Random News...

It has been a lot longer than I had intended since I last posted anything! I have been blessed with a good flow of orders this month, So I have had less time to devote to blogging and such. Not that I am complaining mind you! NO! I am so grateful for them as the months of November and December were pretty much dead as far as the site goes. I kept telling myself that it was just the time of year when everyone else is buying for others and not worrying about their own wardrobe. Any how, things are flowing again. I have spent the last few days sewing some things for a new customer's 6 month old girl! She is adorable and I have been so enjoying making these little bitty items! I have also made a Doll that is the cutest thing ever! I will post some pics of it on here for you all to see. She is such a DOLL! ( Okay, yes, pun intended :)

I have plans of adding Broadfall pants for men to my list of items. I made Dad several pair in the last few months and I feel comfortable making them now. I have found a source of material for them too so I hope to get that going soon!

Haley and I received the news yesterday from a friend of ours, telling us that her husband's 90-something father passed away. He lived at the Nursing home where Haley worked for a very long time. He is now, thankfully, resting with Jesus, as he was a christian man. Haley and I will be attending the funeral this week, so please keep his family in your prayers!

In other news....

Olivia started her first job (working at the same Vet as Erin). It has been hard not having her here with me during the daytime. I really miss her :( But she is enjoying her new work and I am so glad! In my last post I mentioned how Erin brought home an orange cat from the vet. Well, Olivia brought home a new one, this time a little bitty kitty! He too is Orange with green eyes, and we have dubbed him Ollie.

He is very sweet and playful and Harvey has adopted him nicely :)

Not much else to report right now, but I did not want to go much longer without pos

I did want to share this pic of me, and one of Haley and our neighbor's donkey. We met Him today on our early morning stroll. We loved on him for a while and I snapped the pics with my camera phone. He lives with 3 other donkeys and a whole bunch of Long Horn Cattle.

Well, That's all Folks!

Happy Birthday and Harvey

Good Morning all!
January 15 was a very good day from my family for 2 reasons that are totally unconnected:
First and most importantly, it was my Dad's 50th Birthday, and what a birthday it was for him! Every one at work remembered and called, emailed or stopped by to wish him a good one. This is a big deal because there have been birthdays where just a few remembered. SO it was a nice surprise for him :) They had a big meeting during the morning and one sweet lady brought a cake for him! Haley ordered some balloons and flowers to be delivered and to Dad's surprise, a boss walked in during the meeting carrying them. Boy, was Dad shocked when he brought them over to him! They all ooo'd and ahhh'd over him and sang happy birthday! I am so glad and thankful that he was able to see just how much every one loves and cares about him. He is the most honorable man have ever known and deserves so much thanks! When celebrated with him last night here at home and Haley made him his favorite cake, German Chocolate. One of the gifts he asked for this year was that each of us memorize a Psalm. So I learned Psalm 1 and we all recited them to him after dinner. I think he was very pleased :0) All in all I think He had a good birthday and I am so glad that I am able to be part of his life!! Happy Birthday Dad!

Second Good Thing: Harvey.
Erin called Mom from the vet clinic and said, " Hey I am bringing you a surprise home!"
She walks in about 30 minutes later and I watch her walking towards Mom bedroom door with something Orange and Fuzzy behind her back! And that was the first time I saw Harvey, Our new kitty! Now, if you have ever been to my home before, then you would know that another cat is the last thing we need ( I think we have 9 total)! But Mom has, for the longest time, dreamed of having an Orange cat. So when Harvey came to the vet, needing a home, Erin knew it was meant for Mom :0) Now, Harvey is meant to be an outside Cat, but since it is freezing out right now and he has to be in a cage for a few days, Mom and Dad decided to keep him in their oversized Bathroom. ( We can't have an inside cat because Haley is SUPER allergic!)
SO Harvey is enjoying the jungle of plants mom has in her bathroom ( the ones that have to be inside in winter all stay in her bathroom!), hiding and sleeping in various large pots. He is just so precious! I can't wait for him to meet all my kitties outside and join the family!

