Mustard Seeds and Linen

I've Moved

2014-05-20T19:35:00.001-04:00

Something is very, very wrong. I can't seem to figure it out.

So, I've moved.

Come find me at:

http://mustardseedsandlinen.wordpress.com/

I will do my best to transfer some of the posts to my new blog.

Thanks for stopping by! I hope you will transition with me.

Mollie

26 Things

2013-08-05T22:02:00.001-04:00

Today is my birthday.

1. I am 26.

2. My birthday has always come before returning to school.

3. So I didn’t have to be at school…on my birthday.

4. But I also never got to bring birthday cupcakes to all my classmates.

5. During this late summer time it is also sunny for most hours of the day and late into the evening.

6. I hate when the sun only comes out for a short time during the winter.

7. This time of too much darkness makes me very sleepy.

8. And I’m also very cautious to drive at night.

9. But winter is not all so bad. There are new beginnings with Christmas and New Years.
10. My sister loved to watch Christmas movies...during the summer, growing up. I am the youngest of the three of us.

11. Oh, and I married this amazing man during the winter, too.

12. I totally don’t deserve him. He is so generous and thoughtful.

13. God knew I needed him.

14. Back to winter and God knowing my needs, last winter he brought a child into our home, through foster care.

15. I am happy to say she is still with us.

16. And the Lord is certainly using it to change us in ways we could never have imagined.

17. When I was little I dreamed of being a mom.

18. No seriously. From very young.

19. I definitely thought I’d be driving a (very full) mini- van with several children by the time I turned 26.

20. This is not what the Lord had planned for me.

21. I thought at 25 I would really struggle with 26.

22. It has turned out to be not so bad.

23. I hope to start a small Etsy business this year and look forward to what it may look like at 27.
24. Shark Week usually falls around my birthday. I Have always loved Shark Week.Week.

25.I (still) wish this was the last number in the list.

26. But I am thankful to get to 26. I hope this next year is the best yet. I am certainly blessed beyond all the things I would’ve planned.

God is so good. (No this is not 27. I Am not ready for 27; Just truth.)

She {sometimes} Calls Me "Mom"

2013-06-28T13:21:00.000-04:00

There are so many mothers and women in my life who have had profound influence. Certainly my own mother, who served and sacrificed in ways I do not fully understand or appreciate; my grandmothers, who died when I was young but left beautiful memories and testimonies to their Creator. The lovely woman who married my grandfather has never had children biologically but has loved and served children, grandchildren and now great grandchildren generously and with great hospitality. My sister is a beautiful mother, who loves and serves her (currently) four children and seeks to teach them with wisdom. My husband’s late mother died many years ago from cancer. But she prayed fervently and with boldness I don’t posses, pleading with God to save her son, even asking Him to take her life as a part of his redemption. God used her in a mighty way, many years ago, in ways she couldn’t have imagined.

Yes, I have been blessed and impacted by many mothers.

I have longed to be a mother for many years. I believe the Bible when God says children are a blessing and a heritage from the Lord.

God granted my longing almost seven months ago with my least expected answer.

A teenage daughter.

My husband and I have desired adoption from even early discussions in our relationship. Last year we decided to move forward, in some capacity, toward adoption and began looking into foster care - with the long term goal of adoption. We prayed and felt this was where God was leading us. I will be honest…this was not the path I was planning or had been dreaming about. But God was clearing showing us this was the path of obedience to Him and the way he was fulfilling His plan for his kingdom, and our joy.

We accepted a placement late last year and my whole world has been turned upside ‘round. I am learning what love is really about. Certainly, I learned about love in a way that is counter cultural when I said, “I do”. I have experienced love in my husband’s leadership and sacrifice to me and know more about Christ’s love for the Church by his commitment to me.

But having a child is teaching me so much more than what I have already known; especially a child that did not come biologically to me, and who has not been parented by me for her entire life. God is teaching me truth about love, about a committed-love that I’ve never possessed. A love that, albeit, isn’t ooey-gooey most of the time, but a committed love. An “I am committed to your good and I’m not going anywhere” kind of love. A love that emphatically declares what only the gospel can teach; That Christ died for the ungodly. God sought out rebels and sent his own Son to die to redeem those rebels; He was committed to this love from all eternity and lifted us out of the depth of sin and darkness.

Certainly, I am not God. We are merely seeing a parallel in God’s love for us and this whole process.

Foster care is brokenness. Children have been forcibly removed from their families, for a myriad of reasons, and bring a lot of “baggage”, hurt and pain with them. There are times when I hear the deceiver lisping in my ear, “What are you doing? You don’t have to deal with this. Did God really say to rescue the orphan and care for the vulnerable?” and things of this nature. Not to mention, “You don’t really think you’re a mom, do you? You haven’t had and children ‘of your own’”.

But God has brought us here.

And he has not left us to our own devices to figure this out. He has given us His Word to know what he says about adoption (both the care for orphans and our spiritual adoption); the Holy Spirit, to intercede for us when we do not know how to pray; He has given us the church, our local body, to encourage us and provide hope and clarity in times of doubting.

We have been blessed in countless ways in such a short time already. I can’t imagine my life now apart from where he has placed us. Or what he will continue to do.

If it difficult.

Very.

