Couturier Mommy

With love, Sam

2012-02-14T19:41:00.000-05:00

I've always thought of Valentine's Day as a bit of a 'fluff' holiday. And I think most of the world celebrates it as the wonderfully sweet romantic love. You know the kind that sends chills down you leg with one kiss or the kind that fills your eyes with tears as you stoop to receive a handcrafted neon pink heart asking only for you to, "Be Mine".

Anyway, this super sweet, affectionate love is awesome but there is a love that takes all that to the next level. It's all that plus commitment, rightness, faithfulness, steadfastness, forever-ness. It's patient, forgives it when you do wrong, doesn't envy, boast, it's not arrogant, or selfish. Sound familiar? At the end of that great passage in 1st Corinthians 13 it states, "And now these 3 remain: faith, hope and love but the greatest of these is love."

This Love is so great that God instructs us that it will remain beyond faith and hope. So today as you close out your Valentine's celebration remember that this Love really will last forever. That God sent His greatest gift in pursuit of sharing this great Love with you. He loves you sweetly and deeply.

122 Dolls are Done!

2012-01-30T09:33:00.000-05:00

So many of you came for the India Orphanage Doll project and many more of you expressed interest. It’s so inspiring to see all these women draw together to benefit these girls.

A baby doll is so much more than just another toy in the room of a little girl. We were all there, we all know how we love to care for her, teach her, protect her, dress her, share secrets with her. It’s a beautiful picture of how a child thinks of her mother or parent. But these little girls before coming to the Orphanages didn’t have that picture. They have learned a perverted tenderness, a manipulated love and a neglected companionship.

Our prayer is that these dolls will teach these girls companionship, tenderness, love, care, and joy. And that God will use these lessons/dolls to show these girls how He wants to relate to them. How He cares for them, protects them, and has plans to fill them.

Isaiah 61:3 says “…to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair…."

God certainly has the resources to turn the rough start these girls have had into something beautiful. The verse finishes by saying that “They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the Lord for the display of his splendor.”

Thank you so much for all your efforts and prayers! This was a ton of work. God was working in amazing ways. We finished 122 dolls and few more are on there way.

Lets Finish up!

2012-01-23T10:49:00.000-05:00

We will be finishing up the dolls THIS Friday, January 27 from 9:30
to 1:30 at JFBC. We still need sewing. It's not too late
to register for childcare, but please do so ASAP. Here's the
registration link isn't working, Please email your childcare
needs to marianne.taylor@jfbc.org.

Your name

Childs name

Childs Birthday date and year

The Spy Coat

2012-01-23T09:32:00.001-05:00

Here is a tutorial for this adorable reversible jacket. My 4 year old calls it "The spy coat"! He was disappointed to find out it wasn't for him. The pattern is from the book Sewing for Boys. The book has 24 patterns and instructions. If you have a little guy at your home this is a good pick up. You will find everything you need to make a wardrobe, plus a few toys and keep sakes.

The jacket was very easy to make. The only hard part is the welt pockets, which could be left off.

Doll - Pattern

2012-01-09T23:32:00.000-05:00

Here it is the Free Pattern and the Video tutorial!! Have fun!

Doll Pattern

2 in 1 Jacket

2012-01-09T07:25:00.000-05:00

Today I am guest posting at boy, oh boy, oh boy today. I am sewing this adorable 1 in 2 Jacket from the book, Sewing for Boys. Go check it out. She is doing two whole weeks of boy projects. There is some really cute stuff. As all boy moms know it is hard to find fun things for your little guys.

Side 1 has a simple welt pocket

Side 2 has a patch pocket!

It is a super cute jacket I think you will love.

We need you!

2012-01-06T07:56:00.001-05:00

Today is the last day to sign up for this class with childcare. We are making 120 dolls for orphans in Delhi, India. We need your help.

The girls of the Arise Girls home ranging in age from 4-14, where they receive care and love. Some of the girls were rescued from abusive situations. Others are girls who simply needed a loving home.

We want to give them something they will cherish. If you are in the Atlanta area come join us on January 13, 2012. We will be working at Johnson Ferry Baptist Church from 9:30 to 1:30. Childcare will be provided. Bring your machine, supplies, 1 yard of fabric and a monetary donation (for Shipping).

We want everyone to come out. All levels of sewers are welcome. If you don't sew, please come as well, there will be ironing, stuffing and hair braiding to be done. Please don't let sewing skill stop you from coming to this great event. Register at JFBC.org Simple Sewing Jan 13. Childcare is due by Jan 6th.

If you don't live in the area and want to help please feel free to make and ship us your doll. I will be posting the pattern and video come this weekend!

