Honeyanne

set sail...

I've been reading As A Man Thinketh by James Allen. I usually read it every year. This book, simplified in my own words, explains how thoughts are extremely powerful and important in a person's life.

The other day I watched Inception staring Leonardo DiCaprio. There were 3 lines in that movie which stood out to me - kind of grabbed hold of me.

"An idea. Resilient. Highly Contagious. Once an idea has taken hold of the brain it's almost impossible to eradicate."

"The seed that we plant in this man's mind will grow into an idea. This idea will define him. It may come to change...well, it may come to change everything about him."

"An idea is like a virus, resilient, highly contagious and the smallest seed of an idea can grow. It can grow to define or destroy you."

These little lines in a movie, crammed full of car chases and explosions, started to mix with the lines in As A Man Thinketh. I started to really wonder what one idea has taken root in my mind. What one idea is growing in there and defining me?

I searched my mind and, to my upset, found an idea which has been growing for a very long time.

I can't.

There it was. I could see how it has defined my life in so many ways. "Holy crap!" thought I (please excuse my potty-mouth). This one little thought, contagious and resilient has taken hold of me and has held me back for most of my life.

But also, as I examined my mind a little further, I found another idea that had been growing and weaving it's way up and around the dense thicket of the first idea.

I can.

Of all the things I have accomplished in my life, this idea has been the catalyst and the hope.

I realize how I need to nurture this little idea that has taken root in my mind. I need to tend it and feed it and water it and encourage it and shelter it. It's quality of life matters more than anything else.

The power of one idea - no matter how tiny - can grow until it changes everything. It can define not only myself but the world around me. We've seen that happen over and over in history. One idea can define a whole nation. Such a thought is worth nurturing, don't you agree?

I am discovering how subtly an idea starts in the mind. We can be nurturing it for a life time without even being aware it's there. Once we start to awake to the ideas, we can nourish and encourage what is right and empowering and reject those ideas which are base and damaging. We can resist the low notion and turn our gaze to more nobler ideas.

My dear friend Amber sent me this quote once. She was longing to cast off and explore her potential and find adventure and meaning in her life. As I think on this quote, I too long for distant shores. I long for the sea of possibilities in myself. But something often holds me back and these past few weeks I've been able to explore what it has been.

I challenge you, dear reader, to search inward and see just what ideas are defining you...happy sailing!

so many projects - so little time...

 
I've had these quilting squares ready to go for several years now.  I found them at a thrift store and I fell in love with the colors! Perfect for my room!  I take them out every 6 months and admire them.  I say, "This week I'll put you together." and I touch them tenderly. I lay them out on the bed.  I think the poor things have given up on me. They've accepted their plight in life - to be nothing more than a pile of squares.  Time and time again I have crushed their dreams of one day spreading across our bed in full splendor. I am a cruel quilter, it is true. 

I just need two hours - two uninterrupted hours at the sewing machine.  Anyone out there have a project who has lost all hope?  Perhaps we can swap children for time?  Sigh, anyone?

how to make a braided rug...

How to make a braided rug...

Get yourself nice and bored one snowy/rainy day (hey, you never know these days) and decide you are going to de-clutter a room.  Pick the sewing room and attack the fabric shelves.

Start folding and arranging by color for the first 20 minutes.  Decide that there is just too much fabric and convince yourself how visions of quilts, dresses and bags are fine and dandy but probably won't be accomplished in your life-time. 

Try to put your fabric in a box to give away.  Feel guilty for all the money you spent building the mountain of fresh fabric and change your mind.

Assure yourself you can find some time during the alloted 24 hour period to assemble at least one quilt. Give your head a shake - you enjoy sleeping too much. 

Recommit to putting that fabric into the give away box. In a moment of jealous rage begin tearing the fabric into strips attesting that if you can't have the fabric no one can. 

Giggle nervously, be a little concerned for your state of mind. Take a break. Sit down with a cool drink and open a magazine.  Notice a delightful picture of a braided rug. 

Flatter yourself into believing you have the time to braid one  with all the fabric strips you've just made.  Begin braiding.  Listen to a book on Librovox.org.  Ignore everything else. Braid until the book is done or your children faint from hunger - whichever comes first.

Take the next 6 months trying to hand-stitch the rug together while there is nothing else to do. Get a measly 4 inches done.  

Unpack the glue gun. Run to the store for glue sticks. Walk confidently past the discount fabric bin without flinching. Pat yourself on the back for not purchasing fabric.

Plug in your glue gun and begin to cement the rug together. Burn a few fingers but do not cuss - cussing is not for ladies and you are a lady. Complete the rug. 

Promise yourself never ever to clean out the sewing room again.

How to make a slingshot...

      

For me, the ultimate symbol for boyhood is the slingshot.  Of course, I've shared that at the age of 10 I desperately wished I was a boy - with a jar of grasshoppers, a pocket of smooth pebbles and of course, a slingshot to shoot tin cans off fence posts.  Oh, the good ol' days when whittling sticks and shooting tin was fun enough.  

Tristan made his slingshot - want to give it a try?  You'll need:

• 'y' shaped stick thick enough to not snap
• 16 rubber bands size 1/4"
• a strip of leather or material that won't snap or tear 4"x1.5" or so
• a knife
• 15 minutes of your time

1. Skin the bark off your 'y' stick.

2. Make a notch at the top of each 'y' about 1/2" down and 1/4" wide. Not very deep - just grooved enough for the elastics to slip around.

