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Summer Sewing

August 2, 2010 / Jennifer Coleman / 2 Comments

I’ve been sewing.. and even Judi decided that she wanted to learn to sew!!

Just a day or two after I had resigned myself to the fact
that she’s not like me.. she has different interest and
I should just accept her for her beautiful self, she saw this
fabric and decided that she wanted to learn to sew.

We made this shirt together. Isn’t it cute?

I read about a couple of new games while reading some blogs

and decided that I had to make them to play with

all my nephews and my only niece (so far) at our family reunion.

The ones on the blog were made on poster board.. I decided to quilt them –

I made one game quilt for each family. Can’t wait to teach them the games.

This side of the quilt is for checkers –

I found the cute bug/nature fabric at Hancock’s – all the other fabric I had in my closet.

I love the little bag for the felt checkers. It snaps onto the quilt on the other side.

Did you know to make three sets you need 72 checkers??

I think if I had known before I started I might have thought twice –

but I am a sucker for games. I got a lot done while watching TV.

I embroidered a little crown on one side.

The cups are for a super Tic-tac-toe game on the other side.

You can look up “Gobblet Gobblers” on youtube if you’d like to learn how to play.

I also re-invented another game that I am calling

“Don’t Spoil Your Dinner” to play with M&M’s on this side.

With my corn allergies – I’ll probably be playing with raisins.

I made these cami/dickey things yesterday. I wish I’d known about them

years ago when shopping for modest clothing became so difficult.

They were so fast and easy to make and to top it all off

I had all the fabric and snaps sitting in my closet, so they were FREE!

I have a confession to make. I sew while standing up.

Notice that my sewing machine is sitting on my island?

Every house is different. I discovered while making the quilts that

if I sew while standing, it’s a lot easier to get to my cutting mat and ironing boards.

I don’t have to slide out a chair and stand up – I just walk over or around. So nice.

To make the cami/dickey things all I did was cut them out so the top corners

will rap around my bra straps, hem the top edge and sew on snaps.

I didn’t bother to hem the other edges – they won’t show or fray.

And look how modest I can be now! In just a snap. 🙂

One last project to share.

(If your name is Suzanne, you have to wait a week before reading below.

I am guessing that you’re way to busy preparing for your wedding

to be reading blogs right now. So stop reading and get back to work.)

I am not good at giving or receiving gifts. Since God is strong in our weaknesses

I’ve learned to pray and ask Him to help me think of and find

the perfect gift when the occasion arises.

A few weeks ago I needed a baby shower present for my friend who recently adopted

a precious baby girl, Emma. I had already made and given her a crocheted blanket –

turned out to perfectly match the colors of her room – I’d never seen but God knew.

She was so cute – offered to re-wrap it and bring it to the shower for me.

But I had already prayed and God had worked. He put it in my heart

to give her a parenting book I have called

“Raising your Child for Christ” by Andrew Murray. It’s an awesome book!

My favorite parenting book. I only had a couple of days and didn’t think I’d be able to

find her a copy, so my response to God was – “She can’t have my copy!”

Since then I discovered that it’s still in print and available on Amazon..

so I might be more willing to share my copy with someone else.

God took me up on the challenge.

Mike and I were on an Anniversary trip in Chattanooga, TN at the time.

We had some time to waste after eating lunch and discovered that there was a

(you’ll never guess) a used book store next door. We decided to go in.

I found a copy of the book on a shelf lying there all by its self – the only book on

that particular shelf – it was like God said, “I win. I am able to provide.”

So months ago, before I actually knew Mark and Suzanne were requesting that

no one bring gifts – they are both widowers and have to merge a LOT of stuff into one house,

– I prayed and had this idea..

again I wasn’t sure if I’d be able to find anything like it – but God provided.

I found the plate and goblet at a local antique store.

I was so happy to find a matching set in the last booth of the store.

I discovered that you can actually buy “communion chalice” sets on line.

They don’t have a cool bread cover like the one I made,

but I am thinking about buying a set for myself like this one for my birthday.

I made the cover with my surger, some hand embroidery and a crochet edging.

Drawing the design was the hardest part. I hope it’s not too fussy.

I was very happy with how the crochet edge turned out.

It took a lot of experimenting to find an edge I liked.

Having communion at home with family and friends is one of my favorite things to do.

I hope these will help inspire her to try it.
Want one?

Love,
J

Struggling with Corn

August 1, 2010 / Jennifer Coleman / 1 Comment

I’d appreciate your prayers. I’ve been really struggling with corn lately.

