I am privileged to be sewing Angel Baby Gowns again

I consider it a privilege once again to be sewing angel baby gowns for precious little ones
who don't get to stay here on earth. Be it through stillbirth, miscarriage, fatal diagnosis
in the womb etc. they are all special and each one is made in His image.

I hope to bring a little bit of love to these families and although most likely we will never
meet face to face, I put so much love in each and every stitch and many prayers as well.

Our family knows all too well the grief of losing a little one before their life even begins and it
is heartbreaking. Society thinks a person should get over it and move on in a few weeks, but
that does not happen and it shouldn't happen. These little ones were a huge part of each and every
family that loved and wanted them so very much.

Sufficient Grace Ministries was there for our family in the midst of our unbearable heartache and we
can't say enough great things about them. From taking hundreds of photos of each of us with our
Eden to making hand-prints, to giving a gown that someone made, a blanket, books, etc. and most
of all their prayers. Gods love was abundant that day along with our unquenchable grief and it was
amazing. I can't imagine being my son and his wife because being a grandparent is gut-wrenching
enough when something like this happens. 

I started making gowns for sweet babies in August 2016 just a mere three months after we
had to say goodbye to Eden Rain before we could even say hello. A perfectly formed and
beautiful little full term girl with dark hair. She was so very loved before she was even
born. We don't understand why these things happen, but we hold dear to our hearts that
someday we will see her again in Heaven.

I have been working on 13 tiny dresses. THIRTEEN! They all came from ONE donated wedding
 dress. Amazing!! I thank God for the people who donate because without them I couldn't do
 what I do at all. May God bless each and every one of them!

Sufficient Grace is a ministry that always needs help, prayer and support so if you feel inclined
 to give , please click here and you will be taken to Sufficient Grace Ministries page.

They are so very thankful for any support you can give be it large or small.

We miss our precious Eden so very much and no one will ever replace her, but her mommy and
daddy are expecting their first little boy due in November. Could you please pray with me that
all goes well and he is born a very healthy baby? We would appreciate that so very much!

The wedding dress that I made these gowns from was LOADED with beads, trim, sequins and was
gorgeous! The owner of it was thrilled to see that I was able to make so many tiny dresses. I think I can
even get one or two more out of it!

Some families don't have anything nice to dress their babies in so they are thrilled to
receive a dress to lay their precious little one to rest. All they will ever have is the
moments of letting go. No watching them grow, no firsts etc. It is over before it
even begins for many women.
In making these gowns we want to let them know that we are walking
along side them on their grief journey and that God is with them also.

I am sure if I read back through this post it probably sounds like I am babbling on and one,
but this is very near and dear to my heart. Until next time...

Please hug your loved ones a little tighter and give those sweet babies and grandbabies
kisses and hugs from me.

Lovingly,

New year...new calendar...Jeanne d Arc style

With a new year comes the need for a new calendar. I usually purchase a Paris or Italian themed one, but
wasn't finding any that I liked so I looked on Pinterest for free printable calendars.

and made my own!

I found this free printable calendar from Lemon Thistle. All I had to do was download and print it and wala.

A calendar in the making.

I love the simplicity of it, but I wanted to take it a bit farther.

I got out a gray cardstock and glued some lace to the bottom of it.

Along with some words that are "calendar appropriate".

I have had this quart mason jar just sitting around with hundreds of sayings to use
and they are even double sided!

So out they came and I sorted some ones out that would work on a calendar.

I can use a glue stick and add a word or two to a date anytime I want to. Yes, the words are a tad
bigger than what they should be , but who's looking?? lol

I added some lace and a vintage pants hanger and my Jeanne D Arc style calendar was born.

I have a lot of this lace that I found at the Goodwill on the original spool several months ago. I thought
it was perfect for this project.

This photo was my inspiration for my calendar , but I tweaked it a little.
You can make it your own with special little touches.

I love this book that I found the inspiration calendar in.

It is a Jeanne D' Arc Living book.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

How is your new year going thus far?

 So far we have had to put two new tires on the jeep (unexpected expense
and with the last two weeks being three day pay check weeks...ugh) and hubby
just went out to leave for work and he has a flat tire on his vehicle so he has to use
the jeep...always something...but we are blessed!

A Marshall's Gift Card

What is a girl to do when her hubby gives her a gift card to Marshall's for Christmas??

{She found out right quick!}

She heads for the nearest store and spends it! lol

I had seen these spools of ribbon and trim in TJ Maxx and Home Goods before Christmas
and loved them, but did not purchase any.

