Mamas*Little*Treasures

Rainy June Day

The past couple of days have been so hot and humid that it has been difficult to accomplish much of anything outside in our yard and garden. We really have fun puttering around in our yard, and this year we planted a very small garden, as well. The girls are really excited about watching the strawberry and tomato plants grow and they can hardly wait to eat that first tiny strawberry (even though it is still green!). Yesterday it was really hot in the afternoon, so we got out the hose and washed down the deck. Great fun! We scrubbed the deck chairs and cleaned off the picnic table, and then washed off the patio blocks that our Daddy has been working on for the past few weeks. It is going to be beautiful when it is finished!

So this morning when we awoke to the sound of raindrops on the roof and some distant rumbles of thunder, it was so delightful to anticipate a day of clouds and rain. It is still rather hot, and of course, very humid, but somehow the clouds create a sense of peaceful, calm, and restful respite from the heat. A rainy day always offers the opportunity to catch up on some housekeeping tasks . . . so, now that the laundry is finished, and the house is cleaned, I am looking forward to working on the budget for a bit to make sure we are still on track with some of our financial goals for the year. Since I've been keeping up with that fairly regularly, it shouldn't take long to figure it out, and then I'm going to get my sewing machine set up. I haven't had time to sew in quite a while, between writing and teaching, and of course, kids and a husband  ;o)  but today is the day, and I can hardly wait to get going on some of my other creative projects!

Here are a few pictures of our little yard and garden projects in the rain this morning . . . . there will be many more opportunities to capture the moments of summer, but for today, I am just grateful for a rainy June day. Hope you are enjoying your day, wherever you are!

Ruby for Women, June, 2011

Open publication - Free publishing - More crafts

Summertime Beauty on a Budget: Splashes of Color with Window Boxes

Looking for ideas to bring more color to your house and yard, but the budget has limited your dreams? We had always lived in an old, Victorian house that was remodeled over a period of about 20 years. It wasn’t a fancy house at all,just a regular ol’ house that we painted a vintage blue with white trim and black shutters. But with window boxes filled to overflowing with bright red impatiens, trailing ivy vines, and tiny blue lobelia, our house was a riot of color every summer!

 We now live in a smaller house, a lake cottage that had not received much TLC by the previous owners. So, one of our goals over the next few summers is to make it our very own by planting gardens and flower beds, building a bigger deck / patio area, fixing the driveway, and improving the lawn. But, that little obstacle called a “budget” means that we can only do a little bit at a time. One of the first projects on our list is to build three window boxes and fill them with bright red and white flowers! I’ve tried other colors over the years, but I am still partial to red for some reason. Perhaps because a cluster of red impatiens on my picnic table or in a hanging basket (and especially in my window boxes!) just seems to shout, “Hooray! It’s summer!”

So, if you are wondering how you can bring a bit of cheer and color to your home and garden, you might want to consider starting with a couple of window boxes. They are quite easy, actually, if you just want to start with window boxes that you can purchase from your local hardware store. They are available in a variety of sizes and colors, with holes in the bottom for drainage. Then, the only other hardware you will need is the brackets for attaching them to your house.

 To keep them from becoming too heavy from the dirt, you will need for planting the flowers, you can fill the bottom half of the window boxes with packing peanuts (which are also good for drainage, but also will retain moisture enough to keep your flowers happy), and then fill the top of the window boxes with good potting soil. You should be able to fill two window boxes with one flat of your favorite flowers, but you might also want to include a few trailing vines and just a couple smaller flowers of an accent color.

This is a relatively small project that will get you moving in the direction of bringing a bright splash of color to your home and garden, even if you can’t do everything you might want to do out there this summer! Remember, a journey of a thousand miles starts with the first step,so get moving! Take that first, small step and you will be delighted with the results. Have a great summer, and enjoy the beauty of the season.

