Today's Project

I admit... I've been putting this one off for a long time. I knew it would be troublesome. But I didn't know it would be this troublesome. Lol. It sounds simple. Just two Euro Shams with ribbon borders to match the duvet. Here are some pictures of "THE" project in the works.


Laying it all out...


The iron had a fight with the carpet. The iron won.


All the way measured, halfway basted and halfway pinned. I see a faint glow at the end of the tunnel.

A Guide To Staying Home

When Your Husband is away on a business trip.
I am now able to very happily say my husband is back from his trip to the "big apple". I didn't blog about it while he was away for safety reasons... you know, a 'just in case' type of thing. I am VERY happy to have him back! But while he was gone, I was thinking up a silly list of how to survive with your husband away. So here goes :)

1. You'll have to learn how to work the alarm clock by yourself. This may take several days to master if you are electronically challenged like yours truly. I was very happy to have my human alarm clock back this morning. :)
2. Rent the GIRLIEST movies you can think of. Something you desperately wanted to see, but didn't want to torture your poor husband with. For me, this was Persuasion. I absolutely loved it... and I watched it twice.
3. Check all the locks on the doors and windows while you are on the phone with him. This makes it a little less scary, knowing you're going to bed all safe and sound.
4. Spend the night at your parent's house, only after you absolutely have stayed by yourself as much as you can possibly handle. (For me, this was one night into his trip... but then I came back)
5. Make a pillow 'wall' in the bed, shaped like your husband :)
6. Go to lunch with your momma and grandmother.
7. Have your whole family over for dinner, and make sure they stay late!
8. Remember, if the doorbell rings, even at 8 o clock at night, sometimes it really just is the poor UPS man, working late. Still... don't answer the door. He'll leave the package! (My loving daddy always warned us, "Never answer the door when you're home alone!! Even if its flowers, Lauren!")
9. Make a casserole to freeze. I'm sure I'll be glad I did this later!
10. Lastly, even if you're husband is supposed to fly in at 11 p.m., flights do get delayed. Sometimes they get delayed unto 2 a.m., so be ready for a long night!

I think the Praise Moves DVD is a wonderful way to work out! It is filled with scripture, and... well... I could only do about half of it. Which means, its a great workout :) Lol. I finished the polka dotted peasant top- and spent the afternoon baking cookies. I would love to post pictures, but alas, my husband currently has our camera! So there is my "review" of Praise Moves! :)

to Yoga... or Not to Yoga

That was the question. After learning more about it, my husband and I decided for a big "NO" on me going to a Yoga class, because of its roots and links to false religions. The other week I attended a class here in town, and I was deeply disturbed by some of the goings on there. So what's a girl to do for fun, fitness, and flexibility? :)



Christianbook.com had the lowest price I could find, and today I received in the mail. I plan on trying it out tonight. I am very excited about this! Each move is based on scripture, and I loved the introduction to the DVD. Although I don't appreciate some of the clothing worn, it is miles and miles above (in the modesty department) any secular workout DVD. I'll let you know how it goes!

On Dryers...

When I do use our dryer (like now... when we get torrential rain daily!), I can't use dryer sheets because both me and my husband have sensitive skin. I use these, which seemed awful steep at $10... but they really do work. Things seem softer and fluffier... and more chemical free than dryer sheets. Which is always better!

A shower curtain lives again!

I was able to finally buy the pattern after much patience in waiting for the sale to come on. Here is the finished product...

Made from my old shower curtain. Waste not, Want not :)
A while back, I used the embroidered edge from the same shower curtain to edge a petticoat.
To this, my husband said, "You are about as handy as a pocket on a shirt" How sweet :)

A couple of new home accents

A painting to hang above our bookshelf... I think the whole project cost about $2 :)

This chair was in my bathroom growing up. Its an heirloom from my great-grandmother.

"Necessity is the mother of all invention"....

I didn't have enough fabric left for the chair recovering, so my darling husband had the idea to combine them again. And he helped staple the fabric onto the seat... because I'm terrified of the staple gun. So that's what I've been up to :)

Thats Stash-tastic!

