Craft Gift Exchange

This was my first time participating in a craft "Gift Exchange."  It is really neat...

My assigned crafting partner, is Mrs. Amber (http://www.luckylees.com/) from Texas.  After emailing back and forth, sharing our interests, I decided to make her an apron.  (She, like me, enjoys cooking!)

Here is the picture of the apron I made especially for her...

The apron was made in lovely polka-dot browns and pinks, with some of my favorite fabric...Farmdale Crossing in Pink.

Here is the pretty frayed flower!

I hope she likes it as much as I do and gets lots of use out of it! 

I am looking forward to receiving my little goody in the mail...all the way from Texas!

Merry Christmas, Mrs. Amber!

Love and blessings,

Back to sewing...

It's been awhile since I have posted on sewing...oh, how I've missed it!  Now that I am out of school, I have more time to sew and craft!  I have wanted to applique (the kind that you let the edges fray) for some time, but haven't had the opportunity to get some "Heat n Bond."  I finally got to Joann's and got some...it is SO fun to work with!!!  Here are two projects I used it on...

Here is a shirt for my sweet cousin, Clara! 

(Sorry for the "bed" background...it was way too windy to take pictures outside.)  :)

And now for my other little cousin, Andrew...a minky lined pouch to keep his glasses in, appliqued with a big "A."

(Those are my pink glasses, not his...just wanted to clarify.)  :)

Some other things on the "crafting" list are:

Glass etching

Christmas gifts

and

More Appliqueing

I have some lovely fabric with which I want to get started sewing!

I can't believe tomorrow is Thanksgiving!  It has come so quickly.  Today we cooked and prepared some Thanksgiving goodies for tomorrow.  I love this time of year!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!! 

May your day be blessed as we give thanks for His blessings!

Much love,

"Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name."

Psalm 100:4 



Oh, Christmas tree...

Yes, we have our Christmas tree!!!  Thursday night, we bundled up in our warm coats and headed up the mountain to beautiful Jefferson, NC (or as the locals say, "God's Country").  Here is a photo journey of our tree "hunt."

The beautiful mountains!

The perfect Christmas tree!

We claimed it with our pink ribbon...

Mr. Miller always has a smile on his face!  He has some beautiful trees!

The glory of our God!

Needless to say, we were a bit chilly...36 degrees with high wind gusts! 

Getting the Christmas tree is a special event for our family.  We take our time looking for the perfect one!  We make memories and look forward to it every year...wonderful family time!

Here is one of our favorite Christmas books...we've read it every Christmas since I was just a little girl.  We haven't gotten the Christmas books out yet...though I look forward to it!

http://www.amazon.com/Year-Perfect-Christmas-Tree-Appalachian/dp/080370299X#_

Hope you have a blessed Lord's day, tomorrow!  In the meantime, enjoy the day He has given you!  I'm enjoying the fragrance and beauty of the tree!  :)

Blessings,

It's that time of year!

Christmas is in the air...and it's only the first of November!  Christmas music was on the radio this weekend, the commercials are in full swing, and it's time to start getting those lists together.  Though some people say "wait until after Thanksgiving," I think the sooner you start the celebration of Jesus' birth, the better!  (Not that we skip over Thanksgiving, we just "give thanks" while listening to Christmas music!)  :) 

It is in this special season, I am reminded how blessed I really am.  I sometimes use that term flippantly, but I am truly, truly blessed!  My family has a roof over our heads, food to eat, clothes to wear, health, and I could go on and on...

"O come, let us sing unto the LORD: let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation.  Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving, and make a joyful noise unto him with psalms.  For the LORD is a great God, and a great King above all gods.  In his hand are the deep places of the earth: the strength of the hills is his also. The sea is his, and he made it: and his hands formed the dry land.  O come, let us worship and bow down: let us kneel before the LORD our maker."

Psalm 95:1-6

Let us be thankful, everyday, for His blessings!



