sparkly

R and I started supporting two little girls from Central and South America through Compassion International last year, a Christian organization that helps provide kids' basic needs (food, clothes, education) along with a church program, kind of like VBS, that encourages the kids Biblically. The cool thing is that we can encourage them too, through letters and e-mails!

Getting their little letters in return is definitely the highlight--their Spanish letters, written in their own hand, is adorable. Their names are Monica and Maria--Monica is from El Salvador, and her mom mostly writes to us as she just turned 5; she does color us great pictures though! Maria (who's 7) is from Ecuador, and has written us a couple of letters. They both have birthdays this spring, so I made them birthday cards today.

I learned the hard way that you shouldn't emboss on felt-like material...The first time with this white ribbon, it totally curled up and burned! Oops! I opted to just sprinkle some glitter over the stamped "happy" instead. I think it will stay pretty well.

For the "happy" stamped background on the other card, I mixed my foam white embossing powder with some glittery embossing powder...Hard to tell here, but it gives off just the right amount of sparkle.

Birthday cards = glitter = happy! Hope you're having a great weekend!

i guess we'll have salad...

So last night, I had no idea what to make for dinner. I usually fall back on pasta dishes (luurve spaghetti), so I did yet again. I made spaghetti with ground beef and spaghetti sauce, with some cilantro added. I also made a salad to go with our sketti with whatever ingredients we had, and it was awesome.

QUICK SALAD

Iceberg lettuce

English cucumber, thinly sliced

Red peppers, diced

Seedless red grapes, halved

A couple spoonfuls of Victoria Cilantro salsa

Enjoy!

pleased.

Finally, it's done! I think she'll make a perfect book bag. I'm not so sure about the button--I loved it with this fabric, but I'm not sure it's the right scale. What do you think?

I should've added a snap/velcro to the outside pocket as well, but I was so excited to finish it I kind of overlooked it; it gaps pretty severely if I have anything in it. But other than the button (maybe) and the pocket snap, I think she's good to go. So happy!

Bag front...

Bag back.

And some new fabric for yet another project. Be well!

second breakfast + The Bag

I went for my first outside run last night, and took Dex dog with me. (He was immensely helpful on the hills. :) We went around the neighborhood--about 2 miles, calculated on Google maps!--and I am feelin' it today. I forgot how difficult running outside is compared to the treadmill.

I woke up starving, so I made some peanut butter toast...I'm also looking forward to having some oatmeal with pepitas (punkin seeds), brown sugar, and cinnamon! I'll eat this around 10 AM or so at work. (Did you know that 1 tsp of cinnamon = the same amount of antioxidants in 1/4 cup of blueberries?) I completely appreciate the concept of 2nd breakfast (thanks, Tolkien)--I don't think I could wait until lunch otherwise!

Here's the latest update on The Bag:

I've sewn the bottom on, and sewed the lining... now I need to figure out how to put it all together. I have a feeling I will be unstitching the lining--boo--but I didn't understand the pattern, and Mom and I kind of thought we could figure it out on our own. We'll see; I'm hoping to work on it tonight.

Happy Friday to you! Be well!

busy as a robin

American Robin, Wikipedia

I woke up this morning to fervent chirping. As I was getting my oatmeal ready, and heating up water for tea, I let Dex out and saw a large congregation of birds in our neighbor's backyard...Tons and tons of Robins! Their pudgy little red bellies were everywhere. Our neighbors have bird feeders and bird baths, and have a gorgeous yard in the spring and summer, which I'm sure is stocked to the 9's with ripe worms. Bird paradise.

I eventually took Dex for our morning walk, and saw more Robins along the way. I held my breath a little as I saw yellow, white, and purple crocus beginning to sprout from my neighborhood yards. I wish I had taken my camera! Can it really be spring already? We've hardly had a winter! 

We made our way back home, and Dex and I ran up to our front garden, curious to see if any of our own tulips or spring flowers have begun to pop yet. A few have, but they're just green tips so far. Somewhat relieved I hadn't missed our first colors of Spring, I let Dex off his leash and we sat on the front porch steps for a few minutes. These verses came to mind as I sat pondering, and I was so pleased to look them up once we went inside:

"But now ask the beasts, and let them teach you; and the birds of the heavens, and let them tell you... Who among all these does not know that the hand of the Lord has done this [created the world], in whose hand is the life of every living thing, and the breath of all mankind?" -Job 12:7-10

Watching these birds flutter about, and Dex enjoy the morning sunshine with his tongue out and eyes gleaming, reminded me that the Lord is good. And what He has created is beautiful and majestic, even in my humble little neighborhood. We live in a fallen, soiled world, and even nature itself realizes God is who He is, and yearns for the day when things are made perfect again (Romans 8:22). Dex is a crazy dog, but he's living as God made him. :) These little robins are nesting and working quickly about, because this is how God made them.

How much more should I realize who the Lord is and live wisely, as He has purposed me to do? I've heard the quote, "the earth laughs in flowers"... But I also think the earth reveals the Lord's glory in flowers, and for that I am thankful.

"I am still confident of this: I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living." -Psalm 27:13