This blog was formerly known as Blunders and Blessings. Because I was having trouble keeping up with it I decided to change it to focus solely on my hobby of photography. Posts will be infrequent as I plan to be out and about hopefully taking pictures! But I will post occasionally on thoughts, projects, tips and recent pictures I've taken. Thanks for checking out my blog!
Wednesday, December 28, 2011
Sew Pretty!
I was so busy trying to get gifts purchased, events gone to, gifts wrapped, food prepared that my latest craft was a hurried project. And that's why there are no before or during pictures of it! I bought most of the materials early enough but I didn't have the right color of thread to even start on the project. I wanted to make a t-shirt dress for my 4 year old niece, miss T for Christmas. I've done a few very simple sewing projects before but it had been a while since my machine had some major issues that needed to be fixed. I finally was able to get the machine into a repair shop so it's back in working order just in time for me to work on the Christmas gift for my niecey! I was pretty nervous that I was going to mess it up so badly that I'd have to go buy another dress to take it's place. With a couple measurements and combining several different craft/sewing blog tutorials to make the dress I invisioned, I started out. I had an aqua long sleeved girls t-shirt that I cut the bottom of the shirt of at the point it would hit at my niece's waist. I cut the bottom off of a 2 XL ladies mock turtleneck shirt the length that would hit to below her knees and stitched the two together. Using the piece I cut off from the girls t-shirt, I made three rosettes on the skirt. And cutting out a flower shape from the ladies shirt left over, I appliqued by hand the piece to the shirt part of the dress. I was so happy when I finished and it actually looked decent (not perfect but I wasn't expecting it to)! But the best part of this whole experience was when miss T opened the present and said "It's beautiful!" I am so blessed to have 5 nieces in my life to do girly things with and for since I wasn't able to have a girl of my own!
Monday, December 19, 2011
Apologies and Reflection
I need to apologize to anyone who was keeping up with this blog. I'm sorry that I haven't been posting anything for several months! I guess I just have been busy and then didn't think I had much to blog about but I should really try to do better. After all, this blog is supposed to be about the blessings, of which I have way more than I deserve, and of the blunders, of which I have more than I'd care to admit. So I should have plenty to blog about, right?
I am so blessed to have a wonderful church and church family! I really enjoy going to the different events, the bible studies, just for fun and fellowship events, and services where I know I'm going to be told the absolute truth and learn more about God's word.
Lately I've been really discouraged with how Christmas has become such a gimme, gimme time of the year and incredibly stressful for me with figuring out what to buy for everyone, doing the shopping and spending the money, and all the focus being on material things and feel good stories of Santa and other things that are NOT the reason Christmas is supposed to be celebrated. Christmas is about the greatest gift of love ever given. God gave His only Son, born to die, for us so we could know how much He loves us and a way to have a personal relationship with Him. How can we overlook that year after year and get so caught up in our worldly views of the holiday season?
My family and I are making changes to the way we celebrate Christmas from now on. Christmas isn't our birthday so why should we go overboard with the gifts? Next year we will only buy one gift per person. We'll go all out for the birthdays. No more impersonal, boxed Christmas cards. It will be a picture card and/or a family newsletter. It's a better use of my time and money. We will keep the focus on Christ and the love He shows us and the love we are commanded to show to others.
So for anyone who happens to be reading this, merry Christmas! May you be abundantly blessed as you celebrate the birth of our Lord and Savior and share that love with others!
I am so blessed to have a wonderful church and church family! I really enjoy going to the different events, the bible studies, just for fun and fellowship events, and services where I know I'm going to be told the absolute truth and learn more about God's word.
Lately I've been really discouraged with how Christmas has become such a gimme, gimme time of the year and incredibly stressful for me with figuring out what to buy for everyone, doing the shopping and spending the money, and all the focus being on material things and feel good stories of Santa and other things that are NOT the reason Christmas is supposed to be celebrated. Christmas is about the greatest gift of love ever given. God gave His only Son, born to die, for us so we could know how much He loves us and a way to have a personal relationship with Him. How can we overlook that year after year and get so caught up in our worldly views of the holiday season?
My family and I are making changes to the way we celebrate Christmas from now on. Christmas isn't our birthday so why should we go overboard with the gifts? Next year we will only buy one gift per person. We'll go all out for the birthdays. No more impersonal, boxed Christmas cards. It will be a picture card and/or a family newsletter. It's a better use of my time and money. We will keep the focus on Christ and the love He shows us and the love we are commanded to show to others.
So for anyone who happens to be reading this, merry Christmas! May you be abundantly blessed as you celebrate the birth of our Lord and Savior and share that love with others!
Wednesday, July 13, 2011
Finally, a new post!
