My Oh! so creative Mama

My mom is so creative. If you've ever been to Paper Source (wonderful store), you have heard their motto; "Do something creative every day." My mom lives up to this so well! She embarks on a project and dazzles me with her ideas.
This sweet collage is focused on a picture of her as a baby. It is a page from a mini scrapbook she made her mom on mothers day. Isn't it cute!?
She inspires me to try stuff like this... but all my efforts are dimmed next to her lovely works of art.

Creation

Inspired by all the artful people in the world, and by the spring weather that keeps playing peek-a-boo with nor-cal, I decided to take a shot at a sewing project. I pulled down my moms box of patterns which was filled mostly with dated McCall's, and children's rompers... but from her small collection of maternity patterns, I came across a simple springy dress pattern that I thought would suit my whims.
I mulled on this idea. For a couple of days, actually. I don't usually embark on these sorts of adventures, you see, and am inexperienced as yet.
The main problem was that I didn't have easy access to large amounts of fabric. I mentioned fabric shopping to my mom, who would be my ticket to said fabric, but only in passing and without the necessary desperation. But finally a much more viable and exciting option set itself before me.
Kept down in our garage we have an old and sizable wardrobe, in which we store the clothes which are outgrown or unused or off season or just plain too old. I remembered seeing on a few occasions jumper dresses of my moms that she no longer wore.
"If," I thought to myself, "If I find a large jumper with fabric to my liking, it will be easy enough to alter it with my nifty maternity dress pattern."

I found one!

Unfortunately I didn't take a 'before' picture of this dress... but picture with me an x-large April Cornell, sleeveless dress, ankle length with a deep contrasting strip at the hem; the neckline bedecked with a square collar that would be large enough for a baby's bib... but sewn in a cute pink small gingham/plaid print! This was my playing field.
It remained only for me to take apart nearly every piece of this dress, cut them to resemble my beginning pattern, and sew them together again.

Behold my creation!

My Morning

I threw on some clothes in the late morning and ventured out into the garden. The freshness enveloped me as I opened the door, bible in hand, to read outside. In the still shady pathway the dew felt good on my bare feet. Picking my way through the rocks and weeds I situated myself on a rickety old bench that always threatens to collapse (but never does). I sat motionless, soaking up the sun like a dry sponge placed under a faucet.
An orchestra of sounds rang in my ears; a thousand bees circled me, restlessly alighting on every flower in sight. There was gentle rustlings from the ground, as seemingly invisible creatures brushed along the plant stalks and dry leaves. The katydids clicked like castenettes on a Spanish dancer, as they whisked over my head. Bird songs from all directions meshed themselves together before reaching my ears, creating a sporadic yet harmonious melody.
But better then these sounds, was the tangle of sunshine at my feet. The orange poppies rose from the gravel walkway in hosts, tumbling over each other in their excited clamor towards the sun, swaying in the slightest breeze and nudging others to do the same. Stretching tall in solitary clumps grew yellow bursts of flowers that royally oversaw the surrounding blooms. And like tiny reflections of all this glory, baby white blossoms climbed up their own stalk like children sitting on a ladder, and brought a cheery and lighthearted variance in hue.
These colors closed me in on every side as I settled onto the old bench, pondering the words of Paul to the Ephesians.

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. V3

Does that include flowers and bees?

Vs 12 ...for the praise of his glory...
Vs 14 ...to the praise of his glory...

Now... I know that he was referring to people in this, but I began to isolate those words and think to myself; if weeds and poppies can be to the praise of his glory by sedentarily sitting in the gravel... what is keeping us from consistently being the same? I don't have the answer.

Enjoy my pictures, interspersed with lyrics.
(All pictures taken by myself)

I look out the window, the birds are composing... Not a note is out of tune or out of place.


