Frugal Friday- Matchy Pillowcase Skirts!

These two pillowcases were my parent's...and I took them off to college with me...'cuz they are my favorite blue and yellow color combination! One in particular was very thin...so...I made a double layered skirt for Curious Georgette....

...isn't she cute! She was so excited...especially when she saw MomE's matching skirt....

Taking pictures in a mirror is tricky by itself...but with Sweet Boy...it's, uh, very exciting!

This was such a good picture of his involvement and her excitement that I had to include it...doorknob and all!

We'll make sure our shirts match the skirts (and I'll need a slip...yikes) when we wear them out...but you get the idea! I'm so tickled that she's tickled about looking like MomE! Neat! If you have cute pillowcases...send them to me! I'm having way too much fun with this frugal premise!

The Steps of a Good Man!

The Steps of a Good Man

based on Psalm 37:23

Though dark be the night, and long be the day,
Lord make me follow in Thy perfect way.
Though cometh sorrow, though great be my pain,
Lord make me serve Thee come sunshine or rain.

The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord
And He delighteth in his way.
Though he fall he shall not be utterly cast down
For the Lord, for the Lord, for the Lord upholdeth him with His hand.

Oh Thou art almighty, I am so small
Lord make me trust Thee whatever befall
Thou art all holy, You make no mistake
Lord make me Christlike whatever it takes.

The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord

And He delighteth in his way.

Though he fall he shall not be utterly cast down

For the Lord, for the Lord, for the Lord upholdeth him with His hand.

For the Lord upholdeth him with His hand.

The Steps of a Good Man - Mac & Beth Lynch

WFW- Isaiah 25:4

Tube Tuesday- Psalm 23

Frugal Friday- Sweet MTO gifts!

I have leftover muslin from the trimmings of Sweet Boy's comforter. I wanted to make sachets for the sweet MTO (Mom's Time Out) helpers. FYI...MTO is much like MOPS (Mother's of PreSchoolers)...I go twice a month when I am able! Very cool group that would be nothing without the free child care by super sweet ladies and a few older gentlemen! Our last meeting for this year is today!

Anyhew, cut out the circles (traced an empty cream cheese spread container)...ironed them flat...assembled smelly pellets in pomegranate. Phew...they stink (well, are strong)...I put them in a Ziploc and freeze them when not using them. Otherwise, I have headaches in my craft room!

My sweet girl assisted me with hand printing half the muslin. Awwww!

I rough stitched the edges using red floss...cuz I wanted it to look childish and cute! I put some stuffing and a tablespoon of pellets in each one.

I used a free printable for the baggie top from Living Locurto...she made cookies for her MOPS gals...Sorry, I wasn't feeling like baking...

AND...there ya have it...In the words of my Curious Georgette..."TA-DA!" I am posting this about the time they'll be getting them...I hope they think they're cute too!

WFW- Listen!!

Tube Tuesday- Chisel...

MMM- Still Blogging Along...

So, why was I motivated to become a blogger!?

I created MomE & Loving It on Sept. 20, 2007...with this post...

Hip MomE??
I've never considered myself technologically challenged and realized that maybe I was falling behind. I was lying in bed last night thinking about computers and what I didn't know. It occurred to me that I didn't know how to create a blog. I first noticed other moms had them when my MOPS buddies would say, "Hey check out my blog" or I'd be on forums and people would refer to them. However, when my Dad created one--and it was so awesome--and easy (according to him)I thought it was about time. I figure this is also a great opportunity to work on thinking about what I write before I post it out for the world. Might even help me with my big mouth--you never know. Maybe this blog will be one of God's great tools in my life to tame my tongue and impulsive sinful heart. Here's hoping.

Then I started Blogging Along on March 27, 2008 with the following post...

"Ramblings"
I decided to create a separate blog for my rambling thoughts. I got great feedback from the masses about seeing the kiddos via blog. It makes sense--it doesn't clog up their e-mails and all can see regardless of continent. However, I realized that not everyone may enjoy, or have the time for, my other blog. I don't want them to check and be disappointed so thought the simple solution was to create a separate blog--and since they're free--here we are! This way those interested in my deep (or not so deep thoughts) can read and comment and those more interested in my sweet boobahs (and really who wouldn't be interested) can be free from the extra comments! We'll see how this goes! Fun times!


Do you like these irises? They are bold and proud at the zoo...and I thought they deserved a picture! Gorgeous!!

