Now Appearing: Summer’s Yellow Blossoms

23. May 2013 · Write a comment · Categories: Uncategorized · Tags:
Today I noticed that the Honeysuckles outside my office had begun to bloom leaving a heavenly smell in the parking lot – which is a nice greeting to the beginning and end of the day. I adore honeysuckles, and I swear I'd fill my yard with them if I thought Dad would let me.
There's just something about that distinctive smell that makes me happy – and long for hours spent soaking up the sunshine and summertime.
When I stopped to take a photo of the flowers on my lunch break, I noticed that I had several spring turns to summer shots in my album. So, let me take a moment and share a few of the forms sunshine takes in the delta:

Here's wishing you a bright and happy summer!

 

‘Till the Storm Passes By

21. May 2013 · Write a comment · Categories: Resources · Tags:

In the dark of the midnight, have I oft hid my face; while the storm howls above me and there's no hiding place. Mid the crash of the thunder, precious Lord hear my cry. Keep me safe 'till the storm passes by.

'Till the storm passes over, 'till the thunder sounds no more, 'till the clouds roll forever from the sky; hold me fast, let me stand in the hollow of thy hand. Keep me safe 'till the storm passes by.

When the long night has ended and the storms come no more let me stand in thy pressence on that bright peaceful shore. In that land where the tempest never comes, Lord may I dwell with thee 'till the storm passes by.

Till the storm passes over, till the thunder sounds no more, till the clouds roll forever from the sky; hold me fast, let me stand in the hollow of thy hand keep me safe till the storm passes by.

Many times Satan tells me there is no need to try, for there is no end of sorrow there's no hope by and by; but I no thou art with me, and tomorrow I'll rise where the storms never darken the skies

Till the storm passes over, till the thunder sounds no more, till the clouds roll forever from the sky; hold me fast, let me stand in the hollow of thy hand keep me safe till the storm passes by.

Keep me safe till the storm passes by.

(“'Till the Storm Passes By” Words and Music by Mosie Lister; copyright 1958)

Praying for all those affected by this week's terrible storms.

Looking for ways to help those in Oklahoma?

  • Text FOOD to 32333 to donate $10 to the OKC food bank
  • Text REDCROSS to 90999 to give $10 to disaster relief
  • Text “STORM” to 80888 to make $10 donation through the Salvation Army

 

Quilt 2 of 26: Self-Sashing Baby Quilt

20. May 2013 · 3 comments · Categories: Sewing · Tags: ,

Quilt2FrontShortly after I officially announced my 26 quilts project, my maternal grandmother commissioned me to make a gender-neutral baby quilt for a new mother at church. I sat on this quilt for a couple of weeks trying to decide on a pattern and color scheme.

Quilt2BackFortunately, I found some awesome fat quarter bundles at Walmart, of all places, and was able to nail down the colors – but, by the time I had that sorted out, I only had a about a week before the quilt was due. I needed something that would come together quickly, but look like it took longer.

Quilt2quiltingEnter the disappearing nine patch. I made 9 nine-patch blocks, then cut and reconstructed them according to this tutorial - I did alter 6 blocks to give the multi-colored sashing effect, but really that only consisted of removing one seam and reversing the fabrics.

Quilt2BackingFor the back, I used two yards of this wonderful alphabet fabric, again found at Walmart. Since the backing required a seam, I decided to use a row of unaltered 6″ squares between to make the seam look intentional.

Quilt2BindingI finished it all off by quilting a few rows in the sashing and binding with antique white cotton fabric and yellow thread. 
Quilt2HangingBest part? I made my deadline by several hours & the new mother loved the quilt. Double Yay!

Quilt2Folded

This was such a fast project that I know I’ll be keeping this pattern in my baby shower gift repertoire. In fact, I’ve already got a couple more quilts using variations of this pattern in the works.

But for now, this makes two down and 24 to go. Happy Quilting!

Project Life: Week 19

19. May 2013 · Write a comment · Categories: Project Life · Tags:

ProjectLifeeWeek19Left ProjectLifeWeek19RightLots of work related photos this week. I spent two days out of the office at a workshop, and then the rest of the week prepping for the workshop or playing catch up.

ProjectLifeWeek19Detail3The workshop was nearly two hours away, and I had to be there by 7:30 each morning – which meant I left my house before the sun & made a stop for coffee as soon as my favorite coffee shop opened.

ProjectLifeWeek19Detail2To give a bit more info on the week, I used a foldable journaling card and attached a pull tab to the inside. I glued a Simple Stories card to the front (mainly because I didn’t like how my first design turned out and wanted to hide it). I also used a filler card from the seafoam kit, sewed a piece of gold ribbon down the middle, and topped it with a “lately” stamp on kraft cardstock. I’m super pleased with how these two cards turned out.

ProjectLifeWeek19Detail

Jessica and I went to see “The Great Gatsby” on Saturday – she’s been counting down the days to the premiere. Overall, I really enjoyed the film & was excited to have some girl time. I also gave Jessica her quilt on Saturday, and she loved it.

