benches

Thank you, James, for these incredible new benches you made for us! I love them! You did an incredibly beautiful job!
Next, a table?

A Teenager?!

Kelsey Anna Sierra came into this world 13 years ago today! I am completely and utterly flabbergasted as to how quickly the last 13 years have flown past. She has grown into a young lady! She wears my shoes, my skirts, my shirts and my socks (give them back!). She reads more books than I could ever keep track or count. She writes pages and pages of stories every day! She cooks and cleans ( I just wish she would do it cheerfully), and last night she baked a banana cream pie almost by herself for her birthday "cake". It was SO delicious! She is sweet and loving, when she wants to be, because yes, she is very much a teenager! Today, she can truly say it in number.
I love you my Kelsey Belle!!! May God grant you many years!!!

Our Church Fundraiser

The women in our Women's Fellowship group have been working for months to get ready for our 2nd annual Christmas Boutique. Last year we crafted on what each of us specialized in, donated our goods and set up a table where we sold our crafts during coffee hour for 5 or 6 Sundays leading up to Nativity. This year we decided to see how it would be if we had a Saturday Holiday Boutique open to the public. So we worked even harder! Being that it was our first year, we are a very small mission fairly unknown in town, and there were 4 other Christmas type bazaars in town on the same day I think we do alright. We'll be running our table during the next 6 coffee hours to sell what's left (lots).
I decided to take a bunch of pictures of the goods we've created. We've got some pretty talented ladies in the Church. Here I am to show you some wonderful Christmas gift Ideas. If you would like to do some Christmas shopping for Quality Handmade Gifts AND support our small missions land/building fund(we are currently leasing in a business park) you've come to the right spot. ALL proceeds go the land/building fund. I would gladly ship anywhere in the USA for just a small fee (flat rate $1.99). If you would like to see closer pictures I can email them to you. Each picture below has descriptions and prices. Click the images to enlarge and see the items closer for details. Please feel free to contact me with any questions! susansophia.f[at]gmail[dot]com

First up, Resuable Gift Wrap and Bags. These are fabric gift wraps and gift bags with ribbon to tie them. Reusable year after year. There are several different patterns to choose from. Each set typically has 1-3 wraps, 1-2 bags and ribbon for each. Each is a packet of several. Some are a set of 2 (wrap or bag or both) for $5. Set of 3 (wraps and bags) for $8, and set of 4 (wraps and bags) for $10.

The earrings below are made with sterling silver hoops and beautiful colorful beads. Click to enlarge photo for better view. Handmade! $20 each.

These are some of the best dishcloths I've ever owned! I got a bunch for Christmas last year from my kids who shopped the sale. I LOVE THEM. They are small, tight crochet and they last forever. So soft but not flimsy. I hope I get many more this year. There are tons of colors available and you can even order certain colors to be made if you don't see what you want.
$3 or 2 for $5

These scrubbies have a crocheted circular dishcloth sewed on the one side. So your scrubbie has a soft side and scrub side. $3

There are several things here to point out (click the picture to enlarge).
First, in the background you'll see 4 framed Quillings: salmon($25), flowers($15), farm($25), flower basket($15). Next right under the salmon quilling you have Reusable Produce Bags. You can use these when buying your produce instead of those plastic bags that just fill the landfill. $2 each. Next to that you have a stack of Shoe Bags. These are so cute, they look like a little pair of pants, but they hold your shoes when you need to pack them up in a suitcase. Many colors to choose from. $4 each. Next to that you some Jean Bibs that my 12 year old daughter made. $4 each.

Lavender Bath Salts & Foot Soak. Click on image to enlarge and read the description.
$8

Gifts in a Jar! These are meant for the Slow Cooker but could be adapted for oven or stove top. They are $10 each. These are the meals that are available: Black Bean Chili, Ham Hock Stew, Rice Pudding, Old-Fashioned Brown Bread, and Red Beans and Rice.

These are an artisan type of box hat. They are cleverly made reversible and are absolutely beautiful! $25

Lavender Sache $3

Crocheted Water Bottle Holder, water bottle included. If you have certain color schemes you are looking for we can see about making them. For example school colors, or sports team colors. $12 each

Crocheted and Wool Felt Handbag. Fairly small these are currently holding perfectly, a notebook/journal. $20

This is our pet section. In the basket are handmade catnip toys. The catnip is home grown. $3 each. Then we have a quilted dog blanket/bed and quilted cat blanket/bed. $20.

Here we have Beaded Bookmarks. This first picture isn't very good but it gives you the length and look of these beautiful bookmarks. The next picture is a bit closer to see more detail. $8 each.

That's it folks. Thanks for browsing and if you have any questions please feel free to ask.

Tips for fighting colds!

These are my tips and I am not a doctor, but these are things that have definitely worked in our home time and again!!! I really swear by them. These tips are mainly to fight colds: sore throat, coughs, etc.
The earlier you start these when symptoms appear the better.

1. Squeeze half a lemon, add enough honey and water to make it palatable. Drink several times a day. The sooner you do this after the first hint of sore throat or scratchy throat the better. A hot cup of water, with a whole squeezed lemon with honey is nice alternative, hot lemon tea. It's good.
2. Start taking echinacea with the first symptoms of cold or flu. This is an immune booster. It is known to shorten the length of illness. Studies at the UofW, have shown this. (Wish I had a link to the study, James, can you find one?) Take no more than 2 weeks.
3. Garlic is a well known anti-viral, anti-bacterial. Take as raw as you can. I make garlic oil and sneak into the shot glass of echinacea juice for my kids. Yes, the older ones notice the floating but it's medicine...put a little honey in it and they won't complain too much. "A spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down."

Some other tips I've found to work:
If you child complains of ear pain, make or get some garlic oil and put a few drops in the complaining ear. In no time at all the pain is gone.

My friend Carrie has posted on Immune Boosters to fight the flu! Check it out!
The healthier you are inside the easier it is to fight any bugs trying to make their way in.

Again, I'm not a doctor, these are tips I've found after researching on my own. You can do some research as well: Herbal Remedies for colds. Yes, it is not "orthodox medicine" but after trying, I've changed my mind.

Fathers (and mothers)

>For Father's Day this year Kelsey Anna spent a great deal of time creating a music CD to give to James. She spent her money at iTunes and searched through our CD's picking songs that seemed to fit a father/daughter theme. She did an incredible job. I just recently really started listening to this CD and I've got to say it really makes me think. Mostly about how fast my kids are growing up, how much time I waste during these years that I have with them. In no time flat they will be grown and on their own. There is one song in particular that has me in tears nearly every time because it is actually written from a daughter to her mother. It's a Taylor Swift song but it isn't one that has ever been released like on the radio. It's called The Best Day. What gets me about this song is the relationship between mother and daughter. I want desperately to have my daughters look back when they are older and say just this! Will they? I'm really not sure. I think I really need to sit back and relax! Relax about all the tiny details that I fuss about all the time. Relish in this VERY SHORT time I will have with them to build a loving relationship. Stop worrying about every little detail and when I do....give it to God and know that He is all merciful, all gracious and in control of everything. By His grace it will all be okay.


Smile and laugh with them. Have fun learning with them, instead of looking at it as a chore. All too soon, this time will be over, but being their mother will never end. I want them to always know they are loved. And I only have one chance.