Something from Nothing

Sometimes we wonder what we can give to others.  This cabinet reminds us that we can always give something, even when we have nothing.  This beautiful cabinet was created out of leftover pieces of a barn.  This cabinet was created by a man who lost his home in the tornadoes.  He was so thankful for all the church had done, he gifted us this beautiful cabinet.  I would have said that he lost everything in the storm, but obviously not everything.  He clearly maintains his talent and his heart.  So when you think that you have nothing to give, look again.  Look not outside yourself, but within, and remember this wonderfully giving inspiration. 

Creating a Valentine's Day Card from Scratch

Happy Valentine's to all of you! 

This was actually made by DS (14) during Sunday School.  He came down while I was teaching. Some how he took the simple mouse project and turned it into something extra special.  Certainly, no one else's mouse looked like this.  So we wanted to use it to wish you all a happy valentine's and remind you that today is not about the money you spend on your loved one; it is about taking the time to show them how special they are to you.  Showing them might only take a few cents.  This card for example is made from three sheets of construction paper, a glue stick, and a piece of recycled cording, but it's message is clear - you are worth my time.

Following Directions - Step by Step - Making a Prayer Shawl

Sometimes I am appalled by the number of things that can completely frustrate me.  I have a college degree and yet some things that appear simple are soooooo hard.  This week my challenge was crocheting again.  I have crocheted in the past, but I was trying a new pattern which I found  in:




I was so excited when the library added this book to their collection.  When I took the book out I was thrilled to see that many of their patterns were rated "easy", so I thought no sweat, I could finish it in a weekend. HA HA. My daughter finally told me that I couldn't give the prayer shawl to the intended recipient because I had sworn too much and it would take double prayers to release the negative energy I had put into it.  I didn't really intend to swear.  It was just that I had started it about 5 times.  I thought I was on the right track, but then after many rows and many hours I would look back and what should have been nice, even rows were wavy, erratic edges.  I had lost at least 10 stitches.  I wanted to give up, but then DD had to use her secret weapon - - -my own words. "Don't give up!" She said.  Uggggggggghhhhhh.
 
Finally, she, who has never touched a crochet hook says, "Give me the pattern."  She starts reading "SK first SC and DC in each DC after. CH three." She asked, "Mom, is this English?"  But in her confusion, she found my error.  Her careful reading and my translating brought forward that I was skipping a whole row and chaining three when I was supposed to be chaining one.  I was back on track.
 
Now if I can keep the cat from playing in my yarn,  I should be able to finish the prayer shawl. I think when I get this pattern down,  I will do the same pattern again for our dear friend.  Hopefully by then, I will have used up all my swears and be able to confidently and prayerfully finish her shawl.

Last Minute Christmas Presents

I've been busily trying to get ready for Christmas.  This Christmas the budget is a little lean, so I've been trying to think a little outside the box. This gift actually cost me $0, as I already had all the supplies.

I was looking for Christmas ideas on the blogoshpere when I came by this.  I spent some time perusing her website and was amazed by the talent Cathe had.  In the case of these napkins, it was more like being reinspired because my birth-mother has given me some homemade napkins in the past, which I love, but I had never thought to make my own.  This project was so easy that I think that I will be on the lookout for some more napkin like material.  I also made the napkin rings which are just a combination of silver wire and glass and pearl beads.  There is no patterns in the beads.  I made three loops and then just twisted a long end several times around the three loops to tie it off.  Simple but I think pretty.

Gingerbread Houses: A Tradition Not to Let Slip

This week we continued a family tradition that we started when the kids were very young. Actually, I am unfairly taking credit for this. This is a tradition my husband brought to our family. We buy a basic gingerbread house kit (I suppose we could take this to the next level and make our own gingerbread, but the point of this is a holiday memory not holiday stress) and some extra decorations (i.e. shredded wheat, Necco candy, gum drops). Depending on the kit, we may make additional “frosting” with confectioner’s sugar and water. We also find it helpful to have a few canned goods to hold the house in place while the frosting dries. And then one night, we pull everything out and go at it. In our family, usually that means the kids and Dad do it. But this year, we brought the kit to visit our foster son. Z has been moved to residential living due to his needs, but we continue to see him and love him. This was an excellent project for all of us. Although clearly our children are getting a little older because this year’s house was resplendent with the traditional gingerbread men, gumdrops, and icing icicles but it also had a peppermint stick cannon, a gumdrop dragon, and a gumdrop alligator.