My closet

I get a lot of emails from christian sisters out there who are making the change to a plain and simply lifestyle and more particularly, dress. They have a lot of questions and are usually seeking advice and ideas on how to make the change without having to try every style and pattern, which can really be a pain and cut in to the usually small budget.
~Obviously, all I can offer is what my own experience has been! So I thought I would write a post explaining my practical choices and why I have decided on the ones I did-

Dress and Apron-
If you open my closet right now you would find about 5 zipper-back dresses of various colors ( 3 work, 2 nice) and 2 button-front dresses ( 1 work, 1 nice). They all have elbow-length sleeves or longer. I wear these dresses year round. In the summer I push the long sleeves up and in winter I wear sweater with the elbow length sleeves. They are worn in rotation so that when a Nice one gets stained or torn, it is patched up and becomes a work dress. Now these "numbers" are not always kept consistent, That is just what I happen to have right now. There have been times when I had just one for going out and 2 for working in.
At least half of the dresses I have right now I have owned for several years.
As most of you know, my family feels that ladies should wear 2 layers for modesty according to biblical standards, so we wear full aprons over our dresses. Now, up until last year, I always made a matching apron for each dress I made, in one of three styles. I would then mix and match the dresses and aprons when I would put them on. This was not done for "style" or to in anyway give me more of a sense of choice, but just depending on what was already ironed, or was not already stained. Often times the matching apron would wear out well before the dress, so I would have to wear another apron over the dress to go out. This often made for confusion and irritation, when I could not find a suitable apron to wear with a certain dress because of color (while I do not think we should worry about looking perfect, I do think that as Christians we should at all times present ourselves in a clean, orderly way).

Then I received an order last year from a customer for a Blue dress with a black apron, instead of a matching blue. This idea set me to thinking about all the benefits to just making myself black aprons, and sticking to one style. I decided on the pullover Apron in black for many reasons:

• The Pullover apron is the easiest to make
• It requires the least amount of fabric
• Black hides stains wonderfully!
• Black can be be worn with any color!
• Black is also very helpful in hiding certain "curves" on Ladies, making it a more modest choice

These things were more than enough to sell me on the idea. So I made myself 3 aprons and I have been very happy with the outcome! It is so nice to just grab a dress and a black apron and not have to make sure they will match and look neat and orderly.I really enjoy the real sense of comfort and modesty that comes just by wearing these aprons. There is such a joy to be found in uniformity and order!

SO I would encourage any plain sisters out there to try the black apron idea! You will love it!

( And NO this is not a sales scheme, although I am open for orders :)

http://tabithaslegacy.home.mindspring.com/

Aprons....

http://www.maryjanesfarm.org/

I was first introduced to MaryJane Butters and her farm when mom purchased MaryJane' first book. It was an interesting mix of all things connected to Farm girl life, from cooking, canning and gardening to Outpost living and wedding planning. While I do not agree with all the philosophies that MaryJane embraces, I do love the "farmgirl heart" that she puts into everything.

I enjoy the practical ideas and how-to's. I fell in love with her section on Outpost living ( My dream!) and I quickly preorder my copy of " MaryJane's Outpost" (a whole book devoted to the subject!) when it was released last year. She also put out a book on sewing and fiber Arts which has detailed instructions for tatting, knitting and lots more.

I was very excited about an Apron pattern featured in this book called a "fancy work apron".

Now, it is not really something that I personally would wear, but I just know it would be fun to create some of my own!
SO now that I am preparing items for the store, I thought this would be the best time to get some made! Using her drawings as a guide, I cut out several different colors and made some personal adjustments to make it my own. I will add a picture of the 2 I have finished so far.

The pattern is not exclusively made by MaryJanee, but is actually one that was rather popular in years past...

This is a blue rose fabric, hard to see clear on a camera phone!

For some reason, the blogger uploader would not load the back pitcure correctly, so it is sideways! Sorry!


This pink one has a tiny floral print on it!

Re-Resolution

Good evening friends...

