Where Does the time go?

I cannot believe it has been over a month since I have been here.  I love blogging, I just find myself with so many irons in the fire these days that blogging has taken a back seat to everything else.
I am deep into fund raising for my upcoming trip to Africa.  I have a tentative date of November 2014 set for it.
I have a goal of taking 1000 dresses with me for the little girls I meet while I am there.  I sew with an organization called Dress a Girl International. Their goal is that every little girl should have a pretty dress.  We make very simple dresses and we give them wherever we see a need. In a third world country, one of our little dresses may also act as an insurance policy for the child wearing it.  Often children are stolen and sold into the sex trade.  It is known that little girls wearing the dresses we sew are less likely to be stolen because they look like they have someone who cares for and would miss them.  http://www.dressagirlaroundtheworld.com/

In my desire to take 1000 dresses with me, I have had a website created giving you the opportunity to sponsor as many dresses as you would like for the little girls in Tanzania and Congo where I hope to be traveling. Dresses for sponsorship
If I am able to sponsor all 1000 dresses, I will be able to take between 12 and 15 thousand dollars with me to fund the projects I am connected with over there.
One of my current ideas is to present fashion shows highlighting the dresses I will be taking with me. I would love to have the opportunity to do so at ladies luncheons and parties in the coming year. I can do this easily here in the Pacific Northwest, but am also willing to travel outside of my comfort zone to do so.  I have the ability to fly for free so I can go almost anywhere I am asked to come.  Perhaps you would consider hosting a "fashion show" at one of your future luncheons.  You can contact me through my website.  My phone number is there.

Below are three dresses I will be taking with me.  Just a sample of what is available for sponsorship.

Wordless Wednesday Autumn Serinity

Applesauce or Apple Juice?

Life..............

Dress A Girl Dress I made this week.  The top is crocheted by my daughter Karyn and I added the skirt.
This dress was sponsored for $15.00 about 20 minutes after I posted it on Face Book.  Thank you Katie Cunningham.

Dress A Girl dress I made last week.  I cut a toddlers T-shirt just 1.5 inches below the sleeve opening and added the skirt.  This dress was actually sponsored before it was made.
Thank you Claudia Cope

Looking North up the Swinomish Channel in LaConner Washington.  A sweet little town that is a delight to visit.

Looking South on the Swinomish Channel in LaConner Washington
The Rainbow bridge that crosses the channel in the background.

My Sister Jacque

A very favorite picture of my family.
Taken in December of 2011.  We knew Kris was sick and had a very short time left with us.

It seems once you fall out of the blogging groove, it can be difficult to get back in.  I am posting a few pictures of my life in recent days.  Of course they have been filled with caring for grandchildren and great grandchildren. I have squeezed in some sewing and spent one day cleaning my house with the help of my friend Rebecca.
My sister Jacque who is suffering from cancer has been at my house for the past week.  She generally lives in Seattle with one of her daughters. Last week she went to the hospital for a transfusion and they discovered she had pneumonia. After a couple of days in the hospital she came out here. This is the third time she has come and stayed a week with me because she has difficulty breathing in Seattle. She was very weak when she came out, but she seems to gain in strength. Having her here isn't any problem at all.  She can do most things for herself, spends her time in her bed or in the living room on the couch. The only added work is the small meals she needs through out the day. She will be returning to Seattle on Tuesday as she needs treatment again during the week. She was getting a bit stir crazy (a good sign) on Saturday so we took a drive North and West to the little village of LaConner.  It is a fun touristy town. It was a warm day and we took a very short walk along the shore of the Swinomish Channel. We both were pretty tired by the time we got home.
The web site for my Africa trip is up and running. http://www.netturtlestudios.com/evy/   I have about 100 dresses I need to take pictures of and get loaded onto the site. The sponsorship program is going very well.  Since I announced it in early August, I have received $1000.00 in sponsorship.  Only $14,000.00 to go. I will be doing a presentation at my church this coming Sunday.
I included the picture of my family because it makes me so happy every time I see it. The way we were. It was a happy bittersweet day.  Knowing we would never have a complete family photo done again and being together as an entire family having a great day together.

Lunch bags my daughter Gina and I made for her children.

One I made for the neighbor girl for her birthday.
Now I have one in process for granddaughter Olivia.  Can't make one for Kate and not for her.

Isabella not appreciating in any way taking a bath in Gramma's sink.

A bag I made my friend.