This tradition has offered me one of my all time “perfect” memories. Several years ago, the kids and my husband were making a house at the table and I was making Chex Mix in the kitchen. Christmas carols were playing in the background and the lights from the tree were twinkling. I remember pulling the Chex Mix from the stove and turning to put it on the counter. As I turned, I was filled with the feeling that this was it. This is what life is all about: perfect, simple, joyful.

I remember making gingerbread men myself as a child. I remember those little silver ball cake decorations that now sport a warning, “Do NOT consume. For decorative purposes only”. And I still like to decorate gingerbread men if I have a large group of children, but gingerbread houses are the perfect holiday family activity.

Holiday memories are not made by the gifts we receive but by the time we spend together.

TEST: I challenge you to remember 10 gifts you received over the course of your life. Now try to think of 10 Christmas memories. Which list was easier to make?

One of my kids' memories might be: the year their mother cut a snowflake out of a papertowel.

Jim Henson's Prodigy

Sometimes I worry so much about my son.  Reading and writing are still such a challenge for him.  He has improved exponentially, but it is still an up hill battle.   But then he does something like this:

Just some Sculpey and an imagination.  He started with a need to create a hamburger and all its fixin's and then he got into these little characters.

Looking at them all I could think of was the Muppets.  What do you do with a creative mind like this?  How do you grow it from play to art / stage?  I know the first step is to let it flourish and grow without being stomped on which we have allowed, but now how do we give it the light and nourishment to offer him stability and earnings in the future?

Helping Others - Little Dresses for Africa

Every day we are gifted with another 24 hours that we can use as we wish. Sometimes we have household responsibilities that fill the minutes or we’re caught up with work or shuttling the little ones from one place to another – but each activity is a choice that we make with our time. Each day we can choose to make the day better or we can just trudge through the moments that make it up.

Yesterday, I was frittering away the hours, lost in our daily grind, when I decided to make a different choice with my evening. DH and DS had meetings out of the house, so it was just DD and me at home. So after making dinner for us, I gathered my belongings: sewing machine, notions box, and old pillowcases. Yes, I said pillowcases. I decided to use my time today to help others.

Several weeks ago, I was alerted to Little Dresses for Africa by a fellow blogger (I'm sorry to say that I don't remember whom) and committed myself to making some. Last week, I culled my pillowcases and pulled out those that were mismatched. Tonight, I got everything together and put the dresses together. Even my 14 year old daughter thought they were very cute. She thought with a pair of leggings they could really make a statement. Tomorrow, we will package them up and send them off. I only made two, but hopefully I will find time in the next few weeks to make some more.

So today I chose to use part of my time to improve the world. How can you change the world with your time? If you knew your time could make such a difference, how might you change your schedule?

From Inspiration to Execution - Crocheted Bookbag

My daughter pulled out this great bag that my birth-mother (AKA Grandma Out West) made for her at some point

and has been using it to carry her books. It is absolutely beautiful and shows yet another talent that my birth-mother has. I was so intrigued though that I emailed her to ask for the directions and was releaved to find out that it was crochets, but disappointed that she didn't know the exact pattern.

"Dear Dawn,

Unfortunately, no I do not have a pattern for that bag, but it is easy to make.It is crocheted.You just make a chain a little shorter than the width you want for the bag. Single crochet down the chain and then around the other side of chain. Then keep on single chaining round and round to height you want.The white fancy row contains double or triple crochet bobbles down into the second or third rows below depending on how big you want the design to show. If you have trouble, I could try to make another and write down what I did as I go.

