Howdy, Y'all. Welcome to my blog world. I am a 40-something native Texas and Christian homeschooling stay-at-home mother of six satisfying my creative itch one stitch at a time. I blog about my sewing projects and family life. My desire is that you leave here inspired and challenged.
New at Couture Allure - Vintage Party Dresses
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We've added some wonderful vintage party dresses to the site this week! Be
sure to check our What's New pages to see all the latest listings!
1950s Emma D...
Sunday Morning Inspiration - Five Minutes of Peace
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Do you need five minutes of peace? Rest!
http://youtu.be/jXko407Fb1A
Changing your life may seem like an overwhelming frustrating process. But
it doesn't ...
Sewing Spoilers Part 2
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Here is the second part of the sewing spoilers. The first post is here. I
am sure if we looked at all the things that could spoil a project we may
never se...
Recycled Fabric Wall Art project
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I must admit I don't really like to rush my projects - especially the ones
that I have been creating for our apartment, since these are the ones we
will...
Inspired by Pinterest: Yellow Gingham!
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Even though Pinterest inspires me on a daily basis, I haven't done an *"Inspired
by Pinterest"* post in a while. I know there are people out there that ...
It's my party and I can Bedazzle if I want to
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[image: julia bobbin, bedazzler, fabric glue, Catherine Middleton]
You would Bedazzle too if it happened to you.
There comes a time in every girls life (...
men's shirt refashioned into a women's shirt
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When Dan cleaned out his closet I got new material for my refashion
projects: about 10 shirts. That's pure gold! I tossed one or two of them
because I did...
Keep No Secrets
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Many people carry deep, dark secrets in their life. It causes sickness,
depression, guilt, and pain.
*Maybe they had an abortion when they were young ...
1959 Blouse
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Hi everyone, This is my first post here, and my first completed project
from a vintage pattern. McCall’s 5079 is from 1959. I made view C out of
Kaffe Fass...
Estate Sale Loot
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We went to an estate sale in Cicero today and as we get off the freeway we
drove through what appeared to appear abandoned industrial yards and Andrew
was ...
Why Parenting Is The Best Paying Job In The World
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I love watching out little boy grow and develop. I have so much fun hanging
out with him, and I could seriously spend all day watching (and trying to
captu...
Cornbread Salad
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1 pkg Cornbread Mix (baked and crumbled)
Head of Romaine Lettuce (shredded)
2 sm Red Tomatoes (chopped)
1 cup Red Onion (diced)
10 slices Bacon (cooked and...
My Best Sewing Dream to Date!!!!
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It's funny, as much as I OBSESS over sewing, I don't have many sewing
related dreams. Now I've been known to interrupt a good night's rest
stressing over ...
Questions for the Teacher
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Feel free to copy these questions in blue, and paste them to your blog to
fill in. Also, I would love it if you linked up your Questions post through
my co...
Enjoying an open-air house
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So, we're thinking about having an open-air concept house...OK. Not really.
But we've been enjoying it while working on putting in our new sliding
glass do...
God Whispers Through Motherhood
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That one-year-old, chubby little boy presses his body into mine, head limp
on my shoulder, arms clutching my neck. He isn’t sleepy, he just woke. He’s
in l...
Slow But Steady
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It still looks like a mess, but I'm making progress in here. I expect I'll
have it 99.99% finished by the end of the day. Which means I might even be
able ...
Give thanks when you least feel like it!
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*Ps 118 v 1:* O give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; for His mercy
and loving-kindness endure forever!
This last week *HAS BEEN TOUGH* for me. And a...
Happy Weekend!
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Well.
I'm not sure how I feel about the fact that my daughter is not only more
beautiful than I, but a more popular blogger! :o) Just kidding. But
serious...
I’m home!
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[image: 1337984078]
Boxes are in every rooms and I still couldn’t find all my sewing
accessories. But the internet was finally installed yesterday so I’m ...
Sew & Tell Saturday May 26
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Thanks for stopping by Sew & Tell Saturday!