 

Make a "Tiny Treasures Collage" Wall Hanging

This “Tiny Treasures Collage” wall hanging is super simple, fun, and easy for kids of all ages. An extra little gift with this project is that it can be made in any theme or color scheme you like, and it becomes a perfect frugal home décor project for mom! But the best part of all is that you can make up this “Tiny Treasures Collage” wall hanging by using up bits and pieces, odds and ends, and scraps and snippets of whatever you have on hand in your craft or sewing stash.

 

 

 

I can’t think of a better way to celebrate the arrival of spring! So pull out all your little scraps of cardboard or cardstock, a few paints, markers, stickers, and glue and you are ready to make your own “Tiny Treasures Collage” wall hanging.

For the complete instructions for making the "Tiny Treasures Collage" Wall Hanging, please visit the tutorial page.

 

 

This “Tiny Treasures Collage” wall hanging is super simple, fun, and easy for kids of all ages. An extra little gift with this project is that it can be made in any theme or color scheme you like, and it becomes a perfect frugal home décor project for mom! But the best part of all is that you can make up this “Tiny Treasures Collage” wall hanging by using up bits and pieces, odds and ends, and scraps and snippets of whatever you have on hand in your craft or sewing stash.

 

 

 

I can’t think of a better way to celebrate the arrival of spring! So pull out all your little scraps of cardboard or cardstock, a few paints, markers, stickers, and glue and you are ready to make your own “Tiny Treasures Collage” wall hanging.

For the complete instructions for making the "Tiny Treasures Collage" Wall Hanging, please visit the tutorial page.

 

 

This Mama Bird is Feathering Her Nest . . . . Again

There's just something about springtime that makes me want to fix things up around here. This is the time of year that I love to wash the windows and curtains, rake up all the left over debris that landed in our yard during the blizzard winds of winter, and clean out the garage. Not that I just love doing those things   ;o) but having them done is well worth all the hard work that makes it all happen. But, since the weather is still not acting very spring-like, I decided to finish up an inside project that I had wanted to do this winter and just hadn't gotten around to yet.

Although the sun is shining out my living room window, and we have even planted our tomato and dahlia seeds for the girls' 4H projects, it is still just a bit too chilly out there to get me motivated to pull the rake out of the corner of the garage. So, this weekend we pulled all the furniture into the middle of the living room and started the process of preparing the walls for a new coat of paint. Now, if you read about my painting adventure last fall when we redecorated the dining room, you know that we live in a rather small house on a lake . . .  but it is not a fancy "lakefront home." It is a cute little double-wide manufactured home (known as "Hoosier Huts" here in northern Indiana), that is set across the road from the lake with a charming wooded area in our back yard, a cornfield on one side and our really LARGE garage on the other side. So, I have a few challenges to work with, but these days I think we should all be grateful to have a house at all, so I'm not complaining!

Because this is a "Hoosier Hut" (if you know what I mean!), we have those strips along the walls where the edges of the wallboard come together - so I got out my little thingy that I can wedge in between the wall and the strip, and yanked all those yucky, ugly things out of there. Then, I got out a can of joint compound and slapped a bunch of it on all of those cracks in the wall and smoothed it all down as much as possible. Let it all dry overnight, and then took my sanding blocks and tackled those blotchy patches of gray. We had a respirator out in the garage, so my sweet hubby insisted that I wear it while I was sanding all that stuff off the wall. I looked like a martian (well, at least I looked like some depictions I've seen of martians), and there was gray dust flying all over the living room. Got it done, and then we vacuumed up all the dust with the shop vac.

Then it was finally time to start painting! I had chosen a shade of brownish gray that matches the border that I picked out, to complement the border that I put in the dining room. It is rather a dark shade for such a small house, but the other day when we were at Grandma and Grandpa's house, I saw their recent paint job using a dark green. It was beautiful! But they only put it on one wall, so I'm still not sure I want the whole room painted that darkish shade of brown / gray. It is really a pretty color but it just might be too much for the entire room. I'm thinking of just painting the bottom half of the walls in the darker color, and then getting a lighter shade of the same color for the top half, with the border in between. I think I need to be kind of creative to fix up this little house!

