Mama’s Holiday Wish List Meme
TodaysMama (link to: http://bit.ly/tmwishlist) and GameStop (link to: http://bit.ly/gamestop10) are giving away a sleighful of gifts this holiday season and to enter I’m sharing this meme with you.

1. What is your holiday wish for your family? That all my kids have a wonderful holiday and know that I love them and that their Creator loves them even more.
2. What is your Christmas morning tradition? Monkey Bread for breakfast
3. If you could ask Santa for one, completely decadent wish for yourself, what would it be? A 7 day holiday cruise where I did not have to worry about money AT ALL!
4. How do you make the holidays special without spending any money? We make a birthday cake for Jesus. Spend the ay in our pj's, go nowhere on Christmas day, and watch movies/play games all day!
5. What games did you play with your family growing up? As a late in life child, /i had no other kids to play with so did not really play games
6. What holiday tradition have you carried on from your own childhood? Stockings are a BIG thing!
7. Where would you go for a Christmas-away-from-home trip? A cruise to an exoctic place
8. Check out GameStop (link to: http://bit.ly/gamestop10) and tell us, what are the three top items on your GameStop Wish List this year? 2 DSI's for my daughters and Kinect sport game and Kinect Zumba

My En"light"ening Day!

I had plans... big plans. I planned for hubby to move the linen closet doorway from the bedroom side of the wall to the master bathroom side. He did not want to do that. He did not say that in so many words but rather started doing other projects on the "honey-do" list.



First he started taking down old light fixtures and "stuff" (my technical term) on the front porch.

The picture below is where the ugly, 1950's original light fixture was. It was

by the front door. U.G.L.Y.

This is the light fixture now. Now is where I tell you that I have the greatest husband EVER! Did I mention that I purchased this light fixture at a Hospice Thrift Store in Chicago? I paid a whopping 5 whole dollars for this baby!

SCORE!!!!!!!!!!!!

This is the other fixture he added. The base is in the center of the porch ceiling and we swagged the actual light over with chain to above the sitting area. I would so be sitting out there right now with a magazine if it weren't a measily 40 degrees outside!

This picture shows the price tag of the above light fixture! SCORE!

The final light bulb moment happened in the kitchen. We removed a teeny, tiny pantry last year and that removal left a ceiling light fixture typical to closets. The porcelain basic fixture. It has been sitting on my ceiling waiting for the "right" light fixture to be found be me at a premium low price. I have been following a whole bunch of ingenious and frugal women who blog of their decorating deals. Someone, somewhere had used "work light"for fixtures over a counter. El-cheap-o. My kind of thing! So while at Home Depot getting supplies for the front porch, I found a clamp on cheap "stainless" work light. Around $7.00. I bought some chain and one of those screw in plug thingy mabobs. Once home we (hubby) screwed in the plug thing and put up a hook and took the clamp off the lamp and WA-LA a light over the "coffee station". Perfect!

Here is the entire "coffee station". I do love my coffee!

And THAT my friends was how we spent our day! Perfect on a cold, blustery May day!



Blessings- Linda

Prom 2010

Son and date headed out for prom 2010. I made Anna's dress. It was a combination of several patterns. She found a picture online and I created it for her. I now realize i should have underline the satin. It was a little flimsy and is buckling. Other than that, I am pleased. She was happy with it and due to my stashing fabric and sale coupons we accomplished the dress for right around $22.00. Not Bad!

Son is wearing the suit he wore in his prother's wedding! His shirt and tie are new. $30.00.

Very budget friendly prom!


Coursage for Anna. Looks great with her dress style. Anna and a front view of the dress. The "pulled up " areas of the skirt are centered. I think this was taken before I realized it had twisted from car riding.

I love this smiling shot! Evan rarely smiles like this... love it!

Wish I had thought to underline the satin. A little buckly here. It looks very unpressed but I promise, I pressed this! I did learn that i need to carefully consider underlining satin when using it. I did do a compete boned corset under this. Oh well. She was pleased so I am too.

A decision has been made....