But God has been working out his plans for us for some time. Long before last year when we started making tangible steps in this journey. I would be foolish to reject the task He has placed before us and still expect to experience the blessing of His faithfulness.

He is so faithful.

I am so thankful for this time in our lives.I wouldn't change it. It is a prayer being fulfilled and an honor. Let us pray we will all stay committed to the beautiful tasks and anticipate the joy God is already setting before us.

Finally Done!

2013-01-12T18:17:00.000-05:00

It has been quite a while since I’ve made any posts. We have had a great, many changes in our house in the last few months. {More on that to come!}

Back in July, the office where I work had a yard sale, where I found a S-T-E-A-L, steal of a deal. One of my co-workers had brought a table. A TABLE. I’ve been looking for a new table {and chairs} for over almost two years.

{Short, side story: When I got married to my Mister, he had a whole house full of furniture, but the dining set was, well, lacking. It was a glass top, pub-height table with…..wait for it…..three chairs to match.
Um, yes, three.
Apparently when he bought it (long before we were married) he only had two over for company at one time? Anyhow, we desire to have a family and having room at the table for only one more was, less than ideal. Insert, table and chairs search.}

At the yard sale, the table was priced for $35 and was a honey-looking finish. I wasn’t crazy about either but the table was still waiting to be sold by the end of the day and I was able to take it away for only $10.

Now I needed to decide what changes to make about the color.Because of course, I can't buy something second hand and not try to make changes to it.

Should I paint it? A robin’s egg blue would be beautiful. Or maybe do a dark espresso finish on the top and contrast with a winter white, distressed finish on the bottom?

But. Then I found this link from Pinterest and new exactly what direction I wanted to take.
I bought one quart each of Minwax black walnut stain and satin finish, polyurethane; Citri Srip wood stripper; some sand paper
{higher and lower grit}, a multi-pack of sponge brushes and a plastic putty knife.
I started with Citri Strip wood stripper. Follow the instructions on the label.
No seriously.
Follow the instructions.
I had a bright idea to put the gel on all four legs at one time and thought I could just scrape it off in 30 minutes.
Big mistake.
Big, do-it-twice, four-hour long mistake.

When I did start following the instructions, it wasn't so bad. Except for the super steamy, heat wave right about the time I was getting down and dirty. {Hence, part of the long time frame.} I could really see the different layers of the finish coming off. I didn't get all of the previous finish off because, like the link I above, I liked the "barn wood" look.
By the end of the project, I was scrapping the wood with a little Swiss Army- style knife just to get down to the bottom layer of wood. This deeper exposure came through stained much darker.

{You can see the far right is the old varnish, with no stripping gel on it; the middle shows both superficial and deeper scrapping; and the far left is what is yet to be scrapped.}

Oh, and wear gloves.

I wound up staining three coats of stain on the legs and two coats of stain on the top of the table. I also used two coats of the poly to seal the table.

Also, before the last coat of stain and two coats of poly on the top, I took the back of my hammer to the table for a little, shall we say, "extra barn-looking, look" .
What did I learn on this three-month endeavor? What will I do differently?
Next time:
A} I will do this kind of project in a more weather-neutral time of year. So as to work outside, and more efficiently.
B} I would use a metal putty knife, instead of plastic. Or a larger Swiss Army knife.
No, just metal putty knife.
C} I will do a better job {especially on the difficult, curved edges of the table legs} of getting more of the varnish off prior to staining.

Even though it took me three months to finish, I really do love it.
Now I just need to buy some more chairs for the table.
Unless the 'soccer-mom' chairs begin to grow on me.
...................
Yep. I on the look for chairs.

Here are a few pictures from the process:


{Here are the legs (mostly) stripped but before sanding.}


{Sanding....outside...in the Labor Day heat wave}

{Stained legs}

{Ever so attractive, soccer-Mom chair}

Buy Me Some Peanuts and Cracker Jacks

2012-08-04T13:29:00.002-04:00

Last week, I had the privilege of co-hosting a Baseball themed, baby shower for a good friend of ours. {Check out her blog here: http://www.aromaticdelights.com/ She is a GREAT cook!!!}

When she and her husband {check out his blog here } found out they were expecting a boy, they decided on a vintage baseball-themed nursery ... so, naturally my mind went to a baseball-themed baby shower.

I had such a great time with this shower. I’m really proud of the budget I set out for myself {came in right under!} and most importantly, we got to celebrate this new life God has blessed this family with!

Now, a buying-rule I am quickly becoming a fan of is: If I can only use it once {decorations, not food} I most likely will not buy it. I try to purchase things that have at least two uses, if not more. Some of the things I bought I can use for other parties or showers, around the house, and even some holiday decorations.

The other hostesses & I planned a dessert shower. We used reds, blues, navy, and white. There were baseballs, kraft paper and chalk, polka dots, circles, Mason jars and yes, even a few flowers. Afterall, there’s still a bunch of women there.

The area where we were having the shower is the large open foyer of our church. It has tall, high windows in the front which makes for great lighting this time of year. There is also a lot of negative space. I was looking for a way to close in the area to make it feel a bit more connected and intimate and came up with, what I imagine to be, a brilliant idea ... paper chains. Now, I know what you’re thinking: “Paper chains? Really? She thinks this is brilliant?”

