God invented Green

I remembered as this first week of the green color challenge started off that I have a CD of a song called "The Color Green" by Rich Mullins. In the book "An Arrow Pointing to Heaven" by James Bryan Smith, which is the story of Rich Mullins' short but powerful life, there is a segment about this song.

"Rich surmised that God must have, at some point, invented green. This creates a whole new vision of the person of God. God is not cold, and His work is not mundane. God is burning with passion and energy and creativity. Jesus said that God does more than make the grasses in the fields; He clothes them (Matt 6:29). He dresses the grass and the lilies, and no modern fashion designer can come close to matching their beauty. This is because the colors of nature are perfect."

The Color Green

by Rich Mullins

And the moon is a sliver of silver

like the shaving that fell on the floor

of a Carpenter's shop

and every house must have

it's builder

and I awoke in the house of God

where the windows are mornings

and evenings

stretched from the sun, across the

sky north to south

and on my way to early meeting, I

heard the rocks crying out...,I

heard the rocks crying out

Chorus

Be praised for all Your tenderness

by these works of Your hands

Suns that rise and rains that fall to

bless and bring life to Your land

look down upon this winter wheat

and be glad that You have made

Blue for the sky and the color

green that fills Your fields

with praise

And the wrens have returned and

are nesting

in the hollow of that oak where his

heart once had been

and he lifts up his arms in

a blessing for being born again

and the streams are all swollen

with winter

winter unfrozen and free to run

away now

and I'm amazed, and I remember

Who it was that built this house

and with the rocks I cry out

Green Challenge #1

These are a few of the things I love in green.

I had a friend who told me once "Green is nature's neutral" and I have never forgotten that. Just think about it... is there any color that doesn't go with some shade of green?

Springtime Sewing for Little Girls

Little girl hooded sleeveless dress and ruffled pants
Sundress and pants

Sundress and pantalets

My pile of fabric is not dwindling though! I wonder why?

Rainy Day Pages

I'm trying to stay as busy with projects as possible because this rain is tough to take! These 4 pages were all using papers and embellishments I already had in my extra supplies. The 2 page spread was done from my scrap drawer because its all just strips of various papers.
When I looked up after a few hours at my craft table I realized that I hadn't thought about the rain at all:) mission accomplished!

Pink Challenge #4

Pink Island Bread (gluten free)

2 T. butter
2 T. cream cheese
1 C. sugar
2 eggs
2 C. GF all purpose Flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/8 tsp salt
2 mashed ripe bananas
1/2 c. vegetable oil
1/2 c. cherry juice
1 tsp. almond extract
1/2c. toasted pecans, chopped
1/4 c. shredded, sweetened coconut
1 can tart cherries, drained well
1-2 drops red food coloring (optional)

Topping
1/4 c. sugar
2 tsp butter melted
2 tsp cherry juice
2 tsp water
1/4 tsp almond extract
1 T. toasted, chopped pecans
1/4 c. coconut

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
In a mixing bowl, beat cream cheese and butter until combined. Add 1 c. sugar, beat well. Add eggs and oil, beat until mixed thoroughly.
In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Stir well.
In another bowl mix bananas, cherry juice, almond extract and food coloring.
Add flour mixture to egg mixture alternating with banana mixture. Mix well. Stir in pecans, coconut and cherries. Spoon into a greased loaf pan. Bake at 375 for 1 hr and 15 minutes. Cool in pan for 5 minutes. Remove from pan and allow to cool on wire rack.

For the topping, combine sugar, 2 tsp butter, 2 tsp cherry juice and water in a small saucepan. Bring to a simmer. Cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and stir in coconut, pecans and almond flavoring. Spoon over top of bread.

To Me It Is Official, Spring has Sprung!

When God does a thing, He does it well! He has color bursting out all over, and every shade and hue...plus all the unique shapes and designs...every Spring I stand amazed in His presence.

Thrifty Nifty #2

So here are my two special finds that I said I'd post on later...The jumper was a GW find, Ann Taylor Loft for $6 and fits like it was custom made for me. Theres more pink in it then shows in the pic so I can wear it with all my pink accessories and shirts.

