Make My Week - More Stitching

I have a bit of thing at the moment about single colour stitching.

This is another piece I made up as I went along - which is why the stitching is wonky and the lines aren't straight.

I like it though and it reminds me He is making a place - because in My Father's house there are many rooms. That warms my heart.

Joining in with the beautiful and one and only 'Sunshine Leonie'

It's What Is On The Inside

Remind that lovely Kelly is hosting WW now :o)

For many Wednesdays I have shared about what's going on on the outside. I've shared outfits and styling. These are things I really enjoy.

But this Wednesday I want to talk more about the inside of me. On the introduction on the right I finish with a quote 'Far from what I was, not yet who I shall be'....this is my hope for my whole life - to never be finished with growth and change.

Some of you may realise we are in Lent (the 40 days coming up to Easter), this is traditionally a time to go without, to remember the 40 days Jesus spent in the wilderness. So today I want to share a very old prayer that I will be praying during this season, a prayer I need to change me on the inside.

Litany of Humility

O Jesus! meek and humble of heart, Hear me.

From the desire of being esteemed, Deliver me, Jesus.

From the desire of being loved, Deliver me, Jesus.

From the desire of being extolled, Deliver me, Jesus.

From the desire of being honored, Deliver me, Jesus.

From the desire of being praised, Deliver me, Jesus.

From the desire of being preferred to others, Deliver me, Jesus.

From the desire of being consulted, Deliver me, Jesus.

From the desire of being approved, Deliver me, Jesus.

From the fear of being humiliated, Deliver me, Jesus.

From the fear of being despised, Deliver me, Jesus.

From the fear of suffering rebukes, Deliver me, Jesus.

From the fear of being calumniated, Deliver me, Jesus. (*means lied about, I had to look it up)

From the fear of being forgotten, Deliver me, Jesus.

From the fear of being ridiculed, Deliver me, Jesus.

From the fear of being wronged, Deliver me, Jesus.

From the fear of being suspected, Deliver me, Jesus.

That others may be loved more than I, Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.

That others may be esteemed more than I, Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.

That, in the opinion of the world, others may increase and I may decrease, Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.

That others may be chosen and I set aside, Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.

That others may be praised and I unnoticed, Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.

That others may be preferred to me in everything, Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.

That others may become holier than I, provided that I may become as holy as I should, Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.

There are many things I need but I need these things very, very much. Pretty much checked all those boxes for the wrong reasons. I love that this prayer gets to the heart of how I can so easily think and be.

If you are interested I spoke about some of my own heart desires recently at church. If you want to listen.

Is there anything you are focusing on during Lent? 

Weekly Recipe and Foodie Fun

Last week I didn't post a recipe I'd completed. It wasn't that I hadn't done one other things just crowded in.

So last weeks cookies from Ladies a Plate - check out the website some of the recipes are on there. Orange cookies sandwiched together with chocolate - mmmm. Note to self although adding orange juice to the chocolate seems like a wonderful jaffa-y idea it might make your chocolate seize.

2nd note to self - they still taste good.

Todays recipe is from the Frankie Afternoon Tea book and comes from Pip Lincolne from Meet Me At Mike's fame. It is chocolate chip cookies. These looked nothing like the ones in the photo - at all - but they still tasted lovely.

 

For more fun with food pop over to Ange's and click on the linky button to see who is playing.

and happy birthday to my lovely mama xx

 

B.M.W.B - Making A Fuss

In November this year wee Bounce will be starting school. I have 8 months of him all to myself during the week.

So we've taken his kindy down to 2 days and on the other days I am planning to enjoy every moment with him.

So this week I've been about making a fuss of him. Doing the things we love to do together. Sitting in a bean bag at the library together reading for an hour.

Taking films of him singing.

Baking

Taking photos of him just because he is gorgeous.

Taking trips to the library on scooters and bikes

I love this boy so much and this week I've been doing my best to try and communicate that to him in lots of ways.

The Atlas has been home this week recovering after his surgery and he's just the best at making the boys feel important.

Please have a look back at last weeks linkies there are some inspiring reads and some wonderful ideas. :O)

Becoming the Mama I want to be is about taking time to enjoy the journey of parenting, to honour it's value and to hopefully inspire and encourage each other. 

Simple. Achievable. Intentional: becoming the mama I want to be

I look forward to seeing your linkies this week. The code for the button is just on the right ------------>

Eight

Flip playing golf. An interest that has come out of nowhere.

Bounce baking with mama. Always keen to help clean the bowl.

The privilege I feel in sharing their lives is profound.

Little Things

Today is the second anniversary of 'that quake'

So I am grateful for the fact I can remember this day and I can be with those I love. Today will be 2 years for some families, 2 years since they lost a person they loved - tragically, unexpectedly, a devastating loss.