Yes.

It took a lot of thinking and looking to find the right MATERIAL for these paper chains. First, I thought cardstock. But, the space we wanted to fill specifically was 10 1/2 feet wide and approx 9 feet high. That would be a LOT of card stock, equaling a LOT of money. So that was out of the question. Then I thought about wrapping paper, but remembered that the inside of wrapping paper is typically white and you can see both sides of the paper when making paper chains. Next, I found this cute pic on Pinterest and liked the way the crepe paper looked.

{via}

I thought I could certainly do, at least a version of this, but then I realized how much I would need and how much it would cost... almost my entire budget.

Um, no.

So alas, poster board came to mind. And how totally convenient that it just so happens to be back to school season and was super on sale!

I like the way it turned out.

I cut 1 1/2 inch by 11 inch long strips to staple together for the chains and we hung them up at varying lengths.

We used mason jars to hold peanuts and flowers and used twine to hang the paper chains as well as wrap the drink dispensers. { I found the twine at Wal-Mart for $1.63 for 190-ft roll… SCORE!}

Natalie, one of the other hosts, found cute baseballs at the Dollar Store and pop corn tubs in the dollar bins at Target to go on the tables as centerpieces. We made caramel popcorn to fill the tubs up.

Katie, the other host, made this ADORABLE message board to be filled with encouraging scripture, thoughts and advice for the new Momma and baby!

We covered all the tables in white linens and used brown kraft paper to decorate also. On the food table, we wrote what each item was with white chalk {also a great back-to-school item on sale}. This was nice because if you need to rearrange the table, you can just wipe it off and rewrite where you need. And, after all, isn’t there chalk used on the baseball diamond?!

On the other tables, we centered a kraft paper runner down the middle and arranged giant confetti-like circles all around. {*Side note: the circle cutting project forced me to purchase a craft circle cutter... I'm glad it did but I wish I'd done it from the get go.}

I'm not much into the "measure the belly" shower games, because typically, the Mom isn't that thrilled by seeing, in feet, the size of her belly, no matter how beautiful you try to convince her she is. We played a game where several items/gifts were in a basket and were shown to all attendies then put away. Everyone had 2 minutes to write down everything they remembered seeing and the person with the most items correct won a prize.

We also asked everyone to write down their encouraging thoughts for Amanda and drew for a prize out of the cards we received.

All in all, I enjoyed this entire experience! It was some hours of work, but it was so worth it! We ought not take lightly the blessing of children!! The Bible speaks of children as a blessing! A Blessing! Not something to be taken lightly or an inconvenience of any sort. We are to celebrate life and what better way than to celebrate together?! Psalm 127 is very specific in what God says about Children when we read,

Unless the Lord builds the house,

those who build it labor in vain.

Unless the Lord watches over the city,

the watchman stays awake in vain.

It is in vain that you rise up early

and go late to rest,

eating the bread of anxious toil;

for he gives to his beloved sleep.

Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord,

the fruit of the womb a reward.

Like arrows in the hand of a warrior

are the children of one's youth.

Blessed is the man

who fills his quiver with them!

He shall not be put to shame

when he speaks with his enemies in the gate.

Psalm 127, ESV

We are so gifted by grace to see this addition to Justin and Amanda's family. My prayer for their family is they will have strength and endurance as they become parents and strive to teach their son about the Glory of God in the Gospel of Jesus.

He is our only hope.

My prayers are not that Callen will become a wealthy, successful CEO of a world wide corporation some day {although certainly he could and could honor the Gospel in doing so} but foremost, he would grow to be a man that loves and treasures Christ. Love for a Savior that allows him to love, serve, and sacrifice for family, friends and the vulnerable. I am thankful that God has given such an opportunity to my friends.

Just like the card above reads {Proverbs 14:6} we can have refuge in a Holy God and strong confidence with Christ as our Lord. In Him we have an eternal Father and enjoy an inheritance as children through Jesus' death and resurrection.

Congratulations, Friends! Welcome baby Callen!

Mollie

Here are some more pictures from the shower:

UpCycled Shirt Headband

2012-05-09T15:34:00.001-04:00

Perhaps I should own a little shame in giving handmade gifts I have never made before….

But alas, I do not.

Some friends of ours recently celebrated the first birthday of their adorable baby girl & I wanted to bring a little something. Her mama dresses her so cute & fashionably and she is always showing off such cute headbands.

I have seen some über cute pics on Pinterest lately of headbands made from knit material and decided to take a stab at it. After all, giving handmade gifts you’ve never made before is sort of like bringing a dish to a party you’ve never made before: if no one likes it, you can say, “Well, at least now I know :: I’ve never made it before & won’t make it again”.

I wanted something bright for her and couldn’t seem to find anything I liked, but found this shirt & thought it would be perfect.

My first go at it was, well, let’s just say, less than successful. {I started by cutting strips of fabric from the bottom of the shirt, but The serged, sewn-together edges from the outside seams of the shirt were interfering with the continuous, stretchy look I was going for. This would work better with a shirt that has no seams down the sides.}

Eeeek! Um, no.

But, thanks to super fast thinking, I moved to another part of the shirt where the fabric would work better……. The sleeve of the arm. Ha!