It folds flat and to about the size of the little brown pocket on the front so you can tuck it into your purse for when you go grocery shopping.

New couch.  You can see where I tuck my laptop when I am not using it too.

So, probably I should head to bed as I know I have another very busy week ahead of me this coming week too.  Gotta get some much needed rest.

I will leave you with...........................................................

The obligatory shot of Pepper.
She lost her perch on the big comfy green couch.  I tried to make her comfortable on the table but she will have nothing to do with it.

Eight months, but ain't no one counting

Zip Line on Camano Island.  Fall of 2012

Memorial Day Weekend.  A fun weekend tradition with their friends.

2012

With her youngest son Andrew

With her niece Olivia.  It was Olivia's turn to create a Chemo Buddy.

Sick as she was, she always had a smile. But she cried too, yes she did.  She did not want to die.  She wanted to watch her sons grow up, finish their educations and marry. She wanted to grow old with Joseph, now he will grow old without her.
I did not have any favorite children. They all are very unique people who hold a special place in my heart. I am proud of each of them for the strong beautiful people they matured into. That special place Kris held in my heart is still there.  I am stuffing it full of memories, happy ones of her smiling and having fun. I miss her with my entire being and I know I will until the day we are together again in Heaven.
Eight months but who is counting.................

I kind of had a little dry spell

But, I am back for now. It might be a bad idea to try to catch up in one post, but here goes.
With my fundraising project, 30 dresses are now sponsored.  That means I only have to find sponsors for 970 more dresses.

 A person that I went to High School with sent me a check for $100.00. She said she wanted to help me dress the little boys and felt it would be better to send the money than try to buy things and mail them to me from Arkansas. This week, I went to JC Penny's and purchased 14 little shirts for $1.97 each. I do not have pictures of some others I also purchased, but of the $100.00, I have spent just over $50.00.

 I also had $30.00 in Kohl's bucks so I spent them on these shirts and one pair of shorts.  I paid $4.80 for the shirts and $1.97 for the shorts.  The shirts are in sizes that will fit the bigger boys.  The total came to about $32.00. As I was digging for the extra $2.00, I saw the register total go to $0.00.  We had been talking about why I was buying the shirts and this kind lady discounted the amount over $30.00. I have to tell you that I keep running into this type of giving on a regular basis.

 This is a dress I made by cutting the bottom from a tank top that I purchased on clearance from Kohl's and adding a skirt.  I still need to press the seams, but I was anxious to share it.
My sister Susan has a store in a little town called LaConner which is about 50 miles North of Seattle. It is on the Swinomish Channel. It is a favorite Saturday destination.  She took four of my dresses to her shop and offered them for sponsorship.  I went up to her store today and collected over $100.00 that people have given to sponsor. Some one and some two dresses.  It all adds up and confirms to me that God is blessing this project.
My cousin has created a website for me. It is not complete, but you can visit it at: http://www.netturtlestudios.com/evy/.  Eventually, I will have all of the dresses available for sponsorship featured there.  We have a couple of typos to correct and some other minor tweaking to do.
                                          
 I almost always take my camera with me when I go for a drive. Going to LaConner was no exception. Pepper and I took a little walk while my sister was busy with customers in her store.  This stairway is directly across the street from Susan's shop Remember Me.

 They lead up the hill to this house.  Which coincidentally is for sale.  It is a lovely little town if anyone is interested.

 I walked down to the waterfront and took this picture of the Rainbow Bridge, which connects the lands on either side of the Channel.

 My sister Susan's shop Remember Me. A sweet little shop filled with consignments and her own items. Antique and new. Furniture to small household items and knick knacks. She has also featured my knit items in her store.

To get to LaConner, you pass through some of Western Washngton's most fertile farm land. I saw acre upon acre of cabbage still maturing in the fields.

 I also saw many fields that have been harvested and put to sleep for the coming spring.

 And other fields that were being readied for the Spring planting.

 The road that this field was on is a very narrow windy road with absolutely no place to pull off of.  Luckily, it is not a well traveled road and I was able to stop and roll down my window to get this shot. It is a corn field that has been harvested.

 A tumble down barn on the corner where the road I was on connected with the main road.

Almost back out to the freeway, I came upon this tractor on the road. A common site in the farmland.

Yes, I did take its picture through my windshield as I was approaching it.  Maybe not the safest thing to do, but I really wanted to document it too, as a part of my drive today.

What did you do with your weekend?