I’ve been having reactions to corn for about 2 years now. The first few months I stopped eating corn to the best of my knowledge and tried to treat the rash on my neck and chest with natural rash remedies such as vitamin E and C. It only got worse. After visiting a herbalist in Montgomery, a whole new world of what corn is opened up to me. For starters, I learned that my rash “treatment” of vitamin E and C is actually derived from corn.

I found a list of 200 things that can mean corn such as salt, sugar, natural flavorings and many more that I can’t spell. I started reading labels more carefully and eating more from scratch. I discovered that I can’t even touch corn with out having a reaction. It was in my shampoo, tooth paste, everything. I avoided all I could and started feeling much better.

Then we moved here. I ate lots of comfort food, gained weight and my rash returned.

Several weeks ago I went back on my gluten-free, ‘corn’-free fast. Fast – that’s what it feels like – a forced fast, but also a daily offering of prayer as I don’t eat what I’d like to or what is convenient and try to find things that are safe to eat. Sometimes it seams like it’d be easier just to stop eating all together.

It’s difficult and frustrating to me to try to educate myself on corn – it’s such a huge, complicated subject and I have so many other things I’d rather spend my life on. Sometimes I wish I could hire someone to come show me what is corn and gluten free, where to buy it and how to cook it. There are a several Trader Joe’s products on the corn free lists.. we don’t have one…

This summer I’ve been forced into trying to learn more by a bad spell. It’s not bad now, but constantly irritating under the surface and makes it difficult maintain a pleasant disposition and has led to this post. I keep discovering things I been eating, drinking or touching that come from corn. And have I mentioned that we are surrounded by corn fields? Our house may even be sitting in what was a corn field just a few years ago.

Learning about corn is hard because it’s comparatively a rare allergy to have, it’s basically in and on everything and not labeled as clearly as nuts, or eggs or even gluten. The research can also be so depressing. I learned last week that a lot of my other symptoms such as urinary and sinus infections can be caused by a reaction to corn. Then today I learned that the wax used on the produce in the grocery stores is often derived from corn. I guess it’s time to find a farmer’s market.

Please pray for me.. healing would be nice.. more wisdom.. lots more patience.. more of Jesus..

I do have one praise report. Before Passover every year the Jews are required to clean their houses top to bottom. It’s where we get the idea of Spring cleaning. They are not to leave on speck of dust anywhere in their house – because it could be a speck of leaven – which represents pride and sin in our hearts.

Passover night they play a hide and seek game where the parents hide 10 pieces of leavened bread around the house for the kids to find. After all 10 are found they pray something like, “Let any leaven which we have not found be as if it never existed.” Grace covers the law. Good thing because it’s impossible to keep.

Remembering this I felt like God said that when I eat in a public place and can’t possibly know if or not the food I am eating is corn free that I can pray, “Let any corn that may be in this food be as if it never existed.” This was a big breakthrough for me. I wanted to be able to pray, “No poisonous thing will harm me.” and eat the corn chips and all, but didn’t feel like God gave me that freedom.. so I avoid the things most likely made with corn; salad dressing and the like and pray over the rest.

Thank you,

New Glasses

July 16, 2010 / Jennifer Coleman / 2 Comments

My new glasses came in last week.

I was so glad.. because I was starting to get irritated by the fact I couldn’t see.

When I first put them on I was so happy, because I could SEE!

Then I looked in the mirror.. not so happy.

Guess that’s what I get for buying glasses I couldn’t try on first.

They are about an inch wider than my old ones.. which I knew..

but my old ones were unusually small and I thought I might ought to

work up to getting really big ones for bifocals.

Going from not wearing glasses to wearing “big” ones was hard.

I miss my old glasses.

I can see leaves on the trees.

I can see words on a page.

I didn’t realize that my reading glasses would have a shiny metallic coating..

Although, in the back of my head I told myself

that what you see computer monitor might look a little different in real life.

I am not sure if I wish I had gotten a different frame or not.

I am still adjusting to seeing myself in the mirror.

I’ve also had a few headaches. I think mostly from the reading glasses.

I can see fine print really well with them, then when I look up at someone talking

to me I get dizzy.. I basically have to take them off to look at anything else.

Then they seem to spoil my eyes.. stuff I could see before I can’t see after using them..

and if I move my head to fast to look at the next page ..

Then I have to take my driving glasses off to read.. .

With my old glasses I could read better with them on – than off.

I am not sure if my prescription is wrong or if it’s just an adjustment period.

Sometimes I wish I could go to school for everything..

Become a mechanic and fix my own car, eye doctor, regular doctor..

and just fix everything myself.

