Thursday 2 August 2012

Seaside inspiration and a scrub


I can't help making the most of these sunny, warm evenings and am acutely conscious of the evenings drawing slowly in...
I tend to go for a long cycle along the coast when I can and just love that bit of me time after a busy day at work. 


I pop my headphones in and off I go into the blue sky and breeze.


I love people watching as I cycle along and stopping to take some photos. I try never to take my close proximity to the coast for granted and embrace it as much as I can. 




All the pretty shapes, forms and colours inspire me.



I am busy crocheting a granny stripe blanket in the evenings and am using up lots of my scrappy bits and bobs of yarn left over from other projects or that I have been given (from a colleague's mum when she moved). I think all the colours that I am seeing on my evening cycles are inspiring me, I'll show you my progress soon.

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On another note, Alice and I have also got round to making some home made scrub for my friend Janie who is celebrating her birthday on Sunday. She teaches Alice art after school and holds fabulous workshops for kinds in the holidays and manages to grow the prettiest English country garden ever.

Since she is such a keen gardener, we decided this could be used as a perfect hand scrub for her, it can of course be used as an all over body scrub too. 


I was inspired after reading this post on A Thrifty Mrs blog and decided to tweak her "recipe" to suite my needs;

I used 250g soft fine brown sugar, 1 Tablespoon lemon juice, 100mls olive oil and about 20 drops of geranium oil (any oil that you like can be used). Mix them all together and voila you have a nifty stash of scrub. A perfect little home made present.


The top right picture doesn't look too appetising(!)but the left hand pic does it the justice it deserves, it smells divine (I love geranium oil) and scrubs up a treat leaving your skin soft and silky and smelling delish. 


Welcome to three new followers Mrs. MicawberPaisley Summer and A Quiet Corner.


That's me for this evening,
I'm off to watch team GB cyclists enjoying their gold medal
See you all soon
xox

18 comments:

  1. The coast there is so different to ours, I like the beach huts, wouldn't it be cool to own one of those...they're normally quite pricey aren't they? Having that bit of time at the end of the day keeps everything in balance doesn't it.

    The sugar scrub is a great gift idea, I bet that'll really be enjoyed.

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  2. Hi Penelope, your pictures are gorgeous. I'm sad that the days are already drawing in but it means I get out in the light evenings while they last, rather that taking them for granted.
    Jacquie x

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  3. Love your photos of the coast. Gorgeous x

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  4. Great photos!

    Just last night we bemoaned the dark sky at 9pm - makes me feel heavy-hearted that we're heading for those long dark days. I so hate winter.

    May I ask, where you got the geranium oil from? I LOVE that fragrance best of all the essential oils (my hand lotion is geranium and orange, and my shamppo and conditioner are geranium and lavender) and have long wanted to try and make some sort of homemade 'perfume' with it, and reading this has reminded me of that.

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    1. Hi Wendz
      I got mine from Boots about a year ago, I too love geranium and orange together and sometimes treat myself to the Neals Yard geranium and orange range when I have some spare cash. An easy way to make a scented cream is to add a few drops of your favourite scented oils into a biig pot of cheap aqueous cream. I often do this to make an otherwise neutral smelling lotion into something beautiful xox

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    2. Thanks - and such a good tip for the cream. I use plain aqueous cream but will do that essential oil trick.

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  5. Oooh, Penelope, I have some gorgeous scented oils...I must give that scrub a go, and what a great idea for gardening friends! That's Christmas sorted then!

    Liking also your table cloth - or is it a tea-towel - with the lovely apple slices design....hmmmm great for applique, methinks!

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  6. I'm so envious that you get to cycle by the sea, I feel I've hardly started this Summer yet and already it's nearly over. I saw the scrub recipe on Mrs T's - your version looks gorgeous.
    x

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  7. Marvellous images, and the scrub is an added bonus :D

    I'd love to live so close to the coast! Maybe one day :)

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  8. Lucky you to live by the sea ... I think we're all envying you (except perhaps Faith). That scrub looks delicious, and I love geranium scent too.

    I add a drop or two of tea tree and peppermint oils to my sunscreen before I take my long weekend rides - helps keep the bugs away.

    Olympic cycling is such fun to watch - when the Olympics were held in Los Angeles in 1984, we were still living in SoCal. We camped out to watch the road races which were held not far from where we lived - no security back then! - and also got to see a bit of the team time trials as they were held on one of the freeways. (We stood on an overpass and watched the teams go whizzing by beneath.)

    Love your beachy photos!

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  9. I also love geranium oil, I used to make up my own body oil and rose geranium always went into it. My fav at the moment is Frankincense, which is very good for your skin.
    Love your beach photo's, keep them coming.
    xo Sandi

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  10. Lovely beach photos, that empty beach looks so peaceful :-)

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  11. Gorgeous seaside pics!
    You've done it again Penelope
    the scrub...I've got to try that. I wonder if it will work ok with almond oil.....I really don't know where I'd get geranium oil.
    I'm thinking me and myself and daughter NÂș 1 could have a beauty session.....best put a bottle of white in to chill!

    keep well

    Amanda :-)

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  12. Hello Penelope, I have just found your blog and it's lovely! Your pictures are gorgeous and I am so looking forward to seeing your granny stripe blanket - Yvonne xx

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  13. Penelope have nominated you for the One LOvely Blog Award - hoipe you don't mind!

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  14. Your scrub looks and sounds lovely, a thrifty treat indeed. My little girl is getting into all these beauty preparations so I think we may have to make this together. Hank you or the inspiration.

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  15. Apologies for the spelling errors, my ipad is a nuisance!

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  16. wonderful seaside photos....great place for a long walk

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