I have been struggling recently with the busy-ness of life. Following is my current life:

Wife
Mom- 5 kids. 2 grown and three at home. 17 YO soccer and tennis player, finishing his junior year of high school, preparing to make college visits. 10 year old daughter, gymnast who competes. 9 year old daughter who plays soccer.
Taxi drive for kids
Seamstress (own my business)
Work as secretary for husband's business
Church obligations- adult Bible fellowship leader
School volunteer obligations- Coordinator of SCRIP program, coordinator of annual auction
Mentor and Bible study leader for 4 couples

I have been feeling overwhelmed particularly when it comes to my sewing business. I have made the decision to close my business for this portion of my life. I enjoy sewing for myself and that has been pushed to the bottom of the pile and I am losing the joy of sewing. As of the end of April, I will no longer be accepting any sewing "jobs". The little bit of spending money I make doing this is not worth the anxiety I get from this. I want my sewing room to be a retreat. A place where I can relax and think and pray. Now it has become a chore to head here and that makes me sad.

God keeps bringing people into my life to minister to and I want to do what He wants me to do.... and that is focus on people and love them as He would.

One custom prom dress to finish, two to hem, and a few pair of trouser to hem and then it will be done for now. I may come back to it when my life changes but for now, I am at peace with this.

Blessings- linda

Closet dreams.....

We have been working on transforming some space in our bedroom. We have a very large master sweet but had the typical 1970's reach in closet for each of us. Hubby had one and I had one. Mine was at the "end" of the bathroom wall. To the right of the stool is the closet area. Please excuse the pile on the bed. This was taken as I was emptying the closet. Once all is said and done the closet will be 6' x 12'8". We are leaving hubby's closet on the other side of the room to become a linen closet as the one I have is about 18 inches wide and holds nothing neatly. The linen closet will be cloed up on the bedroom side and then opened on the bathroom side to make built in towel storage. Eventually we will be tiling the bathoom and adding a few things. No change in the footprint for in there. I'd love a whirlpool tub but that costs way too much and we are trying to be frugal ont his project.

This photo shows the before closet area. Very standard closet with bifold doors- yuck!!!

Here is the in process of demo. Shelves, rods, and doors removed.

Here are some studded walls and then drywall is up! This is the bedroom side of the closet. The bed will go on this wall. The blue electrical boxes are for scones that we moved from another wall for above our bed. You can see on the far purple wall where we moved them from.

I am now in the process of priming over the paper over paper over paper (left by the previous owners) so that the entire wall will be purple. I will take some more pictures and post them later.

Repurposing... well, sort of....

My niece had a baby a couple weeks ago. Her 4th in 4 years! So in the spirit of having so many so close, my mom and I decided to shop for matching outfits (for the babies not my mom and I!) We found adorable dress/bloomer dresses ( all at a killer on sale price) for the newborn & the 18 month old but not for the almost 4 year old. There was a shirt in a girls size 12 that was of the same fabric (also on killer sale) so we purchased that and I made knit shorts fromt eh shirt for the almost 4 year old. The other child is a boy so we found a polo and short in matching color scheme for him.

This picture is of the style of shirt used for the repurposing. I forgot to take the actual shirt photo. I was so excited to get started on the repurpose so the fabric is different.

And here is the photo of the shorts made from the top:

The navy ruffle on the legs is from the bottom band of the shirt. Turned out rather cute and makes a nice matching ensemble for the kids. We purchased a pink top to go with the shorts.

Now off to finish a prom dress alteration!

Blessings- linda

Sad day for mom

The day has finally come. I knew it was on it's way. My 10 year old daughter just had a melt down over her Easter dress. She thinks it makes her look fat. She picked the pattern and the fabric. It was a loose fitting, more flowing type dress. One of McCalls new patterns. I knew the time was coming so I am okay with it.... The meltdown on her part and frustration on my part is not worth it. I will take her shopping and she can find a dress she likes.

The 9 year old liked her outfit so I am okay on that one.

It marks the end of that time in her life.. she is growing up and for now, does not want to wear homemade items. She is becoming more independent and trying to figure out who she is apart from me.

She is a strong, determined, beautiful, intelligent, witty, bossy, and strong-willed young lady. God has a wonderful plan for her. I will not allow something so petty as sewing for her to stifle her or cause her to be frustrated with me. There will come a day later, on down the road where she will ask me to make her something again. And I will do so with love.

And jsut so you know, there is not one speck of fat on her precious little 10 year old body. She is a gymnast and is smaller than most second graders in her school. She is a 54 pound bundle of dynamite! With the temperment to prove it!

Well, now I am off to sew something else.... maybe something for me.. or maybe the prom dress for my 17 year old man-child's girlfriend.

Blessings- linda