 

3. Cut a small slice into each end of your leather or material.

4. Pairing elastics attach 4 pairs on each side of your leather. 

I'm not sure the name of the knots to use...perhaps it's a reef knot but I'm not certain. Hopefully these pictures help...

5. Using the same infamous knot attach each trail of elastics over the notch of your sling.

 

6. Gather some round stones and try not to take out a window.

(Remember, it's all fun and games until someone loses an eye...then it's a sport!)

easy as pie...

  

Instead of doing housework I decided to sew Emma a skirt.  I've been meaning to make something for her since she was born.  2 years later isn't so long is it?  These skirts are so easy to make I don't know why she hasn't got closets full of 'em. All it takes isa strip of fabric, some ric-rac and lace.  Simple and done in 30 minutes - okay, 45 minutes, but I'm a beginner.   

So, I feel like I've accomplished something today. Something lovely. And, I've managed to ignore the laundry for yet another day.

a homemade christmas...

     

Stuff. It's a complicated subject - a love/hate affair. 'Stuff' seems to fight for the spotlight each Christmas as I try to find balance between Santa and The Savior - giving and getting - feeling peace on earth or frazzled in aisle 12 at Zellers.

This year the children agreed to make each other gifts.  We are trying to encourage them to focus on someone else opposed to the relentless lists titled 'me, myself and I'.  It seems to be working. My eight year old keeps saying, "I'm never going to get Tristan's present done on time!" instead of , "I want a rhinestone-xbox-dsi-laptop-wii-space modulator" (isn't that what Marvin the Martian tried to use to blow up the earth?).

Besides, there is something truly charming about a gift that has been made by a child's hands, don't you think?

Meet Julia...

 

My first attempts at doll making - inspired by these dolls I found on flickr. I used an old vintage sheet for her body.  I named her after Julia Child - so naturally she loves laying about with a cookbook dreaming up dinner parties.  She's leaning towards starting with Orange and Asparagus salad - Julia rather likes asparagus...

  

Look who came in the mail...

 

Meet Tiddly-Mouse...she came in the mail (I brought her home in the basket of my purple bicycle).  I found her on etsy- other friends we've received by mail have been rather one-sided but Tiddly isn't like them at all.  She's great for snuggling or for playing staring contests with but be warned she's never been beaten (believe me, I've tried). 

I'm shopping for Christmas - I think Emma will just love her!

Friendship bread...

 

One of my favorite parts of summer is picnicking...throwing a cloth over the picnic table and preparing a late lunch in the shade.  Some foods just taste better outside, don't you think?  Things like watermelon, iced tea, potato salad, sorbet and Amish friendship bread of course.

 

Mmmm...there is nothing like this lovely chain-mail-pass-it-along bread.  In case you may not know the way Amish Friendship Bread works (and you must tell me if you have never received any I'll whip up a bag and send it your way!) let me explain. It's quite ingenious you know...

DO NOT USE ANY METAL UTENSILS.
Use a glass bowl and wooden spoon.
DO NOT REFRIGERATE until after the 10th day.

Starter Ingredients

1(.25 ounce) package active dry yeast
1/4 cup warm water (110° F/45° C)
3 cups all-purpose flour, divided
3 cups white sugar, divided
3 cups warm milk (110°F/45°C), divided

Directions

Day 1
In a small bowl, dissolve yeast in water. Let stand 10 minutes. In a 2 quart container (glass), combine 1 cup flour and 1 cup sugar. Mix thoroughly or flour will lump when milk is added. Slowly stir in 1 cup milk and dissolved yeast mixture. Cover loosely and let stand at room temperature until bubbly.
Day 2 to Day 4
Stir starter with a wooden spoon.
Day 5
Stir in 1 cup flour, 1 cup sugar and 1 cup milk.
Day 6 to Day 9
Stir only.
Day 10
Stir in 1 cup flour, 1 cup sugar and 1 cup milk. Remove 1 or 2 cups to make your first bread, give three cups to friends along with the recipe. Store the remaining starter in a container in the refrigerator and begin the 10 day process over again. You can also freeze this starter in 1 cup measures for later use. Frozen starter will take at least 3 hours at room temperature to thaw before using.
NOW YOUR READY TO BAKE YOUR BREAD
Place the 1 or 2 cups of batter you removed to make your bread in a mixing bowl. Add the following and mix well:
1 cup oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups all-purpose flour
3 large eggs
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup milk
1 and 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 large box instant vanilla pudding powder
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 cup nuts
Optional 1/2 cup raisins OR 1/2 cup chocolate chips, chopped up maraschino cherries etc
Pour mixture into 2 greased and sugared loaf pans. Bake at 325°F for 1 hour or until knife inserted comes clean. Cool for at least 10 minutes and remove from pans.

You can also change the flavors

Coconut Instant Pudding and add coconut to your bread.

Chocolate pudding add chocolate chips and nuts.

Banana pudding, add some banana.

Lemon pudding add some poppy seed.

Let your imagination be your guide. Enjoy!

Birthday mornings...

It is family tradition to wake up the birthday boy or girl with a pancake breakfast.  The pancake is always in the shape of the age of that person.  It was my turn to have my breakfast in bed (although I opted to eat at the table)...mmmmm.  I am loved.