Beaded Necklace

I think I have said this before, but I am a little bit of an eclectic crafter.  I sew a bit, stamp some, make cards and scrapbook pages, paint things, I have tried quilting...and my newest crafty thing is jewelry making.  I really started back in November, but I am pretty sure I haven't shared any of the jewelry I have made here on my blog yet.  My favorite is a red and cream necklace...the first piece I ever made, but I will have to show that one in a different post.  Today I am going to show you just a simple necklace that I made this week.

My mom gave me the medallion (is that the right word?) for this.  Isn't it cute?! It is a little bit larger than I am used to so I wanted just a simple chain to go with it.  I used brown seed beads and strung them on jewelry wire.  At the top is the clasp and a crimp bead on each side to keep the beads from falling off.

Simple and inexpensive!

Linked up at these parties:
A Little Tipsy

Music Review--Robert Pierre

   If you know me, you probably know that I am a big fan of Christian music.  I am always interested in finding new Christian artists/bands so I was very excited for the recent opportunity to listen to 4 new songs from singer and songwriter, Robert Pierre.  Robert is an 18 year old senior in high school...he is actually graduating this week! 
   After listening to these songs many times over I would say I give them 2 thumbs up.  I really like the peppy beats of his music.  This would be great music to listen to in the car in traffic because it would make me smile and keep me awake :).   I also really like the message in these songs.  They aren't shallow, they have a deepness to them that I am shocked comes from a high schooler!  In one song it says, "Any desperate day, one word I can pray, all I know to say JESUS.  Screaming from my soul, I am giving up control, the only hope I know JESUS"  Love that.
   This 4 song sneak peak isn't just for me though, you can listen too!  Click on this link https://www.noisetrade.com/robertpierre  When you get there click the Robert Pierre EP image to open the
online player.  If you like the songs you can actually download them onto your computer or ipod for free by entering your e-mail address and zip code.  I was going to share which on is my favorite, but I can't decide between "Jesus" and "Identity."  So go check them out and tell me which one you like better. :)
   And if you are interested in seeing what Robert is like in real life check out his facebook page http://www.facebook.com/RobertPierreMusic or this rad video of him and his friends doing trick basketball shots (I just have to say that I want a backyard like that!) http://www.youtube.com/robertpierre#p/u/0/Q-MH_2YVbLE

I did not get compensated for this review.  I got the same opportunity as my readers to listen to and download 4 songs.  All opinions are my own.

Sewing at an early age

     I went to see my parents for Easter this past week and had a lot of fun hanging out with family.  Unfortunately that means I wasn't crafting or sewing much, at least not fun things to share (I don't think you care about the pair of pants that I did a magnificent job of hemming ;) )   I did do a little bit of sewing with my mom and when I went looking for a pin cushion here is what I found...

Apparently I was QUITE the sewer at age ten--yikes!  Here is a side view so you can see the stitching.

A pin cushion that only a mother would love.  Fortunately my sewing has improved since then. :)  Maybe I should make her a new one for Mother's Day.

Book Review--Max on Life

    Having read many books by this author was very excited for the opportunity to review Max Lucado's new book, Max on Life.  The very first question in the book, basically, "How is God's love different from human love?" sparked my interest right away because it is a question that has come up in discussions with the high school girls that I mentor. I was interested to hear Max's answer.  In this book Max answers 172 questions that people have asked him in person or in letters.  Some of these questions are questions that new Christians might have, but others are questions someone who has walked with God for a long time might struggle with.
   One of the things I really like is that many of the answers in this book have scripture to back them up.  Scripture is truth. If someone gives me an answer to something it needs to match up with what the Bible (God) says.  I know that sometimes scripture can be misinterpreted, which is why we need to be careful and read the Bible for ourselves and know what it says.  I like how Max goes to the Bible when giving answers.
    This book is definitely not one you would read in a day.  It is more like a resource to use or maybe something you would read a little bit of each day.  Topics include heaven, family, money, abortion, worrying, prayer and much more.  I like how the back has a topical index in case you are looking for a specific topic and also a scriptural index.

I received this book for free from www.booksneeze.com for this review. The review is my honest opinion of the book.

Love my new Purse!

   There are a few blogs on my favorites list that I try to check out every week (sometimes it is everyday ;) ) for new stuff.  I am Momma Hear Me Roar is one of them.  A few weeks ago she decided to find a way to encourage people to give money to aid in helping Japan after the earthquake and Tsunami.  She was (and still is!) offering the Tohoku Purse pattern to anyone who donates more than $8 to help relief efforts.  Here is the link to see details if you are interested in donating.  You don't have to donate through a specific organization, I donated through my church.

This purse is ADORABLE!  The pattern is easy to read.  I would definitely buy another pattern from Cheri.
Her pattern has a pleat on the front, but I have never been a pleat kind of girl (okay and maybe I didn't want to mess up my first try of this purse)

The finished purse is about 12" tall not counting the straps.

As usual, please ignore any threads still hanging in the pictures.  It takes a few days for me to find them all and cut them and I didn't want to wait that long to take pictures.

Here is the inside with a pocket for my cell phone and one for my keys.

Love the bow!

As you can see I already started using it.  By the way, that planner is a time.mine planner.  I have used Dot Mine planners for the past few years and they are the best!  I was not paid to say that, but if someone from time.mine sees this, getting a free one for 2012 would make me very happy. :)

Off to go make an outfit to match my purse. ;)


Here are link parties I linked to:
We Did it Wednesday on Sew Much Ado
Weekend Wrap-up at Tatertots and Jello
Tip me Tuesday at Tip Junkie
House of Hepworths

Weekend Book Review, Choosing to See

   I am in a book club at my church.  We meet once a month and each month a new person chooses the book we will read for the next month.  I love (usually) reading books from all sorts of genres, books that I wouldn't have picked up off the bookshelf and read without the encouragement of the book club. Click Here to read my review of the book I picked last time it was my turn. 

     Last month the lady who chose, picked a book I had considered choosing so I was excited to get to read it!  I knew going in that Choosing to See, by Mary Beth Chapman was going to be a hard book to get through without crying.  Well, I got to the dedication part and I was already crying! 

   In this book Mary Beth takes us through the ups and downs of her life through marriage, motherhood, adoption, and dealing with the death of a child. She is very honest about her thoughts, emotions, embarrassing moments...sometimes to the point of giving TMI. :) I think that is what makes her so likable though...she shares things that other women sometimes feel, but are afraid to let anyone know about. When I finished it was like I was reading the book of a friend or someone I felt I knew well.

   If you have heard of Mary Beth's story you know that her youngest daughter, Maria, was killed in a heart breaking accident.  Probably half of the book shares life after that life changing moment.  My heart was so heavy reading the deep, raw, honest depiction of grief that the author and her family went through and still feels.  I think the family realizes that God had big plans for them and plans for good to come out of losing Maria and yet reality is that living those plans has seemed unbearable many days.  One of the things she says that stuck with me was that she had always told her kids that "God doesn't make mistakes." After the accident she had to decide if she still believed that and then live it out. 

I would definitely recommend reading Choosing to See, just make sure to have a box of tissues nearby!