Sewing and crafting a homemade Christmas.

My Week End has been full of activity.
Beloved took the young ones to the Grand Parents on Saturday so I could set to task.
I dove right into a full day of intense efforts.
I began with these. I have had these cut out for over a year. This is the first Christmas where I can create this for my daughter. Between surgery,car accidents and illness I have been delayed the joys I am knowing now.

As I started my process I was without a vital supply. fusible batting. I started to go shower to leave the house ( I did not want to use my sewing time at a store) , but then it occurred to me!
I had purchased some "wonder Under" on my date night last weekend. I decided to make my own! I had enough larger batting scraps and the wonder under fusable adheasive

Look at God provision here!
That is perfectly enough to fit the pattern ! Is that just too cool!

I got both houses made and had enough cake board to do the first one.
I have yet to hand stitch the openings closed.

Sewing tip* When sewing crafts see how I place my pins set back away and then I just put the peddle to the metal and remove the pins after on the cutting table. I must redeem every moment and work wisely.

This is the house set up, it ties and then folds flat for storage.

Some have used zippers or Velcro for the sides. I just used what I have. I really did not want to go to a store!

Speaking of stores... Years back when a party store was having a 40% sale I invested (yes invested ) in the spools of ribbon one of every color. I still have a supply of the small spools too. I am making an effort to use them up. Some whoever are a rich metallic nature.
This is all kept in a wheeled cart in a closet in the other drawers are the party supplies, gift bags and such. I just pull the drawer out when I am wrapping several gifts. I will use a complimentary mix of colors and tie the packages. Then use the edge of my scissors to curl it.

I also use wired ribbon that I got very cheep several years ago. I have recycled it three times, once it was on the Christmas tree, Then a Garland now for the gifts.

Speaking of gifts. I have a few ideas for you.
I make something I coined "Keep Pens". By using floral tape on ink pens with a silk flower(use wire nippers to cut them) and glue to ends, you'll have a "Keep Pen" (nobody will take it :) They are great gifts for receptionists and such. I like giving them in a wrapper that makes them look like flowers. They are very light weight to mail also.

Another idea is this... When you find nice frames on a clearance get them!
Buy a nice calendar or use favorite images frame them and give as gifts.
These are scriptures. When purchased in a store were talking $45 or so...
Here each one has $3. invested in them and hour of time each (Clean the glass both sides and make sure your glass is dry then remove the backing and frame them. Add a hanger the saw tooth type is best and you have a very beautiful classy gift. Not so good for mailing glass breaks :)

This I finished just for me!

I worked on this while I down loaded the images.
So here I sit and now it is time for me to close. Beloved is calling me to come for showers and to go to bed.
I hope you all had a great weekend!

Menu Plan Monday

This is the most important part of my Menu this week and here after

I worked very diligently and finished the tree today.
My niece (five years younger than I) made these Place matts and the runner that is on the island, for us, years ago.

The sung praises of Christmas music and family around the table.

The actual menu for next week proves challenging. The "eating for blood type meal plan gets very expensive after the 6th day. It is not working as a stand alone so I need to be creative and tweak it. Because I matter I will not just give up on it like I did last week. I see that this is the best thing for me health wise, so I begin again.
It is still in process.

My blog is a treasure...Jaye said so.

She wrote...
Then ya have Donetta with one "N" hahah inside joke... ..Donetta Donetta is just so full of, it what is the it? it is information she just is so in touch with so many different aspects of life... I just love her.

My name should be spelled Donnetta to be pronounced correctly. I have been told I'm full of it! :) Ha! But never so nicely:)
She knows I love her too. Thanks Jaye. I treasure you too Lady.

Urgent Call to prayer for a child. Please.

Please pray...I am taking Kyle to the ER...He either fainted or had a seizure and I need to be sure there is nothing neurological. He had a hard time coming out of it.

This just in from my Dear friend . Please join me.
Thank you.

Sunday Smiles

"At Spiritually Unequal Marriage"

