Visiting Project Run and Play

Today, we are guest posting at Project Run and Play!  This is Without Directions' first guest post and I (Major Moma) am quite excited. 

You see, PRP is a big reason why I started blogging.  My mother (M) sent me a couple of links to bloggers that were participating and I after weeks of watching each designer and sew-along lady come up with amazing projects, I just knew that I would have to play too.  So, when the next season started, I opened a flickr account and started sharing my sew-along projects. 

That was great, but there just is not the same feeling of community when you don't have a blog to tell the story behind the outfit.  And after much prodding by my mother and sisters, we decided to run a blog together.  And thus, Without Directions was born.

For our guest post, M and I talk about why we have sewn for our children.  And for your viewing pleasure there are lots of flash-back photos.  Lots of my older ones as toddlers, and even better, lots of Winocologist, McH, and Major Moma from our childhood.  Yes, there are some great 70's and early '80s fashions!

Sampling of the retro photos!  McH and Major Moma

So please, stop on over and check it out!

Parenting Lessons Learned

This is  Mc H. I am only a couple of years into this parenting teens gig. I learn something new about myself or my children every day.  Hubby and I like to call it leapfrog parenting. They jump ahead and then we jump to catch-up. Recently I was thinking about a list I made and wanted to resurrect it maybe add some stuff I have learned recently.

Parenting and the lessons learned (so far)

1.       I have been given stewardship of another human being (or 3 in my case).  Raise them to release them well. Like an arrow, I can do all the prep I want but when it is time, the release is the most important.

 

2.       Sleep is awesome. I didn’t sleep for the first 10 years, so I treasure it now.

 

3.       Be flexible.  You can plan all you want. Try not to freak when all your plans change.

 

 4.       Underwear gets dirty, shirts get dirty, jeans NEVER get dirty.  We will do enough laundry in life, give yourself a pants break.

 

 5.       Learn to cook.  I know, weird parenting advice, but seriously learning to cook will help you in every stage of child rearing.  From baby food to where I am right now teaching my teen how to menu plan and cook healthy.

 

 6.       Say you’re sorry…and mean it. To your children when you are wrong, and to your spouse. And faking it makes you look like an ass.  Your children can see right through that.

 

 7.       If you fight in front of your children with your spouse, then make-up in front of them as well.  It just isn’t realistic that you will never fight in front of your kids.  So when you do, make up in front of them.  Let them learn how to resolve conflict.

 

 8.       Potty training is from the devil. Don’t do it. They will figure it out.  Go to any football stadium 99% of them are potty trained.  Don’t kill yourself over this.

 

 9.   Sing and dance often.  I sang my kids to sleep. I sang sitting on the bathroom floor during potty training. I sang their alphabet, grammar and reading rules.  I sing and dance now just to embarrass them show them I am a person too. 

 10.   An old pastor taught us this rule: Never enter into a battle of wills with your children.  When you do, win at all costs.

 11.   A healthy marriage is the best thing you can do for your kids.  Work on it.  Date your spouse, remember your kids will move away, but you have a lifetime with your husband/wife.  Have sex. I’m not being crude, intimacy is important. 

 12.   Love unconditionally.  Your children are people. They are real human beings who have their own thoughts, loves, passions, dislikes and they might not be yours.  But you love them no matter what.

 13. Teens need to talk. Give them space and time. You have to listen to the twenty minutes of mind numbing nothing to get too how they are really feeling.

 14.  Expectations are okay to have.  I expect my children to act a certain way, behave with kindness, have manners. I can enforce those expectations. It doesn’t make me a terrible parent it makes me a good one.

 15.  Puppy love is still love to the puppy. This is a new one for me and I am sure I will keep learning it over and over. You might not see life altering heartbreak, but to your children it is. Teach them love, loss and healing, Even puppy love loss.

 That is all the parenting wisdom I have.  I screw these up all time. Then I go back and remember and try harder, love more, jump again.

If you are interested in hearing more from us, there are a couple ways for you to keep in touch!

The Beautiful Gospel

Happy Easter!  We have a special treat this morning.  McH's husband is guest blogging with a special Easter message.

                Hello again everyone.  I would like to thank the ladies of “Without Directions” for allowing me to guest blog again.  It is always fun.  I am writing of course because Easter is upon us and when thinking about what I would write, I decided to be a little challenging.  I will open with a series of statements and you decide if they are true or false.  Be honest.

