Crafting for a Cause

I really love to create things.  Usually I say that creating allows me some sanity in this insane life I live!  It allows me to focus on something other than the kids.  Now, please don't take that the wrong way!  I love my kids dearly, they bring me MUCH joy and happiness, more than any craft I will make.  Crafting, however, allows me to use a different God-given gift.  Most of the time, I have many helpers as I craft!  When I sew, someone offers to take out all the pins.  When I crochet, someone helps tangle the yarn.  So, all in all, crafting is a family affair!  :)  Anyway.  This week, I was crafting for a totally different cause and it made me so GIDDY!  I had so much fun and I can see it continuing in the future.  This week I was crafting for the Crisis Pregnancy Center (CPC) here in our capital city.  See, a dear friend of mine, who I look forward to getting to know even better, has a passion to help these brave and courageous moms.  She puts together these large gifts full of baby essentials, like diapers, wipes, clothes, bibs, burp cloths, hats, etc.  Lots of people pitch in to donate items, she packs them up and sends them to the CPC.  They distribute them to the moms who are blessed to have these gifts that they may not otherwise receive.  What a ministry!  This week, she sent out an email asking for more items for the gifts.  After that email, it hit me that I have a lot of baby blankets sitting in my closet from when my kids were babies.  I asked if gently used was okay and she said that was great!  So, out came all the blankets, I sorted through them and found 10 large flannel blankets that are in great shape and have lots of baby-wrapping life left in them.  They are now all washed and ready to head to her house.  Then I looked at all the blankets that had seen better days - some had holes, some had stains, some were way too small to wrap a baby properly.  I suddenly thought I could use that fabric to make bibs.  She needed bibs.  I could make bibs.  That night I went out to the fabric store and found some charming cotton fabric in the remnant bin and bought it as well as some diaper flannel for the bib backs.  I would use the old blankets as an inner layer in the bibs to make them extra absorbent.  I found a really easy pattern here and this is the result (5 bibs total):

Then, while we were on vacation earlier this month, I brought along some yarn and was busy crocheting hats for the CPC following the pattern you can find here.  I was able to crochet 3 1/2 hats while we were gone.  It makes great use of the driving time and the TV watching time!  I finished the 4th hat this week while at an appointment with Pepe.  I just needed to add some flowers.  I decided to try adding zipper flowers instead of the usual crocheted flower so this morning I headed to the thrift store and found a bunch of brightly colored zippers.  This evening I whipped together the flowers using my own imagination and the final result? 

Oh.  My.  Goodness!  They are so very cute!  These little ladies will be so stylish with their cozy little hats! 

Now, earlier this week, when I told hubby that I wanted to sew some bibs for the CPC, he asked if I had time for that.  Though I was a bit offended by the question, it really is a good one.  Do we make time in our schedule to minister to others?  We are so quick to give of our money but are we willing to invest our time and energy to help those that really need it?  I pray that I will continue to invest my time in this avenue.  It has always been dear to my heart and now I know of a tangible way to be involved supporting these women that give life to their babies and take on the challenge of raising them and loving them.   So I ask you, have you ever crafted for a cause?

The Beginning of Something Good?

Ari is 2 1/2.  That means it is high time she learn to use a toilet rather than a diaper.  I was purposely waiting for the summer to train her since it seems so much easier to train her when she can romp around in just underwear or a dress and underwear.  I have tried earlier with little success.  I tried a week ago and after sitting on the potty forever, doing nothing, she said she wanted to sit on the toilet.  After sitting there another forever listening to me read stories she finally peed!  On the toilet!  Of course, there was much singing and clapping and praising this accomplishment.  We did have to scrounge for a treat (mini-marshmallows) since my potty-training reward arsenal was empty.  Not much happened after that.  I slacked.  Yesterday I bought gummy worms for the treats since I am determined to use what is left of the summer to train her.  Today, just as supper was ending, she looks at her diaper (the only thing she is wearing) and says, "Daddy, pee!".  Daddy asks if she wants to pee on the potty and she says, "No, toilet."  So I trot her off to the toilet, place her in position, wander off to get the treats and while I return, she pees on the toilet.  Just like that!  Quick, easy.  No waiting forever.  PLUS, she recognized the need before hand!  That is huge!  We just may be at the beginning of something good.  Something real good!