The children camped out last night with such exuberance declaring! Only three more days of school next week and we can camp out all we want!
Camping out means sleeping in the same room together.
I see Dash peeking around the corner to see if I notice they are awake. The glee!!!They just noticed the bulge in their stockings (Christmas) It is a little bag of "coal" a lump of coal. It is gum. I think it so fun to give them expectation. Oh the chatter and giddy revelations of new stuff to examine.
They are independent this morning. Two little souls searching out the thrill of adventure.
Speaking of adventure...My day free to work on the children's gifts yesterday ended in a fine on for me. My dear MILove encouraged me to take time off in my free day just for me. I was very tired after my marathon sewing project so after a wonderful hot shower i did so, even taking the time out to iron a shirt just for me. I had several gift cards that were in y bill fold for some time and I had just received another the night before. So I went to the Wal-Mart and got more batting. There was ONE cart left at the curb just for me. :) It was fun to just walk in and grab just what I wanted. And The very last item awaited me, as I with gratitude noticed. Upon leaving a young teen had arms full of fire wood so I gave him my cart much to his delight. The door man smiled and blessed me with an appreciative smile.
Leaving and onto the bookstore where to my delight this old card in my bag was worth $20 so stuffed toys for the kids and a dark chocolate Godiva bar for me :) I spent $.13 cents.
Onto Pei Wei (Pay Way) The night before when the hostess asked me of our meal.. She returned with a $10 gift card because it had been improperly prepared. So I got to go again last night and get an order take out. I ate in my car under a street light in the parking lot (with my doors locked). I decided to turn on the radio instead of the CD, and to my delight it was Garrison Kieler and "A Prairie Home Companion" BLUE GRASS GOSPEL! Oh man it was so perfect!
I said " I love you too" to Abba. They did a Gospel quartet of an old Tennessee spiritual I just enjoyed it so much.
Then onto a Walgreen's drugstore and I got the kids some more candy canes and a little nativity set to fill up the last few days of the advent calendar. If you are still with me here is the adventure.
While I was shopping a man passed me and oh I felt this darkness that I looked up into his face and oh the darkness! I felt strange and a fear came over me. I turned it to wisdom. I watched in the store mirrors as he cased the store to rob it. I watched him go to the photo counter and he was thinking it over . When I went to the pharmacy to report him. It was closed. It then clicked that I had authority here. I said softy for the enemy to stop and for him to leave this store NOW, In the name of the Lord Jesus Now go! I then walked toward the front of the store keeping my distance. Again in the very soft tones I said Leave here now in Jesus name. I headed toward the register where the teenage cashier was out of his place and straightening a shelf. The Man was moving toward him. I stayed back and just thought Now! leave! The man who was 10-15 feed in front of me turned toward me and looked so evil at me and as if an invisible force was pushing him went out the door looking angry at me (he was very thin and was probably on crack cocaine).
I cashed out and told the cashier what had just happened (how the man was about to rob him). He was so thankful and appreciative. The young man escorted me to my car thanking me. It was so powerful!
The gift of fear is wisdom. I was so proud of my courage to move out of the fear and into the authority of Christ. It was His authority and the man heard nothing audibly that I said.

Call to prayer

Please pray for this
Dear family
Their house just burnt down last week. The day of their daughter 6th birthday. The day after she went in to find out if her cancer is still in remission.
This family needs your prayers.

Photo hunters * small*

This afternoons craft with the kids. Rain Deer Hand Prints

Rain Deer Hand Prints

These are made with "foamies".
You can use paper or fabric.
Trace hand prints L/R invert them for antlers.
add a scarf,eyes, pom-pom for nose and a brown splat for the head
holly leaves and red dots.

I cut the hands out they will do the rest.
Remember to date and put the name and age on them.

Christmas Tree *use up left over batting"

Gift Ideas Quilt and foot warmer

A little guy likes this movie the old ones.
He knows that we have a battle to fight in this life.
This is fleece baked with a batting within it.

FILove flew in WWII

If I had more time I'd give you a binding lesson.
If any one is interested just ask.

Ded Moroz

Thanks to black Pearl for this great post.

Who is Ded Moroz?

Wednesday, December 12, 2007

Russia's Gift giver is called Ded Moroz. Ded is short for Dedooshkah. Which means grandfather and Moroz is the word for frost. So he is Grandfather Frost.

... you can read about him here:


http://www.santalady.com/gg/moroz.html

Garbage disposal problems.

Good Morning! I am limping into the day...

We have a garbage disposal in our kitchen sink (an electric unit that allows what most countries compost to be sent down a drain) . Yesterday in my disappointment (in myself for wasting foods) I needed to toss some left overs that I got a bit to busy to use up. I really hate to throw out our resources like that. Well the garbage disposal is temperamental and I often forget to use care and dispose of th foods slowly paying attention to the needs of the disposal. When I don't allow it to work as it should it jams. Then I have a real mess, usually stinky one too (for the foods that might be spoil are the ones that get tossed).
So yesterday I jammed the garbage disposal. I usually get Beloved to come in with the plunger and fix my mess and it is not a fun task. Often you get splashed with disgusting water...You get the idea?
Well beloved was at work and I had a mind to get the kitchen cared for. It was in my heart to fix my neglected kitchen so it would be the way I like it. I went and got the plunger and did the job and then sanitized the plunger (Spoiled turkey was the culprit) . It smelled real bad too, but the point is I took care of it myself. I have depended on Hubby when he is home to do what I can do for myself if in a pinch (just because I hate doing it) . Hubby takes good care of me indeed.
I need to take the responsibility to take good care of me.