The ultimate enemy of a Christian is Satan

When a Christian dies they go to heaven and live forever with Jesus

                Believe it or not both are false and I am not crazy.  These statements are not false because they contain wrong doctrine.  These statements are false because they contain small doctrine.  The Christian hope is far more beautiful than we give it credit for and our gospel is far more amazing than we can imagine.  I want to talk about the beauty of our gospel and hope as seen and understood in the resurrection of our Messiah Jesus.  

                Jesus’ ministry bursts onto the scene of history with the incredible announcement the kingdom of God is at hand.  Then everywhere Jesus goes He demonstrates the power of the kingdom by healing all kinds of sickness and disease, casting out demons, and raising the dead.  He also teaches on the kingdom with parables and stories.  The kingdom of God was the primary message of Jesus.  In fact, in the gospels, the “gospel” is not that Jesus loved you and died for you sins it is the kingdom of God had come.  It is called the gospel of the kingdom.  At that point in history no one knew Jesus was going to die yet.

                To be incredibly short, the kingdom of God is life, hope, freedom, and relationship with God.  This was viewed as a future age post resurrection.  This age is evil and under the power of Satan.  This age is characterized by sin, sickness, and death.  The moment in history where one ends and the other begins is resurrection.  Our gospel is Jesus declared the kingdom of God at hand and the resurrection has begun with the resurrection of Jesus.  

What does this mean?  Well, let me refer you to one of my sneaky false statements above.  The ultimate enemy of a Christian is not Satan, it is death.  I challenge you, the reader, to search the scriptures for the word death.  You will find quite a story.  It begins in the Garden with the warning on the day we eat the forbidden fruit we will surely die.  It goes on to show creation subjected to futility and death because of our sin.  It shows God conquering sin and death in His life, death, and resurrection.  Then the scriptures tell us we have been set free from the law of sin and death and given new life instead.  One of my favorite passages of scripture is 1 Corinthians 15.  Let me share two quotes from it.

1 Corinthians 15:25-26

²⁵ For He must reign till He has put all enemies under His feet. ²⁶ The last enemy that will be destroyed is death.

1 Corinthians 15:54-55

⁵⁴ So when this corruptible has put on incorruption, and this mortal has put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written: “Death is swallowed up in victory.”

⁵⁵    “O Death, where is your sting?

      O Hades, where is your victory?”

                Our Christian hope is the resurrection that has begun in Jesus Christ and is waiting for us.  This leads me to my second sneaky statement above about our hope of living forever in heaven with Jesus.  If we say our hope is to live forever in heaven with Jesus then death is not defeated.  Our bodies remain forever destroyed and we simply have a life after death as a spirit.  Resurrection means we believe our bodies will be raised and we will live physically again.  We will be incorruptible to use Paul’s language.

                This works itself out in many amazing fashion.  For instance I often hear well-meaning Christians consoling others after the death of a loved one or a child by saying, “Now they are in heaven with Jesus” or “God needed them home with Him.”  Any time we tell someone death was part of the plan or a good thing from God we are telling a false story.  We should be telling people NO.  Death was not the plan.  Your hurt is real.  Your soul was never meant to feel the hurt of this tragic loss.  God has done all that He has done that He might defeat death for you.  

                This works itself out in fighting away certain modern theologies such as rapture.  God is not going to miracle His people out of the world to be with Him in heaven and then judge the world under harsh tribulation.  Frankly it’s an abuse of scripture to teach that.  God has Himself come into the world in Christ who is Emmanuel which means God with us.  He came to us and He is coming back again.  God is not casting creation away He is redeeming it with resurrection power and the whole world is groaning while waiting for it (Romans 8:18-25).  On the first Easter morning the tomb was empty because Jesus was alive.  His old body was glorified into a new one.  It still had scars but it was made new.  We need to stop teaching God destroying the earth or creation.  It will pass away but it will also be made new.

                Many of you know John 3:16.  “¹⁶ For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.”  Are you familiar with verse 17?  “For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.”  

                Resurrection works itself out in having hope for today.  If God is redeeming creation back to Him then I am not waiting to escape a sinking ship I am a missionary demonstrating hope and believing my actions matter.  I believe a cup of cold water in His name is eternally significant and I can begin living kingdom life even today.

