MamasLittleTreasures

mamaslittletreasures has moved!

2011-08-27T09:24:04-04:00

Over the past year, mamas*little*treasures and Ruby for Women have been growing at a rapid rate! In an effort to combine our projects and build our business, we have relocated both the mamas*little*treasures blog and the Ruby for Women website to self-hosted sites. You can find us at mamas*little*treasures and Ruby for Women. You are also invited to join us at the Ruby for Women community website where you can connect with other women who pray for one another, share recipes and crafts, frugal living ideas, home-based business opportunities, and more.

We will also be launching our brand-new subscription site at More from Ruby in September where you will have access to even MORE of the great resources, advice, devotionals, inspirational articles, health and wellness articles, craft and sewing tutorials, recipes and menu planning, financial advice, home and gardening ideas, frugal family living articles, family and parenting advice, relationship articles, and so much more! Please visit us at More from Ruby today!

In Other Words: What is that "Thing" you are carrying around?

2011-08-02T09:25:40-04:00

We all have days of contemplation; days when we ponder "life" in terms of who we are, where we've been, and where we're going. I used to think that "Everyone Else" had all of that figured out. I mean, don't you sometimes just assume that "Everyone Else" has a life that is free from anxiety, stress, and struggle? Especially when we all look so good out in public. Even our online presence can portray only that part of our lives that we are comfortable sharing with others. It is difficult to express the loss, the sadness, the brokenness in our hearts. But when we do, we discover that God uses our pain to touch other hearts and lives . . . . because, really, we all have a broken heart. So when I read the blog post that inspired the quote this week, I was touched by the honesty of this mom and her willingness to be vulnerable by sharing her pain for all the world to see.

Although I personally have never experienced the loss of a child through death, and I cannot imagine how one would ever survive that kind of pain, there are other kinds of heartbreak that are also hard to imagine. And sometimes, it is difficult to put your heart right out there in the open, before God and everyone, and risk being criticized. Even now, as I am writing this, I wonder: "Could I really say what is in my heart? Could I really be this honest? Or would I make someone uncomfortable with my truth?" Then I realize that this is just a blog ;o) and if anyone should happen to pass by, and not like my words and my story, then I suppose they could just move along and read something else. But the vulnerability is still scary! And the honesty could be more than some people would want to hear.

But truth is a great healer of broken hearts, along with time and patience. It helps when God brings another Broken Heart to come along side of you, but speaking the truth has a way of taking the first step on a journey to healing. As angry as it might make us, when we are right in the midst of the torrent of tears and the devastation of our disappointments, it is true that this heartbreak is God's gift. I know this because I have experienced His grace to face my own loss and grief, and without that "gift" of brokenness, we cannot move to a place of healing.

Why does it have to be that way? I have no idea, but I am old enough to know that everyone experiences heart break, and we all get to choose what to do with it. There have been days when it seemed as if I was holding a tangible "thing" in my hands; my pain was so overwhelming that I wanted to take that "thing" and fling it against a wall and smash it all to pieces. It was so heavy that I had trouble breathing, or walking, or even taking one more step. We all have to choose what we are going to do with that "thing" that is suffocating us in grief. We can choose to carry it around for the rest of our lives and allow it to devour us, destroy us, and eventually become the "thing" that dominates every thought, every word, every action in our life. Or we can recognize it for what it is, accept the truth of how and why this "thing" came to be such a huge part of life, and choose to allow that pain to bring us face to face with the grace of our God - and let him heal our broken heart.

I've known people who have made different choices in how they handle the big, ugly "thing" in their lives called a broken heart. My own mother was one who chose to be angry with the world because it had inflicted so much pain on her heart. She lived her final years in a constant state of agitation, frustration, anxiety, and negativity. She was miserable, and she made everyone around her miserable, too. Eventually I just had to accept the fact that this was my mother, and I would never be able to have the kind of relationship with her that I had hoped for, and prayed for, my entire life. I loved my mother, but I did not really know her because she would never let anyone get close enough to her to discover what she had hidden behind all of that anger.

