Abortion is something that has more than touched my heart since I was quite young. {Some may say that my passion sprang from my parents beliefs or from growing up in a large family but that's not how it is. You can be around truth your whole life and never take it for truth. You can even participate in things and never actually believe it for yourself.}
Even just in my life time, the daily and yearly rates of abortions have soared.
Just this week, Abort73 came out with a new video opening our eyes once again to the latest statistics. Do we care? If we think we do, do we care enough to do something about it? Though the issue of pro-abortion is mainly about saving young babies lives, it's also about saving our population which is slowly killing itself.
I will freely admit that in the last several months, as I've gotten caught up in the business of life, I've grown apathetic in what I could do to help end abortion. So if you feel the same way, you're not alone. This is a challenge to myself, as well as to you, to once again take up the banner and fight for these unborn lives. Write your congressman. Call them. Let your voice be heard!
Another opportunity: If you live in the Indy area, this Sunday, there is a Memorial Service for the Unborn being held in the War Memorial Auditorium at 3pm.
(If you live in another state, google "Right to Life" with the name of your state to find their web address. The may or may not have already held a Rally or Memorial Service (the anniversary of Roe. vs. Wade is January 22nd) but there are always other events and they can help you get connected)
A few other links:
28 January 2011
25 January 2011
Introducing...
I am extremely blessed to have many creative and inspiring friends {I kinda use those words a bunch don't I? I need to take a jump over to thesaurus.com and find some new ones;)}
One such friend can be found here and she's just a lovely kindred spirit. {We're even in the works of learning Italian together (which we've both wanted to do for years) and maybe.just maybe. we'll travel to Italy someday}
Her passion for her Savior spills over with love for everyone she meets and her servants heart is such an example. For over two years I have prayed, asking God to send someone like her my way *who lived close by* and he couldn't have answered my prayers in a better way! She is such a blessing!
Anyway!! I digress! This sweet girl has begun designing jewelry and I think YOU should give it a look! Her pieces have an indie style like Ruche carries but are uniquely handmade.
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| Songbird |
24 January 2011
Moby Dick
Today I commence the reading of Moby Dick which is 726 pages of old english and whaling. Oh and lots of detail. If there's one thing I've learned from American Lit, it's that classic authors adored writing about detail and using several different ways to describe one thing. On one hand, it's sometimes lovely to have various things so described and played out before you. On the other hand, when a book is so full of detail on every blessed subject it covers, well...it might just get tedious. {It does makes it easier for a book to turn movie though}. I have four weeks to read Moby Dick... but I think I shall find it more interesting than The House of Seven Gables {by Nathaniel Hawthorne} which I just finished. Oh and if you see me in the next four weeks, chances are, you might just see me with my nose stuck in the midst of Moby Dick's pages. And what a book to carry around! I suppose there had to be a big book written about a big whale {however fictitious}. A small one just wouldn't do.;)Melville included in his book extracts from books of the time which had snippets or lines on the topic of whales. These were gathered for him by one sub-sub librarian and he wrote a note about said sub-sub librarian in preface to the extracts. {Which I will include below...it's quite humorous!}
So here's to challenging books, sub-sub librarians and detail. Lots & lots lots of detail!!
"It will be seen that this mere painstaking burrower and grub-worm of a poor devil of a Sub-Sub appears to have gone through the long Vaticans and street-stalls of the earth, picking up whatever random allusions to whales he could anyways find in any book whatsoever, sacred or profane. Therefore you must not, in every case at least, take the higgledy-piggledy whale statements, however authentic, in these extracts, for veritable gospel cytology. Far from it. As touching the ancient authors generally, as well as the poets here appearing, these extracts are solely valuable or entertaining, as affording a glancing bird's-eye view of what has been promiscuously said, thought,fancied, and sung of Leviathan, by many nations and generations, including our own.
So fare thee well, poor devil of a Sub-sub, whose commentator I am. Thou belongest to that hopeless, sallow tribe which no wine of this world will ever warm; and for whom even Pale Sherry would be too rosy-strong; but with whom one sometimes loves to sit, and feel poor devilish, too; and grow convivial upon tears; and say to them bluntly with full eyes and empty glasses, and in not altogether unpleasant sadness--Give it up, Sub-Subs! For by how much the more pains yet take to please the world, by so much the more shall ye forever go thankless! would that I could clear out Hampton Court and the Tuileries for ye! But gulp down your tears and hi aloft to the royal-mast with your hearts; for your friends who have gone before are clearing out this seven-storied heavens, and making refugees of long pampered Gabriel, Michael, and Raphael, against your coming. Here ye strike but splintered hearts together-- there, ye shall strike unsplinterable glasses!!"
