Thoughts and Thimbles

Little Leathers for Little Feet

2012-01-23T15:18:00.000-06:00

It has long been a dream of mine to make my own leather baby shoes. They're much better for little ones learning to walk, and they're just so adorable! I've tried the fabric kind, and while I like them, they just don't have the same look. And since store-bought versions can easily cost $18-30 a pair (and up!), purchasing them seemed less than feasible.

So, the simple solution is to make them myself, right? Right. But I've been on the lookout for cheap leather for some time, and it has consistently eluded me. I know you can buy leather scraps at a decent price, but I was nervous about taking the risk when I wasn't even sure if it would work.

And then, it happened.

A really-really-ugly long brown leather skirt showed up at our local thrift shop. I spent a whole dollar on it -- and I can only hope I didn't look too greedy as I snatched it up! Shortly after, my mother-in-law passed along an orange leather jacket that someone had passed along to her. It was a Coldwater Creek jacket in great shape -- can you imagine the guilt I felt as I cut it apart? *shiver* But it was a necessary sacrifice.

I started with a pattern I had used for newborn fabric shoes (Simplicity 2457), but I only used that as a basic reference since I need to enlarge the pattern and adjust it for leather (not to mention different construction methods). It took a few tries, but I finally ended up with a pair of leather baby shoes that fit Little Man just right.

I don't remember where I found the giraffe template, but I drew the lion myself.

The Nitty Gritty

Now, I did encounter a few slight problems while making these. First off, I decided to hand-sew the lion and giraffe onto the shoe tops. With a regular needle. Those of you who have tried that before are doubtless laughing wryly at my inexperienced optimism.

After a few days of that, I though I had permanently worn off the tips of my right-hand middle and index fingers! Leather is *not* easy to sew. And I was even using light-weight garment leather.

I also had a rather large scare -- after completing my shoe tops and attaching them to the soles, I realized that the shoes would be too small! They might fit Little Man for a short time, but I wanted something in the 12-18 months range. Fortunately, I was able to tweak the pattern and use the same shoe tops without having to adjust or re-do them. So I guess I should be sure on the sizing before I try hand-embroidering leather next time!

And the biggest thing I learned: to put these together, you simply must -- MUST! -- buy leather needles for your sewing machine. Regular needles skip horribly, and you really want as few holes in your leather as possible. Leather needles actually have a cutting tip (fingers beware), so they can't be used on woven fabrics. Once I bought leather needles, the shoes went together in a breeze. I do love that leather doesn't ravel, which makes it easy to work with.

I've barely put a dent in that skirt leather, and I still have a good bit from the jacket, too. At this rate I should have plenty of room for creative license!

A Place to Call Home

2012-01-19T11:01:00.000-06:00

I thought it was about time we added some storage to Little Man's room -- his toys and stuffed animals were either lying helter-skelter in the corner when not in use or (more often) spread around his room in a rather dangerous array. Not wanting to shell out the money for a full bookshelf just now, we used a cheap bookshelf unit that we found by the dumpster at our old apartment. You know, the kind with the oh-so-stylish faux wood grain? This one also boasted half of the Thomas the Train stickers in existence when we found it, but fortunately they scraped off quite easily.

It didn't have a shelf, but we had purchased a white laminated board, which provided both this shelf and a shelf for a similar dumpster find that we use as a microwave stand. With a little white spray paint, about a dollar's worth of flannel covering the backboard, and several days to destinkify (yes, of course that is a word!), it was ready to bring order and peace to the nursery.

I did try to do the proper thing with that flannel by stapling it into the backing board. But no, the staples just wouldn't penetrate. So instead I went with a far classier attachment method. I'm afraid to tell you in case you think I'm getting all snobby -- but since you insist (you do, don't you?), I used clear packing tape. See, I told you I'd sound snobby! *wink* It works quite well, and since the bookshelf is up against a well, you can't tell.

And while I loathe ads on blogs, I did have a sponsor that I must recognize. Technical support (i.e., lots and lots of spraying) brought to you by Pablo, my very patient and amazing husband!

So now we have more storage and another surface for Little Man to bang his toys into. And you may not be able to tell, but those stuffed animals look so much happier now they they have a place to call home. Really.

Stop Reading This Post Right Now...

2012-01-14T13:08:00.000-06:00

...and go make a back-up of your entire computer. Cloud-drive, DVDs, anything -- actually, use everything.

Why no posts since Christmas? To be quite honest, I just haven't felt any motivation to post. Primarily because all of our pictures are currently in limbo on a piece-of-junk external hard drive that quit on us the day after Christmas. We saved all of our files to that drive instead of the computer, thinking that such a measure would prevent heart-breaking data loss when our computer got nasty viruses. Which worked. Until it didn't. Our computer did get a virus the day after Christmas, and we glibly reformatted in blissful ignorance that only a few hours later, the hard drive would meet its doom. Alas, that hard drive contained every single family picture, every one of Pablo's musical compositions, every one of my half-finished stories (and the only novel I've actually finished). We're kicking ourselves now, especially since it's rather costly to extract the data! Not that kicking ourselves makes the situation any more pleasant. *wink* So please, please go back up anything on your computer that you want to keep. And then back it up again.

All right, I don't mean to sob all over my blog. Not only does it make everything moist, it also lowers morale. It's not all doom-and-gloom around here, considering that the weather is absolutely gorgeous, Little Man just keeps getting cuter, and I'm blessed with an amazing husband (who bought me raspberry Pim's and organic chocolate for our anniversary. Oh yes, I love that man!).

That, and I finally finished my 2,000 piece puzzle. I haven't put a puzzle together in the longest time, and Oh! was it ever fun! The thing was massive, though -- almost 3 feet by 4 feet. I had to use a piece of plywood to assemble it, which meant frequently freezing my toes off in the garage as I put in just-one-more-piece.

So we're healing from our traumatic loss, though I'll feel much better when the data is actually recovered. It's one of those live-and-learn things, and it really could have been much worse. Still, at the risk of sounding akin to a broken record -- please go back up your files! *wink*

Froehliche Weihnacht!

2011-12-24T10:21:00.002-06:00

Or Merry Christmas. Or Feliz Navidad. Or Joyeux Noel.

However you choose to say it, here's a very Merry Christmas from our family to yours (even if it is a bit late)! We hope your celebration of Christ's birth was blessed indeed.

And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us,
(and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,)
full of grace and truth.~ John 1:14 ~

The people who were sitting in darkness saw a great Light,
and those who were sitting in the land and shadow of death,
upon them a Light dawned.~ Matthew 4:16 ~

Many thanks to the BIL for snapping a photo!

A Few Fall Snapshots

2011-12-14T14:55:00.007-06:00

Fall is almost over, and with Christmas just around the corner it's high time I posted a few seasonal snapshots.

Pumpkins courtesy of Pablo's mom.

Bench courtesy of Pablo and I, before we stained it and put it in the front garden (yes, we now have some landscaping!)

Striped outfit from Gymboree courtesy of Thredup.

Stinkin' cute baby courtesy of a very gracious God!

It's been a fabulous Fall.

The Beauty of the Everyday

2011-11-25T13:43:00.002-06:00

There's something about a daisy that's so simple and innocent -- as quiet and unassuming as everyday life. In the botanical world, it can't compete with the breathtaking beauty of a hothouse rose or a Bird of Paradise. But sometimes those showy flowers are a bit *much* for the day-to-day, like having a mountaintop experience Every Single Day. Exhausting!

No, daisies offer beauty without demanding adulation or overloading our senses. They're as comfortable as an old friend or a favorite novel.

Everyday flowers for an everyday life.

Hiding in Plain Sight

2011-11-09T10:30:00.000-06:00

A Little Reformation Day Reading

2011-10-31T15:07:00.003-05:00

As soon as Little Man goes down for another nap, I'm looking forward to curling up with a cup of Stash organic chai and Through Luther to Liberty: A Story of the Reformation Period by W. Schmidt and L.H. Schuh. It's a lovely little book from 1915 that's had me intrigued since I found it at a library book sale a few years ago. Now to see if it's as good on the inside as it is on the outside...

Happy Reformation Day!

Testament

2011-10-28T10:22:00.000-05:00

"The heavens declare the glory of God;
and the firmament sheweth his handiwork."
~ Psalm 19:1a ~

Here's What You Get

2011-10-24T22:25:00.007-05:00

In case you were wondering, this is what you get when you combine a much-loved baby, a camera-crazy mama, and an adorable bunting made by a very talented auntie.

Bridal Celebrations

2011-10-15T09:25:00.012-05:00

A dear friend from church is getting married in a few short days, and the ladies in our church went all-out to prepare a beautiful bridal shower for her.

My friend Sarah made these little flags for the gourmet cheeses (I told you they went all-out!), which I just love:

I found this tutorial for paper flowers -- I actually didn't realize there were written instructions at the bottom of the tutorial, and figured it out entirely from the pictures! To me that indicates that the pictorial instructions were quite good!

I'm totally addicted to these now, and can see myself making many more of them! The origami folds are quite soothing for some reason, and after a few petals you don't even have to think about what your fingers are doing. They look great "blooming" on dried twigs and displayed in a recycled jar or bottle. The bride actually liked these so much that she plans to use these instead of the paper flowers she had purchased.

A lady in our church makes the most amazing cupcakes. Want proof? Here you go:

{They taste even better than they look!}

I brought Yvonne along for the occasion, draped in ribbon and antique lace and belted with a burlap-and-silk bloom.

The wedding will have a natural/metallic theme, so Yvonne also sported a little "Welcome" tag and a copper key.

Three of the paper flower "vases" were World Market natural soda bottles (I knew I saved those for a reason!), banded with ribbon and vintage 30's buckles.

I'm so thrilled for my sweet friend -- she is such a gracious and radiant bride-to-be, and I know she will be a godly and loving wife!

A Spot for Jots

2011-10-04T11:01:00.005-05:00

We've been sorely in need of a place to jot down notes, tasks, and other helpful reminders. Meanwhile, a chalkboard that I bought ages ago (has it been ten years already?) has been languishing in our garage, totally unsuited to the style of our house. As charming as it was, we just don't have a single "beachy" room -- and this particular chalkboard was decidedly beachy.

I didn't want to get rid of such a useful (and needed) item, so I finally decided to re-style it into something more suitable with a photograph and some scrapbook paper:

Here's the before -- sweet, but not right for us:

It's currently embellished with one of my favorite reminders; though deserving nothing through my fallen nature, God has richly blessed me with everything I need for life and godliness -- everything and more!

Raindrops on Roses

2011-09-19T10:12:00.001-05:00

Shower, O heavens, from above,
and let the clouds rain down righteousness;
Let the earth open,
that salvation and righteousness may bear fruit;
Let the earth cause them both to sprout;
I the LORD have created it.

~ Isaiah 45:8 ~

The State of the Nayshun

2011-09-15T11:36:00.003-05:00

Things like this?

They make me worry.

Some Magic of Your Own

2011-09-06T15:41:00.003-05:00

Well, just as I was bemoaning the scarcity of Pavlova Magic Stateside, my sister decided to do a giveaway of that most delicious of airy treats!

If you want some Pavlova Magic of your own (or if you just want one really amazing baby rattle), head over to Tiffany's blog, A High Calling and enter her Pavlova Magic Giveaway (There are also AMAZING pictures of the film location of Edoras from "The Lord of the Rings," for all of you Tolkien fans!).

There are some questions about Kiwi terminology -- but there are no rules against getting some help from Google. *wink*

Déjà Vu

2011-08-18T07:49:00.000-05:00

You know the feeling.

Well, this skirt has some definite Déjà vu vibes. It started here almost three years ago. I've now discovered that that particular skirt style is totally impractical for a mom in a windy vicinity -- it's definitely a two-hander in gusty neighborhoods (like parking lots), and I usually have a baby carrier in one hand and a diaper bag in the other (especially in parking lots).

I decided to try remaking the skirt into my favorite A-line style (OOP Butterick 3262), and it worked!

Cutting the yoke off significantly shortened it, though, so I added on a ruffle with the scraps I still had (yes, still had after three years. I have problems). Not wanting anything too complicated, I cut my ruffle on a semi-bias (not enough fabric for a true bias!), ran a line of gathering stitches, and zig-zagged it right on top of the skirt. The off-grain cut keeps it from fraying too much, while giving it a bit of casual flair.

Sometimes Déjà vu can be frustrating. But not this time.

Skirting the Issue

2011-08-10T09:15:00.006-05:00

As I've been trying to reconstruct my post-baby nursing-friendly wardrobe, I've discovered that I'm in desperate need of some new skirts. And since I've been blessed to find several good black shirts recently, I decided it was time to make something to go with them.

So I dove into my stash and came up with two rayon (I think) fabrics. I bought these about seven years ago off the Wal-Mart $1-per-yard rack. I made a dress out of each fabric, and had a little over a yard left over. The dresses are long gone, but the fabric was patiently waiting for me.

So out with OOP Butterick 3262, and a bit of cutting and sewing later, I'm all set.

Light, flowy, and ruffled.

I love how simple this pattern is, and I also love the results.

Destashing, wardrobe-building, and sewing -- sounds good to me!

Baby Gator

2011-08-02T08:30:00.002-05:00

Pablo's undergrad and grad degrees are from University of Florida, so when our fellow UF alumni friends recently had a baby, I thought some team spirit was in order! Little Man has a matching set.

Little soft shoes in gator fabric with orange Ric Rac and suede-like soles, a (purchased) onesie with "UF" embroidered on the chest, and a burp cloth trimmed with more gator fabric and Ric Rac. All tied up in an orange bow. Of course.

Won't it be ironic if this little fellow goes to FSU?

For those of you who aren't in the loop (i.e., everyone not in Florida), there's more than a little rivalry between the two universities!

Repurposed Magic

2011-07-28T12:11:00.007-05:00

My mom traveled back for a visit a few months ago, bringing with her a delicious treat from New Zealand -- Pavlova Magic. It's a powdered mix in an egg-shaped container. You whip it up, bake it, and enjoy! This stuff is meringue extraordinaire! Crispy like baked meringue on the outside, soft and spongy like angel food cake on the inside.

If you really want to taste one, you can. You can buy one on Amazon, but it will cost you a hefty $24 once you pay for shipping! Not exactly a bargain for those of us... Up Over? What is the opposite of "Down Under," anyway?

Regardless, what we discovered is that once you've enjoyed your Magic, you can re-use it! With a wooden ring (too big to be a choking hazard) secured inside, it can take on a new life as a baby toy.

I can't be sure, but I think he has dreams of being a quarterback...

Thanks for the Pavlova and the idea, Mom!

By the way, I am told by my New Zealand contacts that the Pavlova originated in New Zealand. Apparently Australia has some delusions about taking credit for it...

Homemade Dryer Balls

2011-07-19T09:49:00.000-05:00

When my dryer balls bit the dust after a year of use, I decided to find something different.

(Plastic) + ($14 for 1 year of use) = (Time for a change)

And while I was at it, a more natural solution seemed like a good idea.

I found a quick and easy tutorial here. I was able to make four decent-sized dryer balls out of one skein of Lion Brand Fisherman's Wool, so it was about $5 or $6 at JoAnn's after a coupon. I'm guessing they'll last longer than the plastic balls, too.

How well do they work? That's kind of hard to evaluate, but I know it doesn't hurt to have them in there! They do seem to cut down on drying time and static cling. My dryer is super slow, so any help is appreciated.

I'm just glad I remembered to snap a picture before I started using them -- they do tend to pill!

For a Friend

2011-07-13T10:04:00.001-05:00

Botanicals on the outside, a bit of Pride and Prejudice on the inside, and plenty of space for thoughts and dreams.

Dressing Up the 'Fridge

2011-07-09T09:29:00.002-05:00

I am not fond of personal injury lawyers.

That's probably not how you expected this post to begin, but I assure you that it is relevant. And as a caveat, I have nothing personal against personal injury lawyers, and I'm sure there are some that are honest and scrupulous. It is their effect on healthcare that I am not so keen on.

"But before I am run away by my feelings on this subject,"* I should get back to the point.

For not being overly fond of personal injury lawyers, I had a remarkable number of their magnets on my refrigerator. You know, the kind you peel off of the (also remarkably numerous) phonebooks you get every few months? Does "sticky residue" ring any bells? Yes, those magnets! I'm so cheap that I can't bear to buy fancy decorative magnets.

So with the help of some scrapbook papers, a sticker or two, and some photo squares, I obscured those unsightly ads once and for all. It was super-cheap and super-easy, leaving me wondering why I didn't do it sooner.

My 'fridge would thank me if it could.

*Many thanks to Mr. Collins from the 1995 Pride and Prejudice

And the Living is Easy

2011-07-06T16:44:00.003-05:00

Over the weekend we made the rather long trek to the beach, since it's been about two years since we've enjoyed the gorgeous waters of the Gulf Coast. We're just not beach people. But I've been hankering to get my feet wet for a while, and Pablo was kind enough to oblige me!

It was also Little Man's first time in real water (since his baths in our bathroom sink don't really count).

He wasn't too sure about the whole water thing -- but he sure looked smashing in his shark swim trunks and sleek shades. They showed off his rolls of chub to perfection. Oh, the chub!