But God brought another woman into my life who showed me that we do not need to allow those "things" in our life to defeat and destroy us. My dear friend Fern was 70 years old when I met her, playing honky-tonk piano in a little country cafe. She could not read music, so as she played the old piano over in the corner, she was always making eye contact and smiling at everyone who had stopped by for a hamburger or a cup of coffee. One day she told me about her three-year-old son who had died - 50 years ago. Her heart was still broken, and she remembered every little detail of his too-short life. When Fern passed away at the age of 86, she had touched the hearts and lives of so many people because she allowed God to mend her broken heart . . . . perhaps that is a better way of thinking about broken hearts; perhaps they never truly "heal," but I know that God in His gracious lovingkindness can "mend" any heart that has been torn apart by loss and disappointment.

That is His gift to us. We are not promised that life will be easy or comfortable, but we can choose to accept the comfort of God's love and allow Him to "mend" our brokenness so that we, then, in turn can speak words of hope, encouragement, and comfort to others. But it's our choice what we are going to do with that ugly "thing" called pain that comes to each and every one of us at sometime along our journey of life. In place of the pain, we can welcome into our hearts the More that He is to help us regain our strength and carry on with life. Although your heart is breaking right now, won't you choose to allow God to bring you beauty for ashes? He wants to hold you and carry you, even now, this minute, if you are struggling to take that next step.

If you would like to participate in this week's "In Other Words" meme, please visit Loni on her blog, Writing Canvas, and post a link to your post on this quote. You can also find links to the other participants' blog and stop by to read their thoughts.

Ruby for Women, August, 2011

2011-08-01T18:59:03-04:00

Open publication - Free publishing - More crafts

Wordless Wednesday: "Open"

2011-07-13T12:56:49-04:00

Nina Newton

Come on, Slowpoke!

2011-07-12T07:35:48-04:00

“Yes, I understand that turning back or waiting for others
slows you down, but only at first.The deliberate extension of goodness, generosity, and wisdom always wins out in the end.”

~~ Lisa Bevere, “Lioness Arising: Wake Up and Change Your World”

When I was a little girl, riding my bike was one of the endless activities that filled my summer days. We lived by a lake, and our road was a dead-end, so most of the cars that drove by our house were either people who lived there or perhaps strangers who were lost. In any event, hardly anyone ever drove down that road fast . . . because there was a huge tree at the end of the road and you had to drive around that tree to turn around and go right back out the way you came in.

The other really great thing about "Our Road" was that there was a little hill just beyond our house (it seemed quite enormous to me at the time!) We would race down that hill to the bottom, and come screaming to a stop just before we would crash into an enormous Weeping Willow tree at the edge of a swampy area. Now THAT was a great way to spend a summer afternoon!

One day I was racing my bike with my BFF, and as we came zooming down that hill with the summer breeze whipping our hair into our eyes, we were laughing and yelling at one another to "Go faster! Go faster!." Suddenly I looked over and saw that she was RIGHT THERE and we slammed into each other. Of course, that knocked us both off of our bikes, right there in the middle of "Our Road," and there was blood everywhere. We both had skinned up our knees and our hands, knocked heads somewhere along the way, and we probably both had a fat lip. Fortunately, nothing was broken except our momentary dreams of being world-class bike racers, but it did put us out of commission for a few days. Not long, though!

Soon we were both back to the business of all the adventures that little girls would have on a summer day, playing in the woods, spying on the other neighborhood kids through the branches of that Weeping Willow tree, and racing our bikes down the hill again right there on "Our Road." That's the way life usually presents itself to us, both as children and as adults. One minute we are flying down the road of Life with our hair flying in the breeze, laughing as we go. And then, suddenly, we are confronted with "The Hill" of adversity, and frequently we crash and burn before we get back up and travel on.

So what happens when we have to "slow down" for someone else along the way? Sometimes my girls go for a bike ride here on "Our Road" by our house that is also near a lake with a woods in our backyard. But one of our girls can't go as fast as the other, because she has Cerebral Palsy. It is easy for her sister to get exasperated when they can't zoom down the road as fast as she would like . . . . so here's what we do: "How about you go as fast as you can until you get to the sign at the curve, and then come zooming back to catch up with your sister?" That way we all get to go for a bike ride, together, while one gets to experience the thrill of the wind-whipped hair in the eyes and mouth, while the other one gets the opportunity to learn how to make the bike pedals go around and not tip over, all at the same time!