SO we are 2 days into 2009, and I have to say that it is not shaping up very well :P
It has been raining and rather gloomy! Then on top of that Olivia woke up with a cold this morning! But, we are trying to keep up our spirits in spite of the gloom and looking forward to a very eventful year!
Finally we have set a date for the official opening of our Saturday store! We will open on January 24Th, the Lord willing! We will then be open one Saturday a month, maybe more depending on the response. It is very exciting because we been dreaming, planning and talking about this for a long time. For now we will be setting up in the newly-enclosed workshop, but eventually we will have a permanent setup in the old cabin (once we get the floor replaced). I still have a lot to get made before then. I am making several different styles of aprons, Pioneer Bonnets, Embroidered pillowcases, handbags, yo yo table runners and doilies, hand-dipped candle and many other items.

We are also preparing for Homesteaders Weekend which will be the last week of March! I am so excited about this event! I will be doing most of the menu-planning and cooking, and I am doing the session on the Homestead Pantry. In Preparation doing a lot of research and learning so much!
It is going to be an incredible event. We are nearing our max number and so far we have folks from 5 different states! What a wonderful chance to meet and share testimonies and experiances!

Re-resolution:

I really love making new resolutions every new year! It's like I have been handed this clean page and I get a chance to pre-write a few things. I will be the first to admit that I do not keep all my resolutions every year. I always start working on my list by early December and try to keep it short and be logical about it. I was looking over some lists from previous years and noticed that I list several things almost every year.
All of them make mention to:

• Memorize such and such portion of the bible
• Read through the bible in a year
• Learn to play the mandolin
• Eat healthier!

The sad part is that I have not yet mastered any of these 4 things.
The mandolin is still sitting in my room and I know the very same 3 cords I learning the first week I had it. While I do read my bible regularly, I have not yet managed to read through it start to finish in the alloted time of a year. I have memorized some small portions of scripture, I have not completed any one goal I have made. And finally, I have no real excuse for not eating healthier. I am getting smarter about making good choices and which foods are good for me personally, but I am not yet where I need to be.

So, These are settled into their place once again on my New Years List.
Along side them I have noted these:

• Update and post on my sites at least once a week!
• Do some major experimenting with Cob building this year!
• Get more organized!

I pray that 2009 will be a year that brings you and your family closer to Christ and to a deeper understanding of His love!

A Season of Dance

Some children dream of becoming doctors. Some dream of being teachers, police officers (although this is primarily referred to as "a cop" or "policeman" among those in this age bracket), astronauts or some other grand and glorious profession. But, from a very early age, my one true desire, from the deepest part of my little girl heart was to be one thing.... a Babysitter. No other field of work held as much promise and unfathomable joy as being responsible for the care and well-being of children. I know this is something which God placed in my heart, as a girl, to have a natural desire to be mother-y. Indeed, I firmly believe, no matter how many women want to deny it, that ALL women are born with this desire. However, thanks to a society which thrives on the perversion of all things natural, it is quickly smothered with the "modern women, free to choose" ideology. Of course the end of such makes everything related to domestic life seem nothing but a regrettable chore.

But, being raised my parents who refuse to blindly follow the accepted views of our society, I grew up with great dreams of being a homemaker and mother.

Now in our home, the rule was that you could not start accepting babysitting jobs until your 13th birthday. Oh, how I longed for the day! Most of my peers were looking toward 16, when they could become licenced drivers (all kids know of course that this privilege gives you distinction from the "younger ones", causing it to be highly anticipated). But I was busy with other plans.

When I was but 3 months from my 13 birthday, I had already made up mock schedules of activities, typed up emergency contact charts and medical history forms, all with the help of the Babysitters 101 books at the library. I also studied children's craft books and first aid, just in case!

Shortly after my birthday, Charlie and Chisom Brown (yes, his name was indeed Charlie Brown)
entered my life. Their single Mother had decided to homeschool Charlie, who had just turned 5 years old. His 3 yr old Brother, Chis, was deaf and attended preschool classes at AIDB. Their Mother was starting Sign Language classes on Tuesdays and Thursdays. She would need a sitter.
And there began my career. I was officially Sarah, the Babysitter.
I kept the Brown boys for about 6 months before they moved away.
Oh the hurt! The heart ache! A hole the size of Texas was left in my heart and I would never recover.