This is my other great find, a vintage wooden interior suitcase that I found at the Uncovered Ruby. I cut some pages from a magazine several years ago with a craft idea that requires a vintage wooden suitcase of the right size. I have been looking for one ever since and here it is! This will be in one of my green color challenges next month, so watch for it!

Thrifty Nifty

I have really gotten interested in thrifting and repurposing from all the great blogs out there, so I decided to see what I could find. The center pic is items I picked up at Main St. Station, in my hometown and the others are from good old Goodwill! It is really amazing what you can find for great prices, like the Coldwater Creek wool skirt for $6 (top right). It's a little small and too long, but I plan to shorten it and move the buttons. The left hand madras skirt is very large, but
I bought it to use for fabric. You'll see these pop up in posts in the future. But my best finds I'll post later...they need to be showcased on their own:) It was a very enjoyable way to spend an afternoon, I'll be doing it again soon.

Pink Challenge #3

My pink challenge to use the color in an unusual way evolved out of a box of valentine chocolates. I used each half of the box, which was pink, in a different way. I had seen the idea for making paper candy in a scrapbooking magazine. Thats what I did for the top half.

The magazine had patterns but very small so I enlarged them to fit cupcake papers.

They look good enough to eat and were such fun to put together.

The use for the second half of the box came from some ideas I saw on http://janesapron.typepad.com/ Thanks for the great ideas Jane!

After papering the bottom with some velvet flocked paper I added cut outs from the vintage patterns I picked up last week. Then some ribbon and flowers and some pink tickets I've had for years.

I added flowers to the girls outfits to make them a little more 3D. My favorite girl is the quiet one in the background with the grey skirt, doesn't she look like the governess or teacher?

I just think these vintage patterns are so super sweet and I'm glad I found a way to showcase them. I'm not sure what to do with these now though? Save them for Feb 14, 2011 to give as gifts?!

"Artful Blogging" Surprise

You can imagine my surprise today when having purchased the newest "Artful Blogging" magazine, I opened it up to the Buzz page featuring readers comments and found a post I had done November 23rd! I had no idea a post of mine was in there and it sure is funny to read something and half way through realize you recognize it because you wrote it! Be sure to check out "Artful Blogging" if you ever get a chance as it is a stunning magazine with such great blogs and topics:)

Whispering Creek House you are mentioned in the post so you're in the mag too!!

A Love Story

Once upon a time there was a very special couple. They met when he was serving in WWII. After they married they lost everything they owned in house fire a few days before their first child was born. He became a pastor and they had 11 children. Through the years three of their children died, one at 3 yrs old, one at 7 years old and one at 39. As the years passed their love for each other and their love for Christ grew until they were completely meshed together. When he was in the hospital for 30+ days she only went home to sleep. Each time they said goodbye they kissed tenderly. They have watched their children, grandchildren and great grand-children grow up and last year welcomed their first great-great grandchild. Through all the tears and years they have never wavered in a lifetime commitment to love and honor the other in sickness and in health, for richer for poorer until death parts them. Tonight I had the privilege of sitting next to them for a few hours while he went through the 2nd day of kidney dialysis, while she sat "loving" him from a hard office chair, smoothing his blanket and worrying that he was too cold.

This July they will celebrate 65 years of marriage, and not just any marriage, but a marriage built on mutual love and respect, faith, and joy in serving others.

I am proud to call them my parents and never stop thanking God for giving me the best example of love I've ever known.

Happy Valentines Day!

Wishing a very Happy Valentines Day to all my blogger friends!

You are all "SEW PERFECTLY SWEET".

Saying I Love You without Words

Sometimes words aren't the best way to say "I love you". After reading Stephanies post at http://thewhisperingcreekhouse.blogspot.com/ about the Love Language, "Gifts" I decided to make a bag for someone who I love very much but need to think of new ways to communicate with. I had these cute fabrics in my stash and I was able to finish this in one evening:) It's a library/book bag like I've made before so it has a special pouch that your library card goes in as well as inner pockets for cell phone and keys. The inside is lined with a heavy corduroy to keep it sturdy enough for a stack of books and the handle is triple -layered corduroy too.

