Friday, November 27, 2009

Papa Sharp


This week was bittersweet for Aaron and I. His grandfather, affectionately known as Papa Sharp, passed away Monday morning. Obviously we grieved the loss of such a great man, but at the same time it did allow us (me, really) to get to meet and know some of his extended family. I wanted to share something that Aaron wrote about his Papa Sharp. Get out the tissues!


A few days ago the angel Michael entered Heaven’s throne room with his head down. He shuffled along doing his duties until finally the Father summoned him to the steps of His grand throne. “What is the matter O mighty warrior? Your face is long and you do not have your usual enthusiasm,” the Almighty asked.


“Well my Lord,” the heavenly being began in an unusually soft tone, “Our beautiful city has developed many problems. Your Son, seated here on your right hand, has tarried His second coming to earth so long that some of the dwelling places He built are in need of repairs. Some other buildings need to be painted, and the pearly gates squeak and do not open well as they should. Our lawnmower is broken yet again and no one here knows how to repair it, and so our beautiful lawns are overgrown.”


The Father could sense how upset His angel was and gesturing toward the Son and the Spirit to circle around He placed His hand on Gabriel’s shoulder and said, “I have known all along that this day would come; do not let it worry you. You see many decades ago I created a man just for this occasion. He grew up working in the fields and playing hooky from school. I gave him a keen mind, made him good with his hands, and he might have been the hardest working creature that I ever created. Some even said that if something could break, he could fix it.”


With that the Son began to speak all the while waving his nail-scarred hands. “I protected him through a dangerous war where many men lost their lives. In fact, one night in particular when he was frozen in a foxhole I changed the course of many bullets to spare his life because he had not yet come to Us. For many years of the man’s life I called to him to come to Me. For a while he resisted. We knew when We created him that he would be someone who was set in his ways, but eventually my grace overwhelmed his legendary stubbornness and He finally came to me.”


The Spirit, seeing an opening as the Son took a breath, now took the lead. “This man Gabriel, he spent many years working for Us on the earth. You may never have heard of Him because he did not preach or do anything that made the newspapers, but his pew at church was always filled and most of what He did for Us was dirty work that many other supposedly righteous people would not even consider doing.”


The Father, by now wearing a tremendous smile, lovingly squeezed his hand on the angel’s shoulder. “As I said We have always known this day is coming. This man has lived a long life. He has seen the next generations of his family take root, but now it is time for him to enter into my rest. Soon he will step through those pearly gates to his new eternal home. He will fix the squeak in the pearly gate, he will repair the dwelling places, and our mower will be operational in no time, better than when it was new. Tell your angels to put on their overalls, and try to keep up with Him, with a glorified body only I knew what he is capable of. He has lived a long and faithful life on earth, but now I have a new mission for him here in my presence.”


And with that God called my grandfather home.

Saturday, October 31, 2009

Happy Halloween!

Isn't Ruthie Jo just as cute as a bug? :-)

Monday, September 28, 2009

I'm Sick...Again

So I'm sick again. I survived strep throat and the flu striking down everyone else in my family, but then I finally succumbed to the germs.

My throat started hurting on Friday, and then I woke up with congestion in my head on Saturday, and then the congestion moved to my chest on Sunday. I was starting to feel a little bit better today, but thought that I should go to the doctor and make sure I wasn't contagious before going back to work. A couple of chest x-rays later, I was told I had pneumonia and that I had to go home for 2 days until the antibiotics started working.

So, now I'm at home, watching bad daytime TV and wishing that I could stop coughing so my head could stop throbbing. Could I sound more pitiful?? :-)

I leave you with a few pictures of my nurse for the day...

Monday, September 21, 2009

Happy Birthday, Super JD!

Well, nothing makes you feel your age like a beloved nephew turning FOUR! We had such a great time at his party, and I think he and all of his friends enjoyed the fun party favors. :-)

My sister-in-law, Marci, planned such a great theme for JD's birthday...Super Man! What else could I do but pitch in with 20 capes for all the super heroes running around at the party? Enjoy the pics!


And of course Super Aunt Megan (and soon-to-be Uncle Michael) did a fabulous job on the SUPER CAKE!

Thursday, September 17, 2009

As Promised...

Thus begins the renewed blogging efforts of The Sharp Needle!

This first round of pictures are of some goodies I made for my sis-in-law's new niece. It's been a while since we had the shower for her, and it's actually been a while since Little Miss Mayson Suzanne was born, but it's never too late to show fun pictures!

My mom found these melt-my-heart leopard and pink flower shoes that were the inspiration for this oh-so-cute Tutu Onesie...


And here's a peek at the fun pink and orange car seat cover that I made for Baby Mayson, complete with canopy, strap covers, and winter cozy cover...



Tuesday, September 15, 2009

Shame on Me!!!

Yes, you read me right....Shame on me! I have neglected my poor little blog for far too long, and that after I pledged to write more often! Well, good thing we have God's grace, even for such a small thing as a blog. :-)

While I have been absent, I have also been very busy! Over the next week or two I'm excited to share with you the many projects that I've been working on...and some of them I've even finished!

