Our Annual Tradition

This would be a much better post if I still had our slide show from last year and all our pictures of us updating the blog and reading Calvin and sewing skirts, etc. But, I deleted the blog and we here in the Blog World all agreed to not mention that as part of Talk Time, remember? So, moving on out of 2008 and into 2009: Our Annual Tradition.

Since the Freemans moved to Georgia and the Blairs moved to North Carolina (6 years ago) we have made it an annual tradition to spend a week together each summer. We alternate homes so last year Lily and her sister, Sarah spent the week here and the year before Leah and her sister Sarah (very confusing, let me just tell ya) spent the week at the Freeman's house. Oh, and we have millions of memories of all those trips. It's been so much fun to laugh about all the things we've done together during our week in the summer and also to look forward to it each year like it's never happened before!

This year (in September) Lily and I have been best friends for 10 years.

Lily, I love you so much and am so thankful to our gracious Father in Heaven, that though we are separated by a few hundred miles and only see each other a couple times a year, that He has preserved our friendship and caused us to walk with Him in all our ways together. When I met you 10 years ago in the park at the Greenville Seminary picnic I never would have imagined all the things that we would do together; all the phone calls on Saturday mornings; all the "motherly" things we did together; all the sleep-overs we would have; all the e-mails we would send; all the things that you would tease me about that would (and still do) make me laugh; all the blog posts that I would do on your behalf; all the cards you would send to encourage me and brighten my day; all the epistles you would let me send to you; all the sermons we've listened to together. Lily, I love you so much! I wouldn't trade these 10 years for anything. You're dear to me.

So, this year, our parents were very sweet and gave us permission to celebrate the occasion by spending 2 weeks together, back-to-back. We're just a little bit excited.

Part of the tradition is that we meet in Greenville (the half-way point) and make the switch. So on Saturday morning Leah and I will meet the Freemans in Greenville and then go with them to Georgia.

Leah and Sarah are doing a Regency Sewing Camp this next week (Monday - Friday) so they will be gone all day sewing. (we are going to try our best to get lots and lots of pictures).

Lily and I are planning on book-clubbing together (Hidden Art of Homemaking is next for those of you who don't read the side panel); "talkin' about the issues"; making some skirts (lots of pictures, Lord willing); organizing all of Lily's sermons; and talking and talking and talking.

Since the girls are doing the Regency Sewing Camp and since we ALWAYS watch Jane Austen movies during our week together we're planning on watching a Jane Austen movie every night: Persuasion, Sense and Sensibility, Emma, and Pride and Prejudice. We might have to throw in another one to make it 5 nights :) We'll try to get pictures of that, too.

Then on Saturday Lily and I will drive back to Charlotte (listening to Ligoneir Conference cds all the way back - I can't wait!). Lily, by the way, we're having one of my favorite dinners that night: Seired (how do you spell that anyway?) Tuna with Wasabi, Rice, Stir-Fried Broccoli, and Avocado Salad.

Lily and I will go to Redeemer on the Lord's Day (the highlight of the week). Leah and Sarah will have been learning all the dances from Pride and Prejudice during the sewing camp and then on Saturday night they'll go to the Regency Ball. On Monday we'll drive to Greenville and pick them up and then Lily and Sarah will spend the week with us until Saturday. Lord willing, tons of pictures to be posted in the next two weeks.

We have all kinds of fun plans for the blog while we're together but we may be talking too much to get around to posting anything. That's what novelteatalkers do anyway, right? However, we're gonna try really hard to get our second annual slide-show together (and I won't delete it this time...stop mentioning that. We already said we're not bringin' that to Talk Time, remember?). So, there are the Novelteatalkin' details on our (new version) of The Annual Tradition.

Two Pieces of Fabric

Well, ok, maybe not quite two pieces, but close... At least there's a general theme goin' on.

This past week I made an apron using this picture as my guideline/inspiration. I really just wanted to buy that apron but it was sold out and so I figured I could do it myself. Mama helped me a lot on this project. I used a skirt pattern for the bottom part. I did have to alter the pattern a bit but it was mostly a skirt pattern. And then for the top I just measured and guessed. For the ties and bottom trim I estimated how wide I thought they looked in the picture and measured and cut. It was fun to make. I still have to fix the length of the piece that goes around my neck but for now it's pinned so I'm not really worried. Come on, it's an apron. I'm gonna get spaghetti sauce all over it anyway so who cares if it's perfect? Here are a couple of pictures:



Then, I remade the headcovering that goes with the skirt that I made for my dear buddy, Lexi. (*side note* I cannot wait to give it to her on Thursday! I've been looking forward to it for weeks!) Anyway, I found a free pattern online (which I can't find now :) that was too small but it gave me some good ideas and I was able to work with the measurements a little bit. This one is much better than my first, spur-of-the-moment attempt. And I actually made two so I can wear one with my skirt, also. Cute!




