Tuesday, July 28

it's a wrap, fabric wrapped clothesline baskets, coasters, hot pads and more!


Fabric wrapped clothesline baskets- what fun! I found a couple of tutorials online when I first started making these baskets. I did not learn from purchasing the book, "It's a Wrap." In fact, I later purchased the book and found it to be a disappointment because I did not learn any new techniques outside of what I had already learned by experimentation. I have created a number of unique baskets, simply by trial and error. I have made large, small, round, oval, skinny, narrow and wide baskets to fit many different purposes and some of which are decorative with little functionality.

I have found the cotton clothesline at Walmart, Lowes and Home Depot. I know the craft stores carry this as well, but figured the prices would be higher since it would be sold as a 'craft item'. Several of my created baskets were made from left over strips or scrap material, but most were color matched to a quilt or the liking of the recipient.

If my tutorial is not clear or you have questions, please let me know. If you would like to see more of my finished baskets please leave me a comment, and I will be glad to post a link for all to see. You can do this! Have fun and share some of pics of your creations with me.

Sunday, July 26

quilting, one of my passions





Let me introduce you to how it is that I came about to be a quilter. A dear friend of mine who shares some of my same likes thought I might 'need' to learn to quilt , so I was invited to join this wonderful quilting group that met in one of the ladies home once a week. My quilting adventure began back in Spring of 2002 and I have never looked back. You know there are some things you learn and do it for a while and then put it away. I have such a liking to quilting that I don't feel like it will be something that ever fades into the background of my life.

For me, quilting was and is much more than just making 'blankets'. Though I have been involved in other things where I developed great friendship, quilting has been a great place for me to meet some wonderful people. Currently, I quilt with a different group of ladies than those I started with back in 2002. I have learned so much from both groups, far beyond quilting that is. Most of the ladies in our quilting group at this time are such treasures to me and I learn from them all the time.. most of them unaware.

Although my quilting groups have changed, my teacher remained the same. She is a wealth of knowledge and once again has been so much more than just an instructor to me. If you have an opportunity to come along side an older lady who you can learn a craft from, such as quilting, you should really give it great consideration. Our teacher will be 70 in the fall and has been having some thoughts of retiring from teaching along and along. We have somewhat had to 'talk' our teacher into continuing to teach the past few years. She is planning on having a great class ready for us again starting in January of 2010. Our group meets weekly -January through May at a local quilt shop here in town. Yeah!

After Bridgette, Doug and the boys left on Saturday I gave a look at my "sewing studio"/guest room and decided to reorganize and clean up for some new inspiration. Just touching my fabric seems to get my creative juices going! So I am cleaned up, set up and ready to start or finish projects that await my tender hands! So now I am off to sew!

time flys when you are having fun



My sister and her husband arrived late Wednesday night which started to mark the end of our camp. While you can imagine it wasn't all roses the whole week, the boys have all matured so much since we were able to last have camp (summer of 2007 ) and they were able to handle most disagreements with gained maturity. We all had such a great time, it was hard to see the week come to a close. On the other hand, if it had gone on much longer, I may have needed to take out a loan to feed them. WOW. How is it that boys can put away so much food and why is it that I felt compelled to create great meals, snacks etc and feed them? I never realized this about myself, but I love to feed boys. I have a dear friend whose sister does this very same thing.

This year I am not sure what the boys, my son and two nephews, learned from camp. I can tell you that what I learned is that no matter the child- no matter their attitude- no matter their disposition- in the midst of a situation if you will just step back a moment and consider the impact of your corrective words, you will handle it differently than just acting out of frustration. Each of these boys can be sweet as pie, the best. Each of them can be TOTAL stinkers as well, but each of them and all children, respond wonderfully to a firm, loving adult.

One thing I do know is they had a great time, no denying it. While loading up to go home, they were already asking questions about next summer. I consider myself truly blessed among people to be able to spend time with my nephews and niece when given the opportunity. -Until then..

Tuesday, July 21

why?