Love and hugs,

Mom"

Did I let that stop me - - - no! I dove in and even used a different stitch. I added a bottom trim and fringe. I tried crocheting with three threads at a time for the strap and here it is:

Because I use a wider stitch and a stretchier yarn, I am planning to sew in a cloth insert tomorrow.

Don't let not knowing what your doing stop you. Try new things. Reach for new horizons. The results may suprise even yourself.

Prayer Shawl Complete

Remember when I told you about Prayer Shawls back in July? Well, I have finally finished mine.

It is certainly not a crocheting masterpiece, but I like it. DH wondered if I was ever going to finish it since it seemed like I was pulling apart as many rows as I was putting in. I did learn during this shawl that I am not ready for all the beautiful different sized fluffy yarns. I'm still too much of a beginner. I did use it though for the fringe.

The beautiful model above is my DD. Can you believe she has gotten so big? Where does the time go.

Unbelieveably, I think I'm going to try working on another shawl. I'll let you know how it comes out. Have any of you tried one yet? Please show us a picture if you have.

Museum Learning

One of the great things about homeschooling is that you become aware and focus on learning as a part of living and not a part of schooling. I am always on the spy for little bits of information wherever I can find them. When we were at Higgins Armory, I found a little tidbit that I had not known before and which I found especially interesting due to one of my recent craft projects.
All of us are probably aware of chain mail, a cloth made of metal links to protect the wearer during battle; but, probably few of us know the artisanship that went into these creations. Apparently, in each of these links is an imprinted name of Muslim warriors or prophets. Of course, as they were not written in English but probably some form of Arabic, I would not have noticed this without the help of my handy-dandy museum phone. This idea of writing on each link, reminded me of the prayer shawl that I am crocheting, each link infused with a prayer for the future recipient. Certainly each is used for a vastly different end purpose, but both have a similar concept behind them – encircling their wearer with the protection and comfort of God they believe in.

And I was not the only one enthralled with my museum phone. My nephew, Rowan, would listen intently at age 5 and then inform us what he learned. For example in this Japanese warrior’s costume, Rowan informed us that the face was a mask and not the warrior’s real face.

Rowan was especially excited to be able to try on some of the replica armor.


It is never too young or too old to learn something new. What was the most interesting fact that you learned when visiting a museum?

Take Sanctuary at Craftworks, Martha's Vineyard

Have you ever seen a piece of artwork that just takes your breath away? This actually happened to me a few years ago when my husband and I visited Martha’s Vineyard with friends and was renewed when I went back this week. The furniture can be found in a small storefront in Oak Bluffs called Craftworks. The furniture itself is by Sticks, originally inspired by artist Sarah Grant but now has become so popular that it is done by a team of artisians. The pieces are not just beautiful, but also inspirational as many are wrapped with quotes.

As I can’t come close to affording these beautiful pieces, I have to settle for visiting them whenever we go to the island. I have set my mind that I am going to try to create a piece, but I am not sure that I can do Sticks work justice. Please note, craftworks also sells many other pieces by talented artists. This store is a must see if you ever go to the island.

Just next door is one of my other favorite stores of the island, Sanctuary. As you have probably noticed, I love the written word. Sanctuary is a quote store. Quotes can be found on everything: rings, rocks, banners, statues, tiles, t-shirts, cards, posters, plaques, and mugs. I could easily buy this store out, but as we biked to town, I did limit myself. DD bought a beautiful sterling silver “faith” ring. I gave myself a good laugh when I considered buying one of the long thin quote boards and considered what I would look like bicycling with it in my basket.

If you cannot make it to the island both of these stores have wonderful online stores:

Craftworks
Sanctuary

And if you go in person, be sure to check out the bakery nearby for their delicious apple fritter donughts. It is right next to the Oak Bluffs post office. We also enjoyed a delicious and reasonably priced lunch at Linda Jeans.

Prayer Shawls?