After my guest left last night I was drawn into Ephesians 6. I noticed how the very same text that tells us how important it is to respect the role of Mother Father, tells us To be strong in union with God. It goes onto speak of the armor and Standing sure footed.
I then went to bed. I found myself awakened around 3 a.m. to being very ill. An illness all too familiar.
You see I treat myself like that garbage disposal under the kitchen sink. I have been sloppy eating wheat and such. NOT GOOD. The wheat then causes my pipes to swell and then just like the one under the sink the problems begin and end with a terrible bowel disruption and the overflow of vomiting.
Then who should come into me aide...? My Beloved.
Finding me shivering and cold on the bathroom floor so weak and ill that I can not tend to my self. He cleaning up my illness and covering me with towels. This lasted two hours or so and has left me weak today.
I am not a garbage disposal but I often treat myself like one. I will give greater consideration to another than to excuse myself from eating things that I am allergic to ( my guest made a wonderful chicken noodle soup (wheat noodles...I promised her next time I would speak up). I will also cram those things into my "pipe whole" that I should not (wheat cookies the kids made).
As I am aging, just like that machine under the sink, I am loosing the ability to get buy with too much junk crammed in at once :)
Not only that but it is not so fair to my Beloved to make him responsible to loose sleep caring for me when avoidance would have been the higher road. I was threatened with a colonoscopy bag at one point two years ago this was so bad. My pipes would clog for up to two weeks at a time causing violent illness and loss of function. It is do to the swelling of the colon wall from the allergy to wheat and milk and such. So the old remedies are not applicable.
I managed somehow to do my morning chores and kids to school. Now the tasks I need to do are also hindered because of my lack of respect for myself and lack of discipline.
Maybe you can relate.

The remedy is caring about me enough to stop treating myself like a garbage disposal.
To start prizing my vessel and going the extra mile (20 :)) to fix the things I need to "just for me".

The desirers of our heart matter...

This was fun today.
The best part of my day and I was relaxed to enjoy it!

This evening we had our sewing lesson time.
I called over and amazing quilting artist, my dear friend Jaye. We have known each other 18+ years. It is so wonderful to have friends that are close as dear family (even closer).
Sherry's quilt can be finished at home by her. As her heart desired, she will have a quilt to give to her grand son. Her heart mattered!

I retire my day now with a clean kitchen thanks to Beloved.
Thanks to paying attention to my own heart too.
A clean floor and counters clear to start my day. It will come all to fast .
So thank you for the pleasure of your presence Jaye.
I love you!
Good night all the morrow will be here all too soon.
Thank you for all your wonderful comments folks.
Good night.

Thursday Thirteen

Priorities! After school it is my heart to decorate these with the children.
In order to do that....

I just had to mp my floor, I could not take it any more! So this I did just for me!
I cleaned the oven and micro wave and the counter tops. Wiped down the front of the cabinets as well. It feels so much better. I think this is important to help me to be able to relax with my sweet kids later.

I have noticed the stress I was feeling every time I saw the mess that was over running the supply center. We keep the art and scholastic supplies here. It was just awfully messy. Had to fix it again for my own heart I gave pause to this task. :)

It left a bit of a mess here , but I'll get it later on this afternoon.
After cookie decorating.
I'll have to get it done because I teach again tonight.
We need to finish the quilt today.
Jaye, do you want to come over tonight and help with the binding?
I am a little unpracticed at it?

So with many tasks and projects and thrills of creative genius. This will soon have more of these under here. The kids are worried because they have yet to see the mounds of years past.
They keep asking...
"are we really going to have the BEST Christmas ever Mom?"

I have this to make today.

Two triple decker stuffed snow balls to do before the time melts away.
The kids are due home in two hours!

I mailed another 24 or so of these this morning and have only a few left to do now.

With the cooler weather we have had many ...
"Two dog nights"
lately.

Is that just the cutest thing!
They sleep just outside our master bedroom door.
They snore! I have asthma so no dogs in the bed chamber.
I made them lots of blankets that they sleep on.

While driving through the reservation last week we passed this residence.
Please use great care with your decorations. Fire hazards are over loaded extension cords, over loaded breakers. Dry trees! KEEP WATER in the pans.
Unattended candles.
Have a safe Christmas.

Guilt personified!
Mr counter surfer himself.

