Five Minute Friday -- If I knew I could, I would...

It's Five Minute Friday time again.  You write for five minutes, unedited.  For details on participating click the link below.

Ready...Set...Go...

If I knew I could, I would....

Capture the feeling of Jacob's cheek on my lips and the scent of his skin forever, to play back when I needed a moment of pure peace and love.

Drive to my mom's house.

Visit my friend Debbie in FL or my friend Tara in MO.

Spend a day as one of the birds perched and singing in my plum trees.

Travel back in time and meet Jane Austen.

Write and publish a book.

Own a small quilt shop with a longarm quilting machine.  Oh yes!

Acquire compassion without suffering.

Live on a hundred acres with dogwood trees lining the long driveway, in a house with rocking chairs and a swing on the front porch.

Always have a baby, without the exhaustion.

Swim as a dolphin in the emerald waters of Florida.

Never get wrinkles.

Times up!

Sony eReader Cover Tutorial

KarrieLyne over at Freckled Whimsy posted a great tutorial to sew a pouch for your iPad or iPad 2.  I don't own one of those, but I have been wanting to make a cover for my Sony eReader.  I had to change the measurements and I'll post those with photos below. Follow KarrieLyne's tutorial to know how to put the pieces together.

Basic Materials:
Main Fabric, 2 pieces 7.5" x 9"
Lining Fabric, 2 pieces 7.5" x 9"
Fusible Batting, 2 pieces 6.5" x 8"
9" Zipper
Matching Thread

I actually made mine 7" wide and it's a bit too narrow, so I've increased the measurement to 7.5" for you.

To make yours like mine, cut 2 pieces for the bottom fabric (laundry) 7.5" wide x 6.5" tall.
Cut two top border pieces 7.5" wide x 3.5" tall.
Cut two lace pieces 7.5" wide. (optional)
Cut two lining pieces 7.5" wide x 9" tall.

Sew the lace and top border to the bottom fabric with 1/2 seam allowance. I ironed the seam allowance up toward the top border.  I didn't take a photo, but center and iron your batting onto the back of the main fabric pieces.

The final result!
Go to Freckled Whimsy's tutorial for assembly instructions.

Weekly Review

I thought I'd share some photos of this past week.  It's been a good one, full of smiles and laughter.  Kristy and I started out with a shopping trip on Monday afternoon and we visited Swan Lake in Sumter, SC on Wednesday.  It was such a pretty day! The older kids shared the camera, so the pictures I have are what they took and I have none of them from the day.  The mail lady delivered some fabric and a giveaway prize I won!  Then, despite neglecting my yard and doing no gardening this year, I'll share some pics of what is cheerfully breaking through the weeds.



I had to share this! These are two tags from Goodwill. A sign at the front of the store indicated that all orange sticker items were 50% off.  When she rang up the item on the left, she charged full price.  I asked about the discount.  I was informed that this sticker was not orange, but red.  Yes, I'm very serious.  The left sticker is red.  She pulled out one of my items with the tag on the right and said this was an orange tag.  haha!  So, I'd like you to know if you shop at Goodwill in Camden, SC, there are not two shades of orange tags.  The left tag is red and the right tag is orange.  Kristy and I shared a great many jokes over this.



We left Goodwill and were driving to Columbia.  Kristy pointed at a road construction sign, saying, "Oh, look, it's a red sign!"  Just one example of our mockery through the day.  haha!



I picked up these vintage sheets from Goodwill.  Perhaps they'll be bag liners or quilt backs!




Here are some of my Michael's goodies.  A new scented candle! Then a couple packs of Mary Englebreit notecards and notebook from the dollar bins.  Ah, so springlike and cheerful!




Bonnes Amies by Swirly Girls Design for Michael Miller.  These will be used for a bag swap I'm participating in.




 And I found time to get a good bit of work done on my new bag.  This is the Sweet Harmony tote by Amy Butler, using Nicey Jane fabric from Heather Bailey.  I'm LOVING this bag and can't wait to finish it this weekend!!




