When Life Gives You Flood Days . . .

make a baby quilt. With the entire week of no school, I needed to find something to keep myself busy and from going crazy. In the process of moving our downstairs to the upstairs I made sure to keep the sewing stuff for the baby's room accessible. Since Friday I have been working on the crib quilt and today I finished it!!

Here is what my initial plan was:



Here is the sketch I made before beginning:

And here is the finished product:

I am fairly happy with it. The only bummer is that not all of my rows lined up. I seem to have that problem when it comes to quilting. I am just not precise enough. I don't think that the baby will mind. This is probably the best binding job that I have ever done, so that redeems me to some degree.

I am hoping to work on curtains this week, too, and maybe a few other projects.

A Different Life

This past week I feel as if someone has taken me out of my life and transported me into another life. Many of the details of my life remain the same, but so many others are surreal substitutes. Here is a taste of what we have been experiencing lately:

-Helicopters (including coast guard helicopters) flying over our house and some landing in the school three blocks behind our home

-National Guard vehicles parked and driving all over town

-Seeing state, local, and national media in and around our town, as well as government agencies

-Having levees built on the off and on ramps closest to our home and on the main road to our home

-Having life come to a virtual stand still (no work, no school, no garbage collection, only essential businesses open, travel restrictions being advised)

-Trying to conserve water so as not to overwhelm the city's sanitary sewer

-Tuning in to the daily city press conference

-Having the Coast Guard airboat parked in the school parking lot near our home

-Living with everything up on our main level and a virtually empty lower level

-Learning that friends have been evacuated from their homes

-Hearing that friends need help protecting their homes from the rising water

Throughout this all, I can't tell you how thankful I am that I know of the one thing that never changes, the love my Lord has for me. Though he mountains may crumble to the sea, my Lord will stand forever! What a joy it was yesterday to go to our church and worship this Lord with our friends. To drink up his Word and promises. To let the cares of this world fall away and the joys of the world to come wash over my soul.

Thank you for your continued prayers.

Prayers Are Needed and Appreciated

Don't be alarmed, M and I are doing well. Our city, however, is fighting the battle of our lives right now. We are still fighting off the rising waters, but no one is sure of what the next week will exactly bring. No one, except for the LORD. And that is whom we turn to at a time like this. At a time of uncertainty, at a time of high and changing emotions, at a time when desperation is lurking around the corner. We turn to our God, our Rock, our Fortress. "All things work together for the good of those who love him." No mater what the next week brings, our God remains our God, unchanged and ever merciful.

We thank you for your continued thoughts and prayers.

Craft Nook Organization Party

I felt the need to add party to the title to spice things up a bit. You know, not everyone likes the word organization. But really, it doesn't have to be a four letter word. I think as long as you have the right tools to do it with and enough space in which to organize it can be down right fun. What I don't like, is the cost of organizational tools. It is crazy how much they charge for plastic tubs these days! (Doesn't that make me sound old?!!)

For this project I tried to reuse as many containers as I could that we already had. I also tried to think outside of the box in what I used. I am happy with the results and think that it will work out well. I am still hoping to sew some bins made out of fabric at some point, but that will have to come later. (I already have way too many projects in the works.)

I wanted small containers with lids to organize all of my little stamping and scrapbooking accents. I had those metal spice containers in mind, but didn't like the price tag they came with. And then I found these little guys at Michael's. They are meant for party favors, but worked perfectly for my little items. There were 30 in the package and with a coupon I think I paid less than $15.

And here they are in their drawer with their goodies stashed inside.

As for my ever increasing ribbon stash, M and I tried to think of a good way to store it and finally decided on just getting plastic storage bins. And then we found these at Fleet Farm and a great ribbon storage system was born. I inserted dowels through the holes in the sides of the baskets and viola.

And finally, I used a junk drawer organizer to hold my sewing supplies.

Our Weekend; Part II

Remember this clue?

We have been busy working on the craft nook in the lower level over the past month. A few weekends ago my parents came up. Like the good kids that we are, we had a project ready for dad to tackle. He and M installed the craft nook. I have been working at getting everything in its place over the past few weeks and finally have it ready to show you. I know that there is more organizing in my future, but for now it is very functional. I was down sewing this morning and confirmed the what I had been thinking all along, "I love it."

Here is the wall of shelves for holding some of my stuff. (Does being a crafter make you a natural hoarder, or is it just me?)

And right around the corner is the wall with the work area and more storage.

And one last little nook.

I'll post more later on some of the fun organizing that I have been doing with all of my crafty stuff.