I want to close this by saying there is simply no room in a short blog to really lay this all out.  But be encouraged!  God is good.  God is beautiful.  Our faith is not in vain; it is vibrant because Jesus is alive and that is Good News.  The resurrection forever radically alters everything and we can celebrate that. 

A Little Writing To Smell.

Major Mama mentioned that I, McH,  am a big slacker and haven’t blogged in awhile. This is true and I have a lot of excuses right on the tip of my tongue/fingertips but I won’t use them. LIfe is life and it is crazy.

By special request I went back to my favorite writing prompt book, 642 Things To Write About by the San Francisco Writers’ Grotto, and have chosen a prompt.

The rules are the same 500 words or less. Edit after it’s written. Today’s prompt:

The smell of a place you love.

I love the smell of flour and sugar. More specifically the back of a bakery. My dad is a baker and when we were kids he had a bakery. It was my favorite place in the world. I would sit in the back storage room after school on the huge 50lb bags of flour and sugar and do my homework, daydream about being president, and just be safe and warm. I would listen to my dad hum a tune as he worked on his bench and sneak out and put belly buttons in the large mounds of dough when he wasn’t looking.

When we were older we would go and visit dad in his bakeries and sit in the back eating a cookie. I loved watching him and his fellow bakers make everything from donuts to french bread. And every time I hug my dad he smells of flour, bakery and him. Too me that is the smell of love.

McH Inspiration Failbot

This month’s inspiration picture was amazing. I had all sorts of ideas pop into my brain. But like so many instant craft ideas I had a limited budget and limited time.  I ended up doing what I always do when crafting outside the box, I took a field trip to my local thrift store for ideas.

I live in a Navy town. Military communities have an advantage over run-of-the mill civilian towns, we have amazing thrift stores and garage sales. Why, you ask? Well because our community is transient. The military gives you a weight allowance to move and then moves you on their whim. So you learn to pare down. You learn to get rid of what you don’t need, the stuff your kid grew out of, and the crap your mother/grandmother pawned off on you. 

Most military both donate often and shop regularly at thrift stores.  For example, my daughter had a middle school concert last night and needed a white blouse and black skirt. I went to our thrift store and got a new white sweater, black gore skirt and cute one inch heel Mary Jane shoes all for 10 bucks.

Back to the inspiration.



My youngest modeling next to the fireplace



My first idea was a hat rack. I need one and I thought antlers...rack...hat...canes!  I went in search or canes or cane like things to glue/screw together.  Only they had one cane. And nothing else except a lot of golf clubs, but I draw the line at welding.

Idea number two.  Our downstairs I am turning, slowly, into a study/pub/TV room.  It needs something masculine. Something manly. Something with ANTLERS! And because it’s my house. Something with flannel.

I ended up taking all the left over Christmas wrapping paper off the rolls (don’t tell hubby) grabbed some cotton batting, and snagged few of my homespun’s.  To finish off with my modge podge medium.

You are jealous of my crafting prowess, I can tell.

It took the afternoon, and I stuck my fingers together only twice, but they were done.

Problem number two. I needed to mount them on something. It’s all well and good to have antlers but I can’t just leave it. I need them to be above the fireplace.  Mounting Idea #1. A bicycle helmet, drill out two holes and ta-da! But my children drew the line at me mangling one of their helmets.  Idea #2 A wooden plaque. This is still my idea.

But implementation is not going well. And cardboard tubes do NOT have a good life span. They bend, and crumble, and modge podge is heavy, and well we are at fail attempt number 4. 

Will I give up? Maybe. But my idea is amazing. Next time I will cut them out of foam. Or build them inset into a base.

Lessons learned. Inspiration is amazing, creativity rules, but sometimes your idea just doesn’t work. And you have to be cool with that.

He is "Mom you are so weird"

Liebster nomination!!!

One of the really fun things about sew alongs, is "meeting" other bloggers.  I (Major Moma) love seeing the personality of different bloggers come through in their creations.  For example, the pattern remix that is week one of every PRP always is interesting.  We all have the same starting point but come up with completely different things.  And in this "getting to know" each other process, we discover blogs that we normally would never know about.  And, things like this happen:  One of the lovely ladies, Sally at Daisy Chain Creations, that sew along at PRP nominated Without Directions for a Liebster award!

