ThoughtfulEscapes

...it's life.

Giving Thanks [3]

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Day 3 of Giving Thanks.

Today I am Giving Thanks for: Children. Time. Childhood

Children: I am so thankful for my children. They are indeed a heritage from the Lord. As hard as being a single mom is, I’m glad I have them. Last night was just me. That doesn’t happen very often {maybe 5 or 6 times}; it was quiet. I didn’t watch a movie or even have music with words. But I’m ready to have them back today. I can’t imagine having split custody. I know my growth has happened because I am a mom and just had to keep going. No matter what I felt like.

Time: I have had lots of time with my daughter this week. Unexpectedly we had three days. at home. {sigh}  Not only did the non-moving pace do me wonders, we had time to just be. Vince had several opportunities come up, since Wednesday morning he has been here for 12 hours – 9:30pm to 9:30am on Thursday. But it’s been good. He got friend time and Christine & I had some good connect time. We needed that time after the brutal week last week – honestly, since she turned 12 it’s not been that great. The last several days felt normal – as in before she turned 12 – it was awesome! {See below for more about my thankfulness for time this week}

Childhood: I ache for children to get to have an innocent childhood. Our culture, society, is rushing them to grow up so fast. I often feel like a stick-in-the-mud for saying ‘no’ to so much of what today expects is normal. I don’t believe we need to be on the go constantly. I see so many kids who are just tired. and not able to appreciate whatever event they are because they’re focused on the next. No matter how much they forward to something, it’s all about the next event. plan. place they have to be.

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Because we got to stay home {the time I mentioned above in Giving Thanks} the last 3 days I got to sew. Christine had asked me to make her a quilt for her bed. In 20 mins she picked out all the material – over 2 months ago. She has been waiting patiently. When she picked the material I really didn’t like it. I kept thinking ‘Ick! these don’t go together’, but it was all material she really wanted. So I got it. I don’t usually start with a pattern, only an idea. So there weren’t right or wrong quantities to get of each – just is there enough or not?

It started out as being a quilt for her bed. She wanted a disappearing 9 patch. then a quilt to curl up in. then just a “big blanket to cover everything, including my toes.” {I’ve made her two other quilts – one for her crib, one for the toddler bed. neither are quite big enough}.

But I love it! She did an amazing job with colors and patterns. She just grabbed and didn’t have a favorite — it takes me f.o.r.e.v.e.r. to pick material and then I’m tired of it before I finish.

My sets of 3 strips sewn together and cut to make the 9 patch. About here I decided I didn’t like 9 patch blocks after all. {I’ve mentioned loving flowers….never noticed all the flowers around the head of my bed. 3 in frames, on the lamp, and the wood box says ‘petite fleurs’. and yes, my iron has turquoise duct tape holding the handle together :-)}

At this point, I really didn’t like 9 patches. But my points were lining up — love my new machine! Also, I thought why on earth am I going to cut these apart to make the disappearing 9 patch?!  But I did for several. Until I was sick of trying to turn them the right way – what a pain! I sewed many together wrong. I did not pick them out & re-sew, I just kept going! Have to admit I’m appreciating shedding the perfectionist in me. I get things done quicker when I let go a bit… 

When I started this not-twin size disappearing 9 patch quilt…. I made the 9 patch blocks then started cutting them apart & re-sewing together. Decided I didn’t like doing that any more. so there are 9 patch blocks in the center, outlined in a tone-on-tone print brown {from material I had here at home – good thing I had it too! Even though I don’t remember what I actually bought it for.}, then the disappearing 9 patch blocks, with more of the brown to fill in the spaces….

The finished result of all my “mistakes”…My points don’t match, I didn’t measure – which is why there are brown chunks…also noticing I goofed the left corner spacing up. uh, duh.  oh well. Personally, I think the materials are a bit too busy for the disappearing 9 patch. around the edges they are fine, but I think the whole top would have been gaggy.

For the back I used one piece of material. Of course, I didn’t measure, it wasn’t wide enough, so I added 3″ strips on both sides. I did not do a binding. I sewed inside out and flipped it. then sewed around the edges. I stitched in the ditch around the center brown piece and did blanket ties for the rest.