Cards Recycle

2011-12-30T07:30:00.000-05:00

If you're like me you hate taking down the Christmas cards. They are so pretty and the kids are so cute. Now what, do you keep them or toss them? This year I have a plan. Armed with a hole punch and a ring I created a visual prayer list for my kiddos.

I try to do a devotional with my kids after breakfast. We will work our way through the Christmas cards praying for one family each day. The kids love looking at their friends and family. Many of the cards have wonderful messages that should be read more than once a year.

Christmas Paryers

2011-12-25T08:25:00.029-05:00

Have a blessed holiday from my family to yours!

Christmas Prayer

Father, in celebrating Christmas, we are celebrating Jesus, the expression of your lavish, amazing, divine love.
While singing carols, we worship Him, love incarnate.
May the love of Christ flow like rivers from the depth of our being.
May we henceforth be known as the lovers of God and of men.
As we choose to walk with you, let love be the token of our lives. Amen

-Christopher and Melodie Lane

A PRAYER OF THANKS Heavenly Father, thank you for sending your Son to earth as a baby so many years ago. Thank you that He paid the punishment for my sins by dying on the cross. And thank you that He rose again to prove that death was truly defeated. I place my trust in You to be my Savior. Guide me through the dark times of my life and give me courage to live for You. Amen -Max Lucado

A Prayer for Christmas Morning

by Robert Louis Stevenson

The day of joy returns, Father in Heaven, and crowns another year with peace and good will.
Help us rightly to remember the birth of Jesus, that we may share in the song of the angels, the gladness of the shepherds, and the worship of the wisemen.
Close the doors of hate and open the doors of love all over the world?
Let kindness come with every gift and good desires with every greeting.
Deliver us from evil, by the blessing that Christ brings, and teach us to be merry with clean hearts.
May the Christmas morning make us happy to be thy children,
And the Christmas evening bring us to our bed with grateful thoughts, forgiving and forgiven, for Jesus? sake.
Amen

A Christmas Prayer

Jesus, the Light of the World, as we celebrate your birth . . . . may we begin to see the world in the light of the understanding you give us. As you chose the lowly, the outcasts, and the poor to receive the greatest news the world had ever known, so may we worship you in meekness of heart. May we also remember our brothers and sisters less fortunate than ourselves in this season of giving. Amen.

A CHRISTMAS BLESSINGWilda English, n.d.

God grant you the light of Christmas,
which is faith;
the warmth of Christmas,
which is purity;
the righteousness of Christmas,
which is justice;
the belief in Christmas,
which is truth;
the all of Christmas,
which is Christ?

Gift 12

2011-12-24T08:23:00.003-05:00

# 12 SAY YES AS OFTEN AS YOU CAN SO YOUR NO WILL BE EFFECTIVE
This one falls back to the book of Ephesians chapter 6. As parents we are not to exasperate our children, i.e. run them down (wonder why that wasn’t also written for them – uhm;). When they are consistently told ‘no’ they will get fed up and stop asking altogether. When our children hear ‘yes’ from us regularly then they hear ‘no’, it won’t seem unreasonable. Sure, they’ll still want to know why but maybe it’ll save a few eye rolls because they weren’t expecting ‘no’.

We hope you find these "Gifts" as wonderful as we did! Spend this today thanking Jesus for all the times he said yes and no to you. We are childern of King of Kings and Lord of Lords.

Gift 11

2011-12-23T08:21:00.002-05:00

#11 Three days is all
Who doesn’t hate change? Kids really have a hard time with it. Three days is it all it takes for a little kid to accept something new. However, you have to stand strong for 3 days. Going back on what you said or giving in a little will make the 3 days start over. They will cry, whine and plead for 3 days but it will be over soon.
EXAMPLE ~ Taking away the bottle, TV, or changing the schedule.

Gift 10

2011-12-22T08:20:00.002-05:00

# 10 YOU’RE GOING TO HAVE TO NEGLECT SOMEONE SOMETIME
Okay, that sounds bad. This isn’t the type of advice you take literally. But if your household has more than 1 child in it you need to know that one of your sweet kids can wait a minute while you tend to another kid or issue. It teaches patience to the one waiting and places worth on the one being attended to. Those roles of course will flip flop and everyone will get what they need.

Gift 9

2011-12-21T08:19:00.002-05:00

#9 Don’t start it.
Who doesn’t want to do it the easy way? When it comes to kids you need to think long term. Pacifying them today could cause tons of problems in the future. Kids never forget. Never start something you know you will have to take away later.
EXAMPLE ~ Sleeping with you. At some point they will need to get in their own bed. There will be lots of tears and a day’s worth of drama. If you don’t start it you don’t have to deal with it.
Jumping on the sofa seems harmless enough at your house but when they go to neighbor’s house or when they begin to weigh 60-70lbs?

