Mamas*Little*Treasures

Ruby for Women, May, 2011

Open publication - Free publishing - More christian life

Angel Journal To Make for Mother's Day

This was a custom order but I wanted to share it with you in case you are thinking of making something special for a Mother's Day gift.  These crazy patch journals are fun, easy, and can be as elaborately embellished or as elegantly simple as you want to make them.  I've already sent out lots of the eBooks for making these crazy patch journal covers, but if you want a copy of it just leave me a comment.  I'll be working on several more in the next few weeks, so when they are finished I'll post pictures of them right here for you to see.  They will also be available in my Etsy shop if you would like to purchase one, but really they are great fun to make.  No two are exactly alike, so this is a unique gift that will be treasured by the recipient.  You might even want to make one for yourself! 

Don't forget that there is a FREE quilt project tutorial on the Ruby blog.  It is an appliqued bookmarker and all the instructions and templates are right there for you to print off and make your very own Berry Berry Bookmarker, designed by Rochelle Martin of Cottage Quilt Designs. 

And then, you will want to get the next issue of Ruby for Women because Rochelle will be starting the first block in the "Gardener's Delight" quilt project.  It will consist of eight different blocks, with all instructions available in the next eight issues of Ruby for Women.  When you finish this project, it will make a gorgeous throw or wall hanging for your home.  Oh, and one more thing . . . we now have a Facebook Fan Page for Ruby for Women.  Stop by and join our fan club and we'll keep you up-to-date on all of the exciting events going on at Ruby for Women!

Monday Morning Blessings

I'm going to start this week by focusing on what I have accomplished, what I have planned for my week, instead of worrying about all of the things that I didn't get done!  That's kind of like counting my blessings . . . . .and not carrying around the burden of unfinished business.  So, I'll make my list of things TO DO this week, and check them off as I accomplish them, and try to stay focused on living in the moment.  Enjoy what I am doing right NOW and not always be thinking about what I need to do tonight, or tomorrow, or Thursday afternoon.  If I write it down, and get it out of my head, that seems to help.  But usually my brain is just in overload, and I can't quite get it under control!  That sounds scary!!!  Perhaps I'm the only one with this problem . . . . . it's like I can't turn it off.  I even feel like I'm creating "stuff" in my sleep.  And then when I'm awake I keep thinking of all of the "stuff" that I could create, and how to do it, and what it would take to make it work.  Maybe I'm an inventor . . . . or perhaps I should have been a scientist . . . . . or maybe I should just be myself and keep on creating stuff!

I recently received an email from a customer asking if I would consider doing custom-made clothing . . . . . for her.  Of course, I CAN do that, but do I have time?  Well, she saw a dress that she really likes but it is not in her size - so I'm in the process of re-creating the dress in her size.  In my spare time   ;o)   And then another customer wants to know if I could write a few eBook patterns for children's boutique designs in sizes 8 - 12.  You know, the really fun stuff for the 'tweens.  Because it is SOOO very expensive to buy gorgeous clothing for young ladies in this age group, and she wants to make a few things for her daughter.  So, would I write a few more eBooks?  Of course, in my spare time!  See what I mean?  I just have way too many ideas bouncing around in my brain, and it just never seems to be ready for a nap.  But I am . . . . I'm tired so I guess I'll go to bed and try to get my brain to settle down for a few hours.  But then I better get busy making that dress and writing those eBook patterns . . . . . along with all the other "stuff" that just constantly fills up my brain. 

I'm counting my blessings - just can't count that high right now!  If I have time, I'll jot down a few of my plans and goals for the week when I wake up in the morning.  Perhaps if I organize some of that "stuff" that is cluttering up my brain, I'll be able to focus on living in the moment.  I just am having a hard time keeping up with all the activity up there! 

PS here are a few of the beautiful Mother's Day gifts I received from my girls!  They made them for me in art class and they were so proud of their wonderful, hand-crafted gifts for Mom   ;o)   I love them!

Remember: YOU are the Mom!

As I think back on all of the Mother's Days that I have experienced, I really don't remember so many from when I was a little girl and it was my Mama's celebration day. Probably because when I was growing up, at least in our family, there wasn't very much extra time or money to spend on things like Mother's Day. But one thing for sure that I remember about my Mama and my growing up years was her determination and strength in the face of adversity. Well, at the time I didn't actually see it in such a positive light. I didn't appreciate how hard it was for her to be a mom, and I definitely had no clue about all of the heartache that she had experienced. I guess I just thought she was a pretty strict, and sometimes unreasonable, mom . . . . like lots of other moms throughout history. 

And I can almost hear her voice as if it was just yesterday, reminding me that "if a job's worth doin' it's worth doin' right."  One that always annoyed me was, "First you work, and THEN you play!"  Other lessons included such mundane admonitions as "Always tell the truth," "if you want to have a friend, you have to be a friend," and this one I REALLY hated:  "You need to learn to do WHAT you are told, WHEN you are told, and the WAY you are told!"   And if I didn't do it, there would definitely be pretty serious consequences!  Now, during this time of economic struggles for so many families, the one little saying that I remember so well from my Mama (she was a young girl during the Great Depression):  "Use it up, wear it out, Make do, or do without!"  And so we did.  I guess I learned to appreciate the values of hard work, thrift, honesty, and integrity from my Mama.  But I don't remember any Mother's Day celebrations, flowers, gifts, or cards.  I just remember my Mama.

But I do remember a few of the Mother's Days that I have experienced as a Mom.  Some were good, some were OK, and some were kind of sad.  But I got through them all.  I just wish I had learned a long time ago to remember, at all times, that I am the Mom.  You see, I was one of those moms who thought for a long time that I should be a "nice mommy," one who always has time to play with her children, take them to the park and the zoo and the library, or to the weekly playgroup.  Even when I was losing my mind, I was driven to be a "good mommy."  And all of those things are wonderful things to do with our children . . . . I did them all, loved most of it   ;o)  and survived the rest.  But it was not a good lesson for my children.  What I was teaching them was that they were in charge of the universe, that mom's feelings don't really matter, and that mom's only value was in serving the needs of the children.  Again, not a bad thing to do, but not a good thing to teach my children.  And years later, I began to see clearly what went wrong.  If children do not learn to respect their parents, they do not feel safe.  Their world is rather uncertain.  Since I was the mom, and I am the mom, I made lots of mistakes because I didn't understand that children need to KNOW who is the mom and who is the child. 

Now, as an "older mom," I see lots of young moms struggling with children who have learned that they can be rude, disrespectful, and disobedient.  Sometimes because Mommy is so determined to be a "good mommy" and not make her child unhappy.  I talk to young moms who were so enchanted with an infant who has now become a loud, messy, chaotic, and selfish three-year-old.  And they are frustrated and angry because they can't make sense of the mixed messages they see all around them.  One the one hand we see beautiful young moms and children, all smiling, wearing fashionable, clean clothes, playing on a brightly colored playset in their perfectly manicured backyard.  And somehow that just doesn't match up with what they are experiencing in their life-long dream of "motherhood."  It has become a nightmare, with a screaming kid with smelly diapers and a runny nose who falls in the mud, bleeds on Mommy's new dress, and slaps her when she tells him / her "No." 

However . . . . that IS life, that IS kids, and that IS Mommies.  The good, the bad, the ugly, the frustrating, and the joyful.  This is real life.  But I have learned, that through it all, the children in your home need to KNOW, and you need to remember:  YOU are the mom!  They will feel safer, and you will be much more joyful in the midst of all of the chaos that is Motherhood.  Happy Mother's Day!  We can chat about this more next week . . . . . .    Nina