Why am I sitting in a building/warehouse that has NO air conditioning or NO fans on a hot steamy day in July? Simply because I love the ones I am with. If you know me, you know that I do not like to be hot while inside a closed in area. My boys look forward to going to the skate complex every year, so here I sit. To our surprise and delight... the cost has reduced $5 per person since the last time we were here! The boys are so grateful and look forward to coming to the skate park at least one more day while they are here. As they are skating away and playing pool, I am blogging.

Sometimes we are put to test on what we will do for the ones we love. While sitting in a large building with no fans or air conditioning in the middle of July is not the greatest extreme of showing love to most, it is pretty much up there for me. :) Today, this is my test - I am passing at the moment.

Friday, July 17

boys will be boys

This was our fireworks pit stop.


Each summer our home turns into "Camp Lynnie Love-A-Lot". It is a name the nephews coined some years ago. I love it and I look forward to the time with them. We are able to cut loose, sit back and really deepen our relationships - this is important to me. Today I met my brother-in-law "half way" to get my nephews, Austin & Skyler , so they could spend the week with us before the lazy days of summer end and the discipline of school begins. I have had 22 years of driving across the countryside with boys and never am I bored. These are some of the things I heard as we drove along:

Austin: "Whoa! Henry has hair under his arm pits." "Well, I do too, but they are very light -like blond." (A is 11 yrs old)

Henry: "I can't wait to get home to blow something up!" (this is after I stopped at SOB with them to get some fire crackers.)

Austin: " Boys will be boys."

Slyler: "I don't understand why girls give themselves such silly nicknames."

Skyler: "I don't hate people who treat you like they don't want you in their circle.. or they treat you rudely, I know hating is a sin. But I could live without them." (This came after a conversation about clicks and friends. Choosing an unpopular person as your friend and then being made fun of by the 'more popular' kids.)

Austin: (20 minutes out) "How long til we are there?"

My dear mother raised 3 girls, though she grew up with 4 boys. All of her grand kids were boys up until about 7 years ago that is when the princess joined the group of rowdy boys. She, the Princess, makes a point to let them know that they are rowdy. Boys are different, they just are. I love these kids and delight in spending time with them each summer. It is my hope to make some long lasting memories during the upcoming week. So this week I will happily be mother to 4 rowdy boys. (one of which is overseas - boo hoo) I think all of us are excited to see what each day holds for us. I love being a mother to boys.

Monday, July 13

freedom isn't free - show gratitude

Gratitude. Surely that is the thought or feeling that most Americans have when thinking of those who defend our freedom. Sadly, it is not. How does a soldier handle this? How must he or she feel? Many service members, along with other citizens may not agree with the orders given to them, but they must act honorable by following them out. God has created each of us with a special task at hand to be carried out.

Isn't it easy to get caught up in your own world and loose site of the fact that there are men and women all over this country who do what it takes to defend freedom as we know it today? I am a wife to a soldier and I know I do not give much thought to it. Don't get me wrong, I am grateful to God for using men and women throughout history to establish and defend our great country.

You know most of these great men and women are simply doing their jobs as best they know how. To them, they do not see themselves as doing anything great. They do not see themselves as doing anything that deserves any more gratitude than a nurse at the local hospital. It is in their very being, the way God wired them, to step up in this manner. They do not know how to do anything different. This, to me, makes each of them a hero. I think the Gratitude Campaign, that Scott Truitt started, is a fantastic way to give a visual display of our gratitude for their service, for their sacrifice.

Ronald Reagan once said "No arsenal, or no weapon in the arsenals of the world, is so formidable as the will and moral courage of free men and women." This is our US Military and their families as well.

Sunday, July 12

catching up...


July. Is that right? Is it mid July already? Time does fly when you are having fun. Traveling is what we have done best this summer. I am so glad I chose not to have a garden based on other things (outside of traveling) because at the time I did not know we were going to be gone so much. It would have pained me to leave the garden behind. It is hard to believe that it is vacation time already. We set out for Williamsburg, VA.

 Henry's close friend, Summit , is moving to Colorado in just a few short weeks. We decided to invite him to come along with us on our short trip to Virginia. These boys cracked me up all along the way. I know both of them are going to be sad when the departing day arrives. Summit's dad is also in the military and a move is in order. They, like us are moving back to an area that they have hoped to return to.