Frugal Friday...Pillowcase Purse and Quilt Top...

If you remember last week here...I said I'd use the rest of the peach pillowcase to make a purse or something....

A little ribbon and a hem later....Voila...

Isn't she cute...with her band aid (it's covering a bug bite so she won't pick it)...and her backwards pants (she got dressed all by herself)...

See...she can open it without help...

AND HERE IS THE ASSEMBLED QUILT TOP FOR CALEB'S ROOM! FINALLY!!! A friend is coming over Friday to help me pin and tie it. Then when I visit my Mom...she'll give me another binding lesson! Kayren at Everything's Coming Up Daisies asked if it was Americana...I hadn't really planned on it...just wanted home spuns and masculine...and didn't like anything in the stores. Once I do the valance with the leftover fabrics...you'll see the room theme is actually "planes, trains, and automobiles." I'm going to try my hand at paper-piecing a plane, train, and auto.

Be still...

Today I knew I needed to make my sourdough bread. I'd gotten the starter last week...fed it...and it was waiting for me to get started....
Somehow, I'd miscalculated...and instead of making enough for 2 loaves...I did 6 loaves...YIKES!

Quick picture of my mother's day geranium and my cup of rings....This is an important step when making bread...take them off or they'll be coated with dough!

Awww...sweet baby dough...

All the bread waiting to rise....slowly...slowly...

And...I was feeling very stressed...cuz they were coming out short and uh, humorous. It tastes great but...well, I can't give any of this away!!!

The last two are beautiful...minus the egg wash...so maybe that was it...I don't know... And so why did I title this stressful bread making day "Be Still"???

...Because my mug and stationary came from Andrea at Under Grace & Over Coffee....This is the very first giveaway I have ever won. It has been so perfectly placed in my life...and the verse on the mug couldn't be more perfect.

"Be still and know that I am God." Psalm 46:10

A GOOD LAUGH...

I laughed so hard it hurt! Enjoy!! A cheerful heart is good medicine. Proverbs 17:22

Clutching their Kohl's Department Store shopping bags, Ellen and Kay woefully gazed down at a dead cat in the mall parking lot. Obviously a recent hit -- no flies, no smell. "What business could that poor kitty have had here?"murmured Ellen. "Come on, Ellen, let's just go...."But Ellen had already grabbed her shopping bag and was explaining, "I'll just put my things in your bag, and then I'll use this tissue paper." She dumped her purchases into Kay's bag and then used the tissue paper to cradle and lower the former feline into her own Kohl's bag and cover it. They continued the short trek to the car in silence, stashingtheir goods in the trunk. But it occurred to both of them that if they left Ellen's burial bag in the trunk, warmed bythe Texas sunshine while they ate, Kay's Lumina would soon lose that new-car smell. They decided to leave the bag on top of the trunk, and they headed over to K & W Cafeteria. After they went through the serving line and they sat down at a window table. They had a view of Kay's Chevy with the Kohl's bag still on the trunk. BUT not for long! As they ate, they noticed a woman in a red gingham shirt stroll by their car. She looked quickly this way and that,and then took the Kohl's bag without breaking stride. She quickly walked out of their line of vision. Kay and Ellen shot each other a wide-eyed look of amazement. It all happened so fast that neither of them could think how to respond. "Can you imagine?" finally sputtered Ellen. "The nerve of that woman!" Kay sympathized with Ellen, but inwardly a laugh was building as she thought about the grand surprise awaiting the female thief. Just when she thought she'd have to giggle into her napkin, she noticed Ellen's eyes freeze in the direction of the serving line. Following her gaze, Kay recognized the woman in the red gingham shirt with the Kohl's bag hanging from her arm. She was brazenly pushing her tray toward the cashier. Helplessly they watched the scene unfold: After leaving the register, the woman settled at a table across from theirs,put the bag on an empty chair and began to eat. After a few bites of baked whitefish and green beans, she casually lifted the bag into her lap to survey her treasure. Looking from side to side, but not far enough to notice her rapt audience three tables over, she pulled out the tissue paper and peered into the bag. Her eyes widened, and she began to make a sort of gasping noise. The noise grew. The bag slid from her lap as she sank to the floor, wheezing and clutching her upper chest. The beverage cart attendant quickly recognized a customer in trouble and sent the busboy to call 911 while she administered the Heimlich maneuver. A crowd quickly gathered that did not include Ellen and Kay, who remained riveted to their chairs for seven whole minutes until the ambulance arrived. In a matter of minutes, the woman with the red gingham shirt emerged from the crowd, still gasping, and securely strapped on a gurney. Two well-trained EMS volunteers steered her to the waiting ambulance, while a third scooped up her belongings. The last they saw of the distressed cat-burglar was as she disappeared behind the ambulance doors -- the Kohl's bag perched on her stomach! God does take care of those who do bad things! (AND once in a while He allows us to witness it!)

