The Wedding

Last weekend a couple of good friends and I decorated and set up for the wedding reception of a mutual friend. The three hours we spent together talking about children, mothering, homeschooling and marriage while setting pretty tables and folding napkins was very enjoyable. True friendships are a beautiful thing, and as I post these pictures I find myself grateful for them - those in 'real life' and through this special blogging community which unites us in faith and our striving for the good. During the wedding reception I couldn't help but pause and imagine my online friends there with me. I wish you had been.

(Please do scroll down to the last picture.)

table setting

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I thought we did a pretty nice job,

having never set up for a wedding before!

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Mary's mantle. I love contemplating

Our Lady watching over the bride and groom

and protecting all of us throughout the evening.

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Isn't She beautiful?

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By the way, I had nothing to do with those exquisite floral arrangements - the most beautiful part of the set up. My friend Margaret, who hosted the event at her home is responsible for those. She did the flowers at my own wedding ten years ago!

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Pause for a good while....

....and contemplate these beautiful words, so essential for us wives and mothers as we strive in our vocations. With the demands of daily life - cleaning messes, disciplining children, cooking meals, washing clothes (not to mention the mood swings and hormonal variations that so readily accomany us) - it can be all too easy to forget how we are to conduct ourselves while performing those very tasks. The Beatitudes for Wives is just the reminder I needed at this time, and I suspect I will need it again later.

Go here to order this particular conference talk or the full set of talks. You won't regret it.

Ta-da!

Well, here it is! The top came out a little too long - in fact, it fits Madeleine nicely as a dress, but overall I'm pleased with the way the outfit turned out. Very, very girly, I'd say. :)

Have a terrific weekend, everyone!

First Project Completed

Well, I did it! I finished my first sewing project (see photos above). Wow, was that fun! I utilized lots of techniques, including ruffling and gathering, overcasting, sewing in bias tape (for the peasant top) and the ever-steadfast straight stitch and zig-zag. Ooohh, and I inserted elastic in the waistline of the bloomers and inside the bias tape at the neckline. I learned a ton and have already begun my next venture.

The only question left in my mind? Why has it taken me so long to discover the joy of sewing? I really do find it incredibly fun and relaxing, and the whole process comes very naturally to me. Ah well, better late than never, as they say. Here are some progress pictures from the past week, just for fun.

completed bloomers and top portion of blouse

pinning the ruffles

skirt panel before gathering and attaching to top

The Last Rose

We finished our winter pruning a few days ago, and like last year, I had to capture the last bloom of the season before pulling out my shears. I love how the petals curl and twist like ribbon. When the roses bloom again in April those petals will be hearty and strong, and the flowers will display their most magnificent size of the year. But there is something so beautiful about the weak rose, the spent rose, the rose that is soon to die that others might live.
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Reading Again

I just want to give a quick pitch for Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons. Several months ago I was using it with Gianna. It seemed to be working well and captivated her interest for a while, but then she got bored and appeared unmotivated to learn. I thought it was the fault of the text, so we put it down and tried some other, more aesthetically appealing (in terms of bright colors and pictures) readers, but we found that she wasn't interested in those either. After a nice long break from any reading whatsoever, we only recently took it up again. To my surprise Gianna isn't interested in the bright, colorful readers I thought might captivate her. She loves her 100 Easy Lessons. She's really taking off with it, enjoying the chapters and experiencing the satisfaction of her accomplishments. The lessons are clear and simple - she even opens the book up on her own and moves on to the next chapter without me. Today she read her first sentence while I was in the next room, after which I heard her exclaim, "Great job, sweetheart!" :)

Sewing Stuff

I've hesitated to post much recently, due to the fact that all I seem to have on my mind is fabric and stitches and patterns. I'm afraid Small Treasures might turn into a sewing blog! Perhaps I'll have to contemplate choosing a particular day for sewing-related posts. Hmmm....Saturday Stitches.....or something like that.

My bloomers are nearly finished, but I can't figure out who they'll fit. They look too big for Madeleine and too small for Gianna. First lesson learned: measure the child first! Ah well, they do look rather adorable and I was impressed with my shirring technique on the ruffle. I won't post a photo until I sew the inside seam and add the elastic. But I'm pretty excited. My sewing instructor remarked that she's never had a student so captivated as to rejoice at her own blunders. Yes, I did sing the hallelujah chorus from Handel's Messiah. I think I give Miss Rossanna amusement.

Look what arrived in the mail last week? Now I know why they use descriptives like "yummy" and "scrumptious" when referring to fabric!

A spring dress, perhaps?

Heather Bailey's Freshcut fabric here.

I'm thinking maybe a quilt??

I apologize if this is getting terribly mundane for you. I do have some meaty posts brewing, but with a husband and daughters and stitches on the brain, I can't seem to bring those stews to the front burner.

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In the meantime, have a lovely weekend. Soak up the enjoyment of these last few weeks before the beginning of Lent (also a lovely time, but in an entirely different way). Many good blessings to each and every one of you!

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In Honor of Thankful Thursday

Every morning upon waking, my flushed-cheeked, fuzzy-haired Madeleine runs to greet me with a huge hug exclaiming, "I missed you, Mama!"

Even though she says this after having slept soundly for eleven hours I believe her..... 'cause I missed her too. :)

A Little Steamy Spice for Winter

The cold and dryness of winter have different effects on me at various times throughout the season. Sometimes I succumb to its onslaught of sniffly, achy illness. Other times it makes me cranky and cabin-feverish. And still at other times I just become insatiably hungry. Years ago I discovered a neat little cure for the ailments of the season, and right now, it's healing my every discomfort.

