Soooo Insipiring

http://rendcollective.com/bio/

The Journey

I've been gone for 3 years.  Where do I begin?  Where do I find myself?  I'm forty, fat, and frumpy.  At least that is how I feel or have felt.  These feet are not so beautiful these days.  I'm not carrying much Good News lately or proclaiming peace and salvation, or declaring that My God Reigns.  I've allowed myself to be mastered by my emotions and weighed down by the worries of this world.  No more, no more, no more!!!!!  I need me back!  A whole, healthy, vibrant me back, that has the beautiful feet of Christ, bringing Good News, proclaiming peace and salvation, and declaring that My God Reigns - not Susan. 
Recently I have been challenged by Ann Voskamp at her blog A Holy Experience, to memorize scripture, to wrestle for my Joy, to make Jesus more than just useful to me but beautiful to me.  She also introduced me to a group called  Rend Collective .  Amazing, inspiring, life breathing to my very soul.  Challenging me to rethink my walk with Christ.  I've spent years making sure I do all the right things as a Christian - go to church, pray before meals, get up early for devotions, listen to the "right music", say the right thing, be kind and friendly, help when and where needed, serve at church, read Bible stories to my children, and the list goes on.  But what about the true, deep love affair with my Saviour!  What about celebrating!  Celebrating that I am loved, forgiven, have a purpose, have value in His eyes, that He has chosen me.  So this is where I find myself needing a new journey - to have those Beautiful Feet so I can have a Beautiful Me. 

Missions Monday

Samaritan's Purse Tally Time!  I love Samaritan's Purse, they are a Christian relief organization who help anyone in need with food, medicine, shelter, building supplies, etc... around the world and in our country.  Each month I give from my sales in my Etsy shop, http://www.2beautifulfeet.etsy.com/ , and show you what just a little can do.  So this month wasn't banner sales, but I am able to send around $14 from my shop.  Here is what my $14 can do:

Gift 20 - Baby Chicks

Chickens are at the top of the “pecking order” when it comes to helping needy families. A small flock can produce hundreds of eggs each year, enough to eat with plenty left over to sell. Samaritan’s Purse works with local believers in developing countries to furnish baby chickens or ducks, and to help families raise them properly. For $14, we can supply a starter brood of a dozen chicks.

Amazing, this is life to a family, perhaps a community.

Humpty Dumpty - My new puppet or is it me?

I feel like I am showing you my new baby with this photo.  Silly huh!  But here he is, Sir Humpty Dumpty.  I just had to make him yesterday, which I haven't felt like making much lately.  My old sewing machine died last month, which left me mourning the loss of a faithful friend and worker.  It took awhile and some tears but now I have a lovely machine that my husband purchased for me.  But I sort of felt like this Humpty during this time.  I fell, and couldn't get the pieces back together.  Well I forced myself to uncover the machine and dive in and I love my little guy!  

I must create or bust!!!!

Everything thing is quiet in puppet world.  I'm glad for a bit of a break, but hopefully not too long.  My fingers were cracked and bleeding from washing dishes and the cold, my sewing machine has been acting up, and I have been so tired.  I rested a lot over the weekend, and bought a pair of rubber gloves and haven't even looked at the machine.  But yesterday, I was ready.  Ready to create.  I made one of these little dolls when I was on bed rest with my son and I wanted to create another one.  So I pulled out my felt, the unruly machine, may pattern, and scissors, and began creating.  I finished her last night and just love her.
Please meet Little Miss Muffet:

She still needs her tuffet and a spider.  The spider is in the works, and I didn't think about a tuffet until now.  She isn't in my etsy shop yet, but soon.  I'll let you know.

Spring, is it really coming?

Sunday morning we woke up to rain and the sounds of birds - Spring!  I said thank you for the rain because that means spring is coming.  The kids and I ended up staying home from church and did our own Bible lesson.  We talked about the sun, and the light it gives off and how Jesus is the true light.  Then we made suns with all the rays and wrote down a Bible verse.

We were so hopeful for some sun.  But little did we know that indeed we would have sun - that is after
20 inches of snow dumped on us during the night. 

