A Happy Project Finished for a Friend....

My cup runneth over with ever so patient friends!!! Which makes to finishing a few special things for them all the sweeter! I have been slowly, like a turtle, working on some fun creations for a baker friend of mine. And when I say I have been slow-it has been since MAY!! But I finished today and was thrilled to send her pics to see what she thought. Here is a peek at some of the fun creations.

When my baker friend visited back in May she had some fun picking out fabrics for a bundle of napkins. Here are some of the napkins. These were all made from reclaimed bed linens. These napkins are an everyday nessesity around our house, I am completely sold on these! They are reversible and of course washable. I have not purchased paper napkins for years now-heavenly!!

Tied up in a pretty bow and ready to go to the baker lady I love!

Then there is this fun retro kitschy tote-love her eye and ideas! She had seen a vintage curtain panel that I had in the shop and asked if I would make it into a tote for her. I may have thought maybe for a few minutes that I may have to tell her it is no longer for sale(because I now want it) Haha. I had just found this fabulous vintage plaid tablecloth that week and it just popped against the colors of the curtain panel. So the plaid worked well for the bottom and handles of the bag!

Finally I used my favorite bed linen print for the inside of the tote. It is a whimsical robin's egg blue and white floral design.

And last but not least...A MAN BAG!! for her soon to be Husband!!! The man bag was made from reclaimed wool-did I ever tell you how much I LOVE WOOL-just kidding-you already know that-silly me. It is made to fit a laptop and other "man" things. You know, I thought guys did not have anything to carry around like women, but let me just say that my husbands "man bag" weighs 50 pounds!! most days- and I just can't figure out how it is actually holding up to all the wear and tear he puts on that poor thing!! I think it is so funny when he is afraid of having to find something in my purse for me, if he can survive his bag and find what he needs in that, he should have no problem with mine;)

I tried to keep the messenger bag simple with a touch of interest to it. So I added these three stones to the front flap to give it some dimension. The bag is now called "A Stone's Throw".

I also had fun with the thread detail. Most of the top stitching was done in red. I LOVE RED. So, now these lovelies will be off in the mail to a very patient friend. And just in time for another visit in October!! I think we will be talking "wedding!!!"

Glimpses to Share

It has been awhile since I have posted regularly on projects around here, so I thought I would just share some glimpses of them, lots of lovely little impulses for summertime, chances to give my feet a break, bringing a calm to those tough, busy days. Some of these may even become tutorials, maybe when the kids are back to school, I will have a chance to do a bit more writing. But, here it is , a summertime of inspiration in progress.

Put up a little tent in the back yard for the little ones! I think maybe I will escape out there to do some reading!

Ahhhh....summer.....

I took a bunch of squares left over from different projects and put them all into one quilt called random joy. It is a quilt of eye candy for any scrap lover.

A few minutes here and a few minutes there, on this one. No rush, just relaxation.

Some "works in progress"...Making Strawberry Shortcake quilted throw pillows out of vintage bed linens.

Also working on Vintage Annie Pillows too

I have been working to get the store restocked with wee ones caps for the fall and winter season. These caps were made from some super soft and playful colored turtle necks.
I have actually found a pattern I liked working with-I am not much of a "pattern" girl. But this taxi tote was a lot of fun. I have enjoyed being able to use some of my favorite fabrics in my stash for this.

Madi worked on a taxi tote for a friend of hers that just moved away. We are really missing her already. It is a perfect design for beginner sewers!

I found a beautiful rose bowl on one of my hunts and have filled it with old scrabble letters. It has been used as a centerpiece on our dining table, the little ones love to crawl up on the table to play with them. I pretend I do not see them up there;)

I have been working with the large amount of sheet hems that I end up with when cutting them for the fat quarter bundles in the shop.

I am making a ruffled blanket with them. One layer at a time......

Here it is so far....IT IS HEAVY!!!

We had to pull out the carpeting down in my workroom due to our air conditioner leaking:( But the carpet was overdue for being removed anyways. We had to pull out my fat quarter wall though, so it was alot of work.