Received from Pam Block
Brought to you by GCFL.net: The Good, Clean Funnies List
A cheerful heart is good medicine... (Prov 17:22a)
Mail address: GCFL, Box 100, Harvest, AL 35749, USA

WFW-- Fear Not...

Tube Tuesday- What's in the Wood?

My Dad sent me a neat e-mail with pictures of this Randy Boni's work. I went to his website...here...and looked at his galleries. It's just gorgeous work. I thought his youtube entry of him carving this log into an eagle would be neat for Tube Tuesday. I look at this and think about what I've heard about stone sculptures saying they don't really know what is going to come out when they start. It made me think...so, what's in the wood?

MMM- Sick Kids and Lovely Days...

Well, as much as I've struggled against it...today...I'm motivated by a sick kiddo...

...motivated to sit down and hold sick, grouchy Sweet Boy.

...motivated to read story, after story, after story.

...motivated to leave my sewing, dishes, chores for another day.

...motivated to sit and watch them play.

...motivated to actually notice it is a gorgeous Spring day that the Lord has given us!

Sometimes the best way to redeem the time is to get off the merry-go-round schedule...and try and enjoy the new ride!

Psalm 118:24,
"This is the day which the LORD has made; Let us rejoice and be glad in it."

PS--Isn't my LoverBrain wonderful! Hehehe! What a Happy Mother's Day I had...

Happy Mother's Day to My Wonderful Wife!

Just to clarify the context, this is Bobbi's husband, Darren, writing the blog today to wish her a Happy Mother's Day.

I thank the Lord for my wife and all the years that we've lived, grown, laughed and sometimes struggled together in marriage. She's been a great blessing in my life, my children's lives and in many other peoples lives. We're similar in many ways, but also different in some aspects. She's very outgoing and always loves to be around and talk with other people. She tends be charged by interaction with others, whereas I tend to be recharged by quiet time alone or just with her. But more than that, she has a genuine heart for people. Not that this excludes a vibrant heart for other things (i.e. God, learning, reading, etc.), but this characteristic always stands out with me. Whether it's because I see signs of it daily or because I know that I need to develop it more in my own life (or a combination of these), I'm not sure.

She is a faithful mother with a great heart for her children that overflows with love. Her joy for our children has few bounds, and she always uses her gifts in teaching, music, cooking, crafting, etc. to help them grow and learn. I can't help but smile as I see her use these gifts that God gave her to help our children grow in God, knowledge, love and character. Certainly there are trying times with the kids, but she always sees past these with great love for the greater purpose.

Even beyond this though, she has a great heart for all other people in her life. She has a caring spirit that is in the same vein as a mother's heart; faithful in prayer, faithful in caring, faithful in honesty, faithful in integrity and openness to keep a growing & good relationship going. I've seen the marks of these characteristics many times, and the determination to continue even though there may be temporary pain.

All in all, she's a wonderful wife, mother, woman, and encourager to me, our children and so many other people. So today my children & I say thankfully: HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY BOBBI! We love you very much!

Cafe Chat...Being a help meet?

What are things we can do as wife (friend, relative, etc.) when we have a husband (friend, relative, etc) who does not know the Lord?

I thought immediately of 1 Peter 3:1-6, "Wives, in the same way be submissive to your husbands so that, if any of them do not believe the word, they may be won over without words by the behavior of their wives, when they see the purity and reverence of your lives. Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as braided hair and the wearing of gold jewelry and fine clothes. Instead, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God's sight. For this is the way the holy women of the past who put their hope in God used to make themselves beautiful. They were submissive to their own husbands, like Sarah, who obeyed Abraham and called him her master. You are her daughters if you do what is right and do not give way to fear."