Yes, it can slow us down when we have to wait for someone we love to catch up. But what's really important here? Convenience or compassion? The thrill of the speed or the joy of the relationship? In other areas of life, the question is the same: Do we value the relationship with our loved ones, or do we just want them to "hurry up" and do it our way? I think about how often God patiently waits for me to "get it," to understand, and to figure out that His way is always the only way on my life journey.

Do not be discouraged if you are waiting for a loved one - sometimes those moments of slowing down, taking a deep breath, and saying a little prayer is the task that is before you TODAY. No, you may not be setting the world on fire with the newest, greatest, and most incredible discovery, but you are giving a gift that is truly a treasure to those whom God has put in your pathway along the journey of Life, wherever you live on "Your Road."

If you would like to participate this week with "In Other Words," please leave a link here to your post on this quote so we can come visit you. We would love to read your thoughts on this topic! Also, you can find more information at Loni's blog, Writing Canvas, and join us in future weeks for "In Other Words."

2011-07-08T15:38:09-04:00

What fun! Updating all of my online shops and filling them up with so many beautiful vintage, reconstructed, and hand-embellished garments, shoes, and accessories. Stop by Gossamer Wings Studio!

http://www.bonanza.com/booths/GossamerWingsStudio

Come on over and join the NEW BOOK CLUB at Katherine's Corner!

2011-07-08T12:01:59-04:00

Here is a message from our Sweet Katie:

Most of you know how much I enjoy reading. Not just your blogs, but books too. Every month I post a new book list. I started thinking last night ( while reading a book) about how much I used to enjoy Oprah’s book club. I miss her show. I do watch several programs on her OWN network though….. So, today I am announcing Katherines Corner Book Club!

I realize a good book club takes time to build. But it can evolve into something wonderful.

A good book club needs : Members- You,

A good book- We’ll choose one together ( choices are listed below),

A meeting place- Here

A meeting time- Just once a month we’ll choose the book and you can leave comments on the book club page throughout the month.

It’s basically a no obligation book club. It’s sharing your thoughts through comments on the book club page throughout the month. What do you think?

We already have a common connection through Katherines Corner through our bloggy friendship so we’re off to a good start.

Leave your book choice ( from the selection below) in the comments section on this post and then just Join the book club members list on the book club page.

The book with the most votes is the book we will use for our first book club book. Starting next week! You can purchase your book through my book shop Click HERE Or just go to the book list page here at Katherines Corner or from your local book seller when all the votes are in.

One Summer by David Baldacci -

Terminally ill Jack is determined to get his fractured family back together.

Maine by J. Courtney Sullivan -

Three generations of women explore the complicated and often contradictory aspects of friendship.

Robopocalypse by Daniel Wilson

A daughter's “smart” doll knows to much. The world technology has evolved in this science fiction novel.

Lets Take The Long Way Home By Gail Caldwell -

A celebration of life and friendship.

Lets keep inviting people. You can post the book club button on your sidebar, or blog about it, etc. This is the button code

Hopefully we will always have a core group, and together we will make the Katherines Corner book club a fun and interesting experience.

Paper Doll Party with Vintage Image Craft

2011-07-07T14:12:27-04:00

Creative Challenge from Vintage Image Craft

Paper Doll Party

July, 2011

Can you create a PAPER DOLL inspired craft?? Bring your paper doll idea to life using vintage images from VIC. Submit your craft photo, and you may win a new copy of "Artful Paper Dolls" by the renowned designer and author, Terry Taylor! FREE Victorian vintage images are posted on VIC's Facebook for you to download between June 14 and July 5. Or you can purchase ready-to-print Image Books from our VIC Store. Cut up those images and craft something cute, kitchy or expressive.

Through July 22, you can submit your paper doll vintage-inspired craft photo to Vintage Image Craft -- and the Challenge is On!! The top three winners will share adulation, international acclaim, and PRIZES!