I hope everyone has had a great week!
I have been super busy! My son is graduating from high school tomorrow and ...
Why I’m Not Sewing and What I Wore*
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I loved this house when I bought it last year. It has what you would call,
“good bones.” There is a ton of natural light, lots of room for kids, huge
yar...
A Little Bit Sad, A Little Bit Excited
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FRIDAY'S POST, A DAY LATE
I’ve been avoiding the topic of sending Lainey to school next year partly
because we haven’t really decided what we’re going to d...
The Best of the Internet.
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Because I don't purposely look at porn, I've seen ALL of the rest of the
internet (it is the 1%). I found the best stuff there is on it. You're
welcome.
...
A Year of Classical Conversations
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My Anna.....graduating last week from her Christian Classical high-school.
I homeschooled her through 8th grade. I can't believe she is a high-school
gra...
A Perfect Friday Afternoon
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Sean called mid-morning to say he'd be done with his work and home by two.
We were all thrilled at the prospect of an afternoon with him because he's
been...
How to Make a Corset for Today
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As I shared earlier this week, I love sewing corsets to wear with my
vintage dresses and modern clothing! Unlike the painful Victorian
contraptions we i...
DIY Summer Maxi Skirt Refashion Tutorial
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I’ve been seeing summer maxi dresses and skirts everywhere! And I had just
the thrift store dress to refashion into one. It was so unflattering in
every w...
vintage pattern giveaway: day three
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The final day of the vintage pattern giveaway… I always forget how fun
these are to do! If you haven’t won yet, there is still another chance (and
I dare s...
Me-Made-May Week 3
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It's time for another Me-Made-May round-up post. I must say that I am
enjoying this year's me-made month so much! Fellow pattern lover, Denise,
from The ...
Small Town U.S.A.
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Thank you Ginger! I won her wonderful giveaway from her blog, SMALL TOWN
USA. The day the package arrived, I saw a box sitting in my mailbox and
wondered...
Stitching Spotlights 5.25.2012
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Well. I am now typing this post from my mister’s computer. My computer is
on the fritz. When you are a blogger and you have a certain reputation,
online sh...
Crochet Pattern Freebie: The Beau Catcher
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Today’s pattern isn’t a knitting pattern but a crochet one! Aren’t you
excited?! Does anyone else crochet besides me??? Crochet gets little
attention her...
The Blessing of My Husband
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My husband and I celebrated six years of marriage this week. It has been a
beautiful and yet stretching six years. Three adorable babies. Two homes, a
new ...
Vintage/Shabby Chic Sale June 1st & 2nd
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Hello all, Wow- it’s been a while since I’ve checked in. Things have been
a little challenging here- but every day’s a bit better. I’m dealing with
allerg...
Memorial Day
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I have been so busy this last week!
Projects!!!!
I don't know if you remember this old cabinet,
it was in my studio
My parents are moving in with us...muc...
No Rest For the Wicked
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It's going to be another busy day at work. dang. I was really hoping for
a milder day than we've had. Every minute hopping with the phone hot and
draini...
Resorting to Bribery :-)
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There are hundreds of us, even thousands of us... parents, siblings,
caretakers... people who know—really know— someone with Down syndrome.
Combined we hav...
Kids stuff
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A friend in Arizona asked me to make a wall hanging for her newest nephew
and God Child.. I decided to make a Growth Chart and personalize it.
This is wh...
Doortje’s Cambie Dress
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Eyelet is the perfect summertime fabric, don’t you think? It’s lightweight,
it’s soft and cottony, and it’s full of holes! Doortje’s lovely Cambie
dress is...
5/25/12: Around the Office / L's Sparkly Sweats
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I don't care what adjectives you used to describe this look - cute, comfy,
athletic, sporty-sparkle - it evoked one emotion in me: I LOOOOOVE IT.
And yes...
Dominion in Diapers
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Four small children romp around me as I will my pregnant self to do the
next thing. At 5:30, Mark asks about our day and I don’t know how to
answer. I was ...
Follow Friday 40 and Over!!
