Lasso The Moon

If You Bought Two Lasagnas, Give One to Your Neighbors

I have been blindsided by the book I just finished reading.

It's called 7, by Jen Hatmaker.

In it, she takes a look at her daily American Christian life, and an even harder look at the excess involved in it.  For seven months, she and her family go through a series of "fasts" from seven different areas of excess and waste.

Just reading this book has changed me.  How many times have I looked around at my home, our stuff, and our lifestyle and just cringed at the excess?  So many times.  Is this pleasing to the Lord?  Is it displeasing to Him? And yet, most would probably say that we live simply, below our means, and in a fairly small house--less house than most people think we need.  But for some reason it still feels like too much.  We are still the "rich folks" of the world, and how are we using our riches?  And even if I am dissatisfied with that, what can I do about it? Where do I even start?  This book is the story of where one woman started to change, and how she went about it.

I highly suggest you pick up a copy for yourself.  It's a fast read, although you may want to go through it again as soon as you're done.  Or share it with a friend!  I gave my copy to my sister, and by the end of the day she was already posting quotes from the book on her facebook status!

This is not the first time a book has wrecked my self-absorbed point of view.  It happened with Radical, and Crazy Love too.  You might as well go ahead and buy all three together if you haven't read these two either.

Just as an example, I have been an absolute maniac around the house ever since I finished reading 7.  The chapter about possessions is one of my favorites.  Although she had planned on giving away seven items a day for the month (210 items), she ended up parting with over 1000 things instead.  So, I looked around the house to see if there was anywhere I could "trim the fat." Ah.  Magazines.  I love them.  Back when I was selling custom children's clothes on eBay, I would pore over magazines each month to jump-start the design process.  I organized them meticulously in magazine files, according to month.  And even after I stopped designing, I didn't see any reason to give them up.  I have moved my entire magazine collection to a new house THREE TIMES.  And then I read this book.

These beautiful periodicals, full of inspiration and project ideas were an anchor.  So this week I went from this:

to this:

These are the Mary Engelbreit Home Companions, no longer in print, that I had to keep because of the paper dolls included in each issue.  I've been saving them for an appropriate time for Emma since before she was even born.  But wait.  Why would I hold onto 10+ pounds of magazine, just for a few sheets of paper dolls?  Somebody pass me the x-acto knife.

And here it is--what is left of the magazines I was holding onto for more than 7 years.  So weird!  I'm not even someone who holds onto things.  It feels very good, and now I want more.  Every time I walk past that empty shelf where the magazines used to live, it feels so good.  So light.

I did something else that is even more out of character for me.  In 7, Jen Hatmaker mentions that she and her friend moved into houses on the same street, and started a "neighborhood domination" project.  She doesn't go into too many details, but that term was enough for me.  There is a family across the street that I had been dying to meet.  They moved in about six months ago and have kids similar in age to ours.  But something in me, fear of something unknown, was keeping me from going over there and introducing myself.  That seemed like something a grown-up would do, and sometimes I just don't feel very grown up.  That changed this week.

Warning: for those of you who are naturally social creatures, this story is going to sound RIDICULOUS to you.  I'm sorry.

I was at the grocery store picking out some bagels, when I thought why not jsut get some extras for our neighbors?  They just had a new baby, and sometimes those easy meals are a big help.  So I added some bagels to the cart.  No big deal.  But when I got home, I realized I hadn't bought any cream cheese.  That's it!  The plan is off!  I'll just have to introduce myself some other time.  But today, the Spirit wasn't going to let me get away so easily.  I looked down at my groceries and saw the abundance.  I had bought two bags of bagels, two frozen lasagnas, a huge bunch of bananas and a bag FULL of oranges.  You know that verse that talks about having an extra tunic?  It's Luke 3:11  "And he would answer and say to them, “The man who has two tunics is to share with him who has none; and he who has food is to do likewise.”   It might as well say, if you bought two lasagnas, take one to your neighbor. 

So I did.  I filled a basket with some of the abundance the Spirit had opened my eyes to see and marched it across the street. 

You cannot understand enough how out of character this was for me.  I was scared as I crossed the street.  I was scared as I approached their door.  But I couldn't think about that because the Holy Spirit was practically roaring in my ear.  Today, I just didn't have a choice.  It was like He said, Is 7 going to be just a cool book you once read, or are you going to let it make a change in your life? 

I'm going to let it make a change. 

I already have.  Someday I'll share what a treasure we have discovered in our new neighbor-friends.  It will blow your mind! But that's a topic for another day.

Let me know when you get your copy.  I want to hear how it wrecks your life, too.

 

A Sick Day or Three

Emma was home this week with a cough and sore throat. She missed three days of school, which I feel bad about.  But I have to admit, I LOVED having her home for more time than usual.  Since we didn't have to rush her out of the house in the morning, we had a leisurely breakfast with the family.