- Herman Melville
- Herman Melville
15 January 2011
Snow Sisters
Ellyn and I had two quick photoshoots with one another on a snowy January day.
{Go here to see the rest!}
14 January 2011
Good Mornin'!
Today held one of those marvelous mornings that just make you want to shout and sing "Oh Happiness" by the David Crowder Band.
Kicked off by an intense but great early morning workout at the GP and quiet time with my Jesus. ("...I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord... Philippians 3:8a) Then some gorgeous sunshine on the way home ("Rejoice in the Lord always: and again I say Rejoice!" Phil. 4:4) And finally dancing to Owl City with the chillens over breakfast before jumping in a hot shower. I am blessed beyond measure!! I hope your morning was just as s'wonderful:)
"I believe the nicest and sweetest days are not those on which anything very splendid or wonderful or exciting happens, but just those that bring simple pleasures, following one another softly, like pearls slipping off a string." ~Anne of Green Gables
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{My favorite verse currently...it could quite possibly become my life verse}
"For You have delivered my soul from death; won't You deliver my feet from falling, that I may walk before God in the light of the living." Psalm 56:12
{one more happy morning song: Good Mornin'!}
13 January 2011
| usb | typewriter
Pretty certain these are the most amazing thing I've seen all year* {and I can say that cause we're only 13 days into this year;)}. But seriously. Way to bring back the vintage right in step with modern technology. Kudos to USBTypewriter. Just hook me up with an iPad first!!
In case you were wondering, I originally discovered these on Fossil's blog.
{*okay so maybe not quite. the tea wallet I received as a belated -belated are better anyway- Christmas gift is a close second}
12 January 2011
DIY :: Upcycled Luggage Tags
This was a really fun (albeit slightly tricky) project that I did for my Daddy's Christmas gift. You'll definitely want a sewing machine...it makes the stiff stitching so much easier!
I'll go ahead and copy the how-to from ReadyMade where I originally found it rather than writing up another tutorial. Have fun!
- 1 necktie
- 1 slide buckle
- Thread
- 2×4-inch clear vinyl rectangle
Materials
- Ruler or tape measure
- Scissors
- Needle or sewing machine
Tools
Lay tie flat. Starting at the narrow end, measure 16 inches down the length of the tie and cut with scissors. The wide end will be the body of the luggage tag, and the narrow end of the tie will serve as the luggage attachment.
Pass the cut end of the narrow tie piece through the slide buckle. Make a 2-inch loop, and stitch the loop securely.
On the wide tie piece, measure 8 inches from the tip and cut the end off with scissors. Discard non-pointed end. Center a vinyl rectangle right side up on front of tie.
Stitch around three sides of the vinyl (leaving one short end open) with either a needle or a sewing machine to form a pocket for your address card.
Fold the cut end of the wide tie piece ¼ inch toward the backside of the tie, and then fold that over another ½ inch to form your seam. Topstitch to make a ¼-inch seam. Align the stitched part of the looped piece with the seam you just made, and topstitch in place.
06 January 2011
DIY :: Scrabble Magnet Set
You can make magnets out of just about anything of course, but I specifically chose scrabble tiles for this project. {which I found on Etsy)
There's not much instruction needed though. Just estimate how much magnet strip you'll need (according to how many magnets you're making) & then cut into smaller pieces to fit on the back of each tile. Use either super glue or hot glue (**even if the magnet strip comes with adhesive**) to attach magnet piece to tile back. Press firmly together & then {preferably}lay something heavy on the tiles overnight to help a strong glue bond form.
The last step: Personalize a small box or tin (in any way you wish) to hold the magnets. ( tip: If painting a tin, use wrought iron spray paint.)
Happy Creating!
Blogs: Overflowing Raine
I want to introduce y'all to the blog of an uber-creative southern Mama {who is also the big sis of one of my kindred spirits;)}
If you're a Mum, Dad, grandparent, big sis like me or someone who works with chillens a lot, you will *love* Hannah's blog Overflowing Raine. It's full of fun ideas {set around themes such as snow days and wreaths} that are simple but lots of fun to do with sweet little ones.
