To Every Mother...

To my mother who gave me life and carved my life's path through her endless sacrifice, love, and example, to all the other mothers along the way who have taught me, strengthened me, and lifted me up through kindness and friendship ....Thank you and Happy Mother's Day!  I love you!

I Am a Mother...

Today begins Studio 5's kickoff of the 10 Day "Motherhood Matters" Challenge. It's all about remembering and celebrating our most honorable and influential job...that of being a mother. If you haven't heard about it, I invite you to take a look. The challenge is simple, yet keeps in the forefront of our minds why we do what we do, and reminds us of how important motherhood is.

In addition, they are offering four printable quotes like the one pictured here for free. What a great and simple gift for a sweet mother or for yourself! I'm excited to get mine framed and displayed.

So, my friends...as we look ahead to Mother's Day and ponder on our own mothers, let's also celebrate our own role, whether we are aunts, cousins, sisters, daughters or mothers. We all have a vital role in the lives of each other.

I am a Mother...

Reach for the Sunshine; Stand Tall

I love this family. If you've seen any of the crazy music videos on my blog, you may recognize some of these women.


Here we are seated at a restaurant on a recent outing together. I am in the back left and my sister Marva Lu is seated across from me. These other beautiful gals are her daughters and one of her three daughters-in-law. They are darling and hilarious, and simply great people. It is such a joy to be around them.


And is this the cutest baby quilt you've ever seen? Marva Lu made one like this for her daughter Kelsi and gave it to her at her baby shower recently. Kelsi is the baby of the family and having her first little boy here in a few weeks. When she opened this gift from her mom, Kelsi's older sister Annie exclaimed good-naturedly, "Well, we can see who the favorite daughter is!" (After five babies of her own, my sister had never made a baby quilt for Annie quite like this!)

Little did Annie know, but Marva Lu had in the works 6 additional baby quilts similar to this one to give to each of her seven children. She had planned on giving them to her other children in the near future when she was able to finish them. Well, when my other sister Pam heard this comment from Annie, she told Marva Lu that she needed to finish up each of those quilts to give to her other kids at a family gathering they were having in two days, so they would know they were all her favorites!

So like sisters do for each other, the three of us and a friend of Marva Lu's spent all the next day putting the finishing touches on each of those 6 quilts. It was such fun! We felt like we were part of an old-fashioned quilting bee. One by one the quilts got finished and wrapped with festive bows. She was able to give them all to her other daughters and daughters-in-law the following day, and each of them were so surprised.


One of the things Marva Lu loved about this quilt pattern was the cute giraffe of course, but the sentiment of "standing tall". She wanted each of her twenty-something grandchildren to understand what that really means in life. She wrote the sweetest letter to each of her daughters and daughters-in-law beginning with, "To my favorite daughter So-and-so". She then expressed her great love for each of them, and her desires that they teach each of their children this important principle.



She also added in her letter: "Standing tall means to be courageous in decision making, not compromising principles, not violating spiritual values and not shrinking from responsibility. Basically, standing tall is doing what is right. Jesus Christ is our perfect example of one who always stood tall. He is the one who personifies integrity, strength, and courage.

Gordon B. Hinckley said, 'Every one of us needs to STAND TALL and be strong and faithful and walk in the footsteps of the Master.'

Teach those little children to STAND TALL. They can be someone to look up to no matter their height. They can learn to stand tall for righteousness.

May the giraffe always be a reminder to 'stand tall' and 'reach for the sunshine.'."

I love all of that. What a sweet message for each of those children to grow up learning in a day when these pure and simple principles seem to be missing everywhere we turn. What a great message for me. After seeing these quilts, my own daughters were requesting one of their own to hang on their bedroom wall. I'm hoping I can get to it while it still has meaning for them!

This quilt pattern is available through You Can Make This and was designed by my good friend Kris, who is one of the brains behind the DIY Dish. She has simple instructions that even a beginner can follow. And if you need assistance, she is more than happy to help you, and I would be happy to help as well. Just shoot me an email at the address on my side bar. You can find the pattern here, and you can see the twins in crafty action here at their site. They never cease to amaze me.

Wishing you a wonderful week, and plenty of spring sunshine!

Slowing Down Through Turbulence

"When stress levels rise, when distress appears, when tragedy strikes, too often we attempt to keep up the same frantic pace or even accelerate, thinking somehow that the more rushed our pace, the better off we will be."

Have you ever felt this way? I do almost daily...with the rigors of raising a family, being a supportive spouse, trying to earn extra income, keeping up with all the home duties, helping with homework, running kids to and fro, keeping appointments...(SIGH). It makes us tired just thinking of it all, doesn't it?

I have had gobs and gobs that I have wanted to share on my blog, just in the last week! I have stacks of designs in their infant stages waiting in folders and boxes to emerge and become something beautiful. I have half-finished projects galore. But when to get to all of that? I'm not sure! As I have pondered this issue of mine, I have been reminded of what a very wise man has said recently:


"It's remarkable how much we can learn about life by studying nature. For example, scientists can look at the rings of trees and make educated guesses about climate and growing conditions hundreds and even thousands of years ago. One of the things we learn from studying the growth of trees is that during seasons when conditions are ideal, trees grow at a normal rate. However, during seasons when growing conditions are not ideal, trees slow down their growth and devote their energy to the basic elements necessary for survival.