This is our street.  It finally got plowed at about 4am in the morning.  We are free!!!! Yeah!!!!

Well today it is 40 degrees and everything is melting.  Crazy weather, but I guess March should go out like a lamb right?

February Giving Update

February was a banner month in my etsy shop : http://www.2beautifulfeet.etsy.com/ .  I was starting to get overwhelmed and am now just finishing up my last order.  Our computer was down in the beginning of the month, I was sick in the middle, and my sewing machine broke down at the end.  But God is good, I weathered all these small storms and was able to send the most from my etsy shop ever : $23.20.   Doesn't sound like much?  Lets see what it can can do:

Gift 24 - Clean Water for a Thirsty Community

Survivors of a major disaster are vulnerable to a “second wave of death” because of diseases that spread quickly through unclean water and unsanitary conditions. That’s why large-scale water filtration systems are among the first items Samaritan’s Purse rushes into a crisis situation. Following the earthquake in Haiti, we installed 20 of these filters at camps, orphanages, and medical facilities, along with building latrines and training people in proper hygiene. Projects like these furnish our teams with many opportunities to tell others that only Jesus can satisfy their spiritual thirst with the “water of life” (Revelation 21:6). A water filtration system that can serve 500 families costs about $10,000—just $20 per family.

We helped a family get fresh water all from selling some puppets - priceless!!!!

Did You Try Something New in February?

I did and it was a flop.  At the beginning of the year I thought I would challenge myself to try something new each month.  January I started this blog - definitely something new.  February - I thought and thought and decided to try to make lollipops.  My son is a huge fan of them and I thought no problem.  At first look they don't look bad:

But they tasted terrible.  I burnt the sugar and then tried to cover the burnt taste with a touch of butter and lemon juice.  Yuck Yuck Yuck!!!!!  When something is burnt, it is burnt!!!!  You just can't cover the taste.
I then proceeded to just dump it all over a tray and play with it.  Which was fun, but I still have the mess hiding in the oven. 

Here is what I did wrong:
*no candy thermometer (after all my grandmother never had one)
*no recipe (just a guide line from another recipe I kind of fudged)
*I was sewing while I was waiting for the "right temperature"
*never add butter to lollipops (these beauties curled right over the jar into all sorts of odd shapes)

One positive note:  My daughter loved them and encouraged me to keep trying.  Thanks kiddo!  And...I think I will, when I get a thermometer and a good recipe.

Snow - Again!!!

Yes another snow day from school, yes another interruption for the to do list for this morning, yes another inconvenience, yes more snow to shovel, etc....  But my how pretty it is!!!!

"My mouth is filled with your praise, declaring your splendor all day long."  Psalm 71:8

This is definitely a spring snow.  It's heavy, perfect for building a snow man, and you can hear the icicles melting from the gutters all around.  It's heavy on the trees, but looks beautiful. 

Just last week our snow was almost gone, it actually topped at 65 degrees.  My husband and son made this cute little snowman, who melted I think within an hour. 

Have a happy day, spring is almost here!

Maple Syrup Time

Here in NY the sap is running.  When I was a girl my sister and I would take our hand drill, our spickets, and any container that would hold sap and tap a few trees in the woods.  We would strain it through old bandannas and cook it on the wood stove.  Yum Yum Yum!!!!!  These days I just buy it when I can.  I recently bought a gallon of Grade A Medium Amber - a bit too dark for my taste so I have been baking with it too.  I made these yummy tarts for my family over the weekend. 

Some of these are apple and the others are Maple Syrup pecan tarts.  They are similar to pecan pie but with a maple twist. 

Maple Syrup Tarts
12 unbaked pie crust tarts (I made mine in muffin tins and only got 11)
1 egg
1 cup real maple syrup
1 TB. melted butter
1/4 c. brown sugar
1 TB. lemon juice
1/2 c. nuts

Mix all together pour into tarts 2/3 full.  Bake 375 for 20-25 mins.  I let them cool a bit and then placed them into muffin papers.   Enjoy.  We all loved these.

