When my youngest brother moved out of the home, my mom and dad went through a bit of “empty nest” and brought home the cutest miniature schnauzer. I’m not a dog person, but Toby is genuinely a sweet dog…who was a bit lonely until, a few weeks later, my mom brought him home a sister. Abby is a cocker spaniel (or, as my father refers to her, a total blond). As sweet as Toby is, Abby is a crazy lady with too much energy and an inability to *not* pee when she gets excited! They’re quite the pair…especially now, as they enter their very senior years. Sweet Toby has gone blind, and Abby is now deaf. They’re still quite the pair, even now.

For Christmas, we usually buy a little something for them…in their younger years, it was a silly pink dress for Abby (which she promptly shook off) or a new toy for Toby (which he promptly chewed to bits). Now, it’s more likely to be vitamin enriched doggy muffins that are soft on their gums and full of fiber. Getting old is grand, though, as they are cared for just as much now as they day they came home!

When it came to their treats, I wanted to make them something special…especially as this might be their last Christmas with us. I received several yards of this bone fabric from a neighbor, and (I admit) it’s sat in my drawer for a very (very…very…very) long time. As I tend to make more “story” quilts, as my mom likes to say, I never had a use for these bones-on-brown or bones-on-tan fabrics. So, I took a break from quilts and – genuinely – had a fun afternoon sewing up something completely different!

While Abby is too old for costumes, I created a little Santa hat bag for her out of the fabrics. It has a draw-string top that can be tied once her – and Toby’s – senior treats are inside. I added two of my son’s beads so the draw strings wouldn’t get lost inside. The soft white fluffy fabric was super easy to work with – though my sewing room looked like a snow storm of fluff had gone through after I finished all the cutting! I tapered the fabric, as opposed to making a cylinder, so that the hat would not have a ton of gathered fabric at the top. It took a few tries to get the shape exactly as I wanted, but am happy with the final result.

This little sewing project was a nice break from the quilting…I’ve been sewing up so many projects for friends and family, and coming up with this fun little project was just that – fun. The Santa hat was finished, but I wasn’t – so I ended up making a pumpkin with an open top, perfect for more soft biscuits – though this one will be for my sister’s two dogs next Halloween. Fingers crossed we can celebrate with them!

Your turn! What have you been working on?

Hi, y’all! I’m excited to share something that’s really special to us and our family. A few months ago, Elayne of Annunciation Design reached out and shared that she was looking for a few other artisans who were interested in creating a custom family mission statement. Now, my background is in the corporate world, and I absolutely grasp the importance of a company having a mission and a vision. Without one, the company has no clear direction of who they are, what is important to them, and what they want to be. When it came to my family, though, I hadn’t thought about it…we just, well, “were”. The more I thought about it, though, the more I realized the importance of what Elayne was driving towards – our family, just like the corporation, needed the clear picture of who and what we were.

At first, it was a daunting task – we weren’t sure where to start in coming up with what it was that perfectly fit our family! Elayne provided some thoughts, and we ran with them, massaging and making them our own. Working with my husband and son was honestly such a unique experience as we, together, talked through what is most important to our family. Each of us had a fair say in what was included, and the final compilation is a beautiful representation of *us*.

Elayne was wonderful to work with. She was always available to answer any questions we had, and was patient with us as we – I suspect! – took longer than most to really identify what was important to us. As part of the design process, she also provided two rounds (beyond the initial concept) of design changes to ensure that the final product truly was one we would cherish. We wanted it to fit in with our coastal decor, and she did a great job…the picture, in its rustic frame with light blue background, sits perfectly between two sail boats on our wall.

I’m absolutely loving how our family mission statement turned out. It’s everything that is important to us. When it came time to finding a home for it, we decided to hang it in our breakfast nook. It’s now one of the first things we see as we start our day, and I often find myself reading through it every time it catches my eye. I’m purchasing one for my sister and her family, and am already looking forward to seeing how hers turns out – and what they feel is the mission of their family. This was such a beautiful gift! If you were to write your family mission, what would it say?

Can you believe it’s been a year already? Today – September 25th – is Family Day. Sponsored each year by CASA Family Day, it’s a day focused on (you guessed it!) the family. Their goal, all year, is to bring families closer together and increase parent/child involvement. While they have year-round activities, one of their largest events is a focused event each September (click here for events in 2013, 2015, and 2016).

Ready to join in the fun?

• Check out their brand new Family Day website, which features our new Community Group Toolkit and new Parent Toolkit. Both contain tips and tools to help you celebrate!
• Post your #MyFamilySelfie of your family enjoying a meal or doing another fun activity together on Twitter or Instagram and tag CASA Family Day.
• Email photos of your Family Day events to FamilyDay@centeronaddiction.org or post them on social media and tag CASA Family Day.
• Follow Family Day us on Facebook, Twitter, and now Instagram!
• Check out their website to see how Family Day’s partners and sponsors are celebrating across the country. You’ll be in good company by joining 15 State First Ladies, 11 Major League baseball teams, The Coca-Cola Company, Quest Diagnostics, Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America (CADCA), Fathers Incorporated, Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD), National Military Family Association, Partnership for Drug-Free Kids, Prevent Child Abuse America, Students Against Destructive Decisions (SADD), The Family Dinner Project, the Kids Time, and The Moyer Foundation, and more!

Remember, though, that every day can be Family Day! Here are some great ways to stay engaged in your children’s lives…each is so simple, yet so important to raising a child that grows to be a healthy, active, and drug-free adult:

• be there: Get involved in your children’s lives and activities
• open the lines of communication and keep them wide open
• set a good example: Actions are more persuasive than words
• set rules and enforce them with consequences if your children fail to follow them
• monitor your children’s whereabouts
• maintain family rituals such as eating dinner together
• incorporate religious and spiritual practices into family life
• get Dad engaged—and keep him engaged
• engage the larger community
• get to know your kid’s friends and their parents

I’m really looking forward to seeing all your #myfamilyselfie photos! We’ll be sharing ours, too. Hugs and prayers from our family to yours!

It’s time for the Annual Blogger’s Quilt Festival! So excited to join in again this year. Last year, it was slightly different, as there was voting. This year, it’s “back to basics” – which means we just get to look at and oggle over every quilt entered. They’re all so lovely!

My entry into the festival is my Mary and Jesus quilt…but I bet you already figured that out, didn’t you? It’s my favorite quilt that I’ve made this year! I absolutely loved designing this from concept through final quilt, and seeing how it turned into something *real*.

In designing the quilt, I wanted that beautiful moment of a mother gazing down at her child…perhaps, even for the first time. The baby is sound asleep, snuggled into his mother’s arms. Mom looks down, and – eyes closed – offers a prayer of thanks for this beautiful little blessing.

Thank you for stopping by from the festival and learning a bit more about my quilt!

I’m so excited to be part of an amazing group of creative Catholic women! Each week, we share our handmade items in a pop-up shop on Instagram. This week, we’re doing something different – we’ve invited all our talented friends to join us, and 100% of our profits are going to Adore ministries. Adore Ministries is an on-the-ground disaster recovery group; they were there to help with the aftermath of Katrina, and they’re already onsite helping recovery to begin after Harvey.

You can learn more about this special project here – but, even more, I encourage you to stop by the sale! We have some extra special items to share with you this week.

Thank you, as always, for your support. Our prayers are with those impacted by Harvey!