For now, here is a cute pic of my puppy to get you started. I'm so excited to get her Halloween costume soon! I don't want to give it away, but here's a hint... See you real soon!!

She's looking a little shaggy at the moment...perhaps she reminds you of Cousin It? :-)

Monday, July 6, 2009

Works in Progress (WIPs)

I have a confession to make...I love making lists. I love the feeling of having everything organized and planned, and also the feeling of accomplishment when I finish a task and can mark it off the list. My husband thinks I'm insane (or at last very quirky) because I even like to add things that are already finished to a list in progress just so I can mark it off and feel that wonderful sense of accomplishment. So, in light of my quirk, here is a list I made tonight of my WIPs:

Knitting:
1. Ruthie Jo's princess puppy blanket
2. Houndstooth baby blanket
3. Mint green baby blanket
4. Blue cable afghan

Sewing:
1. Car seat cover, canopy, strap covers
2. Car seat winter "cozy cover"
3. Baby headbands
4. Fabric basket for kitchen desk
5. Coffee cozies
6. Sample shopping cart cover

Now, some of you (Mom) who hate starting a project when others aren't yet finished, may be bothered by the fact that I have 10 projects in the works. However, I simply like to think of myself as a multi-tasker. I consider this to be a great asset, actually, because I can work on so many things at one time. Yes, yes, those of you out there that are bothered by this simply see it as a rationalization. Think what you like, I'm not bothered by it. I'm going back to my lists and my WIPs now. :-)

Tuesday, June 30, 2009

My Sister, the Pastry Chef




Some of you may already know that my younger sister is a VERY TALENTED pastry chef. Well, here's the proof. For her classes she recently worked on a three-tiered wedding cake. I am so impressed with the sugar flowers...and the piping...and the perfect fondant covering...and pretty much everything else, too. Way to go, Sissy! I'm so proud of you!

Monday, June 29, 2009

SICK = NOT FUN

Okay, so I have to confess that I've already fallen behind on my Mid-Year's Resolutions. Specifically my resolution to blog more. Sorry everyone! I always thought my life would slow down a bit after graduating from seminary, but it doesn't seem to have happened that way. *Sigh* Oh well, at least I'm not worrying over grades anymore! :-)

This last weekend was not the most fun I've ever had. Friday night was fun since the weekend was just beginning and we went to see the new Transformers movie with a group of friends. However, as soon as the lights dimmed and the movie started, my throat began to get sore and my head started to ache. That's right, I was stricken with strep.

By the time we got home that night I was ready to crawl into bed and never come out because I was feeling so badly...and Saturday morning was even worse! But thankfully I have the world's best husband and the cutest puppy nurse ever! Aaron loaded me and my germs into the car and took me to see a doctor, then took me to get a nice big Sonic Diet Coke and some chocolate. :-) Then, as I was laying on the couch and praying the medicine would soon help me feel better, Ruthie Jo crawled up and snuggled with me the whole day. What a great team!

I also have to brag some more on my hubby. While I was laying down and being miserable, he turned into Mr. Organization. That's right, ladies, I DO have the best husband ever! He completely reorganized the garage (a huge feat for even two people!) and all of our books (which, since both of us love to read, is quite a sizable library)!!!

Aaron, I can't even begin to tell you how much I love you and appreciate you! Thank you for taking such good care of me!

Saturday, June 13, 2009

Hi from Little Lincoln!

I'm the Proud Wife!

Well, this week was a pretty big one for my husband and I. God answered a HUGE prayer request that had been on our hearts for a while now. Aaron was offered - and accepted!! - a new job!! It's a great new job that is closer to home, pays well, and has good benefits. I'm sooooooo proud of my husband! But more importantly, I'm so thankful to God that He is faithful and sovereign and provides for us. We might have had to wait for this wonderful blessing, but I know the things I learned during that hard time of waiting are priceless and will be needed later.

P.S. Aaron also got another article published! (More details on when it's being published soon.) Man, I've got the best husband in the world! :-)

Thursday, June 4, 2009

I'm a WINNER!!!

Man oh man, I am soooo excited! I won my first-ever giveaway! Thank you so very much to Christine at Brisstyle for such a generous and wonderful goodie box! I'll write more later when I get the prize and can tell you exactly what's in it. Yeah!!!

Tuesday, June 2, 2009

Happy Birthday, Lincoln!




Can you say BLUE BOOGARS? Yes, that's exactly what I thought when my youngest nephew dug into his fabulous birthday cake made by my sister. We had such a great time celebrating this little guy and his one year birthday. Enjoy the pics!