What I Did Today . . .

This heat (35.5C/95.9F on my thermometer) just saps my energy, I tell you!  I just want to curl up in bed with a good book.  However, that is not likely to happen anytime soon!  So, instead, I headed out to the country property to meet the gas line guy that marked the locations of the gas line on our yard.  We plan to move our driveway in the next couple of weeks and make a new wider one in another location.  Important to know where the gas main is, wouldn't you say?  While there, I hilled our potatoes and felt like someone was watching me.  Well, not really, but these guys had their eyes on me the whole time!

They are so CUTE!  In case you don't recognize them, they are young merlins, a type of falcon.  Their parents made their home in an old crow's nest at the top of one of our evergreen trees right next to the garden.  These babes watch our every move.  I am not completely thrilled that they are making their home on our yard as they are birds of prey and do eat other birds I would rather have on our yard so we will see.  Maybe we will take down the nest in the future or maybe they will be less prone to making a home on that yard once there is more activity.  Right now, it is fairly quiet there.

I came home to see one of my new daylilies blooming - such. a. beauty!  This one is called "Jamaican Me Crazy"!  I love the name and the flower is gorgeous!

Finally, I abandoned all things creative in favor of all things boring and necessary - I was cleaning the house.  I purged -- get this -- 19 pairs of shoes!  19 PAIRS!  WOW!  That is a tonne!  Some went in the garbage, some are going to a friend and a whole pile are going to the thrift store.  It took a bit of time trying on the shoes on the various kids to see if they actually fit anyone, if they were in good shape, and if they were just too cute to part with (those ones are going to a friend).  Yes, a couple pairs were mine.  Yes, I do have a shoe fetish.  Yes, contrary to one of my tank tops, you can have too many shoes!  Hopefully my entrance will be a little easier to maintain now.

Now, I will whip up some to. die. for. hot fudge sauce and lay low with some icecream and that book I mentioned earlier!  I earned it.  Well, maybe not, but the cleaning can always continue tomorrow.  It promises to be even hotter then!  YIKES!

Featured at One Pretty Thing

In case you missed my apron tutorial featured at Sawdust and Paper Scraps earlier this month, One Pretty Thing has added it to today's Daily DIY!  Check it out here!

Happy Birthday, My Love

This past Sunday a very important event occurred here at our home - my dearly loved husband reached the ripe age of 35!!  I, for one, am exceedingly blessed that he was brought into this world 35 years ago.  He has changed not only my life but many others because of his presence here on this earth!  If I would use words to characterize him, I would say he is steady.  Stable.  Predictable.  Loving.  Giving.  A servant.  Hard-working.  Efficient.  A saver.  A hands-on kind of dad.  A thoughtful husband.  Content with very little. A Godly man.  I love to watch him play with the kids, the way they climb all over him and run to him when he comes home.  If they haven't seen him in a few hours, they greet him as though he was gone for a week.  Every night when he comes home, they are exceedingly overjoyed that daddy is home.  He has stolen their hearts!  He is the kind of husband that will fold laundry when I have gone out grocery shopping and would rather clean the kitchen then watch TV knowing that a clean kitchen makes me happy.  He is constantly thinking about how he can serve and rarely takes thought of himself.  He shows me he loves me each and every day through little things like writing me notes or phone calls in the middle of the day or big things like making supper when I have been sewing all day.  He is a precious man and I am so blessed that he chose to marry me.  So, yes, I am thrilled that Jason was born and that the Lord brought him into my life.  I sure hope we can celebrate many, many, many more birthdays together.  I love you, dear!