SUBMISSIONS

Your project can be a card, ornament, decoration, tag, ATC, altered book, scrapbook page, jewelry, box or any other craft. Use a VIC vintage image, free on Facebook or purchased from Vintage Image Craft for your "paper doll" parts. Incorporate any techniques, including collage, assemblage, altered art, stamping and/or distressing. Digital artwork is welcome.

Submit your entry by July 22, 2011 by sending photos or scans of your artwork (up to four) a full description of the techniques, materials and products you used. Winners will be announced by July 29, 2011.

JUDGING: Entries will be judged on creative use of vintage images, design, color, materials and textures, embellishment, techniques, and pure whimsy. The judges are Scott Henderson and Martin Bray.

PRIZES: First Prize is a copy of Terry Taylor's remarkable book, artful paper dolls from Lark Books. Terry takes paper dolls in a dozen new directions. Here are paper dolls re-interpreted through imaginative materials, craft technologies, and mixed-media. They include paper dolls as symbols, social commentary, fashion decoration, and yes, even toys. But as the book cover states, "These are not the paper dolls of your childhood!" The book is a $14.95 value (donated by Lark Books!).

And a prize beyond value: The winning craft and artist will be displayed on the VintageImageCraft Home Page! Second Prize is ONE download of a VintageImageCraft Card Book of your choice, an $8.99 value. Third Prize is ONE download of a VintageImageCraft Image Book of your choice, a $4.99 value. VintageImageCraft invites you to submit your "Paper Doll Craft" by July 22, 2011! Submit Your Entry Photo and Description Dress Up Your Paper Doll - and you could win a prize and fame!

I Don't Know About You . . . .

2011-07-01T16:10:20-04:00

If you’ve ever traveled to other countries, I’m sure it has occurred to you just how fortunate we are to live in America. Now, that is not a statement of arrogance or false pride . . . it is simply an observation. I have only traveled to a few other countries, and as a “country girl,” haven’t even traveled to very many of the larger metropolitan areas of our own country.

It is not difficult, however, at least to be aware of all of the poverty, despair, hopelessness, and violence that abound all around the world, even here in America. In an age of instant information, we are so frequently bombarded with images of violence and tragedy, that it is easy to become complacent.

Having witnessed first-hand a bit of the devastation and despair that is a daily part of life for many people around the world, it certainly seems to me that, of all the places I could possibly live, America is by far the best place of all!

In America, we at least have opportunities to create our own destiny. Having grown up in a small, rural community in mid-Michigan, it never occurred to me that we were “poor.” I didn’t realize just how little we really had in the way of material possessions until I went away to college and met other students from wealthy families. It was overwhelming, at times, to realize what it must have been like to grow up having a huge, gorgeous house, beautiful clothing, and parents who drove expensive cars. That was a lesson in economics!

My observations about America do not come from a position of wealth and privilege. I worked for a few years for our country court system where I was the Education Director for a program for people who had been incarcerated to complete their education. During those years I worked with students who were third-generation drug addicts; I worked with a young couple who had lost their children as a result of an explosion in their little hovel of a home while they were cooking Meth.

Some of my students were in their mid-forties and fifties, and all they had known was a life of hopelessness and violence. One of my students eventually took his own life because of the abuse he was experiencing, and he didn’t tell anyone about it until it was too late.

For me, there is no wistful, unrealistic vision of America as a place that is perfect and everyone is happy, healthy, and safe. This is a country filled with ordinary people, but because of our history, we have opportunities to accomplish extraordinary things. I pray that we do not lose those opportunities because we choose to look the other way, or because we only focus on the imperfections we see all around us.

I don’t know about you . . . . but I believe America is still the best country on earth. God has blessed this country, in spite of our failures and mistakes, because our foundation is built on God's truth. This Independence Day, I choose to thank God for the opportunity to live in a country where I am free to live my life according to the beliefs that I hold.

God bless America!

Ruby for Women, July, 2011

2011-07-01T15:55:11-04:00

Open publication - Free publishing - More christian

Mamas*Little*Treasures

mamas*little*treasures has moved!