Thankful Thursday

I am thankful for such a wonderful year. I have much to be thankful for as 2010 comes to a close.
I have a healthy family, we really did not have any major illnesses for this year. That is wonderful since it has not always been the case. I have once again made it through another year with no bipolar or seizure medicines. 
Kids have done wonderful in school. Paul still has a job. I have started to sub as the year comes to a close.
I sold 30 items just on ETSY alone this year, some small some not so small. That is not counting all the local sales, the gifts given and donations made to the school during the carnival time this past May.
Yeah for couponing and stockpiling- it has really helped us a great deal.  Yeah to family time, I am so thankful for time spent with the kids and my husband. We even managed a couple of dates, one where I got to spend the entire day in Galveston with him alone without any kids. That was AMAZING! Now if we can get a night away that would be wonderful.
I am thankful that my house is coming along- thankful for the additional Ac unit we were able to get, thankful for the heater we just picked up. Thankful for all the cheap fabric I was able to buy to do some crafty things for the kids and the house.
We have had some losses this year, we lost a dog- that was heart breaking- as someone hit him and the kids found him while I was not home, nor was Paul. Trying to get home to them was very difficult and seemed to have taken forever. Then of course loosing my mom this summer. That was rough, but I am thankful that she knew Christ as her personal savior and that she is celebrating her eternal life with my 3 grandfathers, mother in law and my son. I am also thankful that she is not sick anymore. I am thankful to her for all the time we had together this past year, for her believe in me and my business, for her faith that I would be a good mother and that I had such a wonderful example of what a Christian should be.
As this new year approaches I have several goals for our family.
1.  A constant menu every week- I want to try really hard to include more veggies, its just so hard to get them on sale or with coupons so it really adds to my already very limited grocery bill.
2. Exercise- my husband and I really want to walk- I need to do some step aerobics or something like that.
3. Keeping a better planner- I have a binder I am starting- it will contain recipes for the month, my weekly menu, my cleaning schedule, my coupons, bills and reciepts. My husband and I were brainstorming the idea of filing this binder each year. I think its a great idea to better track what we are REALLY doing/spending.
4. Do some give aways on my blog. I need to reach out to my fellow blogger and see what she uses to pick the winner. In January my goal is to giveaway a towel and potholder set.
5. FAMILY TIME. It is very important to me. I want a game night and a movie night each week. This will take more planning and a creative menu. My back up plan is to rotate them and have each twice a month.
6. Date Night- we used to do this more. Tonight we are ending the New Year with one, My husband rented a movie and we plan to have our date night as the boys are entertained. Hopefully we can get some out- maybe go fishing, go for a long walk something fun.
7. A clean and orderly house- I plan to set up a calendar of the month and choose one month for each room, where I can pick more than one room. Some might take two months- like the kitchen. I want to do repairs and fix some things- I know we need some ceiling fans and simple stuff. Even coats of paint. I also want to go through all my old fabric and make a donation of everything I do not plan to use in the next year.
So that is my basic starting plan. It seems pretty easy and we will see how much really comes to be.
I am praying for a very prosperous New 2011. I am praying that the Lord will continue to grow my business. That he will continue to use my Blog as inspiration to others, that he would bring offers my way like one that was just presented to review an item or do giveaways. I really want to be more of an instrument to Him. I am thankful that I have worked through my grief over my mom in a timely matter and I am truly ready for this next chapter. May he continue to give us health and a roof over our head and may he overflow our cups as we continue to follow him.
May the Lord bless you and your family in 2011.

Quilting and Poor Planning

Jakob's Quilt and my Poor Planning

 

A year ago I had this great idea to make Jakob a Sudoku quilt, I had a better idea in that I was going to let him pick his nine game fabrics. It did end up being a little pricey but he would get exactly what he wanted. Here is where I went wrong. One its been a year ago and a row got pieced wrong- several blocks in the row. That meant me unpicking a few blocks from three nine patch squares and then sewing the pattern correctly for the entire last 3 nine patch row. If that makes any sense to you keep following to the second problem. 

Problem two- I originally was going to border the quilt with a blue fabric- since Blue is his favorite color- doesn't seem like a problem until I realized after having the center of the quilt done that the quilt is 50 in square and I really wanted the quilt to finish twin size which is 70 by 90 roughly. 

The idea was for this quilt to be on his bed so now I have a couple options- use some game fabric to make "another border" then the blue fabric, or just make the blue border fabric not as wide as it is long. I really want him to like his quilt. He does not know how it would work to have a finished quilt 70 by 70- which is option three. So the solution wait till hubby is home and pray I am not once again pulling this all apart. Next time I hope to plan a little better because this has been a headache- but all headaches create memories so..

Family Time

I am reflecting back on 2010 and find myself realizing how blessed I am to have so much family time with my children. My children do some sports or music related activities if they are free at school but otherwise they pretty much just go to school, come home do homework and that's about it. They have very limited activity with friends mainly because they don't have very many whom they do things with outside of school. My oldest Jakob never goes anywhere that is not school or church related and Zekaryah just has one friend who either in the past year stays here or he goes to his house. Mekenzei she is a little more social then the boys- she has two friends who she shares time with. One more than the other since she is just about 10 minutes away.