The wall is all put back together. We got a carpeting with some good padding-which my feet are desperate for. I have been going through getting diagnosed with what has turned out to be multiple heel spurs. I am actually waiting on MRI results to see just how bad they are. Staying off my feet is just not very easy with 5 kids!!and a fabric store;) But this carpet will help when I am cutting fabric. So, the work of replacing it has been well worth it!

Josie and I went thrifting together one afternoon and found her a "treasure" box. We are working on painting it. She has so many ideas!!! Fun to work on a project together!

Tonight, I was able to get the side curtain panels finished in our living room. I had worked on the main window weeks ago but wasn't sure what to do for the smaller windows. I did not have enough of the original fabric I intended on using - but I am so glad because I believe these turned out even better. They are just simple fabric shades that get tied up during the day. All made from vintage bed linens.

They matched so nicely with the curtains already up.
This lovely little needle work piece is going to be a pillow. It took a bit of thinking to figure out how I could design the pillow to showcase even the delicate edge. So I attached the entire panel to a scrap piece of white cotton. The cotton will be what I attach the back to allowing the little ruffle to be seen when finished.

Sweet little scrap pillow. I did some deep cleaning of my supplies and decided to put some things to use instead of storing them. I had a few pillow forms that needed some fun slip covers. Perfect little scrap project!!

All finished....

Took some time a few weeks ago to get a hutch painted and added to a dresser in our kitchen. There has not really been any room in our kitchen for decoration until now. Loving having my cookbooks easily accessible!

All finished!!! Well, it is getting late, I should get to bed. There are a few more to share, so I will have to do a 2nd post on the glimpses of inspiration around here. Hope you are all having a great summer!

A Fruitful Goodbye to Summer

We have officially been back to homeschooling for almost 2 weeks now. It did not feel like a stranger this year when we returned. It has been a subtle and smooth transition back to a more structured schedule. I did feel the sadness just like the kiddos as we returned though, and it is good to go through the experience with them. The challenge for me is to remember that even though i feel the same as they do, I am the one who will set the tone and example for how to handle disappointment. Being mom is sometimes like being the rudder on a boat, when the rudder turns, so does the boat. And just like that, which ever way I turn in emotions, most of the time, my family turns the same direction. Can be such a good thing, but when I am not checking my attitude and thoughts against what the Lord thinks and says in His Word, it can be SO BAD! I am also learning to face difficulties with a sense of humor. Now going back to school is not a tragedy, although some of my kids may think it at times, but even the little obstacles need humor as we prepare for the bigger obstacles in life! So, on our first day back to school, Matt got up earlier and took the kids on their traditional donut run for the first day back to school. Since we do not have the great excitement of getting on the bus or putting on our new back to school outfit(cause hey! we get to do school in our PJ'S!), we decided to at least get dressed for the first day of school and start off the day with an, OH SO HEALTHY" breakfast-DONUTS! And then, I keep the wee ones with me and plan my newest greeting to the new school year-something that makes them laugh when they walk in the door. So, I years before, I have dressed up like an scary old school teacher with the cat glasses, gaudy make up, crazy hair, and funky dress(which being I sell vintage clothing, it is not too difficult to find one of those!), I have also been a clown and the kids this year said as they left, "You did get rid of that clown costume, right?!) So, I said, yes, don't worry this year I decided not to do anything since I have scared you the last few years instead of making you laugh. And I was being truthful when I said that this time. I figured it was one of those silly ideas I had thought was so much better than it really was, and it was time to let it go. Besides my brain has been feeling a bit burnt on the creative side, so a rest was welcomed, BUT! When I said that, they protested and said that they were expecting something and they didn't want me to stop. Well, nothing like scrambling at the last minute! So, I went with an old faithful to our family. ..Star Wars, can't lose with that! Yes, of course we have a Darth Vader costume! I just had to find it, put batteries in and suffocate while waiting for them to return home! And it was well worth it to remind the kids that "THERE IS NO ESCAPE" when they walked in the door! And I know some of you, my lovely facebook friends, wanted pictures, but I am smart-there is no evidence of the looniness that I reveal within my own home! But Bell did have to wear it once I took it off, so you will certainly enjoy that much more than seeing me!