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*Welcome to the 77th edition of Follow Friday 40 and Over**!!*
Thanks for visiting and may you all have a wonderful day and a very happy
weekend!!
Looking ...
Fabrics - Sorted!
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*Confession:* My favourite fabrics have spent the last year untidily heaped
in an old box near my sewing machine, otherwise known as The Pile:
It was grea...
Friday Link Roundup
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Sarai’s back from her trip! She returned to the studio and is hard at work
on some fun blog posts for y’all. I brought in some pretty irises from my
yard t...
A New Beginning
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Welcome friends!
You are at the right place---it's still *A Wise Woman Builds Her Home *but
just with a new look and a bit of a makeover. Don't worry, w...
A Day in the Life of Lissa Cook - Peak Princess
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*Many stitchers make a living from sewing for other people, capitalising on
the market for beautifully handmade clothing. Imagine making vintage-style
chil...
What Will You Do This Summer?
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Summertime. Three months of bliss! Not that the other nine months aren’t
equally captivating in their own way, but when the regular academics are
over for ...
Paint Party Friday: Week 11
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*"PPF"** *
*
*
First let me say how excited I am to have been selected as this week's *Featured
Artist *for Paint Party Friday! I'm amazed and inspired wee...
Summer – What to do?
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[image: benontreeswingsun]
Summer: AHHHHHH What have you planned for summer that is DIFFERENT than the
school year? I know many of us have had to use summ...
ppf and my jelly bean baby...lol...
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*OK...so, I wanted to do something different and try a sort of abstract
piece of art..it really didn't turn out how i had hoped...lol...but it was
a learn...
lets talk about mim
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There were a lot of really fantastic creations made during the button up
refashion swap - but i must tell you all – I absolutely got the best one.
Sorry ev...
Float Your Boat
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Yesterday, we read this book: To my surprise it went along with our WW II studies because it was about a man from Japan. It was recommended in our, "Caldecot...
Simplicity 2938, Silk Princess Seam Tank
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[image: S2938 Thumbnail]
Source: zappos.com via Trena on Pinterest
Is there anything more luxurious than a silk tank? It's easy to wear and
comfortabl...
Advanced Style Kickstarter
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Lina and I launched the official Kickstarter for our Advanced Style Film
today. We can't wait to see the response. After filming these incredible
ladies ...
I'll Die Writing
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When my children went to public school after nine years of homeschooling,
I thought I would miss them dearly, and I did. Then I thought about the
empty ho...
Your Iron's Auto-Off Feature: Friend or Foe?
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Most irons seem to have one these days: the auto-off feature, that little
mechanism that causes your iron to go into a "stand-by" mode when not in
use. I...
The Drawing Salon – Week 5
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Hi All Fly by post today. Cleaning the house duties mean I have no time to
write much. So – this week’s topic was watercolours, patterns and lace. But
firs...
Guide to Making a Summer Calendar
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Oh, my...I can almost hear the drum roll...
Only TWO more days and the kids are out of school. Do you have any big
plans? Small plans? What are you goin...
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*...No, I haven't just up and quit blogging. So what, pray tell have I
been up to? Had to make a quick run (and I do mean quick) to North
Carolina last w...
.....and the Beat Goes on....
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and on...and on.
I am still around, but there has not been much computer time lately. I
can't believe that it has been nearly a month since my last post. ...
To Dye or Not To Dye…That Is The Question
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On the subject of gray hair I have many opinions and as you know, dear
readers, I am not afraid to air them. Should a person looking for a job
feel obligat...
Tulpenrock zu Sommerwetter
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Trotz herrlicher 31 Grad und Sonnenschein gibt es von mir heute nur
Indoor-Fotos beigetragen. Ich bin leider an den Bürostuhl gefesselt und
kann das tolle ...
Behind the Seams: The Making of a Couture Dress
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Another project accomplished – a beautiful ‘optical illusion’ dress from
the May issue of burda style magazine. This makes it the third garment for
my cout...