Once I get this project finished, and if the weather warms up in the next week or so, I am so ready to get going on some yard projects. One of the things that I want to try this spring is learning about rose bushes and planting a couple out here. We have great soil (we are right in the middle of farm country, with that corn field right on the west end of our house) so I just need to do a little research to see what else rose bushes need. We're also planning on a small vegetable garden, and I'm really looking forward to creating a few perennial garden areas around our house. I had perennial gardens all around our house in Michigan that I had worked on for almost 20 years, but now I'm starting all over with my gardening adventures. We have some shade and some sun, so that will be a new gardening experience for me. In our yard in Michigan, we had almost all shade so I got to be quite familiar with the plants that would do well in the shade.

But until then, I've definitely got plenty to keep me busy with painting the living room. If I can save up a little bit here and there, we might even be able to replace the carpeting later this summer. You know, I guess you don't have to live in a mansion to fix up your little corner of the world. And since this is where we live right now, I'm pretty sure that it's a good thing to bring some sunshine into our home. I just keep reminding myself when I think about everything that our girls don't have . . . . I grew up in a house smaller than this one, and I survived! I guess they will, too   ;o) 

Have a great Monday!

~~ Nina

 

Spring Has Arrived at Our House!

Even though it is rather cloudy this morning, I can just feel springtime in the air! It smells different, it feels different, and it even sounds different than it did just last week. When I went outside this morning, I could hear the birds singing and I could smell the damp earth just waiting for the sunshine to come out and play. We are looking forward to gardening this summer, which is something that we have not been able to do for the past couple of years. And when it is raining, we are going to be working on a few sewing projects and our scrapbooks. On Saturday we got all signed up for 4H and the girls are both going to be doing flowers, scrapbooking, and photography. We are going to get started early this year!

Today I wanted to share with you a fun project that I've posted before, but for those of you who haven't seen my Teacup Pincushions, I'm offering the ebook tutorial again, just in case you might want to make one of these sweet little things for a springtime gift, a gift for Grandma or Mom for Easter or for Mother's Day. A Teacup Pincushion would also be beautiful sitting on YOUR sewing cabinet! Whenever I go out on my thrift shopping expeditions, I am always looking for vintage teacups and saucers just so that I can make another pincushion. You just might already have a pretty teacup and saucer around your house, maybe one that came from Grandma or Aunt Edith, and now you can take that tiny treasure and make something that is not only beautiful but practical, too.

I'll be posting the entire eBook tutorial on the Ruby for Women blog and in the April issue of the Ruby for Women ezine, so you can either leave me a comment here and I'll email it to you, or you can come on over and visit me at Ruby for Women  . . . . . and you might even want to join our community where we are creating and sharing more and more resources for women every day! I hope you will stop by and connect with some of the other women in the Ruby for Women community, and take a peek at our monthly online magazine. Are you a writer? We would like to invite you to submit an article, short story, poem, recipe, craft project, or photo for publication in an upcoming issue. For more information about submissions to Ruby for Women, please visit our submissions page on the Ruby for Women blog.

Let me know if you would like me to email you the ebook tutorial for the Teacup Pincushions, and then come on over and join the conversation at Ruby for Women!

Have a great week,

Nina

Domestic Diva Escapes Capture by Computer!

It has been almost a year now, that I have been working on building the ministry of Ruby for Women. During that time, I have not had the time or the energy to invest in my home the way I would like to, and I definitely have not had the mental capacity to keep up with my blogging! Well, we now have an Assistant Editor here at Ruby for Women, as well as a Graphic Designer on staff. Amanda Johnson will be helping me with all editorial and submission tasks, as well as assisting with all of the details on the Ruby for Women blog and community website. Katherine Corrigan will be providing assistance with making our blog and website beautiful! She is also available to help you with your blog or website makeover! You can find both of these ladies in the Ruby for Women community.

