A Worthy Life

God's best gifts

I still wonder what I might have grown up to be. Not who, but what. I know that no matter my vocation, I would have continued to be me, right down to my inner character and core.

But what would I have done? What would I have created if not this family, these children?

Besides the overwhelming desire to be a mother, I had other interests, other probable pursuits. Some academic, others creative. Some ambitious, others philanthropic.

But I am mother, full-time, full-tilt, the responsibilities I have chosen to take on here with them contributing the majority of what I now do.

And for all that I had ever dreamed of doing, never in my wildest, far-fangled fantasies could I have imagined the joys and inspiration these four children would bring. As Elizabeth Barrett Browning says,

"God's gifts put man's best dreams to shame."

My children do not dwarf my desires - they bring the best and the brightest forth.

My children do not steal my time - they shed light on how to invest it best.

My children do not quench my creativity - they stir and provoke it to a rumbling stew of inspiration by who and what they are and how they allow me to see more of who I truly am.

They are my muse, my illumination, my genius.

They are the anti-evanescence of my life bringing weight and permanence to my every work.

Creating with words or pictures or fabric is not my vocation. But it is the journal of what my vocation does to and for me, how it lightens and enthuses and speaks beauty to my everyday.

Four of God's greatest gifts to me have been my children. In light of them, my own best dreams are but shadows not luminous enough.

*all the dresses on my girls were homemade projects. the tiered ombre dress, an upcycled design worn last year to another wedding. the peacock blue/green dress/skirt are original creations made from a silk sari hanging too long in my closet. the necklace, silk tied over an old dollar store creation bedazzled with an old chinese hair clip.

**also linking up with SortaCrunchy's Green Resource. To save money and reuse what I already had on hand, I came up with the ombre dyed dress and silk recycles. Just goes to show...green looks good gone formal, too! :)

nature's diy

Monday was Thanksgiving here, the first that I can remember in a long, long time that didn't involve hordes of people descending on our home for turkey and pumpkin pie. With my husband's family out of town, it was the perfect opportunity to lay low, eat leftovers, and take time to quiet our hearts and minds long enough to count our blessings.

We went on a hike in the maze of trails near our house, our short walk turning into a 3 hour marathon of missed turns and minutes lost up a tree or under rocks chasing snakes. Along the way we picked up fallen leaves and fuzzy plants and bark that snapped and crackled beneath our feet.

When we (finally!) made it home, we laid out our treasures and got to work wrapping up candles in our own unique design.

The instructions are simple:

1. Get outside!

2. Look up, look down, look all around and gather bits and pieces of nature's beauty.

3. At home, gather candles, long sewing pins, strips of leather, and/or clear fishing line.

4. Begin placing your found items around your candle, pinning the pieces in the soft flesh of the candle or tying them up with your leather or string.

5. Light and enjoy!

bit by bit

It's been almost two months since we hosted this party for 31 Bits but I couldn't pass up the chance to share again about this fabulous company! I fell in love with their jewelry awhile back but didn't want to take the plunge into purchasing without being able to roll the beads between my palms and vouch firsthand for the quality of the craftsmanship.

I noticed while perusing their site that there was a number of ways to get involved, one of which was to host a house party. It was simple, request a box of goodies and have a party! Whatever you didn't sell/buy, ship back to the company at no cost to you.

As a perfect back-to-fall celebration, 20 friends joined me at my home to spread the love for 31 Bits and the work they are doing in Uganda to empower change by equipping women. One friend of a friend had just been to Uganda in the spring to help her dad open an orphanage there so she too was able to share about what she had seen and experienced there. Her voice added to the chorus of those at 31 Bits encouraging us that we could make a difference, bit by little bit.

I had so much fun staging the jewelry, using globes from garage sales, old tree branches, a chalkboard clock, and a sweet vintage David Livingstone book from 1905!

So I might have bought a fine chunk of the $1,200 sold but most were for others, the perfect gift to mail or save for upcoming birthdays or hostess gifts.

Right now the company is issuing a challenge for the hostess who sells the mostess! If there are any locals interested, I could be your partner in planning...!

celebrate good times...c'mon!

A week ago we started back to music lessons, piano for the big girl and guitar for the Irish twins. It was mid-way through a very challenging week for mama (see last two posts!) and I knew we needed something to buoy our spirits and boost our energy.

Sugar always does the trick just fine. :)

I worked on the cake while the kids were lollygagging elsewhere in the house and at the big reveal at dinner time the squeals were well worth the time spent on the guitar pick bunting. I snapped pictures during the process, thinking I would do a fancy tutorial like you see on some Superwomen blogs.

Until I realized that would be an assault on your intelligence.

You glue a few picks to a mock guitar string suspended between two kebob sticks. Done.

Easy. Breezy. Beautiful. 

No superwoman needed. :)

a mod spin on an old trad

A couple weeks back, my husband's coworker/our family friend, heretoforth referred to as HCFF, invited us to dinner to her house on the river. It was a cozy evening chatting over homemade spaghetti sauce and garlic bread. Dessert was realizing that we actually have things in common, never mind that her house has a more modern aesthetic and my house is nowhere near the water. Nor do I have a kayak.

Nevertheless, I learned that we both haunt some of the same blogs (how I do so love ashleyanne, but I thought she was my little secret!) and have a shared creative itch to do-it-ourselves. Someday I plan on making this mirror with her from salvaged wood pallets but today I decided to surprise her with a little something something creative to fit her modern/rustic home.

I was dying to try out this wreath, though in so doing I had to abandon my vow to never start preparing for Christmas until Thanksgiving was past. I thought I was being kind to complete hers before starting mine but next time I think I'll let mine be the guinea pig and save the work of perfection for someone else. I put little elf fingers to work winding yarn while I oversaw the work with (glue) gun in hand.

Hope she likes it! A little bit traditional (like me), a little bit modern (like her), and a lot a bit funklaicious.

(Forgive the liberties I've taken with making up my own words and the shortening of others, I'm up past my bedtime.)