Welcome 2011!

Happy New Year to you all! It's almost midnight here and I'm pretty surprised I'm still awake. We had some fun plans for the evening but I'm still not feeling that great so we stayed home and put Elora to bed on time.

We've been watching shows and I've been cutting out pieces for a new project that I'm really excited about! I have lots of goals for the new year and one of them is to sew more things to stock my Etsy shop with. I'm working on some prototypes (in Elora's size of course) of things I'd like to sell. Hoping to make most of my stuff available in sizes 1-5 and I really want to add some boy stuff. So, that's what I have on the docket for the new year.

I'm making goals instead of resolutions for 2011 and I feel like I should really write them down...here's a rough draft:

Make Corey breakfast before work each morning
Send a note of encouragement to at least one person a month
(you have to start somewhere, y'know!)
Spend more time outside
Only get online when Elora is sleeping or with someone else
Share more of my projects on my blog (at least one per week)
Manage my Etsy shop better

Be prepared for birthdays, our anniversary, and Christmas

(I've really lost it since becoming a mom!)

And, that's all I can think of right now. So, what are some of your goals for the new year?

In a few minutes it will be officially 2011 and then I can go to bed...so...

Happy New Year to all, and to all a good night!

And the winner is....

according to random.org....

the winner of the $25 gift card to CSN Stores is....

commenter #13, CACEY!

Congratulations, Cacey. I'll be emailing you soon with the details!

To those of you who didn't win, keep following the blog because I think I'll be doing another giveaway at the end of January. It's so fun and exciting to give something away!

First Ever GIVEAWAY! CSN Stores-Now Closed

GIVEAWAY CLOSED

I am so excited to be able to offer the very first giveaway on my blog! This is quite a momentous occasion. And it's a really cool prize.

The fabulous folks at CSN have generously offered to give one of my readers a $25 gift card in the form of a promotional code that can be used on any product at any one of their 200+ sites. They have pretty much anything you could ever want for your home and life. Everything from kitchen and bath supplies to baby goods and modern bedding. I have been looking for a new look for our bedroom and love this one

With over 200 sites to shop on, it might be a tough decision, but I know you could find something fabulous with the $25! So, to enter the giveaway, please do just that, cruise some of the sites and tell me what you'd get with the money. And leave a comment telling me what you'd buy. That's it!

But, you can get more entires by:

following my blog and leaving a comment letting me know (1 extra entry)

telling someone else about the giveaway either on your blog (1 extra entry)

or sharing a link to the giveaway on Facebook (1 extra entry)

just leave a comment for each extra entry, you can have up to 4 entries!

The giveaway will close Thursday, December 30th at midnight and the winner will be announced on Friday. Good Luck!

Hope You Had a Happy Christmas

Wow, that was fast. Christmas came and left in a whirlwind. Hope yours was fabulous...ours was absolutely wonderful :)

We had a fun Christmas morning at home, then headed off to my parents' for dinner and "prizes" as my grandma always calls them. Good times were had by all and I think I may have had a little too much fun as I am now feeling quite sick. Oh well.

I'm looking forward to the new year and my very first giveaway on my blog...look for it tomorrow :)

Last Minute Christmas - Nativity Scene

This will be the 5th Christmas since Corey and I have been married. And ever since our first Christmas together, I've been wanting a nativity scene. But a lot of the ones I've seen are really expensive and I don't love the figures. A lot of the sets I've seen make Mary and Joseph look very fancy and wealthy, and they make Jesus look like a baby angel or something. I just don't like a lot of the sets I've seen and I haven't ever really loved the prices on them!

A couple of years ago I saw the Willow Tree nativity set and loved it! But I sort of felt like it's so popular and I didn't want to get something that so many other people had. I know, I'm being ridiculous about this whole thing! So, I kept seeing it at a local department store and the Christian bookstore, but it was so expensive! I kept putting it out of my mind. But this year, with our new place and a piece of furniture just longing for some Christmas decor, I went for it. I bought the set on Amazon for about half what I had seen it sold for elsewhere. I ordered it and it came this week. I immediately opened it and set it up.