Fried biscuit doughnuts could not be easier.  Pop a can of biscuits, poke a hole in each one, heat up some oil, fry on each side til golden, cool on some paper towels to absorb excess oil, and dip in a bowl of sugar.  YUM.

We also had time for plenty of reading.  We have been reading through The Little House Series as a family.  We are finally starting the last book.  The ninth book!  If you are an adult and have never read this series, please do so.  Like, today.  I had no idea they were this good.  The detail that Laura Ingalls Wilder includes in her family's story is incredible.  She tells the story through her little-girl point of view in such a way that you are drawn in completely.  I cry in almost every chapter.  My kids laugh at me.  And it's worth it. 

And sometimes Emma reads a couple paragraphs.  Her reading level is well above her grade level, but her reading comprehension needs to catch up.  That's a tricky thing.  Any suggestions?

We also took a few moments (hours actually!  The time with her seems so indulgent!) to work on our "sewing with children" project that I mentioned recently. 

I wish I could show you the whole thing, but I have to keep it under wraps until the magazine comes out.  Though I might have one more peek to share in the coming weeks.

I hate when my babies don't feel well, but every momma knows to savor those moments, because that's when the cuddling is the BEST.

Hope you all are feeling well this week.

XOXO, Anna

A Scrappy Gift for Baby

Since I started working with vintage and reclaimed fabrics, my scrap piles have been threatening to take over. I love to make things with scraps, even more than large pieces of fabric, because it's more challenging and makes me consider color, pattern, and value while I plan.  But I NEVER have the time any more!  Unless I force it.

This weekend, I forced it, because a dear friend is expecting her first baby, and I needed a shower gift.

The fact that the fabrics are vintage and that I sewed them up is kinda special in this case.  I've known this friend for many years, and I even made her prom dress back in high school.  (Quite a few years ago.  More than 10.  Less than 15.)  And she shares my love of vintage and thrift.

I literally took these off of the sewing machine 30 minutes before the party started.

Add a bunting and a mini-green bag, and we have a baby gift!

I even had 1 minute to spare for wrapping.  I really try to avoid the earth-friendly gift bag option. It's just more fun to rip paper.

 

 

Valentines Day '12

We were so busy when it came time to make Valentines that I went the easiest possible route.

That's right.  Pinterest.  I know I'm not the only one.

So here they are.

Ethan's:

printable here.

Emma's:

edited here. printed here.

Breakfast:

heart-shaped toast and jelly.

pink lady apples sliced thin and cut with a cookie cutter.

pink cream cheese on a bagel.

eggs fried inside a bell-pepper slice.

Okay, some of these ideas were mine.  But not many.

Valentine's Day conversation:

Emma: (looks at me sitting with a big heart-shaped box of chocolates in my lap.) Mom, are you going to eat ALL of those?

Me: yep!

Emma:  All of them?! Today?

Me: I'm going to try.

Emma: *scoffs* Hmm.  You are not a saver like me.

Me: I guess not.

Emma: What are you going to do when you come home one day and think, "I need some chocolate," but you don't have any because you ate it all?

She's 7 years old, but she already understands that chocolate is a need.

Happy Valentine's Day!

 

"BEE MINE" A Valentine's Class Party

Here are a few shots of the party my sister Abby and I threw for our kids' pre-school class last week.

The theme was "Bee Mine".  Our colors were yellow, pink, black, and white.  I thought the theme was fun for girls, but also not too lovey-dovey for the boys.

The refreshments were simple. Jarritos are my go-to party drink.  They are gorgeous, but FULL of sugar, so we only poured a small amount into the party cups.

We filled the heartsy bags with a chex-mix recipe that you can find here.

We printed out the labels from Bird's Party.  So perfect for our theme!

Besides the printables, we only needed a few other decorations. The huge pink pom was left over from Emma's birthday.  Yes, it has been hanging in my house since November.

The ruffle streamers were easy, fun, and cheap.   I love those things! You take two colors of crepe paper streamers and sew them together side-by-side. They ruffle automatically. Instant custom decoration! 

There's a great tutorial by Dana at Made.

The balloon decor was added by Abby's husband Greg, who does some clowning as a hobby. It's nice to have some talent in the family.

We had ten kids to entertain for a whole hour, so we had to come up with a couple games. The first was "bee ping pong."

The paddles are paper plates with tongue-depressors hot glued to them.  We drew flowers on the plates and told the kids to help the bee fly from flower to flower collecting pollen.

My sister is going to kill me for this picture.  She's the tall bee with the green scarf.

The kids LOVED this game and played it for more than ten minutes, when we had to shut it down and move on.  It was funny watching a "queen bee" personality emerge from the group and take the lead.