So head over and give her blog some lovin' :)
So head over and give her blog some lovin' :)
...in a word
This is an entry of words. Out of the ordinary but rather marvelous words. Like shenanigans, twaddle & highfalutin. They make my vocabulary happy:)
Haberdashery: a men's shop or the goods kept there
Munchkin: a small person; an undersized person or a child
Swanky: elegant; stylish; chic
Highfalutin: pompous; haughty
Shenanigans: mischief; prankishness
Balderdash: senseless and illogical talk
Tomfoolery: foolish or silly behavior; horseplay
Swell: first rate; fine
Marvelous: to cause wonder; admiration
Twaddle: feeble, silly or tedious talk or writing
Blustery: stormy; windy
Cantankerous: pugnacious; belligerent
Did you know that pulchritudinous means beautiful? I'd never even heard of the word until I stumbled upon it... much less ever imagine what it means! {Origin: 1910-15, Americanism;
{Definitions pulled from the dictionary}
Decoupage :: More ideas & tips
I've already previously blogged about the basics of decoupage here but I wanted to add a few more ideas that I tried out this last Christmas.
{I've found that Acrylic spray (sometimes called PolyAcrylic) is incredibly handy as a top coat over decoupage for protection against wear & tear}
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| more notebooks {my favorites yet!} covered in: newspaper and owl wrapping paper |
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Inspiration board {I made this for a friend who designs clothes. It's a place to keep all the inspirations clippings/fabric swatches/sketches together}. I decoupaged with simple magazine clippings and then sprayed with Acrylic spray to protect the surface.
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| This was done on a whim;) But its simply music printed scrapbook paper torn and layered with a top coat of Acrylic spray. |
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| a quirky little box covered in owls cut from wrapping paper I got in Maine:) |
DIY :: Rice Heat Pack
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| I used fabric scraps we already had. |
For years we've just thrown rice into an old, unmatched sock, tied the end and used that as a heat pack, but I thought that my brother {who works in construction all day} would appreciate one he could call his own.Although I came up with my own pattern for the heat pack I made, {one of my worst faults: not liking to follow project directions} it would be too complicated to write a tutorial out so I'll just share the excellent tutorial from Sew,Mama,Sew! {I got the idea from her in the first place.} Note: I used fresh lavender mixed with rice and it works just as well as essential oil.
Also, Mama mentioned that it'd be better to go with white rice because brown is more likely to smell rancid over time.
Rice Heat Therapy Bag Tutorial
 |  | Rice Heat Therapy Bag with Washable Cover Materials you will need:
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 | | 1. Cut Fabric
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| 2. Sew front strips together using narrow 3/8″ seam allowance. | ||
 | | 3. Fold over 1/4″ of one end of both the back and the front pieces. Press well with iron. |
 | | 4. Now fold that same edge under 1″ and press well. Make sure both the back and the front are exactly 1″ wide. |
 | | 5. Turn pieces right side up. Open up the crease that you just ironed (but not the 1/4″ fold.) Center and pin the velcro to the right side of the fabric, above the crease but slightly below that top, folded edge. Pin the hook piece of Velcro to one side of the bag and the loop piece to the other side of the bag. |
| 6. Sew Velcro in place. Using a short stitch length, carefully sew around all 4 sides of the Velcro. | ||
 | | 7. Place right sides of bag together. Carefully line up the top and sides. (Your Velcro will keep the pieces together, so no pins necessary!) Starting at the top (where the Velcro is), sew around three sides. |
 | | 8. Trim seam allowance. |
| 9. Fold Velcro edge to wrong side, using your creases as guides of where to fold. | ||
 | | 10. Sew around the top edge of the bag, just below the Velcro. |
 | | 11. Get your essential oil ready. |
 | | 12. Place 2 lbs. rice in bowl, sprinkle with essential oil and stir. |
 | | 13. Sew muslin pieces, with right sides together, leaving a 3″ opening on one of the short sides. |
| 14. Turn muslin bag right side out. Fill with rice. | ||
| 15. Stitch bag closed. (I shook all the rice to one end and machine-stitched the bag closed. It is tricky, but doable.) | ||
| 16. Place muslin bag into linen bag. Velcro closed. | ||
 | | I also made a smaller bag with buckwheat and peppermint oil. This bag is for the freezer. I’ll be making one of these for my daughter in shades of green. A “boo boo” bag. She heads for the frozen peas any time she is injured, so maybe this will appeal to her. |
 | | I made an eye pillow stuffed with flax seed. This is also for the freezer. I was lazy and didn’t make the washable cover for this one–just filled the pillow with flax and sewed it closed. I thought the oil might be too much when it is right next to your nose, so it is odorless. |
 | | All three items are going in a “Wellness Bag” which I’ll tell you more about on November 30, when we’re presenting gift compilation ideas. |
| Since these are being mailed to my gift recipient, and I won’t be there to explain them, I asked Lauren to make me some gift tags. They are very cute! You can print them onto card stock from this pdf. | ||
| Enjoy! |
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