What I love about this set is that it's more like a representation and a reminder than a reenactment. We do not know what the whole scene was like, what their faces looked like, or anything like that; I love that this set is so simple and just represents the birth of Christ without all the distractions of facial expressions and features and glowing halos.

I love, love, love it. But, it needs a stable (or a cave, rather, since most biblical historians think it was likely a cave rather than what we think of as a stable). So, that's our project today. It's stormy outside and we have most of the day to just hang out at home. I'm excited. I have in mind something I made when I was younger as an ornament. Now it's time to make that same thing on a larger scale. Time for paper mache!

Last Minute Christmas - Granola

(Updated with recipe in post)

I haven't ever participated in any "link ups" or "blog parties" or anything like that. I'm so new to all of this that I hardly even know if those are real terms or if I am just making them up. But I love Skip to My Lou and every Monday, the theme is Made by You. So, I thought I'd contribute and "link up" one of my favorite things to make and one of my husband's favorite things to eat.

When I needed a last minute gift (I wasn't able to sew the gifts I intended to give because, as it turns out, sewing isn't a top priority when you're moving) I thought a jar of homemade granola would be fabulous! This is my version of a recipe from a friend that she revised from a local organization that focuses on really healthy and natural living. I love this recipe because, unlike other granola recipes I've seen, it has no oil. It's so good, and at Christmas I like to spice it up with some nutmeg and cinnamon and it's so yummy.

So here's how you do it:

Mix oats, dried cranberries, coconut, and raw nuts of your choice in a really big bowl.

In a microwaveable container, add dates and water, then microwave for about a minute.

Pour warm dates and water into the blender and add bananas.

Puree until smooth, add honey and spices and puree again (if you have the same blender as me, I suggest you don't do this while your child is sleeping...this is the noisiest blender ever! Sorry for the interruption, back to the regularly scheduled recipe).

Pour wet mixture over your dry mixture and mix thoroughly, making sure that there are no dry spots. I do this with my hands because it's much easier than trying to do it with a spoon.

Spread over cookie sheets and pop them in the oven.

Stir every 30 minutes until completely dry and golden delicious. Usually about 5-6 hours.

Then find all those empty jars you've been saving for some reason, paint the lids silver, fill the jars with granola, add some festive ribbons and tags, and give them to everyone you love.

Here's the recipe:

Granola Recipe by Bonnie at The Pretty Bitty Blog

4 Cups Oats
2 Cups Dried Cranberries
2 Cups Coconut Flakes
2 Cups Chopped Almonds
2 Cups Chopped Pecans
Mix in a large bowl

1 Cup Chopped Dates
1 Cup Warm Water
Microwave together for 1 minute

2 Very Ripe Bananas

Add dates and water mixture to a blender, add bananas, puree until smooth

1 Cup Honey

1 Teaspoon Cinnamon (Optional)

½ Teaspoon Nutmeg (Optional)

Add to banana and date puree, blend until completely incorporated

Add wet mixture to dry mixture and mix it until everything is moistened. Divide the mixture over two cookie sheets, using your hands form "clumps" of the mixture. Cook at 150 to 200, stirring every 30 minutes until crisp and completely dry, about 5-6 hours. Store granola in an air tight container.

"Last Minute" Christmas - Hope Wreath

I've seen a lot of posts on some of my favorite crafty blogs about last minute Christmas decor. And each time I see them, I think, "is it really last minute? Christmas isn't for another...." And then I realize, Christmas is 2 weeks away. It seems like each year I am less and less prepared for Christmas. But, I am not going to freak out about it.

I really have been thinking about Christmas a lot these last few weeks, just not the normal hustle and bustle type of stuff. I've been thinking about why we even have Christmas. Why do we celebrate and worry so much about getting everything right so we can really get in to the "spirit" of the holiday?

Being a Christian, I usually do think about why we celebrate Christmas, but this year it has been especially at the forefront of my mind. I think it all started when I heard "Joy to the World" on the radio. I starting thinking about why we would say "joy to the world the Lord has come". Many people view Jesus as a "good teacher". If the Lord's coming was just to teach us about love and being kind then He didn't really need to come. He could have just had more prophets write more books telling us how to love one another. So, we do not have joy because a "good teacher" came to earth.