The past few months have been a blur of busyness! We had several graduation ceremonies to attend, camp, my brother's wedding and various other activities going on. It's been unbearably hot here in KS this summer and we've been swimming as often as our schedule will allow. I haven't been doing many crafts because of this and my fashion of late is just what is comfortable in this heat. So I really have not had anything to blog about in those regards. Spiritually though I have a lot going on. God has really been working on me and showing me that I've "let myself go". I've let life get between me and Him. How can I really know what He wants me to do if I haven't been reading His word and talking to Him regularly? I feel I haven't been a good example to my children lately and I'm seeing how that is effecting their behavior. We've been having issues with one of our sons and the guilt I feel over my poor parenting has made it difficult for me to hold him responsible for the choices he's been making. I know that it's not right, it's just the way I feel. I'm thankful to have a godly, loving pastor's wife to counsel me and pray for me along this trial. And I'm so thankful that God will forgive me for my sins and give me His strength and wisdom to continue on.
Monday, May 9, 2011
Neck Bling
My older sis got a metal pendant and wanted me to turn it into a "fun and funky" necklace for her. I finally got it done after fretting about making something she would like. It's hard to start on a project for someone when you aren't really sure what they have in mind! I'm a perfectionist and did NOT want to disappoint her! But she said she really liked it and I'm trusting that she's not just saying that to make me feel good! ;o)
So here is the finished product.
So here is the finished product.
Everything was half price at the craft store or what I already had on hand (which was probably purchased at half price!) so including the cost of the pendant this necklace only cost a little over $2 to make!
Saturday, April 23, 2011
Easter blessings
Yesterday was Good Friday. It's "good" because Jesus died on the cross for us. I am so grateful for that and I look forward every year to celebrate His resurrection from the grave.
This year, since my boys are getting older and don't do Easter egg hunts anymore, I had the idea to ask family members to send me their testimony (the story of how they came to be a believer, how they got saved). I will print them out and put them in the boys Easter baskets to read on Easter Sunday and then I will put them in the boys' scrapbooks. I have enjoyed reading the testimonies as well! What a blessing to know that those family members will be in heaven with me someday!
This year, since my boys are getting older and don't do Easter egg hunts anymore, I had the idea to ask family members to send me their testimony (the story of how they came to be a believer, how they got saved). I will print them out and put them in the boys Easter baskets to read on Easter Sunday and then I will put them in the boys' scrapbooks. I have enjoyed reading the testimonies as well! What a blessing to know that those family members will be in heaven with me someday!
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
Diligence
Have you ever realized that there are 31 chapters in Proverbs? That's just the right number to read one chapter a day! Today's date is April 12 so this morning I read Proverbs 12. Boy, is it full of verses I needed to read today! The main point I felt that God was trying to get across to me is to be diligent and not waste time. I tend to waste a lot of time "playing on the computer". There are lots of things I do on the computer that help me in serving my family and managing my home but most of the time I spend on the computer is just wasting time. Proverbs 12: 11 says "He who tills his land will have plenty of bread, But he who pursues worthless things lacks sense." Now I don't have a field of corn ready to be planted but it doesn't mean that literally. I believe it's talking about doing what is necessary to maintain my life - food, shelter, all my housewife responsibilities. So by me sitting at the computer doing "worthless things" I am being senseless! I don't want to be senseless. So today I am going to work on being more diligent with my time.
Sunday, April 10, 2011
Little blessings
Today was such a good day! Church was good and we got to spend all afternoon and evening together as a family. I discovered some red flowers growing by the gazebo. I don't remember planting them but they are evenly spaced so I must have. No matter. They are pretty and I'm going enjoy them!
Tuesday, April 5, 2011
Boutique style t-shirt
I followed another craft blog tutorial to make a cute little t-shirt for one of my nieces that lives out of state. Her birthday is in just a few days! Since I don't have a little girl of my own I take great pleasure in making or buying girly things for all my nieces! I didn't take any before or during pictures but I can tell you a little about the process. I purchased an inexpensive t-shirt along with some fabric paint, pin findings, tulle, and polyester. I used two different sized sponge brushes (will use something more solid next time) and a pencil eraser to paint on the "necklaces". Since one of the fabric paints was a velvetine, I used the iron to steam the texture into it. I cut two different sized circles of each of the fabrics and used flame to curl it around the edges. Using needle and thread I sewed a white button to the center of the stacked fabrics which sewed them together and then without cutting the thread I sewed the fabric flower to the pin finding. I reinforced the pin with some clear glue and let it dry overnight. I pinned the flower in place on the shirt and ta-da!
He calls me "friend"!
I would love to spend this sunny spring day working on craft projects and doing some decluttering but my daily life is so busy of just trying to keep up with the housework, appointments, school and church events, instrument lessons for the boys and so on. I would also love to be out in the yard working on the flower beds, making them look all pretty for this season of blooms. But all of this is not nearly as important as spending time with my Saviour. I get so busy with all of this business and then try to make time for my fun stuff that I forget about reading my bible and spending time in prayer. How can I have a relationship with Him if I'm not communicating or listening to Him? I know He's still there because He tells me that He'll never leave me, so even though I've been away for a while I know He'll take me back. What a faithful friend I have in Jesus!
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
Busy, busy, busy!
It's been quite a while since my last post because I've been super busy! I did a faux stained glass painting for my little sister's birthday gift. It took several days to complete but I finally got it done and was fairly pleased with the results. I didn't tell her right away that I had made it just to make sure she wouldn't say she did just to make me feel good! But she seemed to like it before she knew. Anyway, here are the before, during and after shots I took of it.
