Rug Notes

I've received several comments about the braided rug I'm making for the girls' room. The project is coming along well. I want the rug to be quite large, so I'm planning that it will take me a while to finish and just taking it slowly.

Yesterday I finished cutting strips of fabric. I don't know exactly how much I need, so I simply cut a LOT of each fabric and then started sewing the ends together. So far I have three "runs" that I will braid together: one of floral fabric [ball on left], one pure white [ball on right], and one variegated blue, fuzzy green and purple, and fleecy pink [crazy pile on the floor]. The picture turned out a little dark, but hopefully you get the idea.


I have an idea in my mind of how I want it to look, but never having made a braided rug before, am not sure if that's how it will actually turn out! We'll see!

I have way of jumping headfirst into huge projects. For example, my first quilt was a queen-sized patchwork quilt made of 4-inch squares, pieced entirely by hand. I'd just hand-pieced and quilted a potholder in art class, and when I heard my mom and dad needed a new quilt for their bed, volunteered to make one. Completely by hand. Crazy I am.

It did get finished a year-and-a-half later, though.

So now I'm tackling this rug project, which doesn't seem too hard (given the tips Marie-Madeline Studio already gave me). And having a crafty project to work on in free time is always energizing to me. (I need that right now, I think.)

I'll keep you posted!

Ten Things That Make Me Happy, continued

6. National Geographic Kids, where my girls watch video footage of real animals and learn A LOT. We love it. (Thanks for the tip, Heidi!)

7. Spring cleaning projects. I'm not attempting a whole-house deep-clean, but I have done a few projects that make the house look a lot better (and make me feel good, too!). I polished and redecorated our hutch, cleaned the clutter off the piano and ledges, and am in the midst of tackling our master bedroom closet.


8. Learning to make pot scrubbers (the crocheted netting kind). There's a pattern in MaryJane's Stitching Room (thanks, Kari!), but you'll come up with a jillion hits if you google them, too. I'm making a bunch of them for my mom for Mother's Day.


Basically, if you know how to crochet, they're a breeze. Simply buy netting off the bolt (not tulle), cut it into 2- or 3-inch wide strips, and crochet with a J or K hook. If you know how to crochet circles, you can make pot scrubbers. (A disclaimer: the one in the photo was my first attempt, and it doesn't quite lay flat. But boy does it scrub!)

9. Watching a video of my niece. This makes me very, very happy. I watched it three times in a row. Technology is a beautiful thing. (We live hundreds of miles from each other.)

10. This article. Mary Ann Glendon is now one of my heroes. I read so many things in the news that make me sad or scared, so I'm energized to see someone standing up for their beliefs like this. (I'm not Catholic--I just have a great deal of respect for Mary Ann Glendon.)

By the way, in case you've noticed, I've cut back on my blogging a bit, down to a few times a week. Things have been a bit difficult and stressful for our family lately, and I find I just don't have the energy to develop and share the ideas as I'd like to. Hopefully this will improve after next week, when Jacob finishes the last of his finals (and a few other issues will be resolved by then as well). In the meantime, I'll still be here--just maybe not as often as usual.

I'm glad you understand that in different seasons of life our obligations and our priorities change, and our blogging reflects that. So there may be times I blog every day, and other seasons where I blog just a few times a week. It's all about balance, and making sure that my family comes first. :)

I appreciate you, readers! Thank you for your continual encouragement.

Ten Things That Make Me Happy

1. The basil I started from seed is growing! (I usually have the hardest time starting plants from seed indoors.) And it's beginning to actually smell like basil. My mouth is watering for homemade pesto.


2. This Crock-Pot recipe for Brown Sugar Chicken. I tried it last week, hooked by Stephanie's claim that her children "had never eaten so much chicken in their lives." It worked! Of course, it may be due in part to my adoption of the nickname Stephanie gave it: Candy Chicken. We'll be making it again. (Next week.)

3. A surprise package from Lindsey! She sent lots of lovely girl-clothes for my little sweeties, including a jacket for Kardelen that she really needed. And good books for me to read, and two pieces of fuzzy fabric to use for my next Happy Thing. (These are just a few of the adorable girl clothes she sent--thank you, Lindsey!)