Summertime is in full swing here in Florida, and the living is easy (in the shade).

Although there's nothing easy about getting the sand out of baby rolls as deep as the Grand Canyon. Believe me.

Teacup Pincushion Tutorial

2011-06-23T09:13:00.005-05:00

About two years ago I picked up a teacup, sans saucer, for a quarter. It was lovely, but lonely.

For a quarter, though, I knew I could do something with it. The idea of turning it into a pincushion was in the back of my mind, but since I didn't know exactly how I would do that, I shoved both the teacup and the idea out of sight. For two years.

Finally, in need of a project and sick of my procrastination, I came up with an idea and put it into action. And thus you have:

A Teacup Pincushion Tutorial

Supplies:

~ Teacup
~ 6-8" diameter circle of coordinating cotton fabric (7" is good for an average/medium teacup)
~ Stuffing
~ Thread
~ Needle
~ Adhesive (I used Fabri-Tac, but you could use hot glue, or probably even Superglue)
~ Vintage button (preferably without a shank!)

Instructions:

1. Gathering

Run gathering stitches around the perimeter of the circle, about 1/4" from the edge. If you're using a machine, just follow the edge of your presser foot. You can also stitch by hand if you prefer.

2. Constructing

Pull up the gathering stitches, leaving enough of an opening to stuff your cushion. Smoosh (that's the technical term) stuffing into your cushion, filling it as much as possible. Check the outside to make sure you don't have any lumps! Your cushion will not close completely (see picture below). Tie your gathering stitches to secure.

3. Embellishing

Adding a simple vintage button to your pincushion is an easy way to dress it up! Using a long needle, come up through the center of your pincushion -- use doubled thread for extra strength and less work.

While sewing the button on, squeeze the cushion in the center. Pull your thread snugly.

Tie off your button thread on the edge of your pincushion fabric to secure.

4. Adhering

Run a bead of glue around the edge of your teacup, about 1/4"-1/2" from the lip (you don't want the glue to be visible).

Give your cushion one final look-over to make sure the gathering stitches are spread evenly and there are no lumps. Place it in the teacup and press down. Let it dry.

5. Enjoying

This part is pretty self explanatory!

6. Gifting

And this part is optional! But you may end up at the Gifting step sooner than you'd imagine, since this pincushion bears a strong resemblance to potato chips -- bet you can't [have] just one!

Identity Crisis

2011-06-13T14:55:00.002-05:00

Recently I've found myself struggling with the issue of identity. And yes, the title of this post is definitely overkill, since I'm not really in any kind of crisis! Still, the question of identity has definitely been agitating the grey cells of late.

As I pondered the issue, I realized that I've been trying to bolster my ego by fashioning an identity for myself based on externals, on things that make me feel good about myself. This is a very frustrating pursuit, because basing my identity on my status or personal merits only makes me more aware of just how far I fall short.

For example?

Well, I can build my identity on being a good wife. The problem is, I struggle daily with selfishness, and I can point to dozens of women that I know who are much better wives than I am. Ouch.

That's okay, I can build my identity on being a good mom. But I can think of so many women who are much better (not to mention more experienced!) mothers than I am. Strike two.

I can define myself by my love of creative home arts like crafting and sewing -- but I can think of several friends off the top of my head who have more creativity and skill in their little fingers than I could ever dream of.

I cloth diaper! See, I am someone special! I'm a frugal, eco-friendly mama... who almost always uses disposable wipes and puts diapers in the dryer more often than I really need to, just because I'm lazy. And then there's the whole defining-yourself-by-what-you-put-on-your-baby's-tush issue, which is really just plain pathetic!

The list can go on an on -- but there will always be people who take better photographs, bake better cookies, keep their homes cleaner (not that I even considered putting that in the running!), etc.

Before you come to the conclusion that I'm horribly depressed and think that I can't do anything, let me assure you that I do not intend this as a pity party! Nor do I think it's a good idea to evaluate my "worth" by the accomplishments of the people around me. Rather, to get to the bottom of this issue, I find it necessary to be perfectly honest with myself, and considering the character and talents of my acquaintances help me realize that I'm not as incredibly amazing as I think I am. That said, my home is not a pig-sty, my marriage is not on the rocks, and I can sew a straight seam! But whenever I try to identify myself based on personal skills or merit, it's a doomed endeavor. And there's a very good reason for that.

Ironically, a few days after I started thinking about this issue, I received a Publix Baby Club newsletter in the mail. Inside was an excerpt from the book What Every Mom Needs. And here's an excerpt of that excerpt:

Moms of young children are consumed with being caretakers. We sacrifice sleep and our own desires and needs to care for a baby. it's not surprising that we sometimes look in the mirror and wonder who we are.

Moms need identity. We know that the "Who am I?" question comes up in every season of life, but for the mothers of young children, the answer gets tangled up with our roles and responsibilities. we need to redefine ourself and find a definition that will sustain us during this season. Though we enjoy what we do, we need to find an indentity that transcends the role of mothering and reminds us of who we used to be and who we still are, in addition to being a mom.

The book was published by Zondervan, so presumably the authors were Christians -- and having not read the whole book, I don't know where the authors were headed. The excerpt goes on to provide questions to help you find your identity, such as listing your favorite activities, your greatest strengths and weaknesses, etc. Quite possibly they were going to put moms on the right track, but judging only from this excerpt, the problem is being recommended as the solution to the issue of identity!

I have to agree with the authors on one point. It's certainly a bad idea to define yourself by your children -- not only is it unhealthy spiritually, but it also saddles your children with the responsibility of living up to your personal expectations, and turns you into a very boring conversationalist!

However, it's just as bad to define yourself based on your "special" characteristics -- God-given though they are. To do so is to worship the creature rather than the Creator. And because we fall short, it also sets us up for certain disappointment.

So who am I, really? I know with certainty that I'm not the best wife, mother, seamstress, cook, writer, or decorator.

Who am I? A child of God, redeemed by the shed blood of His only Son, living in hope because of Christ's resurrection from the dead. That is the only identity worth having, the only identity that cannot be touched by time, circumstances, or the accomplishments (or failures) of others. And because I can't take credit for it, there is a two-fold blessing: not only does it preclude me from focusing selfishly on my so-called "accomplishments," but it also transcends my innumerable failures! What a blessing, what a relief from the horrible pit of both self-love and self-loathing!

I am one for whom Christ died.

The magnitude of that thought is simultaneously exhilarating and humbling. He loved me -- loves me -- enough to die for me, even though my sin made me hopelessly unworthy of that love. That love, which will never fluctuate or lessen, is mine forever.

So why do I want to build an identity based on whether or not I overcooked dinner, or how clean my bathrooms are? Those things are transient. His love is eternal. I should plan healthy meals and clean my home as an outpouring of His love to others, not so that I can win a trophy in the "Homemaking Hall of Fame." When I focus on my performance (which I evaluate by purely earthly standards) I end up moping, convinced that I'll never measure up. And I never will "measure up" on this earth -- not to Martha Stewart's standards, and certainly not to God's standards. But thanks be to God, I don't have to measure up. Christ did that for me!

God has indeed uniquely gifted me, but those gifts are not intended for my personal satisfaction. No, those gifts are to be used for the exact purpose He has for my life. He ordained me to be my husband's wife and my son's mother, all for His glory and our good.

So it's onward and upward, looking to Jesus, the author and finisher of my faith (Hebrews 12:1). Onward and upward, praying that He will free me more and more from my self-obsession and my earthly focus. And praying that I'll feel a bit more motivated to scrub those bathroom floors, while I'm at it!

You can find my Theological Disclaimer here.

A World of Color

2011-06-08T09:36:00.011-05:00

I am always, *always* trying to find uses for my scraps -- I have such a very hard time getting rid of fabric (no matter how small), but at the same time I have far too much and I'm determined to reduce my stash! While searching the Internet for good tiny-scrap-stashbusting projects, I came across a tutorial for Baby's Soft Book of Colors over on Homegrown Happy. Tada!

So after accumulating a pile of scraps in various colors (the entire orange page came from my mother-in-law's scraps -- would you believe I don't have a single piece of orange fabric?) and deciding on a few changes (like adding pink, brown, white, and black), I set to work. I decided to make three, since I was already going to the trouble of one. Little did I know just how long it would take... and the second and third are still unfinished!

But one is done.

Because I knew I needed to finish it before Little Man goes to college.

Did you know that I had ric-rac in all the colors of the rainbow, in descending sizes in my stash?

Neither did I.

I absolutely love crazy quilting now -- the little video tutorial on Homegrown Happy is fabulous, and it's virtually impossible to mess up. The only problem? This quilting method utilizes even the smallest, most oddly shaped scraps. Like I needed a reason to keep the pieces that even I usually throw away.

I tried to cram as many textures and shades into each page as I possibly could -- felt, velvet, corduroy, satin, taffeta, suede, linen, you-name-it.

Adding a few pages did change how I assembled the book -- I didn't think the method in the tutorial would work with an added set of pages, so I improvised. Several times. I think the finished product could be better, but hey! I don't think Little Man cares!

(I am a little unnerved that Pablo thought my purple page was blue -- but purple was almost as elusive as orange...)

So the big question -- how does Little Man like his book?

I think it's a winner!

Though he hasn't quite gotten the hang of how to read it yet...

Unfading Beauty

2011-06-02T13:44:00.002-05:00

All-too-transient blossoms, already faded and gone -- but in this modern age their beauty can be captured and preserved, forever unfaded.

Corduroy in Bloom

2011-05-14T19:24:00.001-05:00

My recent experiment with jacket alteration left me wanting more. So when I found another victim -- I mean candidate -- for a few dollars at a local outlet store, I jumped on the opportunity. Besides, it's not often that you find a garment in this particular shade, which I can only call "peacock."

Once again, I edited the sleeves to 3/4 length, and this time used the scraps for a tiny ruffle on each sleeve. I had barely enough! Oh, and gathering double thickness of jacket-weight corduroy is no picnic.

Fortunately, the requisite flower requires only the tiniest scraps of fabric, so a little creative cutting made a fabric bloom possible. Once again, I used a "been-waiting-a-very-long-time-for-the-perfect-project" button from my stash. This one's been waiting approximately 13 years. Worth the wait? Oh, yes.

The tulle and beading somehow found their way into this project -- because that particular shade of peacock just begs for a little glamor, doesn't it?

I could attempt to deny that I'm becoming addicted to fabric flowers. But there's a little basket of them on my craft table that would make such an attempt totally pointless. So, addicted I am!

It Doesn't Get Better Than This

2011-05-11T12:34:00.004-05:00

(Okay, Blogger -- it's totally not cool that your recent technical difficulties deleted my last post, as well as the kind comments that readers had left! I guess I can't complain, since you're a free service. But as I try to rewrite my post, I'm very tempted to...)

This past Sunday was actually my second Mother's Day as a mother -- my first was quite memorable, having found out we were expecting only days before. Perfect timing, since we were able to announce the happy news to our moms with "Happy Mother's Day Grandma" cards. It took them a few moments to catch on!

But this Mother's Day was even better, since Little Man has now arrived on the scene!

It's hard to believe this chubby little guy is the same tiny baby we welcomed into our family in December.

Motherhood is such a blessing, challenge, and God-given privilege. It's humbling and exhilarating, all at the same time.

Even just a few months of being a mother (plus a few "gestational" months) have made me so much more appreciative of all the mothers in our family's history. If it were not for their sacrifices, my husband and I would not even be here -- and neither would our sweet baby. Really, Mother's Day is a day for everyone to celebrate!

So Happy (belated) Mother's Day!

These Busy Times

2011-05-04T16:25:00.009-05:00

Spring for us has involved beautiful weather and lots of projects! It's hard to believe we bought our house a year (and seven days) ago. Which is also scary, when I consider that I *just* cleaned out the clear "crystal" knobs on our outdated sink fixture. It was so easy, too -- so why did it take a year?

Anyway, we've also been able to enjoy the full beauties of Spring on our little property, which has been a delight!

Most of our projects have been in the great outdoors. Like transplanting the enormous Indian Hawthorne bush that was totally obscuring the prettiest window on the front of our house (and we only have three, so that's a big deal.) And of course, the three foot circle we marked out to transplant it to was filled with pine tree roots, so Pablo had to break out the axe. I tried it, but fifteen strokes later, I had made as much progress as he had with a single stroke!

Our transplant project led us to destroy a few feet of rotten tree trunk, which the previous owners had decorated with a rather disturbing set of facial features. By doing so, we accidentally evicted this vibrant little fellow:

He was absurdly shy (I have a feeling he doubted my motives, but I didn't find him in the least appetizing!), so I resorted to my long distance lens to record his likeness. Yes, I was snapping photos while Pablo was doing the hard work... *ahem*

But I did prune the roses and jasmine -- the latter had gone completely wild, wrapping itself into long, fragrant ropes. It's more subdued and much less attractive now, but next year we can train it into more acceptable routes.

Yes, these are busy times -- and we have a Little Man to provide mandatory breaks every few hours (I keep telling him there's plenty of food in the 'fridge if he's hungry...). And while such times may not be good for the blog, they are certainly good for hearth and health!

Tea and Roses

2011-04-11T14:33:00.005-05:00

There's nothing like a hot cuppa in a vintage teacup and a handful of nature's loveliest blossoms in a vintage teapot.

The old-fashioned rambling kind of blooms, of course, not those stuffy hothouse hybrids.

It's a simple equation, really:

Tea + Roses + Spring = Bliss.

In Season

2011-04-05T09:18:00.007-05:00

Spring is officially here, and April has been ushered in with gorgeous sunny weather and delicious breezes.

And what better way to enjoy the start of April than by sampling some of the area's most delicious produce?

Some friends and I were no fools to go strawberry picking on April first! And it's so helpful to bring a cheerful little picking buddy along -- although he did rather distract me from my purpose.

In spite of distractions, we made it home with several pounds of the most gorgeous strawberries I've ever seen -- delicious, too!

What a delight to introduce our Little Man to just one of the many marvelous blessings that God has given us on this good, green earth. He's still too little to taste one yet, but in a few months he can try one of the berries I put up in the freezer!

Such fun -- but oh, how all that picking will wear you out!

Back in Harness

2011-03-29T07:51:00.005-05:00

After several months' hiatus from sewing, I'm back in harness. Granted, I'm not used to frequent interruptions for feedings, naps, and playtime -- but such interruptions are quite delightful! I feel like I must be making up for lost time, because I've been up to my ears in skirts, cloth diapers, soft books, plans for a play mat, valances, and such. And this little number, which was a simple hour's work of alteration and creative addition.

Before

I found this American Eagle corduroy jacket at a yard sale recently, and since it was "all-you-can-put-in-a-bag-for-$1," I picked it up. Even though I already have a corduroy jacket...

Well, not even I can justify having two almost-identical garments. It just so happened that on the same day I bought the corduroy jacket, my mother-in-law passed along a denim jacket with 3/4 length sleeves. I fell in love with it immediately, since I realized it was something I could wear during the summer (a little warm, but manageable). And since my favorite nursing-friendly attire is a camisole or short sleeve shirt under a jacket or sweater, it works perfectly.

*cue light bulb*

While I realize that dark khaki corduroy isn't really summery, my wardrobe is so limited right now that I'm all for it! So after chopping the sleeves off my new jacket (I love knowing that if I totally mess up, I spent less than $1 on the garment in the first place), I have a new 3/4 sleeve jacket!

After

But then I had those lovely jacket cuffs sitting in front of me, and being the horrible fabric hoarder that I am, I couldn't bear to see them just thrown away. So a few fabric flower tutorials and some personal preferences later, this tidbit was attached to the lapel:

Perfect excuse for me to use one of my favorite thrifted buttons, which I believe was made out of the end of a spoon (or made to look like it, anyway!). It's been in my button box for years, waiting for the right project.

Not exactly spring sewing, I know -- but function is definitely trumping seasonal loyalty during this stage of my life!

The Infant's Guide to Parental Development

2011-03-22T12:04:00.001-05:00

Congratulations, and Welcome to the World! As the proud owner of a bran-new set of parents, you probably have a lot of questions. One of the most pressing questions you have probably centers on the topic of parental development -- and well it should. After all, you carry a lot of responsibility on your tiny shoulders. Without you, the two adults you have wrapped around your itty bitty finger just won't mature into functional, well-balanced parents.

The AAP (American Academy of Parentology) makes it clear that parents develop at different rates, so don't worry if your parents seem a little behind compared to your friends' parents. Here is a list of basic developments that you can expect to see take place within the first few months of your life, and how you can help your parents achieve these goals.

1. Dark Circles Under the Eyes
1-2 weeks

These dark circles are one of the first important developments for parents. A sure sign of sleepless nights, dark circles guarantee that your parents on the right track. You can expect to see them within a week of your birth, though some parents might develop them a little sooner if your entrance into the world was particularly difficult or prolonged. If you haven't noticed any discoloration in the eye area (or bags under the eyes at the very least) by four or five weeks, you are probably not crying enough in the middle of the night. You can try setting your internal alarm to one-hour intervals through the night for several days, and see if your parents' condition improves.

