Fabric Deal!

Hope you're all enjoying your Tuesday! I just had an e-mail from fabric.com saying that because I mentioned their site on my blog they had a free gift for all of you!

Using the code "bloghomespun" you will receive $5 off your order. This is a one time use coupon and is good July 1 through July 8.

Happy sewing!!

Family Night: Tomorrow is the Big Run!

I'm bumping the Family Night post up this week because it falls next chronologically in our trip events!

We weren't in Iowa very long before we headed out for a big family dinner! My parents, Carrie and her family, all of us and my grandma and two aunts - we made a big crew and it was a fun time catching up!

My Mom surprised my Dad with matching shirts for everyone to wear to the marathon the next morning! Light blue is the color for Prostate Cancer Awareness and sometimes at other marathons you'll see t-shirts boasting that they are Support Crew! A crew we were and of course, we were there to support our Dad, Husband, Father, Brother, Son, Grandpa and Father-in-Law!

Here are a few shots of our Family Night together:

We'll all be up early the next morning to cheer him on at the starting line! The run starts at 6:00am!

Back at the hotel, we presented Dad with medals from the New York and Chicago marathons that were donated through an organization called Medals for Mettle (courage). Runners can donate their medals for cancer patients in an effort to show that they are standing behind them all the way! We said, "We're with you all the way!"

A road called faith...

We've been home a week and I'm finally getting around to sharing about our trip!

David wasn't able to get off of work, so my aunt flew out from Kansas City and drove all the way back with me and our littles! She was such a big help!

Our first morning was a bit more adventurous than we had hoped for. We stopped for a bathroom break and noticed the back passenger side tire looked a little low - so since we were at a gas station, we thought we'd fill it up and keep an eye on it.

Their air machine was broken, we went to another gas station - same thing. Right next to that was a tire repair place and I asked them to air it for me which they generously did. So, we were off.

I was completely paranoid about it though, I kept asking my aunt to look out her rear view mirror and check on it and then I knew I could feel something different about the way the car was driving. So, we took the very next exit.

We pulled into another gas station and our tire was almost completely flat. We'd only gone another 20-30 minutes, so we knew we had a problem. We filled it up again and asked where the nearest place was to get our tire fixed.

Turn right out of this gas station and go seven miles, the attendant instructed. She said we'd pass a police station, a produce stand and then see the tire place.

So, to the right we headed. It was a beautiful drive - but boy, did it feel like there was a whole lot of nothing out there! I said to my aunt, "I sure hope she was right - this requires a lot of faith!"

Not seeing anything and not knowing how long our tire would hold air made those seven miles seem much longer than they normally would have.

But, eventually we did see the police station!!! A few more blocks and we saw the produce stand...now we were just looking for the tire place.

Where could it be? Oh! There it is! We pulled in and there were two or three workers sitting around waiting for something to do. One young man came over to our car and we explained the situation - he had that tire off (with all of us sitting comfortably in the car!) in no time and quickly figured out it was the valve stem that had a crack in it and needed replacing.

As soon as he said that - it was like a lightbulb went off in my head. Just one or two days before, I had gotten a letter from our car company saying there have been reports of cracked valve stems and to make sure and check them. Sure enough ...

He replaced it and had that tire back on in about fifteen minutes! After paying our $8 bill and having him check all the tires, we were back on the road! Thank You, Lord - for providing all of our needs and so quickly and inexpensively as well!

Emily took a picture of the place we stopped ~ and I was thankful for the kind people in Jackson, Georgia!

By the way, I forgot to tell you the name of the produce stand .....

Faith Produce

PS: I don't usually post over the weekend - but I did this weekend in an effort to get a bit caught up! Make sure to scroll down if you don't subscribe to e-mail or feed reader updates!

Garden Update

I was talking to my Mom this afternoon and she requested pictures of our garden - so here is an update! Mostly, the sunflowers!

Here's what I harvested tonight:

And, these zinnias are just captivating! We love all their colors, and I obviously think they are very photogenic!

An evening to remember!

As I mentioned, my friend Debbie got married yesterday. And, she had asked me to help her decorate a dinner for her family that would be held after the wedding reception. I had sort of set a mental budget of $100 to do this and here is how it all turned out ~ enjoy!

Let's start with the drink table -

I covered a regular folding table with brown paper and then laid a cloth of burlap over the top. An enamel pail of hydrangeas from my yard formed a beautiful centerpiece! Large jars of lemonade and sweet tea were on either side. Guests drank from pint size canning jars with tags around the top edge - and a marker was handy for writing their name on the tag so we could keep track of whose was whose.

