An apron, that is.
I've been working on a new Create & Giveback project over here...

    Craft Hope's project this month was for Haiti By Hand & since I'm a big ol' fan of aprons & making & giving handmade you know I hopped right on that band wagon & got to work. I pulled fabric and sewed pockets & thought about how getting a handmade gift is such a treasure & how giving one is such a blessing. I'm also excited to get to add a little note in the pockets to the ladies who will recieve my aprons. (There's going to be someone there to translate it!) What will I say? That's easy.
Hello, friend. I love you.

    If you've never tried a Create & Giveback project I highly highly recommend it. It doesn't have to be expensive - I used my stash. It doesn't have to be time comsuming - maybe 30 minutes for one of these aprons. It can be anything you want - sewing, knitting, quilting, crochet - & if none of my links lead you to what you're looking for I encourage you to do a little online search. I'd bet that there is a way to Create & Giveback that fits you too!

    So much of life is learning to take the good with the bad. It's learning to 'ride the wave' and know that one moment will lead to the next and each one will be different. It's been quite the wave around here.

    The quilts finally came back from the longarmer last week, so birds were singing. I did quickie binding for mine & got it all finished & labeled super fast. Oh, it feels so good to put in that very last stitch. Mom hand-bound hers but had it done the next day. They are lovely & we are so happy with them!

    These Walk About quilts are done just in time for us to drop another project off to be longarm quilted, too. We are putting finishing touches on two "queen-sized" quilts this week. Oh. My. They were made using a super simple pattern using jelly rolls, but still..they are big. Bigger than normal queen-sized quilts. Mine is going to finish about 98 inches square. It's for using on our bed & I like lots of covers! (Or, maybe my husband likes to have them wide enough he can snag an end when I start wrapping up in it like a burrito.)

    I didn't remember to take a bunch of pictures of Mom's quilt, but while she was sewing on the binding I did snap one of the quilting. I love the way the flowers in the quilting echo the flowers in the fabric. Awesome.

    So, now that I've shared one of the good things from the wave of life I've been riding recently, let me share a bad one. My car was vadalized for the second time this year! In February the windshield was shot up with an air rifle & this week my driver's side window was smashed out. It's not personal, it's some stupid hoodlums I think. But, still. It's not fun, and it's not cheap. The cop who came out was nice, even though there's nothing he could do. Some crazy talk about needing witnesses or something.

    And, just so I don't leave you with bad stuff happening - here are some silver linings...
The blessing of something we can fix. So much of life's bad stuff is not that way. It's not winter & snowing - summer weather without a window is not too bad. A discount for the replacement & help with the money for that. Good times with my Mama, despite that snag to our afternoon. Driving the hubs' truck and feeling dainty behind the wheel. Laughing with good friends over the jokes that the vandals didn't like my knitting or christian cds. The vandals didn't even bother to try to steal anything, just wanted to break the glass. My hubs & I dragging out the air mattress & a big pile of blankets to have an evening of indoor camping & movies just for fun. 

    Is your life like riding a wave, or a roller coaster, right now too? I hope you find that even though you have to take the good with the bad - you can choose focus on the good. I'm trying that too. :)

This week I've been back to making. Well, making & baking!
I made several new Cup Cuffs for the shop; & I have several still in progress. Sometimes it takes a break away from something to spur a renewed energy for the creation of more. I dug out the box of ties & have been enjoying mixing color & texture & playing in the button box as I go.

I also realized yesterday they we were out of cookies in the doggie jar. I got a free Kindle book a couple of weeks ago called The Everything Cooking For Dogs Book, & decided to try a couple recipes in it to restock the cookies. I made Peanut Butter & Cranberry Biscotti & then tried Oatmeal Pumpkin Biscuits - both tweaked to fit what I had on hand. For instance, in the book the biscotti has carob ships instead of cranberries.