2. Rocking and Bouncing
2-5 weeks

Every experienced parent (especially the female variety) will be quite familiar with the "Rocking and Bouncing" technique within several weeks. This is a valuable skill for them to learn, especially since you will find it quite soothing when you're fussy. Some parents catch on to this skill very quickly, and will even sway gently when someone else is holding you. If you see this, congratulate yourself -- your parents are developing nicely!

3. Weight Loss
2-4 weeks

New parents are notorious for putting on or just keeping baby weight (both moms and dads), so you can help out in this vital health-related area. Make sure you keep your parents' food intake down by frequently interrupting their meals. In order to do this, note when they sit down to eat and start screaming vigorously as soon as the first forkful makes its way into their mouths. In fact, you may need to cry during meal prep, too, just to make sure that they don't try to put you down for a nap in another room (in which case it's harder -- but not impossible -- to tell when they've started eating). A constant diet of cold food will likely curb your parents' appetites, thereby helping their BMI considerably.

4. Muscle Development
2 weeks-indefinite

For your parents to experience optimal health, they need to work out. However, most parents with a new baby in the house don't have time to hit the gym. Good news -- you can help! Two important muscular areas that need to develop are legs and arms. To work out the legs, wait until your parents have just seated themselves before making distinct hunger signs. They will stand up again and come over to you, at which point you can cease your hunger signals. As soon as they sit down, repeat the procedure. You should do at least ten reps every few hours. The repetitive rising and sitting will be great for their thighs. As for arms, when they've just put you down somewhere you should start crying inconsolably. As soon as they pick you up, cry for a few moments before calming down. When they set you back down (this works best when they have something they really need to do), wait a few seconds and start crying again. Again, ten reps every few hours should do the trick for those biceps. Careful attention to your parents' muscular condition will pay off as you gain weight.

5. Rapid Reflexes
3-5 weeks

This skill is critical in any parent. By the third week of your life, your parents should be able to catch you (and potentially another falling object...or two) within milliseconds. Some parents are slow to catch on with this one, but you can quickly bring them up to par by throwing yourself backwards while they're holding you. Before trying this training method, though, you should take your parents' cardiac condition into account -- many parents' hearts will race if you throw yourself backwards, so doing it too often may end up in a visit to the emergency room.

6. Singing Off-Key
3-6 weeks

Parents will often take up singing in order to calm you down when you're stressed. While this singing is usually out of tune, squeaky, and totally pointless (as far as you're concerned), it is very important that parents learn this for their own benefit. Not only does it teach them to self-calm when you're screaming, but it also gives them a sense of achievement when you stop crying (not because you like the singing, of course, but because you're just done). If your parents don't pick up this skill naturally, see if you can get a friend or relative to sing to you -- if you stop crying, act enthralled, and smile, your parents will be more likely give it a try themselves.

7. Oblivion to Odor
4-6 weeks

This is a tough one for parents, and some parents may never develop in this area. You can gauge your parents' progress in this area by evaluating their behavior during diaper changes. Gagging, comments on smell, and facial distortions are signs that they have not yet learned to deal with odors. You can try to build their tolerance by upping the number of dirty diapers you produce, but don't be too concerned if progress is slow.

8. Functioning With Very Little Sleep
1-2 months

All parents must learn how to function on about half the sleep that a normal adult enjoys. This is one area of parental development that you must be vigilant about! If your parents are still acting groggy by the third or fourth week, it's time for you to step in and take some serious action. One of the best ways to do this is to wait until they've just gotten into bed and turned out the light. As soon as you sense that this has occurred, work up a scream that demands attention in no uncertain terms. This will bring them running, and the ensuing hour(s) they spend trying to calm you down will help them get used to their new (and permanent) sleep-deprived state.

9. Facial Mobility
2-3 months

Let's discuss another important developmental area: facial mobility. Once your parents see even the hint of a smile, they will respond! They will distort their faces into all kinds of unlikely expressions in order to coax a smile out of you. But don't make it too easy on them -- if you smile at their slightest expression, you risk stunting their growth. Their facial muscles need a full workout, so hold out on big smiles and laughter until they've really run the gamut of expression. This will also be quite amusing for you as you watch their ridiculous attempts -- but again, remember to hold back signs of amusement for a little while.

10. Babbling and cooing
2-3 months

It is essential that you help your parents develop their babbling and cooing skills as soon as possible, usually around 2-3 months. This is not a difficult task, since parents will readily imitate your behavior. If you show them by example how to make sounds like "goop," "erkuh," and "squee," there is a 99% chance that they will pick up this skill without any further difficulty. You can gauge their progress by the sounds they repeat back to you. If your parents are a bit slow in this regard, try upping the amount of sounds you make, and stick to basic sounds until they've got the hang of it.

With these simple steps, you can ensure that your parents reach their optimum potential! The investment you make now will pay off in the future. While each parent develops differently, this list will provide you with some basic skills to look for in those early weeks.

Adventures in Cloth Diapering, Pt 3 -- How We Use It

2011-03-16T13:55:00.000-05:00

In this post, I plan to discuss what cloth diapering looks like on a daily basis for us, and the ins and outs of our system to date. For the first posts in the series, go here: Part 1 and Part 2

~ Getting Started ~

I was planning on using disposables for about a week before switching to cloth -- this would get us past the meconium stage (I'd heard meconium stains terribly) and supposedly give us time to get settled. Well, some early difficulties and adjustments led me to postpone starting cloth, since the last thing I needed at the time was more complication in my life! So Little Man was about one month old before we started. On the first day I tried one cloth diaper, just to see how it went. A few changes later I tried another cloth diaper. I continued like this for a day or two, until I realized that the diapers would have to be washed in 2-3 days anyway, so I might as well go the rest of the way! Really, it was a very easy transition.

~ Changing ~

At every change, I put the dirty diaper in a wet bag on the laundry closet door (I change baby on the washing machine, which I cover with a folded towel). If the cloth diaper is stuffed with an insert, I pull it out before putting it in the bag. The diaper cover is wiped/sprayed and hung from our wire laundry shelf with a clothespin. I use a fresh cover for the new diaper, and interchange covers with every diaper change. If there's a messy diaper, chances are the cover has gotten messy, too -- so the cover then goes into the wet bag or the toilet with the diaper (depending on whether I soak the diaper).

I personally prefer soaking messy diapers in the toilet if I'm not washing diapers in the immediate future -- it keeps the smell down, and I think it cuts down on staining, too. However, breastfed baby diapers really don't need this step.

Now that Little Man is not quite as little any more, I'm finding it helpful to double-stuff his diapers with microfiber towels at night, or if we're going out. We almost never have leaks with our Econobum covers, and even most messy diapers are contained. With an average of one messy diaper every few days, I have to deal with fewer-but-larger messy diapers! So they can tend to blow out -- but I had blowouts with Huggies, too, so I just change outfits and pre-treat the stains! *wink*

We did have some diaper rash initially, before I started using suede cloth liners/diapers. The suede cloth has cleared that up, though -- in fact, Little Man's skin often feels completely dry, even if his diaper is pretty wet. I have a tube of California Baby diaper rash cream on hand, which I'll apply if he seems a little rashy, and that usually clears it up.

~ Washing ~

The biggest "disadvantage" to cloth diapering is, of course, that dirty diapers must be washed! Let me say right off that I don't think I'd have to courage to cloth diaper if I didn't have my washer inside the house. Because cloth diapering involves a lot of laundry, such an inconvenience would soon become overwhelming to me! Also, I would not suggest cloth diapering for people who just hate laundry. I personally enjoy laundry, so it works for me.

What detergent you use is a big deal -- most store detergents are unsuitable for cloth diapers, causing build-up and making them much less effective (besides being bad for baby's skin). Here's a Cloth Diapering Detergent Chart from Diaper Jungle that is extremely helpful! And as a note, most baby detergents are really bad for diapers, even though it might seem they'd be mild enough to use.

If I just have wet diapers to wash, I run one cycle on hot with an extra rinse. I use half a TBSP of homemade laundry detergent, and occasionally use some vinegar as fabric softener (vinegar is also a natural disinfectant). If I have messy diapers in the load, I run a cold cycle with extra rinse, no detergent, before I run the hot cycle.

~ Drying ~

I like to line dry as much as possible. This cuts down on energy costs, is better for the diapers, and helps me get some sunshine! However, the weather is just getting nice enough for me to do this on a regular basis. Otherwise, I throw the diapers in the dryer for a cycle on high. I do not put my waterproof covers in the dryer -- the heat can cause the waterproof fabric to wear out more quickly. I hang them from my laundry shelf to air dry (they're mostly dry from the washer's spin cycle, anyway). Technically, heat can wear down the diaper elastic, too -- but since I make the diapers myself, I'm not as concerned about having to replace them a little sooner.

~ Out and About ~

Cloth diapering while out and about took a bit of courage the first several times! Fortunately, most of our outings are short enough that I don't need to change Little Man until we get home. A heavy wetter, though, might not be able to do that!

We keep a waterproof zippered wet bag in the diaper bag, which we use for the dirty diapers. It's also handy for anything wet, though (like the time I spilled a whole cup of water last week...).

I've heard of many people just using disposable when out, and this seems like a good option if you want to avoid some extra hassle (for me the hardest part is remembering to empty the wet bag when we get home!).

Oh, and if you're cloth diapering when out and about -- bring several changes of clothes! We learned that the hard way. *wink* Since we do get occasional leaks (usually because we didn't change him soon enough, not because the diaper malfunctioned), extra clothing is a must-have.

I do keep 3-4 disposable diapers in our diaper bag at all times, along with a travel container of disposable wipes. This is especially handy at the doctor's office (where he may be changed several times during an appointment), or if we run out of cloth diapers -- or just forgot to pack some!

~ General Observations ~

Cloth diapering doesn't have to be complicated or expensive. After all, it was the only option until about fifty years ago!

As a note, it is a bit harder to keep track of baby's growth when using cloth diapers -- I'm used to his normal "output" by now, but it's much easier to gauge fullness and color with a disposable. This just means paying a bit more attention, which is not a big deal!

Also, cloth diapers are considerably bigger than disposables! The fitted diapers and Econobum covers are quite trim for cloth diapers, but even so they're pretty chunky. We actually have to change the strap settings on Little Man's car seat if he goes from cloth to disposable while we're out and about! I have to keep that in mind when purchasing and making baby clothes.

It's confession time -- I am a big fan of disposable wipes, and find myself rarely reaching for cloth wipes! I think I just need to stop being lazy, but I do love the convenience of swipe-and-trash (especially for messy diapers). Even if I do go to cloth wipes primarily, I think I'll always keep disposable wipes on hand. By the way, I found out inadvertently that you can wash and dry disposable wipes! Some of mine will occasionally make it out of the "travel" wet bag and into the laundry. They come out super soft, and I think could easily be used once more -- I wouldn't do it with messy wipes, though, just wet ones.

In total, I've spent about $140 on cloth diapering supplies -- and that includes accessories like the Diaper Duck, Snappi, wet bags (with some PUL left over) and several covers that I didn't end up liking. If I had it to do again, I could probably get by with just $100. Hopefully what we have will get us through potty training, and last for more babies, too! There is always the added cost of water (which is not bad, since we have a septic tank), electricity (reduced if you line dry most of the time), and some disposable products like back-up diapers and wipes.

Overall, it's been a great experience so far. Granted, we've had only a few months' experience, and things will certainly change as Little Man grows! But so far it's been very doable, and a fun experience. It's very satisfying to know that we're saving so much and avoiding so many chemicals. Plus, it allows for much more creativity!

So am I sold on this? Definitely!

Adventures in Cloth Diapering, Pt. 2 -- What We Use

2011-03-13T16:01:00.006-05:00

In my first cloth diapering post, I discussed what we took into consideration starting out. In this post, I plan to detail what we decided to use! And when I say detail, I mean detail. This post turned out to be much longer than I anticipated...

We chose to use cloth diapers and diaper covers. It's a two part system that consists of a cloth diaper (not at all waterproof) to absorb moisture, and a separate cover (waterproof) to keep the moisture in. Depending on what you use, this can be the most economical option, since you need 18-36 cloth diapers (roughly $1.50-$10 a piece, depending on what you use) and 4-6 covers (roughly $3-$40 each). This is assuming 2-3 days between washings.

Personally, I prefer the versatility of separate diapers and covers, for the same reason I prefer tops and skirt to dresses! Not only does it allow me to experiment more with what I have (maybe the cover is fine, but I don't like my liner or cloth diaper), but I can also replace just one part of the diaper system when it wears out, rather than the whole thing. Cover wears out? I still have the cloth diaper inner. Diaper elastic wears out? I can easily make a new diaper or liner, rather than worrying about how much money I have invested in a pricey AIO. With an AIO, the whole diaper is useless if one part malfunctions.

~ Diapers ~

For the cloth diapers, I decided against the traditional prefold (which is just a simple rectangle of diapering fabric, with extra layers in the center), in favor of the more user-friendly fitted diaper. Fitteds have the same shape as a disposable diaper, so they're easy to put on -- no special folding techniques required! However, fitted diapers cost about $6-$10 a piece to purchase ready-made, so I made my own in flannel using the very popular (and free!) Rita's Rump Pocket pattern, or "RRP." Using sale-priced flannel, they cost under $2 a piece. I already had a bit of flannel on hand, so 20 diapers ended up costing about $18. I really like these diapers, and love that they supposedly fit from birth to potty training!

I purchased khaki flannel (the blue gingham was from my stash) because I thought it would be gender neutral, as well as hide stains well. Prints would hide stains even better, but the solid was cheaper! So far my khaki diapers have no stains, while my gingham diapers have a bit of discoloration (which fades with every wash). You can get 1 diaper (two sides) out of every 2/3-3/4 yd. of 44" flannel.

~ Inserts ~

Flannel isn't very absorbent, so these cloth diapers require an insert (AKA doubler, soaker, liner, etc.). Again, these can be expensive when purchased from cloth diaper manufacturers ($2-4 per insert!). After far too many hours of research, I decided to go with a suggestion I had seen on several blogs and bought microfiber auto towels from Wal-Mart. It's $5 for a pack of 8, and they're just the right size to tri-fold and stuff in the RRP diaper.

Flannel is cold and moist when wet, which can cause diaper rash (and can't be very comfortable!). Fleece and suede cloth, on the other hand, are "stay dry" fabrics that wick moisture through without feeling wet to the touch. So I did some experimenting with: (A) making a diaper that is flannel on the outside and suede cloth on the inside, (B) folding my microfiber inserts and covering them with suedecloth, and (C) using simple rectangular fleece liners in the diapers.

So far, my favorite is the half-suede-cloth/half-flannel diaper. It's easier to stuff than the just-flannel diapers, and having just suede cloth against Little Man's skin seems to control diaper rash the best. I also like the suede-cloth-covered microfiber liners, which are easy to simply lay in the flannel diaper with no stuffing required. The fleece rectangles (which are 5" wide and about 14" long) also work quite well, but I have to stuff the diaper with an insert, and then lay the fleece in the diaper (in other words, more work than either of the previous options).

Suede cloth is about $8 a yard at JoAnn Fabrics, but a 40% or 50% coupon would cut that considerably -- plus, you can get 3 diaper halves out of 2/3-3/4 yd.

Here are some of my inserts -- from left to right, an unfolded microfiber towel, a folded microfiber towel, and a suede cloth covered microfiber towel (You can see the back-and-forth lines I stitched to keep the towel folded properly):

I've heard suede cloth doesn't stain, but I'd still suggest a darker color if you don't like stains -- the burgundy was what I had on hand, so that's what I used.

~ Covers ~

The biggest disadvantage to not having any cloth diapering experience is that you have no idea what will actually work! I tried to base my selections on user reviews, but even so it's difficult to decide. So we started out with four different kinds of covers. Three of them have gussets at the legs, a feature that seemed very good for keeping in leaks. I'll go through one by one with my opinions on each cover:

1. The Prorap Classic Diaper Cover ($7.50)

Personally, I'm very surprised this cover has good reviews -- It's stiff, ugly, oddly shaped, the fabric snags easily, and it has a horrible plastic smell. Do you want to know what I really think about it? *wink* It's leaked every time I've used it because the leg openings have a very strange shape. I've considered trying some prefolds with this cover to see if that helps. But I will certainly never buy another Prorap!

2. Fishnoodles Snapper Cover ($8.40)

I only bought a Fishnoodles cover (formerly Hyenacart, currently Bright Star Baby -- why do they keep changing names?) because they had some "seconds" at a reduced price. I purchased a size small -- and boy, is it ever small! It's supposed to fit up to 16 pounds, but I don't see how that's possible. There's no way it would ever fit over my fitted diapers. It is certainly trim, and is very well made, but I just can't get it to work. Again, I might need to try a prefold with this one, but I think even a prefold would be too big!

3. Dappi Diaper Covers ($2.99)

These are *the* cheapest diaper covers you could possibly buy! They are only sold on the Baby Best Buy website, and on Amazon (but they are more expensive on Amazon). I am decently satisfied with these covers, especially for the price. Here are some pros and cons:

PROS: Super cheap, easy to put on, soft jersey outer fabric, gentle elastic, cute polka dot prints available.

