Learning how to sew.....

My friend Frances had her mom recently teach her how to sew. Within the past couple of months I have really have a desire to learn how to. My mom and grandmother were wonderful at it. I can remember them both having the sewing machine on the kitchen table and fabric and patterns would be scattered across the kitchen floor when my grandmother would come visit.

So Frances agreed to teach me! I pulled out my mom's sewing machine with all her stuff she used. It brought back wonderful memories of my mom making me stand on a chair in the kitchen so she could hem a pair of pants for me.

Let me give you some back round on my sewing capabilities. I am not in any way crafty! I rather buy it then make it. I didn't even know how to turn the machine or or sew a button on a shirt! So Frances was in for it. I recently purchased new bedding from West Elm and wanted some pillows that would go with it that would add some color.



I also made my an upholstered head board. The great thing about this is you can change out the fabric on it when you get sick of it. I bought some new fabric that now matches my new pillows. I will post pics of that when I finish that project.

Back to the pillows. I spent a total $35.00 on them. Joann's is WONDERFUL. I am very proud of myself for completing the pillows. Here are a few pics from the night.




My first hem!

Wow 2 years....

Today is 2 years since my sweet mom passed away. She was battling Ovarian Cancer for 5-1/2 years. My dad and mom were on their 29th wedding anniversary trip to Disney the week before. There is not a day that goes by that I do not think about my mom. People say it gets easier but it doesn't. The whole in my heart for her will never be filled.

I wanted to share a few of the things that made my mom so special to me.

1. My mom didn't work. The rest of us did. When she would be out and about some days she would always call my work phone to see what I was up too. One day I answered it and all I heard was..."Yes I would like a cheeseburger, fries and a coke." While she was dialing me she was ordering her lunch. Of course she couldn't wait until she got through the drive thru line to call me! :)

2. She always loved a bargain and always found one wherever she was. She went to CVS to buy a few things when she passed by a shopping cart with a sign saying "Buy 1 get 1 free." She decided to buy 10. Yes 10 cans of Cheese Whiz. No one in my family even likes Cheese Whiz! All 10 cans sat in the cabinet for years!

3. Christmas was my mom's favorite holiday and I am not kidding. She would start shopping in July and put things away. Well that has its problems. My mom would wrap presents and put the wrong names on them or hide them and then forget about them and find the presents 2 months after Christmas!

4. She would buy her own Christmas presents and write “To: Mom, From: Santa”. I love it! I guess that way she would get what she wants.

5. Every year for my birthday I would take the day off and she would take me shopping. Birthdays are hard. Really every holiday is hard because she was such a giver.

6. I could always count on her eating an Auntie Anne’s pretzel with me at the mall.

I miss my mom everyday! I would have never thought I would be 25 without my mom. I have so much more to do in life and need my mom to be there with me. I know she is proud of all us. Her and my dad did a wonderful job raising all 4 of us. I am so lucky to have 2 wonderful sisters and a wonderful brother. I have the BEST dad in the world. He would do anything for any of us. Life is never easy and there will always be mountains and valleys that you will go through. I know I will see my mom again and that makes me so happy.

Life is tough...

Sometimes the Lord chooses to bring us closer to Himself by blessing us, providing gifts, & answering prayers. Other times He chooses to bring us closer to Himself by taking away things in our life, to shift our focus back on Him and off of the things of the world that we place our contentment and pride in. But either way, He's bringing us closer to the Father.