So Much Fabric... So Little Time

I received a request for a custom girls set so I pulled out a small fraction of fabric from my stash to send the customer some pictures to choose from and realized I have a lot of fabric to use up before the season changes again. If only I had more time!!!

The kids are with some friends so I have the house to myself until Scott gets home from work. So I am off to sew for a few hours.

Car Wreck Equals SALE

Well Sydney got her car a few weeks ago and last night on the way home she was in a wreck. She is fine and so is the gentleman who hit her however he was in a fairly big pick-up so as you can imagine her car is not ok.

Since Syd is working hard towards college and staying out of debt I want to try to help her and you at the same time so I am having a sale. I have listed lots of new items in my Etsy shop and on e-bay and for the next week if you purchase two items and mention this post in the payment section I will give you FREE shipping. If you buy three items I will give you free shipping and a free gift. I have given Sydney permission to use any and all of my fabric and trims so what she makes will be total profit towards her car. All together Sydney needs to raise about $1,500; I feel confident with some hard work she can do it. She is a great seamstress and knitter and as I type this she is hard at work making some darling pinafore and mop cap sets for toddlers so you will want to be sure to check out our shops over the next few days. Here is a link to her Etsy Shop. You can also see a preview of her work in my sidebar.

Also we would appreciate your prayers as we try to get everything handled that goes along with a wreck. This is her first one and she is a bit shaken so if you have time stop by her blog and leave her some encouragement!

SAT Scores Released

I must say in my opinion the SAT scores are released waaaaay too early in the morning! Sydney JUMPED in my bed at 6:00 this morning to give me her scores. While I am very proud of her I would have been a little more coherent say around 7:00.

I did find out though that an excited daughter can wake you faster than your morning coffee!


Sydney, I am so very proud of you!

Moms By Heart

I meant to get this up sooner but once we got home from VBS I made lunch, ran to the store and then crashed on the couch.

Lori at Moms by Heart has my Etsy store and website featured on her blog today. Every Monday Lori's blog has a section that highlights a different mom who works from home to help them get some exposure. I think it is such a great way to help out other moms! Lori's site also has a ton of information on saving money, making money and getting the most out of life! If you have never been there you need to sop by and check it out.

Thanks Lori for all the great exposure!

VBS

I am sorry I have not been around much the last few days, we have been very busy finding Syd a car and putting the final touches on our VBS stuff that starts today! Our theme this year is Passport to the Promised Land from Bogard Press

I will be teaching the 1-3 graders while for the first time Ray will be helping instead of participating as a student. He is very excited to be helping with the games.

Well I better get going I need to load up the truck and finish getting ready. I will be back this afternoon with some exciting news!

Coupon Giveaway Winners

Giveaway # 1 Deedee

Giveaway # 2 Carla P.

I will get your coupons mailed out either this afternoon or in the morning!

Skirted Culottes

I just added skirted culottes to my Etsy shop! I have had these on our website and sold them to friends but for some reason had never gotten them listed on Etsy.

I have the skirted culottes with a zippered waist or for little girls I have an elastic waist option. This is extremely helpful for little girls who want to dress themselves and for potty breaks.

If you have never seen skirted culottes you have to take a look. Unlike traditional pleated culottes these look like an a-line skirt in the front and back and have modest slits that make doing everyday activities a breeze. When you run or participate in sports these do not fly up.

My daughter Sydney loves these especially in the summer and she even wears them to work! The pair in the picture are made from a light weight denim fabric and match everything just like a denim skirt.

If I Were You.....

If I were you I would...... If it were my child I would..... If it were up to me I would..... How many times have you heard that from someone? How many times have you said that?

I cannot count how many times in the last six months I have heard the above. Some of the time from well meaning people but other times it is just from people who think their way is the only way.

I have to admit it is easy to think our way is the best way but honestly it is not always the best way for everyone. Gods plan for each of us is so different that it is useless to try to put everyone in the same mold and say "this is the only way, this is the right way".

As I have gotten older I have found that there are too many things that we as Christians try to make right and wrong that the Bible does not specify. The most recent thing that has caused some hurt and confusion is my daughters desire to go to college. Sydney has always enjoyed school and been a great student so she had our full support. In fact from the time she was little we encouraged her to go. Then about a year or so ago Sydney had read some blogs, books and after speaking to some friends was not sure it was right to go to college aside from correspondence courses. I told her I did not see anything wrong with it nor did her dad and I hoped that she would really pray about it and seek Gods will not others. When things like this happen I try to remind our kids that God will lead them but he will also lead us as their parents and if he shows them something that in the past we have be opposed to he will change our heart too if it is His will for them. God is not a God of confusion and I do not believe he will leave a family in confusion and chaos.

Sydney continued to pray and wait on God and he eventually made everything very clear even which college to attend. Not being one to wait she immediately started making plans and almost as quickly people started coming to me with worry and opinions. Not because they had any great insight based on knowing Sydney, in fact many of them knew little bout her. They simple looked at their life or someone they knew and immediately decided it was wrong.