Have you ever been in an airplane and experienced turbulence? The most common cause of turbulence is a sudden change in air movement causing the aircraft to pitch, yaw, and roll. While planes are built to withstand far greater turbulence than anything you would encounter on a regular flight, it still may be disconcerting to passengers.

What do you suppose pilots do when they encounter turbulence? A student pilot may think that increasing speed is a good strategy because it will get them through the turbulence faster. But that may be the wrong thing to do. Professional pilots understand that there is an optimum turbulence penetration speed that will minimize the negative effects of turbulence. And most of the time that would mean to reduce your speed. The same principle applies also to speed bumps on a road.

Therefore, it is good advice to slow down a little, steady the course, and focus on the essentials when experiencing adverse conditions." -Dieter F. Uchtdorf

So, I guess as I post this today, I just want you all to know how much I truly appreciate you bothering to read and follow my little blog. I truly value you and am grateful for your support!! I also want you to know that if it goes a week or so and you haven't heard from me...I'm not ignoring you, or quitting, or being irresponsible in my blogging (is there such a thing? lol) or some other crazy thing. I'm just...well, being forced to slow down and take care of the essentials for survival in my little home. And at this time of year, especially, I want to focus on my family and making this a meaningful time full of warm memories.

So please forgive me if I slow down through the turbulence of everyday living now and then. I need to read to my kids. Or hang out with my hubby. Or mop my floor. Or head over to my son's last basketball game of the season. Or fold that mountain of laundry. Or decorate our tree with the kiddos. Or just ponder on my many blessings at this glorious time of year.

Hugs and Christmas Kisses to all!!

Want to Combat Stress or Lose a Few Pounds? Give Hand-Embroidery a Try....

I was sitting in my dentist's waiting room when I came across a fascinating article entitled, "The Benefits of Slowing Down," from the June 2010 issue of Ladie's Home Journal. The article was all about slowing our speed in this crazy, fast-paced world that we live in, and the benefits of doing so. One section in particular captured my attention, entitled, "Slow Hobbies." Here is what it said:

"No one can knit a scarf or sweater overnight. It takes thousands of stitches, thousands of moments when the only sound is the clicking of needles. Trying to hurry the process just means making mistakes. That's not the frustration of knitting, it's the point. Slow hobbies--knitting, quilting, embroidery, woodwork--require patience and deliberation. In return they calm you, putting you in a contemplative zone that's its own kind of therapy. "The rhythmic, repetitive movements of a hobby like knitting are soothing and distracting," says Katherine Applegate, Ph.D., a clinical psychologist for the Duke University health system. "They seem to lull people."

She advises patients struggling to lose weight to take up sewing and other hands-on crafts to combat stress, which can lead to overeating. Some teachers report that knitting during class calms and focuses kids with ADHD. Even doing a jigsaw puzzle can help. The slow work of a hands-on hobby creates a pace that can soothe the soul." You can read the article in its entirety HERE.

So there you have it...a healthy reason to allow yourself to sit on the couch and spend some time stitching or quilting an item for yourself or a friend. Remember, you can download my free set of embroidery instructions and stitches by clicking HERE, and you can purchase embroidery e-patterns HERE.

Enjoy the summer---get some sun, relax, work on a project, and reduce your stress and your waistline at the same time!

"Be the Best You" Wellness Challenge...Come Join Me!!

As women and moms, we have a million and more things to worry about, don't we? Being attentive wives, getting children fed and ready for school, getting them to school, cooking, cleaning, laundry, finances, taxi-ing kids to and from activities, helping with homework, and often contributing to the household income. It can be overwhelming, and life can quickly get out of balance as we sometimes let ourselves be the last item on our extensive list of things to do.

In our lack of self-attention, our health often suffers, our energy lags, weight lingers, and we sometimes feel disconnected to many things spiritual or personal. When we don't feel well and happy about ourselves, it is challenging to put our best foot forward for our families or co-workers. I would imagine many of us had felt this to some degree at one time or another.


Well, I'm so excited to tell you about a "Be the Best You" Wellness Challenge beginning on Monday, May 17, 2010, that addresses some of the needs we have as women to be our best selves. The idea is to motivate ourselves to improve our mind, body, and spirit through 10 goals to be kept each day for three months along with a community of other women (or men!) with the same desires. It is not a diet, but a lifestyle change. The honor system is in place, and points are awarded each day for completion of those 10 goals, then turned in weekly to the Challenge Hostess.

There is a $10 fee to join, with those individuals tallying up the most points at the end of the three months winning back a percentage of the funds collected. Sound fun? While money can be an incentive....the real incentive for me is having a support group to be accountable to, and a challenge placed before me! I'm so excited to participate! I would love for any of you to come join me in this adventure!

Click HERE for more details on how to sign up, and to see what all is involved in the challenge to help us be our best selves. Grab a friend, and let me know if you decide to join, and we'll all hold each other's hands through this challenge for the next three months! (But hurry! Remember the challenge begins next Monday, May 17!)

Hugs to you,