Nothing like the contrast between good and evil!

It is so nice that our first two weeks back into a school schedule has also brought with it some good memories. I know many of you wonder how I work full time and also school our kids. It is not easy, but it has been a blessing I would never change and know the Lord has given his strength for me to do. I am no supermom! Far from it, I fail everyday in one way or another but the Lord continues to shower his grace and mercy on us, and we learn so much as a family through where he has placed us and what he has given us to do. And I do let a lot of things go so that I can focus on the priorities at hand. I cannot do everything, but I can try to do a few things well! And that is where I am at. Our first conviction and priority that determined how life would be concerning our children was that I would be at home with them no matter what and we would go without in any area we could so that could be accomplished. Next came the passion for teaching our kids at home. That was a natural transition since we had always been at home together anyways. As time went on and we started adding to the size of our family, doors starting opening very subtly and rather easily in that I was able to start selling my creations. At the beginning we were just tickled with the idea that my hobby could be self sustaining as well as bring in a little extra to help around the house and in giving. But what I came to see was that the Lord had been preparing the future for what we would need, before we even realized it! By the time we had our 5th and have now come to have 3 1/2 of them in school(Bell is in a pre K kind of year), the basic expenses could have taken us a bit by surprise! So, working at home was something I have gradually grown in to, it was not something I set out to do, it was something the Lord provided when we needed it. Now, it is just a part of life. And I thought I would show you a small glimpse of how it works. The kids take turns sitting with me at different parts of the day in my studio, so we can go over questions and new concepts in their lessons. It gives me the ability to work in between the lessons and questions. I do alot of my packaging, cutting, pictures, answering emails, listing, etc when they are quietly working on their seat work, but am available to answer questions as well.

We used to have a classroom, but found out very quickly that being chained to one area was actually not very good for any of us. We move around alot. Outside is the best in the fall and spring. But if i am working in the kitchen, they all come and plop down at the kitchen table. If they need silence from the wee ones, they head to my desk in my bedroom. they read in their beds or out in the hammock when they can. We do have desk areas for them in the basement where they work as well when everyone is down there. I love the flexibility, structure has never quite suited me and this does.

And as far as work is concerned, it goes on for many hours every night after the kids go to bed. That is how I do it. Sometimes, every once in awhile I feel the stretch of working and morn the simpler time when I was just mom, but most of the time, and I mean this, I am blessed with work. There are so many parts of scripture I cling to. Of course, Proverbs 31:10-31-I always hope to become this woman some day. I do think I have the selecting wool and flax and works with eager hands part down(haha), but i have a lot more to go! But i have also been very intrigued with the book of Ecclesiastes right now. I am so far from being a scholar, so it takes me awhile to understand sometimes what I am studying. But I have been caught by Ecc 5 :18-20 I have seen what is best for people here on earth. They should eat and drink and enjoy their work, because the life God has given them on earth is short. God gives some people the ability to enjoy the wealth and property he gives them, as well as the ability to accept their state in life and enjoy their work. They do not worry about how short their life is, because God keeps them busy with what they love to do.

It is true in my life. It is busy, being a pastor's wife, mama to 5, school teacher, and full time laborer, amongst the other treasures of family and friends, but I love my work, all of it! My wealth is that of eternity with the Savior who created me, but he has allowed me to enjoy the labors of this earth, even the ones that are toilsome. And Moms, you know that the chores you finish today will have to be done again tomorrow, that is toil, but are you able to enjoy them? Are you able to praise the Lord for having laundry!? I am finding myself, thanking the Lord many days, that I have this insane amount of clothing to wash-can you enjoy your wealth!? We are wealthy here in America, we have a lot!!!!! But why is it, that we forget many of our tasks come from the wealth we have , have you been blessed to enjoy it, to appreciate it? I hope I am making sense. There is also a favorite movie of mine, "Return to Me" and in it, her Grandpa says in one of the scenes, after another long day of work, "I am blessed with work" It really is a privilege to have work and purpose.