Since we had just gotten home from being gone for about a week, Jay was quite happy to keep the celebration low key.  We didn't even have cake!  But, I insisted we go golfing together and he loved that!  I even improved over the Father's Day attempt.  He was a little miffed that I went golfing on Father's Day and he didn't so taking him golfing for his birthday was to make up for it.  :)  Plus, Jay's version of golfing success is whether or not we come home with more golf balls then we started with - he is always looking for them in the bush!  However, with that standard, we failed miserably as we both lost more than we found!  Oh, well!  We still had lots of fun and maybe we can go again later this summer!  After all, we still have two more Buy 1, Get 1 coupons to use!



Lydia Apron in Shades of Blue & Brown

With temperatures soaring to 34C-36C (93.2F-96.8F) this coming weekend and into next week (so they say), I am determined to stay inside and work where it is cool.  We have not had temperatures like this for a number of years so the heat is really quite welcome so long as we also get some rain!  I REALLY need to clean and purge but I also have another apron pattern to create!  The apron I finished today is another in the Lydia pattern but in shades of blue and brown instead.  I absolutely love the swirl pattern and find this apron to be elegant and sophisticated!  As usual, it is available for sale in my store!

More Items for Project 2012

As I mentioned yesterday, we took some time off and headed out to Fargo for a few days with the kids.  It was a really fun time!  So low key.  With the van full of people and suitcases, we knew any house shopping would have to be for small house items.  Well, we found a couple of great deals!  First off, I found the sinks for our new master bath!  I was waffling between vessel sinks and a drop-in sink that did not have the faucet holes in it (like these ones for our kids) but when I found these, I knew they were perfect.

They are not too deep plus they were almost 1/2 price.  They were in a non-descript cardboard box with a red sticker that said $69.99.  There was no picture on the box so I opened it up.  I was so excited!  I knew these were the perfect sinks.  They had three left so I took 2!

Then we found the tiles for the kitchen backsplash.  We will go with white subway tile and some small glass tiles as accents.  They were on a great sale and a steal when you think of what they would have cost up here in Canada!  I love shopping in the USA!!

At the rate we are going, we will have everything bought long before we build the house and won't even have to take out a loan!  HA!  Not likely!  But it sure is fun to buy things we will need at a great price, keeping the cost of building the house as low as possible without sacrificing great style!

The Lydia Apron

We just got back from a week away and I was thrilled to buy myself a stack of fabric!  I love the colorful selection I found and I am excited about creating new aprons.  So excited, in fact, that I already made a new one.  I am calling this one the Lydia apron.  The other apron I have created I named the Anne apron after my 96 year old grandmother.  This newest creation is named after my other grandmother, who passed away 8 years ago from Alzheimer's Disease.  She was a spunky little lady who I saw all the time since we lived just "next door."  She was always cooking or baking something in her little kitchen and I can imagine she might have worn an apron something like this.  So, with no further ado, I give you the Lydia apron!

This simple but charming apron has two darts in the body of the apron to give it some shape while the wide contrasting ruffle adds some flare!  The waistband matches the ruffle but the white lace trim adds some extra drama!  This apron will be available in my shop later on today.  Remember to check out the sidebar link to my shop to see all the aprons currently available!  Thanks for stopping by!

And, just because I can, I am linking up to these parties:

Guest Posting - Come On Over!

Sandra from Sawdust and Paperscraps is having Christmas in July this year!  She has invited bloggers to guest post on different gift ideas and she has graciously allowed me to join!  So, come check out my featured gift item complete with tutorial!

New Items in My Etsy Store

I have been busy sewing the past couple of days and added a few new items to my Etsy store.  Just click on

the link in the sidebar labeled "My Etsy Store" and it will show you some of the items currently in stock.  If you then click on the photos of the items, it will take you to my store where you can get full listing details.   

I am going fabric shopping this next week and I look forward to coming up with more color options and new styles so check back often!  Remember, any local shoppers can pick up their purchases at my house for free!