A tip for you. If you use these food coloring and they dry out,
glycerin, is a "save the day"thing to keep on hand.
It will re-constitute your colors.

If all else fails...
Dash has created a new super hero!
Super Santa!

Thankful Thursday

I am thankful that it is 5:41 and even though Willy , who was counter surfing and got busted (he got into a baggy of can lids I am saving for beauty's class) they crashed onto the floor. I found myself enjoying the devotionals from Denise. Even though it is this early a.m. I have the quiet to come and Worship my King. For he is ever present. "Hear (as in listen)" to spend time with me in the stillness. I feel His presence. I can and do "know" His presence.
For this I am most grateful of all.
It is he who redeems my time. I know that it will be redeemed today. All the tasks, desires and goals I have would to too overwhelming were it not for the fact; I have have spent a life time seeing it happen. I am tired yet refreshed. Worn but enthusiastic knowing that today will be no exception. He will be and is with me. I have that resolved peace in knowing that it will all be accomplished in His perfect interventionist timing. So here even now I sit in what could be considered interrupted sleep ... in the quiet with Him before it all begins for this day.

Come Worship the King
For we are his people
The flock that he gathered
Hallalua
The Lord is God
From a song by Michale Talbot

So here I am, gathered to follow him into this new day.
It is such a good thing to be gathered and not alone in the night.
Present and alert x4

Quilting...Sewing Lessons

I have been giving sewing lessons once a week to a sweet friend of mine.
Beloved covers me the dishes and kitchen chore, tends the children and supports her and I.
She has been providing the supper, so I am covered for the cooking.
Then I commence to teaching her some skills of the needle, fabric and pattern.

We made it to this point in her project tonight. Tomorrow night we will do minding on two intersections, tie it and do a satin binding. She will have her quilt for her grandson for Christmas It is 10:20 and we just finished up. I am tired!
I must start sewing my gifts in earnest tomorrow!

We work well together. Funny it was she who once mentored young women, now I am sharing my skill sets with her. We enjoy our fellowship. We are not to far off in age.

It has been her heart to learn to sew to make her grandson a quilt. He is now seven months. She looked into lessons at a quilting store and was startled at the costs. she then remembered me. We have had a nice time catching up with each other it had been a couple of years.
She is a delight.
She came with homemade chicken soup and bread for my family and cookies too.

A good read!

I met someone new. You gotta read this post!

Hear Me Roar

December 10, 2007

Hear Me Roar

Michelle at "Life in the midst of Writting"presented this award to me today: The Roar Award, for powerful words.
Thank you Sweet Heart.

The award was started by the Shameless Lion Writing Circle and is "the chance to scream from the mountains the good news about the powerful posts that are produced every day in the blogosphere, despite what some mainstream columnists and journalists claim."

Now I'm supposed to give this to five people.

1. "Yesu Garden"
2. "Just a Mom"
3. "Walking On"
4. "Spiritually Unequally yoked"
5. "Pieces from me"

Wow so many of you are worthy of this, and more.

Tails from the scales Weel #11

Time to admit (on the blog) an eating disorder. I have struggled all of my life with being able to manage my feelings in a healthy way. Food is a pacifier and a punisher for me. When I want to be nice to my self I have a "treat". When I am angry with myself I binge (eat stuff that will make me feel bad). When I am hurt I treat myself to make myself "feel better"Food for me is a feelings barometer. My meal plan....well I am not worth the hassle (although I know I need to be) . See a pattern here? I do.
I have been over extended and also neglectful of not only my meal plan for weight loss but I am ignoring my hands care as well. I just have too many things to attend to and in my habitual way "Taking care of me (my body) is just a hassle". Same with my knee (terror here) I do not want a knee replacement. I am over tired too.
I do not want to check my weight because I see "failed" on the scale. It is depressive. I know what I need to do. I do the things I do not want to do and do not do those things I do want to do.
I got up at 4:30 with Dash and am tired so NAP TIME for mom. It is 8:30 now, and I just dropped the kids off at school.
Maybe someone can relate. Real and honest.
~d
12:30
AFTER A THREE HOUR NAP, AND AN HOUR OF WAISTED TV TIME I FELT BACK TO FOCUS.
I DID WEIGH AND GAINED 1 POUND. IT WAS NOT AS MUCH AS I HAD EXPECTED. THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR KINDNESS. NOW I NEED TO GET TO WORK. GOT TO GO GET DOG FOOD, AND START THE CHORES. CHRISTMAS CARDS MUST GET DONE SO I HAVE THE TABLE. I TEACH TONIGHT (SEWING LESSON).

Wordless Wedensday

If you look real close Daddy Man is holding Dash.
6:30 AM Foggy Morning.