Then I wrapped it up with some vintage touches and sent it on its way with a prayer.

Go little bag and be a blessing.....

Room Redo

I have an extra room, empty, sitting there, waiting to be used. Problem? Too many ideas! Should it be an office, guestroom, playroom or a combination of all 3? The desk is the only furniture in it and I would like to use it, but probably painted or something different.

The closet in here has all my extra decorating stuff as I decorate some areas seasonally, 4 times a year. So that is jammed full and has to be kept there for now. But if it was a play room I'd need it for toy storage etc.

This pic is a little fuzzy but does show the paint color the best. All "boy blue" so that will def have to be changed. I have extra paints I could look through and maybe use. I'd like to do it very cost effective and use what I already have as much as possible. I'll keep you updated on my progress. Do you have any thoughts on what I should use it for? Suggestions on how to change the desk? I'm really being drawn to the "farmhouse" look, and I love Pottery Barn, but I'm very eclectic in my style choices...so shabby chic might be cute too.

Pink Challenge #2

Here is my Pink Craft for week #2 of the February Challenge.





I made this spring/summer dress out of two pretty fabrics I had in my stack. The ruffler foot for my new sewing machine enabled me to do the pleating on the trim and the flower (which can be used on the side of pants worn under the dress or attached to a headband). The under shirt was a bargain rack find, but the dress could be worn as a sundress without a shirt too.


The size was a little large for my "model" so it looks a little odd on the top and when she stood up the dress came to her lower shin:) She happily modeled for me tho between bouts of "original composition" at the piano!

Paparazzi @ the Scrappin Expo!

Hmmmm, wonder who these lovely ladies are?

Taken @ Creating Keepsakes Scrapbooking Expo in Portland, on Saturday

Vintage Patterns

I had a few minutes today to run into the Treasure Barn and came out with 15 vintage sewing patterns for .25 each! I really bought them to use their covers in future projects. Because I have so many allergies I can't have the patterns in my craft room so I used my color copier and printed them on card stock. The pattern on the right was so cute and in such nice shape that I did save the actual pattern pieces and plan to make a dress with them sometime:)

Double Flower Power

I saw a similar idea at Anthropologie and JCrew and decided I'd try to make one. Once I got it done I've never had a chance to use it, I've tried it numerous ways but nothing looks quite right!

It is a simple project: Purchase 2 flowers with multi sized layers of petals. Divide up into 1 lg, 2 med, and 2 small. Glue to ribbon at appropriate spacing. Add buttons or beads as centers. (This could also be sewed together by hand.) I may try another one with different colors of flowers bunched in the center...but first I need to know....

Do you think it looks better as a sash or a neck piece? And does it look like something a bridesmaid would wear?! I love the vintage looking flower accents seen in fashion now, as headbands, hairpieces and pins, but it might not be a good look for someone my age:) Let me know what you think!

Spring Swing

Here is my latest sewing project. I had purchased the fabric for my own spring coat, but ended up with enough to make my cutie one too! Of course once hers was done, mine didn't look quite so great, because everything is so much more darling when its a small version. Anyway when I took her outside to model she took off running and so these were done with a lot of "swing" in our spring swing coats:)

Whats in a Box?

What could possibly be so exciting about a brown box?
Its a new batch of Ladies Bible Study books! Tomorrow me and 13 other ladies are starting a new Bible study...the fresh feeling of opening up a book and wondering what treasures will I find here? What truths will forever change me? What stories will be told, whose heart will be opened, how much tears and laughter will fill this house every Weds. for a few weeks?
I know that when we open up the Word we can expect to be different than before, thats the beauty of doing a Bible study, it gets you concentrated on THE WORD for a few weeks. Such joy in being privileged to open my home to that!!
Can't wait until tomorrow....

She's Thinkin Pink!

Glad to have http://sharlastenersenphotography.com/ joining in on the February Pink Challenge! Check out her collage, especially the panda slippers! Also take a look at http://acreativemint.typepad.com/ for a gorgeous pink vignette, even though she hasn't joined the color challenge, she's thinkin Pink too!

Anyone else being inspired by PINK and ready to join the Challenge?