An Old Fashioned Singing

It's that time of year...the "in-between" season when you must change out your closets to your fall/winter clothes and say "goodbye" to the pretty pastels of spring and bright colors of summer.  I am looking forward to the warm sweaters and scarves!  Did I ever mention that I LOVE fall?  :)

Last Sunday (at church), we had our Homecoming/Old Fashion Day.  We donned our old-timey skirts and dresses and celebrated days gone by.  My cousins, sister, and I had the privilege of singing and playing our instruments during the service.  "The Solid Rock (On Christ the Solid Rock I Stand)," "At the Cross," and "I'll Fly Away" were in our repertoire for the day. 
Here are some pictures:

Me and Leah

4ever His

Kandace, Katy, Leah, and Me

Here are two video clips...

I tried uploading them directly through my blog (not through youtube), but it was taking a while.  Sorry for all the ads.

At the Cross

I'll Fly Away

It has been glorious the past few weeks with the peak of the changing leaves.

Here is a picture of our view of the mountains with a little color boost...

Have a blessed weekend!

Remaining faithful until He returns...

Taylor

P.S.  I just have to show you what you missed out on...

Sliced bananas and strawberry icecream...

Topped with chocolate syrup and chopped pecans...

(here in the south, it's okay to say "PEE-cans")  :)

YUM!

Full Throttle

It has been crazy (last week)!  After coming off a relaxing vacation with family (pictures below), everything went full throttle when we got home.  :)  From homeschool to designing some things for our upcoming 4 year anniversary of Craig Church Ministries to getting my driver's license, it has been a bit hectic!

Yes, I said getting my driver's license!  Not that I wanted to get it (I had no desire, whatsoever), but because I needed to.  :)  I must confess, I was more anxious than I should have been.  (Human nature rising up!)  The Lord always gives us what we need, when we need it!  He has never let me down!  I was blessed to have a good "evaluator" or whatever you want to call the person who rides around with you and "grades" your driving.  :)  It was actually better than I anticipated!  (All that stress for nothing.)  I guess that is why the Lord, so often, tells us not to worry...He has it all under control! 

"Be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them: for the LORD thy God, he it is that doth go with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee." 

Deuteronomy 31:6 

^"I sought the LORD, and he heard me, and delivered me from all my fears." 

Psalm 34:4

"God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.
Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into

the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam
and the mountains quake with their surging."

Psalm 46:1-3

There are so many verses like these that offer comfort and tell us not to worry!  It is something I must work on!  :)

Here are some beach pictures from our recent vacation:

A lovely day by the ocean!

A game of beach baseball...running for "home!"

Sweet Clara

The Whole Family

I have some new projects I need to get started on, but in the meantime, I am loving this weather!  The leaves are just starting to change and the air has had a little "nip" in it!  It has been perfect!

Here is a sample of some of the design work I have been doing...

(Sorry it's kind of small, but I had to fit it on the blog.)

Drop by if you can!  :)

Enjoy the beautiful weather that exclaims the majesty of our Creator!

Remaining in Him...

Taylor

Purses, Flowers, Fobs, & Blankets

The fall days are finally getting closer!  Ah!  The cooler weather has been wonderful.  I love this time of year.  :)  I can't wait to light the pumpkin spice candles, see the leaves change their colors, and bundle up when I go outside. 

 Life (like always) has been busy and I have gotten behind on my posting.  So, this is a conglomeration of my latest sewing projects (as you could see in my lengthy title).  I hope you enjoy!

Let's start with a girly purse I made...I really like the big purple bow.  :)  It is curved with a "wrist" handle, instead of the standard two handles.  It has three pockets on the inside; one for a pen and two larger ones.

Next is my blue-jean flower...I am all the time searching craft blogs for tutorials and I came across this and had to make me one!  Here is a link to the pattern I found (I don't know anything about the site, itself...I just enjoyed the pattern): 

http://tearosehome.blogspot.com/2010/01/tutorial-jean-corsage-got-old-jeans.html

Here is a key "fob" I made for my Momma...so far, she has enjoyed it.  I am modeling it in this picture (and I have been using it, too, since I have been driving more often.) 

Finally, here is a small children's blanket.  I love it!  It is for one of my soon-to-be brothers from Russia! (I have yet to make the other one, but it's on the list.) We don't know their ages, specifically, but I wanted to make it anyway. I enjoyed making this...from the little bunny to the blanket. It is made from soft minky and is so cuddly.

 

 

Hope you have a blessed end-of-the week!  May we use each day to honor Him!

Taylor