So, now that I have some help with all of the responsibilities of Ruby for Women, I have been able to catch my breath a bit, and do some domestic engineering. Although we live in a small cottage by a lake, with a lovely wooded area behind our little house, I feel that it is important to make our world as comfy, cozy, and pretty as I possibly can. We lived in a large, renovated Victorian home with four bedrooms for almost 20 years in Michigan. Then, when we moved to Colorado for my husband's job, we found another beautiful old home which had been renovated, with four bedrooms, a fireplace, and a spacious family room in a Victorian mining village up in the Rocky Mountains. After three years there, we realized that I was probably never going to adjust completely to the altitude (7,500 feet elevation) and that we needed to move back to the midwest. Here in Indiana, with a really difficult economy, we decided to "down-size" in many ways, including our choice in homes.

Around here, I've heard that this kind of house is called a "Hoosier Hut," because it is a manufactured home and only "poor" people live in these little hovels  ;o)  Well, we do have a HUGE garage, a lovely little studio where we can entertain Grandma and Grandpa for summer fishing trips, a lovely large yard, and a beautiful wooded lot behind us. Out my kitchen window we have the cozy woods and out our front window we have a nice view of the lake. Although we are not on the lake front, we do have access to the lake where we have a little fishing boat in the summer and the girls can go swimming. It is peaceful and quiet here, and the neighbors are friendly and like family in many ways. So, even though our little "Hoosier Hut" is small, it is cozy and charming in its own way.

On the outside I am hoping to fix up the yard this summer. Our house in Michigan had beautiful perennial gardens that we had worked on for many years. They were filled with a wide variety of flowers and plants that did well in the shade. We have some shade here, in the back yard, but lots of sun in the front yard, so that will be a brand-new experience for us! This winter we decided that it was time to fix up the inside, so we started with the dining room. Now, those of you who read my blog occasionally know that I LOVE thrift shopping and vintage everything. And, because we have had some pretty significant financial struggles this past year or two with unemployment, I don't have very much money to spend on these kinds of projects. I love these kinds of challenges! I like to see what I can find to spiff up my home in our local thrift shop, and then work my "creative magic" and turn someone's piece of cast-off "junk" and turn it into our family's "treasure."

First, we painted the walls a soft creamy ivory gold. It is not really yellow, but it definitely has more personality than ordinary "off white" or "ivory." I thought about doing a texture design but decided I like it just the way it is, with the simple country-style border. Got all of that at Walmart (we love Walmart, and I guess that proves that we are "poor country folk." No matter, it works for us! Then, I took a strip of the border and put it on the front of the drawer in the top of an old cabinet that I've had for at least 20 years, put new knobs on it and it is perfect for storage. We are going to use the storage areas in the dining room for our craft supplies, because I have more than enough cupboard space in the kitchen for all of the dishes.

Then, I found a beat up old wooden shelf at the thrift shop, so I paid $3.00 for it and brought it home to paint. I painted it black and then used a dry brush technique to add a sheer layer of gold paint. It now matches the discarded wall hangings and vintage saucers that I also purchased at the thrift store. The wallhanging frames were already black but the inside had rather worn and tired looking pictures of chocolate truffles   ;o) So . . . . . I painted the whole thing black, then did the sheer gold layer of paint on the frames, and glued the vintage saucers right in the middle. The saucers are ivory with gold designs, so it all kind of works well together. At least, I think so! The original wallhangings were $1.00 each and the saucers were .50 each.

Then, I had a couple of other wallhangings that I had picked up from thrift shops over the course of the past year, so I grouped them all together, including a vintage mirror, lamps, and other odds and ends, and now I think my dining room is just perfect. Well, for us country folks in our little "Hoosier Hut"! The embellished button frame on top of the cabinet was created using the same technique of brushing a sheer layer of gold paint over a black frame, and then I glued on various vintage buttons.  Inside the frame is a piece of fabric over quilt batting, and I stitched on a piece of black ribbon and vintage lace from a tattered old slip, along with more vintage buttons. Just perfect! A few old books, a couple of candles, some old boxes, and a couple of beautiful "Mama" statues that I picked up at Walmart for $5.00 each after Christmas last year, and I think our dining room is just about ready for a festive family gathering over the holidays.