I bought a large "hotel art" type framed picture from Goodwill and took out the picture leaving just the glass in it. I took out the glass, cleaned it and laid it over a piece of paper with my template drawn on it. Using black acrylic paint to tint regular white glue I traced the template to create the "leading".
I had to make up a new bottle of the black glue because the little one I started with got a big clot stuck in the nozzle. It was much easier to draw the lines with the new glue!
Using clear glue tinted with acrylic paints I painted in the colored glass panels. Once it was dry I put the glass back into the frame and super glued it in.
You can see some extra lines through the finished product because I used the original picture as a backing just to protect the glass for transport. My sister hung it in her dining room and took a picture of it in place to share with me and it looks really good up on the wall.
Something else I've been up to lately is doing coauthoring on my older sister's fashion blog http://frumpyhausfrau.blogspot.com/. Check it out when you have a chance.
I bought a large "hotel art" type framed picture from Goodwill and took out the picture leaving just the glass in it. I took out the glass, cleaned it and laid it over a piece of paper with my template drawn on it. Using black acrylic paint to tint regular white glue I traced the template to create the "leading".
I had to make up a new bottle of the black glue because the little one I started with got a big clot stuck in the nozzle. It was much easier to draw the lines with the new glue!
Using clear glue tinted with acrylic paints I painted in the colored glass panels. Once it was dry I put the glass back into the frame and super glued it in.
You can see some extra lines through the finished product because I used the original picture as a backing just to protect the glass for transport. My sister hung it in her dining room and took a picture of it in place to share with me and it looks really good up on the wall.
Something else I've been up to lately is doing coauthoring on my older sister's fashion blog http://frumpyhausfrau.blogspot.com/. Check it out when you have a chance.
Thursday, February 17, 2011
Using scraps.
For Valentine's Day this year I decided I was going to just use what I have to decorate the house instead of buying decorations. 1) because we don't really need to purchase more decor that only I appreciate 2) and to save money. So I made a few things from stuff I already had on hand.
This is one of the things I made. It was inspired by another craft blog I read but since I didn't have all the supplies on hand that she used I had to tweak it to suit what I did have and this is what I came up with. I used a pizza box lid, a scrap of material, a stapler, a rubber band, 4 plastic grocery bags, ribbon scraps and a lapel pin. First I drew as big a heart as would fit on the pizza box lid and cut it out. I bunched up the grocery bags to use as stuffing and stretched the material over it all and pulling it tight I stapled it into place. Because I didn't want to cut the material so I could use it again for something else I had a lot left in the back so I gathered it all together and used the rubber band to keep it in place. Then I wrapped the long piece of red ribbon around the fabric "bun" and stapled the ribbon at the top of the heart so I could hang it. I tied the brown ribbon in a bow and stuck the lapel pin through it and into the heart. Then I hung it on the wreath hanger on the front door and admired my handiwork! I was quite pleased with how all my scraps turned out for V-day decor.
This is one of the things I made. It was inspired by another craft blog I read but since I didn't have all the supplies on hand that she used I had to tweak it to suit what I did have and this is what I came up with. I used a pizza box lid, a scrap of material, a stapler, a rubber band, 4 plastic grocery bags, ribbon scraps and a lapel pin. First I drew as big a heart as would fit on the pizza box lid and cut it out. I bunched up the grocery bags to use as stuffing and stretched the material over it all and pulling it tight I stapled it into place. Because I didn't want to cut the material so I could use it again for something else I had a lot left in the back so I gathered it all together and used the rubber band to keep it in place. Then I wrapped the long piece of red ribbon around the fabric "bun" and stapled the ribbon at the top of the heart so I could hang it. I tied the brown ribbon in a bow and stuck the lapel pin through it and into the heart. Then I hung it on the wreath hanger on the front door and admired my handiwork! I was quite pleased with how all my scraps turned out for V-day decor.
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
I need constant reminders.
Ephesians 4:29 “Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.”
My head is in the negative again today so I'm glad I was reminded of this verse. I need to keep my negative thoughts from turning into "unwholesome talk". I need to be a blessing to others with what I say and not a bother.
I need to get over my disappointment in how yesterday went and remember that when I hold someone to my expectations I will get disappointed. I need to just love and serve them no matter how they treat me because I'm not doing it for anything in return, I'm doing it to serve my Lord.
I also need to remember that God created me the way that I am and I need to be okay with that. Right now I'm really struggling with it though.
So today it feels like mostly blunder but I'm hoping to turn it around to blessing.
My head is in the negative again today so I'm glad I was reminded of this verse. I need to keep my negative thoughts from turning into "unwholesome talk". I need to be a blessing to others with what I say and not a bother.
I need to get over my disappointment in how yesterday went and remember that when I hold someone to my expectations I will get disappointed. I need to just love and serve them no matter how they treat me because I'm not doing it for anything in return, I'm doing it to serve my Lord.
I also need to remember that God created me the way that I am and I need to be okay with that. Right now I'm really struggling with it though.
So today it feels like mostly blunder but I'm hoping to turn it around to blessing.
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