This is a close up of the backside flipped over to the front. The curvy is what I stitched around the outside edge after flipping it right side out. The straight stitch in the ditch is what I did around the center brown square.

So what is it? it isn’t all quilted. it isn’t all tied. there is no outer binding. does that make it a quilt or a blanket? Who knows, but it covers all of her! It is mismatched and she loves it. She is 12 and wanted a blanket to wrap up in, made by mom. She wanted it in time for the lock-in she went to last night. Score – I had it tied, folded, and in the bag 3 hours before she left. Nailed it!

StudioJRU

I’m linking up for the first time with Studio JRU for ‘in the studio…sneak peek friday‘. The intent is to share what we’ve created during the week and encourage others who are creating too.

**I sent my camera off last night. I’m hoping they are able to fix it to be the way so many talk about their D3100’s or deem it unfixable and give me the money so I can start all over with purchasing one. I really hope this is not a camera I can’t ever trust – or do anything about.**

31 Days {Missing}

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Today’s 31 Days of Life is about missing the ‘yesteryears’. I know we aren’t supposed to dwell on the past – but I’m missing those days anyway. I’ve been trying to organize, sort, clean up the pictures on my computer…ugh!… As nice as memories are I’m missing my babies. My babies aren’t babies any more! They grew up. I have been seeing pictures of their sweet faces from 4 years ago. {sigh} It honestly has gone just way, way too fast. Four years ago a friend and I took our girls to the Nutcracker. They were all dressed up in sweet ivory silk dresses with gold glittery shoes. So, so sweet. It was a memorable day and I will never forget it.

She loved dancing and twirling. We had just been to the Nutcracker – she was flying high.

Look at the sparkle in her eyes. That is her baby doll my dad gave her for 1st or 2nd Christmas. The beautiful crochet (knit?) coat, it is over a beautiful red velvet dress -both from goodwill. {When thrift/consignment store shopping, I would buy clothes for her doll – preemie size fit the best. :-D}

She used to LOVE to dress up pretty. {Now, she’s the ripe old age of 12 and wouldn’t dream of dressing up. :-(, someday I hope it changes again.}

This was the beautiful bow in the back.

 Yes. Parenting is hard. But it is so worth it. We’ve had a hard day, but a good day. A day that will probably shape her friendships for the rest of her life. I do miss those days when the kids were younger – I’d go back and repeat them any day. However, I am thankful to see them grow and make mature choices, even when it is hard. As I wrote earlier this week about trusting Him, shame stemming from words, the importance of watching the words we say, and then about our voice. I had no idea the week would wrap up like it has. {Actually, last night I wrote a paragraph about being nervous as to why I’d dwelled on studying our mouth & tongue all week, then I removed it…now, I wish I’d left it in. I shoulda known something was coming! :-) Today I found out why the Lord was preparing me a.l.l. week. Yes, I’m thick-skulled – my parents called it stubborn, I call it slow.}

Our week

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I had big plans this week.  Then the week started, or maybe I should say last week continued.  My kids were both feeling lousy last week and were just finally both over it on Tuesday.  Then I woke up on Wednesday morning.  End of story, at last count I have taken three (or is it four now?) naps today…following the exact same pattern they did.  Ugh.

I was planning to participate in Project Simplify with Simple Mom.  This week would have been drawers & closet….I want to cheat and just link to a recent organization of my closet, but that isn’t spring cleaning so I won’t.  And for drawers — I have two in my house.  One holds my 2 hot pads and 6 dishtowels, and the other our silverware…not much going on there.

Instead, we had a couple sledding outings, LOTS of moose in our yard, and many hours of work.  We were having Ali withdrawal’s on Wednesday, so I checked with my sister-in-law and requested her yesterday.  We love our Ali, she is such a sweetie.  My kids absolutely love having her come; I am adult on duty, but otherwise un-neccesary when she comes.  She loves to see moose, she thinks we can beckon them on command.

The following are pictures from the last week.  None of them are cleaning, organizing, or crafting.  But they are all about loving children.  Which is really what my job is.  This week I have made deliberate effort to get priorities more defined and straightened out.  It’s been a good week.