Of course, not too many of us will all fit in our little house, but we have managed to tuck several babies and grandbabies in around the edges and we all have a wonderful time in our cozy little "Hoosier Hut" here beside our lake in Indiana. Perhaps if you are finding your budget a bit tight this year you will be encouraged to use your limited resources in creative ways to make YOUR home a bright and beautiful corner in the midst of the cold winter months. Blessing on you and your family this holiday season . . . Merry Christmas!

"Inspired Design" Blog Tour

Today is the first day for the blog tour featuring the gorgeous book, "Inspired Design," by Roxanne Hughes Packham and Hannah Packham. If you would be interested in receiving a copy of this book, please leave a comment here and at the end of the blog tour, we will do a random drawing for one winning reader! The interview helps us get to know the authors a bit, and then you can read more about the book following the interview.

 

Why did you write Inspired Design with your daughter?

My grandfather (Silversmith Allan Adler) passed this love of design to me, so it just seemed a natural, alongside a book about the design and subsequent use of our homes, infused with family heritage that my daughter who lives along side me take a large part the powerful subject of "the home". I also wanted to create a place where we could initiate, create, and complete a project where my daughter, Hannah, could learn along side me both the practical and the ethical implications of a project this size, where all the profits go to a charity that is dear to our hearts, Heart of Hope Ministries, Intl. I wanted show her an example of using our talents and gifts for the enjoyment of others, while benefiting others, not ourselves. It wasn't to be pious, but just a fun way to give back and truly make a difference while doing something together that we loved!

What is Inspired Design?

A book about three aspects of the home and how it's power to touch the souls of those within. Those three aspects are Designing for warmth and beauty to nurture others, meaningful touches and gestures to celebrate and honor your loved ones on special occasions and ordinary days, and lastly that it is not what we have or do not have that blesses others, and changes lives, but how we use what we have. It is about incorporating YOUR family heritage, and your unique gifts, into making a beautiful, family home.

Inspired Design has had such a wonderful response, without a traditional publisher, distributor, or agent why do you think that is?

It resonates in the spirit of women, who want to make a positive impact on their families and loved ones. The blessing of word of mouth publicity has really caused this book to sell and touch the hearts of every woman that has read it. They tell one friend, and so on and so on. For example, Jill Foster, Author of Creative Cakes Anyone Can Make, raves, "Your Inspired Design is amazing. I have devoured it, sipping coffee as I have enjoyed reading each page. Your family legacy is depicted in beautiful illustration. Having Hannah's words throughout the book is wonderful.”

We heard that one customer in Coronado, California has reordered about 10 books, each one as a gift for friends birthday, what is it that she find so touching?

She is someone I have never met, but she said she found it so real, beautiful, uplifting and from such a realistic perspective on touching others with the bonus of spectacular homes and photography the combination makes her want to give it to all her friends for their birthdays. She loves the blog that goes alongside it as well, with weekly tips and suggestions to make others feel special. http://www.inspireddesignpublications.blogspot.com

I know that a mother-daughter ministry, "Inspired 31", has begun along side of Inspired Design, why do you think it has resonated so powerfully?

Especially in this economic climate so many women are more resolute than ever that their families are the most important thing in their lives and their daughters, or close friends, should be celebrated and cherished. Without exception our gatherings (3 so far, in it's first 3 months) have attracted hundreds of mother/daughter/sister/friend combinations wanting to come, for 2 hours, and celebrate what is good, pure, worthy of praise especially each other. Inspired 31's mission is to teach girls (and now even woman of all ages) to find and follow God's unique path for their lives. We have inspiring speakers, and a wonderful positive/uplifting program. We have people inquiring about beginning a chapter in their area, in many cities.

Where can we purchase a copy of Inspired Design? Also, we heard this book is helping orphans and teenage girls as well.