I really value their sheltered lives. I treasure the fact that they spend so much time at home and that they are not so busy they do not have time to be children. They do take full coursework- meaning they are in advanced classes where they can be. Jakob and Mekenzei are in advanced classes for every class. It does require more time and effort. Zekaryah probably spends just as much time in his non advanced classes as the other two because they are more difficult for him. He did start advanced Math and Science this year and is doing pretty well.

I love to watch movies with them, we often do marathons- pizza nights, snack nights or just a lazy afternoon in PJS with a flick. We do love to play games too. This can be a problem at times if all three want to play because its hard to find a game everyone loves. I brought Yahtzee back this Christmas. It is a game my husband and I would play during date nights when the kids were little. We did not leave them with babysitters, rather we put them down a little early. I would make a wonderful dinner and we would play a game then watch a movie on DVD- or at the time VHS. The kids hestitated at first but I think it might be a monthly traditional game this coming year. We love card games. I looked for one this Christmas called Swap because the one we have is missing a few cards. I can't seem to find it in any of the local stores. I am hoping to locate it online over the next couple of months.
In the summer I would say we spend alot of time at the beach. Paul and I like to fish, more so Paul then myself. Then the kids love to use the waveboards and play in the sand building all sorts of things. The benefit of the drive is conversation. We find ourselves talking about all sorts of things- some of it more just to reemphasize our values like waiting to have sex, others just about goals, dreams or ideas in the world.
I think its so important to have grounded children. Our children don't know the exact dollar that Paul makes but they do realize the income level in which we live in. They realize that we try very hard to not use credit cards, that couponing is a must in order to eat and that we want them to go to college, get good jobs and hopefully not struggle as much as we do.
The bible tells us a few things about how we are to instruct our children,
Deuteronomy 6:7
⁷ Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.
Deuteronomy 11:19
¹⁹ Teach them to your children, talking about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.

Proverbs 29:17
Discipline your children, and they will give you peace; they will bring you the delights you desire.

Proverbs 22:6

 ⁶Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.

I am sure there are many other verses, but these are some that came to mind.

Tackle it Tuesday Pt 2

Railing in the loft- Zekaryah did not like the lack or privacy- I did not like seeing a mess in his room either

My solution- upholstery fabric- hemmed and then stapled to the inside railing

Tackle it Tuesday

This week's Tackle it Tuesday. I had hoped to finish some more crafty things today but so far this is all I have gotten done. I am hoping I can whip out Zekaryah's curtains. The Fabric needs to be trimmed and hemmed, I have it freshly washed. Then I can just staple it to the railing in his room to provide some privacy and hopefully some warmth. For now here are the pillowcase Christmas gifts I still had to finish.

 

Andrea's Tinkerbell Pillowcase to match her bed set

Liz's Pillowcase to match her new Twilight Bed set which is hot pink and black

Christmas Blessings

I am thankful for all that I was able to give this Christmas Season. I still have two more pillowcases to make- I have been under the weather so they did not get made in time for Christmas, however, the little girls that they go to won't mind a bit to get an after Christmas gift.

 Potholders and towels to my daughters friends mom

 A Tshirt Quilt for my friend's son

 A Tshirt quilt for my daughter's friends husband it was funny to see him open this- it took a minute for him to realize these were HIS tshirts. He won't let anyone touch HIS quilt.

 Several Pillowcases- these seem to be the gift of the season

An Animal Quilt for my friend Diana, she had placed a couple orders, then sent me this middle panel in the quilt, I took it added sides, turned her backing into binding fabric, added a name and put some red flannel on the back that matched perfectly. It turned out really cute.

We were blessed by two groups, first was the kids school. They provided us with two gift cards- which we were able to buy a microwave with- Ours finally bit the dust yesterday- we chose a $40 on the counter model instead of replacing the $180 over the range one. I just felt like if we spent less and dealt with loosing kitchen space we could buy some groceries too, and we did, it came to just under $90 for the food and microwave so we have enough for a gallon of milk and some zucchini later this week.

They also blessed us with some socks, a couple of games which we love. I really want to work at making game night a weekly item for our family again- we get so busy that we failed to make it an every week even this past year. They also gave Paul a new drill and some bits and the kids some outdoor balls and skateboards.

My friend's dad provided us with some money which I used for the kids sheets and some more socks and underware. Mekenzei was able to get a couple tank tops and 2 long sleeve shirts. 

I really can testify to the fact that the Lord takes care of those who give to others. We didn't really have the money to spend on materials for some of the items that I made. I really wanted to selfishly use it for our own kids. I also really wanted some new towels for my kitchen- just some white ones I could sew fabric on. Instead I took the money from quilt sales to buy batting and backing for the two tshirt quilts and I bought flannel for the pillowcases. It felt really good to give to others. Another blessing was my ability to stay busy and not become depressed during the season of Christmas. 

