Fun With Superstars!

This week I have been busy teaching a class to some of the Central Elementary "Superstars". This school is a balanced calendar school, where they start school earlier in the year, end later, and have more breaks in between. During some of the breaks, they have "intersession" classes. These classes are both educational and fun, and many are taught by volunteers in the community...like me!


My class for this session was called "Jean Fun".





I taught my third grade students how to make fun things out of old jeans.





We made a drawstring "Superstar Lunch Sack" out of the leg of the jeans, and we sewed yellow felt stars on our bags.






We made coasters out of the hems and seams of the jeans.





We also made braided bracelets, flowers with button centers, and bookmarks.





My students all did a great job cutting, gluing, and learning to sew.




We had a lot of fun making cool things with our old jeans!


P.S. I am assured by the principal (my husband) that it is okay to post pictures of the students on my blog, since all of their parents/guardians have signed a release.

Knitted Cotton Dishcloths

I don't know about you, but my dishcloths tend to get very yucky looking after a while. I really needed some new ones, and I remembered the crocheted ones my sister made for me once, several years ago. They were so cute, and they lasted much longer than the ones I usually buy at the store. I decided I wanted some again. After a failed attempt to special order some on Etsy, I had the idea that maybe I could knit some. I have never been able to get the hang of crocheting for some reason, but I do know how to knit. Well, at least I used to know how when I was 14! So, I searched the internet for a simple but cute pattern, bought some cotton yarn and knitting needles, and brushed up on my knitting skills.


These colors are perfect for my kitchen. I especially love the varigated one. It's called "Field of Dreams".

I found a waffle weave pattern here: http://homespunliving.blogspot.com/2007/11/waffle-knit-dishcloth-pattern.html



Aren't they cute? And I've found that knitting is a little addictive! Just one more row...

One Constant Thing

This last week was one that was full of events: a birthday, a funeral, and a wedding, and I've been thinking about how much our lives are always changing. Sometimes things change slowly over the years, and sometimes shockingly quick, in just a moment. Sometimes changes are planned, but oftentimes come completely unexpected. We experience joyous occasions and we go through horrific hardships. Through all of this, there is only one thing that remains forever constant. That is the love of God. He is with us through every change, every event, and every emotion we experience. Whether it is a lifechanging moment, or a tiny little detail that no one else would notice, He is with us. He brings people into and out of our lives, He has a way of using the circumstances around us to communicate His love for us, and he speaks to us through His Word and to our hearts if we are willing to listen. He is always there. He will never leave us. He is with us. I love this song sung by Mandisa that illustrates this point so well:



So, will you take a moment with me to say a simple thank you?

Adonai Eloheinu, Lord our God, Creator of the universe, thank you. Thank you for being with me.

Sewing Studio in Progress

I'm so excited! At last I have a much needed sewing studio! We decided to re-do the guest room so I could have a space to work other than the dining room table, and daughter number one could have a bigger bed. So we moved the big bed into her room, and her single bed into the new studio, so there is still a place for a guest to sleep if we need it. I pushed it into the corner and propped up some pillows to get the day bed effect. Then, I moved out the big antique mirror above the dresser, and moved in a hutch from the attic. It was a strange brown color, so I painted it white. Now I have a cute storage area for my fabric. I love the way the fabric looks all stacked up on the shelves. For my work table, I am using an old interior door from our house. The doors in our house are beautiful, and I've been saving this one especially for a table. I set it on the two nightstands that were in the guest room (also from the attic in the previous form of a dressing table), and voila! A cute, shabby chic table, and it's the perfect size for my needs. Now I just need to get a big piece of glass for the top of my table, and my sewing studio will be complete.

Challah

My little family observes the Sabbath on Saturdays. "What? Are you Jewish?" you ask. No, not Jewish...but...this quote about sums it up: "I am not Jewish. But I follow the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. I am a disciple of the Jewish Messiah. I live as a Jewish person lives. Messianic Judaism is my faith. But I was born a gentile, and by grace I have been grafted in." (Rick Spurlock of BereansOnline.org) Because we put our faith in Jesus (we like to call him by his Hebrew name, Yeshua), we are able to be a part of God's people, so we follow his instructions for life, the Torah. We are learning more every day how to do this. Because the Jewish people have been following Torah since it was given, we have adopted many of their traditions and customs, which are full of SO much meaning.

All that to say: Every Friday night we have a special Family dinner to welcome in the Sabbath. I light the candles and my husband says the blessings over the wine (well...juice) and bread and prays for the children. On most Fridays I do as many Jewish women do and make two braided loaves of challah. As the mother of the family kneads and braids this bread, she prays for her loved ones who will be eating it. I LOVE this! It is a special privilege for me to make challah for my family and entwine my prayers for them within the braids. I recently learned how to make a six stranded braid, and it turns out so beautiful! I learned by watching this video:






Shabbat shalom!