Look what I won!!! A cute little change purse. Alison over at Oopsey Daisy hosted a giveaway and I won! Yippee!  This charming change purse is from Aubrey Plays.  Thanks Aubrey, I love it!




Isn't spring wonderful? I love baby ducks! This was taken at Swan Lake in Sumter, SC.




Going for a ride at Swan Lake and eating his burp cloth.




A charming gosling.  Another photo Kristy took.




Nap time! Look how big my Jacob is getting already!




A yellow rose on the bush Russ sent me for Valentine's when he was deployed to Afghanistan. It's gotten so big and is blooming again this year.  I love it.  He bought me a red one this year, but it currently has no blooms.




These little flowers are a return from last year.




I think yellow and green is a theme for me this spring.  My irises are stunning!




And lastly, I had to share a current photo of our coffee pot.  Russ was washing it and hit the edge on the faucet, nicely knocking out a decent chunk.  I think it's the true sign of a coffee addict when he declares it's still useable.  haha!!



A couple Giveaways!

Do you follow Little Bluebell? If not, you are missing a wonderful blog and currently a fabulous giveaway! Thank you Adrianne! Little Bluebell: DS Quilts Collection Giveaway

Next, one of my favorite bloggers and favorite quilters is Mary over at Quilt Hollow.  Her work is simply stunning and she's always so kind and encouraging.  She has a giveaway for Country Comforts by Cheryl Wall.  Head on over to enter and if you've never been there, take a few moments to browse around.  You won't be disappointed.  She can bring such life to a quilt, beautiful work!

Five Minute Friday -- The Hard Love

It's Five Minute Friday time again.  For details or to participate, click the link below.

Ready...Set....Go...

Is there an easy love? Some people are easy to love or there are times in which we are able to share our love easily, but all love is tried.  Several verses on love come to mind.  We are told to love our enemies.  We are told in 1 Corinthians that love suffereth long, is kind, doesn't envy, isn't prideful, doesn't behave unseemly, seeks not her own, isn't provoked easily, and thinketh no evil.  Love doesn't take pleasure in sin.  It endures, believes, bears, and hopes all things.  Love doesn't fail.

This certainly shows us that love is not easy, but I still become discouraged when it is not, when I must forgive....again, endure....again, be selfless....again.  Yet, instead of being discouraged, I should remember that these times are the opportunities to be most like Christ. He is love, loving the unlovely....

Times up!

A bowl full of lemons.: Silhouette GIVEAWAY!!!!

Another Silhouette giveaway taking place at A Bowl Full of Lemons. Go enter for your chance to win!!!

A bowl full of lemons.: Silhouette GIVEAWAY!!!!: "A SILHOUETTE GIVEAWAY!! I was sent a Silhouette Rhinestone Starter kit this month, to try out and giveaway along with a Silhouette SD Mac..."

Fabric Refund Giveaway

Sew Fresh Fabrics is having a fabulous scrap box giveaway.  Who wouldn't like to win some awesome scraps?  I thought I'd share with my blog friends.  Head on over to for a chance to win.  Must enter by 10 p.m. EST on April 20th.

A Few Things

I thought I'd share a few things that I appreciated from this past week.  The first is this new Wal-Mart commercial.  Have you seen it?  I think it's rather funny.  Perhaps because I can relate to this mom. haha! I love how the boy has his DS sitting on the stair with him, indicating mom just left him in that predicament until dad came home. haha! Love it! And her demeanor in the background is great.

The next thing on my list is this adorable bubble skirt tutorial from The Cottage Home.  I don't have a little girl to sew for, but something about this skirt charms me.  I wanted to share for any others.  It's nothing fancy, but cute and feminine.  I love it!  She also has a Ellie Inspired pattern giveaway going on right now, if you'd like to win an adorable pattern for the little girl in your life.  I didn't enter, but wanted to share for those interested.

Now, for something I not only love, but can see in my future.  A scrap quilt tutorial, a triangle scrap quilt, over at Crazy Mom Quilts. Did I mention that I love this?  

