DIY Vintage Fabric Flower

     Like I said yesterday... this is the fabric hair piece.  I was inspired by my friend Alisa to make some throwback 1940's accessories.  She hand crafts beautiful hair pieces with a complete vintage look.   But I wanted to make some for the little lady in my life.  Because I lack fashion-adventure, but love the idea of trying my ideas out on my 4 month old!  So here's what I came up with:  I started by finding a feminine fabric from the local craft store.  I kept being drawn to some cute pop-shop colored fabrics, so I had to keep telling myself "think YOUR grandmother".  I found this simple rose pattern from the 'fat corners' scrap section. Figured it would be a good one to try out.  

     I used one of our wine glasses to trace 6 circles with a pencil, then cut them out.  My wine glass was 2 1/2" in diameter... you could probably go anywhere from 2 to 3 inches though.  Just look around your kitchen!

     Then I folded each circle in half, then in half again, to make what I called a 'fortune cookie'.  Then you'll want to begin arranging each fortune cookie: folded edge inside the open part of the one before.  Pin them as you go to keep them in place. I'll admit, it took me several attempts to get them somewhat equal, stick with it and don't give up!

     Then I used a tiny scrap of ribbon to sew on the backside, attaching the ribbon to all the inner points of my cookies, and in doing so, sewing them into place.  I'm most definitely NOT a seamstress, but thankfully you won't have to see the mess I make on the final product!  You could use anything to do this, it doesn't have to be ribbon, be creative!  Since ribbon frays, I always use a clear top-coat of nail polish to seal the edges.

     Then I found these button covers... DISCLAIMER: THEY ARE VERY FUN AND ADDICTING!  I only wish I could have found them in a pack of 50!

     I followed the instructions to make my own fabric covered button.  I think next time I might get creative and use different fabrics.

     Then sew the button onto the front of your cookie flower.

     Then, I covered an alligator clip... I decided to try not completely covering this one... thinking it might stay better in Shiloh's hair, and not slip as easy.  Then I hot glued the clip to the back of the piece.

     And presto!  A completely fun and sweet fabric hair piece, super vintage looking!  I absolutely LOVE it, so much so that I can't wait to make others, using different prints, and mixing up the style a bit!  And I think I just might end up wearing it more than Shiloh!

Have fun!

DIY Baby Flower Headbands

     After teaching on the DTS, I was given an Amazon gift card.  And like any new mom, I shopped for new shoes for me, and hair accessories for my daughter.  But when I saw that it would cost me $10 + shipping for one hair piece, I quickly rushed to the store to buy $5 of supplies to make several of my own.

     First off, you'll want to go to your local craft store, and find a silk flower that you like.  The rose was only $1.99, and the other one was $1.00.  Next, disassembly the flower bloom portion, taking each layer of petals apart.  Then I reassembled them, using a hot glue gun.  I couldn't find my girlie pink glue gun... so I stole my husbands surfboard-repair one, as long as it heats, I'm not picky!

     With the flowers looking perfectly perfect, I then took an alligator clip (you can find them at the craft store also for under $3.00) and covered it with 3/8" grosgrain ribbon.  You'll want to line the ribbon with hot glue, and first attach it to the inside of the top of your clip.  Then add more glue, and fold the ribbon over the top, gluing it to the outside top portion of the clip.  Keep your ribbon moving around the clip, gluing it to the pinch part, then around the bottom of the clip, and I finish by wrapping it back inside, and gluing it completely.  The clip should be covered.  Its not crucial that it looks perfectly polished, just covered.  

     I chose to do the first clip covered in white ribbon, but for the second flower, I wanted to use a bright pink. 

     The next step is attaching your beautiful flower to the clip.  Just place a line of hot glue on the top of the clip, and then press your blossom firmly onto it.  Voile!  Now you have a beautiful flower hair clip!

     It can be worn alone, or clipped to a headband.  I happen to love the headband look, and had a few simple crocheted ones, so I clipped each flower to it.

     Next, a fashion show and photo shoot is in order!  Shiloh was kind enough to model her new accessories... and the stem from the original flower made a great toy...

