Here’s some recent shots of our chickens. Some of the hens have started laying – woohoo!
Sewing Again!
It’s been a while since I’ve done any significant sewing. At our last house, there was just no good place to have the sewing machine set up, and it was therefore rarely used.
One of the things I love about our current home is that there is room in the laundry room (a nice bright cheery room) for my sewing desk and “stuff.” I finally got enough stuff unpacked and put away that I can now access the sewing machine easily, and I got busy last Thursday on some skirts for the girls!
I’ve had this thought for a while that I should be able to make skirts for them from pillowcases (inspired, I’m sure, by Vanessa at V&Co.). I picked up three recently for a quarter each, and decided to give it a go!
Each of the skirts is a bit different. Ellie’s the purple one. It was super-simple; I pretty much just cut off the sewn end and make a casing for the elastic. I didn’t shorten it at all, because she really liked it this long.
Katie’s was pretty basic as well. I cut a decent bit off to get it the right length, made the casing, added the elastic, and hemmed it.
Grace’s is the short one. It was a bit more adventurous, as I used these guidelines for an A-line skirt. It was still very easy and fun to make.
I mis-figured on the length of Grace’s, so I decided to use the polka-dot trim from the pillowcases to make a ruffle. My first ruffle ever! I grabbed a floral skirt, tore out the hem, ironed it, and proceeded to make and attach the ruffle with the help of this tutorial. The ruffle was so fun and looks adorable. It also is attached to Katie’s skirt, not Grace’s. Oops! There’s no way I’m taking it off, so I’m going to look for some other material to coordinate for a ruffle for Grace’s skirt. I’m thinking I might have some denim that is a similar weight to the flannel. Or I could find some flannel that coordinates. Any thoughts?
I have enough left over from Kate and Grace’s pillowcases that I’m planning to make them some hair scrunchies.
Oh, and I almost forgot a funny part of this project. I was thinking all along that the flannel pillowcases were homemade. See why?
Well, when I turned one of them inside out, I was shocked to find that these uneven pillowcases were not only store-bought, but a nice brand!
Just goes to show that you can’t judge a case by its cover. Or is it that you can’t judge it by its brand??
A flurry
You know you’ve been a bad blogger when you have to go look and see what you talked about in your last few posts. I’ll try to do a little catching up tonight.
It was a joy to have the Emmaus Bible College Ensemble in concert in our area in mid-March. The music and memories were a blessing, and I also met a wonderful EBC mom who was such an encouragement to me as a home teaching mom who still feels like the journey has just begun.
Jonathan spent most of a day in late March wrestling with a rented front-tine tiller to get our garden tilled. It was hard work, and I was/am so proud and thankful! This shot was taken when he was not quite halfway done.
March 27th was our chapel talent night – lots of fun! The evening included acoustic guitar, electric guitar, piano, hammered dulcimer, solo and group singing, a hobby presentation, and more. And when the joyful noise died down, we had a great game of Canasta. Pardon the poor quality of the pictures, please.
O TEACH ME WHAT IT MEANETH
O teach me what it meaneth,
That cross uplifted high,
With One, the Man of Sorrows,
Condemned to bleed and die!
O teach me what it cost Thee
To make a sinner whole;
And teach me, Savior, teach me
The value of a soul!
O teach me what it meaneth,
That sacred crimson tide,
The blood and water flowing
From Thine own wounded side.
Teach me that if none other
Had sinned, but I alone,
Yet still Thy blood, Lord Jesus,
Thine only, must atone.
O teach me what it meaneth,
Thy love beyond compare,
The love that reacheth deeper
Than depths of self-despair!
Yes, teach me, till there gloweth
In this cold heart of mine
Some feeble, pale reflection
Of that pure love of Thine.
O teach me what it meaneth,
For I am full of sin,
And grace alone can reach me,
And love alone can win.
O teach me, for I need Thee,
I have no hope beside—
The chief of all the sinners
For whom the Savior died!
O teach me what it meaneth
The rest which Thou dost give
To all the heavy-laden
Who look to Thee and live.
Because I am a rebel
Thy pardon I receive
Because Thou dost command me,
I can, I do believe.
O infinite Redeemer!
I bring no other plea;
Because Thou dost invite me
I cast myself on Thee.
Because Thou dost accept me
I love and I adore;
Because Thy love constraineth,
I’ll praise Thee evermore!
by Lucy A Bennett (1850-1927)
A Project
Jonathan purchased some additional shelving for our pantry and bathroom last week, and I was thrilled this afternoon when he got them installed for me. Of course, this meant that the task of re-organizing the pantry could no longer be put off!
I forgot a before picture, but here is some of the mess in the middle:
And the new shelves added in to the not-quite emptied pantry:
And a couple of “after” shots:
Lots of work, but glad to have it done. The pantry is more workable for us this way, and the nice thing about these shelving systems is that they are easy to adjust to your needs.
Real-ness
First, check out this terrific post On Being Real.
The whole subject of being Real is something that has been on my heart for the last few years. I know it’s come up here more than once. I think fake-ness is one of the biggest problems the body of Christ faces today. Well, it’s actually pride, I suppose, because that’s what generally keeps us from being real. We wouldn’t want to let anyone know the dirty truth… that we’re parenting sinners, we’re married to sinners… that (gasp!) we ARE sinners… saved by grace, given a new nature, and still desperately in need of the practical work of sanctification. So we whitewash the truth about ourselves, thinking that everyone else has it all together (thank you, Jill Phillips), when everyone struggles, everyone needs to know they’re not alone, and we should be supporting one another, not faking each other out.
