Ideas for Wrapping It Up & Giving (Gooseberry Patch)

Earlier this year I purchased another great book, and it is coming in really handy for all my gift-giving needs: It's a Wrap: Sewing Fabric Purses, Baskets, And Bowls.  Who but a quilter could have invented using clothesline and fabric to make amazing bowls and boxes... just perfect for holding all these fun mixes? All you need is strips of fabric, clothesline, and a zig-zag machine. Oh, yes... and your own dose of creativity. Susan teaches you the technique and how to make the basic shapes, and then fills the book with tips and suggestions to encourage your own ideas and creativity. Not only beautiful, but very practical, these will be gifts sure to delight!