I made two, 2 or so inch wide, about 12 inches long strips & knotted them together. I also used two additional strips of fabric, approx six inches long, 3 inches wide & two pieces of nine inch long ribbon. Oh, and don’t forget about the hot glue & of course, scissors or rotary blade and cutting surface/mat.

After I successfully knotted the two main pieces together {great tutorial here}, I glued the four pieces {two pieces on each side} using a few, very small dots of glue to help keep it all together.

Then, I took the two, six inch pieces and made a bias-like fold to attach the ribbon into and ultimately close of the loose ends of the body of the band. I did hot glue the ribbon inside of these little pieces to achieve a secure hold without having to back-track & use more glue = softer look & texture.

Next, I simply wrapped the small, end pieces around the body of the band and hot glued it all together!

I also used fray check {a.k.a the best stuff ever!} to finish off the edge of the ribbon to keep it from, yes, fraying.

Now, put it on & tie it around back!

Yellow & white stripe with giraffe ribbon!?!?! Get out of town!

{Sorry my image is kind of blurry.}

I wish I Had a picture of this headband on the little cutie, but like I said, it was a gift.

I hope they like it & get use out of it.

Have you ever UpCycled any clothing around your house? I’d love to hear about it! – Or send me a link!

Thanks for stopping by Mustard Seeds & Linen!!

Baking Soda

2012-04-25T17:04:00.001-04:00

Baking Soda

I like baking. And I really like soda. But I really, really like baking soda! I've started using baking soda all over my house: in the kitchen, bathroom, living room, outdoors...just about everywhere.

{Warning: Today I am breaking the {un}written rule of blogging- I have no pictures for this post. Hope you aren't too disappointed... I'm in need of charging my camera which takes several hours & it's just not been done in a while.}

now, many of us use baking soda to cook with {obviously}, in the fridge or freezer for smells & even in the laundry. i feel like these conventional uses were common to me growing up, but as of recent, I've been using this alkaline compound in many other ways.

I was cleaning my bathroom about a year ago {yes, i have cleaned it since then} and had a bleach solution a few inches deep in the tub. i put our metal trash can in there to sanitize it, not realizing it would scratch our shiny, white tub! yikes! for a long time i tired other cleaners i used elsewhere, with no avail. then i wondered if scrubbing it with bs* {I'll use this abbreviation throughout} might help. Ta-da!!!! Now, I did use quite a bit of elbow grease in the matter, but those crazy, gray scratches are now gone from the bottom of my tub. well since i was scrubbing there, why not clean the whole tub? Why, what a fine idea. All around and up the tile,

shew- that's one sparkling tub.

i really think that's the cleanest my tub's been and the scrubbing was not all that difficult. plus, it's great for working out those flabby arms.

And when I was finishest with that,I put all the leftover {somewhat grimy-looking...eww} bs down into the drain and poured vinegar on top to make, what i affectionately refer to, pipe bomp {we don't say b-o-m-b on the internet}, cleaning out my drain!That's right, tub/tile cleaning & drain clearing.

wow, don't stop me now, I'm on a roll!

I also have branched out the use of BS in the kitchen. Yes, in the fridge & freezer and also laundry; but also on the counters. Our apartment has white, laminate counter tops and anytime our coffee splashes while brewing or my blasted tea-maker leaks, there's some tan leftovers. I'll sprinkle the BS on top, rub down with a cloth and occasionally pour, either lemon juice or white vinegar on top {mini-volcanoes!!!} and scrub the stain out.

I use baking soda to buff out marks on our walls, too! We have pretty flat, white paint in our apartment and any little bump or scratch leaves remnants. {not to mention the overly-huge furniture and tight corners at the top of the stairs when we moved in.} I wet a {preferably micro soft-textured} cloth lightly and rub the spot {patch in my case} until the scratch is buffed out.

I tried this trick using baking soda & vinegar and was quite pleased.

You can use it to clean your mattress as this describes and even remove tarnish from silver with it.

Baking soda is great for using in personal care too. it works nicely for a weekly or bi-weekly facial scrub: nice & gentle, yet effective to remove dead surface-layer cells. It's great to use as a body scrub & when I'm feeling adventurous, i sometimes use it as a "no-poo" shampoo {more on that here :: I do not do all the time, but I like it when I do}. You can also make your own toothpaste using BS.

{THIS NEXT USE IS WHAT I'M CURRENTLY MOST HAPPY ABOUT!!}

I've also been finding lots of "recipes" for homemade deodorant. There are tons of "recipes" out there {check this one out - her whole site is great!}, but I've also read it's helpful to cleanse your body of the old stuff before the switch.

{Slight, involuntary moment of panic!}

So, as I {somewhat} approach this DIY DEO, I decided to use just baking soda, as my deo to see how things went. Well, that was two months ago... do I have any objections from those who share close quarters?? Co-workers? {who, BTW are totally amused at my semi-going "hippie" in this and other, similar endeavors} Family? Friends? i HAVE BEEN QUITE PLEASED. SO PLEASED, IN FACT, THAT i HAVEN'T EVEN MADE THE DIY ONE.

The truth is, I could go on and on. but I won't. There are so many benefits to using baking soda all around. I can't wait to find more uses for this little alkaline and see how it impacts my cleaning and perhaps, health. I like that it is so affordable and seemingly streamlines a lot of needs things I use/want to use.