And then, because I love this brown fabric from my apron so much, I used the same measurements and made another headcovering, but this time with the brown trim instead of the "interesting" striped trim. I love it. I wore it on Sunday and loved it. It stayed in my hair so much better than the other ones I wear.

One of my dear buddies at church said that she wanted one like it and also one just out of the brown material. That's a great idea. So I think I'm gonna have to make two of those, and one more of the denim with the brown trim. Ok, here are some pictures:



Enough of my boring sewing details.

I'll save the rest until after our trip (Novelteatalkin' deatils to come!) I have a skirt to sew this next week!!

July Fifteenth

This from Spurgeon this morning~

July 15 2009
“The fire shall ever be burning upon the altar; it shall never go out.” ~Leviticus 6:13

Keep the altar of private prayer burning. This is the very life of all piety. The sanctuary and family altars borrow their fires here, therefore let this burn well. Secret devotion is the very essence, evidence, and barometer, of vital and experimental religion.

Burn here the fat of your sacrifices. Let your closet seasons be, if possible, regular, frequent, and undisturbed. Effectual prayer availeth much. Have you nothing to pray for? Let us suggest the Church, the ministry, your own soul, your children, your relations, your neighbours, your country, and the cause of God and truth throughout the world. Let us examine ourselves on this important matter. Do we engage with lukewarmness in private devotion? Is the fire of devotion burning dimly in our hearts? Do the chariot wheels drag heavily? If so, let us be alarmed at this sign of decay. Let us go with weeping, and ask for the Spirit of grace and of supplications. Let us set apart special seasons for extraordinary prayer. For if this fire should be smothered beneath the ashes of a worldly conformity, it will dim the fire on the family altar, and lessen our influence both in the Church and in the world.

The text will also apply to the altar of the heart. This is a golden altar indeed. God loves to see the hearts of his people glowing towards himself. Let us give to God our hearts, all blazing with love, and seek his grace, that the fire may never be quenched; for it will not burn if the Lord does not keep it burning. Many foes will attempt to extinguish it; but if the unseen hand behind the wall pour thereon the sacred oil, it will blaze higher and higher. Let us use texts of Scripture as fuel for our heart’s fire, they are live coals; let us attend sermons, but above all, let us be much alone with Jesus.

More Sewing Projects

I flatter myself that you would remember this skirt:



It was the main feature of our blog posts during our annual summer vacation together last year. Remember the slide show? If only I could link to it. It was on the older, uglier, way not as cool (not to mention, deleted) version of Talk Time. It was the main feature because, out of all four of us (Lily and her sister; me and my sister) it was the only sewing project that actually got finished that week!

It is most affectionately known as the, Interesting, Spazy, Different, Loud, Fun, Exotic (etc. You provide your own adjectives) Skirt.

Well, my dear little buddy, Lexi (I road to the conference with her...and her family :) loves my skirt. She's my spazin' buddy. She and I have so much fun together. I love her so much. She's 7 and I'm 17. I can't wait until one day, Lord willing, I have children and she treasures them when she's 17 the way I treasure her (and her sister and brothers) now.

Lexi Loo is turnin' eight at the end of July and so I made her this skirt:




See the double drawstring...denim and ribbon...that cooridnates with this ribbon at the bottom:



It's almost exactly like mine except that the ribbon for the drawstring on mine is a little lighter brown and the denim on mine isn't such a dark blue. But other than that...just like mine.

I also made a hair scrunchie out of the dot material from the skirt. Mine is actually the dots and the stripes but I'm thinkin' about remaking mine.



And I also made her a matching headcovering for church. I designed this all by myself just in the spur of the moment. Who needs a pattern? It needs a little help on the sides. Brite, do you have any great ideas? But, if you tuck them under the tie it looks so adorable. I think I definitely need to make myself one. How cute!

There you go: some more sewing projects with only a couple minor catastrophes.