CONS: The knit elastic on the leg gusset and the fabric bound edges eventually wick moisture onto clothing, they are made of vinyl instead of breathable PUL (polyurethane laminate), the velcro could be stronger, they run quite large (which makes it hard to get the fit right).

I think they'd work better for pudgy apple-shaped babies, since the velcro closures practically overlap on my long and lean little guy -- even though at 12 lbs. he's right in the "up to 14 lb" range for the size small. Overall they're decent covers, but I definitely don't reach for them first.

As a note, these covers have a mesh layer inside the diaper which you won't see in my picture because I trimmed it out. I didn't like that it would get wet during use, and unlike vinyl or PUL, you can't just wipe it clean. So removing the mesh may have made them less effective (though I tried them both ways, and didn't notice a difference).

4. Econobum One-Size Cloth Diaper Cover ($5, normally $8.95)

Oddly enough, the cover I thought I would like the least (and only bought because it was on clearance) is the one I like the most! I was skeptical about the Econobum cover, mostly because it doesn't have leg gussets. As it turns out, I liked this cover enough to buy more, and am now using them exclusively!

PROS: These are super trim (despite being one-size, which usually results in more bulk), are very adjustable, have a great snap system, hold in the moisture really well, are simple to use, dry very quickly, cover my cloth diapers really well, and are a great price!

CONS: Maybe that they don't have leg gussets -- though that's not been a problem so far.

So can you tell which cover is my favorite? *wink* Here's a picture of an Econobum cover in "Ribbit" trim and the Indian prefold that came with it:

I now have 5 of these covers, since I took advantage of a recent BOGO sale to boost my stock. I was going to have to buy larger covers fairly soon anyway, and these should get us through potty training (assuming that they continue to be as effective when Little Man is bigger as they are now). Fortunately, even if I do have to buy other covers, I didn't invest much into these! I still want to try out the Indian prefolds ("fold and lay in the diaper cover" sounds blessedly simple), but they have one more prep wash to go before they reach suitable absorbency.

7/21/2011 UPDATE: These covers are still working fabulously, though I've noticed a few 1/8" "slits" in the PUL near the side snaps. I tried the Indian prefolds that came with the covers, and hate them -- they're enormous! I don't know how absorbent they are, because they were just too huge to contemplate using. I'll stick with my fitted diapers, thank you! The prefolds were free, though, so at least it wasn't a waste of money. I'm sure I can find another use for them; they do seem very well made.

~ Extras ~

Wipes:
Cloth wipes are super simple to make! Mine are simple squares of flannel, serged all the way around. They ended up being free, since I was able to use the flannel scraps from my cloth diapers to make 8-inch squares (roughly; I didn't bother to make them all uniform).

7/21/2011 UPDATE: Well, I'm using disposable wipes exclusively at this point, since the cloth were more of a hassle than I desired. But the oodles of wipes I made are coming in handy for all manner of things! All of my scrap flannel now gets cut into squares and sent to the serger.

Diaper Duck:
I discovered this handy tool when I purchased my Dappi covers! The Diaper Duck is a plastic hook that hooks onto your toilet seat so you can rinse and soak messy diapers easily. I love it! I haven't seen anything like this on any other website, so I consider myself blessed to have found it. I think it would work best with prefolds (especially the wringing aspect), but it works great for my diapers and covers, too.

Snappi:
I decided to try a Snappi, which keeps the cloth diaper secure under the cover. Basically, it's a T-shaped elastic band with little plastic teeth on the ends that "bite" into the cloth diaper fabric. It's been great! While it's not really intended for tight wovens like flannel, I am able to use it with a bit of finagling. I generally use only the side-to-side aspect, and don't bother attaching the bottom portion to the diaper. It works well, is inexpensive, and eliminates the need for pins (which would scare me to death).

7/21/2011 UPDATE: I took it into my head to try diapering without the Snappi, and was surprised to find that it's actually easier! Granted, keeping the diaper on while snapping the cover closed can be a bit tricky with a squirmy baby, but overall I save time and energy by not using the Snappi. It may be invaluable for prefold diapers, but my fitteds don't seem to need it.

*********************

Well, that's an exhaustive (or exhausting...) look at what we've tried in cloth diapering so far! In my next post, I'll share what cloth diapering involves on a daily basis. And who knows, maybe I'll get some helpful hints from more experienced cloth-diapering moms! *hint hint*

For the other posts in this series, go here: Part 1 and Part 3

Adventures in Cloth Diapering, Pt 1 -- Initial Considerations & Counting the Cost

2011-03-10T12:45:00.001-06:00

Cloth diapering is something I'd planned on doing with my children even before I was married. I suppose the biggest factors for me are health (no nasty chlorine or other chemicals on baby's skin) and cost (*so* much cheaper than disposables). I can't claim to be super motivated by the ecological aspect -- but hey, I'm happy to not be throwing hundreds of disposable diapers in the landfill!

I spent countless hours during pregnancy researching the options, familiarizing myself with the various kinds of cloth diapers, and calculating the cost. I thought I'd compile my findings here, with the hope that it will be helpful!

First of all, as soon as I plunged into the world of cloth diapers, I found that the various manufacturers have come up with very *interesting* names. Every time my husband came in while I was researching, he would leave chuckling -- and no wonder! Here are a few of the more amusing ones:

~ Baby BeeHinds
~ bumGenius
~ Bummis
~ Bumkins
~ Rumparooz
~ Econobum
~ Envibum
~ Happy Heiny's
~ Kushies
~ Smartipants
~ And my all time favorite: FuzziBunz

The world of cloth diapering has expanded tremendously since the 1950's, when the first waterproof diaper covers were introduced -- there are dozens of options now, in almost every fabric and color you can imagine.

Here are a few websites that helped me tremendously:

The Diaper Jungle -- Cloth Diaper Guide -- This site includes numerous articles on terminology/types ("What's an AIO?"), washing, detergents, and more!

The Diaper Pin -- Cloth Diaper Cost Calculator -- this is an interactive tool that allows you to be very precise in determining your costs.

Diaper Decisions -- Cost of Cloth Diapers -- A very helpful page that compares various cloth systems with disposables, including energy costs (which I particularly like). It's very detailed, which is helpful -- but it doesn't account for making anything yourself/using one-size diapers, so some of the costs are higher than they would actually have to be. The same goes for the disposables, which can be purchased for less when using sales/Amazon/etc. Still, this page is valuable as a cost comparison, or even as a reminder of costs to include when making calculations.

In the end, the more work you're willing to do, the cheaper cloth diapering will be.

All-in-One (AIO) and pocket diapers are much more user-friendly, since they look and act just like disposable diapers. The most you have to do to prepare them is add an insert to increase their absorption capacity. Easy! But they are generally $16 and up, and you need 18-36 of them (assuming 2-3 days between washings). That means an initial investment will be at least $300, and that's not counting extra inserts (almost certainly necessary for overnight/heavy wetters), which can cost up to $4 each.

Separate diapers and covers tend to be cheaper, since the diapers cost as little as $2 (or even less -- though some options can be quite pricey) and the average price of a cover is $8-14. You need 18-36 diapers, but only 4-6 covers -- once again assuming 2-3 days between washings. There is more work involved with this system, since you will be folding/stuffing the diapers, placing them on your baby, and then putting on the waterproof cover. However, you can choose your level of difficulty depending on what you buy. You can cloth diaper with this method for as little as $100, or possibly even less.

However, sizing also plays a factor in the cost analysis -- some diapers, covers, and AIOs only fit a certain weight range per size, which means you could end up having to buy up to 4 separate sizes. Others are "One-Size," which means you can customize the size from birth through potty training (usually by adjusting with snaps).

This post barely touches the surface of modern cloth diapering, but it's a condensed version of the factors I took into consideration when making my selections. In some ways, having so much selection is great -- you can micromanage what you put on your baby's tender skin, where it's manufactured, how it gets washed, and what it looks like. At the same time, all of those options makes it difficult to commit to find the perfect system! In my next posts, I'll explore what has (and hasn't) worked for us, and just what it involves.

For the other posts in this series, go here: Part 2 and Part 3

Glock Perfection

2011-03-05T09:13:00.006-06:00

We're just a bit keen on Glock around here. So before our Little Man was born, I embroidered a little Glock onesie for him. Granted, he's a bit young to be handling a Glock! Or so we thought...

And then we took him to visit our favorite hometown gun store (they used to sell ice cream *and* guns back int he 50s, but for some reason that combination isn't as popular any more...). The employees -- which include the original owner's granddaughter and a very friendly ex-Marine with a superb moustache -- had seen him many times while he was still in "bump" mode, and were delighted with his infantile Glock loyalty. He was even presented with a tiny Glock 17 key chain by the store owner.

(We seriously need to work on basic gun safety rules with Little Man -- pointing it at his stomach? Not very smart! At least he doesn't have his finger on the trigger)

Let's just say we take the 2nd Amendment very seriously around here! *wink*

(Disclaimer: the key chain was used for supervised photographic purposes only, and we would never let an infant handle a real firearm. Just because I know there's someone out there who's wondering.)

Econobum Covers on Sale!

2011-02-25T10:09:00.005-06:00

Just a heads up for those of you in the market for cloth diaper covers -- the Cotton Babies website is currently having a Buy-1-Get-1-Free sale on their Econobum one-size covers and 1 prefold, which are normally $9.95. This makes it $4.98 for a cover and prefold -- plus Cotton Babies always offers free shipping! You can use the code BESTDEAL to take an extra 5% off, too.

Happy cloth diapering!

NOTE: Sorry, this sale is now over, but the coupon code is still good and the shipping is always free!

Simple Nursing Cover

2011-02-25T09:34:00.005-06:00

One of my last projects before Little Man arrived was a nursing cover. My only problem was deciding which fabric to use -- with so much in my stash I couldn't justify purchasing new fabric, but I didn't really have anything that seemed *right*.

And that's where my kind bloggy friend, Serena, saved the day! Her sweet little package (which included the darling booties I blogged about) arrived wrapped up in a half yard of a lovely black-and-white floral print. Hmm, maybe that's a good way to use up some of my stash... but I digress.

After combining the black floral with a pale blue cotton sateen (a destash gift from another friend) and adding a bit of ric-rac, I had my nursing cover!

My search led me to a tutorial from the Freshly Picked blog. Really, a nursing cover is just a rectangle of fabric with a bit of boning and a strap around the neck! But it was helpful to have some dimensions for reference, and I liked her construction methods better than some of the other tutorials I looked at.

I did end up shortening the neck straps big time -- the long side was way too long, and the nearly-5-inches on the D-ring side went halfway 'round my neck (not too handy for adjustment purposes!). That could just be the way I wear mine, though. I also only used 12" of boning, which I had heard from several people is plenty -- and it is. My boning is a bit weak, though, so I might get something a bit stiffer.

Using one of these certainly involves a learning curve, but it's so handy to have and so easy to make! I have some of the cotton sateen left over, and I'm thinking a matching baby sling is in order...

Tea Time

2011-02-18T13:16:00.000-06:00

A friend and I have been indulging our love for tea by getting together for little luncheons now and then. It's delightful to have an excuse to experiment with new recipes (and old favorites, too), and it's even more delightful to share the results with a kindred spirit.

I did discover that it is *ridiculous* to make meringues without an electric mixer. Who knew that it could take an hour to beat egg whites to stiff peaks with a whisk? Actually, I settled for mostly stiff peaks, since both arms were ready to fall off by that point. I'm not very talented at mixing with my left hand...

I had made a tomato tart years ago, and decided to try it again for one of our teas. It's so simple -- tart crust, shredded mozzarella, sliced tomatoes, olive oil, and a sprinkle of herbs. Sweet but savory!

My friend makes the best cucumber sandwiches you can imagine. I'm shamelessly greedy every time she serves them! And I wish you could try her pumpkin bread (except that you'd be as hopelessly addicted to it as I am *wink*).

I love that tea can be an excuse for fellowship, encouragement -- and good eats!

This is Love

2011-02-15T13:10:00.003-06:00

The LORD hath appeared of old unto me, saying,
"Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love:
therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee."

~ Jeremiah 31:3 ~

Lovin' the Lensbaby

2011-01-31T12:08:00.007-06:00

As we were having wedding pictures taken a little over a year ago, I thought my eyes were playing tricks on me -- it looked like our photographer was bending one of her camera lenses. I assumed I was mistaken, but couldn't quite get the idea out of my mind. So I Googled "flexible camera lens," and discovered Lensbaby SLR camera lenses!

The lens my photographer was using was the Muse, which features an accordion-style design that you squeeze and bend to focus. After viewing the images in the photo gallery (a few of which are quite immodest, so use caution if you visit it), I was sold! And when I realized a few weeks ago that I had almost enough "allowance" money saved up, I finally decided to go for it.

And here it is! I chose the Muse with the double glass optic, which gives you a sharply focused "sweet spot." I love macro shooting, which allows you to have sharp focus on one visual field, while blurring everything else. To me, the Lensbaby is even better, since the blurring is more gradual and artistic, and the depth doesn't matter.

I knew this lens would involve a big learning curve -- if I had been smart, I would have practiced manual focusing with my regular lenses before purchasing a lens that can *only* focus manually. But I was too impatient! *wink* I'll just have to learn as I go. So here are my first experiments with my new "baby."

You can change the size of the "sweet spot" by changing the aperture of the lens -- an interesting process that involves little discs that slip into the lens, and are removed with a magnetic stick!

So far, this is the only shot I've taken where I've successfully gotten the sweet spot somewhere other than the center of the photograph. I'm getting the hang of squeezing the lens to focus (though more than half of my shots still come out entirely blurred!), but it's a bit more difficult to squeeze, tilt, and focus the lens -- and press the shutter, too!

I'm thoroughly enjoying this new addition to my camera ensemble! I'd love to take advantage of some of their interchangeable optics, and I definitely have my eye on the Creative Apertures kit. I'm looking forward to exploring the possibilities with this lens -- and hey, it's just plain fun to have a squishy lens!

UnExpectations

2011-01-29T20:17:00.000-06:00

As I transitioned into motherhood, there were a lot of things that I didn't expect -- blessings that left me speechless with gratitude.

I didn't expect to have a pregnancy free of complications.

I didn't expect to have a straightforward, relatively easy birth.

I didn't expect to have a healthy, beautiful son (beautiful in our eyes, anyway!).

It's not that I expected a horrible pregnancy and a sickly child -- but I didn't want to assume that everything would be easy, and I was determined to give all of those expectations to God. I wanted a natural birth so badly, but in a hospital with a C-section rate nearing 40%, I knew there was a possibility that everything wouldn't be "perfect." But whatever happened would be God's will, so I stopped praying for the birth I wanted, and asked instead for grace and contentment no matter what happened. And it happened as I had hoped; only a few details were different than my "ideal," and I can look back with joy and gratitude on the whole experience.

But what I didn't realize was that I did have expectations that I hadn't given to the Lord.

I expected nursing to go well -- not perfectly, but well.

I expected a leisurely two weeks of resting and enjoying our newborn.

I expected to give away the sample can of formula that the hospital gave us.

I had read and researched, and I knew how nursing was supposed to be -- I knew it didn't just come "naturally" (at least for most people), but I thought I was ready to handle any troubleshooting. When I saw our little man's tongue a few hours after birth, I suspected tongue-tie. Not having had the opportunity to examine many infant tongues, though, I thought I was probably wrong. I wasn't. The pain was horrible, and the tongue-tie also prevented our little man from feeding well and getting the nutrition he needed.

And then, on the day we were discharged, little man's bilirubin levels were a touch high. Jaundice makes infants extra sleepy, which certainly hadn't helped with nursing. So after our discharge from the hospital, we had three consecutive days of early morning blood tests and doctor's visits. There went my peaceful time of rest following the birth! And when the levels didn't go down after two days (and nursing consisted of a screaming, arch-backed infant and a very frustrated mother), I listened to our pediatrician and opened that can of formula.

I had been so ready to give up my pregnancy and birth to the Lord, but I didn't realize that I was holding back so much! I was frustrated, emotional, and exhausted. I was terrified that supplementing would ruin all chances of nursing, which was something I was dedicated to doing. Nothing seemed to be going right (because it wasn't going my way).

But little by little, by God's grace and with a great deal of help and perspective from my husband, I began to drop my expectations and see God's hand in our situation. That "evil" formula got rid of the jaundice in no time flat, which meant we didn't need more serious treatment. The nursing gradually improved, and he's been off formula completely for several weeks. And while the tongue-tie can't be fixed until he's two months old, he's healthy and I'm in a lot less pain.

And now, at last, I'm grateful. Grateful that I found out about tongue-tie "by chance" on a blog I don't normally read. Grateful that formula gave us the chance to get back on our feet. Grateful that he can nurse in spite of that faulty frenulum. Grateful that God didn't give me everything I expected, forcing me to seek Him rather than rely on myself.

I wish I had trusted Him from the beginning, rather than trying to rely on my feeble (read "nonexistent") resources. Our challenges certainly aren't over, and every aspect of learning about this new little person is bewildering. But I have to remind myself that when God sends challenges, He also grants the grace to deal with them -- and that grace is sufficient for me!