How do you use Baking Soda?

updated...

2012-04-11T14:52:00.002-04:00

So I’ve made a few changes…yes, I know very few. i plan on making some more along the way but i felt the blog needed a few visual updates.

i want to thank puglypixel.com for such a great graphic for my new background! i love the colors and will try not to use this (new favorite)shape all over my house.

what are some favorite shapes/colors/patterns you use around your house? Do you use lots of different shapes/colors/patterns? do you keep some what of a theme throughout? I'd love to hear your thoughts in the comments below.

happy wednesday!!!!!

:: Mollie

Hide Your Cords

2012-03-28T22:58:00.000-04:00

I don’t know about you, but I have to charge my cell phone every night. Which means if I’ve stayed up late, oh say if I’m blogging, and kinda groggy as I head into the bed, I’m most likely gonna have a hard time finding my charger cord. My husband sometimes keeps his cord at the top of our closed, dresser drawer for easy access.It also seems like I've got cords all around the house now-a-days, too. Anyway- I’m sure you’ve seen the charger-organization-type boxes our there; so I wanted to make my own.


{Sorry for the blurry picture}

I had some leftover fabric from my Applique project & grabbed an old shoe box. I used spray adhesive and an exact o knife to put it together.

I’m not much of a “pattern” person, so I just eye-balled the measuring for the fabric to cover the shoe box. I wanted the fabric to stay put without it being permanent while I figured out the right placing as well as the holes, so I used some binder clips to keep it temporarily still.

Once everything lined up nicely, I cut out a large hole in the back with the exact o knife and then measured the front {length & width} & evenly divided the space to cut three holes in the front. {The first time I drew holes for the front, I eye-balled it and they were way off! I can be a “pattern” or, detailed person if I need to.}

Next I went outside to start the spray adhesive. The fumes aren’t terrible but I don’t like to have them in our small space. I went section by section {starting with the bottom and them moving up each side and then towards the top} to make sure everything was smooth and straight. There was some leftover around the edges & I shaped the outsides to look almost as if I’d wrapped a present. I finished off the insides with my hot glue gun so it was a bit more secure {the bulkier fabric}.

At this point, I have holes in my box, but no holes in my fabric. I sprayed the adhesive over the holes {from the inside} with the fabric also being sprayed. {This makes each piece tacky and it sticks better.} Then I used my knife to cut an “X” through the fabric of each opening and then pressed down the four triangles to finish of the opening.

Easy! It took me about an hour. Now I can have the cords ready for the both of us; sleepy or not.

Bridal Shower Invites

2012-03-21T22:17:00.002-04:00

I love weddings.

I love showers heading up to weddings.

I love the Bride of the wedding shower we’re throwing. She has been a great friend to me and a loving sister in Christ. I’m so excited she’s getting married this June. I wanted to show off the shower invitations my Mom & I made. I really like the way they turned out!

Kudos to my Mom for picking out such cute stuff and letting me help her put them together.

We used two colors of pink paper and some small doilies {the kind you put cookies or brownies on}, and used brads and stickers to finish off the rest. {Really, I feel sorta funny showing a “tutorial” on this, because it was SO easy : : but I’m going to anyway.}

We first cut two sizes of the paper: the darker pink was larger for the back piece and the lighter pink was smaller for the doily and monogram sticker to go on the front. I think we used cup lids and leftover, plastic tops to find our shapes. Now, of course we could have used one of those cute & fancy circle cutters, but we didn’t have one. We went all ‘old-fashion’ and traced them with our cute & fancy lids and then, yes, cut them out by hand.

Pull the doilies apart and put the monogram sticker in the middle and then {seriously, it was this easy} put your brad through wherever you want.

It was easiest to use a thick needle to pre-puncture the holes for the brads- otherwise, we’d have bent and wrinkled the paper. We put some brads on top, some on the left & some on the right.

Then we used Avery labels to print the details of the shower and after printing, applied them to the larger, dark pink, inside piece.

Ta-da!

I will have to take pictures at the shower to show you the final product, but here’s a taste!

Enjoy!

Resolution Applique

2012-03-14T12:42:00.001-04:00

Sewing... Applique... I heart applique. Having said that, I'd never personally done it until now. And when I say now, I mean, the last several weeks because I bit off more than I could chew. :/ But, boy! I should did learn a lot.

At the beginning of the year, our church put forward a resolution for 2012: "In 2012 I resolve to daily speak as if God is Good, the Gospel is true, and Jesus is at work in me and all around me."

Yes.

This is certainly something I need to remind my self of ~~daily,~~ hourly. I knew immediately I wanted to put this in the house somewhere to help remind us of sure powerful truth, so why not try sewing applique for the first time...?

I first went to my favorite fabric website, www.fabric.com and ordered four, one-yard pieces of fabric. {I got them on sale, too!}

I originally thought I would make four, 16x20 inch canvases for this project but the more involved I got, the more I started feeling anxious about the final cost. So, I went with just two instead. {Two Pluses here: his opened up lots of leftover fabric for other projects! & Hobby Lobby had a pack of two for $8 before using a 40% off coupon. Double Bonus!!}

I used Heat n Bond {*HnB} iron on adhesive to bond the fabric I would be using for the letters. Then I used my laptop & printer to print off {in large font} the letters and then cut them out using an exact o-knife {very tedious... made me think I had carpal tunnel}.