🙂

Climbing Walls

June 26, 2010 / Jennifer Coleman / 0 Comments

With a new addition to the family, comes a lot of new stuff. First thing we got was

a Litter Kwitter. I told the Judi if she’d toilet train the cat I’d pay her $50.

It’ll save us probably $1000 in cat litter and I know I’d be the one cleaning it

for years to come if I weren’t paying her..

so I am actually feeling guilty about the steal I am making.

The cat in the add photo is a Russian Blue like George. I am even more hopeful.

Then we got her some flushable litter, food, food bowls and a collar.

We looked around at food bowls. The ugly ones designed for pets cost around $5 each.

I decided to look at bowls designed for humans in Target. They are so much cheeper!

I knew I had this fir at home, and had planned on making her a bed.

I remember when Mamalene used it to make Ruthie a cat costume one year.

I made it so that it opens at the ends and can be used as a tunnel, too.

She loves it; knew it was hers right away.

I knew I needed to do something about a scratching post.

I don’t want my furniture torn to shreds and I’d prefer not to have to declaw her.

Have I shown you the lamp I got a few months ago? We needed some light

on this side of the living room. George thinks it’s great. She even climbed up from

the inside of it one night when it was turned on and made a cool shadow.

Sorry no picture.

She’s also been climbing the curtains next too it.

See the threads she’s puled? I trimmed her nails.. it’s helped a little.

I knew I didn’t want one of those monster climbing trees.

They are ugly, take too much space, cost a fortune and

I am sure that the moment George climbed up it

Sally would chase her and it’d come tumbling down.

So I discovered these cat walk climbing shelves and thought to myself,

“I could make those.” I tried to make it a Father’s Day surprise for Mike,

but he noticed right away all the money I was spending at Lowes.

I think I spent around $60 total for all the supplies. It would have cost less

had I not been low on sand paper and left

my wood stain and mineral spirits at our old house.

I found a rug for $12 at TJ Max for the scratching/climbing boards.

I used velcro to keep the mats on the shelves so she won’t slide right off.

George loves it! She was climbing it before I had it finished.

The first day she climbed up and took a nap on this shelf.

I made her a ball with some left over fur and she like’s it, too.

Here she goes.

I purposely put the shelf at a height where

she can bat at the kids heads as they walk by.

So if you’re tall, Beware!

See Joel in the picture below? He’s working on Trig/Calculus.

Anytime he asks for help, I just laugh.

I took the opportunity to use Georgia’s play place as graphic/prayer art.

It’s centrally located where if we catch her clawing

one of our couches (or lamp or curtains) or jumping up on a counter

we can easily take her over to her scratching post.

I told the kids that it’s her time out spot.

James put her other ball on the top shelf.
Georgie not quite big enough to climb up there by herself,

but she’s already twice as big as when we got her so it won’t be long,
and she can jump from shelf to shelf to get down.

Hope you’re having a great weekend.

Love,

Eye Glasses progress

June 24, 2010 / Jennifer Coleman / 3 Comments

I went to the eye doctor. My eyes hadn’t changed that much, except the +1.00

for reading. Judi went with me and helped me find glasses to try on

and see which looked best.

I decided not to get progressives because I don’t need them to see the computer.

I could get bifocals.. but I would have to get frames twice as big as I am used to.

The doctor said that my eyes will continue to change every year or two

for the next 10 years or so..

I can get two small, stylish pairs on line for about 1/3 the price of one

extra large bifocal pair in Walmart, so that’s what I decided to do. Maybe I can

just up my reading glasses and keep my driving glasses next time

and save even more money. I’ve known for a long time that those

eyeglass makers were making a bundle off me. Glad I finally discovered

how to buy them online.

I am trying to decide between two pair now.

This pair comes in two colors. Red/black and pink/gray. I’d get one of each. Anti scratch, anti glare, polycarbonate, photochromatic, a hard case, microfiber cloth and shipping for less than $85 for both pair.

I found two like this one that I could get for $12 more than the ones above. They are all at Zenni Optical. I bought James’ at Eyebuydirect.. I think these are even a better deal.

We are taking George to get spayed today and I am hoping

to find some frames like these to try on while we are out grocery shopping.

I need to get them ordered because they will take a week or so to get in.

Which do you like?

Help! I can’t see!

June 22, 2010 / Jennifer Coleman / 1 Comment

Well, my glasses finally bit the dust. They’ve been the best pair I’ve ever owned.
My glasses are normally all scratched up by the end of their first year.

This pair lasted so long that I was feeling guilty about needing bifocals when they
were in such good condition. Wish I could remember what kind of coating
I had on them.. or where I got them.
I’ve had them three years and they don’t have a scratch on them.

