Starting Today...

We are going to build a well.

You are going to build a well.

(photo courtesy of Jody Landers)

Because we can.

Because you can.

How?

Right now sweet, generous, creative and caring women from all over the country are sewing, knitting, painting, shopping, blogging, praying.

Donating.

Over 100 items.

Handmade and heartfelt happiness.

Starting

December 14th

and ending

December 18th

Project 320

will be holding a virtual raffle.

10 prize bundles.

Each $10 donation to the well

earns one virtual ticket.

You get to choose how many "tickets" to buy

and which prize package you want to win.

On December 21st we will "draw" ten winners.

But most of all,

we will celebrate the victory.

The promise of clean water for a village.

Life.

Are you excited?

You should be!!!!

Because it is going to be awesome.

Spread the word.

We're Ready...

The cookies are made...
cookies and frosting in the middle...
yum!

The muddy buddies are waiting...
powdery and chocolatey...

The decorations are waiting to
adorn a beautiful graham cracker house...

The graham crackers are awaiting their frosting cement
to become beautiful creatvie creations...
stuck together with melted sugar...

The snowflake decorations are hung...

And the party attire is on...

Now we are just waiting for our bestest friends
to come and party it up!
We are so excited to start this new tradition
of decorating gingerbread houses...
well, graham cracker houses!!

After pictures are sure to come!

Also -
Allikaye's dance recital is Saturday!
I am so excited...
her outfit made me cry...
tears of complete and utter love and joy!

xoxo

Gingerbread Girl!

I am in lalalalove with this
Gingerbread girl shirt I just made!!
It may be because I have been cooped in...
thanks to the f.r.e.e.z.i.n.g snowy weather outside...
but I just can't get enough of this shirt!

Here's the lowdown on how to make this sweetie!
First I had printed Allikaye some coloring sheets,
which gave me the idea.
I used it as my template,
there's a boy and a girl!
Go here.
Then I traced it onto some felt...
20 cents at Walmart!

Then I sewed on some pretty ric rac...
I just love me some pretty ric rac!

After I sewed on a smile..with black felt...
I hand-sewed some sequin buttons for this pretty girl...
Starry Cat wanted to help...

Then added some more sequins for the eyes!

Next I sewed this gingerbread chick
right on to Allikaye's pretty pink shirt!

But I thought she needed a little more girly accessory
on that bald head...
so a bow was perfect!

How cute!!!
Allikaye lalaloves it just as much as me!

We are having a Gingerbread House Decorating Party
on Friday over here...
so this will be the PERFECT shirt
for the festivities!!

Oh yeah!

Advent Time Tradition...

A tradition that Matt and I wanted

to definitely carry on with our Allikaye
is our nightly advent time.

I love that our time isn't focused
on getting a treat every day...
even though we do that too - it just isn't the focus.
It is focused on the reason we have Christmas and celebrate it!

We have a Jesse Tree...
which is just a smaller Christmas tree.
But the only thing that goes on this tree
are our advent ornaments.
One ornament is placed on the tree
every night after our devotion.
I made our ornaments out of felt this year...
I am about two days ahead with making them
so I am sewing away!

The world was the first devotion...
we read from Genesis
and talked about how God created everything!
Next comes the apple...
and the rainbow
(representing what it was made to represent!).

I just love this time!
Here is a link to where we get our devotions.

I had to put this picture in from last year...
she loves her advent time too!

We also light our advent log.

Matt's dad made this for us after we were married,
carrying on Matt's family tradition.

A white candle is lit everyday,
red on Sundays,
and on Christmas all the candles are lit!
So pretty
and special!!
Sorry about the blurry pic!
We always end our time with Christmas carols...
or lately...
Matt and me singing
while Allikaye dances and twirls around!

This is such an amazing season
and it takes us to be purposeful about
focusing on what we should be focused on!

Couldn't resist...
here's another pic from last year!
Ah! She was so small!!

p.s.
I added 2 scarves
and camera strap covers
to my etsy shop...
just for fun.

Super quick...

Happy post-Thanksgiving!

We had a crazy post weekend over here...
but happily decorated the casa for Christmas!
Yippee!
Love how cozy the tree and garlands and wreaths make everything feel!
Here are some sneaks of the happy things around here...

I also took advantage of the hubby being home
and whipped up lots of scarves!
Here is a super dorky cheesy picture I took of myself...
you can also see the camera strap cover I made!
Okay...so here are 3 shots from our Thanksgiving...
Here are my pretty curly haired sis-in-laws,
SWEET Baby Anna,
and the straight haired Allikaye and me.

Auntie Katie with her 2 nieces!

Here's the little turkey herself!

Hope you all had a great weekend!
Tomorrow is December!
Love it!!
Oh, and happy advent time!!!
I wrote about our Jesse Tree Advent
Devotions here...from last year!

Follow the star...

This past weekend was the 74th Annual
Castle Rock Star Lighting.
It is our favorite!
We go downtown,
get hot chocolate,
chat with friends and fam,
sing some Christmas carols...
and await the countdown to the lighting of the
big star on top of Castle Rock.

We began with a puppet show at the library...
Notice, Ariel came along, beside Allikaye.
Grandma and Popa were loving the puppet show too..
mmm hmmm.

I love sharing memories with this chick...

Here is mama and girl waiting for the Castle Rock Bell Ringers
to perform...

And here is the star...
lit every year since 1936!
I l-o-v-e stars for many reasons.
During this season it is such an incredible
reminder of the Light and sacrifice that was sent down
on Christmas.

"We saw HIS STAR in the east
and have come to worship him"
Mathew 2:2

Also...
since it is Thanksgiving week...
I made this silly little turkey shirt for
Allikaye to wear on Thursday...

Traced her sweet little hands,
added button eyes and a waddle.

Gobble...Gobble...

Sew What...

Hello sewing machine.
I have missed you.
Even though I didn't even realize it.
I'm sorry for the neglect.
I am a stay at home mom now,
which means I can now be your friend again.

I have youtubed how to thread you.
And really you have opened up a whole
new world of crafting for me.
Is all this in the Mr. Budget?

Here is the inspiration...
Julie at Joy's Hope.
I love this girl!
She has been a great bloggy friend for a bit now...
so when she told us "non-sewing peeps"
to get off our seats and sew...
I said...um...ok.
So I joined her scarf along!!

Here are my nice beautiful cut fabric pieces...
ready for my scarf.
I got the fabric from Material Gal on Etsy.
Oh my...I love this fabric!
Look at the dots and birdcages!!

Our first week of homework was
to get to know our sewing machines.
After some choice words and the youtube videos...
I became a friend to my dusty old Singer.

I went a little sewing crazy!
First I made this easy and cheap and cute
bandanna dress!
eeeee...I love it!

And then I tried out a reverse applique...
and then after this little lopsided 'A'...
I made 3 more for Christmas presents!!

Thank you, sewing machine.
You are going to be a great friend for this mama.

If you know of any easy tutorials
for me...hook it up!
I want to learn and make more!!