A Different Sort of Piggy Bank

2011-01-23T15:05:00.004-06:00

Shortly before Little Man was born, a kind bloggy friend sent a little package of baby goodies in the mail. Included was the sweetest little pair of knitted baby shoes. So sweet, in fact, that I just have to share them with you!

I love the shape, and the colors, and the little cuff, and the cozy wool. And they belong to the Only-Things-That-Will-Stay-on-a-Baby's-Foot club. Oh, how I love that club.

They're a different kind of piggy bank -- a perfect repository to keep tiny little baby toes safe, warm, and stylish.

And Serena, they get compliments *every single time* he wears them!

A Brownie for Baby

2011-01-20T15:40:00.002-06:00

My dear sister posted a humorous account of a recent visit, starring the newest (not to mention first) little son/grandson/nephew in our family.

And here it is, for your enjoyment!

A Cute Little Nephew Tale

Oh no, we're not infatuated. Why do you ask? *wink*

Ennumerating Providential Provisions

2011-01-18T11:31:00.007-06:00

Otherwise known as Counting Your Blessings.

However you refer to it, it's something I don't do nearly enough. During recent explorations in the blog world, I've come across Ann Voskamp's One Thousand Gifts dare several times. And when a former neighbor gave me a lovely journal for Christmas this year, I knew exactly what I'd use it for.

Perfect, no?

I don't know exactly what the details of the dare are, but my version consists of writing down blessings. I aim for at least three a day (some days end up with more!), and I date my entries. That way I'll have a sort of journal of the little everyday blessings that God gives so abundantly. The more I do this, the more blessings I see!

It's hard to be discontent when you're grateful, and I can't help but be grateful when counting my blessings. So maybe I just need to write in my journal all day!

Magnificent

2011-01-06T19:20:00.004-06:00

God has made many amazing and magnificent creatures, but birds of prey have to rank particularly high on the list.

A red-shouldered hawk has been visiting us recently, and last time he stayed long enough for me to change out my camera lens.

And take about twenty pictures.

Oh, how I love that "continuous shooting" option!

A Speechless Year

2010-12-31T18:23:00.008-06:00

What a year 2010 has been! I can safely say that the past twelve months have brought more change than any other year in my (admittedly brief) life.

From marrying my wonderful husband...

... to buying our first home.

From expecting our first baby...

... to welcoming him into the world.

Yes, what a year -- the start of a new decade in history. A year of many firsts, and a year of innumerable joys. It has had its share of challenges, heartaches, and struggles -- but God has been so gracious to us, proving over and over again that He is in control, and that He cares about even our most minor hurts and grievances. It is His love that leaves me speechless this year (though not quite wordless, since I'm managing to write a blog post about it!).

I wonder what 2011 will bring, what happiness and grief it has in store. But I know that whatever comes, it is the Almighty God who has ordained it, and that knowledge should strip away any fear about what the future might hold! I pray that it may be said of us, "This is the generation of them that seek Him, that seek Thy face, O Jacob." (Psalm 24:6)

So to bring in the new year with hope and joy, I draw from the 24th Psalm -- which I consider one of the most jubilant, uplifting passages in the Bible:

Lift up your heads, O ye gates;
and be ye lift up, ye everlasting doors;
and the King of glory shall come in.

Who is this King of glory?
The LORD strong and mighty,
the LORD mighty in battle.

Lift up your heads, O ye gates;
even lift them up, ye everlasting doors;
and the King of glory shall come in.

Who is this King of glory?
The LORD of hosts,
He is the King of Glory.
Selah.

~ Psalm 24:7-10 ~

Under the Tree

2010-12-25T14:19:00.006-06:00

When it came to Christmas gifts this year, the winner of the "best gift under the tree" category was a given.

Yes, our little man blew the competition right out of the water -- in our (rather biased) eyes, at least!

We've loved having a live tree this year -- a tradition I hope we can repeat every year. The scent of fir gives me warm fuzzies every time I walk by! And while it's been a sad year so far to be a Gator, we still hung up our ornament in a place of honor.

As we enjoy our first Christmas as a family, the story of the Incarnation is brought home to me in a new way. The sacrifice of a firstborn son has new meaning to me now, especially as I look at our little man's precious, sleepy face. What love the Father had for us that He would give up His Son!

So from our family to yours, we pray you have a very Merry Christmas -- and that the love of God will bless you abundantly!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The People that walked in darkness have seen a great light:
they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death,
upon them hath the light shined.

For unto us a child is born,
unto us a Son is given:
and the government shall be upon His shoulder:
and His name shall be called
Wonderful,
Counsellor,
The mighty God,
The everlasting Father,
The Prince of Peace.

Of the increase of His government
and peace there shall be no end,
upon the throne of David,
and upon His kingdom, to order it,
and to establish it with judgment and with justice
from henceforth even for ever.
The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this.

~ Isaiah 9:2,6-7 ~

Free Patterns From Homespun Threads!

2010-12-23T13:37:00.002-06:00

Aimee at Homespun Threads is offering all of her e-patterns free for a limited time! She has some delightful handbags, baby shoes, and more -- I haven't yet tried any of her patterns, but I'm eager to do so. Our little man better be glad that I have too much principle to put a boy in the Ballerina Slippers, because they're just too cute for words! *wink*

So seamstresses, go treat yourself to a little early Christmas present -- and thank you, Aimee!

In Love

2010-12-19T12:24:00.006-06:00

I'm in love for the second time in my life.

In love with precious little feet.

And a sweet rosy mouth.

And fuzzy little baby ears.

And tiny hands (with Daddy's fingernails!).

And precious sleepy eyes.

Oh yes, I'm in love!

Little did we think that our precious one -- who was due to arrive on Christmas Eve (and that was ten days earlier than his original due date) -- would surprise us by arriving over a week "early." So little did we think this, we were convinced that the first six or seven hours of labor were just Braxton Hicks.

I am so grateful to God for a safe, healthy, and natural delivery -- only two and a half hours of labor in the hospital, the other 9-or-so hours at home. I had hoped and prayed for a natural, drug-free birth, but I knew that whatever happened would be God's plan. I am so grateful that He granted me that desire! Thanks to my indescribably wonderful husband, relaxed OB, and a handful of fabulous labor and delivery nurses, the whole experience was such a blessing. And at the end of it, we were handed a 7 lb. 4 oz. bundle of wonder and joy.

So here we are, safely home, enjoying our firstborn son and trying to catch up on sleep!

God is so good.

Hast Thou Not Heard?

2010-12-11T00:07:00.003-06:00

"Hast thou not heard that the everlasting God,
the Lord,
hath created the ends of the earth?
He neither fainteth, nor is weary:
there is no searching of His understanding.

But He giveth strength unto him that fainteth,
and unto him that hath no strength,
He increaseth power.

Even the young men shall faint and be weary,
and the young men shall stumble and fall.

But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength:
they shall lift up the wings, as the eagles:
they shall run, and not be weary,
and they shall walk and not faint."

~ Isaiah 40:28-31 ~

As we count down the days until a certain someone is supposed to make an appearance, I've been collecting verses for labor and delivery. There's a little stack of them, ready to go, neatly (if not glamorously) written out on index cards -- and hopefully they're legible enough that Pablo will be able to read them to me if necessary! Even now I find it comforting to meditate on them, to dwell on the realities of God's power and love. What a joy it is to be loved by the Creator of the universe!

Saying Goodbye to Fall

2010-12-03T15:42:00.010-06:00

I know that Winter doesn't technically start until the 21st, but for me the beginning of December signals the coming of both Winter and the Christmas season. And with so much to look forward to in the near future, I'm excited to welcome one of my favorite seasons!

Still, I can't help feeling a twinge of regret as Autumn fades away. It's such a lovely time of year, a time of reflection and peacefulness.

This was also the first year that I had tried my hand at pumpkin carving (Pablo is a veteran, having done it at least once before...)

The beauty of Autumn never ceases to amaze and captivate me.

Spring is an outpouring of life, when all of nature is a colorful riot of new growth. But Fall -- Fall has a quieter, gentler type of abundance.

As the leaves continue to fall and the temperatures cool (however temporarily -- our area is rather fickle in that regard), I am so grateful that the Lord blessed us with such a wonderful, memorable season -- a beautiful calm before we embark upon our second year together and undertake the rigors of a new season of life as parents.

It's a Numbers Thing

2010-11-23T16:44:00.001-06:00

Since this is my 444th post, perhaps it's appropriate to post some random musings on one of my more bizarre quirks.

I've always been a numbers girl -- I loved math when I was younger (until I got past algebra), and have always enjoyed the consistency, structure, and predictability of mathematical equations. But numbers themselves also fascinate me.

For instance, I can't decide whether my favorite time of day is 11:11 or 12:34 (p.m. in the latter case, since I prefer not to be conscious at 12:34 a.m.!). 11:11 has the advantage of four of the same numeral in a row, but 12:34 has a certain irresistible draw because it uses the numbers from one to four in order.

And any number that includes three or more numerals is subject to dissection in my mind, because I always try to find a way to make an equation out of it. An address like "1459 Main Street" is very satisfactory, because 1 x 4 + 5 = 9. I've caught myself becoming vexed when there's no way to make a telephone number add up!

I did warn you that this was going to be random. Deep down, I'm hoping that someone else who becomes excited when they notice it's 5:55 in the afternoon will chime in and say "Oh, I know exactly what you mean!" Because part of me worries that there's some long Latin name involving mental abnormality to describe this particular numeric quirk. *wink*

And to honor this 444th milestone (doesn't that triad of fours have a satisfying symmetry?) -- and to seal my psychiatric diagnosis -- I'll go ahead and schedule this post for 4:44 this afternoon.

Three Reasons to Love Autumn

2010-11-18T20:16:00.003-06:00

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A Useful Bag for Putting Things In

2010-11-15T10:46:00.006-06:00

"Things" in this case being cloth diapers waiting to be laundered. After shopping around on the Internet for wet bags, I realized that I could save some money by making my own. Fortunately, PUL has become widely available on the Internet -- and even my local JoAnn's carries some in some rather offensively bright colors!

JoAnn's had the cheapest price (coupon + no shipping), so I pulled some fabric out of my stash to make a more attractive covering for the bag.

This is such a simple "pattern" -- two rectangles, with squares cut out of the bottom corners to give the bag some shape at the bottom. For the PUL, I put the fold on the bottom of the bag, since a seam at the bottom would have more chance of leaking. The wet bag and the decorative shell are sewn separately, only connected at the zipper and the top seam. I also used French seams on the wet bag, hoping that they might be more leak-proof than regular seams.

Originally I made a casing and added a drawstring -- but it proved to be difficult to cinch, and the bag wouldn't close completely. Since it's quite roomy, I ended up cutting the casing off entirely and adding a zipper. Which was nerve-wracking, but (thankfully) effective!

A little handle for hanging and transport to the laundry was a must. I discovered during this process that tissue paper worked wonders when I was trying to sew the PUL (which has a "sticky" texture that makes it difficult to sew). The tissue paper tears away easily, and makes the whole process so much simpler! And while I usually use as few pins as possible, *not* being able to pin was quite annoying! But apparently any extra holes in the PUL could lead to a leak.

You can see the shiny waterproof side of the PUL through the opening -- fortunately I checked on the Internet before I started sewing and found out that the smooth side goes on the *inside* of the bag.

This bag is intended for day-to-day use at home; I've made a smaller "outing" version (just simple rectangles with a zipper) for the diaper bag, using the same fabrics. $10 for 2 yards of PUL gave me plenty for both of these bags, with enough left over for at least another outing-size bag and some smaller projects. For three bags online I would have paid at least $35, so I'm pleased with the economic aspect of this project.

But the real test will be seeing if they actually work!

7/21/2011 UPDATE: Well, the large bag has bitten the dust. That cute cotton cover would get soaked during washing, resulting in my having to throw the whole thing in the dryer when I couldn't line dry. It was just too wet to dry inside (as in, dripping wet). JoAnn's cheap PUL is really not up to high-heat drying, and eventually the laminate started to peel off. So I pulled out my remaining PUL and a made a new bag without a cover. It works fine, plus I was able to correct a few things I didn't like about the first one (especially the zipper). Live and learn!

Recovery

2010-11-11T15:10:00.000-06:00

When it came to seating in the baby's nursery, we knew we wanted some sort of rocker or glider. Searches for rocking chairs on Craigslist were utterly fruitless, and I ended up finding just one glider that looked possible -- the price was right, and the picture looked great.

Of course, a 3" picture on Craigslist and real life are two different things. As it turned out, the upholstery was sadly in need of a re-do, the seat and ottoman cushions had been replaced with less-than-adequate substitutes, and there were a few scuffs. But it was wonderfully comfortable, and the sellers accepted our offer. It sat in our garage for a month, while I worked up the gumption to start working on it. Home decor sewing -- and upholstery in particular -- simply terrifies me.

At last, out of other sewing projects (and excuses), I took the plunge. I decided to take off the black gingham cover and use it as a pattern. Underneath was a *horrible* khaki-grey fabric, complete with stains and faded spots that had taken on a pinkish hue. And surprise! There was a headrest piece meant to fold over the back of the cushion, which the previous "recoverer" had decided to ignore by folding it down and pretending it wasn't there. Bizarre.

But that wasn't the only surprise! The khaki cover had a zipper at the bottom, which revealed that this glider started out in a blue-and-white stripe! I felt like I was peeling back the layers of an onion. Ironically, the original fabric had virtually no stains, while both covers were spotted and worn.

I used the khaki cover as a pattern, turning it inside-out and carefully clipping just along the stitching line. Not wanting to put more money into this project than absolutely necessary, I looked in my stash and found a navy blue twill just begging to be used. I traced the pattern pieces on my fabric (and actually remembered to add in the seam allowance!), cut them out, and began sewing.

The headrest (which looked difficult to cover) turned out to be quite simple, to my great relief. I was even able to re-use the Velcro from the khaki cover to secure the headrest to the back of the cushion.

Now I was ready to tackle the seat and ottoman cushions. So I trotted along to JoAnn's -- and found out, as a first-time foam buyer, just how prohibitively expensive foam-by-the-yard is. Even at 50% off. For some reason, the pre-cut packaged foam was much less expensive, and I managed to find a package of 2" foam that was the right size for a reasonable price.

Then there was the issue of cutting the foam -- but my husband had the answer for that, since his family had discovered that electric carving knives are the best for such a project. I used a piece of batting to figure out the correct shape for the cushion, then traced it onto the foam. Using what I had on hand, I hand-stitched two layers of batting to the top of the foam, and one to the bottom for extra "cush." The cover was a bit improvised, but to my relief it worked like a charm.

I skipped the little straps-with-snaps at the top of the back cushion, and added fabric ties instead. You can't really see the snaps on the glider, and the ties do a more than adequate job of keeping the cushion up.

I'm so grateful that this turned out to be so much less traumatic (and expensive) than I had anticipated! I still have to purchase foam for the ottoman cushion, but that can wait. My dear husband indulged my late-night nesting instincts by taking out the twin bed to make room for the glider. Nestled into a corner by a sunny window, it is now one of my Favorite Spots. It's already passed the reading, writing, day-dreaming, and cat-napping tests (with flying colors, I might add) -- but I'm most looking forward to the baby-snuggling test in a few weeks!

My Favorite Volunteer

2010-11-09T11:03:00.000-06:00

As we were trying to clean out some dead shrubbery earlier this year, I was insistent that we pull out some very tall, *very* dead brown stalks by our back porch stairs. But by the time we got around to pulling them out, there were a few green leaves peeking out at the base of the plant. Pablo trimmed back the dead stalks, and we waited to see what would happen.

After a month or two, we had a healthy little bush with a few buds. And not long after, those buds unfurled to reveal scarlet blooms with delicate ruffled edges.

Our hibiscus has been blooming for months now, and even though the weather has turned crisp, we can count on a few more beautiful flowers every morning. The plant I was so determined to trash is now flourishing.

I suppose our hibiscus doesn't technically count as a volunteer, since it was planted by the previous homeowner -- but still, it's such a lovely surprise to have something so beautiful grow up in the last place you'd expect!

Not-So-Simply Sheets

2010-11-06T17:41:00.000-05:00

After discovering that sheets for Pack 'n Plays are not cheap (and apparently don't come in the correct size for the one we purchased), I realized that my best option would be to make my own. This would be a simple matter of measuring, buying some flannel, sewing a few seams, and adding some elastic. So simple.

Simple -- unless "baby brain" kicks in during the measuring stage, thereby requiring a sudden change of plan after you've already cut your material. Fortunately, my brilliant engineer of a husband suggested an easy fix that worked wonderfully, thanks to the folding capacity of the bassinet mattress. Unfortunately, this also meant altering the waterproof pads to fit in with the new design -- but I think the overall result is even better than what I originally had in mind.

Soft blue-and-white polka dot flannel to go with the Classic Pooh Pack 'n Play we found on Craigslist -- I never would have paid extra to get a Classic Pooh design, so I was thrilled when this one popped up!

And before you get any ideas about gender (blue walls! Blue sheets! Blue playpen!), we painted the nursery before we saw any sonograms, I love to decorate with blue, and I consider blue a gender neutral color. And actually, we're still not sure of the baby's gender. Sorry to disappoint, but that's the way it is. *wink*

And before I get any concerned comments, my old Winnie-the-Pooh bear is just "breaking in" the bassinet for the baby -- I do know better than to leave stuffed animals in an infant's crib. Just saying.

