Smooch

I love taking pictures with picture frames. I have some fun photos to share later with this latest thrift shop find.

Bicycle Necklace

Old bicycles and antique copper are two of my loves. So I especially enjoy both of them together. I like the way this necklace turned out. My favorite part is the little sculpted rosebuds on the handlebars. I think they dress the whole thing up a little.

Corsage

Sorry the image is just a tad dark! I love wearing my shabby flowers as a corsage. I wanted to post a picture of me wearing it, but It's tricky to post a picture of your own wrist.

My Next Jewelry Making Class?

I think this is the next project I will be teaching at Hobby Lobby. Lots of people have been asking for basic jewelry making instruction.

Earing Holder

I think this has been done a thousand times before. But I like my little embroidery hoop system because I can see all of my jewelry at once. Plus, I like the little "tail" feature that allows me to clip all of my hair do-dads on the bottom. If you see it, you're more likely to use it. That's my motto!

What to do With a Blank Canvas

This:
I love a blank canvas. It's just full of so many possibilities! For this one, I just modge podged some pages I ripped out of a thrifted book to the canvas. The birds I cut out by hand using a template I created so they would all be the same size. Who doesn't love a fat bird on a telephone wire? I cut out the word "Hope" using my handy dandy cricket!

Flip Flops

I should have taken a "before" picture, but here are some plain ole' flip flops that I dressed up with ribbon and homemade bows. These flip flops only cost a dollar, by the way.

My Mom

My mom is one of my favorite people in the whole world. So I was excited to speak in church on mother's day as I tribute to her. Here is the talk I wrote (though it is kind of choppy, sorry!). I love you Mom! Thank you for being you!

I admit some trepidation at being asked to speak on mother’s day, because I recognize this as a somewhat sensitive holiday. My heart goes out to those women who dearly want to be mothers, but cannot, for whatever reason, have that opportunity in this life.

But I love this statement by Sister Dew to the women of the church:

“For reasons known to the Lord, some women are required to wait to have children. This delay is not easy for any righteous woman. But the Lord’s timetable for each of us does not negate our nature. Some of us, then, must simply find other ways to mother. And all around us are those who need to be loved and led.”

But the focus of my talk is not on what we can do to be good mothers/parents (though there I plenty that could be related on that topic). I wish to focus on one thing that every single one of us in this in this room has in common. And that is each and every one of us here today HAS a mother. And I consider it an honor to speak on the day designated for commemoration of the women who have given us life.

When I reflect on the influence of a righteous mother, one particularly powerful story comes to mind. I share this story with you as it was related by Elder Holland:

She was sometimes called Sally, a widow with three children. Perhaps life had been a little harsh and she would have welcomed a change for the better, the easier, if it came. She thought she saw it come when a man, a widower from her past, returned with a proposal of marriage in his nice suit of clothes and talk of a prosperous farm. The prospects of a better life grew, and she understood him to mention servants and to be a man of substance. She accepted and crossed the river with him to view her new possessions: A farm grown up to wild blackberry vines, a floorless, windowless hut, the only servants were two thinly clad barefoot children, the father of whom had borrowed the suit and the boots that he had gone a-courting in. Her first thought was the obvious one: go back home. But she looked at the children, especially the younger, a boy whose melancholy gaze met hers. For a moment she looked while a great spirit subdued the passions of the flesh and then, rolling up her sleeves, she quietly spoke immortal words which ought to be engraven on every parent or teacher's heart: "I'll stay for the sake of this boy."

Sally Bush had no idea when she looked at that melancholy boy’s ten year old face that her stepson would someday save this nation, heal a generational breech, or go on to become the 16^th president of the United States.

Abraham Lincoln paid tribute to his this remarkable woman, his dear stepmother, when he uttered the immortal words:

“All I am, or can be, I owe to my angel mother.”

I echo this statement. When I think back on my life and consider the people who have had the greatest influence on me, there is not ANYONE who has had a greater impact on my life than my parents. They were always there for the most pivotal moments in my life. The greatest lessons learned were always at their feet. I’m sure no one has celebrated my successes or borne my sorrows with deeper conviction than they have, with the exception, of course, of my Heavenly Father and Savior. I love and admire them, and I know they love me.

Elder Bradley D. Foster of the seventy said this in the past general conference:

“Perhaps the reason we respond so universally to our mothers’ love is because it typifies the love of our Savior.”

What a profound statement! I have been thinking all week about examples that illustrate this and I wanted to share a few of these with you.

Perhaps my favorite chapter in the New Testament is Matthew chapter 9: Just from reading the chapter heading I think you can see why.

Jesus forgives sins, heals a paralytic, and calls Matthew—He eats with sinners; a woman is healed by touching his garments; and he raises Jairus’ daughter to life—He opens blind eyes, casts out a devil, and preaches the gospel.

As Jesus passed from thence…

And Jesus arose and followed him...

