Tuesdays Treasure – Grace

Treasure can be lots of things. Today I want to share with you the treasure of my baby girl – Grace.

She has been experimenting with names. She wants to be called Olivia or Sarah – the name of the last person she played with or the character in her book*.  Every time she tells me that she wants to be called something else, I remind her that her name was the first gift her daddy and I gave her and that it is a very special name.

Of course she wants to know why her name is special. I explained to her that Grace is a beautiful gift from God, His forgiveness and love, His amazing power to make all things possible.  I told her that she is a symbol of that Grace to her daddy and I – a living breathing example.

And do you know what she said?

Shouldn’t everyone’s name be Grace then!

She is smart and witty. She is a full of life and love. She can be a bull in a china shop, but she is compassionate and tender. She is strong willed, but soft of heart.

She loves dancing and moving. She loves books and stories. She sees and hears everything.  She feels everything.

She has her own style and way about her.

Like the three graces in mythology, she is Mirth, Splendor and Good Cheer.

Grace is a treasure to me.**

Who are the people you treasure?

Visit my etsy treasury to see a collection of things that remind me of my Grace!

*We just read Little House on the prairie and she asked to be called Mary, not Laura, but that is Grace!

** Don’t worry mom, Jackson is on my list to write about too.

Tuesday Treasures...

Tuesday Treasures

I am working on keeping my house clean, which for me means getting rid of a few things and making room for living. This is really hard for me. I see potential in so many things. (This is where my husband starts “coughing” hoarder loudly in my direction!)

 In my cleaning, I came across a treasure – an old wallpaper sample book. It came from the attic of the dear old lady my daughter got her nose from. I have had it sitting here for nearly 2 years – moving it from house to house, from house to storage and back to house.

My plan was to make cards with it, but as I started tearing it apart yesterday I had a friend and her baby on my mind and I was struck…I could make this wallpaper into bibs! Sounds a bit farfetched, I know, but the wallpaper is from 1978 at my best estimate and its all fabric backed and “scrubable” according to the book.

Another project added to the list, but it is one where I have the supplies on hand and will be making good use of something that would have otherwise been trash. Aren’t those some of the best projects?

There are a few pieces that really aren’t bib worthy…but would be great for any number of other things. I will be posting them over at the TIAMO etsy shop.

Be sure to check out the Tuesday Treasure Treasury, too.

Tuesday Treasures - Numbers Found

I had this big plan about this Tuesday's Treasures and then....(isn't that how the best stories start?)

We went for a walk in the neighborhood Sunday morning. Neither of the kids have been feeling very well and the weather was nice. So instead of infecting every kid at church with whatever it was they were fighting, we got some fresh air and family time.

We were headed back towards the house when I noticed these cool numbers in the road. At first, I thought someone might have dropped a set of magnetic numbers for a sign,  but the kids were fussy at this point and we were moving quickly. I wasn't going to take the time to explore.

I said sort of off-handedly to my husband," Those numbers were really cool!" He wanted to know what numbers, where, all the good details...and then he insisted I go back and look at them closer...(Isn't he a good husband?) And what I thought was maybe a handful of numbers was hundreds - and not just numbers, either!

There were two sets of words - "To Riser" and "Pedestal". "To Riser" isn't the coolest...but I can think of at least a dozen different ways to use "Pedestal" on a card!

I am pretty sure these number tags are remnants of the construction going on in the neighborhood, maybe from the pre-fab trusses and rafters they are using. No matter where they are from they are interesting and inspiring.

When my husband insisted that I pick them up and bring them home (not all of the hundreds, but some!) I knew it was a Tuesday Treasures find, and that an Etsy Treasury was a must, too!

Let me tell you, there are A LOT of numbers on Etsy. I tried to find ones that would stretch my creativity. Sometimes the best finds aren't the ones that meet an existing need, but that inspire and send your creative process down an unexpected path.

So today's treasure is numbers, specifically numbers found.

Think of those posters where they show the numbers and letters in butterfly wings.
Or the collages that "find" letters and numbers in every day objects.

My find wasn't quite like that, but it goes to show you just never know what you are going to come across on a walk....even in your own neighborhood!

Tuesday Treasures!

Last week’s beautiful junk post and plastic bags yielded some Gymboree bags – Perfect! Each has lots of colorful polka dots!

 

This week – Ribbon.

Ribbon is one of my favorite treasures and often remnants can be found in our beautiful junk box.  I love to buy ribbon because often for less than a dollar you can get a yard or two of something beautifuI that has so much potential. You can put fancy ribbon on something plain and it is suddenly fancy. You can put simple ribbon on something over the top and it is suddenly just right. It can blend two seemingly unrelated things together. Ribbon can be functional – tying things together, holding something closed, or it can just be pretty.

 I was inspired this week to clean out my stash of ribbon – and my husband was kind enough to help. (I love shared projects!) I really should post a before picture, but that would be embarrassing, so I will post the after picture. In the process I picked two (more) projects.  I also put together two listings of ribbon for Etsy. If you have a need for some great ribbon check them out.

Oh and as a special treat, I put together an Etsy treasury of items featuring ribbon. Hope you find something there that inspires you.

See you tomorrow.

P.S.  Thank you so much to the incredible response to yesterday’s post about need. I am truly blessed to  be surrounded by such caring and supportive women !

Tuesday Treasures

It’s time for Tuesday Treasures….oh the possibilities for a statement like that! 

But for today is about Beautiful Junk -  the things you find, keep, come across that are just too beautiful, too useful to let go. (Wow, that sounds like the beginning of a hoarder support group!)

My mom has always had a beautiful junk box that had little bits of fabric and lace, buttons, fun things clipped from magazines, wrapping paper, anything found that would send a young crafter's heart a flutter.  I am hoping that Tuesday can be a day all about things found or sought…

And you wonder why I have a never ending
stash of  fabric and vintage buttons...

Today I would like to tell you about something I am looking for…and maybe you can help me find it!

I have come across several projects that I would like to undertake (that is a choice word!) that call for plastic bags –like plastic shopping bags. The more colors I can find the better, but so far I have found the standards Target, Macy’s, Kroger – so I have red with white and brown with blue. I think boutique and small shops are going to be the ticket to finding really great colors, but the one place I do that sort of shopping has passed a law prohibiting plastic bags- it is all paper now, which I commend, but what about my project!?!?

Any suggestions on where to find great colors of plastic bags – I only need a handful or so? Any one have any they would like to share? I am sure I have some sort of beautiful junk I could send your way, too.

Have a great Tuesday. I hope you find something treasured today.