A few other highlights from the week:

  • This was my last week of Awana for the year.
  • Morning light on my couch always makes me want to take a nap
  • I’m loving the garden area at work

Supplies Used: All photos taken with iphone 4s & printed at Walgreens and Walmart; Seafoam Core Kit, Monthly Dividers, Large Paper & Binder; Digital Seafoam Papers printed at Office Max; Amy Tangerine date stamp; kraft and blue flag stickers from Target; coffee flair fromaflairforbuttons; Green transparent flags from BasicGrey; lately stamp from today noted Studio Calico add-on; Design A Page Protectors; Design J Page Protector; 3×4 Grid Journaling Cards; Fiskars Corner Rounder; Zig Millenium Pen; staz-on ink; Stampabilities ink; & American Crafts slick writer.

Linked up with the Mom Creative for Project Life Tuesday.

Research and Rest

16. May 2013 · 1 comment · Categories: Compassion

Tonight, I’m jotting down lots of notes and feeling truly inspired after a coaching session with Compassion. Initially, I was very hesitant to get into the coaching, and honestly I still feel an urge to resist before every call – but, I have to say, I never walk away from a session wishing I hadn’t gone.

And as I sit here and review the call in my mind and imagine various possibilities, I can’t help but be reminded of a quote I found last week:

imagination

Imagination is the Highest for of Research. ~Albert Einstein

After several days on the road and away from home, when I really just wanted to crawl into my own bed and sleep till morning, I seriously debated canceling the coaching call. But, I had already missed a call 2 weeks ago when I forgot about it (oops!) so canceling really wasn’t an option. I decided to just make the call, go through the 30 minutes, and then go to bed.

Let me pause a minute and admit something else about my sessions, while I’m supposed to have a topic in mind for what I’d like to discuss with the coach when I call in, that rarely happens. Tonight was no exception – I had absolutely no idea what I wanted to talk about, and you know what? It worked out beautifully.

When my 30 minutes were up, I felt extremely accomplished and left with steps in place for an area that’s been stressing me, but that I rarely have time to think about – preparing for my trip to Ecuador, and more specifically, preparing my blog for my trip. Since I’ll be gone the first part of October, and I am planning to participate in Nester’s 31 days link-up, it was important for me to decide on a topic where I could pre-write the posts – and tonight, with the inspired help of Andrea, my compassion coach, I did just that. I’m amazed at how perfect it is and how much I’m already excited about it.

So now, as I unpack from my mini-trip to Hot Springs and prepare for bed, all I can do is imagine the paths that lie before me as a direct result of my coaching session. I have a long list of posts that I’m excited to write and schedule to run while I’m away, and better still, I’ve got the whole summer to write them! Which is less stress all the way around. I don’t have to worry about posting while I’m out of the country, you will still get great content while I’m away, and I can even allow my self a “re-entry” period after I return.

Tonight I’m doing some serious research – and I hope you are, too. Happy Thursday!

Photo Credit

 

Checking Boxes and Enjoying the Night

15. May 2013 · Write a comment · Categories: Uncategorized

BathHouse.jpg

Tonight, I crossing off one of the goals on my list and taking an adventure to the beautiful downtown bathhouses of Hot Springs, AR. If you’ve never been to the spa city, I highly recommend it – particularly if you are traveling through the central part of Arkansas already. The buildings are truly beautiful and such a wonderful tie to a bygone era, especially the Fordyce Bathhouse – which has been fully restored and converted into a free-to-the-public museum & welcome center. Plus, it never hurts that there are some ah-mazing flea markets in the area. You can bet a FleaMarket Finds: Hot Springs edition will be appearing here soon ;)

Here’s hoping you’re crossing off some of your own goals this month!

 

 

 

Mail Call Tuesday: A Smiling Face

14. May 2013 · Write a comment · Categories: Compassion · Tags: , , ,

Yesterday I was delightfully surprised with an unexpected photo update for my sweet Helen Angela.

I’ve been sponsoring Helen Angela for 7 years and have never, ever received a photo of her smiling – until now.

HelenAngela2013Now, after longing to see her happy in her photos, I get the most precious smile. It’s a quiet smile, hiding mostly in her eyes, but it’s there – oh it’s there.

HelenAngelaComparative

And I can positively say that the smile that’s now creeping into her photos is, at least partially, due to the increased correspondence between the two of us. I know that once she started getting regular letters from me I could tell a difference in her responses – they were more detailed, longer, and generally more specific. She started asking lots of questions, and was eager to answer all of mine.

If you haven’t written to your sponsored child in a while, let me urge you to write today – write now (pun intended). Compassion has a wonderful online writing tool that works much like email & lets you attach photos to your letters. Or, if you want, I have several letter writing templates that work like writing prompts allowing you to “fill in the blanks” and send a meaningful message quickly. How you write is not important – what’s important is that you take the time (even if it’s only 5 minutes) and send a note, send a card, send love to the child(ren) who are desperately waiting to hear from you.

***I sponsor three children through Compassion International, a Christian child-development organization. To learn more about Compassion, or to sponsor a child of your own, click here. 