This is something we have started as a family at night during our devotions. When I began reading "In His Steps" to the kids, I was struck with the idea that we need to be dwelling more on being thankful as a family. That we needed to "NEED" less and have a need to "GIVE" more. And I am convinced that giving the Lord our gratitude on a daily, if not hourly, basis is one of the biggest ways to extinguish selfishness and have our eyes open to His purpose for us. To really begin to enjoy what He has given us and what He has done for us! So we began a "Thankful" journal in our family. Even Bell who does not write or read yet, has been drawing picture in it. I hope this journal to be the first of countless more! It is back again to the idea of being the rudder in my family, if I can start showing my thankfulness to the Lord in everything, it will hopefully start to take root in my children as well.

One of the other joys of these past weeks was the harvesting of the gardens! Sad in some ways, but so fun to be able to pick some of those long awaited veggies and fruit. I have now pulled out quite a few of the plants in some of the gardens, they are done producing and it was good to clean them up a bit. We got 2 large pumpkins this year! It was quite amazing to see them grow and change so quickly! We got a lot of really yummy fonzy melons which are like a cross between a honeydew melon and a cantaloupe. Too many cucumbers that we are hoping to find new owners for before they rot! Tomatoes finally turned after a pretty cool summer. And my fave-lots of squash!! Bring on the turkey, and roasts, and all the comfort foods of the fall and winter seasons!




Josie has also decided she would really like to learn guitar, so we are needing to find a teacher for her! I would love to have her learn, she has loved music and singing since she was very little, so I am not surprised! She loves to just sit and strum on the guitar and I love to listen!
I was able to find another trash to treasure shelf for helping around here with the clutter! I picked it up for just over $6. And i am proud of myself, it only sat in the garage overnight! Noah was my painting partner this time! Yes, you heard right~ He walked into the room when I had just began painting and declared "I WANT TO PAINT!" I am still a bit shocked by the full sentences, so he of course won that battle all to easily with my overwhelming awe of his intelligence:)- I had fun with him. He is at a tough age, especially at a time in my life that I have more going on than I ever did with the four older kids. So he and I have come to meet in the middle. When he has to tug on my leg to get my attention, I now know, it is time for me to put all else aside and get down to his level and play. We are facing new challenges together! It was fun to paint with him!
Here it is to begin with....

and here is Noah putting on the finishing touches...

And the finished product......
Matt has been very busy with the new school year and all the planning and meetings that go into it. We enjoy his Monday off and then say goodbye Tuesday morning until Friday night it feels like. He gets in to the office around 9 and most weeknights has youth group or meetings that get him home almost always after 10. Even late afternoon and early evening after he leaves the office, he has to set up for the night events so dinner at home doesn't always happen. With an hour here and an hour there, the kids especially miss him during those days. But I have always appreciated and felt blessed that the kids are home schooled because it complimented his schedule and the need for flexibility . Sometimes lunch time is all they will see him in a day, blessing number one. And since the weekend is pretty full since he is a Pastor, Monday, his day off is pretty sacred to us around here and I am glad the kids are not at school when he is home, blessing number 2. And then there are some events he can take them with to that they learn to help with and see what Dad is passionate about, blessing number 3. I am looking forward to blessing number 4 this Friday-A DATE! Matt and I are not real good at getting out. We tend to gravitate to staying home after busy schedules, we are definantly homebodies. But, every once inawhile, I get a bit anxious to have a Friday night date to look forward to! So my baby sis has agreed to come and hold down our fort while we go out and play! I am also so excited for Aunt Molly to hang with the kiddos-they adore her! The only bad thing is I want to hang with her too! Another time I guess~

It Has Been Way Too Long....But Here is The Scoop!