And when Jesus departed thence…

And Jesus went about all the cities and villages…

There is so much we can learn from the savior’s service from this chapter. He served AS HE WENT. He stopped to bless people he saw along the way and he especially paused to help those who CAME TO HIM. He didn’t set aside time in his schedule to “serve,” he did it every day all day long by taking the opportunities that arose.

That is just how my mother served her children. She woke up and made our breakfast. She got us dressed, fixed our hair, packed our lunches and took us to school. While we were gone she was cleaning our home, doing laundry so we would have clean clothes to wear, going to the grocery store so we would have food to eat. She would pick us up from school and take us to basketball practice or piano lessons. We would come home and eat a dinner that she had prepared together as a family. And we would end the night doing homework, probably with help from her or dad, followed by family prayer and scripture study.

Service does not have to be remarkable to be significant. Just as the savior served everywhere he went, so can we. The seemingly tedious tasks of day to day living are important acts of service nevertheless.

Everything the savior did was to help others. He showed us that no task is to menial to be submitted to our care when he washed the feet of the disciples.

John 13:5 After that he poureth water into a bason, and began to ^awash the disciples’ feet, and to wipe them with the towel wherewith he was girded.

The acts of changing diapers, scrubbing bathrooms, or mopping floors, though not considered glamorous are acts of service on behalf of our families. Mothers do so many of those unpleasant tasks, because they love their families and the Lord and showing their love for them is what is most important.

I do not think it is coincidence that we come into this earth through the blood and sweat of our mothers. When I think of the sacrifices my mother has made for me, my heart instantly turns to my savior as I think of the sacrifices HE has made for me as well. For they have both shed blood on my behalf.

One of my favorite scriptures is Isaiah 49: 15-16:

15 Can a ^awoman forget her sucking child, that she should not have compassion on the son of

her womb? yea, they may forget, yet will I not ^bforget thee.

16 Behold, I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands; thy walls are continually before me.

The savior’s atonement is even more powerful than a mothers love. When I think of all the things my mother has done for me…

· Staying up all night taking care of me when I was sick

· Crying with me when my heart was breaking

· Going without so I could have

· Investing all of her time and energy into my success

· Constantly cheering me on, even when I didn’t think I could make it

my heart is filled with gratitude for her. It amazes me that my savior feels a love for me even deeper than I can understand. A love even stronger than any I have experienced in this life. He has graven me upon the palms of His hands, and I KNOW that he will never forget me or forsake me.

I love Him. I love my parents that have always taught me about Him. I know my savior lives. I know that He loves me and you. And I know that we can be together with him and our Father in Heaven and the ones we love someday. I say these things in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

More Grey and Cream

I didn't notice that my necklace was a little crooked in the top picture until I downloaded it. Whoops! I gave this one away, but I may have to make another for myself.

Please Scroll Down

As per usual, I just created half a dozen posts in one day to catch up for the whole week.  Sigh.  Perhaps one day I'll be on top of things and actually post as I go.  I got the chandelier pendant out of the bargain bin.  I LOVE clearance items.  I like how the rest of the necklace imitates a chandelier.  For some reason it posted sideways, but I was tired of fighting with it so I just left it that way.  Haha.  I'll try to remember to post a picture of me wearing it. 

I do Love a Locket

Though I haven't worn one in years, I found the locket in the bargain bin and decided it would be fun to make a necklace with it.  My favorite metal lately: antique copper!  Doorhandles, jewelry, keys, clocks, curtain rods, pots and pans ... all are especially beautiful when found in antique copper.  I use it ALL THE TIME in my scrapbooking (brads, hinges, photo clips and such) but I am recently a fan of wearing it as well.  At first I was resistant because I wanted all of my jewelry to match my wedding ring (white gold), but have since decided that maybe I try to match too much.  So I have a few antique copper projects in the work. 

Belt

I really like the way this turned out!  I was originally going to put pearls or something in the center, but I kind of like it just how it is.

Photo Shoot

I took photos of my good friends little boys yesterday.  Here is one of my favorites.  It is so cute to watch these boys play together.  They are such good friends.

Organizing

I wanted a way to display some of the pretty jewelry/headbands I have made so I can enjoy them even when I'm not wearing them.  This is what I came up with.  I like that the cork board imitates my cubby storage.

One Year Ago

Today I was wondering about where I was one year ago today.  I decided to flip through my photos to see, and I realized that last year on May second, I was at the tulip festival in Thanksgiving Point, Utah with Spencer and some of our best friends.  Looking at these photos was a bittersweet experience.  We made lots of good memories in Utah.  Sometimes I get a little bit homesick being so far away from family.  But, I take comfort in knowing that the the best is ALWAYS yet to be!
Who knew that the bend in the road would lead here to Wichita Falls, Texas?  Not me.  But I know that this is where we are supposed to be.  And I love it here.

Mothers Day Gift?