So why the joy? Why would "heaven and nature sing" about His birth? Why would we celebrate His birth any more than the birth of another great leader or teacher? We don't spend all this effort preparing for Martin Luther King Jr's birthday, we don't celebrate our great presidents' birthdays with more than a day off for government employees. So, why all this celebration around the birth of Jesus? Why should our hearts be full of joy at Christmas time?

Our hearts should be joyful because we are sinners, enemies of God in our hearts deserving of death, but God sent us a Savior! He made a way for us to be reconciled to Him and that is why we sing of joy. We were destined for hell but God sent Jesus to be our sin bearer. Jesus was born, lived a sinless life, died and suffered the wrath of God on our behalf, and rose in victory over death. We sing of joy because we can now have joy if we trust in Christ for our salvation. We have hope because He rose to prove that His death on the cross conquered death for those who would trust completely in Him for salvation. It is a joy to know that nothing I do can qualify or disqualify me for heaven. Salvation is full in Christ. We can not add to or take away from what He has done. Joy to the world, indeed.

So, since we understand this, we have great hope. And that is why I wanted this wreath to be on my front door. It is my "last minute" Christmas decor because I am more excited than ever about the hope we have in Christ that we focus on at Christmas time.

If you want to make your own, I don't have a tutorial, but here's how I did it...

I had an old frame that I got from my grandma and I painted it white. I suggest spray paint, but I couldn't find mine so I used acrylic paint. Let it dry completely (don't make the same mistake I did).

I got the ornament that says "hope" at Walmart for $1 and hot glued the string to the backside of the frame, making sure it was centered in the frame.

To be sure the ornament hung correctly after I put the ribbon on, I had to bring two strips of ribbon through the frame so that there could be ribbon on both sides of the ornament and the ornament could hang freely between them (hope that makes sense).

I really like this look and plan to make more and play around different frames and colors and ribbons and things. Lots of fun!

Thankfulness

I feel like I missed the window for a great Thanksgiving post, I know it was only a few days ago, but it's crazy how fast everything changes right over to Christmas. Since we're still in November, I figure I'm not too late to write a little bit about what I'm thankful for.

There are so many things to be thankful for and I tried to remember this as I was running around like crazy Thursday morning trying to find something that hadn't been boxed up to mix my 5 cup salad with before rushing off to my parents' for dinner. I make an effort to be thankful year round, but it's nice to have a holiday to direct our hearts and minds to slow down and count our blessings.

The year has had it's ups and downs for us and right now I feel like we're on an up. But I love that I can look back on the down times be thankful for those too. I know that in all these things, God is caring for us and doing things for our good and His glory. Much has changed this year and it's so good to see how we have been prepared for what God had for us. I am so thankful for the tough times we had and so thankful for our new house and Corey's new job. These blessings came out of nowhere (from our view). I'm so excited for this next phase in our lives.

I'm thankful for new found health! I have never felt better and I am so glad to be able to enjoy all these blessings because I feel good. I'm looking out in to the living room at all of the boxes to be unpacked and not feeling overwhelmed because I feel like I am well enough to tackle it. It's amazing to feel like I can keep up with life! Praise the Lord for good health :)

I am thankful for my husband who is always so patient and loving. I am thankful for my daughter who is a constant joy and challenge :) I am thankful for my family and the great help and support that they are to me. I am thankful for my church family and love that they really do feel like family.

Above all, I am thankful for Christ who gave His life as a ransom for ours. Thankful for complete forgiveness of sins and acceptance by God because of His great grace. Thankful that there is nothing I can do apart from Christ to earn myself favor with Him, because I'd always mess it up. I am thankful that in all things I can give thanks because I know that God is in control and I am not, and that is a very good thing.

Snow!

Sunday morning we woke up to snow! Normally we don't get snow in these parts until the first of the year, but this year and last year we've gotten it early. Just a little dusting this time, but Elora really enjoyed it...as a snack.

Now we're off to do some packing since our big move is this weekend. I'm really excited to set up my new sewing room and make some beautiful things to show off, I mean, share with you all :)

Hope you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving!

PriceBlink

So, I wanted to tell you all about this fabulous thing called PriceBlink. Corey just installed it on our internet browser and I already love it. I love to shop online for the best prices and this thing makes it so much easier. Plus, it finds coupons for you!