Wow! I guess I have taken a bit of a break from the blog world! There are always times in my life where I do more writing in my head and living in the moment and it is just a bit beyond my grasp to actually get it all down. Or some days, I am just not feeling all too inspired and overflowing! I am sure everyone can relate with that.

My last two weeks have been filled with both-amazing moments filled with gratitude and the everyday mundane stuff that just feel like a broken record I am spinning on. My pillow has been my good buddy too, just a bit more tired than normal. So, instead of glaring into my computer screen, I have chosen to cuddle with my pillow and dream.

I had the privilege to share last Sunday a small part of my testimony in our 4 church services. As the youth leadership is moving to encourage our church family to be committed to pray for the youth in our church, I was able to share how profound of an impact that has had in my life!

I was incredibly blessed to have an older women in my life pray for me from the time the Lord was knitting me together in my Mama's womb, to the day that she went to be with the Lord! Ruth was a very precious part of my faith and I am sure I do not even realize the scope of the work the Lord has accomplished in my life because of her faithful prayer for me. I will tell any one who asks how they can help the youth today-"Do battle for their souls, on your knees!" Prayer is where so many battles are won! There is nothing better than spending time with Jesus , he wants to hear from us, He loves us! So, after the nights of tossing and turning, due to incredible stage fright, it was awesome to share what the Lord has done in my life-recounting the ways He has been faithful! I am so excited to see the work He will accomplish in the lives of our students!!!

Even better than that, I was able to do it right along side my hubby, who preached that week. I will never tire of listening to him share his heart for the Lord! I do not get a chance to serve right along side him very often anymore, being the stage of life we are at. I joke with many that while Matt runs the youth groups at church, I run ours at home. With 5 wee ones, homeschooling and working from home, I am not in the midst of it like I used to be. But I know how quickly seasons change, and am enjoying exactly where the Lord has me right now!

We have also been blessed to have been given a beautiful wooden playset for the kids outside-how amazing is that! So, we have been getting the yard ready for that. Lets just say the amount of rain has not been the best for putting in a playground! I even mowed the yard in the rain yesterday, because it just could not wait any longer! Our yard looks more like a mudpit right now, not that the kids have any complaints-yikes-I have to stand guard at the door to make sure no escapees get past covered head to toe in this brown gook! Thank goodness for rain boots! But this playset is a dream for our family, one we never anticipated having! What an awesome gift that our kids will surely spend hours upon hours on! Thankyou for loving our kiddos dear friends!

We are getting ready for our first ever sleep over-I know I am in over my head! But a good friend has assured me I will be just fine if I run the boys hard outside and feed them well:)! Sounds like a plan to me! I give you an update if I in fact do survive!

And !!!! It arrived-it is finally here! It is official! I received my first copy of my first ever published articles! Altered Couture contacted me some time before Christmas to design some dresses for there summer edition and after recieving the dresses, Beth asked if I would write an article for them. But! I was able to also get an apron and article published as well! Yeah!!! I had never expected or sought to do this, so this was a wonderful experience to participate in! The funny thing about this whole thing is-These magazines are the only ones I ever purchase, they are like beautiful books for any creative! So cool! I did have to do a little giddy dance when it arrived in the mail-I must admit-I am not too proud:)

Just enjoying a quiet rainy evening with my favorite magazines and a chance to think through some new ideas! Cozy creative-my favorite! Nothing better than an old favorite chair to snuggle up in and dream.


A very fun, three page spread for the dresses! Yeah!
A sweet second article that I did not know they were going to publish-what a treat!

On the creative side- I was able to make a new tote for my mama's birthday. She loves shabby chic and had a fun little list of requests for this new bag. I was able to use some very pretty, very shabby vintage bed linens. I was also able to happily quilt it with my new toy as well! Happy Birthday Mom!




I was able to do a little work on a new skirt-it is still in the works! I have been playing with deconstructing and reconstructing skirts into something new. I have so far used one pair of pants and 4 skirts on this project!