Inspired Design makes a perfect gift with so many ideas for making Christmas, or any holiday, more special with all kinds of thoughtful little details.

100% of the profits go to Heart of Hope, which benefits orphans in Romania, and Inspired 31, a Mother-teenage girl ministry. With each purchase you are helping all kinds of different children.

Please visit my web site at http://inspireddesignpublications.com/.

About the Book

Hannah & Roxanne Packham

Inspired Design by Roxanne Hughes Packham and Hannah Packham (Inspired Designs Publications, 2010)

Drawing from the highly-published designs she's created for hundreds of clients, Packham will inspire you to create a home that touches the souls of those within. Amid Stunning photography, stories of treasured family traditions and poignant observations by 16 year old daughter Hannah, she shares ideas that will help you create beauty, warmth and passion in your home, and make it an inspired design. "Do not underestimate the power of your home, nor its ability to change lives," writes designer Roxanne Hughes Packham. "A cup of hot tea and an hour in a cozy nook spent listening to a friend can be life-altering. "Sending well-loved, cared for children into the world to contribute to our society in positive meaningful ways is one of the most significant contributions, if not the most significant contribution, you will ever make, and your home is a major part of this endeavor.

100% of the profits of this book go to charity: Heart of Hope, Local Food Pantry, Inspired 31 and more Produced and made 100% in America.

Written by Granddaughter of Allan Adler, noted American silversmith, and Great Granddaughter of Porter George Blanchard, also known as "silversmith to the stars", Packham's history and knowledge of silver and flair for table settings prove to be a winning combo. Ideas for Sentimental Parties, and occassions for teenage girls, and mothers & others, Celebrating friends & friendship. Inspirational for incorporating family history, talents, and passions into the design of the family home.

About the Authors

Roxanne Hughes Packham is an acclaimed interior designer whose classic designs grace hundreds of California homes from San Francisco to San Diego. She comes from a long line of gifted artisans, including world-renowned silversmiths Allan Adler (her grandfather) and Porter Blanchard (her great-grandfather). Roxanne is a graduate of the University of Southern California and Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising, Los Angeles; she studied design at Paris Fashion Institute and the Sorbonne. Her work has been featured in numerous design publications, including Life: Beautiful, California Homes, Dream Homes of Coastal California, Kitchen Style & Design, Dream Log Homes, Westlake Malibu Lifestyle, Kitchen Ideas That Work, Bath Ideas That Work, The Smart Approach to Kitchen Design, The Smart Approach to Bath Design, The Color Idea Book, The Window Treatment Idea Book, and more. She makes her home in Southern California, with her husband Scott, and their children, Hannah and Justin.

Hannah Packham is continuing her family’s long tradition of design excellence. Last summer, Hannah studied design at the University of Southern California. Hannah is a top scholar, and has been named to the Headmaster & Deans List at Oaks Christian High School, where she is currently a student. She was selected to represent OCHS as a member of the “Lion’s Voice,” a school-selected tour guide program. She is also a varsity athlete in pole-vaulting and studied pole-vaulting at the University of California Los Angeles during the summer 2009. Her interests include Classical ballet dancing, skiing and modern dance. She has made mission trips to Costa Rica (2009) and Romania (2010). She has been selected to participate in Rotary Leadership Conference 2010.

Mark Lohman is a southern California-based photographer whose specialties include interior, garden and architectural photography. His distinctive photographs have appeared in numerous design and architectural publications, including Veranda, Architectural Record, Luxe, Coastal Living, House Beautiful, California Homes, and many more. Mark is a graduate of the University of Southern California and Brooks Photography Institute.

A complimentary copy of this book was provided to me as a blog tour host by Inspired Design Publications in exchange for posting this interview on my blog. Please visit Christian Speaker Services at www.ChristianSpeakerServices.com for more information about blog tour management services.