Have you ever heard of a Prayer Shawl? When DD and I went to church this morning, we unfortunately entered a congregation that was grieving. A two year old in their congregation died this week and the funeral was later today. They were all clearly affected by this death deeply. During this service, a prayer shawl was passed around for everyone to pray over that could be offered to the aunt of the child who had died. One had already been given to the mother. I was so touched by the idea; I have decided to try to create a few that the church can use in the future. If this idea appeals to you, here are a few websites to check out:

http://www.firstchurchwlfd.org/Prayer%20Shawl%20Knitting%20and%20Crochet%20Directions.pdf
http://www.shawlministry.com/crochet_patterns.htm
http://www.pineislandpresbyterian.org/shawl.htm

I happen to crochet better than I knit, so I will probably do that, but either is acceptable. The woman that I spoke to about this ministry afterward mentioned that it is helpful to pick colors and designs that are multi-aged, multi-gender so that they can be pulled as the need arises. You may however wish to check for a similar ministry near you or maybe you may want to start one.

The Mother of Innvention

They say that the mother of invention is need, but I think it is frustration. I have been asking my husband to put up the bar in my son’s closet for more than two months (his room did not have a closet and we had to swap them around in order to qualify his room as a bedroom ). I’ve waited and waited and I finally said yesterday, “Forget it!” I grabbed the hammer, found the pieces we took out of the old closet, and here it is:

Of course as with any project, things don’t always go my way. DH actually calls me the 5 minute woman: I think everything is going to take 5 minutes. And so it was – I couldn’t find the right shelf and had to cut a new one. Mind you, I’m not real comfortable with power tools without DH giving me suggestions / guidance. But a hand saw caught my eye and voila, a shelf.

My other frustration invention this year is the stone base for our wood stove. Since the day we moved in 12 years ago, the slate bottom has been chipping off and breaking. Certainly I could not show it like that. The outside lip had nothing on it and showed just a brick. It was not attractive. I asked and asked for help but getting none, I decided I was going to take a stab at it. After a trip to Home Depot, I found a premixed grout and cement, I began to fix it. I thought the slate that I saved was going to recover the base and that I was only going to put the squares over the brick edges, but again not only do I have 5 minute issues, I tend to miss the trees in the forest, and thus it was with this project too. I really did not have all the slate. Some of the pieces had broken too small to use and so I improvised. Now some might see this as a deficit, others might see that they have a one of a kind, handmade, personally designed stove base.


Lesson to begin 2009:


Don't get Frustrated, Get Innovative!

Getting Ready for the Holidays

Christmas is coming whether we are ready or not. I am working toward being ready . . . notice the emphasis on working. Yesterday, the whole crew made bracelets for the women on our list. We took Pam's inspiration and ran with it. DD and I with the help of DS and DH made 11 yesterday when I got home from work.

Today, I am working on our Christmas cards. I have always enjoyed making our Christmas cards and have been frustrated with myself when we don't have enough time to make them but instead purchase them. This year, inspired by Eric Carle, DS made a tissue drawing to which I added a scripture. Today, I ran to Staples and had the original copied on cardstock and shrunk down. I am now cutting the picture and mounting them. I have several more steps and most certainly will not be done today as I usually make about 120 cards, but at least I'll be on the right track.

Of course, it might be a good idea if I start thinking about Thanksgiving and poor DS's birthday first.

How are you getting ready for the holidays?

Crocheting for a Cause

Aside from playing games with daughter that she found in Discovery Girls magazine, what did I do today?



I made baby caps for Knit One, Save One. As I mentioned on my ltginfaith.blogspot.com on Mission Mondays, Knit One, Save One is a project of Save the Children. The program combines a need for infants with political advocacy. So I found some of my x-sister-in-laws yarn that she left behind and then had to pray that I could locate one crochet hook (I wasn't able to in my house, but I called my dad and he found one of my mom's), and off I went. Three hours and some odd minutes later and several YouTube videos later, I had three baby caps ready for mailing.

Perhaps you may be inspired to try the same, either for this program or for others. Winter is coming and the economy is getting tougher, it may be difficult for all of us. But these caps sure made me feel better, if you need a pick-me-up, pick up your knitting needles or crochet hook. If you are not sure what to do with them, YouTube is a great resources. Keep searching until you find instructions that make sense to you.