So, say you're looking for the beautiful new fabrics from Amy Butler (I just happen to be eying them and trying to figure out what I want to order) so you head over to fabic.com and search around. Well, at the top of the page a little bar shows up that says "PriceBlink has found 3 coupons for this site!" Then there's a drop down menu with the coupons! Love it.

Or, if you're looking at an item on Amazon, or some other shopping site, the little PriceBlink bar will show up and tell if you you're looking at the lowest price on the web or if you can find it cheaper at another site. And it tells you how much you'll save by going with someone else. It's so handy and I love that you don't have to go looking for the best price, it just pops it right up!

So, check it out and save some money!

For the lazy/impatient knitter

A little over a year ago, I got the itch to try knitting. I bought a "teach yourself" book and got to it. I really liked it because I could do it while we were watching movies and it was perfect when I was 7, 8, 9+ months pregnant because I could hang out on the couch all day and knit little hats.

I got a pattern book, looked at patterns online, and had great aspirations of making all kinds of beautiful, cozy, hand knit items. But, I am really lazy and really impatient when it comes to things like this. As soon as I can make something with what I know, I give up on learning anything else. So, all I really know is how to knit, purl, decrease, and yarn over. It worked for baby hats and that's all I wanted to make, after all, I was about to have an October baby, she would definitely need a good selection of cozy hats.

Well, now I feel really lame because I've been knitting for over a year and still can't make anything fabulous. Until now. It seems the trend for this cold weather season, is simple cowl scarves. These cowls are either knit as a tube that slips over your head, or with a button closure. They can be so pretty, especially a big beautiful button. But they are so easy! I made this one by just knitting a rectangle, letting it curl up a bit, and securing it with a pretty pin.

I think I will put a button on it because I'm not really a sparkly dragonfly kind of girl (anymore). So, for all of you knitters out there like me, this is YOUR season! Make some of these and love them then give them to people you love. And for those of you who actually know how to knit, please don't mock my attempt at knitting something functional and pretty :)

The best laid plans...

We celebrated Elora's 1st birthday a little over a week ago and we had so much fun. All of my grand plans fell apart, but when you have a little girl who is loved by friends and family and they all gather to celebrate her first year of life in this world, a party can't help but be a great success :)

I was so afraid that we would have a disaster on our hands because Elora hadn't taken a good nap all day. I had planned the party around her nap schedule knowing that if all is well, she would be waking up from her 2nd nap right when the party needed to start. Unfortunately, I fear she could feel the tension of us rushing around to get things ready and she just couldn't sleep. But with all of the excitement at the party, she was a trooper and did amazingly well! The party went great and we had a lot of fun.

I had so many plans of amazing handmade decorations and favors and goodies, but I'm realizing that I am not so good at time management and those plans of craftiness fell apart. I did manage a few things. I made the bunting banner you see above as well as her party attire. I also made some cute little cupcake toppers for my sad cupcakes.

One thing that went perfectly as planned was the big moment I had been preparing her for, for months...blowing out her candle. We'd been practicing but I was afraid that with all those people looking at her she'd freeze up. But she did great. She got it on the first try and everyone cheered. That freaked her out a bit, but not too much as she proceeded to hand me the candle and dig in to her cupcake. She loved it.

All in all, it was a fun time and I just let go of all the things that didn't go as planned. We were so blessed by everyone who came and Elora is loving all of the goodies she received.

The Black Apple Doll

I love this little doll. So cute and so easy to customize.

I made this one for Elora's birthday.

I think she's very sweet. I made her to coordinate with Elora's party, but I forgot to bring her to the party. Oh well, she's still really cute and Elora likes her...well, she really likes the button in her hair. She got a real baby doll for her birthday and she's carrying that around all the time now.

So, check out the pattern and tutorial and make one of these cuties for your Pretty Bitty :)

(photos of said party will be appearing soon...as soon as I can sort through the hundreds that I have!)

A year ago today...

Elora Grace was born at 8:44am.

After 30 hours of labor and about an hour of pushing, I couldn't believe I had actually done it.

When she was born I didn't feel overwhelmed with love like everyone said I would. I felt surprised. Surprised that she really was in there all that time; surprised that I had really given birth; surprised that it was true what they say, when your baby is in your arms you totally forget all the pain (yes, you remember it shortly thereafter, but it's all worth it).