I noticed last week that my glasses were getting week where the bridge

meets the frame. Today they snapped and I decided to try to superglue them.

I opened a brand new bottle of Krazy glue. I squeezed it carefully. Nothing came out.

I squeezed it a little harder and a big blob landed right on my lens.

Judi wanted me to tape them like a nerd. It’s too late now.

I need help choosing my next pair of glasses. I can’t decide if I should get

progressives or bifocals or two pair; one for reading and one for driving.

Reading and driving is about all I’d use them for. Most of the time I only

do one at a time… but then when I think about going to church I think I might

need the two in one. I’ve been thinking kinder thoughts lately toward the

older crowd that doesn’t bother to open their Bibles;

the screen is so much easier to see.

I’ve been looking around on line for advice. It’s hard to find.

Some people can’t adjust to progressives and prefer two pair.

Please, comment. 😉

Funny Thing About Blogging

June 7, 2010 / Jennifer Coleman / 1 Comment

A lot of the stuff I’ve been blogging about I would never take the time to bore Mike with (sorry). He’s just not that interested in what crafts I am working on or how I organize the house. Maybe you aren’t either, but I need to tell someone. Thanks for “listening.”

James has always been the “go to guy” when you need to know where something is in the house, but the last couple of moves he’s started loosing his touch. A few weeks ago, he asked me where I keep the plastic shopping bags and before I could answer MIKE told him.

I was stunned. I literally sat there with my mouth gaping trying to figure out what happened, because Mike, even after years of living in the same house, never knows where anything is. He said, “I read it on your blog.” Ha.

This morning I saw Mike in my closet (kinda strange now that we have separate closets) so I asked, “What are you doing in there??”

He was putting away toiletries from his trip to Orlando last week. He learned where they were from my blog. I guess before whenever he went on a trip, and I wasn’t packing for him, he would just take his full sized shampoo bottle.. but now he knows where I keep the little travel sized bottles. Funny, right?

I wonder what else I could blog about that he might find useful.

Our 24th anniversary is tomorrow. He’s wonderful. I am so blessed… beyond what I could ever have imagined.

My top marriage tips:

1 Stay committed. God will bring you through.

2 Don’t try to change your man.. Pray. God is the only one that can change anyone. It’s easier for God to do His job when you aren’t in the way.

3 Think on good things… about your man, your kids, your house… whatever your circumstances. If you are always focused on the negative, you’ll be miserable and you’ll make things worse. If you focus on the positive and trust God for the rest, you’ll be happier and God will work wonders.

4 Take time out to have fun together. Life is too short not to.

Love,

Praying for Happy Holiness

May 21, 2010 / Jennifer Coleman / 0 Comments

I learned something this week from this great book I am reading with the kids (“After God’s Own Heart” by Mike Bickle). In the chapter we are in he is talking about how

1) Jesus came anointed with joy to show us the happy heart of God…

2) Most people see God as sad or mad.. and how

3) That thinking keeps us distant from God.. and how

4) We need to see God receiving us with joy like in Jesus’ stories of the prodigal son and the
lost sheep.

He said that God wants us to have a happy holiness not a religious, cranky holiness like the
big brother of the prodigal son… and that, “Cranky holiness is usually the result of living
with a wounded and rejected spirit while seeking to live right in your own strength.”

This is a lesson I’ve been learning for a long time: Doing things in your own strength is bad… waiting on the Lord is good. Allowing Him to fill you and give you grace is good.. His yoke
is easy.. His burden is light. I’ve had a lot of practice at learning to wait on and rely on
God’s wisdom and strength in homeschooling (17 years) especially.

My struggle right now is all the weight I’ve been gaining since the last couple of moves and
the increased dependance on comfort food. It wasn’t a struggle when I gained it before
because I didn’t care.. all I cared about was school.

I lost all the weight before out of fear of being physically ill. Now, unfortunately, I’ve
found some things I can get away with eating and not be sick and I am a different kind
of “sick”.. a sick that makes me happy when I eat bad food (peanut M&M’s and fries
are my favorites) and sad and cranky when I eat good (holy, wholesome) food.

I’d been wishing I had some of that fear back.. but that wish plus the weight gain was
making me even sadder and crankier.

The week I had to go buy a whole new wardrobe for the extra 10 or so pounds I’ve
gained I started repenting for trying to loose weight in my own strength (it wasn’t
working.. obviously) and started praying that God would help me be good.. but it was
a sad, cranky “Make me holy.” prayer.

So, now I am praying that God will change my desires and help me want to eat..
to crave the right food and to fill me with His wholeness so that I can stop running
to comfort food.