Depression Glass
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Colored glassware tumbles out of boxes,
Seemingly plentiful patterns, dancing everywhere.
Shoppers' gifts promote the local stores
A rainbow in the darkest d...
Tomato Confit Sauce (GFCF, vegan)
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This is my favorite sauce. Truly, I could just ladle it into my mouth with
rude slurping sounds, but I usually restrain myself and put it ON
something. I...
The Triangle
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*
There's this catchy song by Barry Manilow about a romantic triangle against
the background of the notorious Bermuda Triangle.*
*A couple decides "to get ...
woods and flowers...
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We have had fantastic weather over the weekend and its carrying on today
too...so nice to eat my lunch outside and wear my summer dresses again. I
tidied ...
New Look A6053 A Bold Skirt
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Put your sunglasses on! I have another bright skirt to show you. This
fabric was also picked up in Oregon, at Jo-Ann's. It is a medium weight
(LOVE the ...
Restyling the past and young promise
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In thinking about my MMM ensemble yesterday, I thought I’d revisit the past
in the way of my garments. So I pulled out BWOF 2-2008-119. I made it back
in ...
Colette Meringue Skirt – Gonna Meringue di Colette
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I must be the last one on the sewing planet who can say…this is my first
ever Colette pattern. I am even blushing as I write this… Credo di essere
l’ultima...
Progress Update, Pattern Pics, and a Gripe
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So you haven't heard from me in a little while. That's not because I
haven't been sewing. On the contrary... I'm more than half way done with my Spring/Summ...
Long Time...
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I miss my blogging buddies. I apologize for not keeping up with
everyone. Because I spend an hour or more almost everyday "chatting" with
my daughter, I...
Wadders
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I normally don't post my wadders anymore because I am just not that
inspired by seeing other people's wadders. And really, getting inspired by
other seamst...
I need help for a dress - Part 2
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Hello girls! (and boys...maybe!)
I'm here again with my doubts.... hahaha XD sorry!
In the previous post I talked about Sara's marriage and the choices of
...
Knitting Love
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Not much sewing going on here, but I am slowly making my way through my
unfinished knitting projects.
The Rivulet Scarf is finished! Now I have a scarf t...
Gail’s Sewing Spotlight
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::: MADELEINE SKIRT SANS SUSPENDERS ::: I love Gail’s punchy red version
of Madeleine. I think it totally works without suspenders. She’s got the
sexy li...
Taking What Isn’t Mine
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My secretary pays more in taxes than I do…because she makes more than I
do. In fact, she not only pays more in taxes than I do, she pays more in
taxes tha...
B4978 - 3rd "Lime" is the Charm
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You can give a collective groan now at my "punny" title. Someone
told me one time I needed to keep my day job. I think that Butterick 4978
is one o...
After the Heart Attack
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Hello, Everyone. I'm sorry it's been so long. It has been so hard to write
for several reasons. For one, I have been so very busy taking care of my
husban...
The Brewery Art Walk
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Hi there.
I know... it's been a while. Sorry, I've been caught up in life. The
good, the bad, and everything in between...but this post is about the g...
{Living in Yellow: June 1989 Bracelet Giveaway!!}
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Happy Finally Friday Peeps!!
I hope everyone has had a great week......it's been a long one, but full of
some fantabulistic changes for me:)
I'm planning...
Taking a Blog Break
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I'm taking a blog break. Right now I have too much on my plate and I'm
feeling a little overwhelmed at the moment. As I've said to others "life
first, ...
Out with the old. In with the new.
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OUTINIt's the little things that count. The details. The door hardware. The
faucets. The light fixtures. That match. Or at least coordinate.
Out with the ...
Maxi Dress Tutorial - Love This One!
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Today is my first day of --
1. No school. I graduate in 10 days!
2. No traveling. I spent the previous 10 days with my two sets kids,
who are ...
Flat cap
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I love hats. I love sewing. But on the whole I don’t love sewn hats. The
seams usually look out of place. But a cap like this is actually meant to
be sewn ...