Getting ready for a race down the driveway.
Sledboarding
 Looking for moose down in the garden.
 Ali loves coming to our house, but she has a special love and devotion to Vince.
We actually did have to come in the house because there were two moose in the garden,
just beyond the snowbank we were looking over.
 Ali was very proud to be wearing the same green ‘Alaska Grown’ shirt as Vince.
 We finally got Hickory into his kennel, and us inside.  Can you see the two moose?
They are small ones – but they are HUGE.  The whole time we were watching the moose, Ali kept saying “moooshe, moooshe.  April, see moooshe”.
{notice the attire addition — pink is her favorite.}
She got to stand on top of my bookshelf under the window for 15-20 min watching “the moooshe”.  Just to the right and down from her sweet little hand, you will see Hickory.
He.is.so.stupid!Would not stop barking!!
So the moose started to run, it ran towards the house, then turned and charged towards the kennel.  The moose are not new to Hickory, and Hickory is not new to the moose.

Girls & dresses

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Last fall one of the first youth group activities my daughter had was a tea-party.  The idea was for them to dress up in fancy dresses {unless they didn’t want to}.  Christine has always loved dresses and has usually had a few to choose from.  This fall was different, she’s decided she doesn’t like skirts or dresses – I’m assuming this is an age thing even though it makes me sad.  Anyway, we searched for something she liked and then one day we went to a bridal store.  This bridal store was selling demo dresses for $25.  A demo dress meant it had the company name stitched in the back and a hole cut or poked through all the layers.  They were from a company the store was no longer going to carry.

I have to say it was really strange to be in a bridal shop while my daughter tried on bridesmaid dresses.  In the end we found a dress that was a really pretty green and a style she liked that more or less fit on top.

As you can see it was rather long and “old” for an 11 year old.  {yes, you can also see my bedroom is painted dark – three dark brown walls, and one avocado green wall — I LOVE them.  I’ve lost track of how many years ago I painted them, it’s been at least three-possibly as many as five} So, we went to work with fixing it to be age appropriate.  She wanted the bottom to have pick ups – this was a perfect way to easily shorten the dress the foot+ that needed to come off.  :-D  I just shorten the most interior liner layer to the correct length then I used big multi-colored button to pick up the other layers.  I sewed through all the layers to the lining.  I started at the bottom and work my way up not putting any on the bum so it didn’t look like there was a bustle.  Because the top is just spaghetti straps, mom took her on a different day and got a women’s 2x Nordstrom, dark brown, t-shirt and I made a bolo jacket she could wear over it.  She wouldn’t let me take pictures of her with it on, so you’ll have to trust me that it looked better on her than it does hanging on this hanger.

It has been really fun for her to have a “fancy” dress.  She wore it for the Sugar Plum party mom had for the girls at Christmas and again for the father-daughter banquet our church had for middle school girls.  She has slimed down since adjusting the dress and making the bolo jacket, so she wore a t-shirt or tank under it and a different little jacket over it (dead of winter, it was cold out).  One of her youth leaders took her as a substitute little sister with her and her dad.  It was very sweet.  I don’t have permission to put their photos up – I will ask tomorrow at church and then edit the post :-D.
*edited to add photo of her with one of her youth leaders:
Today mom, Christine & I had a fun day.  We went thrift store shopping.  We ended up in the same store location, but it is now a consignment store.  The three of us hadn’t been shopping together since that time last fall when we got this dress.  Today I was trying hard to get Christine to look at skirts or dresses for Easter Sunday.  We don’t put much into new clothes for Easter, in the past it’s been more of an excuse to get something springy, whether it was new or just pulling it out of the “to grow into bin” – but she wasn’t having anything to do with that idea.  I don’t have any clothes for her to grow into, or seasonal put away; I have to admit I’m tired of the same pair of jeans & zip up sweatshirt – every week.  However, in the end she allowed me to get a women’s size 16-18W peasant skirt – to make her a dress out of.  The skirt is from apostrophe.  I’m super excited :-D!  I love that she is consistently resisting ready made dresses/skirts, but will still let me make them for her.  We also went to Jo-Ann’s and got some beads; this evening I had the fun of making six necklaces for my mom!  Now off to bed…It’s 11:30pm, but I lose an hour of sleep.
I hope you have a wonderfully rest-full day tomorrow.