So for less than the cost of one regular crib sheet (though with a few more headaches), there's a neat little stack of flannel in the dresser drawer, ready for a new nursery occupant -- and an occasional midnight change!

May I Tie Your Mei Tai?

2010-11-04T13:46:00.001-05:00

After reading through the many helpful comments on my Babyitis post, I was inspired by Serena's comment to try making a Mei Tai baby wrap. I had purchased a few yards of cotton gauze to make a long wrap carrier, but with the various other baby-related purchases we've been making, I didn't feel very comfortable about it -- especially since there's no guarantee that the baby would even like it!

So when I discovered that all I'd need to buy to make a Mei Tai was $3 worth of batting, I took back my gauze and started looking for tutorials! I found several that I liked, but I ended up using the DIY Hood to Headrest Mei Tai Tutorial. I really liked the professional construction methods and the overall look of this carrier.

Yvonne is modeling for me, since my rotund mid-section is not best suited for anything requiring a waist! I kept "trying on" the Mei Tai while I was making it, and becoming concerned that it seemed to have such an unusual fit -- until I remembered that my current "baby carrier" was obstructing a proper fit! Also, I made no effort to tie the carrier *just so* in the pictures, since I'm guessing this is something I'll have to experiment with -- so don't be alarmed by the absence of sturdy tying technique!

The fabrics I chose were a tan embroidered linen, salvaged from this no-longer-needed skirt, and a black twill that I recently obtained when my sister was getting rid of some of her fabric stash. I love that this tutorial has a hood that can also be rolled up to use as a headrest -- how practical that will be, I'm in no position to say. But it's cute either way, so I don't mind! *wink* A little bit of black ric-rac for the hood was a must, of course.

I did change a few things with the tutorial -- for one, I didn't sew the straps right-sides-together, turn them inside out, and then stuff the batting inside. Insead, I simply folded under the seam allowances on the straps, placed the batting in the appropriate position, and topstitched all around the edges of the straps before reinforcing stitching on the batting area. It was not too complicated, and turn out just fine. I also shortened the batting for both the shoulders and waist. I do love the batting feature, since I think this will make the carrier much more comfortable. I'm not thrilled about such wide straps, but most of the websites I looked at recommended keeping the straps wide to help with back strain.

For the "stitching boxes" where the shoulder connects to the strap, I drew out my box on tissue paper, pinned it to the carrier, and sewed along the lines twice. So simple!

With all of the batting, topstitching, and measuring, this felt more like a home decor project than a baby project! But I'm so happy with how it turned out, and it seems quite sturdy. Whether or not it will work... well, only time will tell. But if it doesn't, at least I didn't spend much money or effort on it. Still, here's hoping that a certain little someone finds it just right!

So what's with the title? After pronouncing this thing "My Tie" in my head for years (which I admit doesn't make any sense, considering that "ei" and "ai" are unlikely to make the same sound!), I'm trying to re-train myself to say "May Tie." So if you hear me walking around muttering, "May I Tie Your Mei Tai," don't think I've gone off my rocker. Not yet, anyway. *wink*

Going Natural

2010-11-02T13:30:00.005-05:00

When the Fall decorating bug bit me last week, I started looking for ways to do some simple projects. I have tons of Indian corn from a Wal-Mart sale a few years ago, but figuring out what to do with it is a different matter! I tried tying a few pieces together and hanging it from the front door, but it needed something else.

Something like a grapevine wreath. But at that moment I had no transportation, and no desire to shell out a few dollars for a wreath. What I do have is several miles of wild grapevines in the back yard.

All I needed for this project was a pair of garden shears, plenty of grapevine, and some patience (stripping the leaves off of a vine is not exactly a thrilling occupation).

This was actually much easier than I anticipated! Just wrapping the vines in a circle and tying them off with softer pieces of vine did the trick. As I progressed, I would alternate -- I'd bend one piece of vine in a circle along the wreath, and then I'd wrap the next piece of vine in a spiral around the wreath. Once the wreath had a little bit of body, I'd just insert the ends of the vines into the wreath to secure them.

My wreath is still a bit thin, but I was ready to call it a day -- I can always add a few more vines next year, if I want to. A few pieces of Indian corn and some raffia, and it was ready to go!

All the Delights of the Season

2010-10-28T14:29:00.008-05:00

Today is a grey, quiet sort of day. Perfect for puttering, reading, and baking. There's a batch of bread in the oven and a pumpkin carving party with friends to look forward to this evening.

I've been reveling in the beauty of my favorite season. And to my delight, we've had a month of some *perfect* Fall weather! This is my first Autumn in this particular nook of Florida, and I think the seasonal changes are more obvious here. For one thing, the wildflowers in our backyard have been absolutely gorgeous. And the adolescent maple in our front yard has been showing off its finest shades of amber.

Best of all, maple foliage makes for simple fall decorating.

Yesterday I started pulling out the Indian corn and the Sycamore achenes (some furry, some bumpy) and paired them with a candle for a centerpiece. Because candles just seem necessary for fall.

But these are not the only Delights of the Season -- not by a long shot.

Because there's Pumpkin Crisp, still warm and ready for the pumpkin carving party tonight. When I was deciding on a dessert, Pumpkin Crisp immediately popped into my mind -- but my mom had the recipe, and I knew they were leaving in less than 24 hours to go to New Zealand. Not the best time to ask her to dig it out for me...

But despite not remembering the name of the recipe, I was able to find it online.

Notes: I ended up only using half a cake mix for the topping, and half the amount of butter -- which is good, because two sticks of butter are good neither for the figure nor the grocery budget! I'd also recommend covering with foil for the last 20-30 minutes, to prevent excessive browning.

If my memories from the last few years are remotely accurate, this will definitely qualify as a seasonal delight.

Now to find a creative way to decorate the front door with Indian corn...

Simplicity 3750 -- Maternity version

2010-10-21T15:54:00.006-05:00

When I saw Simplicity 3750 on the "to-sew list" over on the Hooks-and-Needles blog (you can see "Elinor's" lovely completed version of it in this post), I knew at once that it would be a perfect maternity pattern! While I've been loving the peasant tops I've made, I wanted to branch out into something else -- sleeve options are rather limited with raglan sleeves, after all.

And here was the pattern I was looking for -- a pattern that I've seen in the Simplicity book for so long, but never purchased for some strange reason. The empire waist and the sleeve variety (I love that it has a "half cap" sleeve and a full set-in short sleeve; most patterns seem to have just one or the other) were perfect. And most importantly, it looked easy to alter for maternity. I was so impatient to get it that I came closer to paying full price for a "Big 4" pattern than I have in years! Fortunately, JoAnn's had a sale on Simplicity before I gave in to temptation. *wink*

Here's a picture with my lovely mum (now a very excited grandmother!):

All I had to do was add several inches to the front "skirt" piece, and there you are! I found the instructions a bit vague at times -- mostly because I prefer to *not* follow the instructions at all, and I did have to pay attention the first time around. The belt attachment is quite unique, in my opinion -- it's sewn between the bodice and skirt in the front, but is detached in the back to allow for fitting. Very nifty, and it also makes it easy to add fullness to the front skirt without losing the proper dimension of the waist. For this blouse, I made the waist ties considerably narrower than the pattern.

Now the bodice -- that was a different story! Just by holding up the pattern piece I could tell it would be far too immodest for my taste. So I added several inches, and ended up making some unique alterations to get the right fit. Even then I felt a bit uncomfortable, so I added a lace panel which did the trick nicely.

For the sleeves, I skipped the buttoned armband (I didn't need it, and didn't feel like going to the extra work!), and just gathered the sleeve into a regular sleeveband. Easy and effective. I love this sleeve -- it's feminine, but not enormously puffy!

**********

Here's my second top, from the same pattern --

I added even a bit more to the skirt front, and made a new bodice piece that raised the neckline enough. In the original pattern, the bodice has a main panel across the front, and a piece on either side that continues to the shoulder. Those side pieces I adjust to connect at the waistline. This improved the fit of the neckline, but it did something wonky to the armscye -- hence, a sleeveless shirt! *ahem*

I finished the edges a bit differently than the pattern, since I wanted to make use of the black contrast fabric I had for the sash.

I still want to fiddle with the bodice -- I'd love to get it to the point where I can just put the pattern together without fiddling about and making minor alterations. Other than that, this pattern is simply wonderful!

Another winner for the maternity closet, and a pattern I'd love to use for my "regular" wardrobe, as well!

Babyitis

2010-10-15T14:17:00.000-05:00

It's hard to believe that just a year ago I was in the midst of wedding preparations, sorting my way through the materialistic swamp of the wedding industry.

Now that we have a little one on the way, I'm finding that the baby industry suffers from much of the same excess and materialism! Granted, I'm not really surprised by that -- every area of our culture, from fashion to technology, is inundated by the "need more, and need it stylish" philosophy. Manufacturers are in business to make money, and the way to do that is to convince people to buy their products.

Which raises several important questions for expectant parents who want to be frugal:

1. What is actually necessary?

2. If it's necessary, does it need to be new or fancy -- and do you need more than one?

There are certainly valid needs -- clothing, for instance! Blankets, car seats, diapers, food of some sort -- there are certain things that just go along with babies. There are many things that really aren't necessary (which doesn't make them wrong, of course!). And different families will have different needs. Those who co-sleep don't need a crib, those who don't nurse will need formula, etc.

Figuring out what is neccesary has been a challenge for me, since this is our first child. You can't exactly predict what you will or won't use when you haven't had a baby before! I'm thankful that some other frugal blogging moms have shared what they've found helpful or necessary -- especially since the typical retailer's list of "needed items" includes over-priced and unneeded baby gear. When it comes to "how much," the answer again varies depending on the item (are we talking strollers or socks?) and the family.

What really shocks me is just how expensive some baby gear is! Do people seriously pay over $1,000 for a stroller? Do infants need $150 cashmere sweaters that they'll outgrow in a few months? These are extremes, of course -- but there really is such a huge selection of baby paraphernalia on the Internet and in stores, and most of it is horribly overpriced.

After evaluating what I think our particular family will need, I've started figuring out how best to find those things. So far, that's been Craigslist (for car seat, pac-n-play -- which is also our "crib", stroller, and rocking chair), and a local thrift store (for the handful of baby clothes I've purchased). This Saturday I'm determined to go yard-saling, as well!

So once again we're wading through the mire of a gigantic industry, seeking to glorify God and do what's best for the child He's given us. With the help of Swagbucks, 50% off JoAnn's coupons, and my sewing machine, I think we'll be able to emerge relatively unscathed. *wink* As much as I'm truly enjoying preparing for our little one, I'm very grateful that should God bless us with any more children, we'll already have most of this figured out!

I'd love any frugal suggestions from more experienced moms!

Maternity Skirt Pattern -- Simplicity 2655

2010-10-13T14:20:00.001-05:00

I purchased Simplicity 2655 a few months before the wedding, and was just thinking about trying it out this Spring when I found out I was pregnant. So I put it back in my pattern stash, knowing that I'd only get a month or two of wear out of it before packing it away for the rest of the pregnancy.

But as I started making/modifying clothes for maternity, I realized that this pattern would probably work very well, due to the yoke at the waistline. Sure enough, by just omitting the yoke pieces and replacing them with one of my "camisole maternity bands," it's perfect for maternity.

I was in desperate need of a khaki skirt, so I used view D and omitted the yoke and sash pieces. The pattern goes together very easily (though it uses a lot of fabric!), and I was quite pleased with it.

(These pictures were taken about a month ago, so I've "expanded a bit" since then!)

The knit I used is not super-stretchy, so I ended up adding clear swimwear elastic to the skirt/knit seam, and a casing at the top. Please forgive the wrinkles -- I didn't feel like ironing before snapping a photo!

I really wanted to try the adorable pocket from this pattern, but thought it might be too much on the flounced version. So I pulled out some black Tencel that I bought at JoAnn's for $2.50 a yard and made another skirt in view A. This skirt was even easier than the last, since it didn't have flounces.

I used a thrifted black exercise top with plenty of Lycra for the band, and it works beautifully! The hem of the shirt is actually the top of my band (not necessary, since knit doesn't ravel, but it does look nice).

The pocket construction is a bit unusual, but not overly complicated. I just love the ties on the pocket! Though I think I might put a few stitches in my knot, since they tend to come undone over time.

I'm officially of fan of this pattern, and hope to use it more in the future -- in both my regular and maternity wardrobes!

A Real Tearjerker

2010-10-09T22:04:00.002-05:00

So beautiful, it makes me sniffle and brings tears to my eyes:

Well, maybe it's not its *beauty* that renders a handkerchief necessary. But the cheery yellow ragweed in our area really has been lovely this Fall!

An Unexpected Guest

2010-10-05T11:58:00.003-05:00

Recently, as I was busy preparing dinner, I indulged in my klutzy tendencies by dropping a knife between the cabinet and the stove. Yes, I am talented!

I pulled out the bottom drawer of our stove, hoping that there might be some way to extract the knife without having to pull out the whole range. And then I saw it.

It was small.

It was furry.

It had a tail.

Whatever it was, it certainly was not alive -- it looked a bit... well, flattened! You see, in the hustle and bustle of moving in, we had failed to clean under the stove. I called for Pablo and explained the situation. He produced a shovel, I found a cardboard box for disposal of the *thing,* and we tentatively approached the stove. Neither of us could figure out why the *thing* hadn't been smelling up the house.

After a prod or two, Pablo suggested that perhaps it was a stuffed animal. And only then did I remember that we had found proof of a former dog occupant on several occasions!

We pulled it out, only to discover that this was our mysterious *thing*:

Isn't it terrifying? Honestly, it looked much more sinister in the dark shadows under the stove!

We ended up pulling out the stove and cleaning behind it, a process that produced an ancient piece of dog kibble -- and a spoon I had dropped and forgotten about. Oops. *wink*

Ah, the little adventures of life!

Making Ready

2010-09-28T09:33:00.005-05:00

It's fully time to start making ready -- bit by bit, planning and preparing for the little one who will be joining us in a few months. As we've started to put the nursery in order, I've been pulling out some of my infant toys: my little parrot, who gives off a most life-like squeak when he's shaken; my yellow hippo rattle, who has had a strand of pink embroidery floss sticking out for *years* until I repaired him a few weeks ago; the blankets I used when I was small (not that I ever was!).

And as I prepare -- as I scrub second-hand finds, search for curtain fabric, scrutinize the nursery for the *best* possible arrangement, and keep the sewing machine whirring -- I hope and pray and wonder about the new life that is already so active.

But for now... well, right now a few kicks from the interior regions of my anatomy are reminding me that it's high time for breakfast!

On the Menu

2010-09-24T17:23:00.003-05:00

Considering that chicken pot pie is one of Pablo's favorite meals, it really is inexcusable that it's taken me approximately eight months to make him one! I think it's due to my inordinate terror of pie crusts -- but the more I practice, the easier they become, so I think it's time to get over that particular fear. This one came out golden-brown and bubbly, courtesy of my favorite Betty Crocker cookbook.

Served with a fresh salad...

...and finished with a slice of ridiuclously rich chocolate cake. Topped with Oreos, because there just wasn't enough chocolate, you know?

Season of Harvest

2010-09-24T00:00:00.004-05:00

As I read various blog posts yesterday celebrating the coming of Fall, I was inclined to be grumpy. It was sweltering hot, and everything in our yard was depressingly green -- except the grass!

But as Pablo and I took a jaunt around our "domain" and made plans for future landscaping (most of which went something like, "When it gets cooler we'll ..."), I grew excited as I noticed green buds on our little popcorn tree.

A closer inspection showed that some of the buds have already "popped!"

And I knew that Fall had come, really and truly -- that wonderful season of "mists and mellow fruitfulness," the season of hot apple cider and indian corn, the season of harvest.

Speaking of which, it will soon be time to harvest the popcorn. So handy when you don't even have to microwave it!

I'm looking forward to seeing our spade tree covered in "popcorn," and also to watching its now-verdant leaves turn glorious shades of yellow, orange, and red. If we could just get some cooler temperatures to go along with it...

Oh, and before you begin worrying too much, that harvesting comment was more than a little tongue-in-cheek. *wink*

A Rescue

2010-09-20T16:11:00.006-05:00

During one of our (frequent) Craigslist scans, Pablo and I came across a little slant-front desk advertised for $20. Skeptical, we clicked on the link and looked at pictures -- it actually looked fairly decent, despite warnings of stickers and some childish "Sharpie art" on the inside of the lid.

After bargaining down to $15, we took it home -- there was some scratching to the lid and top, but the desk was solid wood (except the back, but who cares about that) and had a lovely shape. Here's a "before" picture -- though it isn't quite fair, since by the time I remembered to take it, we had already started sanding the top and removed all the drawers! But you get the idea:

We set to work sanding down the top and lid. I scrubbed away at the Sharpie, and thanks to my super-secret all-purpose cleaner (otherwise known as equal parts vinegar and water), it came out entirely! The stain we chose turned out to be the perfect color, so we were spared the work of refinishing the rest of the desk. So for the cost of stain, sandpaper, and a cheap brush, we were able to rescue our little Craigslist desk:

It has turned out to be perfect for the little "nook" off the kitchen -- its small size fits the scale of our house, and it's the most delightful little bill-paying/mail-sorting/letter-writing station imaginable. And, of course, anything is better if you cover it with books... *wink*

I just love happy endings!