Gift 8

2011-12-20T08:18:00.002-05:00

# 8 LET YOUR HUSBAND DO IT

Its hard to remember sometimes that our husbands are first time parents too. And although you’ve changed 100 more diapers than he has, he can figure it out. Let him do it. If he has a great idea for an outing that sounds totally dangerous to you, don’t hesitate to tell him your concerns but then let him do it. He loves those kiddos just as much as you and if it gets dangerous he’ll change his agenda. The reward is a husband who never sits idly by, certain he can be of no use, while you do everything. Well, I can’t promise that but it will keep him engaged if he’s given a chance.

Gift 7

2011-12-19T20:15:00.000-05:00

#7 - Pick 2
In the world of small children it is hard to feel accomplished. All plans are met with melt downs or dirty diapers. So Pick two things per day that will make you feel human. For me it is doing something intentional with my kids (a book or craft) and getting dinner on the table. For my friend Molly (the advice giver) it is making her bed and doing the dishes.

Gift 6

2011-12-19T08:14:00.001-05:00

# 6 RUN YOUR OWN RACE

A dear friend of mine started training for a mini triathlon. She had finished the swim and the bike portions and was running the 3 miles to the finish line. She had a much older woman pass her and this thought came to mind…”that’s her race, not mine. I just have to fun my race”. Isn’t that freeing! You don’t need to compare what others do at home with their kids, or how they act in public, or how other moms are dressed and pulled together on Sundays mornings to how you live. God as given you a race so just run it. Remember Jesus saying, “She did what she could” (Mark 14) about the woman who anointed her feet. Take comfort, do what YOU can, run YOUR race.

Gift 5

2011-12-18T08:12:00.001-05:00

#5 “Small up” there world.
Is your kid being a brat? Maybe they are over stimulated. It happens to big kids just like it does to infants. Take a break from activity for a little while. Reduce the amount of toys hanging around. Physical and visual stimulation can turn a sweet kid in to a whiny, belligerent mess. I can’t tell you how great this works. It will shock you.

Gift - 4

2011-12-17T20:07:00.001-05:00

# 4 ROTATE TOYS
Here is a mystery of childhood for you – why does it take hours to get all the toys cleaned up and literally seconds to destroy any semblance of organization? My favorite tip for this mystery is to rotate out the toys. Once every 2 months or so, walk through your play area with a box. Pick up everything that hasn't been touched in awhile and hide it in a closet. During your next rotation, empty the box back out and refill with new items off the floor!
EXAMPLE~ My boys will play great with our Marblicious game for about 2 weeks. Then I begin finding pieces of the building structure being used as puppets and the marbles used on race tracks and in the play kitchen as beans. At that point I know that I just missed the window of boxing up that great game and sticking it in the closet for a few months. When it comes back out of rotation, the boys want to give it their full attention again.

Gift-3

2011-12-17T08:05:00.001-05:00

#3 Never drop the morning nap!!!
When my kids drop the morning nap around 15mo. I start putting a basket of toys in the crib for them to play with instead of taking a nap. Later it will move to the floor.
In my house at 9 am everyone plays in their room for an hour. As they get bigger they play together more. That gives me an hour everyday to take a shower, get dressed make phone calls or whatever I need to do that does not require “their help”. At 10 am we all meet at the kitchen table to do something together. A craft or just read books. If you have dropped the morning nap already start today adding a "play by yourself time".

Gift - 2

2011-12-16T08:03:00.000-05:00

# 2 WHISPER AND KEEP IT SHORT
We all know the times when the wiggle worms have taken over the sweet bodies and minds of our children, and they literally are unable to hear/focus on our calling. Instead of raising your voice to get their attention, try a whisper. For whatever reason the small sound seems to sink in and makes them curious about the juicy secret you have to tell them. Once you have their attention, keep your instructions short, especially for boys. Save all the background and ‘whys’ for a time when they are receptive.
EXAMPLE~ Now say: “put the stick down”; Later say, “when we run with sticks there is a good chance we’ll get hurt.”

Gifts-1

2011-12-15T17:00:00.003-05:00

For Christmas Sam and I would like to pass on some of the most precious gifts we have ever received. The gifts of wisdom from mothers, mentors and friends who have been where we currently find ourselves in life. Nuggets of gold that make life fuller and days easier. Parenting is a job and a blessing. For the rest of the year we want to pass along the tips and tricks that help us manage our 7 kids (my 4, her 3) and are helping us become the mothers, wives and women God wants us to be.