I think my pups are sure they are getting table scraps or something when I bake them cookies. They dance & mummble & get awfully excited. It didn't hurt that the whole house smelled like peanut butter. I mean really? Yum! If it had had sugar in it I might have eaten a few! Instead, I baked a few peppermint chocolate chip cookies for the humans in my house too. It was a good day. :)

        I love when Compassion Bloggers take a trip!
I love the way they all share their experiences & stories through blogging. I love that I can read all about the experience from so many perspectives. I love that through words and photos I can feel like I am there with them.

    Compassion bloggers have gone all over the world. I've gone back several times to read through other the blog collections for other trips. I've been to Ecuador, Guatemala, India, Uganda & El Salvador all with Compassion bloggers. All from the comfort of my home. The stories are both heart-warming and heart-wrenching. The photos will move you & drawn you in. You'll experience the world in such a new and authentic way, you'll want to go back & see all the other trips. If you're like me you'll be dreaming of getting the awesome blessing of joining them on a trip one day.

    The current Compassion blogging trip has taken them back to Africa. They're in Tanzania! The photos are always my favorite part of reading all the blog posts. Everyone has such a unique view & different eye for life! They give you a glimpse into real world Tanzania. The people, the need, the love, the hope, the faces of life. I come away from these stories with such awe. I feel the Wrold drawing me closer to this community of people. I am apart of this world, they are apart f this world, we are all in this together. Connected. 

    Maybe our next Compassion kiddo should be from Tanzania! How could my heart not go out to all those beautiful faces. Oh, I love them all. Just from a photograph. I want to take care of them all. I want to tell them - you are beautiful, you are amazing, your life is so important, your future is wide open, you matter, you are loved beyond measure. 

    What an awesome opportunity these bloggers have! Follow their journey with me! Come back & share your favorite stories, your favorite photos, or thoughts on the whole experience. Check out the faces here - Ooh, I just can't get over those faces! You'll know the ones I mean, they sparkle and shine. They make you want to reach through the computer screen to hug those sweet kids. They let you know that what Compassion does matters. I love that most of all.

    I read a lot.
Some weeks it seems like I go through a book a day. Some weeks it seems like the Kindle is an extension of my arm.
Then, sometimes I find a book that I don't race through. It becomes a long-time read. I usually read several other things in the midst of reading this one book. I pick it up & put it down over and over again.

    There are a number of reasons for that. Sometimes, it's the size of the book - like reading my way through the Bible is a long process. Sometimes, it's the subject - like books on organizing or crafting that I use pieces of a bit at a time. Sometimes, it's the style - I don't commonly read short stories & so I work my way through those books slowly. The last is part of the reason for why it's taken me so long to read Just A Minute. It is a book full of short stories. And so, I've taken my time with it. 

    The other reason it's taken me so long to read it is because these aren't stories you race through. They aren't stories meant to just entertain you. These stories are meant to evoke emotion & memories. They are meant to inspire you, to change you, to open your eyes to how seemingly forgettable moments can mold a life.  If you remember my Just A Minute post from February you know that I'm a believer in minute by minute change. You also know I'm a believer in Compassion. When the folks over at Compassion asked if I'd like to read Just A minute by Wess Stafford, President & CEO of Compassion, I all but jumped up and down. Yes! I want to read it. Yes! I'll happily review it for my blog readers. Yes!

    What I discovered is that moments do so much more than I ever believed. I was narrow minded about just how much moments can mean & how many different ways moments can lead to change. It's not just about knowing you are loved, or building self-esteem. Wes collected stories to show us that moments can form a person's character, help someone discover a talent or realize their calling, it can stretch the mind, & awaken the spirit. Moments create change in all aspects of your life, & moments happen to everyone. 

    I was so pleasently surprised to discover the variety of people who shared their moments in this book! You will read stories from a pastor, a former Compassion child, a former NFL coach (just to name a few) & lots of everyday people. You might be surprised to discover that the one moment that changed a person's life might have been something that happened to you. These stories will change the way you think about your everyday interactions, & the way you relate to the world. Maybe it will inspire a conversation at your dinner table, with friends, or while meeting a new person for the first time. Sharing a moment can build a bridge & suddenly strangers aren't so strange anymore. 