Sewing Maternity Tops

2010-09-19T14:32:00.000-05:00

The most obvious solution for woven maternity tops is the empire waistline! Perfect for accomodating a growing baby bump, while working well both early and late in the maternity stage. And personally, I appreciate the easy, adjustable fit of peasant-style tops.

So far I've tried two empire waist patterns for maternity tops -- the first being McCalls 5039 (which I also used to make this dress).

The fabric for this top came from a Regency gown I made about five years ago -- it had been snug for a while, and I decided that it probably wouldn't fit post-pregnancy, anyway! So I salvaged a blouse from the skirt sections, and it has turned out to be very handy in my wardrobe. Again, changes from the original pattern were simple bias-binding casings for elastic, and an "extended" bodice divided by another casing.

Next came a cream top from the same pattern, this time cut from a thrifted Egyptian cotton sheet (which also provided me with fabric for a previous blouse and the binding for the blouse above). It's hard to find thrifted maternity clothes -- and virtually impossible to find anything in white or cream that's unstained (not to mention in the right size!). I thought it was a bit bland, though, so I dressed it up with a lace flower pin.

I noticed that the raglan sleeves on the McCalls pattern were a little binding, and decided to look for another pattern that had more sleeve versatility (and maybe a bit more room in the tummy region!). So I pulled Simplicity 5582 out of my costume pattern collection.

This fabric is in its third "incarnation," but this is the first time it's been worn! I made a Regency drawstring dress from it shortly before our trip to England a few years ago (and yes, I know it's not remotely correct for the Regency time period -- I just like it), but was unsatisfied with the fit and left it at home. Later on I re-cut the skirt for a flat-front Regency dress and cut new bodice pieces, but never got around to making it. So after several years of waiting, it has emerged as a maternity blouse (though it still hasn't escaped the empire waist!).

I can't actually recall if I raised the neckline on this pattern, or just pulled the elastic a bit tighter -- but either way, it's much more modest than the pattern cover would imply! I shortened the sleeves due to fabric constraints, but would love to try the 3/4 version, and maybe even the "double-puff" version for Fall and Winter. The armscye is certainly looser than the McCalls pattern, but is also quite puffy -- which works for this blouse, but is something I might try to tame in the future. I marked the empire waistline once the blouse was assembled, which resulted in a rather strange and not-at-all-straight line for the casing -- but it works perfectly, and that's what matters. Fortunately I strayed from my norm by actually *marking* that line on the pattern piece, so I'll be able to repeat it!

I'm hoping to tackle a little more sewing this week -- though my wardrobe is finally reaching the stage where I don't have to plan carefully what to wear so that I don't run out before the next laundry day! *wink*

Books!

2010-09-17T12:10:00.000-05:00

"Books!" said Tuppence.

She produced the word rather with the effect of a bad-tempered explosion.

"What did you say?" said Tommy.

Tuppence looked across the room at him.

"I said 'books,'" she said.

"I see what you mean," said Thomas Beresford.

In front of Tuppence were three large packing cases. From each of them various books had been extracted. The larger part of them were still filled with books.

"It's incredible," said Tuppence.

"You mean the room they take up?"

"Yes."

"Are you trying to put them all on the shelves?"

"I don't know what I'm trying to do," said Tuppence. "That's the awkward part of it. One doesn't know ever, exactly, what one wants to do. Oh dear," she sighed.

~ The opening lines from Postern of Fate, by Agatha Christie ~

I do so love Tommy and Tuppence! My deepest apologies to sweet Miss Marple and clever Hercule Poirot -- but really, Tommy and Tuppence are Agatha Christie's dearest characters. And having recently finished sorting out all our own books, I can fully sympathize with their plight in Postern of Fate.

Yes, all of our books are finally sorted -- and we even managed to go through and weed out the ones that we really didn't need or want. Painful, certainly, but rather cathartic in a way. Really, how many copies of the same book can one have? I confess, I still have a few duplicates, though! Some books are just too beautiful to part with, but one must have a knock-about reading copy, mustn't one? At any rate, the only books left in boxes are children's books, neatly stacked in the nursery and awaiting one final bookshelf to end their imprisonment.

Best of all? Our diligence in getting rid of unneeded books has paid off in a bit of empty space on some of our shelves. Which means that I don't have to feel guilty when I take my inevitable browse through the bookshelves at every antique and thrift store. *wink*

As Tuppence would say, "Books!"

Last of the Confederate Jasmine

2010-09-15T21:00:00.000-05:00

Four Easy Maternity Skirts

2010-09-14T16:00:00.000-05:00

Once I started outgrowing my normal clothes a few months ago, I started searching for easy maternity options. I browsed online maternity stores, but even the least expensive options (like Motherhood maternity) were still too pricey for this miserly shopper.

I did some searching and found some simple ways to modify skirts for maternity -- I particularly liked Hannah's very helpful posts here and here.

So I scouted out our local thrift shop for stretchy camisoles. They happened to have a sale the day I went, so all of the clothing was half off their normal price of $1! I went a little crazy, but at 50 cents per garment, it's hard to go wrong...

This burgundy floral skirt came from a dress that I made about four years ago and hadn't worn in ages. The dress was destined for destruction, but no longer! I cut it off at hip level, cut the bottom hem and above-the-midriff off my camisole, and stitched the two together with a zig-zag (stretching the cami as I went). *So* simple.

This denim skirt has been sitting in my closet for a year or two, making me feel very guilty -- this is its third "incarnation," since it started out as a (very-cute-but-too-big) Liz Claiborne wrap dress. I modified it into a skirt, but wasn't really happy with the results. Now, thanks to some knit from JoAnn's, it's a maternity skirt!

This thrifted denim gored skirt was a staple in my closet for several years. When it developed a strange faded line about three inches down from the waist, I sadly removed it from my closet (but kept it to use as a pattern). It turns out that the faded line was exactly where I needed to cut to add a maternity band! I love happy endings. *wink* This band was made from a navy camisole.

I actually made this skirt for maternity, but I used scrap fabric to make it. It's my favorite A-line pattern, cut off at the hips. The fabric was leftover from another skirt I'd made, so I had very little to work with. I made the skirt as long as possible, then serged the bottom edge. Using the final scraps, I cut several 5" wide pieces sort-of-on-the-bias to make a pleated ruffle.

After pinning my pleats in place on the skirt, I zig-zagged about 1/2" below the top edge of the ruffle. To maximize length, I left the top and bottom of the ruffle unfinished -- after one wash, they have a comfortably frayed look, but since they're not cut on the grain they won't ravel too much. The stretchy band is more of my JoAnn's knit (I couldn't find any khaki camisoles) -- but 1/2 yard was only about $2 on sale, and I was able to cut enough for four maternity bands.

All of these skirts were basically free, not counting the few pennies I spent on camisoles/knit, thread, and some elastic at the waistbands (more on that later). And that's important to me -- five regularly-priced items at Motherhood Maternity would be about $100! While I certainly hope this isn't the last time I'll be using a maternity wardrobe, I didn't want to invest a lot of money on clothing that will only be worn for a few months.

So you can expect more maternity make-overs and suggestions over the next few months, as I try to build a frugal wardrobe!

Procrastination

2010-09-11T17:04:00.002-05:00

"No unwelcome tasks become any the less unwelcome by putting them off till tomorrow. It is only when they are behind us and done, that we begin to find that there is a sweetness to be tasted afterwards, and that the remembrance of unwelcome duties unhesitatingly done is welcome and pleasant. Accomplished, they are full of blessing, and there is a smile on their faces as they leave us. Undone, they stand threatening and disturbing our tranquility, and hindering our communion with God. If there by lying before you any bit of work from which you shrink, go straight up to it, and do it at once. The only way to get rid of it is to do it."

~ Alexander MacLaren (1826-1910) ~

This chronic procrastinator is feeling both convicted and inspired by the talk we heard this morning about the importance of time stewardship! Rev. MacLaren's words are so true -- if I postpone unpleassant (but necessary) tasks, all they do is create *extra* stress and anxiety! And that's not something I'm keen on.

So here's to increased diligence in my daily responsibilities, and to being more purposeful in choosing activities that have eternal benefit.

At Last!

2010-09-09T16:12:00.003-05:00

A few weeks ago, I finally ran out of my last bottle of Origins tres pur deodorant. Not such a big deal -- except that it's the only natural deodorant I've ever been satisfied with, and they discontinued it not long ago! Of course, I had to run out in the middle of a hot, humid, Southern summer. Lovely.

I've been wringing my hands (and keeping my arms pinned to my sides) ever since, and desperately wishing that my back up deodorant actually worked -- the lavender scent and squeaky clean ingredients list is nice, but it just doesn't cut it for me. I'm one of those people who would get the clinical strength stuff if I didn't mind rubbing aluminum and who-knows-what-else under my arms.

I actually gave in once during the past few weeks, and used a trial-size Degree that I had in my cabinet -- the first time I've used "real" deodorant in about two or three years. After a few minutes, the smell was driving my chemical sensitivity nuts, and when it took about five minutes to wash the stuff off I decided to toss the nasty thing for good!

I've tried one of the rock crystals before, but had only limited success. So I tried Wal Mart's only other natural deodorant option, Tom's of Maine unscented liquid crystal roll-on. Let's just say the product itself smells bad, and it doesn't improve during use. Yikes! Maybe their scented versions are better, but there weren't any available to me.

So after a few miserable weeks of pitying anyone who came within five feet of me, I found relief. And oddly enough, I found it "accidentally" at our local Walgreens.

Crystal Essence Roll-on Mineral Deodorant is my new hero -- not only does it score a whopping zero on the Cosmetics Database hazard rankings, but it actually works! I have the Pomegranate, and the scent -- which is natural, meaning no headaches from chemical perfumes -- is good enough to eat! It was $4 at my local drugstore, which is much cheaper than the $11 I was paying for Origins (although Origins lasted me about four to five months, and I doubt this will last quite as long).

It's not an anti-perspirant, but I still have yet to come across a natural deodorant that actually is (we're supposed to perspire, anyway). Besides, that's not a big deal to me, since the anti-perspirants I used to have never really worked!

I wish I could say this is a miracle product that works for everybody, but it probably doesn't -- I've seen fantastic reviews on products that were total flops in my opinion, so I guess it's a personal thing. But if you're looking for a natural solution, it might be worth giving this one a try!

Modified Maternity Skirt

2010-09-07T20:37:00.003-05:00

I am finding that many of the maternity garments that have slowly been finding their way from my sewing machine into my closet have been on some kind of journey. A few have passed straight from yardage into maternity wear, but most of them have undergone significant alteration since the yardage stage.

This newly-finished and delightfully silky floral skirt is a perfect example -- my mother-in-law passed it on to me in the form of an unfinished dress that she had decided not to complete. This was several months before I was married, actually! It sat in my stash, waiting for the perfect opportunity.

When I came across it recently, inspiration struck -- why not make it into a maternity skirt? I chopped off the bodice, cut a curve for a maternity panel, and then used my cut piece as a pattern to make a stretchy panel from a thrifted camisole. A zig-zag stitch brought the two together.

I salvaged the silky bias trim from the camisole, and found that it made the perfect waistband -- just wide enough for a piece of elastic! Total cost was about 50 cents (free dress, 1/2 of a $0.50 tank top, some 1/8" elastic, and thread).

I've been delighted with just how simple it is to modify existing skirts for maternity. In fact, I have yet to purchase an actual maternity skirt because I've not had the need. Which is a blessing, because long maternity skirts are almost impossible to find -- not to mention *horribly* expensive.

Frugal and fun maternity sewing -- it just doesn't get any better!

Faithfulness

2010-09-05T17:58:00.003-05:00

It is the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed,

because His compassions fail not.

They are renewed every morning:

great is Thy faithfulness.

The Lord is my portion, saith my soul:

therefore will I hope in Him.

The Lord is good unto them that trust in him,

and to the soul that seeketh Him.

It is good both to

trust,

and to

wait

for the salvation of the Lord.

Let us search and try our ways,
and turn again to the Lord.

Let us lift up our hearts with our hands unto God in the heavens.

~ Lamentations 3:22-26, 40-41 ~

Unpacking the Teacups

2010-08-30T14:02:00.003-05:00

With most of the house in order and a tea coming up, I decided a few weeks ago that it was time to unpack my teacups -- the poor dears have been languishing in a box for almost two years, due to moves and marriage and more moves.

I held my breath while unwrapping each cup and saucer, hoping against hope that there would be no casualties. Thankfully, each and every one was safe and sound.

There are so many memories with my teacups -- some are gifts from friends and family, some are thrifted. Some are delicate, some are sturdy. One is a souvenir of a happy summer spent in Indiana, one was rescued from destined destruction. Some are new(ish), some are antique. Some are tiny, some are capacious. All of them are beautifully mismatched, and beautifully unique.

And they will almost certainly share their cupboard with other teacups in the future! Just what is it about a teacup that is so delightful?

Simple Maternity Dress

2010-08-28T12:21:00.002-05:00

So far my foray into maternity sewing has been quite interesting -- there are simply *no* good maternity patterns on the market (at least for dresses, skirts, and blouses, which is what I'm looking for).

The best pattern I've found so far is actually a modified pattern -- McCall's 5039. It's supposed to be an empire waist dress with gathered bodice, elasticized sleeves and neck, and A-line skirt. But by simply extending the two bodice pieces and adding a casing at the waistline for elastic, I was able to come up with a pattern that works great for both blouses and dresses.

I've made several variations on this pattern already, and I love how simple it is to make and comfortable it is to wear! This is my first dress from the pattern, and I used a lightweight cotton with contrasting trim (I use simple rectangular strips for all elastic casings, which is a little different from the pattern construction). I cut the skirt long, but decided I wanted it a bit shorter -- so instead of hemming, I added five 1/2" tucks. A bit of eyelet at the bottom, and that was that! I doesn't get much easier than this!

Best of all? That elasticized waistband eliminated the need for a zipper. *blissful sigh*

I'll probably be sharing more creations from this pattern in days to come! Speaking of which, I need to get back to sewing...

The Best Birthday Yet

2010-08-25T15:54:00.005-05:00

On this, the 22nd anniversary of my natal day (doesn't that sound so official and pretentious?), all attempts to express the thanksgiving in my heart seem utterly futile!

My dear parents and sister celebrated with me this morning, and being with them always reminds me how blessed I am to have such a loving family.

There's nothing better than a birthday dinner with someone very handsome...

... and to top it all off (as if it needed topping), this is also my first birthday with someone very special:

At least I can blame my current size on that special someone, rather than on all that pizza! *wink*

Ecclesiastical Perspective -- Part 2

2010-08-19T17:05:00.003-05:00

"He that loveth silver, shall not be satisfied with silver,

and he that loveth riches, shall be without the fruit thereof:

this also is vanity.

When goods increase, they are increased that eat them:

and what good cometh to the owners thereof,

but the beholding thereof with their eyes?

The sleep of him that travaileth, is sweet,

whether he eat little or much:

but the satiety of the rich will not suffer him to sleep."

~ Ecclesiastes 5:9-11 ~

As I mentioned in my last post, I've been mulling over the topic of contentment and the seasons of life for some time now -- particularly as it relates to jealousy and comparison, which are vices that I've struggled with throughout my life.

So far, I have only experienced a few of the many seasons of life. But even in those few seasons, I've realized how easy it is to become discontent with my situation -- and it has nothing to do with how much I am being blessed by God! In his grace, I've never gone hungry, never faced fear or want, never known a true physical need. In fact, He has given me far more than I could ask or think, and infinitely more than I deserve.

No, my discontentment rears its ugly head when I start comparing my current situation with the situations of those around me. No matter what stage of life I'm in, there will always be someone else who seems to be in a better stage; there will always be someone else who seems to be happier and more blessed than I am.

When you're single, others are courting.
Once you're courting, others are engaged.
Once you're engaged, others are married.
Once you're married, others are pregnant.
Once you're pregnant, others have young children.
Once you have young children, others have older children with fewer demands.
Once you have older children, others have grandchildren.

The list could go on and on, and there are hundreds of sub-categories that could be added -- perhaps not being able to have children at all when others have them in abundance, or never even getting married in the first place. Perhaps barely scraping by when others have pantries stocked with luxuries and designer wardrobes. Perhaps a husband who doesn't seem to really care about spiritual things when others have husbands who are spiritual leaders in the church.

The more I realized how much of my discontentment stemmed from comparison to others (i.e., jealousy), the more I realized that my whole system of comparison was entirely skewed! Why? Because when I compare my life in that way, I pick a few blessings from someone else's life that I want in my own. Essentially, I want to be blessed like Suzie in this area, like Mary in that area, and like Jane in another area. I don't covet their *entire* life, just the areas that I personally want.