I am grateful for a roof over head

Water from the taps that is safe to drink (for what seemed months we boiled every drop)

For electricity

a toilet - inside, that flushes

phone lines that work and texts that can be flicked off without thought

Today is a good day to stop and give thanks for the important things of which my life is filled

I am grateful for the things that matter most

Photo from Oxford Terrace Baptist Church memorial ’185 Empty Chairs’ - image found here

Other images taken by The Atlas when he was in the Red Zone not long after.

Joining in with Meghan

Wardrobe Wednesday and Make My Week

Looking for the Wardrobe Wednesday Linky? It's over here :o)

So lovely Kelly is now hosting the WW linky but I wanted to join her on her maiden voyage. I also wanted to show y'all my new dress.

The photos are not my best work (actually they are The Atlas work but they aren't his best either) and I maybe should have taken them before I biked to school, to kindy and to meet a friend for coffee and then home. Hence the wrinkly skirt (which needed ironing before I even started!)

I was given this fabric from Leonie last year and it is SO perfect and beautiful I wanted to be sure to make something equally wonderful to match it. So I made the ladybird practise dress from the pattern first. It's Swiss and it is retro and I cannot tell you how much I love it.

I need to adjust the fit a little bit in the top but overall I think it's better in real life.

I'm also wearing my new DIY glitter shoes and some white floral fishnets that didn't last the day. Possibly a good thing, I think they might make me look like I have a horrible skin disease.

Life feels kinda busy at the moment but I'm feeling a clothes sewing urge so I hope I can start making some of the things I'm keen to.

Outfit details:
Dress handmade Pattern - McCalls 6379

Tights - hand-me-down
Earrings - handmade from vintage buttons
Shoes - op shopped and made over
Bracelet - made from old 2 cent coins a gift from The Atlas

Pearls- gift
Lipstick - was my grandmothers - which I think is cool, but might gross some people out. My gran had a very particular way of putting on lippy so I always recognise hers - they look like an upside down wine glass. (she also had rather a penchant for expensive things so her lippys are always flash ones!)

Hair - requires more effort..... sigh.... lazy and low-maintenance!

Joining in with Kelly for Wardrobe Wednesday

and Leonie for Crafty Show n Tell - go forth and be inspired :o)

B.M.W.B - Making it Up

Flip loves maths. Ever since he was very small (before he was 2) he has loved numbers.

Once when we were talking about jobs we told him that some people have jobs with numbers and he couldn't believe it - he was so enthralled by the idea of working with numbers.

On Sunday morning I found him playing with my quilters cutting mat, quietly doing some kind of number game.

So the other night he had some number cards out and we made up some games together. In one he would choose 2 columns after a 5 seconds - 1 for me and 1 for him and then we would add them up together and see who got the biggest number.

In the other I called numbers and he had to find them fast and then decide if he wanted 10 points per correct card or the number value of the card.

I don't really care about maths or numbers but I do care about having special time together. And I love that we can share something together that we can laugh over.

Do you ever do things your little person loves even though it doesn't float your boat?

Thanks so much for joining in and for your encouragement on the journey.

Becoming the Mama I want to be is about taking time to enjoy the journey of parenting, to honour it's value and to hopefully inspire and encourage each other. I'd love to have your linky if you are keen.

You can grab the button code on the right if you'd like to :o)

Simple. Achievable. Intentional: becoming the mama I want to be

Also don't forget to enter for a cool new book for your shelves :o)

7/52 My Beautiful Boys

Flip waiting for his fluffy to arrive

Bounce at the dental nurse

I do love them

 

Whoot - It's Kindness Day

The Sisterhood is up to their acts of random kindness again.

Today it's a chance to do something kind for another person/s

When I told my boys this morning they were SO excited!

We headed down to our local library and stuck freddo frogs with wee notes that said 'it's Kindness Day today and someone wanted to make you smile - the sisterhood' in different places around the library.

The boys found some places and I suggested others - then we sat and read books.

Later I overhead 2 mums talking and one was saying, 'the librarians don't know who did it either - someone did it in secret' (very pleased given my last less-than-stealthy endeavour!)

As we left we were really excited to see which ones were still there waiting to be discovered.

Then I drove up to our closest emergency/after hours doctor and dropped in these. The receptionist was stoked too as the staff always need cheering as well.

It's not too late either - find a way to show kindness to s stranger today :o)

Less Than Perfect

The Atlas had knee surgery on Tuesday..... and this week I'm just incredibly grateful for the kind and attentive staff that looked after him and the surgeon that rang me personally when he came out of the surgery.

For his beautiful attitude to it all

for the fact that it was successful

and that this isn't our normal - I am far less than sufficient to manage it all alone and while he is in recovery and really unable to do anything much I realise how much I lean on him and what an awesome involved father and husband he is

we also had a wonderful time at Love For Breakfast. These are my brother in laws photos - so sweet. Bounce bought a love letter and asked them to write it to me. Flip went in for a hug.

and I'm cracking up at family foibles - check out this photo of my mama and one of my sisters and me - look what we are all doing with our legs! and it's a surprise we don't all have our heads cocked on the side too.

Pop over and visit Meghan's blog and her wonderful take on life