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Feathering Your Nest: A fun spring home decor project

Now that I have finally finished editing the spring issue of Ruby for Women, I can work on my next ebook.  I had so much fun with the writing and editing project that I just couldn't quite let it go . . . . I just kept going back over it and over it, and of course every time I went through it again, I would find one more tiny, little thing that needed to be corrected.  OK, so I admit I have perfectionistic tendencies! 

That's the bad news, but it is also the good news, because once it is finally finished, whatever I am working on usually looks pretty good.  But there comes a time when you have to let it go, decide that it is "finished," and not stress about whether there might be ONE more tiny flaw that was missed.  But even after I felt the document was as close to "perfect' as I was going to make it, then I had a new problem to solve.  Which is one of the things at the top of my TO DO list for today. 

Apparently the PDF creator that I am using (it really is old, and I need to update it) causes the pages to load so slowly that it makes you crazy if you are trying actually to read what is in the magazine.  That's not a good thing!  After all, lots of people have worked very hard to write and edit all of these articles, photos, devotionals, tutorials, puzzles, and recipes . . . . now is NOT the time for a technological glitch to cancel out all of the fun stuff that is available.  So, first thing I will be doing is checking out a few other alternatives, see if I can update my Adobe creator, and hope that helps.  It did help to find a different PDF viewer, but I don't think that will work for everyone.  I need to go right back to the original document and figure out a better way to convert to PDF. 

The thing is, I really have other projects that I need to move on to this week.  So I'll just say a little prayer that my brain will function efficiently, and that I will be able to solve THIS problem so that I can move on to the next event on my schedule.  If I can get that problem solved, I wanted to finish up this ebook pattern this week:  "Dolly Dresses Wall Hanging."  I made this sweet little decoration for Annie's bedroom when we painted it last year, and then I also sold one in my Etsy shop.   I really want to try to make up a similar version of this wall hanging in a variety of colors and styles. 

It would be really cute made up as a baseball jersey, either for a boy or a girl, with the name and number of our budding athletes.  It could also be made up as a ballerina tutu for a tiny ballerina, or it could even be created in bold colors with a few feathers and a little bling for our favorite teenage diva.  Or your sister, cousin, aunt, mom, grandma . . . . all in fabrics and trims that would reflect each individual person in your life who deserves a bit of celebration.  For now, however, I'll just finish up the ebook with this design, and then work on making a few different ones later this week.  But whatever design you might want to use, the same technique will work! 

So if you want to give this project a try, just leave me a comment and I'll send the ebook out to you by the end of the week.  It shouldn't take me all week to figure out this silly Adobe program!  Have a great Monday, and don't forget to check out Ruby for Women . . . . . . you can purchase a subscription here or you can buy a single issue here.  Also, be sure to let me know if you want to join Team Ruby for Operation Pillowcase.  We'll be sending at least 25 pillowcases to our troops in Afghanistan.  This is just one small way we can say Thank You for all that they do to keep us safe.  I'll be posting more about that project later this week, so let me know if you want to join the team! ~~ Nina

Confessions of a Crazy Housewife

OK I'll admit it.  I'm a control freak.  There, I've said it.  And I meant it.  And I'm really weary of trying to defend myself for not being a messy housekeeper.  What is it about being "too tidy" that deserves all this guilt???  One day I had a neighbor knock on my door, and when I opened the door, he took one peek over my shoulder and said, "Oh!  I could never come in to to visit you . . . . your house is too clean!"  And then he laughed.  But I wondered, how would it work if I said to you that I couldn't come into your house because it was too dirty?  We would never say that to someone, but for some reason it seemed perfectly normal to tell me that my house was too clean.  Does that make me a crazy housewife? 