Next, I cut out the fabric to cover the canvas and put some good-ol' scotch tape on the front to map where the edges are so I would know where NOT to put the lettering. {Note: I left this tape on until I stapled the finished product to the canvas to make sure I ended where I knew I'd started.}

Now you take off the backing of the HnB and iron it in place, see package directions for specifications. {I had previously arranged all the letters where I wanted them to go.}

Now you're ready to do your applique. I found a GREAT tutorial for appliques here while I was looking on Pinterest recently and it was super helpful! She's totally correct: go SLOW {read out loud, with emphasis, in low, whale-like voice}. Grab some coordinating thread, & let's get crackin'!

Once I was finally finished with the sewing part {took me a WHILE since my bobbin kept screwing up... it was dirty...always clean your bobbin}, I stapled it on to my canvases and, just hung them up on the wall, right as you enter our apartment!

Wow! That feels like a very short post for as much time as it took me to complete this project... but, I was able to remind myself of this glorious truth! God is good, no matter what my circumstances look like in the immediate moment; the Gospel is true & Jesus is working in me, by grace, and all around me! Praise God!

Hope you enjoyed & will bite off a project of your own {even if it is more than you can chew}.

Mollie

DIY Kitchen Towels

2012-02-29T14:47:00.001-05:00

The kitchen is one of my favorite places in my house. I’m no food genius nor is my kitchen uber pretty {let’s hear it for apartment living!} but any little thing I can do to spruce things up makes it that much more enjoyable.

I made some customized kitchen tea towels as a wedding gift a few months ago and had leftovers, so why not add a little umph to my kitchen? {SIDE NOTE: I LOVE TEA TOWELS FOR THEIR TEXTURE- THEY ABSORB BETTER THAN ANY TOWEL I’VE BOUGHT & THEY’RE TOTALLY CUSTOMIZABLE!}

I purchased a 4-pack of tea towels from my local fabric store for a few dollars & some paint, stencils, and paint sponges from Michael's craft store. I purchased Martha Stewart’s paint line {& stencils} because of their versatility :: you can paint with it on just about anything. This color is Deep Sea and it's a very pretty, navy-like blue.

Of course, you always want to wash & dry fabric first and I ironed these out before I started painting. Normally I would put cardboard under a project like this {paint bleed through}, however, our current dining set is a pup-height, round, glass-top table. I'm trying to keep my excitement over this hard-to-scoot-up-to-on-the-carpet, large space-taker.... But in this instance, it's PERFECT!! No cardboard needed & it's a lot more comfortable to do crafts at this height than having to bend over on the floor. So, it's not as bad as I think.

Pick out what stencil/stencils you will be using.

This Martha Stewart stencil pack has some of my favorite designs in it. Since I had two towels, I picked two different stencils to shake things up.

Lay out your towel/fabric and tape down your stencil to keep it in place. I used a small sponge to distribute the paint- it paints more evenly & a lot faster than using a brush.

The best part about these stencils is the dotted-line, spot-markers on the top side. That way when you pick up your stencil & move it over to keep the pattern going, it lines up consistently and keeps you moving. {It's hard to see them in these pics, but I promise, HUGE help!}

So, here's a picture to show why I didn't need cardboard:

See the paint that bled through? All you need is a little Windex and BOOM! Gone!! {I also use Windex to clean the stencils when I'm done - it works a lot better then even a mild soap and warm water.}

I also used a honey-comb stencil on the other towel, and then laid them on some cardboard to try on the floor.

How easy & cute?!?

What other things can I use these stencils for?..... Another day, I guess.

::Mollie

Compassion International

2012-02-15T14:39:00.002-05:00

I’m not sure how much time you have today to be reading blog posts today; however I know I could spend HOURS writing about our family’s love for Compassion International. Compassion is and advocacy organization for children suffering around the world in poverty. The children they are ministering to experience true, abject poverty in ways you and I can never imagine. They suffer physically, emotionally and, like all of us, spiritually. Poverty is not just a hunger pain in their bellies; it is not just a lack of healthcare or shelter or educational opportunity; it is a sense of shame, a lie from the deceiver that they don’t matter. But the Bible tells us a very different story! A story of the King, who had compassion- who laid down his very life for sinners.

Compassion’s holistic development approach works to eliminate poverty, in the name of Jesus. They utilize one-to-one sponsorship programs, projects lead by local churches, to meet spiritual, physical, economic and social needs. There are also opportunities for one-time gifts; mother-baby healthcare & education, specific gifts from a catalog of items ranging from mosquito nets to livestock; eye glasses to vaccinations; water filters and even education for skilled birthing attendants. {Don’t say I didn’t warn you- I could go on for hours!}