I was trying to be good and I am downright proud of myself :)

I also picked up this gray throw.

With everything half off you can get twice as much..

WIN, WIN!!

Blessings~

Friendship Tree

I have been spending a lot of time lately rearranging my studio along with adding a floor
 length chalkboard {more on that on a later post}, and gray washing my pie safe that
stores all my linens and it has kept me very busy and tired! :)  It  has also led me to adding
special pieces to this little tree.

I call it my "Friendship Tree".

I picked up this little wire cutie a year or so ago at a friends shop who was selling and moving
out of the state. I only paid like a couple bucks for it and I knew it had to come home with me.

I have always been a "detail" person and just love the bits and bobs that come along
with ordering things in the mail. I started hanging them on this tree and each time I
look at it and see a specific tag , I think of the person who sent it to me.

I just added this tulle bow with the "OH JOY" tag. I won it in a Christmas in July
giveaway.

This JDL fabric tag and lace was on one of the scarves that I ordered last year.
Love it!

I have shown this heart tag before. Becky over at Timewashed sent this to me along with some other
goodies awhile ago.  As you can see I haven't removed it from the tag yet because I love it as is. 

I can't highlight each and every tag, but believe me there are several and there is room for many more so I
shall keep filling it up. It just makes me happy.

What makes you happy?


I hope you had a wonderful weekend and that you will have an awesome week ahead!
Blessings~

Oh the things we do...and redo!

I recently purchased two shelving units for my studio that are made out of barn siding, painted white and then distressed. I love both of them! One has a vintage screen door on the front to close it off and this one does not.
So you know what that means...I had an excuse to rearrange my studio all over again!

This is an old vanity that I have had for several years that was in the back porch entry way, but I put my chippy, new, old table there and brought this one in here. I purchased it at a garage sale for $2.00. 

Even the floor lamp doesn't escape some vintage lace treatment. 

One of my ribbon centers and my inspiration board.

The lighting in this room stinks. I had to jump through hoops to get halfway decent photos!  I reallyyyy need to take a photography course to find out what in the heck I am doing. LOL! 

One of my stacks of vintage tablecloths, pillowcases, lace etc. 

One can never have too much vintage lace. :)

I found these iron fleur-de-lis several weeks ago at Hobby Lobby in their 90% off pile so I had to add them to my studio.

A wonderful lavender sachet that came from Little Cottage Shoppe. I ordered several of her Jeanne d' Arc scarves that she was selling at half off and she included this in one of my packages. Love it! 

This is the cabinet with the screen door on the front...love it! 

A closeup for you of my berry box filled with goodies that I purchased from Becky over at Timewashed! I LOVE the detail and care that she puts into each package. I really need to hang these up so they can be seen. Of couse I haven't actually used anything or even opened anything that I bought from her yet. Do you do that too? I just love pretties!!

My inspiration board with some fun goodies on it.

I love little button cards with the buttons still attached. 

One day while looking through Pinterest , I was inspired to round up all my old salt and pepper shakers and fill them with glitter. Sure makes for a pretty picture. :) 

More glitter love... 

Pretty boxes...this particular day the lighting was extra horrible with shadows and everything. hee hee  

Little metal tins that I found at a garage sale a few years ago for 25 cents each. I LOVE THEM, but sold most of them and all I have left are these two. WHAT was I thinking?? Oh, the life of a creator and seller. 

The crowning touch...my Goodwill chair!! I didn't have to do one thing to this except wipe it down cause I always do that. It is PERFECT in this room. I took out the huge, BLACK, clunky, rolling wheel computer chair and put this in and was instantly a happy camper! We rolled the black, ugly chair out the door to the roadside with a free sign and the neighbor snatched it up! She said her daughter is thrilled with her new desk chair. :) I love to share, don't you? 

Here we are again...back at the beginning. ha ha!! Guess I didn't need this in here again.
I hope you enjoyed your tour of the south end of the studio/computer room. One of these days I will get the other end redone and show it also.

I will say this about "redoing" things. This room was a porch when we moved here back in 1982. The inside walls {that we covered up with paneling and then wallpapered} are a light gray board and batten!! Every day I would like to rip this paneling off and have those walls showing, but I just haven't gotten around to it yet. Maybe one of these days. It also has a cement floor underneath the berber carpet...gray...oh the things I could do with that. LIVE and LEARN ...or so we hope. Ha! Happy weekend!!