Mike and I had a date at Chick-Fil-A last night. They have this really nice grilled chicken
and fruit salad there, but what I really wanted was their chicken strips and fries..
so I decided to order them and enjoy them.. while I continue to wait on God to change
my desires.

During our date it came up that this week for the first time since moving to AL we were
both starting to feel like this could be home. We’ve always wanted AL to be home..
and even more so after our last move.. if just to avoid moving again (moving is so not fun). After visiting our good friends in Florida just two weeks ago, I’d have to say that it’s a
God step in the right direction.. toward wholeness and happy holiness.

Maybe soon I’ll start to think that all that salad in the fridge sounds like a yummy treat.

Love,

Closet Organization Projects

April 13, 2010 / Jennifer Coleman / 1 Comment

I rarely wear any of my jewelry..

Mostly because I am too lazy to pull it out from my drawer.

I saw some jewelry boards when we were in TN last

and I thought ‘what a wonderful idea’..

I had a mini bulletin board that I wasn’t using..

Looked in my fabric/linnen closet..

I am so happy to have it all out where I can see it and not in boxes anymore.

Found this stained dresser cloth..

Put them together… and added some push pins and jewelry

Doesn’t she seem to be saying, .. “Don’t forget your jewelry.”

It’s so accessible now.

I found some extra space behind my closet door while I was there.

When I found the idea of hanging a packed toiletry bag in my closet

on “Organize Your Stuff Now”, I was very excited.

I used keep this bag under my sink..

It was very messy and unorganized under there and I had

to sit on the floor to dig it out.

Taking it out and packing it.. made room for me to organize

the rest of the stuff under my sink..

Leeanne suggests buying travel sized bottles of the stuff you use

then refilling them with your large bottles when they get low.

I do that but I also collect trail sized bottles from our hotel rooms.

With a family of 6 you can use a bunch in a few days.

The toothpaste and floss samples we save from dentist visits.

I take new toothbrushes with us.. just incase someone forgets theirs.

All I have to do when we go on a trip is grab my makeup etc. from my drawer.

Yay!

I bought this over the door hanger at the same time I bought

the popup hanger thing for the laundry room.

I didn’t need it in our new laundry room so I am using it to hang

my extra purses and a straw garden hat from Thailand.

Thanks for taking my closet tour..

Love,

Sunday Go To Church Hats

April 13, 2010 / Jennifer Coleman / 3 Comments

My Mamalene’s hats hung in Judi’s room until she out grew her “girly” room
and got a fancy new red comforter for her bed for her birthday a couple of years ago.

We never unpacked them our last move, but since this time I am bound
and determined to unpack and use everything I own or throw them out
I decided to spruce them up and find a new place to hang them.

A few of them had some water damage (not sure how),
so I googled “how to clean vintage hats.”
No one would suggest anything to try except to take them to a professional.
My dry cleaner wouldn’t touch them,
so I brought them home and cleaned them
in the sink with some water and spray and wash..

They came out OK.. better than they were.. I discovered that the hats have
an inner liner that I think is starched.. when it gets wet it gets sticky
and the hat looses all it’s shape.. but when you blow dry it it stiffens back up again.
I used one of my tupperware canisters as a reshaping block.
I only washed the off white ones.. then I used a permanent marker
to touch up a couple of the colored ones..

The veiling on most of them was very brittle and in bad shape
and I couldn’t find any new veiling locally so I found a great millinery supply
store on line called Judith M. Millinery Supplies. I thought that was a great name.
They had all the colors I needed and more for only a little over 2 dollars a yard..
and they shipped them to me supper fast;
I ordered them on a Monday and received them by the following Wednesday.

Before.. this is one of the ones I touched up with a permanent marker.

After with new veiling.

I had most of them finished and ready to hang Friday and asked Mike if I should hang them over our video cabinet or in the foyer… his answer was neither.. “Hang them somewhere I won’t see them.”

Thankfully I had a back up plan.. other wise I may have reverted

to acting like a two year old by throwing a tantrum.

Yes, I occasionally still do that.. but not as often as I want to.

Here are all the hats together.

I learned a trick of stuffing them with tissue paper to help them hold their shape.

I wanted to hang them above our video cabinet. I thought it would be fun

to have them near my vintage pictures of my grandparents.

This was my back up plan..

luckily it was in the one place Mike wouldn’t have to see them, my closet.

It’ll be fun to see them first thing in the morning when I get dressed each day..

I thought it would be fun to have some ladies over for tea and to pull them

off the wall to wear sometime.. of course then I was thinking my prayer room wall.

I did a couple of other projects in my closet today too for my mourning therapy..

I love how I feel when I get something organized.

.. to be continued.