I know it's weird to think that surprise is the emotion that came over me at that moment, but I was really in awe of our Creator. It was hard to imagine a real little person being knit together for 9 months (okay, it was more like 10 months, but who's counting?) in my womb, but there she was. It was hard to imagine my body going through all that it did to bring this little person in to the world, but it was made to do that. It was hard to believe that after so many sleepless nights and hours of laboring, I would actually have the energy to push for an hour, but I did. It was hard to imagine a person going from being in water all their life to breathing air, but she did it perfectly without any help.

I think flowing out of my surprise was praise. There is a phrase in a song that I've been thinking about more lately and I think it sums up what happened at Elora's birth. It says, "every blessing You pour out, I'll turn back to praise." With the blessing of Elora, my heart was immediately turned to God in praise for what He had done. He had blessed us with a healthy baby and a safe delivery, and my heart was in awe of Him.

I can't believe that was a year ago. I can't believe my baby has already turned in to a toddler. I'm pretty sure she's going to master running this week or next. I am still praising the Lord for the blessing and challenge that she is to us. She was given to us by God's great grace towards us. And she remains ours through His grace alone.

Happy Birthday, Baby Girl. We love you, Elora Grace.

A year ago today....

I looked like this...

And I was in pain, lots and lots of pain. But it was the good kind of pain, the kind of pain that has a purpose. I mostly just walked around the house and that's all I remember.

Finally around 6pm things started to get serious...

Change is Good

So, the last few weeks have been a little crazy. We'd been presented with a few opportunities and although they looked good, we had a lot to consider before jumping in. There was a week when all we did after dinner was discuss these things. It was a lot of serious adult conversation, sometimes I just felt like I wanted to stop being responsible and move back in with my parents so they could make the hard decisions for me.

Then I realized that I love being a wife and mom and I can't believe I have the privilege of being a partner to such a godly man and that we get to be responsible for our family. Speaking of Corey, we celebrated our 4th anniversary 4 days ago!! Let's take a break from our regularly scheduled post to look at us 4 years and 4 days ago...

Unfortunately I am the worst ever and haven't gotten my wedding photos yet. So these are from my father in law.

Okay, back to the post...

So, after much discussion we have decided that we're making some changes. First, Corey is taking a new job. This job totally came out of the blue and we are very excited about it. But also feeling a little weird that he won't be doing what he's done for all but 3.5 months of our marriage. It took about 3 weeks to decide about this, but it seems good and he starts November 1st! For now he's working like crazy to get things ready to hand over at his current job.

The second change we'll be making is a move. This new job would have been about 50 minutes from home and we're kind of growing out of our current place. So, like the job, a new place found us, and I love it. One of my favorite features is a 3rd bedroom that will be a sewing room!! Oh, and there's a dishwasher. Oh! And our own laundry room inside. Oh! And...okay, there's a lot of great features and I'm very excited for more space!

I think the hardest part of making these decisions is that we love our current landlords and Corey's boss. Both are great friends and it seems hard to "leave" them but it is for our best I believe. And we aren't leaving them because we will still see them often and especially after our time with them, we'll have a special relationship. So now, we're moving in to another friend's rental and Corey will be working with a friend he's had since high school, I guess we like to keep things personal! :)

We're excited about the changes and what the Lord is doing with our lives!

The Ruffle Skirt

I recently saw some really cute skirts that were just all full of ruffles. Whenever I see really cute (really expensive) boutique type items, I am inspired to make one for a fraction of the cost. So, inspired by a $55 skirt, here is my $6 version

Several people have asked for a tutorial for this, and I'm working on it! I've never made a tutorial before so I'm trying to figure it all out, but I'm really excited because that means I get to make more of these skirts.

Come back so you can make your own for the pretty bitty in your life :)

Another Seat Re-do

This is the chair that came with the sewing machine I recently purchased from an estate sale. I am working on fixing up the sewing machine cabinet and I'll post photos of that later, but for now, this is what I've done...