Carrie served drinks like this at her rehearsal dinner and I loved it! Thanks for the jar and the inspiration, Carrie!

An old silver cooler was on the ground nearby for ice.

Under the pavilion, we had a combination of picnic and folding tables - I did the same thing with the brown paper and burlap tablecloths. Then, I used two of the blue canning jars (thanks!!), hydrangeas and shells. Between the two jars, I placed a small star tin (sorry, forgot a picture - eek!) with sand and a votive candle in it. I didn't light the candles because it was HOT - the heat index was 105. I didn't want to add any heat no matter how small!

I made small paper fans to place on the tables in an effort to provide some relief from the heat. I saw lots of them being used, so hopefully they were a help! This hydrangea photo was what she had used on her wedding invitations - I took an extra one to Staples and got them color copied four to a page on cardstock. After cutting apart, I just hot glued them to long wavy popsicle sticks found at Hobby Lobby. A short sheer ribbon was tied around in a simple knot.

Leading up to the pavilion from the sidewalk - I created a little walkway out of these shepherd's hooks and jars. Both were left from Carrie's wedding and she graciously let me borrow them! Jelly jars are filled with dried lavender and a piece of wire is wrapped around the top to create a hanger. I skipped the tea lights that originally were in these - several of them melted in my car during the wedding!


Let's see - how did I do on my budget?
30 yards burlap: $30 (thanks Michele for the tip on $1/yard burlap with free shipping!)
canning jars: $12 (shipping, thank you ladies for your generosity in sharing your jars!)
paper lanterns: $2
beverage jar: $14
brown paper: $13
candles: $2
W sign: $2 (initial hanging in the pavilion)
Paper Fans: about $20
Canning jars for drinks: borrowed or purchased by bride
Hydrangeas: free (my yard and some friends yards)
Shells and sand: free (trip to beach)
Plates and silverware (all plastic) were provided by family of the bride
Napkins: $2
Star Tins: $2 (thrift store)

Total: $99

I love that I can use lots of these things again which will extend their value! And, I want to thank the special ladies who sent their blue canning jars so graciously! I also would like to thank each of you who purchased something from The Rusty Robin - this was a wedding gift to my friend from my giving fund that the proceeds of my crafts supplied. Also, my friend Susan was an invaluable source of encouragement and help during the set up!!

One guest said that the evening was so homey and country - that was music to my ears and definitely the feel I was going for!

Flower Girl & Heart Girl

My friend, Debbie, got married on Saturday and Emily was her flower girl! She did a great job and looked so precious!

Rachel wanted a special job - so she thought one up for herself, she declared herself the "heart girl" and has been talking about this for months! My aunt gave me this little heart made in another country and I told Rachel she could carry it to the wedding.

The wedding was beautiful and both our little ladies were very good!

PS: Is anyone in need of a size 3 flower girl dress and/or bow? Both are from David's Bridal. We'll be listing these on ebay sometime this week unless someone is interested here.

Sneek Peek

This weekend, I'm helping a friend with a special event - here are a few glimpses as I prepare!

Family Night: Out for Pizza!

I had hoped we were going to the beach for Family Night - but the weather did not cooperate! At the last minute, we decided to go out for pizza!

I don't know about you, but I grew up thinking that going out for dinner was a very special treat! And, I'd like to keep it that way for my children even though I know they eat out more than I did as a child. Once in a while, though, there is something special about going out to eat as a family!

So, for pizza we went!

They had a little arcade room - where we played one game of Ms. Pac Man! When we got home, Daddy got out a driving/crashing game for the Xbox from his single days and we had fun taking turns!

Having fun together is really what Family Night is all about!

Skirts for me!

A combination of things inspired me to pursue making a few skirts for myself. I was drawn to the idea after making cute little skirts for my girls! I was challenged by Joy's posting each day when she'd worn a skirt - and the femininity and beauty behind that. And, I was tired of being hot in jeans. It is HOT here!

So, I started looking for a pattern - I came across a review for Amy Butler's A-line skirt pattern and did some more checking into that. I finally decided to make these skirts for myself and found a copy of the pattern on ebay for a few dollars less than anywhere else that also included free shipping.

Then, I remembered Megan's tip to order fabric here - with free shipping also! I used this, this and this fabric.

I bought the muslin for the lining and the zippers at Wal-Mart and used thread I already had on hand.

I've worn these all over the country as we just got home from our road trip! And, I will say that I have found myself not wanting to put pants on again! I love these skirts! They fit my lifestyle and personality and I have felt more feminine in the process too!

All three of these were made in one weekend! And, now I want to make a couple more! Have you ever made your own clothes? What did you make and how did you like it?