The first encounter I had with this organization was at an Andrew Peterson, Behold the Lamb concert in Nashville in 2007. Bebo Norman gave an endorsement of the organization; an organization he and his family are a part of and obviously passionate about. I can remember being somewhat touched by what he was saying, but not moved anywhere near action. I felt good enough about my “participation through approval” and honestly, didn’t think about it, past the drive home. The following year, this same music tour performed in our local church. It was the first Christmas we had been married and for some time leading up to then, I think we both felt pressed to engage in the vulnerable in a more tangible way, but hadn’t really verbalized what that may look like. Bebo Norman was there again but this time, his words & stories pressed deep on my heart. We looked at each other simultaneously and I knew we were thinking the same thing. My husband asked, “Do you want to sponsor a child?” knowing the answer. As the tears began falling down my cheeks, my heart was overwhelmed with anticipation. We found a volunteer and grabbed a packet. Now, Compassion does not allow a child to be sponsored by more than one family/person at any one time, so when I reached out and brought back a picture of the cutest little boy, I knew the Lord had hand-picked him just for our family! His name is Daniel. Daniel lives in Columbia with his family, and his parents are sometimes employed. He LOVES to draw and color & his favorite sport is soccer. I am amazed each time we receive a letter by his words of love and retelling of daily occurrences; and at the drawings he sends, more importantly, the way his drawings tell us his perception of the world around him.

Compassion is unique in a lot of ways. They are first and foremost Christ-centered. They have projects in areas all over the world and welcome any background, but do require each family to agree to their child hearing the teaching of the God of the Bible. Compassion also focuses on the individual child with lots of one on one interaction, knowing the impact on an individual will inevitably change that individual’s surroundings. They work through local churches, impacting the communities in and around them; and work in all aspects with the utmost integrity. You can begin a sponsorship as an individual, a family or even as a business partner. Through sponsorship, you engage a child emotionally and spiritually through letters; offering prayers and encouragement they may never experience, outside of your interactions. I am humbled to read our letters from Daniel. To read this boy is praying for us leaves me with few words. I love getting his letters in the mail; seeing his sweet handwriting, reading of his love for school and his questions for us; seeing how the butterflies he draws are exactly the same way I drew them at his age {must be a universal thing!} and seeing the way in which he is being ministered to spiritually.

Daniel is a part of our family. The Lord had used Compassion International in so many lives around the world- and we are included. This is not the only organization of its kind, but we cherish our involvement with them. I would strongly encourage you to explore ways in which you can be involved. The Bible calls all believers to be involved in advocating for the vulnerable. How will you engage the darkness? How will you proclaim the Gospel to those living in poverty?

http://www.compassion.com/default.htm

Mollie

Glasses Case Tutorial

2012-02-08T15:57:00.000-05:00

Glasses Case Tutorial

Let me start by saying this: I do NOT spend a lot of money on sunglasses. Target, Wal-Mart and Family Dollar are some of my usual go-to places for cheap glasses (although 100% UV protection, of course!). This is so when they break (hopefully no more than once a year) I am not out a boat-load of money and can replace without breaking the bank. Having said this, I do use glasses for function, not so much for fashion; but when the lenses become so scratched that it makes me question seeing an eye-care Professional, it’s time to replace them. I really hate it when I’m in a hurry and toss them into my bag only to have them rub-a-dub-dubbin’ with my keys and such. So, I decided to make a cover to help keep those lenses lasting as long as I can. It took me about an hour and a half since I was making it up as I went along, but may take you a lot less time. It was SO easy.

*Disclaimer: My camera isn’t the greatest- sorry if some of these pics are kinda blurry. J

First, grab some fabric of your choice. (I had some of this fabric leftover from a Christmas project a couple of months ago.) I picked this fabric because it was silky-soft on one side; perfect for lenses! Plus the color is a good neutral, making dirt harder to see.

Next, measure the size of your glasses (in a round-about way, doesn’t need to be perfect dimensions). My glasses were approximately 6 x 3 inches.

Now, you’ll want to add 1 inch total to the width to include ½ inch seam allowance on each side and 3 inches to the length for the flap and ½ inch seam allowance.( I like to mark my fabric on the edges so I know exactly where my straight edge is going when I starting cutting.) *Always remember to measure twice and cut once.

I also let the fabric work for me by using the folded edge. This just means one piece of fabric and less sewing & seams than if you use two separate cuts.

Cut fabric and adjust fabric to show where flap where be at the top.

Choose a coordinating thread and let’s get crackin’!

Pin your edges together, right sides (or, finished out side) together. (Yes, in this picture I have it pinned backward, but I did fix that before I started sewing. Think of it as, ‘How NOT to do it’. )

Let’s start sewing! I chose a short zig-zag stitch vs. a long straight stitch for better durability. Sew down one side and then sew down the either.

Here’s what it looked like on both sides when I was done.

Turn that sucker right side out now, making sure your bottom two corners are nice and right-angle-like and press.

Next I ironed my seams for the top flap, down the sides and then flipped it over and pressed it to know how tall it would be.

I sewed the edges of the flap after I folded it over (again to reduce how much sewing I had to do & to make for a cleaner edge). You can sew as much or a little as you like around the edges for decorative effect but as long as you don’t have raw edges hanging out, it’s up to you. I ran out of thread to do any more sewing since I used one of those tiny, comes-with-your-sewing-box spools of thread. Thankfully I was done with the main body of the case and had enough leftover in my bobbin to do the next little bit of hand sewing. :)

I picked a button from my ever-growing button stash and, with the flap closed, eye-ball-measured how far down to sew it.