4. This braided rug idea. I'm going to make one for the girls' room. After the "rainstorm," they lost their rug, and their room has painted-concrete floors which are not very comfortable for a little girls' room. So this is my next project. (Frugal tip: can't afford to buy something you want? There's a good chance you can learn to make one. I love a $70 rug at Target, but just can't bring myself to spend that much on their rug, even if we could afford it.)

I've begun cutting fabric in the evenings for this project. Here are two I've already cut:


This rug project is an excellent way to make use of stained tablecloths, old sheets, and other cloth items I don't want to throw out, but don't know how to use. I'm planning on incorporating some soft pink fleece and fuzzy light green and purple fur to make the rug feel soft.

5. Jacob has only eight days of college left this semester. We're looking forward to more family time. :)

To be continued. . .

Welcoming Elsie

God answers even simple prayers that may seem silly--I asked Him to help me find the cord to connect my camera to the computer, and He did. So now I can share pictures again!

A dear friend of mine had a baby the week before last, and this is the onesie dress I made for her baby, Elsie:


I think the old-fashioned name goes so well with the vintage fabrics my friend Laura gave me--thanks, Laura! (By the way, Elsie was also the name of my daughters' great-great grandmother!)

Thanks to Tara for giving me this sweet idea! It was a lot of fun to try something new. The project was also easy to personalize--my friend said she loved vintage fabrics and lace for the baby, so I used those. Then, it was a blessing to be able to make it very frugally--I didn't have to spend a thing, having a onesie, fabric, and just enough lace in my stash to finish the project!

The same goes for the gift we made baby's older sister, Joy. We had exactly enough magnets left to make her a little Go-Fish game, and even some Curious George fabric, too, as she loves Curious George!


I see God's provision in these little things.

Last Saturday, we got to meet Elsie at the hospital:


What a sweet little wonder! Welcome to the world, baby Elsie!

Deer Stew Delivery Lady

When we visited my sister's family in Montana this past summer, one of the things that really struck me was how my sister was continually sharing baked goodies with her neighbors. Sometimes she walked them over, and sometimes she sent her son or daughter by motorcycle; but several times there were warm cinnamon rolls or some other goodie on their way to the neighbors.

Being the naturally shy person that I am (did you guess?), this struck me as an excellent way to get to know my neighbors back in Minnesota and begin to build relationships with them. I learned in a personal evangelism class in college that most people who begin a relationship with the Lord do so as a result of a close friend introducing them to Him, rather than through a convention or tract (though those are certainly good, too). And bringing yummy food over is a great way to start a friendship!

I've started doing this at home. Just last week, I brought cookies over to our new neighbor. She seemed pleasantly surprised, asking, "What, are you just bringing cookies over to everyone today?" And it makes me feel more comfortable going over just to chat, because the cookies have opened a door, you could say, for a friendship to begin.

My point in sharing this is to spark you to cultivate purposeful relationships with your neighbors, and to share an easy way to begin: bringing over yummy treats. Check out my sister's post, Deer Stew Delivery Lady, to see how she does it.

Ribbon Socks and Hair Bow Set

Last week Kardelen helped me pick out ribbons to make ribbon socks for my lovely niece, whom we call Moonbeam (or ChubaMuffin--isn't she adorable?). I couldn't resist making her some matching hair bows!


We also made a Go-Fish game for one of Kardelen's best friends, and a little onesie dress for her new baby sister. Unfortunately, I can't get the pictures off my camera--the computer doesn't recognize my SD card and the cord for transferrring them the other way is lost--so I'll share them when I can.

What crafty things have you been up to?

Picture Books for Spring

Bring the spring sunshine inside with you as by sharing these books with your children. When I worked at a library, I made a list of books on various themes, and these are my favorites of the spring books. Enjoy!
Spring Song by Barbara Seuling -- wonderful paintings accent the text, which explores signs of spring (snow melts, ground warms and softens, buds appear) alongside animals as they move about in nature. When the snow melts and rushes down the mountainside, what does the black bear do? / Wakes up to greet a swimming treat. I like that this book gets kids thinking about the signs of spring in the natural world.
When Spring Comes by Natalie Kinsey-Warnock -- a girl living on a farm in the early 1900's describes her family's activities in the spring, such as maple syruping, catching tadpoles in the brook, and gathering fiddlehead ferns in the woods with Grandma. I like this because it brings in a historical element to spring, and you can discuss with your children the farm family's activities, many of which may be new to them.