Stool Recovery

I have recently gained more of an interest in yard sales and thrift stores. I used to just see lots of junk that took too much time to sort through to possibly find something useful. But many online blogs have inspired me and I no longer look for things I can use as they are, but I look for materials that I like. I look for sheets or dresses with pretty patterns to use for their fabric, I look for furniture that just needs a bit of sprucing, or a little sand paper and paint. I have a new found love for unwanted items.

A few weeks ago, I took a morning and went to check out some yard sales. My best find was an awesome 1954 Kenmore sewing machine in a cabinet for $25. But more on that at a later date. For now, I just want to show you this cute little stool I picked up at a moving sale. It was $3 and was begging me to recover it. So, I did. And I'm quite happy with the results.

The fabric is from Amy Butler's Love collection and it's laminated cotton. I'm really glad I went with something I could just wipe off to clean because Elora's all over this thing! It's the perfect height for her to climb on and it's also perfect for an ottoman or just a little seat.

I chose this pattern because I really want to add some lighter colors to our living space. It's a very small space and with my dark couch, it just needs something to brighten it up a bit. My couch is the burgundy color that's in the flowers. I'm going to make some pillows and maybe add other touches of the lighter colors to lighten things up in here. We'll see where it all goes, but I think this stool is a good start. I love it!

Kids' Clothes Week Challenge

So, over at elsie marley they are having a challenge. The Kids' Clothes Week Challenge (I guess I don't know how to add a button...just head to the site and you'll find it!)

She's making some awesome stuff and I'm just trying to keep with the rules and sew for one hour per day to make Elora some clothes. Normally that's not a real challenge for me because I sew for her almost every day. But she needs some fall shirts and dresses, so that's been my focus. Here's what I've got!

I tried to do the Go-To Dress from The Train to Crazy, but it didn't work out for me so well...it was my first time sewing with knits! I made some changes after it was done, that's why the neck is a little weird. But, I had to make it go over her head!! Like I said, it was my first time with knits and I just don't know how to sew them so they keep their stretch. I'll keep working on it.

Fall

So, we've had a few cooler days and I am really loving it. I can't wait for fall to be in full swing. It's the most wonderful time of the year.

Fall is a celebratory time for our little family too. My birthday was yesterday, Corey's is coming up on the 29th, our anniversary is October 15th, and Elora's birthday is October 25th!

I love the fall.

One of the tell tale signs of fall around here is the air raid of acorns on the roof. We're right under several oak trees and when the weather turns, those trees let loose. I remember last year when this happened. I often wanted to yell, "we're bein' invaded!" then run out of the shot (just in case you haven't seen That Thing You Do consider this a recommendation).

After a long labor with Elora, I didn't think much of the acorns. They just weren't that important to me. I had a new baby to take care of and since the sound of the acorns didn't wake her, they just sort of faded into the background. And so when my midwives gave me a cd of photos from her birth, I didn't think much of the photo of the three little acorns. Honestly, it seemed a little out of place to me. I thought it was just a nod to fall, it was late October and autumn was everywhere.

It wasn't until this morning when I heard a pretty good shower of acorns on the roof that I thought of that picture in a new light. The sound of so many acorns pounding the roof brought me right back to my labor. I can remember hearing the constant pelting during my hours in and out of the tub, pacing in circles in our bedroom. I could hear it over the "relaxation" music that repeated 60+ times during the whole event. Those acorns were actually a pretty big part of it all. They were there, all the time, pounding our little house.

So now, instead of leaving that photo unprinted, I think it will be on the first page of her baby book. And every time I hear the pounding acorns, I will remember Elora's birth and the joy (and challenge) she brings us.

National Sewing Month

Hey, did you know it's National Sewing Month? You can find out a little more at the official website :) They are having contests, giveaways, tutorials, and lots of fun. I think I might enter some things because I am determined to make something great this month!

My first project for the month will hopefully be done soon. Here's a sneak peak at what I hope will become something to add to my fall wardrobe. I seriously need some comfortable, cute tops and I'm hoping that this

will turn in to something great! The pattern is from Burda Style. I just discovered this website and I am loving it! This is my first project from the website and it's a lot of work! You can see all the scraps and tape and stuff. It takes a bit of time to get the pattern pieced together, but, it's free! And pretty cute styles. So check out the Burda Style website and find some great free patterns. Stay tuned to see if I can actually make myself something fabulous :)

I was afraid this would happen

A blog takes work and I feel like I wasn't quite prepared for it. The last few weeks have been so busy and it's hard to take the time to sit down and write about something. I am going to take the advice from "Sister Diane" on CraftyPod and do some planning for my blog. I've been making tons of stuff and want to post about that, I'd also like to post some *original work (meaning, I didn't totally copy someone else's idea!).