Lastly, a book I read.  I heard about this one over on Southern Gal Thoughts.  The book is The Grace and Truth Paradox by Randy Alcorn.  I can't say this book revealed anything I haven't already been recognizing for myself over the past couple years.  It is about balance in a Christian's life of grace and truth. 

"Truth-oriented Christians love studying Scripture and theology. But sometimes they're quick to judge and slow to forgive. They're strong on truth, weak on grace. Grace-oriented Christians love forgiveness and freedom.  But sometimes they neglect Bible study and see moral standards as 'legalism.' They're strong on grace, weak on truth."

"Truth without grace breeds a self-righteous legalism that poisons the church and pushes the world away from Christ. Grace without truth breeds moral indifference and keeps people from seeing their need for Christ."

I have lived as a truth-oriented Christian for a number of years. I've been surrounded by many of those Christians, with a few grace-oriented ones in the mix.  Those have often been viewed as the weaker brethren.  The older I get, longer I've been saved,  and more I read my Bible, I crave a balance between the two.  I'm weary of the self-righteous crowd, who focus so much on moral standards that they miss showing love and grace to others.  I'm not weary of God.  I'm not weary of His Word. I'm not weary of moral standards, as the Bible defines them. I'm not weary of Christians.  I'm weary of this particular type of Christianity, this particular type of Christian. 

Here I am trying to find the balance this books speaks of.  I don't want to go so far toward the grace-oriented crowd that I overlook sin and make light of it, or allow things into my life that simply are not wise.  I want a proper balance.  I found this book very refreshing.  There are a great many Christians who seek this balance as well.  I highly recommend this book to all Christians. It's a good read, a much needed call for examination in our lives.

5 Minute Fridays -- On Distance

Via Colorado Lady's blog, I found The Gypsy Mama.  She chooses a topic every Friday and writes for five minutes.  The rule is that you write about it for the five minutes, no editing your thoughts.  I thought I'd participate.  This week's subject is "On Distance."

Here we go:

Military wives become familiar with distance.  I am one.  I stand outside on a South Carolina lawn, close my eyes, and feel a Florida breeze, smell the salt water and pines. I know Mom is inside making fresh sweet tea.  You can't drink yesterday's tea.  It's stale.  Just like God's mercies are new each morning, so is mom's tea. Both bring comfort.

A crying baby brings me back to reality, back to the miles that lie between mom and myself.  I open my eyes.  I didn't prune the crepe myrtles this past winter.  Landscaping wasn't as important as the baby I was growing and now I feel like I'm trying to play catch up on months worth of work.  I long for mom, but it is time to be her.  I'm off to nurse a baby.  Perhaps, I'll brew some tea today.

Hexagon Happiness

Do you see that little red hump at the bottom of the photo?  haha!  That is Jacob's bottom.  He is resting on my chest and when I let him nap like this, I've been trying to get some hexies made.  This will eventually be a table runner and I'm using the Canning Day fabric I picked up from Connecting Threads. I love holding Jacob while he sleeps and making hexies is something fun and creative to do.  Makes me feel productive.  I also enjoy reading, but when I'm very tired reading is painful. haha!  And often I'm still directing the other kids' lessons, helping them with math, etc.  Reading doesn't give my mind a break.  Handwork does!

Russ asked me this morning how many projects I'm working on at once.  haha!!  I can't always sit at my sewing table, so there is a demand for more than one.  I am working on my BOM and I have all my pieces cut for the bag I'm making out of my Nicey Jane fabric.  I hope to sew that in the next few days.  I'm also planning a couple of my pay it forward projects and am participating in a new bag swap.  OH, and I have another little project, which I'm not blogging about until it's done.  Crazy?  Yes! Happy? Yes!

I spend a good bit of time on this old blue loveseat.  Here are some pics of my work area.  ;-)

The end table on my right.  Some necessities...coffee, sewing supplies, the pacifier Jacob won't use, but I still try, Colic Calm (a must have for my reflux baby), the phone, and remotes. Oh, and my chapstick...my addiction!  This one is the Neutrogena Naturals lip balm that came with my free Target sample bag.  I love it...they may have a new customer in me.