Then the Cannons came. The hole was soon full of two little smiling angels, Jocelyn and Kimry.
I kept them here and there as I was needed. They were the sweetest, dearest little girls in the world and I felt guilty at times for getting payed just to playing with them :)

I will never forget the day that Pam told me they were moving to Ohio. I cried, right there in Wendy's, over my Taco Salad. When I got home, Mom sat on my bed (I was crying into the pillow obviously) and reminded me that God never takes away with out giving something back. I just had to wait

But I didn't have to wait long. A few weeks before the Cannons left, Pam shared my number with the mother of 2 little boys, Carl (2) and Daniel (6 months). For the next 4 years I would have the privilege of helping to teach, love and raise Carl, Daniel and eventually their little sister Maria. Laura and Efren (the parents of course) where both Deaf, so I took ASL Classes and got practice everyday! These three became like my own!
Eventually Stephan Boland joined the gang. His Mom and Dad where good friends with Laura and Efren, so when Stephan was born, I had the blessing of caring for him also! We were a merry group, we five, spending Monday through Friday at one house or the other. I learned so much during that season of my life and I would never trade that time for anything! Laura decided that she was missing too much of her babies' lives, and became a homemaker, Praise the Lord! Stephan and I spent one more year together before I decided it was time for a change.
I worked for one year at Tractor Supply Co. before we moved to our new home in Clay County.

But, my heart began aching for something that I missed greatly. I missed having little ones around me. Unfortunately I was in a new town and didn't know many people.

God was way ahead of me, as usual :)

In June of 2007, He placed a very special gift in my care. His name is Darrius.

............Hold on I gotta break for some tears.......................................................................okay.

Darrius is the only child of Derrick and Brittney Hardy (Haley and Brittney worked together for a long time before we moved). Darrius(2) needed a new sitter and I got to be her!

For the past year, one month and 22 days, Darrius has filled my life with unspeakable joy! Sure, we had a bad day here and there, but all the good FAR outweighed them! He became one of the family and the center of daily life for me. He wanted to help with everything, right down to sewing (he did "help" stick pins in the scrap pieces of fabric :) and doing the dishes! He absorbed everything around him and never failed to keep the mood silly with his crazy antics!

Then, three days ago, an opening became available at the Head-Start in our town, and Darrius was accepted. That was not a happy day for me. Darrius wanted to know why I was crying of course so I told him I why, in three-year-old language. But I think the only part he really got was that he was going somewhere on Monday that he would get " play with the kids." After that, about every 30 minutes, when I would finally stop crying, Darrius would look at me with his precious little face and say "Sarah, i guna play wit da kids? You go'n wit me too?" And the flood gated would reopen. My heart is thankful though for the one great blessing this time that Darrius only lives 7 miles away and I still get him on the days school it out! Yes!!! I love school Holidays!!

The one scripture that keeps coming back to me is " For everything there is a season..."
One of the toughest, but most important lessons that I have learned so far is that nothing is forever on this earth. Life is full of seasons. Some are short, some are long. We have to enjoy the gift of today and use it well. Because we never know what tomorrow may bring. No time is lost if you spent it doing the work of the Father, and caring for those around you! When a season comes to an end, rejoice for what you shared, and look forward to the next.

Now if you are still wondering about the title, I will explain-

You see, all of my children have had something special about them. Some unique, memorable thing about them that I think of when I look back.
Darrius, he is my little dancer. Everything good that happened, whether it was getting ready to go to town or hearing me say breakfast was ready, was an occasion to dance. He had special dance-moves for everything, of course. I even had a ball cap made that said " Darrius Hardy, Lord of the Dance"!

So, my season with Darrius, I will always remember as a Season of Dance.

I am so grateful for the blessed gift that God has given me by allowing me to be a part of so many little lives. I pray for them all every single day and their places will always remain in my heart. Darrius, I miss you already!