What Does the Rain Play? by Nancy White Carlstrom -- follow a little boy through his day as he explores all the sounds the rain makes. Lovely, rhythmic writing.

Forest of Dreams by Rosemary Wells -- lovely paintings accompany a girl's exploration of winter changing to spring. God made me new just like the spring that waits beneath the snow / God made me small just like the fawn that sleeps inside the doe. A joyful celebration of the changing of the season and God's creation!

I've included text links to Amazon in case you just can't wait to read these books (though the picture links are still tricky and I still can't get them to work). Since I'm part of the Amazon.com Associate Program, I make a few cents with each purchase by doing so (though my little blog has never earned enough to actually pay--but it's fun to try!).

Happy spring!

Tidbits of Aprons and Fish

I love writing crazy/odd titles.

You won't want to miss Lindsey's creative, feminine apron she recently made from a thrift-store shirt (here),

And my sister's apron show-and-tell (let's hear it for the best sis in the universe)!

Also, the wonderful tutorial I used to make Go-Fish Games is no longer online. Does anyone know of a great online tutorial for these games? I've been looking but haven't found a tutorial for the same type of game.

Thanks for your help. Have a great day!

Latest Family Pictures

We've had a lot of fun lately!

They girls have enjoyed having "reading rest time" and playtime in Bia's old port-a-crib.


Last week my friend Heidi took us ice skating. Kardelen wasn't ready to try it, but Bia and I had a blast while Kardelen took pictures (she didn't take these, though). Don't you love Bia's $1 He-Man ice skates?!



We spent most afternoons outside enjoying the warmer weather. I even spotted a few freckles on Kardelen's nose--so cute!


One afternoon I looked outside and found this swingset in our yard! Our landlords brought it over from their yard for the girls to enjoy as long as we're here. What a joy for the girls!


Whatever the season, the girls always have fun with their Daddy.

Name Acrostics

Remember acrostics? They're formed when you use each letter of a word to begin a phrase or sentence, like this one for the word book:

Busy as a bee I was,
On the search of a break,
On picking up the book in the library,
Kept me smiling.
Vedant, age 12, Panvel, Mumbai, INDIA (source is here)

You can make acrostics as personalized gifts. A few years ago I made several of these, using the letters of the recipient's name, scripture verses, and short prayers. Here's one I wrote for a baby's baptism (the acrostic spells his name, Jack):

JACK

Jesus said, "Let the little children come to me and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of heaven." (Matt 19:14 ) Jesus delights in the innocence and simplicity of children. He even tells grown-ups to be like you! Our prayer for you is that you will keep your heart pure toward God.

And if we know that he hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests that we have asked of him. (1 John 5:15 ) Jack, God is not a judge in the sky. He is a loving Father who wants a relationship with you, and He will always hear you when you talk to Him! You can have confidence that He will answer your requests.

Children are a heritage from the LORD, the fruit of the womb a reward. (Psalm 127:3) Your life is a blessing from the Lord, little one! Always remember that you are here for a purpose; God will make it clear to you what path you should follow. His plans for you will give you hope, blessing, and a secure future.

Keep loving one another earnestly. (1Pe 4:8) Jesus said that loving God and loving others is the most important thing you can do. We pray you will have a deep love for your parents, brothers, and everyone God places in your life.

And another one for my friend Anna's birthday:

ANNA

Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in me." (John 15:4 ) Anna, we pray that the year ahead will bring you closer and closer to God's heart, and that you will remain powerfully connected to Him, abiding in the vine.

No one has greater love than this, that someone would lay down his life for his friends. (John 15:13) Anna, your friendship is characterized by your love and self-sacrifice. May God bless you abundantly for all the times you've given to Him by giving to others!

Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. (Heb. 11:1) May your faith grow and blossom, so your trust in God is so strong, you can believe Him for things you'd never thought you could. He will richly reward this faith! May your life be marked by faith, hope, and love.

Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. (Matt 7:7) God will give you your heart's desires, Anna! Trust that He knows, He understands, and His plan for you is “exceeding abundantly beyond all we ask or think” (Eph. 3:20)!