    It might have taken me a little while to finish Just A Minute. But, I'm so glad I took the time. If you are a lover of stories, if you love to get to know what makes people tick, or if you just love to read & run the gamut of human emotion, go grab this book! It's even on sale over at the Compassion Store! There will never be a better time!

    This last week I've been avoiding you. Don't worry, it wasn't on purpose. It was just the by-product of a crazy life! The day we were driving back from our time away in Salt Lake City marked the first day of this year's Week In The Life project. We had lots of upheaval around here, we said goodbye to a dear friend, we helped some family move, I had shop orders to fill, and we had an appraisal done on our house. It was a crazy, busy, abnormal week.
    I was worried about doing WITL during all that craziness, but I love this project so much that I decided I would give to a go and let it be what it wanted to be as we went about our days. Most of the time it was remembering photos at the end of the day, and journaling more than anything else. I plan to make the pages for the WITL album very different this year than any other. Just a single page per day, words + photos in all their simplistic glory. After all, our days include all that craziness of life too. 
    I'll show you how the pages come out in a week or so, once I get the photos in &  it all put together. I hope the last couple have weeks have been good to you!
For now, here is my Week In The Life...

    I've been working on March's photos for Project Life & thinking about other ways I can use my favorite images from my archive of digital photos. One of my favorite things is being able to use the photos for more than just the single print image. I do love using prints, I love to scrapbook & so prints are a whole big part of that. But, I also love to make use of my favorite images beyond the scrapbook, and even beyond the framed images I hang on the wall.

    Recently, I've been playing with photo gifts over at Shutterfly. With my 5th anniversary coming up here so very fast I've been looking at gifts for myself. :) I adore my hubs, but he wouldn't think to create a notebook with my favorite photos of us from last year. But I will, & I did!
    
    It was so much fun I've been going back through lots of other old photos & finding fun things to stick them on. I've made several photo mugs in the past & enjoy them quite a bit. I have one with favorite pulling photos, & one with favorite Christmas photos too. I even made one for my mom with favorite fall photos & a favorite quote. I've been thinking about Mother's Day coming up soon too & wondering what other photo useful gifts I could make for gifting.

   What do you think about luggage tags featuring photos from some of the places we've been together?

    Or how about luggage tags with photos of quilts we've made? I might need to wait until we get those finished & have better pictures to make these really shine. 

    There are lots of other things to make over at Shutterfly too. So many it's hard to decide what picture to add to what product...

I need an all-time favorite to make a big canvas print with - they are so artsy & cool!
I also can't decide which photo to add to a fleece blanket, I think that would make a great Father's Day gift. Especially since my dad is a notorious nap taker. :)
And, now, not only am I wishing I had an Iphone for the use of Instagram but I could totally decorate it with fancy photo Iphone covers. Gah! Love it!

    OH!
You know what else I love about Shutterfly?
I always get great coupons in my email from them. Free shipping, Free 11 x 14 large print, free photo cards, 20, 30, or 40 percent off on all kinds of things from there site. From prints to address labels & books. As a matter of fact I just recieved free address labels last month! I got this funky design with his & hers towels hanging on a rack with our initials on them. They're so cute I haven't had the heart to use them yet! You can also connect with them on Facebook, Twitter, & Pinterest to be sure you don't miss any of their awesome deals & ideas.

    I'll be perfectly honest here - I signed up to blog about Shutterfly so I could maybe get $30 to spend in their store. But, I'd be using it for stuff I buy anyway, cause I really do love their variety of photo gifts & customizable stationary. I like all the things I've ordered from them in the past - prints & gifts & labels - and I'm sure to keep on ordering from them. I'm not telling you anything here that I wouldn't tell you if you just happened to ask me about where I got those cute address labels ~when I decide to stop hoarding them, that is! :)