This shows that she is not to leave him, not to preach at him, and not to demand her own rights. She is to be submissive, faithful and modest. She is not to constantly bother and nag him with the gospel. Peter said he "may be won without a word" from her godly behavior. To quote something I read from MacArthur, "That means she is not to put Bible verses on his beer cans, stick evangelistic tracts under his pillow, or call the pastor to the house to unload the gospel gun!" She is to be respectful (which is a good one for all of us with saved husbands too)...because it is key to her example of Christ for him. She's to be working on her inner beauty...being gentle and quiet in her dealings with him.


What are things we can do as wives when are husbands once had a growing relationship with the Lord that now seems to be stagnant? (Remember feel free to substitute the wife/husband relationship if you are not married).

Funny, I thought I'd just start out with the 1 Peter passage but it worked this whole way through. Life can get crazy and I think that when we see our husband's relationship seemingly grow stagnant we need to cut the guy a break. The same rules of conduct apply as mentioned above...we should be respectful, gentle and quiet...and talk lovingly to him about our concerns. Condemning him isn't going to encourage him to get things right. I think women can forget to "do unto others" with their spouse. I realized that I went to women's Bible study, etc. but wasn't always receptive to him taking time "away from our family" to meet with Godly men. It is important to encourage your husband to be involved...even if it means some compromise on your part. After all, let's prioritize here...what's really important! If I pray for my husband's spiritual growth and development but don't help him work to that end...that's ridiculous! I'm getting in the way...shame on selfish me!

Last, what are things wives can do to help our husbands grow deeper in their walk with Christ?

Praying for my husband has been a huge influence in my life. I know it sounds like I'm a popular book title (The Power of a Praying...) but it makes me so much more aware of what I should be doing. Isn't it funny how prayer corrects our perspective. It doesn't change who we're praying for necessarily...but it changes our hearts about the issues. I've had to examine my motives and heart as to why I pray these things for him. I've had to question whether I'm being a help meet to his relationship with Christ. It might also help to consider a love dare...Family Life has a good one here. Revive our Hearts has neat prayer guides (for children, husbands, pastors) and an encouraging your husband challenge guide here.

If a man is going to lead his family, he must humble himself and follow God. There are two challenges in this: to lead and to follow. Both are tough. If your husband is going to stand strong in his faith and fulfill God’s plan for his life as husband and father, he needs you to be a Christ like help meet. He wasn’t designed to do this alone. You are a major part of the equation in keeping your marriage spiritually on track. While you’re not really responsible for your husband's growth, you can help or hinder growth in significant ways. Encourage each other into settings where you can grow in your relationship with Christ: Bible studies, prayer groups, accountability groups, conferences. And then do what you can – such as providing child care – to allow your spouse to take advantage of these opportunities. We've made a point of asking each other..."So, how are things between you and God?"

Philippians 1:6, "For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus."

He Who Began A Good Work In You (Find Us Faithful Album Version) - Steve Green

Frugal Friday! Curtains and Pillows...and playclothes...

We've been having an ant invasion...

Somehow, my irritation with these little monsters....led to a rather frugal sewing day! I got a great little wrap around skirt pattern here... and cut it down for Emma! I pinned it onto a pillow case I'd gotten at Goodwill for 99cents.

I reheated my coffee (again) in my cute little mug...another Goodwill find for 50cents! Woohoo..yes, yes...those are the blocks for Sweet Boy's comforter that aren't being sewn right now...shame on me...stupid ants!

After a few hours...and a messed up waist...meaning I had to use some pink scraps from something else...here is the completed skirt...

Awww! She was like..."okay, okay...I said cheese...now let me watch Blue's Clue's!"

That was so easy I cut one out for me...yes, they are my old curtains from college. Cotton made to look like denim...sort of...pretty but haven't used in over seven years...so....

And if this makes you think of The Sound Of Music...you aren't alone! My friend at church said that too! Ha ha ha! Incidentally, I played Maria in our high school's production when I was 15...I had this crazy science teacher who'd sing, "The halls are alive with the sound of music..." every time I walked down the hallway ever after that...hahaha! Ah, lots of memories...

By trimming the hem of the curtain I saved myself some sewing for the waistband...nifty, nifty!

I didn't want to wait until LoverBrain's came home to take a picture...so here's me in my dusty mirror in the "hills of laundry."

I then cut another peach eyelet pillow in half...and put some elastic in it for another cute pillow skirt...yes, Goodwill...99cents...She loved this one...won't take it off!

I'm going to use the pocket remaining to make some sort of tote bag...I'll save it for next Friday...