I look at the meadow and stare at the flowers; better dressed than any girl on her wedding day...
~your love is strong - jon foreman~



I am stained with dirt, prone to depravity... but a certain sign of grace is this; from the broken earth flowers come up, pushing through the dirt...
~wholly yours - david crowder band~


Creation's revealing Your majesty, from the colors of fall to the fragrance of spring... Awestruck we fall to our knees as we humbly proclaim; You are amazing God!
~indescribable - chris tomlin~


Lord, search my heart,
Create in me something clean.
Dandelions-
You see flowers in these weeds.
~dandelions - five iron frenzy~

You are everything that is bright and clean
And You’re covering me with Your majesty!
~wholly yours - david crowder band~

It made me smile

Driving to church this morning I was kind of thoughtless, in that I didn't have any thoughts. I was statue-esk in the front seat. The morning was as beautiful as a spring morning should be, and the sun was bright and cheerful, but somehow it escaped me. I needed something to reach into my empty thoughts and plant a smile.
A child was riding in his stroller on the sidewalk and his baby mouth broke into a baby yawn as he leaned back in his stroller. As we passed, it made me smile.

Myself and Me

I spend
a lot of time with myself
trying to be my friend,
sometimes listening to my apologies
often to my excuses,
occasionally to my good sense.
I know me well, but
- now and then -
find me an interesting stranger!

(Helen Harrington)

Remember When?

My Friend,

Remember when we were little and we would dress up in everything we could find? Ballerina skirts and cowboy vest were compatible and cute when you put on your silly child smile. The hair in our faces didn’t matter when the photographs were shot, cause we were young and free.
Remember the channels and castles, bridges and lakes we made in your sandbox? Digging in the damp sand we would connect and intersect our tunnels until it was a maze of paths. We would bring the garden hose and send the current into the waterways; transforming our kingdom into a sandy swamp. Wading through it, our legs were coated, but we didn’t mind. We sprayed them with the cooling water and felt refreshed.
Think of all the trees that have our footprints there… the walnut limbs above the orange tree, the orange tree above the fence; the tree house in our backyard shade, where we would hide away. Remember that day you buried her in the pile of yellow leaves? I was looking down from the branches and we all laughed when she emerged.
Remember our days in the park so long ago, jumping off the wall like we could fly? It was our initiation to the fairy world (which we designed). Running through the grassy field and striving to earn our wings… practicing our magic skills… learning basic fairy things.
Remember our efforts to turn your bunk bed into a dolly home? One sleeping space cannot become three living rooms, but we didn’t know… and so we tried again. We carefully laid our dolls to sleep and sat on the floor instead to keep from knocking down the walls.
Remember the utter darkness of the basement when we were hidden there? We became the Jewish fugitives dreading the heavy Nazi footsteps overhead. Huddled beneath the staircase, our frantic whispers hushed each other up. But they would change to laughs when some one lit the room and we were faced with the cardboard boxes and cluttered storage space. We knew that the footsteps were only our mothers preparing lunch, their voices droned (discussing grown up things).
Remember birthdays on the beach? We carried the picnic lunch to the shore and we girls would dance with the water. Screaming at the cold, but plunging in all the same. We moved with the undulating waves; floating and somersaulting in their midst. Lunch was not harmed by the crunchy bits of sand; nor were our saturated bathing-suits… celebration and soda pop were our only cares.
Remember my mommy’s giant room where we would play hide and seek? Would you hide on the lofty shelves of the closet, or behind the hanging clothes? Or the time you slid behind the many pillows on the bed… I never would have found you. I waited for an eternity inside the blanket chest, suppressing giggles at my success. And I adjusted the shelves in the bathroom cabinet so I could hide with the lotion and shampoo. There was always room underneath the bed or even the baby crib for last minute spots… and then our time would slip away and you would leave for home.

When we were simply children…

Do you remember that?

(Dedicated to Ginny and Hannah)

The Way of the World

Observe the bubble in the quiet inlet of the waterway,
Wishing to be thrust into the turbulent stream.
She circles closer; concentric rings like a ladder to the unknown.

Soon the current sucks her into its midst and begins to laugh.
The caressing waves soon hush her troubled scream,
Her fears allayed as she is rocked in a floating cradle home.