Happy flower making!  I promise its super easy.... and looks totally adorable!  Tomorrow:   ....a fabric hair piece.

Photo Fun

     We treated ourselves to a complete lazy Sunday... slept in, made blueberry crepes, stayed in our pj's, lounged, watched TWO movies, and munched on cheese. So when I saw how beautiful and sunny it was in the late afternoon, I decided, 'why not take Shiloh to the park for a photo shoot?'  So Brandon and I tossed on some non-pj clothes, and then put the little lady in a super adorable dress (thank you Bill & Cindy), and walked down to the little park near our home.  I think she was very happy to finally get outside... as was I... the fresh breeze felt sooo good!  Anyways, she was singing, sputtering, and coo-ing the whole time- such personality!

She.  Is.  So.  Yummy.

Only Admit One.

One of our dear friends, and returning speaker on our DTSes, has a sister (her name is Cherie) whom I've never met, but who has one of the coolest looking web pages I've seen.  Super artistic.

Only Admit One.

And as you can guess, it focuses on the youth of today and how to deal with the culture around us, and not losing our identity in the process.... well, she words it much better than I.  Just check it out: at onlyadmitone.com

And if you looove blogs, she has one as well, its onlyadmitone.blogspot.com

Remembering the Faces

Faces of the 9/11 victims

It happened 9 years ago today.  Lets remember to pray for their families, and for all the people who have sacrificed of themselves since then.

For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. 

~Romans 8:38-39

YWAM's 50th Jubilee Celebration

Loren Cunningham- the founder of Youth With A Mission

     For 3 days, we had the honor of joining with hundreds of other YWAMers from Mexico, California, Texas, and beyond, to celebrate YWAM's 50th year.  Loren and Darlene Cunningham have been spending all of 2010 traveling around the globe to key locations where YWAMers could gather together to celebrate.  YWAM San Diego/Baja hosted this one at their new Tijuana base in Rosarito, Mexico.  The property is half done, and half still in development.  But whew!  It was gorgeous.  The property sits up on a hill, overlooking the Pacific, and the facilities are excellently designed and built.  They even have plans for a soccer field and swimming pool.
     But enough about that, back to the celebration:  Sunday kicked it off with worship and a joyous welcome from Loren and Darlene.  It was touching to hear from them personally.  Then all day Monday and Tuesday we heard about God's goodness in the past within YWAM, His faithfulness in the present, and His vision for the future.  Looking back at the history of YWAM is always very encouraging.  It felt kinda like the days when I'd be sitting at my grandparents house and all of a sudden one of them would tell me a story from their younger days.  I loved hearing about what their life was like, what they did, and what their struggles were back then.  So, looking back at YWAM's history and hearing the stories straight from Loren and Darlene's mouth was very entertaining, and it gave me a perspective of just how truly good God has been as the many people of YWAM multiplied and reached into the corners of the world.
     Then we got to hear about what God has been faithfully doing at each of the bases represented.  So Will and Lori Barrow got to share about our base, and the things that God is activly doing.  Things like, our current DTS, Project 61 ministry's outreach to Haiti this November, and Brandon and my SFMI ministry to reach surfers and take them into missions.  You can check out more about our base at www.ywampismobeach.org .
     Lastly Loren spoke on some of the vision of what God is opening up for us as a mission to be involved with in the future.  Some of the most groundbreaking technology has been patented by YWAM and is going to be launching over the rest of this year and the next.  Technology to teach illiterate people how to read in 2 weeks.  That way they can then read the gospel message in their native language.  Technology to link surgeons with missionaries deep in the jungles.  Technology to bring together people from all over the world in a virtual classroom.  And its crazy to think that little ol' YWAM, a group of Christian believers, are pioneering this technology!
     The whole 50th celebration was very encouraging.  To meet fellow YWAMers from other places, and also to hear stories of how people's lives have been changed because of the Lord, touched my heart and encouraged me to grow in faith and trust.