Then I measured the small piece of elastic to loop around and put it around the button to see where to attach to the flap. I hand sewed the button and elastic with the same coordinating thread.

I also finished that raw edge of the top main body with Fray Check, so as not to have to add any steps in the previous process of sewing. BTW, I heart Fray Check!!

Now, toss those (sun)glasses in their new home and worry no more of scratching from all the damaging contents that are in your bags!

Happy Sewing!!!

Mollie

"Sew, a needle pulling thread..."

2012-01-21T16:41:00.000-05:00

Sewing. I so enjoy sewing. Having said this, my mother sewed a LOT while I was growing up and her mother taught her. I can remember being asked to, "Try it on one more time; I think this is gonna look great!" and, "Well, how about I just make you that dress? We can go by the fabric store on the way home". I not only recall hundreds of times hearing my mom, adamantly declare, "I can make that!"; now I declare this quite frequently. My older sister and I would wear matching (or very nearly matching) outfits and there are few school pictures in which I'm not proudly wearing my favorite-mom-made outfit, personally made with love. Sadly, I admit, the many times I sat next to my mom or in her lap and listened to her tell me the basics and how-to's of the machines she used, I was TOTALLY uninterested. Yep. I said uninterested. Sad, I know. I'm thinking my husband had some sort of time portal in his possession to see these many instances, because the first year we were married, I asked for, you guessed it.. a sewing machine! "Nope.", he simply answered. "I know too many men who've bought them for their wives and those wives never use them. You don't really want to use it. I've never even SEEN you use a sewing machine. Do you know how to use one?" "YES! Yes I DO know how to use one! My mom taught me when I was younger." (Do you hear my pride SCREAMING through my answer?!) Of course I know how to use a machine my mother tried to teach me how to use, even though I wasn't listening. This is my true pride inside. BUT, I was willing to bargain a deal to show I was serious about this machine. I would work on hand embroidering some tea cloth kitchen towels. Once I finished those (if I did) then we could have a more serious conversation about this sewing-thing. (Now, as many of you know, hand-stitching kitchen towels is quite different from sewing curtains, and I think he did realize this, but I think he just wanted to see my true interest fleshed out.) Four hand-stitched towels and two months later, and I was arguing my case. Plus, being in my own home (I married young and went straight from my parent's home to my home with my husband) puts things in a new perspective. I did NOT want to pay $40 a PANEL for curtains to go in my bedroom when I know I can make them for less than that; There is also a lot of joy in making "a house a home" when it's yours. My arguments were long and apparently convincing because he surprised me for my birthday with.... a sewing machine! It's nothing fancy, but it works and I have really enjoyed the few projects I been able to crank out. I enjoy most, making items given as gifts. I find most of these gifts have been baby or baby-related items, as I find myself at MANY baby showers. (Our local church has many families having babies and adopting frequently....no lack of showers to go around! :) )
Sewing. I sure do enjoy it. I've got a lot to learn and look forward to learning it. Thanks, Mom, for starting a hobby so long ago...even when I wasn't listening, I was. I'm thankful for the many skirts, dresses, pants and jumpers, yes jumpers ( I grew up in the 90's), curtains, pillows and so many other items you've made along the way. Not just for me but for so many others. You use your talent to serve and bless others, even in sewing. I hope to do the same. For those who do sew, a lot or a little, if you enjoy it, make time to use what God has gifted you with. Each talent is given for his glory. Sew to the glory of God!

Mollie

You've got to start somewhere....

2012-01-10T21:14:00.001-05:00

I've been tossing the idea of a blog around for some time now. I've been intimidated by my idea of other (very cool) bloggers I follow; the amount of time I expect it will consume; and most honestly, the vulnerability and candor I feel is owed to those reading. But, at this point in my life, I'm most likely the least-busy I will ever be and think it's time to get over my insecurities. My goal is to use this blog first and foremost to honor Christ. Colossians 3:17 says, "And whatever you do, whether in word or in deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him". Certainly in my words and in my deeds here, I pray this will shine true.

I enjoy being the helper to my husband learning to care for my family and my home. I try to use my time sewing, crafting, cooking and finding ways to be frugal and somewhat "natural" (yeah, I've got a long way to go in this category).

Why "Mustard Seeds and Linen?", you ask: Well..

Mustard seeds: In Matthew 17, Jesus have just performed a miraculous healing of a demon possessed son, showing the power of his coming Kingdom. His disciples ask why they were unable to perform this act and his answer is gripping. He rebukes those closest to him with saying they have "little faith" (v.20). Wow. They have been with him during his whole time of his ministry, left their jobs and families to follow him and are hearing him tell of the consummated Promise (Gen. 3) by his coming death and resurrection. And yet they have little faith. I long for the faith he goes on to speak of moves mountains and is impossible for nothing. I want to trust him with this kind of faith, in the One who is truly faithful. Praise God, he is faithful!

Linen: I enjoy sewing and crafting, as I've already mentioned and linen is a favorite medium in these adventures. It also takes my mind to Proverbs 31, where a strong and loving woman is characterized. One who is wise, serves, loves, works relentlessly and above all, fears the Lord. She is worth far beyond worldly treasures. By grace, the Lord can use me to praise and honor him.

Thank you, again for stopping in!