Maxfield Parrish and Student Work
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Couldn't resist putting this lovely, textured gator up. One of my young
students did it today. We studied Maxfield Parrish and the various ways
he'd pre...
The Taming of the Arse - Week 14
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I am proud to say that I have shaved off a pound this week - for a grand
total of nine pounds since New Year's Day. Not super fast progress by any
standa...
Projects, my sewing mojo is back again...
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I´m back again with my head full of projects and eager to share
everything that walks run over in my head, although my time is less and
duties and tas...
Sip & Stitch Pics
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Laura giving a brief overview
What a wonderful event and a true labor of love from Bits of Thread.
Some of DC's own entrepreneurs sharing how they left the ...
Everyday Dress - Purple
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Purple is my favorite color. Here's Butterick 5078 in an everyday dress. I
used polyester lycra from Metro Textile in NYC. Easy to execute. This will
be a...
How to Write a Haiku Poem
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*
*
*
The Huntress
*
*
**
Deep growl, a warning...
Twitching, crouched like a lion
Pounce! Squeak! Ahhh...dinner!
*
by Donna C. R...
where I sew ...
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A couple months back, one of our big windows shattered. It didn't crash
down to the floor but there was a loud cracking noise & it was the biggest
window...
Abby | A Postnatal Diagnosis
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This is about an amazing girl that was sent to us on June 5.
[image: abby flowerrr]
I would like to say that all of this happened after an unremarkable
p...
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*Bits and Pieces*
I realize I haven't posted in a while, and thank you to those who kindly
inquired about me! I have been extremely busy with costumes for...
Vienna!
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Guten tag from Vienna!
Sorry about the crappy iPhone photos and no outfit shots, but I am having
technological issues and I´m all by myself so it´s logisti...
Butterick 5602 - the shapely shift!
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As my last two makes were useful wardrobe basics I gave myself permission
to indulge myself with another dress – I just love to make dresses! Since
finishi...
Giveaway!
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Another giveaway! Sorry, I post something about hamsters soon, I promise!!
I maybe I'll get Tim to do it..... Anyway cool giveaway I insist you
enter!! :D ...
Never Borrow From the Future
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An Angel says, 'Never borrow from the future. If you worry about what may
happen tomorrow and it doesn't happen, you have worried in vain. Even if it
does ...
Audrey Hepburn Advice
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I love anything "Audrey Hepburn!" Here are some beauty tips as given by the
legendary and stylish actress. This was even read at her funeral.
For attractiv...
The man who changed my life...
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... and my sleep pattern. The little guy is still waking a lot at night.
I will try, I promise, to write a bit more, but I don't know when. My days
...
Lessons from Homeschoolers
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Speaking at a homeschoolers conference recently I was asked in the Q and A,
“Do mainstream educators take homeschooling seriously? Do they know what we
acc...
Test post
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I'm writing a test post to work with summaries and jump breaks. This is a
photo of us with Jacob at the right
to life banquet. I can't believe he's lea...
Ruche Inspired Under the Sea Necklace
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Made from this 100% silk thrift store shirt: Based on this necklace from Ruche: This was a very easy project! I've posted a step-by-step tutorial on my blog.
Tuesday Tea
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Linking up with Donna at Comin' Home for Tuesday Tea.
She's sharing from her heart about sharing tea with the women in our
lives. I've been longing for ...
95 strong and counting!
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As of this moment there are 95 collage making blogs on this list! Wow,
thank you all for being a part of this collage art world!
Little update
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I’ve updated a few links on the site.
Keeping this site a bit up-to-date has not been my priority the last few
months. So hope you will understand that ...
Shopping!!!!!
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Hey, guys! So, I went shopping the other day and I thought I would share
with you what I bought!
First...(as always) I am going to give you all a few tips f...
Fajita Salad
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In case you are craving fajitas, here is a recipe that doesn’t require
making or buying gluten free tortillas. I really like the combination of
cooked vege...
Add your blog here!
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This directory of sewing blogs seek to bring together all the sewing blogs
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We do not...