So, you ask, what is this ingenious magic potion I concocted from the recesses of my inner inventive brain?

A boiling pot of water on the stove top, dashed with a sprinkle of cinnamon, nutmeg and ground cloves. Ahhh, yes! I can breathe again, the house smells delicious and my spirits are lifted as the warm, spicy steam permeates my kitchen. I think I'll call it "Winter's Delight".

Now I'm curious.....what are your secrets for making winter a little more enjoyable?

Sewing 101

My first sewing class was so much fun. I wish I had more to show for it than some cut-to-pattern pieces of fabric, but perhaps next week. On Tuesday I learned how to read and cut a pattern and thread a machine. I did some practice stitches on the machine, but that's all for now. Though my first class might sound boring, let me assure you on the contrary, I loved every minute of it. That one-step button holer? Those rotary fabric cutters? Too, too fun!

I wish I didn't have to wait until next Tuesday to start sewing my project. Assuming I sew it up correctly it's going to be ever-so sweet, but even if it turns out terribly, don't worry. I promise to post a picture anyway.~ :)

For those of you who are curious, here's a hint at what I'm making, and these are the fabrics I chose. Can you guess what it will be?

Cure for the Common Wanna-Be Seamstress

You may recall I caught this terrible bug several months back. It's been eating away at me for quite some time now, and this Christmas my dear husband thought I could use a remedy. So, the plan was, he would get me one of these
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for Christmas.

But alas, deciding on a model turned out to be more confusing than we anticipated. There are mechanical ones and electronic ones and embroidery ones. Some are equipped with ten stitches to choose from while some have a hundred. Some have no button-holer, some a four-step button-holer, and some have a one-step. Some are built with an automatic needle-threader and speed control. Some have the fanciest, most elaborate features, they practically do the sewing for you! But they also have the most elaborate price tags. :(

So, after talking to many-a-seamstress, drilling them with question upon question about what is necessary, what is convenient and what is superfluous for a beginner, I realized I needed a basic, sturdy, affordable machine. But which one? Such criteria only narrows my choices down to about thirty models. So now comes the really cool part.

The head seamstress at the local fabric shop teaches lessons, and told me I could use her machines while taking the class. I can try out a variety of models before deciding on a machine, while sewing up something fun in the process. I get to choose my own pattern and fabrics, and oh my, how do you ladies do it? I already have my eye on three quilts, two girls' dresses and some cute peasant-top/capri outfits. Not to mention curtains and pillows and tablecloths!

With my first pattern and some fun fabric already in the passenger seat of my car, I head off to my first class tomorrow night. And if I haven't made it clear yet.....I'm so, so excited. Okay, I know. I'm way ahead of myself here. I may not even like sewing - another reason to wait before purchasing a machine.

But, between you and me, I have a feeling I will..... :)

Next post up? Learning Something New and Family Betterment. Stay tuned.

Good readers,

Your prayers promised in the comments of my last post are much appreciated. But I want you to know that your words, though very kind, are overly generous. It is true that I try to see the positive in everything, and do my best to accept hardship with love. But not always. Recently I have been losing patience frequently and snapping at those I love most. I am relying on God's mercy (and that of my family), but I don't want to deceive anyone into thinking I handle suffering better than I do.

I'm sorry this blog has been something of a downer lately. I do have some fun things that I'm really excited about....ooohh, and I can't wait to share, but I don't have time right now......so, stay tuned!

December

December of 2007 was nothing like what we expected. A season that is usually filled with tremendous excitement and anticipation met us, this year, with a bit of hardship. There was my grandmother's passing. And the sudden death of an acquaintance our family visited weekly. Two potential adoptions we learned would not come through for us. A family member with five young children lost his job. And there seemed a plethora of minor things - among them a car accident, sickness all around, a flat tire on Christmas Eve, my losing patience on several occasions, and much more - small things, but adding moments of stress nonetheless. And we were given a burden of the heavier weight, but at this time I cannot post about it for various reasons.

But as the Lord always reassures with His infinite love, beauty and joy revealed themselves amidst the chaos. Christmas carols were sung every day, all throughout the day in this house. The girls executed many sweet acts of love, adding straw to our empty manger. We enjoyed a beautiful and much-needed family retreat in the mountains, where we reveled in the goodness of winter and snow. I was blessed with the company of all my brothers at once-a great rarity-during the days surrounding my grandmother's funeral. Preparing Christmas dinner for my grandfather and extended family was a huge and happy reward for me. And embracing my good grandfather while he broke down in tears on Christmas day was a marvelous and incredible honor.

It was made very clear to me early in Advent that it would be a time of emptying, not only of unnecessary attachments, but even of good and beautiful things.....for something better. For when the Infant came on Christmas day I realized I had more room for Him in my small "inn" than I had in years past. Not a substantial amount more, but enough to notice a difference. That extra space, carved out lovingly and gently by the Divine Hand of Providence, reminded me yet again, that the best things in life are obtained not with the filling up of desires, pleasures and earthly happiness, but with the stripping away of those very things.

How good it is that Christmas is still here. Before we head into the regular rhythm of Ordinary time, we can bake the cookies we had no time for in December. We can still fill the house with the music of Christmas carols. We can huddle under blankets in our living room and enjoy the light of the Christmas tree. And we can kiss the head of the Babe of Bethlehem, lying in the soft bed created for him as often as we desire, noticing the open arms with which He greets us-in good times and in hardship-every moment He holds us in existence.