Knowing you are in God's will

The post before this one, I talked about my upcoming trip to Africa.  Actually, I will probably be talking about it a lot as time goes by.
So, how do I know I am in God's will?
Let me tell you!
On Sunday, our family held their First Annual Semi Annual baby shower.  We have a huge family and babies are coming faster than we can throw baby showers together. So we just took last Sunday to honor 6 new babies.  Three are here and three are yet to be born.  We had a great time, enjoying babies, each other, the food and the sun.  I did not take any pictures though. Guess I was having to much fun. But, before I left home, I felt the need to load up my dresses and my knits and to take them with me.  I fought back and forth with myself over it and finally came to the conclusion that I was being directed to take them, that I needed to be obedient. After all of the mommies opened their gifts and we were relaxing and chatting, I brought out my dresses and knits.
I explained to my family about the Dress a Girl project and how I was looking for sponsors for all 1000 dresses I plan to take with me to Tanzania.  I had 12 dresses with me and every one of them was sponsored. I also sold one of my hats to a young woman that came as a guest of my sister. I left the party with $200.00 in my pocket and a song in my heart!!
Through out the week, I have gotten pledges of more money and received a check in the mail for $100.00. I also got an e-mail from a classmate from high school who currently lives in Florida.  She said she has been feeling a burden for the little boys and instead of buying and sending me clothes she planned to send me a check. I truly feel God has directed this project and am trusting that it will go all the way. To Him is all the Praise and Glory!

 These pictures were taken at the refugee camps I visited four years ago.

 The kids followed me around asking me to take pictures of them.

 Those who have survived are now four years older, but still in desperate need.

 I have to do all I can to help them. I pray you will want to join me in my efforts.

Not a Wordless post, but Very Important to Me............Africa trip and Dress a Girl around the World

Dress a Girl Album on Face Book

My Africa trip is just a year away and I still need LOTS of money

I am taking a page from the book of another Dress A Girl seamstress who just made a trip to Uganda. She offered her dresses for sponsorship. I will soon be setting up a page with pictures of dresses that you will have the opportunity to sponsor.
Here is what we will do, you can choose as many dresses as you would like to sponsor. Let me know which one(s). Sponsorship will be $15.00 for one dress and $25.00 for two, so you could sponsor four for $50.00. With your sponsorship, you can send me a picture of you or your family, whatever and a short note of encouragement to the child that will receive your dress. I will place them with your dress for the child. You could possibly enclose a very small trinket if you wish. I will stress though, very small.
Payment can be made by sending me a check made payable to Bryant Community Church with a notation in the memo portion. Africa project.
I also have a pay pal account that you can use if you prefer. However, by sending it to the Church, you will be able to write it off as a donation.
I hope to take 1000 dresses with me, so conceivably we could take $15,000.00 with us. Just think of the church we could build in Congo in honor of my friend Reverend Mwenebolongo and................all of the other help we can do with it! I am stoked and I pray you will be as well 

This is one of the dresses I make for the Dress A Girl project.  This one is made from fat quarters. I used four different prints for this particular dress.  It has been sponsored, but if you click on the link above, you can see pictures of some of the other dresses I have made.  Some have already been donated, and some are still available for sponsorship.  I will be making a new page where the dresses that are available for sponsorship will be featured. Please visit and donate as you are led to.
Thank you all!

Thrifting

I was down in Marysville this week, so I took advantage of having no Grands with me to stop at Value Village.  Thank you Marlene for talking me into giving up my prejudice against that particular store. Now I can't stay out of if.  I think my pocket book may have been better off, had I not listened to you. 

Well, anyway, I have this darling little cookie jar that my daughter Tricia bought me several years ago.  I absolutely love it. I cringe every time a child touches it. I am so worried one of them will drop the lid on my granite counter and break it.  Oh the hold possessions takes on one! Anyway, there was a time it was nearly always full of chocolate chip cookies.  Not so much any more. My granddaughter Breanne still checks every time she comes over though.  I should surprise her and fill it up again.

So, at Value Village this week, what should pop out at me but this sweet tray to serve my chocolate chip cookies on!! Of course I had to have it!  It called my name and I could not put it down.  I think I may get a hanger and hang it on the wall beside my jar.  It is just too cute!

I really do like kitchy kitchen things. My cupboards are filling up and one day my girls will be going through it wondering why I ever bought the things I have poked away for my enjoyment.

I am just a small time hoarder.

I am planning a luncheon with my lady friends next month and I really do think sweet little treats on this dish will be a part of the table.