I enjoy making acrostics because they are personalized, special ways to give a biblical blessing (or just a fun poem!). They cost nothing more than the supplies to print (you could always write it in your own handwriting, too) and are easy to tuck into a card. Acrostics make lovely gifts when framed, or simply mounted on cardstock or pretty scrapbook paper.

Consider too that you might use an acrostic as a prayer to the Lord, or as part of your devotions. I wrote this one today when I had acrostics on my mind and was also thinking about the past month. It's for the word THANKFUL.

This month
Has been
A tiring one,
Never allowing much time between difficulties--but I'll
Keep believing in the
Father's faithfulness and grace
Until the day we
Live with Him.

*forgive the font and spacing irregularities--for some reason I had a lot of trouble with this post :)

Gifts You Can Make

I love making gifts. I love to try new crafty ideas and make personalized presents that are special yet frugal. I think I could spend hours each week doing this if given the time!

In case you'd like an idea for a homemade gift, here's a roundup of the gift ideas I've posted before.

For children:
Go-Fish Game
Bead Socks
Ribbon Socks (see the cute show-and-tell here)
Toddler Pillowcases
Hair Bows
Ribbon Sticks
Photo Stickers
Personalized Onesie and Burp Cloth Sets
Leather Shoes

Try making a set of bead and ribbon socks for a little girl; or make ribbon socks and coordinating hair bows.

And how about giving memory verses to kids? Tuck them into a basket of gifts, or include them with a children's Bible.

Don't forget about personalized books--we've made a Bible ABC book and a Peek-a-Bia! book. Here's a link to blank board books.

For adults:
Apron in an Hour
Fancy Notebooks (this could be for kids, too)
Foam Soap (We gave peppermint-scented foam soap as Christmas gifts)

How about a poem written by yourself or a family member, printed on pretty paper and framed?

For canine friends:
Homemade Dog Biscuits


If you make any of these, I'd love to hear about it! Please share any new craft ideas you have, too!

Two More Entries in the Apron Show

Two weeks ago during my Apron Show, I mentioned these aprons, and now have pictures to share with you.

I finished my birthday apron last night. Then I woke up early this morning to make morning maple muffins in it (the jammied Sofia helped me).


The thing is, it feels so nice and new, it's almost like wearing a pretty dress. I don't want to get it dirty!

You can read a funny post about what my husband thinks about it on his blog.

Just for fun, I sewed a matching headband for myself, using my niece's pattern. (Pssst. . .stay tuned in the future for the tutorial written by my lovely niece herself!)

To tie up another loose end, here's the apron my auntie made for my Mom:

It coordinates with the one she made for my grandmother.

In case you missed out on the apron show, you can find it here.

Happy Monday, everyone!

A New Bloggy Friend

I just recently met Tara at Faith Acre Farm, and I wanted to introduce her to you, too. She originally found me through my Ribbon Sock Tutorial, and when I visited her blog, I loved it! The very first post I read gave me a new sewing idea (a darling onesie dress), and I also saw pictures of ribbon socks and bead socks. We have a lot in common!

Tara also talks about frugality and makes her own yogurt. I think we're kindred spirits! So for those of you who would like to meet her, too, check out Faith Acre Farm.

And can you guess what my next sewing project might be? (One of my very good friends is having a baby girl this week, so it's perfect timing!)

Done and Undone

Hello, everyone!

I thought I'd stop in and say hello. I've been keeping busy finishing my continuing ed course, but I'm almost finished, so I'll allow myself the luxury of a little blogging. :) (Hopefully I'll finish later today or tomorrow.)

Would you like to join me in a Done and Undone again? This time I'm filling it out for my week as a whole, rather than a specific day.

Done:
1. A great deal of homework (nearly finished!)
2. Made homemade snacks (muffins and cinnamon graham squares)
3. Tried out our grinder attachment for our Kitchen Aid ($3 at a garage sale!)
4. Started thinking more about little things I can do to bless my husband Jacob (I have a suspicion I've been neglecting him a bit lately with all the craziness that's gone on)
5. Started reading The Ragamuffin Gospel by Brennan Manning together with Jacob (it's changed my life already--I promise to blog about it!)