What is a Liebster Award?  "The Liebster Blog Award is an award given by bloggers to up and coming bloggers, most of whom have less than 200 followers (or have been blogging for less than 6 months). It is to show newer bloggers that they are appreciated, and to help spread the word about new blogs. It was created to promote appreciation and recognition among the blog world. Liebster translates to “dearest” (or favorite/best) in German. It is also known as the Love Blog Award."

It's been fun to get to know some bloggers better and a great way to pass on the love.

There are some rules though:

1. You must post 11 random things about yourself.

2.  Answer the 11 questions given by the nominator.

3.  Create 11 new questions for those you nominate.

4.  Choose 11 new blogs and link to them in your post.

She did specifically mention me, Major Moma, because I am the one that participates in PRP.  Though I am the most frequent poster in this 4-woman blog, I am certainly not the most interesting so we are going to share the lists of eleven thing/questions/blogs amongst us.

And like the question/answer post we did from Luvin' in the Mommyhood, we will color code the answers.

M

Major Moma

McH

Winocologist

Random Things:

1. Major Moma's oldest kid and McH's youngest kid are the same age.  They are actually 4 months apart and McH wanted to name her child, if a girl, the same name that Major Moma wanted to name her unborn girl.  Luckily, McH's child turned out to be a boy and they did not have to go to blows to choose who got the name.
2. When Major Moma was about 4 years old, someone asked her what she wanted to be when she grew up.  "I want to be a firewoman, policewoman, doctor, veterinarian, live on a farm, and have 13 kids."  Astounded by this list, the person asked, "If you are all those things, who will take care of the kids?"  Without batting an eyelash, Major Moma replied, "My husband."  So how did that work out?  Well, Major Moma is none of those professions and does not live on a farm, but she does work full time while her husband manages the household and is a stay-at-home-dad.
3.  Major Moma has graduated from universities on both coasts.
4. Winocologist has attended both mime and circus school
5. McH has always wanted to visit Maine but has not yet made it there.
6. M has 6 grandkids and 1 granddog.
7. All of us sew, but we sew different types of things.
8. M used to 'cruise the bay' on a cotton candy pink scooter with matching helmet.
9. Winocologist is absolutely a city girl and has lived in cities on both coasts of the U.S.A., and the Midwest.
10. Major Moma loves to run as long as no one is pressuring her to go faster.
11. McH married her high school sweetheart.
12. M is very involved in an amazing organization called Days for Girls.  You really must check it out.  Did you know there are girls all around the world who are unable to finish school because they do not have access to decent feminine hygiene products?

Questions asked of us:

1. What's your go to place when you are stumped and need a solution when it comes to sewing/crafting?

• The book Vogue Sewing. 

• Dude. Google.

• Bed; I go to sleep thinking about it, and then wake up with the answer

·       I go for a walk.  There are a lot of crafty stores and great ideas all around where I live.

2. If you could go anywhere in the world, where would you go and why?

• India.  I would love to go somewhere that is completely different than the U.S. and experience a non-western culture.  And why India then?  I have been attracted by the colors, sounds, and food that have eeked their way into US media.

• Russia. While my hubby and I were stationed in Germany we always intended to go to Russia, but never got there. I think we would love the deep culture and strong people.

• Africa, I went once and Africa is deep in my heart. 

• Malaga, Spain.  I have been itching to run away there.  The history and mixing of cultures fascinates me… And lets not forget the SHERRY!

3. Who taught you how to sew and what do you wish you could ask them now?

• My mother ... and I ask her questions all the time. Right M? 

• My mommy. She bought me my first pair of good left handed scissors after I stabbed myself in the leg with her righties.  I don't ask her questions about sewing because she is too way crazy advanced for me and cares about things like corners meeting and I don't.

• My mother, she was an amazing semester...I remember her making clothes out of hand-me-downs and my clothes never looked homemade. She started sewing with knits before it was popular, and taught me that a really good sewing machine is more important than a new refrigerator

• Gramma taught me.  Mom never had the patience to teach me.

4. If you were able to pass on your love of sewing to someone, what is the first thing you would tell them/teach them?

• Don't be afraid of mistakes and enjoy the process. 

• Only God is perfect so chill the heck out about it.  Oh, and color choices make your project look either old and dumb or modern and amazing. Pick wisely young padawan.

