Easy tricks can add color and comfort to simple summer pleasures

August 2, 2007

It's summer, time to enjoy the simple pleasures -- the beach, backyard barbecues, sipping lemonade on the back porch on leisurely afternoons. Here are some "good things" to help you make the most of your sun-soaked days.

Hit the shore in a breezy beach wrap made from a favorite fabric. To determine how much cloth you'll need, first measure from waist to ankle. Then measure around hips, multiply that number by 2, and add 2 inches.

Cut fabric so that one long side falls along the selvage. With fabric right-side down, double-hem each short side 1/2 inch (pressing after each fold).

To make the waistband: Double-hem the unfinished long side of the fabric 1 1/2 inches (pressing after each fold). Leave the selvage edge as is. To add ties: Tuck a 24-inch-long piece of ribbon (about 5/8-inch wide) in each end of the waistband, and stitch in place.

The same carnauba wax that protects your car's finish can also do a fine job on painted metal furniture. Once every season, apply an even coat with a damp terry cloth towel to furnishings; let dry, then lightly buff with a soft cotton rag. The wax will repel water, preventing rust, and also restore luster to dull paint.

Welcome visitors -- and help shield them from bites, burns, and other irritations -- by offering them a supply of summertime sprays and ointments. Purchase bulk containers of assorted salves, including sunscreen, bug repellent, and aloe gel, and decant them into small plastic bottles, available at crafts stores and pharmacies. Label the bottles, and set them in a portable tray that can be placed in a guest room or by the pool.

Next time you head outdoors to the grill, try this tasty trick: Soak rosemary sprigs for a half hour, then use them to skewer meat, fish, or vegetables. (You may need to poke through the food first with a metal skewer.) The sturdy stalks will stand up to the grill's heat and infuse food with their garden-fresh flavor.

Do your towels dry as well as they used to? It may be that your laundry detergent contains fabric softener, which has residues that cling to individual fibers, making towels less absorbent.

The next time you wash a load, add a cup of distilled white vinegar during the rinse cycle; it will remove the residue and restore the towels' soaking power. In the future, avoid using detergents with fabric softener when washing towels.

Light up your next dinner party with a centerpiece that recalls the seaside. Use candle adhesive to secure tapers to the bottom of a clear glass vase. Carefully pour in a few inches of sand, then arrange shells on top.

Adapted from Martha Stewart Living Magazine. Questions should be addressed to Ask Martha, care of Letters Department, Martha Stewart Living, 11 W. 42nd Street, New York, N.Y., 10036. Questions may also be sent by electronic mail to: mslletters@ marthastewart.com. Please include your name, address, and daytime telephone number. Questions of general interest will be answered in this column; Martha Stewart regrets that unpublished letters cannot be answered individually. For more information on the topics covered in the Ask Martha column, visit marthastewart.com.