For the next game we sat in a quiet circle while I sang a Valentine Song that was also a guessing game.  They had to guess who my valentine was.  The song is to the tune of "Muffin Man".

Oh, do you know my Valentine, my Valentine, my Valentine

Oh, do you know my valentine? He's wearing a (insert clue here..ie red shirt.)

I made the clues super-easy and they all guessed right away.  I made sure I gave each one a turn to be my Valentine, and then sang the song a few more times, letting each child insert her own clue for the others to guess.  This was another successful game, and we had to cut it off for time reasons.

The Bee Crowns that the kids are wearing was one of our simple crafts.

Start with super-heavy duty construction paper.  I did not know there was such a thing until I bought it on accident, but it is WONDERFUL!  Almost as stiff as cardstock, and less that $2 for a pack of 50 sheets.

We hot glued white pom poms to black pipe cleaners before the party.  Then cut the paper in half long-ways and staple both pieces together in a long strip. Before the party, punch two holes in the front of the crown.  The kids can add the antennae (with help) and decorate with stickers. 

When they are done, measure it to their heads and staple or tape to fit.

For the second craft we made valentines inspired by these on Katie Did.

To prepare, we cut out the hands (the heavy construction paper again!) and glued them to the paper, leaving the pointer finger free.

We gave each child a square of white cardstock and a choice of hearts to decorate with crayons.

Then we went around and taped them up like puppets.

We couldn't do a bee party without a great party favor, so we made up 10 sets of my "cutting board" wings to give each little bee.  They really could not be any easier. I cut them all out, and Donnie drilled the holes through them all at once.  It might have broken my hand to use the hole-punch that many times on that stiff material.  Then we made t-shirt yarn from three youth tees that we found a the dollar store. In all, each set of wings cost about $.60.  You cannot beat that!!

We let the kids decorate their wings, too.  You can't get too many stickers!

If you are planning a class party soon, here are a couple of tips:

1. Enlist a planning partner.  Abby and I tag-teamed everything from the planning to the games.  She made the snacks; I hung the decorations. I finished a craft; she started the next game.  Even planning was a cinch with two of us working together.

2. Search the internet for ideas and pin everything you find to pinterest.  Make sure you and your partner follow each other's boards, and tag every idea you like so you can  communicate.  Abby and I only needed one phone meeting and a couple hours face-to-face to complete everything. We both have little babies at home, so this was huge!

3. Over-plan.  You never know if a craft or a game is going to be a hit with little ones, so be ready to change course fast if something isn't working.

4. Make a list of tasks, cross them off, and pack everything to be transported as soon as it's done.  It's a bummer to work so hard and leave a major piece at home on the kitchen counter!

4. Have fun!  Remember, most of the details are for the enjoyment of the adults, not the kids.  All they want to do is run around and eat treats.  If something wasn't perfect, don't sweat it.  The kids will remember the fun, and that's all that matters.

 

 

 

 

 

 

With Kids

Everything I do with my kids seems to take a little longer than it would take to do alone.  But having kids along is kind of like taking the scenic route.  It's not the fastest way, but the trip will be full of beauty and memories and dialog better that any you could ever write yourself.

This week I'm sewing with Emma.

It's a project for an article I was asked to write about sewing with kids and for kids.

It's taking longer than I had hoped, but every minute is beautiful, teachable, and memorable.

 

While we are working, we are listening to this audio book.  Sadly, it's a little over her head--especially the recent chapter involving the representative of the birth control movement--but I'm cracking up.  She did like the part where their dad made them play a record of French and German language lessons any time they were in the bathroom, bathing or otherwise indisposed, to cut down on wasted time.

My younger children are learning lessons, too. Esther is learning to crawl and pull up on things.  And Ethan is learning that "time out" is much more pleasant now that Esther can crawl and pull up on things.

Have a great week, and enjoy the scenic route.

linked to:

pieceful life

 

 

In which I show you the finished hamsters and dream about having an apprentice

It has been a busy week!

Filling orders and sewing hamsters and, you know, all the stuff you're actually supposed to do as a stay-at-homer. (Donnie came home to a clean house more than twice this week.  Amen.)

Now that this busy week is over, it's on to the next one. 

I need an assistant.  Or an apprentice!  Do any of you know how to go about getting an apprentice?  Some one who would be willing to do some behind-the-scenes tasks in exchange for some behind-the-scenes training...I like this idea. 

How cute is this box stuffed with little woolly faces! 

This is the stack that I took to the post office yesterday. 

While carrying Esther. 

With Ethan in tow. 

That seems like something an apprentice would be able to help with, too.  Ah, daydreams.

Wait, who is this? Looks like somebody got left behind. I couldn't talk about hamsters all week, and then ship them all off without giving you a chance to get one for yourself!  Now we have a whole selection of fuzzy friends in the shop, waiting for you to take one home.

Find them here.