My Mid-Year's Resolutions

I know most people make their resolutions and "self-improvement goals" at New Year's, but I've decided that June is as good a time as any for me to make a list of resolutions. If I am being perfectly honest, the reason I am just now focusing on some new goals is because one of my biggest goals was occupying my time, energy, and emotions for the last six years...graduating seminary with a masters degree. But now, as of three weeks ago, that goal can officially be checked off the list to make room for some new goals. So, here they are in no particular order:

1. Blog more often (at least three times a week, if not more often).
2. Keep up with house work so there aren't any more "cleaning cram sessions" when we're having people over.
3. Overcome my black thumb so the pretty new flowers we got for the flower beds will stay pretty (and alive).
4. Work out at least four times a week.
5. Learn how to crochet.

These might not encompass everything, but it's a good start. At least I'm already working towards #1! :-)

Saturday, April 25, 2009

One down, one to go...

I've decided that, because we've been in our house for a year now, and because I'm now at the end of my long seminary journey, it's time to make some drapes. My mom and I bought fabric over a year ago just for this purpose, but with time and financial constraints it's been put off...until now! Yeah!

I love the decorating we've been able to do so far in our house, but I've always felt a little bit that there was something missing. The beautiful fabrics, with their colors and texture and design, will fit the bill perfectly! My goal is to have the drapes for our formal dining and living room, our family room and breakfast nook, and one guest bedroom (where my in-laws will be staying when they come) done before the whole family comes over to celebrate my graduation. So, without further ado, here's a sneak peek at the fun stuff I'm doing in Guest Bedroom #1...



I just have to sigh with contentment every time I see the delicious trim... :-)

She's ENGAGED!!!


Well, I feel old...really old. My "little" sister got engaged last night. We're so excited for Megan and Michael! She claims she's going to wait to start planning until May 1 (the wedding date is in May 2010), I have my doubts. ;-) Given that she's already been asking me questions about churches, receptions, etc etc etc, I don't think she'll last that long. Anybody care to wager when she caves? LOL! And by the way, Michael, we're going to have to work on your secret-keeping abilities! :-)

Tuesday, April 21, 2009

HALLELUJAH!!!

After six looooooooong years, I have finally come upon the light at the end of my seminary training. I actually emerged from the deep, dark abyss that is the land of research and response papers, and am now in the land of the living again. I turned in my last two papers last week, so now am just attending classes until the end of April. May 9 is the big G-day...GRADUATION! Wahoo!

Monday, April 13, 2009

Car Seat Covers!


At the suggestion of my brother and sister-in-law, I added car seat covers to my list of products being sold for The Sharp Needle. May I just tell you, I am so grateful for the suggestion! I've already sold several, and that was just through the Spring Shopping Soiree and word-of-mouth marketing (thanks Marci!). I thought I would share some pictures with ya'll of the infant car seat cover and canopy sample that I made. It fits most of the infant car seats that are on the market today, and is waterproof and machine washable. The canopy is made to encase the supports that come with the car seat. Have a particular fabric, pattern, or color scheme in mind? Let me know and we'll find exactly what you want!

Wednesday, April 1, 2009

Happy Birthday, Mom!



We celebrated my mom's birthday in March. I made her a very cute (if I do say so myself!) tiered ruffle apron with ribbon tie, and a decorative tea towel. The apron was made with the FruFru shoe pattern that she and I drooled over on another apron I made earlier. The decorative tea towel was inspired by a sweet "Two Peas in a Pod" pill box mom gave me years ago. I plan on making one for myself soon so that we can truly be "two peas in a pod." Corny, I know, but we love it! :-)

Spring Shopping Soiree

A HUGE thank you goes out to my SIL, Marci. This past Saturday she generously hosted a Spring Shopping Soiree at her house, which became the first-ever showing of The Sharp Needle. Basically, Marci invited me and several other friends that are building home-based businesses to come and show off our goodies and enjoy some great food. The main goal was to generate interest, spread the word, and get a few sales out of the deal. I can only speak for myself, but it was a BIG success for The Sharp Needle! Not only did I get orders for the infant car seat cover and canopy sets I have been working on, but I also sold some hair clippies, onesies, bibs, and other fun stuff.

I also have to give a HUGE thank you to my mom and sister. Mom has been so supportive and encouraging as I try to start The Sharp Needle, and has put up with endless questions and frustations in the whole process. (Check out Mom's new book here...shameless plug, I know! :-) Heehee!) My sister, Megan, has also been very supportive and spent all night baking for the Soiree...the best pastry chef I know! Let me know if you have a shower or wedding or party coming up, because she makes the best cakes, cupcakes, fruite tarts, and the list goes on and on and on. (Yes yes, another shameless plug!)

I'm excited to show off the pretties I've been working on the last couple of months, so here are some pictures...

Decorative Tea Towels


Hair Clippies


Baby Block & Wrist Rattle

Baby Booties

Receiving Blankets

Burp Cloths

Orange & Pink Onesie

Cowboy Onesie & Burp Cloths

Puppy Onesie & Burp Cloths

Cupcake Onesie

Monkey Onesie & Burp Cloths

As always, if you are interested in placing a custom order for any of the goodies found on my blog, please email me at thesharpneedleATyahooDOTcom. Blessings!