Samaritan's Purse Update

As some of you know I absolutely love Samaritan's Purse, a Christian relief program that helps people not only all over the world but in our country as well.  I love this ministry so much that I sell finger puppets so I can give more to them.  I started my etsy shop last year http://www.2beautifulfeet.etsy.com/ because I was so moved by the devastation in Haiti and I had no money to help.  So I thought I would make slippers and sell them, well, the slippers never amounted to much but finger puppets have been slowing growing in sales and I am able to help a bit more. 
Let me tell you what Samaritan's purse has been doing there in Haiti over the past year or so:
*10,500 families have had sturdy shelters built for them
*56,000 patients have been cared for
*345,000 people fed

*tons of rubble removed
*clean water and safe sanitation provided for dozens of communities

*250,000 Operation Christmas child boxed delivered

*Orphans being helped
Here is an amazing story of one Haitian man who is helping orphans and how Samaritan's Purse is assisting.
Roseann Dennery reports from Haiti.
What does sacrifice look like?

There are people who give, and there are others who give beyond themselves until there is nothing left. Then they start all over again.

Esaie is one of these people.
Please watch!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vvdb4Vptyc4&feature=player_embedded



That is just a bit of what they are doing. 
Every bit that can be given will make an amazing impact in these peoples lives.

A Valentine's Treat that is delicious anytime

Check out these peanut butter cookies that my mom made us for Valentine's Day.  She wrapped them in a beautiful red box with a cupid on the front.  I wish I had enough energy and a working computer to show you these before, but they were beautiful and yummy.

You make a simple peanut butter cookie dough, roll in balls, flatten them with a cup dipped in sugar, press your thumb two ways in the center to make a heart, and fill with jam.  Yumm, Yumm, Yumm!!!!  My daughter and I made a batch to take to Bible study but we didn't go because I wasn't feeling well and we munched them up.  We made a few without jam and put three chocolate chips in at the end and then swirled with a toothpick.  I also made a few with just a small heart cookie cutter pressed part way in in the center for my son who wanted some without anything.  All great and yummy.

Peanut Butter and Jelly Heart Cookies
1 1/2 c. flour
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 c. butter
1/2 c. sugar
1/2 c. brown sugar
1c. peanut butter
1 egg

Cream the butter and sugars, add egg, then dry ingredients.  Roll into balls, flatten with a cup dipped in sugar, impress a heart using your thumb or finger tip (criss cross them).  Bake 350 for about 10 mins, pull out fill heart with jam or jelly bake for about another 5 mins or until firm.  We had to press the heart bake down a bit before we put in the jelly.

The recipe is from Martha Stewart.
Enjoy. 

MICE!!!!! Good or Bad

Normally I hate mice in my house.  They make me yelp and jump and go running for my husband to get rid of them.  One time I was in the basement doing the laundry and there on the floor in front of my stackable was a dead mouse.  I ran up the stairs and demanded that my husband get it.  My hero went down the stairs and came up snickering.  What?  My mouse was no mouse, it was lint.  Aughhhh!!!!!  So occassionally I get a little jab about my lint mouse.  Again, I do not like mice, but these ones who consumed my life for a day and a half, I liked.

  A lovely lady in Texas ordered these for her Kindermusic class.  Thanks!  It also gave me the opportunity to revamp my old, ugly mouse (who was more like a rat), into this cute little mouse.

Isn't this one much cuter?  I guess if you are into rats the other would do.  But I prefer cute!

Check out my other items at http://www.2beautifulfeet.etsy.com/

Itty Bitty Crafty Thing - #4 Snake Slippers

With the computer down over the weekend and me having some type of bobble head, sick to my stomach weirdo thing I was able to crochet a bit.  We have a little friend who has admired my son's snake slippers and wanted a  pair of his own.  This pattern was adapted from a bootie pattern from Lion brand yarn, then I added eyes and a tongue.  Viola, snakes!  You could add eyes and tongues to socks or any pair of slippers that you have or would make.  Fun and pretty easy.

I'm Back and What I'm Thankful For

My husband!  Look there he is making his famous chicken parm for Valentine's Day.  My husband makes delicious chicken parm, doesn't something made by someone else always taste better.  Besides making a fabulous meal, he set the table, washed the dishes, and has been holding down the fort with his wife not feeling well.  I think my head is not so dizzy this morning, but I have been so thankful for my husband who has been entertaining our son, making sure our daughter gets off to school, and giving me opportunities to rest.  Thank you honey! 