These are some of the skirts I am reusing. I love the rich reds!

Lots of layers and long!!! My favorite!



In cleaning out my studio, I came across the clothing pieces I have been saving to create a purity quilt in all whites and creams. I have been wanting to make an all white quilt for some time and finally had enough to make a baby quilt. That is almost ready to be quilted.




I have made some pretty new napkin sets for the shop, some fun Star Wars IPOD cozies, new Happy Saturday clutches, and a few new pillowcase dresses in honor of my article:).






I now have another purpose for bed linens! But I am not actually using them myself! My son is the creative one in this! My mom has taught the older three how to crochet, so Cole has no taken to crocheting with fabric. He has been working on his first rag rug. It has been pretty cool to watch it come along! He is determined to finish it as a floor mat, long enough to use for sleeping on at his sleepover! I have to cut up a huge pile of strips for him each day. He works on it in between classes, while watching TV, and when he is supposed to be asleep:)-I had bought him a headlight flashlight so he could read at night while his baby Noah was fast asleep across the room, he has managed to come up with plenty of other uses for it, including crocheting till midnight, little bugger!



Spring cleaning has also gotten it's hooks into me unfortunately. I tend to get a bit obsessive when i get into these projects! I always seem to get myself in way too deep! Half way through ripping some room apart, I want to sit down in the middle of the floor and cry. It seems impossible to put it back together! Why does my garage never actually get clean!? I lose so many hours out there with no redeeming thing to show for it! But the other big one was my studio which has now taken over half of the basement. It is a bit interesting, fitting a shop within our house! But I did manage to get through that feat this week when the shop was slow. Thankfully I finished before things picked up again.

I finally moved my main sewing machine upstairs out of my studio, with the inspiration of my friend Lora from Eagerhands. She had a photo of her sewing machine by a window and I knew I must accomplish this too, for my sanity! I was desperate for sunshine and fresh air and just could not spend all my time in the basement. So after parting with some things to make room for my machine, I now have a sweet spot near my livingroom window-ahhhhhh. But get this! I finally move upstairs to do my work and my lovely laptop decides to checkout! Figures doesn't it:)-Guess where my desktop is located!-YEP-the basement-haha, joke is on me.



I have been nursing this old laptop for a silly amount of years, but it has done me well! I have only one request from it-make me a living:)! Not much to ask, right?! My dad has kept this ancient going for me, amazing! But, I am starting to see the end of the tunnel-so this week, I have been backing up everything because there is no guarentee it will even turn on next time. Fun stuff-what a blessing though it has been to me! I hated computers until I opened my shop-so it has been a wonderful tool that I have grown quite amused with.

One last lovely detail! I found a real treasure yesterday on my hunt! A victorian book of days. For those of you who are not fimilar with this, it is a unique way to journal-for me at least. I found my first 12 years ago before I was a mom. I have been using it ever since and it just plain did not have any room left! It really is meant for only one year-but I have managed to cram in 12 years worth. I am a very inconsistent journaler and many times only really wanted to capture the essence of an event, so this was perfect! But what I never expected or forsaw was how neat it was going to be to see the events of multiple years for the same day. I have to be careful about when I decide to read through it because it can be all consuming-seeing just where life has taken you from year to year. For instance, In 2002 on Feb 17th, we took Joslyn to our Valentines Banquet -she was 6 days old, that is where Dana held her for the first and last time, being she passed away not long after that Joslyn's birth. Joslyn Dana was named after her. Then On Feb 17th in 2005, I was experiencing contractions with Isabell who ended up not coming until March 7th, and then in 2006, Matt took Cole to Monster Jam. It is something that just amuses me-it is a curious timeline. I always wish I was better at keeping it. And if you are not fimilar with these victorian book of days, there is one more fun thing about them! They smell so good! They all have a floral scent, my book of days from 12 years ago, still has it's scent!!! It is a calming and fimilar friend!