When you cannot afford it you roll up your sleeves and have a go

Well you do in my family and that is the way we have been brought up.  When it was my mum and Dad's anniversary one year when I was at home I think I was about 16 I wanted to treat them both to a meal but could not afford to pay for them to go to a restaurant  (I was still at school and not working) so I did the next best thing. I cooked it myself from scratch, arranged for my Dad to take mum out for the afternoon and early evening and then got stuck in, in the kitchen.  I think I prepared home made prawn cocktail (I made the sauce from scratch), Roast chicken with all the trimmings, and Black Forest Gateau also cooked from scratch.  Dear old Dad was in on the plan but not on what I intended to cook, so he got a surprise as well and my mum certainly did she had not got a clue but they both enjoyed the meal.  It was something simple, something that was not expected, so even more of a surprise, but the point of this little story is that I did not let a simple thing like not having a lot of money phase me and I did what I could with what I had available to me.  You do not have to spend a lot to give someone a treat or do something special, sometimes just giving something of yourself is all that is needed.

Another year I had not got  lot of money to hand as OH was out of work but I still wanted to do something nice for my mum, so I set about embroidering a damask panel with a central wide open Rose and then making it up into a little bed cushion with  lace edging for her present, but then I set too and printed off some images off a craft cd I have and decoupaged a birthday card for her despite never having done decoupage before it came out rather well and the front of the card could be used as a picture frame so double use out of the home made card; but best of all my mum was pleased because I had taken the time and the trouble to make her something from bits and pieces that I already had.  My mum classes it as unnecessary to spend money you haven't got and is quite happy with a card with lovely words although we always find something or make something that she likes. 

Sometimes with a little planning you can provide presents for friends or loved ones from plants that are already pre-existing in your garden or if another friend is happy to share seed  you can bring on plants from cuttings or seed and plant them up, spruce them up with some home made wrapping paper ( you can get little rolls of brown paper from the £ shop) or I bought a roll of white lining paper for just over £1 and am going to use paints, stamps, stencils and ink to make individual wrapping paper and then tie with pretty ribbon.  Alternatively you could give a hand tied bunch of flowers from your garden simply arranged, tied with pretty ribbon (I do tend to recycle ribbon ironing it out in between uses) and you can always make some home made truffles, fudge or coconut ice to go with them.

The point is by having a go and making things or tackling things yourself you learn a new skill, produce something original which makes you feel good about yourself, the person you are making it for is pleased and has been given some pleasure.  Really it is the giving of oneself that is the real gift rather than the item itself.

The main purpose of this post is if you cannot afford it  there is always a way round things if you are prepared to have a go and it probably will not cost you a massive amount which lets face it is why you are probably having a go anyway.  Years ago people did not have a choice.  If they needed  a new dress the cheapest way was to make it yourself for a lot of the populus - there was only one option make it yourself.  Unfortunately the proper in depth teaching at the schools for Home Economics as it was called when I was at school and Dressmaking is not in place.  That is why with the cooking I buy ingredients and then make things with the ingredients from scratch.  I am the same with my craft and needlework buying the fabric and notions, haberdashery items and trimmings and then create a one off design even if following a pattern.  I get a lot of patterns and/or ideas off the Internet for free.

There is no such thing as I can't do it that is a negative phrase if you think about it logically and ends up affecting the confidence of the person trying to have a go.  Its like learning to walk you have to take baby steps and have lots of practice until you find your way around whatever it is you are working on.  Its okay to make mistakes when doing something like this its the way you learn.

That is why in the summer months I have taken to growing salad leaves and herbs myself.  Salad leaves don't last long in the fridge, but picking it straight from the garden just before you need it means you get it in premium condition and taste.

So come on roll your sleeves up and be prepared to have a go - it will open up a completely new and different avenue in which to channel your creativity enabling you  to express yourself.  It can be remarkably cathartic and healing.

Catch you soon

Pattypan

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