Due to some stash sharing on some of my favorite blogs ( Laura's and Serena's... absolutely lovely blogs that bless me every time I visit ), I have decided to look into the big box of fabric that currently resides in our closet. I am SO glad I looked through it- its amazing how you can forget what you already have! So here is a small taste of Mrs. Lauren Christine's stash :)


A soft lilac flannel- 3 yards- originally to make a winter nightgown out of Mrs. Chancey's Regency Chemise pattern. I bought another three yards that day of a floral print, and made that one. Turns out I really only needed ONE new nightgown... and since its quite toasty here of late, I think I'll save this project for next fall.


1 1/2 yards of each of these. I don't know what I was thinking... Much too bright for me. I think I'll label this one under "For little girls dresses" :)


Almost two yards. This is actually from my momma's stash- who knows how old it is! I thought it would make a nice fall peasant top...


3/4 yd. All thats left from a disastrous dress making experience, where I vowed never to use brocade again- and literally threw away the almost finished product. Any ideas for this one? I was thinking a little evening bag.


I actually really dislike this fabric... I'm thinking about lining an apron with it.


I just couldn't resist. It was too cute. Another one for "Little Girls' Dresses"

Pre- quilted fabric for a bag.

More to come!

Lauren's Famous Semi-Healthy Welcome Home Cookies

Made with almost half whole wheat, I call them "semi-healthy".
I made two in heart shaped pans, and sat this one by the door to welcome my husband home :)

Heads up...

Butterick Pattern Sale starts tomorrow at JoAnn's. I have been stalking this pattern for so long, its ridiculous. Last time the Butterick patterns finally went on sale, they were OUT of the pattern. I've had this sale marked on my calendar for nearly a month :) Can you tell I'm excited? I think the three quarter sleeve top is just lovely.

A Regency... Jumper

With the leftover fabric from my Tznius skirt- waste not, want not!



I just learned I'm terrible at taking pictures with the self timer! :)

To no longer sit on the floor...

IS GREAT! :)

Due to some very kind generosity from two sets of grandparents, we now sit upon this lovely piece of furniture... and no longer on the floor, taking turns in our lone chair :) We feel very blessed, and honestly, the time without a couch was wonderful too- for without that, I never would have appreciated having one quite this much.

Antique-ing

My momma and I got a kick out of this... she said my great-grandmother used to call them "courting benches". Apparently they kept the temptation down to a minimum- no cuddling! My husband and I have decided if we have daughters... one of these goes on the front porch. :)

A girly new template...

calls for a picture in pink. Well... sort of pink. This is a picture of us in my Regency dress, made out of yellow calico with pink flowers on it. I thought it went well with the new template :)

Titles are back!

Here's the interesting fact of the day:

I stumbled upon a new way to clean an old spot! I have nearly ruined many a white shirt with, ahem, yellowing under the arm area. Embarrassing, but true. Until this morning, I had yet to find a way to take out the yellow without ruining the fabric or using harsh chemicals. I had read online about using baking soda to take the bleach spots out of white fabric. As I was brushing my teeth last night, I got to thinkin'... so I made a paste out of whitening toothpaste and baking soda. Yes, I did. I left it on overnight, and voila! This morning, the shirt was like new. I couldn't believe it... I'm very excited about my new discovery.

For some reason, Blogger has stopped letting me title posts. Confusing... but really inconsequential.

So here's my title: Energy Use and Wise Financial Decisions

Whew, that sounds really fancy. As a wife who strives to be highly responsible in the use of household funds, I try to remember every day to be energy conscious. It is a good way to help take care of our planet, which was a gift from God and should be treated as such. Some energy use is a necessity, such as the refrigerator (unless its the winter... in which both my momma and I have been known to use the cold garage as a back up fridge ;)). But other energy use can be at least toned down to make that ol' energy bill a little more easy on the eyes. My hubby and my father have taught me much on this subject, so all credit must go to them. Here are some things we do to cut down our bills...
-Always be conscious of lights you turn on. Never leave a light on if it isn't absolutely needed.
-Never leave the fridge door open! As you can see from the chart, the fridge is a major energy user.
-Make use of fans. If you are going to be out of the house all day, leave the A/C off! It might be a little uncomfortable when you first return, but its usually just a few minutes to decent temperatures...
-Use the clothes dryer as minimally as possible. This involves planning ahead on my part! Since we live in an apartment, we have little hanging space. My husband strung up a line on our balcony (we live on the third floor, with big trees in front of our balcony, so this doesn't bother the neighbors), but this, combined with our hanging rack inside, can usually only handle one load of laundry per day. I try not to get behind so that I can make wise use of our dryer, only using it to "fluff" with no heat. My great-grandmother never had a dryer... and her laundry was always sunshine scented and fresh.
-I try to stay away from the Hot setting on the washer, unless its absolutely necessary.

