To Keep My Mind Occupied...

Last week, while cleaning and preparing to begin working outside, I injured my back. I honestly could not even tell the doctor what I was doing when it happened, it just kind of snuck up on me last Tuesday and Wednesday. At first I could not even pinpoint what it was exactly because the pain was making me so nauseous, I almost thought I was sick. But gradually the pain set in on one area and it was quite evident I had pulled something in my back. Up until this morning I have been attempting to just get through the pain while taking it easy, but this morning I woke up and there was no waiting until even tomorrow for my Drs appointment. Hopefully after today I will begin to heal(quickly). So, in the down times, when I could manage to sit for awhile, I have put some more love into the rug I began last week. I added a raspberry layer to it. I took the afternoon off of teaching since the medicine I am on makes me feel like I am moving in slow motion. I was able to sit outside while the kids played in the sunshine, and braided at least a few rounds for the circle.

Planned for Years...

Years this has been brewing in that creative part of my brain. Years I have been patiently gathering shades of lovely color. Years I have been fighting the impulse to begin too soon when I peered at my shelves of magical color. But this weekend....it was time to begin. Here are glimpses of a peaceful work of hands. Worked on while waiting for precious friends to arrive, worked on after they left this morning giving me a chance to ponder all they had shared about the new adventure they were embarking on, and worked on after a good afternoon of yard work while I sat and watched my kiddos play under the sun. Just small snips of time, but each filling this rug with warm memories. I hope to finish this within a year, but I will not rush, I will simply enjoy and hope that it will become an heirloom.

Mom Brought a Surprise for Me...

Yesterday was a good day! Matt left on his first trip of the summer with the youth group. THAT is not why it was good though;) That first day when Matt leaves for a trip is always a struggle for all of us to adjust to life without Dad and friend. All of us always feel a bit aimless, but yesterday, we had something to look forward to...Grandma and Grandpa were coming in the afternoon so we could celebrate my Dad's birthday and spend some time hanging out. I enjoyed taking my dad out to lunch while Mom watched the kids. I could have sat in the resturant all afternoon just talking with my dad! We had such a good conversation and i am so truly thankful for my Dad. We spent a lot of time talking about our struggles in following Jesus wholeheartedly and what keeps us from trusting him with everything.

The rest of the afternoon we spent outside talking while the kids swam in the pool and Cole and my dad threw the football around. It was a beautiful day and Mom brought her new rugs for me to photograph for her shop. She also surprised me with a new rug for my front door! Yeah!

For those of you who are charmed by vintage bed sheets, do you recognize some in this? I love seeing how the different patterns come out in mamas rugs!

Here is the whole thing! Fun!

Here are a few of the new rugs I was able to photograph...I think I want them all mom.

Can you say SHABBY CHIC COTTAGE!!

This one is beautifully summertime!

Mom and Dad stayed for dinner and let me run out for groceries before they left. As they left, the lonliness for Matt set in , urgh. But it was a good first night. The girls and I started a new devotional on Purity that a friend had given me. It is called the Princess and the kiss. It is awesome!!! I am so excited to be going through this! Last night we read the story of the Princess and about the great gift that the Lord gave to her when she was born-"A Kiss" in other words, her purity. It is a beautiful story that really makes my heart cherish purity and gives me hope for my girls in this crazy world we live in, that the Lord is able to protect their innocence and constantly whisper to them how priceless they are to Him. It is exciting and I am praying for the love story God has for each of them. We are starting the devotional part of the book tonight.

I actually got to bed earlier than usual and woke up rested and ready for a good day with the kiddos. I have gotten some work done, the kids have relaxed in the pool, and i was able to finish some summer curtains I worked on for our living room. I had made two panels with white and a touch of different vintage floral prints, bit they were not quite full enough,and because whites are incredibly difficult to match exactly, I decided to use two different florals sheets that complimented what I had already used in the white panels. NOW-I like the look! I have just been in a real color craze lately.

This was the first part of my curtain project.

These are the finally look....

I will have to take some pictures at a better time of day when the sun isn't making it so hard to see the fabrics. My house is slowly being taken over by vintage sheets. Yummy!

Here are some better pictures taken at night when you can see the prints better. I was actually inspired to make these when a dear friend of mine brought me a pair of vintage pillowcases she had found for me. I just had to do something special to incorporate them!

What To Do With Vintage Linens #11

So, I have found that reclaiming and upcycling used bed linens is actually quite contagious! I had commissioned my mama to find vintage bed sheets for me when she was out thrifting and to no surprise she ended up not wanting to give them up! How dare she! Just kidding~ My mom began her own shop on etsy about a year after I did. The opening of her shop came at the perfect time when she needed to be working but the physical demands of a 9-5 job outside the house were too difficult. It gave her a wonderful outlet for her passion which is crocheting. I must say, I am her number one fan and customer! Her creations are beautiful and bring beauty to function! I have fought the urge to learn how to crochet from her because I just simply should not take on another hobby! So while she makes all her lovelies, she has taught my kiddos how to crochet! She began with crocheting washcloths, scrubbies and scarves, amongst a bunch more lovely items, but her newest passion is by far my favorite! She has begun making rag rugs out of bed sheets and they are incredible! Each one is a new favorite of mine! Now, I do not like going thrifting with her because we fight over who gets to the sheets first! Ah, like mother like daughter, or is it like daughter like mother! Anyways, she is addicted to these rugs and loves working with the bed linens just as much as I do. So, this time, the "What to do with Vintage Bed Linens" is something that I do not make, but that my mama does. The rug here is one that i just bought from her for my bedroom. i finally have something cozy to put my feet on when i get up in the morning! I am loving it!
She has such an eye for putting colors together in these rugs. And what i love is that there is an element of surprise to these because you cannot possibly know exactly how the sheets patterns will make the rug look, but I am never disappointed!

My mom's shop is called Yarns of Fun. The address is
http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5402266 .

Here are some of the other rugs she has in the shop.



This one is Lilacs and Blues.



This one is Candy.


This one is Brown and Blue.

She loves to do custom orders and hunt for just the right colors! She is also working on putting together bundles of strips for other crocheters to make rag rugs. Those bundles are coming soon. So if you are a crocheter but do not want to go through all the work of hunting and cutting the fabric this will be just perfect for you! So take a peek at her shop! I also have a link from my shop to her shop.