For example (and all examples I use are entirely fictional, by the way), perhaps "Suzie" is a phenomenal seamstress. So I start to covet Suzie's skills, no longer being content with what God has given to me. But, Suzie has to work outside the home, has a husband who watches TV all evening, and has a fragile relationship with her family. God has put Suzie in a particular situation, which includes both blessings and challenges. If I only covet her blessings, I'm not looking at the whole picture. Essentially, if I could somehow have the chance to be Suzie in one area, I'd have to be Suzie in *every* area. And when it comes down to it, I really wouldn't want to trade being a stay-at-home wife, my loving and attentive husband, and a healthy relationship with my dear family, for all the sewing skills in the world. I don't really want to be Suzie, I'm just isolating and magnifying one of her blessings until it consumes my contentment and blinds me to the blessings I do have.

So for me, one key to minimizing discontentment is Realism. Very often, I look only at others' blessings, ignoring the challenges that they face. This means my focus is on what I don't have, rather than on the innumerable ways that God has blessed me. I have traded the supreme blessing of contentment for an unrealistic, dissatisfying obsession with how "blessed" other people are.

That friend who's engaged or married? Her situation seems so wonderful, but no relationship comes without its heartaches and difficulties.

That friend who has a houseful of young children? It's easy to fixate on the blessing of children, while being blind to the challenges that may accompany that blessing -- everything from exhaustion to feelings of isolation and loneliness.

That friend whose husband is a spiritual leader in the church? Perhaps his theological studies lead him to neglect his family.

Now, I'm not suggesting that every engaged/married couple is miserable, that every young mother is depressed, or that every church leader is secretly a wife-beater! But rather, no matter what it is that I covet in someone else's life, I would not miraculously find contentment if I could somehow attain it. Because attaining that blessing also means attaining a whole new set of challenges, and that would begin the whole cycle of comparison and jealousy all over again!

I love blogging and I love reading the blogs of other like-minded women; I have found it to be such an encouragement in my own life, not to mention an endless source of inspiration! But at the same time, it is very easy to grow discontent in the blog world -- it is much easier to see other people's lives through rose-colored glasses when you only see the parts of their lives that they post about. Personally, I desire to maintain privacy for myself and my family. This is the Internet, after all! So while I do try to be realistic about my life, those who read my blog will never know some of the challenges I face or the sins I struggle with. I have found myself thinking "Oh, it seems like they have such a wonderful life!" many-a-time while perusing my favorite blogs. But I need to realize that while I should be (and am!) happy for the wonderful blessings that my fellow bloggers enjoy, I should not idealize their lives or start comparing my own life to theirs.

Ultimately, no amount of realism can be a "cure" for discontentment -- there is no simple cure, no easy way out, because Contentment is a matter of the heart. But why make it harder on myself by building up unrealistic illusions about other people's lives?

I think of the Psalmist's word in Psalm 16:5-6

"The Lord is the portion of mine inheritance and of my cup:

thou shalt maintain my lot.

The lines are fallen unto me in pleasant places:

yea, I have a fair heritage."

I need to realize that God has blessed me richly in *every* area of my life, and that He has designed my life and my circumstances to bring glory to Himself and blessing to me. He has ordained certain challenges in my life, but I should not want to trade those challenges for any seeming "blessing," because those challenges are actually a blessing and a gift from Him!

I Timothy 6:6-10

"But godliness is great gain, if a man be content with that he hath.

For we brought nothing into the world,

and it is certain, that we can carry nothing out.

Therefore when we have food and raiment,

let us therewith be content.

For they that will be rich, fall into temptation and snares,

and into many foolish and noisome lusts,

which drown men in perdition and destruction.

For the desire of money is the root of all evil,

which while some lusted after, they erred from the faith,

and pierced themselves through with many sorrows."

All of the blessings of this world are fleeting at best -- no book of the Bible makes that quite as clear as Ecclesiastes! So what if I'm not as wealthy as a friend down the street? I can be grateful that I don't have to face as much temptation in the area of wealth. So what if I don't have a house full of young children like a friend from church? I can be grateful that I have more time right now to invest in my marriage and my interests.

Hebrews 13:5

"Let your conversation be without covetousness,

and be content with those things that ye have,

for He hath said,

I will not fail thee, neither forsake thee."

Perhaps some of the blessings that my friends are enjoying now will come to me in time -- accompanied by their corresponding challenges. But if they don't, it will not be because God is somehow blessing my friends more than He is blessing me. I don't need to fret over how He divides up His blessings, because I can trust Him to provide for all of my needs. Yes, some seasons of life will be harder than others. And yes, by tomorrow I will need to be reminded yet again that I need to be content with what I have (actually, forget tomorrow -- I'll probably need a reminder in five minutes!). But God has promised not to fail me or forsake me, and that is a promise that I can rest content in.

You can find my theological disclaimer here.

Ecclesiastical Perspective -- Part 1

2010-08-11T11:24:00.008-05:00

The third chapter of Ecclesiastes is perhaps one of my favorite chapters in the Bible:

"To all things there is an appointed time,
and a time to every purpose under the heaven.

A time to be born, and a time to die:

a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted.

A time to slay, and a time to heal:

a time to break down, and a time to build.

A time to weep, and a time to laugh:

a time to mourn, and a time to dance.

A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones:

a time to embrace, and a time to be far from embracing.

A time to seek, and a time to lose:

a time to keep, and a time to cast away.

A time to rent, and a time to sow:

a time to keep silence, and a time to speak.

A time to love, and a time to hate:

a time of war, and a time of peace.

What profit hath he that worketh of the thing wherein he travaileth?

I have seen the travail that God hath given to the sons of men, to humble them thereby.

He hath made everything beautiful in His time:

also He hath set the world in their heart,

yet cannot man find out the work that God hath wrought

from the beginning even to the end.

I know that there is nothing good in them,

but to rejoice,

and to do good in his life.
And also that every man eateth and drinketh,

and seeth the Commodity of all his labor.

This is the gift of God.

I know that whatsoever God shall do, it shall be forever:

to it can no man add, and from it can none diminish:

for God hath done it, that they should fear before Him."

~ Ecclesiastes 3:1-14 ~

What a marvelous picture of God's sovereignty! I find these words so comforting, because they reassure me (though I should need no reassurance) that God is in control of every molecule in the universe, and that His eternal plan *will* be worked out. No person on this planet can control his "destiny," or shift the eternal plan of God. "Whatsoever God shall do, it shall be forever."

I need to memorize these verses, to implant them on my brain -- it's so easy for me to become wrapped up in whatever stage of life I'm in, to forget that God has ordained many seasons in life. And that is the challenge, as I make my way down the balance beam of life. If I hold on too tightly to those enjoyable seasons, my heart begins to grow independent and I become unsuited for the seasons of trial that will come. On the other hand, if I view seasons of trial as endless cycles of pain and hopelessness, my heart begins to doubt God's love and my whole outlook becomes cynical. What I need to do, whatever season I am in, is serve God, work hard, and enjoy the fruits of my labor.

I am grateful for a God who plans the seasons of my life perfectly. Who picks me up every single time I fall off that balance beam. Who gently -- or sometimes sternly -- shows me that I know nothing of His master scheme for this world, that it's not all about me, and that what I need to do is simply trust Him and take the next step.

What if that next step is some important decision? Ecclesiastes lays it out very simply: Serve God, work hard, and enjoy the fruits of your labor. There is no need to fret over the decisions that lie before me, because the plan of God is fixed.

Ecclesiastes frees me from my own self-importance. It reminds me that I will *never* be able to fully understand God's plan for me and for the world. Certainly, I can catch a glimpse of it when I look back in history, and in my own life. But as the Holy Spirit puts it, "yet cannot man find out the work that God hath wrought from the beginning even to the end." He also says a few verses earlier that we are here on this earth to be humbled -- humbled by God's magnificent and unsearchable plans, humbled so that we will fear and worship our Creator.

We are here on this earth for only a short time, because this is not our final destination. So what do we do while we're here? Serve God, work hard, and enjoy the fruits of our labor. The Scriptures tell us that "This is the gift of God." God has given us freedom from fear, and the ability to enjoy His blessings.

It is God who controls my life and the world around me. And that is a supreme and comforting blessing, because that means there is hope. It is the God who brought the world into existence, and redeemed His people by sacrificing His own Son who is calling the shots. And it is that same God, Ecclesiastes says, that has "made everything beautiful in His time." In the meantime, all I am supposed to do is work and wait for the glorious unfolding of God's plan. Because it will be more beautiful than anything I could ever imagine.

All of this rambling, believe it or not, stems from some thoughts I've been mulling over for the past few months on contentment -- which I'll probably share in my next post!

You can find the second part of this post here: Ecclesiastical Perspective -- Part 2

You can find my theological disclaimer here.

Glamour on Wheels

2010-08-07T07:12:00.010-05:00

When it comes to antique car shows, count me in! An hour or two spent admiring yesteryear's transportation is one of my favorite ways to spend an afternoon.

To my surprise, our little town hosted quite a car show a few months ago -- I was expecting a handful of antique cars, but instead there were several blocks of beautiful, gleaming vehicles to admire.

Like this Fairlane, which has one of the most humorous convertible tops I've ever seen (not to mention an incredible paint job and a turquoise steering wheel):

There was, of course, the occasional rustbucket, competing in the "Most Rusted" category:

And one rather *unique* vehicle:

Not only is this one of my favorite styles, but this car also reminds me strongly of Doc Hudson from Pixar's "Cars:"

It's amazing to me how much attention is put into the details of a vintage car!

Why is it that modern car manufacturers just don't build glamorous cars anymore? I know, glamour isn't exactly necessary when getting from Point A to Point B. But if our ancestors didn't have any trouble producing classic cars, why do we? *sigh* I'm thrifty when it comes to vehicles; I'll probably drive used all of my life, even if new fit into the budget. But one day -- one day -- you may just see me drive by in a 1937 Hudson Terraplane...

Progress

2010-08-02T11:39:00.004-05:00

Little by little, our craft/computer room is coming to order -- despite having the closet entirely to myself, my fabric and craft supplies were still in a general state of disarray over the entire room. Even worse, without any table or countertop, most of my paper-cutting projects were delegated to the floor; not a situation to promote organization and cleanliness! More storage was a must -- but even the cheapest storage unit with doors at Wal-Mart was $50. For cheap particle wood? I don't think so.

But there has been Progress. After a seemingly endless search on Craigslist, I found exactly what I was looking for -- a little antique Belgian washstand at just the right price. A new coat of paint in "Chantilly" (which sounds delightful, whether referring to the cream or the lace ), two new knobs, and almost entire tube of wood filler later, it was ready to take on my organizational nightmare.

I didn't realize when I purchased it just how perfect it would be -- the drawers seem designed to hold my essential craft supplies; the little shelf is just right for a row of jars to hold everything from paintbrushes to antique lace; the counter area holds my large cutting mat with room to spare; and the cabinet -- well, take a look!

A shelf at exactly the right height, and enough room for two rows of fabric ("stash" pieces in the back, more useful pieces in the front) on each level -- could I ask for anything more?

There are still a few finishing touches for the room -- some wall shelves for baskets and books, and some final organizing and decorating (the vertical blinds are ready to go!). But already the whole room is looking better, and I'm feeling inspired to finish it up.

It's amazing what one little washstand can do!

Memories Over the Teacups

2010-07-29T15:21:00.010-05:00

Since my dear sister was out of town for her birthday, a belated celebration was in order -- and a recently discovered tea room in our little town was the perfect setting.

All three of us were wearing almost identical shades of pink; apparently, even though we no longer live in the same house, we still have the mental connection that frequently leads us to dress alike!

Before, having never visited this tea room, I was skeptical. I've seen many a tea room severely lacking in charm, atmosphere, and tasty comestibles. Now, having visited, I will most certainly return!

Our little trio of ladies has made quite a few memories together over the teacups, in many places and in many stages of life -- starting (for me) with dim memories of the tea rooms we frequented in England when I was small; tea rooms that had Old Country Roses and plenty of sugar cubes. And this most recent gathering is one more such memory to carefully tuck away among those fond recollections.

Because it's not just about the tea, you know.

What greater thing is there for human souls than to feel that they are joined for life - to be with each other in silent unspeakable memories.

~ George Eliot ~

A Bit of Fun

2010-07-26T22:34:00.002-05:00

I've heard of Polyvore before, but never tried it out for myself until today.

Timeworn Classics by thoughtsandthimbles featuring Dorothy Perkins tops

I think this could be addictive...

Making More Cents

2010-07-22T12:51:00.005-05:00

Well, life has been hurrying by -- hence the sporadic blog posts!

A commenter on my last post asked for any SwagBucks tips I might have, so I thought I'd share what I know -- though I warn you, I am far from expert! I'd also love to hear any tips from other Swagbucks users!

The nice thing about Swagbucks is that it's so simple -- you don't have to be on all the time to win. I suppose my primary tip would be to find a schedule that works for you. When I started, I spent quite a bit of time searching and looking for free codes. However, now I'm down to a comfortable two searches per day, plus the occasional code. I may not win huge amounts every day, but it adds up quickly and I'm not spending hours searching.

I'm also now a great believer in referrals! (Thank you, by the way, to those who used my referral link -- I greatly appreciate your kindness!) Since I don't Facebook, Twitter, etc., I found it awkward to refer friends. Even on my blog it felt a bit strange, since I like to keep it as free as possible from ads and such. But if you know of people would might be interested, or you have a Facebook/Twitter page, referrals can definitely help boost your points.

I also highly recommend downloading the Swagbucks toolbar -- it's a handy way to search, keep track of your points, receive occasional "messages" with free codes, and check up on their various social media sites (which often contain codes). I subscribe to the blog and try to keep an eye on it for any codes. The blog is rather quirky, and there's usually a "Friday Funny" -- which is always clean and typically features of video of kittens. Hmm. Also, once a day you get a free Swagbuck just for having the toolbar up!

I tried the "Swidget", but didn't like it -- apparently it has free codes sometimes, but I think you'd have to sit there all day and keep checking it to find one. Not very efficient. I much prefer the Toolbar!

The Daily Poll will get you a Swagbuck per day (and it takes about five seconds), and just visiting the Trusted Surveys page will do the same. I was able to do some of the surveys when they first came out, and it was a great way to earn -- but for some reason it now tells me that they don't have any available. But I'll take my free Swagbuck for the visit!

I suppose my last tip has to do with actual searching -- I much prefer the Google search engine to the Swagbucks engine, especially for images. But Swagbucks is great for looking up stores, websites that you already know (I usually get to my blog by searching with my Swagbucks toolbar!). Regardless of what you search for, I've found it most effective to actually visit the site of whatever-it-is you're searching for. I find that just putting terms in the search engine but never clicking on websites is not very effective -- it does work sometimes, but in my opinion it's less reliable. I typically (1) search, (2) click, (3) stay on the website for a while, and (4) use my browser's "back" button to get back to my original search on Swagbucks -- I can't tell you how many times I've won Swagbucks by hitting the back button! If I don't win, I search for something else and try again. Usually I'll get points within a few searches. If it's being tricky, I'll often search for something, leave the page up while I do something else, and then come back to it later and try the back button trick.

Anyway, those are my few tips for Swagbucks! I've found it to be a very handy system, and I hope you find it to be the same!

Makes Cents

2010-07-10T11:19:00.002-05:00

Last week I received a box from Amazon.com, containing two eagerly awaited (and very different) items: The DVD of Our Mutual Friend and a 32-ounce jug of pure maple syrup.

The grand total for both items? 11 cents. I know, I spend big.

Actually, my 11-cent total was due to Swagbucks, a search-and-earn website that I discovered a few months ago. It's easy. All I have to do is search using their search engine, and usually after a few searches a little notification appears on the search page that I've won X-number of Swagbucks. I've won as few as 5 and as many as 33 in one search. Plus, they frequently have free codes for a few 'bucks on the downloadable toolbar (which I love) or on their blog.

It took me a while to get the hang of it, but now that I "know" the system I usually win twice a day and spend very little time earning my swagbucks.

So what's the payoff? You can redeem Swagbucks for items in their online store, or you can redeem them for gift cards to various places (Starbucks, Barnes and Noble, etc.) But if you prefer real money, you can cash in 700 Swagbucks for $5 via Paypal. However, I think the best deal is the $5 Amazon gift card for 450 Swagbucks. There's rarely a time when I'm not interested in something on Amazon, and since you can use as many gift cards on a purchase as you like, you can just let them accumulate! Since February, I've cashed in $45 of gifts cards for Amazon (and I'm already well on my way to more). In tangible terms, so far that equals free shipping on my dress form, and a DVD with maple syrup for 11 cents.

If you want to try Swagbucks, I've included a button below -- but be warned, it's shameless advertising on my part, because it's a referral link (Swagbucks has this nifty referral method, whereby any Swagbucks your referrals win also show up on your account).

So far, I have not found a single problem with Swagbucks -- they don't spam your e-mail, and you really don't even have to give them your full name. Initials will do! I'm very cautious when signing up for things online, but I've been very pleased so far with Swagbucks -- plus, they keep their blog very clean, and apparently try to do the same with their Facebook and Twitter accounts (neither of which I have, so I can't guarantee that).

Well, that's all for now -- I need to go win my daily Swagbucks! *wink*