We just got back from our second trip this month and are preparing for a third so I have lots to do! But I'm off to plan for future posts so I can develop something of a normal schedule.

Look for new posts every Wednesday. That's my goal. I've got to start somewhere!

9 months ago at this very moment...

On the day Elora turns another month older, I look at the time and think of what was happening at that very moment on her birth day. She was born at 8:44am, on Sunday the 25th of October after 72 hours of sporadic hard contractions followed by 30 hours of labor (anyone else amazed at what their bodies can do?!). When she was finally born I felt total surprise. Yeah, I knew I was having a baby, but after so long, it didn't really seem real. She really was in there, she was Elora all along. I'm so glad she joined us 9 months ago at this very moment!

Sew, Mama, Sew Thread Questionnaire

There's a thread giveaway over on Sew, Mama, Sew! I really need some new thread and the colors are amazing!! So here goes...

• How did you select colors for your personal thread collection? I just got the very basics. Black, white, off white, brown, and pink (pink is a basic when you have a baby girl!). And then I add new colors as I have projects that don't fit with what I already have.
• Do you always match the color perfectly to your project? I try to do my best. My mom always taught me to match the thread so I try to honor her and get matching thread :)
• Do you ever use contrasting thread? Sometimes. But it usually matches somewhere. Like if I have a print, I'll pick a color from that and use it everywhere on the project (like black fabric with pink thread, which I recently used for a dress for my daughter).
• Do you use the same color in the bobbin as the upper thread? Usually.
• What if a fabric has big areas of very different colors? I choose one color and go with it. Sometimes it doesn't blend as well but the colors all go together so it's no big deal.
• Do you have any tips or suggestions about choosing thread? Just make sure you take your fabric with you when you choose a thread to match. I've made the mistake of picking up something that looked close and it wasn't at all. Bummer.
• Can you show us a picture(s) of your thread collection? It's really sad...you don't want to see it, I promise! (that's why I need to win this contest!)
• Do you ever buy thread because you fall in love with the color (without a particular project in mind)? Sadly no. That sounds fun though. Even though a spool of thread is pretty inexpensive, I try to avoid buying extras when I don't need them.
• Do you “invest” in thread? No :(
• What types of thread do you have? (elastic, quilting, all-purpose, wool, etc.) I have elastic, polyester, heavy duty, all purpose...I think that's it.

The Garden

I planted a garden about 6 weeks ago. It was pretty late to get started on something like that, but that's what the weather allowed so I went for it. I'm so glad I did.

It's a small garden but I crammed it pretty full of whatever I could. So far I have only been able to harvest the herbs, but even that has been very rewarding...and delicious! Almost every evening for dinner I have picked some basil, oregano, cilantro, or all three. And iced tea is fabulous with a few stevia leaves and some mint. Love it!

I can hardly believe how much it's grown since I planted it. There are already some zucchini ready to eat! I know most gardens have probably already yielded a harvest, but mine is just a baby and I'm so proud of it! Look how much it's grown!

And I love the analogy of a garden. It's so easy to make connections to real life and Biblical principles (I'm usually so bad at making those types of analogies, but God has makes it easy when you're in the garden). The most obvious is weeds and sin. I can't believe how quickly the weeds can get out of control if they aren't plucked out as soon as I see them. The same thing with sin. If I don't pluck out sins as soon as they appear, they can grow and take over and then I wonder why I'm not harvesting very much fruit. And just as new weeds appear daily, sins become evident every day as well. It's so easy to rush through and think, I don't have time to deal with that. But when I remember to pluck out the weeds a few days later, they are so big! They've been stealing the water from the plants. The same goes with sin. When I neglect to pull out the sin in my life, it quickly grows and crowds out the fruits of the Spirit. Thank you, Lord, for the constant reminders!