Kicking off a brand new blog feature here at Making Nice in the Midwest, I have with me a very dear friend, Miss Catherine Bules- maker of this mad herbal martini that I can’t wait to enjoy once this baby’s out of my belly! If you’ve been reading here for a while, you might remember Catherine from her surprise birthday party , her initiation of the All-Friends-Thanksgiving tradition, or perhaps that time she dressed up as Lumpy Space Princess! My little group of friends enjoys experimenting with drink mixing, so I thought it would be fun if Catherine kicks off this new “Guest Bartender” series with a fresh drink perfect for Summertime. (Oh, and I did try a tiny sip- it was surprising in all the right florally ways!)

• 7-10 full-sized fresh basil leaves (dried basil will not do)
• 1/4 cup dried lavender (you may use fresh lavender too)
• 1 T honey, or a one inch square of honeycomb.
• 1 fresh squeezed lemon (2 if you like it a bit more citrusy)
• 2/3 C of gin
• 1/3 C of vermouth
• ice cubes

Haven’t scrapbooked in awhile? Feeling uninspired with your current supplies and same old photos? Want to try scrapbooking or art journaling but don’t where to start? No worries. The ever-creative Kara Haupt is here to save the day!

This & That is a 158 page printable PDF jam-packed with challenges, journaling prompts, and techniques designed to get you scrapbooking again. Mix and match and use this and that to create 30+ pages! Choose one journaling prompt and one technique idea from the pool and combining ideas to get excited about creating again.

Included in the $28.50 price:

• 30 journaling prompts
• 30 technique prompts and ideas
• Tutorial for creating vintage handkerchief albums
• Printable embellishment sheets
• Instructor Video
• Email access to Kara

Last month, I asked my Twitter friends if they thought I was crazy for wanting to crochet a blanket in the middle of July. Crazy? Maybe! But I had this idea for a checkerboard -style baby blanket, and knew I wanted to wrap up our little baby girl in something just like it. So off I went, crocheting little squares that a week later would be joined to create the blanket above. It turned out to be the easiest blanket I’ve ever made, and great for Summer, since you only work with a tiny section at a time until joining them at the end- and I will say, joining  all of the little pieces was certainly time consuming!

So how about you? Are you crafty with a crochet hook, or only wish you could be? Some people appreciate the finished product, but don’t have the desire to work on such an extensive project. I get that. But if you’re somebody who actually wants to learn, and feels overwhelmed- don’t be! I learned how to do all of the stitches you see here by viewing YouTube videos kindly shared by some pretty crafty ladies. You can check out how to do the single crochet (how I made the squares in the above blanket), this video is great. For joining the squares, watch this one. And if you want to make the granny ripple blanket below (fast and easy- promise!), view the crochet-along series here.

Oh, and if you want a crochet blanket, but don’t want to put in the time- I don’t blame you! I purchased the last blanket shown here on Etsy. It was too quirky and cute to pass up.