Quilt 1 of 26: Babushka Triangles

13. May 2013 · Write a comment · Categories: Sewing · Tags: ,

Two weeks ago I complete the first of my #26quilts projects. But, since the quilt was a gift, I had to wait to share it with you until after I had given it to its permanent owner. Now that the gift has been given, I’m super happy to show it to you.

quilt1of26closeupMonths ago, when I was first contemplating this project, I came across this Matryoshka fabric. I knew then that even if I didn’t do the 26 quilts in my 26th year, I would be making a quilt with these cute dolls for my extremely close and amazing friend, Jessica.

quilt1of26patternlayoutI originally purchased one fat quarter bundle of the fabric with 6 fat quarters and set out cutting 6.5″ triangles. I quickly realized that my initial fabric order turned out to be no where near enough fabric. So, I went back and ordered half yard cuts of three additional fabrics to fill out the quilt.  

quilt1of26sewingIt took me a few afternoons to complete from start to finish, though it could probably be done in a day if I sat down and worked straight through. But I have to tell you, cutting and sewing triangles gets extremely monotonous - which is why I spent a few nights cutting the triangles out while watching Nashville and Smash. quilt1of26detail1I quilted the triangles across the diagonal lines, roughly 1/4 inch from the seams.  quilt1of26backingThe backing fabric had to be pieced, and I failed to order enough fabric for the pattern to match, so I added a sash from halved triangles to separate the seams. 

quilt1of26detail Quilt1of26FoldedI’m extremely pleased with how the whole quilt turned out and Jessica loved it!

That’s one down and 25 to go. Happy Quilting!

May Correspondence Kit Winners

13. May 2013 · 3 comments · Categories: Compassion, What to Write · Tags: , ,

I know you’ve been waiting with baited breath all day, but before I announce the winners, I’d like to take just a small moment and thank Michelle from Blogging from the Boonies for sharing this giveaway with all of you. I’m so happy you are all interested in this giveaway and my letter-templates.

Now, without further adieu, the winners of the May Correspondence Kit (as determined by random.org) are:

RandomWinner2RandomWinner1

Congrats to Brittany & Alice!

Ladies, be sure to check you email for a message from me – I’ll need to know what kind of kit you’d like (older boy, older girl, younger girl, younger boy, or birthday) and you mailing address.

Everyone else, Thanks again for participating and remember, I give 2 kits away every month & offer them outside of giveaways.

Happy Monday!

Project Life: Week 18

12. May 2013 · Write a comment · Categories: Project Life · Tags:

ProjectLifeWeek18Left ProjectLifeWeek18RightWith the exception of an insert to document a sewing project, this week felt very sparse as far as photos go. I used several cropped photos to make larger 4×6 cards, and am especially pleased with how the “this is what life looks like” card turned out. It may be my favorite 4×6 so far.

ProjectLIfeWeek18Detail3Since Dad and I are slowly going vegan – this haul of fresh fruit and veggies left over from an event at work was a blessing! We were able to each have supper and lunch the next day just from what I brought home from work.ProjectLifeWeek18Detail1

ProjectLifeWeek18InsertFront ProjectLIfeWeek18InsertBack ProjectLifeWeek18InsertDetailThis week’s insert focuses on the first of my 26 quilts (post on the quilt coming tomorrow). I’m super excited to have finished it and am really, really pleased with it. I’m also really pleased with this insert. I used measuring tape washi from Freckled Fawn, some sewing embellishments from my stash, and even a scrap of the fabric to help document the finished quilt. (The Russian nesting doll above is actually cut from the fabric)

ProjectLifeWeek18ShinobiShinobi was a big  help in getting this quilt finished – she personally provided quality assurance for both the batting and the finished product. 

ProjectLifeWeek18Detail2

I love all the details on these fillers cards in the back of the quilt insert. I’ve had these button stickers and fabric tag stickers in my stash for forever and it’s so nice to be able to use them.

A few other highlights from the week:

  • We went to what was billed as an area wide flea market – but it turned out to be more of a vendor’s market, selling mostly stuff you would find peddled in the middle of the mall.
  • The weather called for a chance of snow this weekend – which is crazy. It’s May and I’m in the South. It shouldn’t be snowing in May in the South!
  • Since Dad and I are slowly going vegan with our diet, I’m reading a ton of cookbooks from the local library trying to get ideas.

Supplies Used: All photos taken with iphone 4s & printed at Walgreens and Walmart; Seafoam Core Kit, Monthly Dividers, Large Paper & Binder; Digital Seafoam Papers printed at Office Max; Amy Tangerine date stamp; kraft stickers, orange washi, & green dot washi from Target; freckled fawn measuring tape washi; cat wood veneer, asterisk wood veneer, and star stickers from Studio Calico, hello stamp from Elise’s Stamp Shop; button stickers & fabric label sticker from my stash; floral 4×6 cards from Hobby Lobby by Echo Park; sewing machine, button, and thread stamp by stampabilities and from Hobby Lobby; Design A Page Protectors; Design J Page Protector; 3×4 Grid Journaling Cards; Fiskars Corner Rounder; Zig Millenium Pen; staz-on ink; Stampabilities ink; & American Crafts slick writer.

Linked up with the Mom Creative for Project Life Tuesday.

 

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