The pillow can serve as a desk, holding the laptop.  Jake's bottom rests on my left forearm at this very moment while I type. haha!!

To my left.  The camera bag, my hexie project and a book I'm currently reading.  Oh, and the Connecting Threads catalog that came in the mail yesterday. 

I can hold him to my hearts content and his.  Happy Baby = Happy Mommy!

 I do put him down.  There is the matter of housework, school with the kids, errands, cooking, and potty breaks.  I can't sit like this all day, but I do enjoy our moments together.  Just feeling him breath, being able to tilt my head down and kiss him while he sleeps, and the warmth of his soft skin, brings calm and peace to my day. I love being a mom.

Tuesday, I took all the kids and drove up to Asheboro, NC.  We went to see my neice, Whitney.  We spent the night and drove home on Wednesday evening.  The time flew by, but I was so glad to go. I took my camera and don't you know I didn't take one photo while there.  Shame on me!!

She took me by a quilt shop she found.  We stopped in for a couple minutes.  I could have spent more time, but with four kids, 3 ready to get to the park and one needing to nurse, my visit was short.  I did manage to pick up some fabric on sale. 

I have a couple gift ideas in mind for these.

I really love these two....wondering what I'll make with them.

I didn't photograph these thinking they are coordinating, just to show the last three prints.  I really like the two lighter ones as potential linings for future bags.  Or quilt fabric.  I couldn't resist picking these up since they were only $2.96/yd.

Bouncing Around

I am bouncing around today--laundry, bills, email, extra math work with Kristy, reading some blogs, checking ebay, chatting with a friend on facebook, letters with Nate, taking calls, scheduling the time for the replacement of our car's windsheild, nursing Jacob, and updating my blog. It's only noon and I still have lots more to do.  Good thing I got 5 hours of uninterrupted sleep last night.  I am in a more energetic state of sleep deprivation. 

I've finally added some new thankful thoughts to my One Thousand Gifts page.  I knew I wouldn't stick to the whole Multitude Monday plan.  Regardless, I do appreciate writing down some thoughts and being able to read back over them.

I also started a Home Education page and today shared a couple things we love using for our geography lessons.  Do you home school? What do you like using for geography studies?

When I woke this morning, I nursed Jacob and put him back to bed. Then I got dressed, made my bed, and grabbed the dirty clothes hamper out of my room.  I was off to a great start accomplishing routine mom duties.  Then I stepped into my laundry room and through the window, I beheld a beautiful sight.  The sun broke through the clouds, highlighting the treeline across the field.  Oh, it was breathtaking and provoked my very first thought of God today.  He reminded of His very existence, His beauty, and that there is more to my life than mundane tasks.  Sometimes I take moments like this to enter a word into the online Bible and see what scriptures I can find.  This morning, I simply entered "sun" and found Psalm 84:11, "For the LORD God is a sun and shield: the LORD will give grace and glory: no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly."  What a beautiful thought for my day!!

I intended to capture that view on camera.  I started my load of laundry and went for the camera.  However, when I returned, the view had changed.  Clouds now covered the sun.  I missed it! No, I didn't.  It was simply engraved in my heart and mind. I'm glad I was there for the moment, to live in that very moment.

The day didn't stop there.  I did get something wonderful on camera today.  Check this out...

 Jacob likes to lay propped up on the pillow.  He will often fall asleep like this.  Before you lecture me, I only lay him like this when I'm with him, so I can make sure he doesn't bury his face. Anyhow, Nate asked to watch Monsters, Inc.  When he saw me put Jacob on the pillow, he went to the floor to lay beside him and watch his movie.  This moment, I didn't miss...I ran for the camera.  Too cute!!!

And finally...

The mail lady made me a happy woman yesterday.  She brought these patterns.  I think I'm going to use my Nicey Jane fabric to make the Sweet Harmony Tote.  It looks large enough to work for my diaper/multipurpose bag.  And I liked these Pockets to Go.  What a great little gift idea!!