Sorry I've been away

Sick computer, sick momma.  Will be back soon. 

Homemade hamburger buns? Why, when they are so cheap?

Because they are delicious, easy, and inexpensive to make.  Once you try them you will never, ever want to go back to those soft squishy things.  In my opinion, yucky!!!!
These are made in the bread machine, the recipe is so easy, it makes 12-16 depending how big you like your burgers.  I have also made them into dinner rolls for soup (about 24), we use these for sausages, sloppy joe, any kind of sandwich, including pbj for the little guy (no crust to worry about), scrambled egg sandwiches, anything.  I love them and it is hard to resist a fresh one out of the oven.  If I want them for dinner that night I start it around 3pm and we have fresh rolls for dinner at 5:30 - 6:00.

Hamburger Buns
Makes 12 - 16

1 1/4 c. milk or water ( I use warm water - water makes a lighter roll)
1 large egg
1/3 c. oil
3 Tb. sugar/honey
4 c. bread flour ( I use 1 1/2 c. whole wheat and the rest bread flour)
2 tsp. salt (I use a bit less)
2 1/2 tsp. yeast

Place all ingredients in bread machine according to manufacturers directions.  In mine I place them in the order I listed.  Set machine to dough.  When done, divide dough into 12 - 16 pieces.  Form into a ball and place on cookie sheet about 1-2 inches apart so they grow together a bit.  I then go back and flatten the balls with my hand to make them a bit wider and thinner.  Cover and let rise in a warm place for 30 mins.  Bake 375 for 15 to 20 mins, or until lightly browned. 

Enjoy!  I usually pop a few in the freezer to have later.
 

Friday Finger Puppet of the Week

Here they are: Goldilocks and the Three Bears.  Check out these new cuties in my etsy shop.  Next week, when my printer, scanner is back up and running I hope to show you how to make a bear of your own, along with free pattern.  Stay tuned.

Itty Bitty Crafty Thing #3 - Crystally Painted Hearts

I found this idea in our favorite magazine: Family Fun. 
Simply use
card stock, glue, salt, and food coloring.  

I layed the card stock in a plastic shoe box, I let the little man squeeze glue around and around with my help, sprinkle on salt (or dump it all over like Joshua) and try to shake and knock it around to get into the glue, then with droppers and different colors of diluted food coloring let them drip the colors all over the paper.  Now looking back I would use the little food coloring dropper bottles like I did with the snow in the last post.  It is a bit challenging for a little one to really grasp the concept of a dropper. 
Let this crazy paper dry and knock off the extra salt.  I loved the look of the paper, but what to do with it?  So I cut out a heart, glued it on red paper, punched a hole,  don't forget to let your little one put the string through the hole (Joshua was excited about that), and hung it up. 

Joshua wanted it on the door, but I later moved it to the window.  I love cheery Valentine's Day!

Snowy Day Fun for the Little One

My son Joshua is 2 1/2 years old  and he has a mind of his own and will not budge from the way he feels everything should go.  Saying that, he will not wear snow pants, snow suit, or even double pants to go outside.  On a mild winter day with a couple of inches on the ground, I just put on heavy sweat pants and we are fine for about 1/2 hour to 1 hour.  With the weather we have had the last two days here in NY, snow, freezing rain, ice, and no school for two days, I wouldn't qualify for Mommy of the Year if I just let him go out with sweat pants.  So I brought the snow to him.  This blue table is a water and sand table I got from Walmart last summer, I threw it in the basement so I could pull it out this winter.  I layed a large towel underneath, my daughter and her friend brought in snow, and Joshua went to town.  I gave him food coloring sqeeze bottles (when these were empty I saved them - just pop the tiny top, add a drop of color, and top off with water). 

He loved making all the colors and then he decided to "cook" in his kitchen (behind him) with his snow and squeeze bottles.  He was occupied for probably a good hour and was fascinated when he came back later and the snow was all melted.  He just had a science lesson and didn't know it.