Undone:
1. Scrubbing floors
2. Budgeting (hopefully tomorrow!)
3. Write a thank-you to a neighbor
4. Meet our newest neighbors, bring over cookies or some treat
5. Exercise (I've fallen off the boat with this--maybe the warmer weather will get me into a walking routine)

Join me if you like!

Join the Apron Show!

Now's the time to join the Apron Show! Share, show off, inspire us. . .we want to see what you've got!

And remember to scroll down for new posts this week. :)

My Last Show-and-Tell: My New Apron

I'd been waiting till today to share pictures of the new apron I'm making, in hopes I'd finish it in time. But alas, it still looks like this:


I've got a good start on it, anyway. All that's left to finish is the waist and ties, and I'll have a funky new apron in patterns I absolutely love. What a wonderful birthday present from my mom-in-law (who gave me birthday money). Thanks, Mom!

The Apron Show has been so much fun. Feel free to join throughout the weekend if you still want to get in it. Thank you, Me, Rebecca, and Laura, for sharing with us! (Don't forget to leave comments and applause at their blogs!)

One more quick note for you before I sign off. Remember that continuing ed course I'm working on? It's due soon, and I have a lot of work left to do; so I might be a bit absent in the next week-and-a-half. Don't worry, I'll be back with much joy when it's all completed. :)

God bless!

My Grandmother's Apron

One of my treasured aprons is an apron my mother gave to me when I was first married. It was my first apron.


I remember baking cookies one afternoon in this apron, in our first apartment. For the first few years of our marriage, I couldn't quite "get" how to make chocolate chip cookies and had many failed attempts, but somehow this batch had turned out perfect. When a friend of our stopped by, Jacob asked him, "Want some of the best chocolate chip cookies in the world? Because Heather just made them."

Even as I wrote this, I was surprised by how vivid that memory was. I wasn't even planning to share it, just pictures of Gamie's apron. Isn't it wonderful how special possessions evoke such strong emotions? And they do that because they're so strongly connected to what is important: family.

More family memories are attached to these apron's strings, too. My aunt handmade this apron for my grandmother as a Christmas gift, and her name, Violet, is embroidered on the waist. I can't wear it without remembering her.


Auntie Linda also made my mother a coordinating one. (I guess the mother-daughter apron set is a family tradition!) I asked Mom to bring it when she comes to visit this weekend, so I can photograph it.

Thank you, ladies, for joining me as I share about my treasured aprons. Many thanks to you who have joined the Apron Show as well. I'll leave it open to you through the weekend, if you'd still like to join.

I encourage you to stop by the blogs of the ladies who have been generous enough to give us a peek into their homes by sharing their aprons. Leave them an encouraging comment to let them know how much you enjoy their post!

Thanks for Your Prayers

Thank you for praying for our family member whom we visited this past Sunday and Monday. We were blessed to be able to see him just in time, as he did pass away on Tuesday evening.

It's sad. We're still processing it, and it doesn't quite seem real. I grappled with this when my grandmother passed away a year ago in October as well. How is it that a life, a person's place on the earth, all their experiences and family and connections, could suddenly be gone? It really is a loss.

What can bring us comfort? Knowing the answers to the difficult questions like, did he know the most true and real thing in life, Jesus? (Yes, He's not actually a thing, He's a Person, with whom we have a relationship.) If you read Pastor Clear's blog post about Les, you'll see that Les understood God's love. And that we, on our own, are powerless to do anything to earn His approval. He gives it freely. That's grace.

So yes, it brings us comfort that Les is in heaven now; but we're still feeling a sense of loss. And grieving for those who were closest to him, and for the grief they feel.

Thank you for continuing to pray for my family.

Apron Fashion Show

This past Sunday and Monday, we visited my brother's family in their lovely 1930's farmhouse. My sister-in-law Kari has filled their home with vintage touches, including aprons. The aprons don't have special stories, but all have been picked up here or there because of their vintage appeal.


On Monday morning, my sweet nieces modeled the aprons while I played photographer. (Don't you love the Little House on the Prairie apron and bonnet set?)


After a bit, Sofia and Jacksie the dog joined in, too. It was a lot of fun!


Thank you, Kari and Tony and family, for the wonderful visit. We love you and are thinking of you especially today.