Last time I checked, most of those ladies magazines you see while waiting in the check-out lane at the grocery store still have articles with titles like, "How to Clean Your Whole House in 20 Minutes," or "27 Ways to Keep Your Bathroom Smelling Fresh as a Daisy."  Did I miss something?  Perhaps I just haven't seen the magazines with articles that help us all figure out "How to Completely Trash Your House in a Half-Hour," or "99 Ideas for Shoveling More Junk into Your Garage."  We all know how to do THAT!  Houses just seem to take on a life of their own, and messes pop up overnight while we are sleeping.  Especially if we have kids.  So, "messy" is the normal,  natural condition of most houses, apartments, condominiums, cottages, cabins, and tents.  No matter where you live, or who you are.  And for those who are comfortable with a lot of clutter (think of those TV shows about people who are hoarders of "stuff"), or even feel safer surrounded by tons of worthless junk . . . I'm good with that. 

But I really don't see why I should be considered rather strange because I DON'T like to live like that.  As if I am somehow denying someone their God-given right to be sloppy.  So, I kind of feel better when the trash is taken out, the dishes are clean, the laundry is washed, the floors are swept, and the beds are made.  And if that makes me a "control freak," then I guess if that's my worst fault, can't be all bad.  But what, really, is a "control freak"?  I truly have absolutely no interest in being in charge of anyone else's life.  I've got enough to deal with in my own life, and can just barely manage to control all of the things in my life that I am responsible to control.  So is "control" a bad thing? 

Again, take a peek at some of the self-help books that reach out and grab you as you walk by.  "Boundaries:  How to say No Without Feeling Guilty."  "Monster Lies:  A Woman's Guide to Controlling Her Destiny."  "Inner Peace for Busy Women:  Balancing Work, Family, and Your Inner Life."  Or how about, "Your Truest Self: Embracing the Woman You Are Meant to Be."  Sounds to me like there are one or two women out there who wish they had a bit MORE control in their lives. 

There's a big difference between a healthy desire to have our own lives and surroundings under control and running around like a busy-body telling everyone else how to live.  Of course, there are never any guarantees.  Life happens, most unexpectedly, in the blink of an eye.  Without any warning, tragedy can strike.  But that is very different from those things in life that can legitimately be "under control."  I've always thought that it might be a good idea to control the things that CAN be controlled, so that when something comes along and smacks me upside the head that is completely out of my control, I will be better able to cope with it.  I could be wrong about that, though. 

But here's an example of what I mean:  I can't control what might happen if I drive innocently through a green light and a crazy driver runs a red light and broadsides my car.  But I CAN control whether or not I have insurance on my car.  That might or might not help me.  But at least I tried.  Just like I can't control it if I get a call from school that my 1st grader is suddenly screaming in pain and curled up in a fetal position on the floor of the principal's office.  But I CAN control whether or not I have gas in the car so that I can fly out the door, jump in the car, and get to the school in three minutes instead of 20 minutes because I had to stop for gas.  Simple things like that. 

Which gets me back to being a "control freak."  I'm not responsible for keeping my house tidy and orderly because someone might stop by and think . . . . what?  They might think I'm a "neat freak"?  I no longer care about THAT!  But the reason I am responsible to take care of my home (no matter what the neighbors or anyone else thinks) is because it is the home that God has provided for our family and I care for our possessions with respect.  Just because.  And also I feel some level of responsibility to care for our home and keep things tidy and orderly is so that no one dies.  Let me explain.  If you walk into my house and trip over a roller skate or slip on a banana peel, you might sue me.  And even if you don't, you could get hurt and since you are probably someone that I like, I would want to see you in pain. 

In addition, one thing that I HATE just about more than anything else in life is wasting time.  Do you know how much time the average family wastes just looking for stuff?  Or how much money does the average family spend on purchasing stuff that they already have but just can't find in the chaos of their home?  I don't know, either, but if I was a betting person, I'd bet that it's a LOT!  And the final reason that I try to keep my house "under control" (and frequently fail, but I do give a my best shot), is that it keeps me sane.  Really?  Wonder whose idea that was.  Well, crazy or not, at least I'm not a "desperate" housewife, just a rather neurotic "neat freak" who believes that children and husbands' really are healthier and happier when there aren't bugs in their beds and critters in their corn flakes.  Call me crazy.  I'm used to it.