I have had mothers ask me why she doesn't want to marry or have kids? What does going to college now at 18 have to do with marriage and having kids? Sydney does desire to marry and have kids someday and when the time is right, Gods time, she will. Other mothers tell me horror stories about girls they knew who went to college and were ruined. Well, I know women who went to Bible college and are wonderful missionaries, wives, mothers and a few that are all the above. I have people tell me about all the dangerous things that might happen, guess what they can happen here too and the best/lamest one people ask me , do you know how expensive that is going to be? Hmmm, yes her dad and I do and we serve a mighty king who can supply for it!

When these "well meaning" people get going I try to bring them back to Jesus, He loves Sydney, and as long as she is in His will He will watch out for her and He will supply her needs. Her father and I will continue to love and pray for her just like she was living here in the house.

I could allow these peoples fears to overwhelm me, I could try to discourage Syd, I could even forbid it but what good would any of that do? The safest place for her is in Gods will and we know that for now that means going to college. Am I jumping up and down that she has chosen a college out of state? No! Am I going to miss her? Of course, she is my daughter and a friend but I truly want her to be happy and the whole point of being a parent in my opinion is to raise your child to seek Gods will and fulfil it. God is setting people up right now in MO for Sydney to witness to that only she will get to witness to, that only her journey in life will get through to them.

I guess the whole point of this post, beyond venting, is to say; stop and think before you give advice. God does not want or need cookie cutter Christians and His will for your child is not going to be the same as His will for my child.

Store Sale: Bosch Mixer and Nutrimill Grain Mill

I usually do not mention our online store on my blog but this sale is too good not to.

Through July 4th you can get a Universal Plus mixer, the new MX3 blender, and a copy of the Sensible Cooking cookbook for only $429.98.

The Bosh mixer is wonderful for mixing large batches of bread dough or simply mixing a cake.

We also have the Nutrimill grain mill on sale for $239.99

Coupon Giveaway #2

Giveaway Over

As I started organizing my coupons last night it did not take me long to realize I had a lot that I would never use before they expire and many for items that we do not use. I hate to waste so I am giving them away.

The Give Away will last through next Wednesday, 6/17/09 at noon. The winner will be selected at random and will be mailed the coupons.

You may enter once by leaving a comment and then again if you mention it on you blog come back and leave a link for you second entry.

Please leave a way for me to contact you if you win

Also if you or someone you know is in need of coupons for baby items be sure to enter my other coupon giveaway.

Coupon Giveaway #1

Giveaway Over

I have found myself with several coupons for baby things including formula and I don't have a baby anymore, my youngest is 13.

The Give Away will last through next Wednesday, 6/17/09 at noon. The winner will be selected at random and will be mailed the coupons.

You may enter once by leaving a comment and then again if you mention it on you blog come back and leave a link for you second entry.

Please leave a way for me to contact you if you win.

If you are in need of coupons for other items be sure to check out my other coupon giveaway.

Coupon Giveaway

I have been so busy the last few weeks that I have gotten waaaaay behind in organizing my coupons and since I usually get three papers when the coupons are good I have a lot to go through.

So as I spent the evening going through them I realized I have a lot I will never get to use before they expire and decided to have another coupon giveaway starting in the morning.

I will list two separate giveaways:
1. General coupons including baby items

2. One just for baby items including some formula checks

Be sure to check back by in the morning to sign up, the giveaway will last 1 week and I will have ways for you to enter multiple times.

Physical Therapy....DONE!

Yesterday was my final physical therapy session. I still have to do my daily stretches and walk but I can do it from home. I used HealthSouth for my physical therapy and would highly recomend them. Each of the therapist I got to work with were friendly, caring and knowledgable. They pushed just enough to challange me but always let me stop when I got nervouse or needed to. They even let my daughter watch a couple of times.

I also had my check up today with my back doctor and he said that I am doing fine and can continue to increase my activities over the next month and by July 15th I should be doing everything I use to do! I am also planning on joining Curves next month, once our schedule settles down for the summer.

I still have some very light pain occasionally but it goes away with a couple of Advil. My Achilles tendon response is still absent and may not return but Dr Guyer has assured me that it will not be noticeable in daily life. I also do not have to return to see him unless I need to.

I am so excited about how well everything turned out with my back, I truly feel blessed.

Baking Day

Sydney and I are going to spend this evening baking, I will try to get some pictures and recipes up as we go or at least by tomorrow afternoon.

So far the plan is: bread, blondies, lemon bars and peanut butter cookies. Since it is already 5:00 I am not sure what all will actually get done but it will be fun regardless.

6:21 we have snicker doodle dough chilling in the refrigerator, peanut butter cookies and lemon bars baking. Not bad for 1hour and 21 minutes.

Lemon Bars ready to bake.

Peanut Butter Cookie dough

Cleaning as we go

Having a restraunt size sink comes in handy, of course the dishwasher is great too!

Day In The Sun

Actually morning in the sun but I'll take what I can get. This morning we went out back to the garden and I didn't want to head back in, it was just too pretty out.

Vincent mowed the back area, Ray swept the porch, Sydney helped with the water hoses and I moved some wondering cucumbers back to the trellis. Then the kids just played around while I took pictures. Even the dog and cat joined in!