The kids really didnt notice anything missing either. It seemed like a little money came here and there and I was able to do more this season, I know that was the Lord providing. We were able to finally provide Mekenzei with a bed frame- we are still in the process of remodeling her room. I was also able to finally buy a power supply for Jakob for his computer too. 

Matthew 7:12 says the following, 

"Therefore, whatever you want men to do to you, do also to them"

I try hard to follow that rule. 

Deuteronomy 15:10

Give generously to them and do so without a grudging heart; then because of this the LORD your God will bless you in all your work and in everything you put your hand to.

One verse that sticks out in my mind this morning as I get ready to Tackle my Tuesday, is the following

Philippians 4:12
I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want.

So my questions for today are "Do you give with a glad heart?" and "What can you do this week to bring sunshine or some small contentedness to life of someone you know?

Menu Monday

Monday

Brisket Sandwiches and Baked Potatoes- or for Paul and I chopped Bakers

Tuesday

Chili and Corn Bread

 Frito Pies or Chili Dogs-kids

Wednesday

French Bread Pizza

Spaghetti - Jakob

Thursday

Cheese Enchiladas

Bean Burritos- Jakob

Friday Happy New Years- Snack Food Night

Chips and Queso, Fried zucchini and fried okra, fried pickles, fried jalapenos, S mores- 

Chips and Salsa, brisket taquitos

Saturday

Tuna Helper for the kids

BBQ Deer Sausage for adults

Sunday

Tacos and Tostadas

Another Handmade Christmas Gift

A friends Christmas Gift from us. I had made her husband a Tshirt quilt for free, then I am making her daughters pillowcases. I felt a little bad that we had not planned to make her anything, so I came up with this. I might try to include a jar of Ragu, some pasta and some french bread in a basket for an Italian themed gift.

Christmas Pillowcase Gifts

Mekenzei's best friends Christmas Gift

Zekaryahs Best Friends Pillowcase

Thankful Thursday

You know sometimes I find that I bend over backwards for people. This is especially the case when it comes to orders with my quilting company. I had made this beautiful Baby Genius quilt for someone with matching burp rags. I did it very quickly and got it mailed. I failed however to get a tracking number or confirmation. Needless to say I have learned my lesson. I then refunded money to this person because she mentioned the order never arrived to its desitination. I was very timely on my refund and tried to be understanding. I felt it was the Christian thing to do, even though she complained about how I handled myself. This week she wrote a very nasty email or two, said some things about my mom, about my Christian faith, just really cut me to my core. I felt lousy! I was thankful that she reimbursed me for the shipment that now found it to its new owners- some how it was delayed in the mail. It made me really evaluate myself. Am I not a good Christian? Do I not try to be friendly, quick, accurate with orders? Have I lost site of my focus in Sunshine of Autumn Quilts?
I am thankful that yesterday- after getting this email I spent the day with my friend and her two girls doing some fabric shopping- it kept my mind off things.
I checked my feedback today- as I had a customer ask me for specific directions on how to do such on ETSY. I was impressed to see the Lord answer my hearts pondering so quickly.
Here are three recent feedback's from customers that I have worked with this month. They all warm my heart very much.

Just beautiful! This is the best present I have bought my Mom in a long time! What a great way to keep the memories alive! I love it! 

The quilt was perfect, great quality & completed within a week! Seller was quick to respond to any questions. Would definitely recommend her!

My experience with you couldn't have gone any better. The way you gave the transaction a personal touch was wonderful. Asking God to bless me just warmed my heart and was greatly appreciated. May He bless you and yours as well. You contacted with a small issue regarding my order on a timely basis and the product came just as promised. Definitely would use you again. Thank you.

You know I am so thankful to be in the Christmas Season. The Saviors Birth is so very important to me. I try very hard to be a good person, follow the biblical principals that were set before us. Provide Sunshine into others lives where I can. This season I have given away more orders than any other. We have struggled so much this past year and I really felt that I wanted to give to others to heal my heart a little. I am really missing my mom so the extra work helps me too. I also know that a great deal of what I made will be treasured by those loved ones whether we know each other personally or just via internet connection.  I would say that after looking at the feedback today I have not lost my focus on what is important to me value wise in my business. I would say that sometimes you just can't always please others and I am very sorry that I hurt this customers feelings, it was not my intention, esp should have been obvious by the fact that I included to free burp rags in her order. 

I am thankful that the Lord has unconditional love for us. I had to really rely on that this week. It is nice to know that no matter how bad things get I have Him to fall back on. That no matter the obstacles or my sin that He is forgiving, gracious and loving. 

As Christmas approaches I Thank the Lord for every person that He has put in my path. I thank Him for all the orders I have been able to accomplish this past year. Those that were paid and those that were gifts. I am thankful to see that the gifts outweigh the paid orders, they actually are double over the paid..I pray that this coming year He continue to guide my footsteps, continue to open doors to allow my business to bring sunshine and love into the homes of others through my work. I pray that I continue to see the bigger picture and stay grounded in the values I have before me now.

May you have a wonderful holiday season with family and friends. Remember Jesus truly is the Reason for the Season.