This page gives an idea of how much energy your appliances use. Its not from my city, but still helpful.
http://www.city.ames.ia.us/ElectricWeb/energyguy/appliances.htm

"How many trials and troubles we have passed through together here in Texas, and no oppurtunity of going to church, yet God was mindful of us and blessed us and gave us His Spirit and made us feel that we was His."
-Mary Crownover Rabb, one of Stephen F. Austin's original "Old Three Hundred" colonists, 1820's

I have just begun reading "Texas Tears and Texas Sunshine", loaned to me by my momma, which is made up of the diaries and letters of Texas settlers. I am highly enjoying it so far. I just finished reading Jane Austen's Emma, and I think I shall try to procure myself a copy of Stepping Heavenward to read next. If anyone would care to share with me a favorite book, I would love to add it to my "to read" list!

A day spent sewing...

is a day well spent. I have often liked looked at Tznius' skirts- but I've never liked their price tag. After much talk of recreating them on the S&S sewing board, I decided to try my hand at it. I traced the "pattern" off of an old wrap skirt, making each panel quite a bit bigger (the old skirt never wrapped properly an was dangerous in wind), and I ended up with a lovely skirt that wraps around me with LOTS of overlap, so no more danger on windy Texas days. I sewed up the corduroy one a few weeks back, but today I made one out of embroidered denim.
A closeup of the denim-
And the corduroy-

A very posed picture of me waiting for my husband to come home... in my new skirt :)We only have one chair right now... I giggle to myself sometimes about being able to say "I remember when your papa and I were first married... we only had one chair! If we learned to share, so can you." to our children someday, Lord willing. Lol! :)

A fun video...

This morning was my first morning "on my own". My husband began his new job yesterday- and knowing that I'd be feeling a bit lonely, my momma and I took the day to travel to nearby historic Fredricksburg. This "empty house" feeling will definitely take some getting used to- I can't remember the last time I spent a morning completely by myself! But I am looking forward to a day of getting many projects done, hopefully, and maybe even stopping by the fabric store for those lovely July fourth sales. For now, here's a cute and touching video clip I saw linked on a few other blogs. I love the part about birthing children :)

Proverbs 19: 14

"House and riches are the inheritance of fathers: and a prudent wife is from the LORD."

A funny picture my momma just sent me...

This is how we celebrate our independence in Texas. My darling daddy loves the Fourth of July. The email was aptly titled, "Buying and enjoying explosives". Lol!

Finished!

The bathroom sewing is officially... done! Here's a shot of it all fixed and finished. The second curtain covers the opening to our 'potty area'. It was actually my husband's idea to make a curtain for that area!

A few fun finds this weekend from a Texas themed store in Abilene...

How we say "welcome" in Texas-

A new grocery list... "fixin' to do"... lol-

A pretty shot

I am by no means a photographer- but I like the way this one turned out. Its a twirling sparkler next to the moon.

A Fourth of July weekend...

We spent a lovely weekend in and around Abilene, Texas, where both my husband and I have family. What a beautiful way to spend the Independence weekend! I read a wonderful book that my husband's father had- America's Lost Dream. It was wonderful to read a book from a Christian standpoint of the Revolutionary War. One of my favorite things was the quotations from our nation's leaders, which really shine a light on how foolish it is to say America was founded by "deists".

“It can not be emphasized too strongly or too often that this great nation was founded, not by religionists, but by Christians, not on religions, but on the gospel of Jesus Christ!”- Patrick Henry