All our staff, DTS students, and the Cunninghams

     A short little story..... Because of housing shortages during the 50th celebration, Brandon and I shared a room with another family on staff.  Their two little boys were super fun to live with for 3 days.  And Shiloh, as always, was a big hit with them.  One of the days I stayed back in our room as Shiloh and the boys were taking their afternoon naps.  When the older one woke up, he crawled up on the bed to sit with Shiloh.  He said to me, "I think she is telling me, 'I love you'." Hahaha.  Then he said, "You know what?  I think she wants me to sing her a song."  He then proceeds to sing in a quiet and sweet voice, "Batman, Batman, Baaaatman."  Too cute!

Mexico Outreach Mamacita

     Last Saturday our entire base (minus 2 staff) and the whole DTS caravanned down to Baja Mexico.  See every other year YWAM Pismo prays about where God would want us to go together and do an outreach. This year: Mexico.  So Brandon and I packed up and drove down to YWAM San Diego/Baja's Ensenada base to participate in our base outreach.  We were 10 staff and 8 students.  It was my first time to Ensenada, Brandon's second.  

Shiloh working real hard in Mexico.

     From my perspective, this outreach was the first for me as a mom... and I had no idea how it would look to have a baby with me.  First thing I noticed was a lifting of the desire to be everywhere, do everything, and reach everyone.  Which I didn't like.  I thought I would be kicking and screaming to go talk to the homeless on the red-light district, or begging to preach to the women at the rehab center.  But actually in almost every situation, I realized I would rather stay with Shiloh and take care of her, so that Brandon could go out and participate.  I am being re-defined in every way, and this was my first glimpse of how that re-defining would effect the times we'd be on an outreach.  It was actually my privilege to stay with Shiloh.  If I felt any sadness at all it was that I was missing out on seeing the students evangelize or minister to the people of Ensenada.  So my role may be to stay back, but I can contribute in other ways such as interceding in prayer!


     I am looking forward to Nicaragua.  Two entire months should allow me some new opportunities to be a mommy and reach the nations.  

Psalm 127:3 My children are a reward and gift from the Lord, and I will enjoy them.

Learning from Teaching

Last week both Brandon and I taught on the DTS. I spoke on the topic of Ethics/BioEthics and Brandon spoke on Ideas Having Consequences/the Sacred-Secular Dichotomy/ Worldview... Random sounding huh?

But believe us, its not so random. I was trying to hit on the fact that the Bible is truth and if it is truth then that truth would be evident all around us, that Truth is absolute, and then transitioned into how God views life. I opened up the second half of my teaching by giving a minute or two to present some of the current topics of Bio-Ethical discussion.... from things like cloning to genetic engineering. The church tends to always be 30 years or more behind those topics... and instead of being 'behind' pointing our fingers, we should be 'ahead' leading the way. I zoned in on abortion, euthanasia, in-vitro fertilization, stem cell research, gendercide, and then closed with population control.

Brandon picked up and finished the week with his series, which hit on how our beliefs and ideas have consequences and how they effect every decision we make. He also presented christianity not as a religion or relationship, but as a complete system of truth - the only one that aligns with reality. And then he transitioned into how we divide things in our minds and in our lives into two categories: sacred and secular. Nothing is labeled by God as sacred or secular, but everything we do, we are to do before the Lord. We are to be working to establish the kingdom of God on earth as it is in heaven, so everything is either consecrated to God or un-consecrated.

In preparing for the week, I know that both Brandon and I learned way more than we expected. It was such a humbling experience... HUMBLING HUMBLING HUMBLING... so much so that we felt more like a pupil rather than a teacher. And then looking back on the week, we were able to see ways and areas that we could drastically improve on and perhaps even expand on. We hope that in the future we could actually mesh the two together and teach side-by-side. Then be able to speak in different contexts, maybe a 20 minute message for a church, or an hour for a youth group, or again for another 12 hour DTS week.

It was a big leap for us to do this... we both know that we are "teachers"... but for me this was the first time to actually step out and teach. As for Brandon, he's a vet. Well, not really a vet, but this was his third time! We pray that God used us to educate, sharpen, and challenge the students.