And to be clear, the fakeness is not a malady I’ve conquered. But it’s one I see God working on in me.
Other randomness…
Grace has been sick with stomach yuck since Monday morning. In that time, she’s kept next to nothing down. Today, I am on a mission to re-hydrate her without having to go get her stuck with an IV. I’m giving her 1 tsp of fluid every 10 minutes (homemade pedialyte). She kept the first several tsp down, then brought it all up at once. We’re back up to having successfully kept down 2 tsp. If she can’t get something in to stay, we’re thinking we might need to take her in later today. Your prayers are appreciated!
Jonathan got the garden tilled on Monday. Tip for noobie gardeners… front tine tillers will kick you in the booty! Whether you’re buying or renting, go for the rear-tine. Free advice from noobie gardener central.
Stephen is enjoying making all sorts of sounds with his tongue. It’s so fun, because I remember learning to making those sounds with my sweet Mama. He also has started trying to tickle my neck. Too cute!
Nobody’s Got It All Together
I’ve posted a video of this song before, but the Realness issue is on my heart today (see next post), and I found someone who had taken the time to type out the lyrics. Hope it blesses you!
Jill Phillips – Nobody’s Got it All Together
Working hard to tie up the loose ends
So hard to decide who you let in
Put your best foot forward with a grin
I can see the fear behind your eyes
Wondering if someone will recognize
You’ve grown tired of keeping up the lies
Don’t whitewash the truth about yourself ‘cause
Nobody’s got it all together
If you want to be like everyone else, well
Nobody’s got it all together
I have seen the darkness of my heart
And found a love that taught me its too hard
To walk through life and not let down my guard
What good is it to say, “Please Savior come”
If there is nothing you need rescued from
Life is something no one has a corner on
Don’t whitewash the truth about yourself ‘cause
Nobody’s got it all together
If you want to be like everyone else, well
Nobody’s got it all together
When the parts that are self righteous
Start to disappear
Every other life is
Just another mirror
‘Cause life is way too short to run and hide
Don’t whitewash the truth about yourself ‘cause
Nobody’s got it all together
If you want to be like everyone else, well
Nobody’s got it all together
And here’s a video… kind of a rough recording, but it’s the best I can find:
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MEKKutJk7wc&hl=en&fs=1]
Garden Visitors
Not sure what they’ll think if they come back tomorrow… Jonathan is going to till the garden today!
Bargain Chocolate
A couple weeks ago, I dropped by Lowe’s to look at paint colors. We were on our way home from church, and J and the Blessings just read in the van while I ran in.
I got myself a handful of paint “chips” in the color range I had in mind. I’d never browsed the browns section before, but for some reason I have had brown on my mind for this bathroom. About the time I finished gathering paint chips, the paint lady finished up with her customers. C. used to work in the Home Decor department at our Lowe’s (“our” Lowe’s being the one out of which we do most of our install jobs), and we enjoyed getting to know her as we worked with her on installs of blinds and shutters. I think she just might think we’re nice folks, too.
So, I asked C. if they had any “ooops” paint I could look at before I left… just in case. She goes behind the counter and holds up a can of paint. “This one’s only worth about … a dollar this way. It lost its handle, and we’d have to send it back. Want to find a color you like?”
This can of premium paint (usually sold for $20.50) wasn’t even tinted yet! So off I went with my paint chips to the stain department. Why the stain department? Because we have lovely oak cabinets in our bathroom, and finding a brown that neither blends with nor clashes with oak is a bit tricky. Since I didn’t have time to go home and hold all my paint chips up to my cabinets, I found the sample in the stain department that most closely matched them (in my mind’s eye) and used that for color comparison.
Several minutes later, I walked out of the Lowe’s having paid $1.08 for a $20.50 gallon of Belgian Chocolate paint. I was giddy all afternoon with the thrill of the deal!
I got permission this Wednesday from our friends/homeowners to paint the bathroom. Thursday found me busily taping away (because I’m lousy at cutting in), then painting. Though I took pictures along the way, I decided to wait and post the finished product.
For a reminder, my previous nesting attempts in our bathroom are shown in this post.
And here it is now:
(I had to lighten this shot excessively to get the window mistreatment to show)
We’ve talked about framing the mirror, but in the meantime I was inspired to use these sheers (do you remember when we bought them, Mama??) for the mirror and the window.
Input? Constructive criticism? Note: Constructive criticism does not include telling me I’m out of my ever-loving mind to paint my bathroom this color. 🙂
The return of old friends
I got to finish up the first bookcase today:
I love the natural look of linseed oil as a finish. It preserves the beauty of the wood in such a lovely way. I joke sometimes about how I’m not allowed to paint wood, because in a woodworking family like Jonathan’s, it is forbidden. But really, though there are some old junkie pieces I’d be glad to try painting, I truly do love the look of wood.
And I packed it full of books! They’re not much in the way of organized, but it was so fun to unpack this many. It’s like finding old friends again. There are lots of book boxes left to unpack, but this puts a nice dent in it.
Once we get the other bookcase built, I’ll get the books more organized, and, if there is room, add some decorative touches. But books take precedence, make no mistake!