• God may be the only one is perfect, but doing the fundamentals will make all your work better. If your fundamentals are in place then people are free to enjoy your work and message.

• DON’T START QUILTING.  You don’t want to end up with a sewing room like M.

5. What is the must have by your sewing machine/craft table when it comes to snacks?

• Something not messy. 

• Coffee.  Is that a snack?

• Love a cup of tea, other than that no food in sewing room.

• Wine.

6. What is one time period you wished you lived in, if only for the clothes they wore?

• Well, I keep thinking of the antebellum time (1860s) with all their hoop skirts and layers of fancy fabrics.  But really, only a select few in the upper class really got to dress like that.  So for us ordinary folks, I would like the 1940s.

• I am a huge fan of Victorian romances, so 1860-1890's more specifically 1880's fitted bodices with bustles.

• 60's mod, I never had the body or money to wear it when I lived it...

·       If I were upper class in France, it would be the late 18^th century.  I love the colors and patterns.  Everything was so extravagant.  However, I don’t think I would want to be a French aristocrat in the late 1700’s.  What a waist of good hats!

7. Favorite thing to do/favorite hobby, non-sewing related?

• Running 

• Writing.

• Cooking

• Eating

8. If you could indulge yourself in something sewing related, what would it be and why?

• Sew with fine luxurious fabrics.  I love the feel of silks and fine wools on my hands as I sew.

• A sewing table. All my crafting stuff is in the space under the stairs. I am like the Harry Potter of sewing.

• Oh I need a Babylock serger that I can thread easily...my current serger hurts my eyes

• Sewing lessons… I’m not as good as the rest of them.

9. Milk or Dark Chocolate? Why?

• Dark.  Because... it is better. 

• Dark. Because it isn't tainted with milk fat.

• I don't discriminate between chocolates; all are good.

• Dark.  Because it fixes the craving without having to eat the entire bag.

10. What is the funniest thing you have seen or heard lately?

• My son saying "Take that!" to his sister after passing gas and her replying, "I'm not taking it!" in a singsong voice.  I know, high-class humor.

• My nine year old on the way home something "Every time I Google image something I always get men. Like yesterday I Google imaged "banana" and I got a bunch of pictures of men. Except when I Googled ancient German artifacts and I got bologna" Yes we checked his parental settings on the computer...

• I have the funniest husband, he jokes about everything all the time.

·       This is weird… I’m constantly laughing in life, but I can’t think of a single funny thing that has happened.

11. Sunrise or sunset?  What is your favorite time of day?

• Sunrise:  I love new beginnings. 

• Sunrise. I am a morning-ish person.

• Sunrise, especially when it is clear and Mt Baker is all pink with the sunrise

• Sunset:  If I’m awake for a sunrise I have been awake for way too long.

11 Questions for our nominees:

1. What is something challenging you did that you felt really good after doing it?
2. Other than the one you live in, what is your favorite U.S. state?
3. What book are you currently reading?
4. Are you a 'city mouse' or 'country mouse'?
5. Coffee or tea?
6. When fighting with your significant other, do you walk away or want to talk it out?
7. What was the best thing you have ever eaten? Where?
8. Name one cause you really care about.
9. What is your favorite outside activity?
10. Where was your best family vacation?
11. Do you use your "good" dishes often or only pull them out when the occasion is really special?

Great blogs we read (our nominees for the Liebster):

The rules say we need to list 11 small blogs that we love.  Unfortunately, we don't have that many.  Not that we are too picky or our standards are unreasonable.  It is just the combination of two factors:

1) We are busy and have to limit our time on the Internet browsing, so limits are made so we don't lose hours of productiveness.

2) Some how the blogs we have looked at are big.  I guess all of you like the same ones as us.  So, if you are reading this and you have a "small blog", feel free to leave a link to your blog in the comments so everyone can check you out too.

Rachelizms -  A blog about writing and living

Humble Brewer - A blog about a pastor who enjoys brewing beer in his garage ... think modern day monk. :D

CathGrace - A sewing/crafting and family blog.

clouds full of rain - A sewing blog I just recently came across and am so impressed with right now.

Nitty Gritty Love - Michelle, the blogger at this site used to be at the blog My Kite Dream and recently switched over to a new format.  Her posts are always so funny but also very real.