#1
#1 Remove It
If something your kid is doing makes you crazy ask yourself "Can I remove something?".
EXAMPLE
-If you child wants to play dress up all day but you hate helping her change her clothes take them away. Put them up and only get them out when you feel like it.
-If the room is always messy reduce the amount of toys to an amount that is easily picked up by them. As they get older or more responsible you can add more.
-If she takes off her shoes as soon as you get in the car. Keep a shoe basket in the car and put them on when you get where you are going.
-If your kid always wants snacks make a "good" snack tray where they can reach it.
-If siblings are fighting over something take it away regardless who had it first.
-If the toy drives you crazy, trash it! I don't care who gave it to them or how much they love the toy. If it makes your day bad, get rid of it. If it the noise bothers you, take out the batteries. You will be a better mom.
-If you can't stand play dough don't have any. You are not a bad mom. Your making a peaceful life.

Our Happy Halloween

2011-11-04T11:07:00.000-04:00

We may look cute but check out the dragon.

How cute is our daddy! I made the tail using a tutorial from Running With Scissors.

Blue Eye's outfit was from a Simplicity 5520. I was really pleased with the boots.

I didn't make Peices. I had planned to but we ran out of time.

My horn was rolled paper with lining rapped around it. I tied to a headband.

The Twin's hats were made of felt. They took 2 minutes to make and got the most attention.

2011-11-01T17:10:00.000-04:00

Check out these amazing hoodies from Brooch the Subject!
We have to make them.
Join us at Johnson Ferry Baptist Church Friday, Nov 11th for a
Free Sewing Class with Free Child Care! 9:30am-1:30pm
I know I can't wait, the amazing Laura Foster will teach us the art of the recycled hoodie.
Register Here

What you will need:
-hooded sweatshirt-adult or child preferably without a string in the hood (kids ones shouldn't, but adults may)
-1/2 yard or fat quarter of coordinating fabric for the hood- I would get something with a more random pattern so that when the hood is down or up it doesn't look upside down
-1/8 yard of stretchy knit fabric in two different colors, or 1/4 yard of one color--You can also use old t-shirts for this. For my daughters sweatshirt I used two old t-shirts, so raid your closets for things that may not fit anymore, or even shirts that may have a little stain on them.
-Thread that matches your sweatshirt--This is important because we won't follow the stitching of the sweatshirt. I seem to have trouble sewing in a straight line, so this way we won't be able to see our wonky stitching.
-a ruler- unfortunately we can't rip knit, so we will need to measure out our ruffle strips

Even if you have a boy, you could come and line the hood of their sweatshirt with a cute fabric and just leave off the ruffles.

With love Sam -#4 A Heavenly Perspective

2011-10-09T16:36:00.000-04:00

A Heavenly Perspective
One last prayer ladies to close out the series, “Four prayers beyond salvation for your children”

We’ve all heard the saying, “Life is Hard but God is good.” Which of those two would you want your child to focus on? No brainer right? So pray that they will have depth of understanding in how short this life truly is. Read II Corinthians 4: 17-18, “For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.”

Life will be hard – look at your own life experiences and those close to you and you’ll see it’s true. But if we can help our children have perspective (a sense of proportion – thank you Webster) then they can move forward knowing the best is yet to come.

Most importantly pray that your children will come to know Christ. Beyond that - pray they will have godly mentors to advise them, a fear of the Lord to keep they straight, a love of His Word to instruct & comfort them, and a heavenly perspective to see their way home.

There are dozens of great ’31 days to pray’ for your kids. It’s great to have on the fridge. Here’s one I really like, http://broomfieldumc.org/clientimages/35460/pictures/prayforchildren.pdf

No matter how you do it, pray for your kids. Be diligent in continually bringing your kids to their heavenly Father.

We are Good!

2011-09-28T20:51:00.002-04:00

I prayed every night of my childhood for twins. I prayed for twins when I was pregnant with my first child and my second. I prayed for them before I got pregnant this time. In fact at the doctor's office waiting for my first ultra sound I looked at the board of birth announcements and said one last prayer before I entered the room "God if I can handle it please give me twins". When the tech said twins my heart skipped a beat. My husband was overjoyed. There was no fear or worry. I knew God had given me the desire of my heart.

The twins are 4 months old on friday! I don't know when it happened but I looked up and life is good. My husband and I don't have a ton of "me" time. Hence the reason I haven't blogged any tutorials in months. However, our house has a flow and some consistency. I keep a pretty tight schedule. I plan to leave a half an hour before I need to really leave. I am exhausted by 9pm but I am rejoicing in my 4 little blessings. Laughs, excitement and blessings abound. 4 kids in 4 years has been a whirl wind experience and I am sure new challenges will arise but today we have adjusted!

Whatever may come I also know I can handle it. Because the king of kings has blessed me by allowing me to be their mom.