Then rapidly the soothing song is shattered by a rippling snarl,
The mystery becomes her only memory,
And all is lost.

Her gentle globe is thrown over the precipice,
Engulfed, it disappears.
Her numb identity is jaded as it mingles with
The Stream.

Things I have done

I got this from a facebook friend. I liked it so i decided to post in on my blog! =)

Things you have done during your lifetime:
( ) Gone on a blind date
(x) Skipped school (seeing as I am at home anyway, its not that amazing...)
( ) Watched someone die
( ) Been to Canada
( ) Been to Mexico
( ) Been to Florida
(x) Been to Hawaii
(x) Been on a plane
( ) Been on a helicopter
(x) Been lost
(x) Gone to Washington, DC
(x) Swam in the ocean
( ) Swam with stingrays (my friend totally has!!! she got stung o.O)
(x) Cried yourself to sleep
(x) Played cops and robbers
( ) Recently colored with crayons
(x) Sang Karaoke
(x) Paid for a meal with coins only (I think I have... I know my brother has...)
( ) Been to the top of the St. Louis Arch
(x) Done something you told yourself you wouldn't.
( ) Made prank phone calls
( ) Been down Bourbon Street in New Orleans
(x) Laughed until some kind of beverage came out of your nose & elsewhere
(x) Caught a snowflake on your tongue
(x) Danced in the rain
( ) Written a letter to Santa Claus
( ) Been kissed under the mistletoe
(x) Watched the sunrise with someone
(x) Blown bubbles
(x) Gone ice-skating
(x) Gone to the movies
( ) Been deep sea fishing
(x) Driven across the United States (well not all the way. to Wyoming and back.)
( ) Been in a hot air balloon
( ) Been sky diving
( ) Gone snowmobiling
( ) Lived in more than one country
(x) Lay down outside at night and admired the stars while listening to the crickets
(x) Seen a falling star and made a wish
(x) Enjoyed the beauty of Old Faithful Geyser
(x) Seen the Statue of Liberty
( ) Gone to the top of Seattle Space Needle
(x) Been on a cruise (kinda? i went for a day cruise in Hawaii)
(x) Traveled by train
( ) Traveled by motorcycle
(x) Been horse back riding
( ) Ridden on a San Francisco Cable Car (I can't believe i haven't done this...)
(x) Been to Disneyland
( ) Been in a rain forest
(x) Seen whales in the ocean
( ) Been to Niagara Falls
( ) Ridden on an elephant
( ) Swam with dolphins
(x) Attended an opera (Oh yeah! I went with Ginny
( ) Been to the Olympics
( ) Walked on the Great Wall of China
( ) Saw and heard a glacier calf
( ) Been spinnaker flying
(x) Been water-skiing
(x) Been snow-skiing
( ) Been to Westminster Abbey
( ) Been to the Louvre
( ) Swam in the Mediterranean
( ) Been to a Major League Baseball game
(x) Been to a National Football League game (maybe it was college? idk =P)
( ) Been in a submarine
( ) Driven through a blizzard

Locomotive - Shiloh Kauk

Verse 1

Locomotive, in the distance

When did you begin?

Never knowing when you passed me by…

Looking after, your commotion

Out of butterfly eyes

Dragging with you, all the moments I try to find…

Pre Chorus

Disposable time,

Can’t be reused

I try to rewind

But the imagery won’t move

Chorus

Slip by

Why don’t you just, leave me behind?

I try…

But the moment’s so, so hard to find.

Verse 2

Eager faces, in the windows,

Adjust the horizon line

Carried onward by the current of time…

Start to wonder what my fate is

Can I make it this time?

Can I take this ordinary life, to somewhere divine?

Bridge

I let another train arrive and leave

My forgetfulness will never ease

Why can’t oblivion surrender me

And let the locomotive sweep me off my feet?

.

Another Giveaway

I love Grosgrain. She gives stuff away She always makes me want to sew. =)
I don't win things, but I still like to try. That's why this is posting right now.

The Conservatory Overcoat GIVEAWAY!!!!