Halu-Halo

Keeping it together

Thank you friends, for all of your emails and comments on Facebook regarding my previous post!  I am always up for discussion and I appreciate your support and insight.  I am glad to say that after such wonderful conversations with some of you, I am even more steadfast in my decisions and priorities.  

Today, I finished up a couple of little beaded projects for a dear friend who is moving.  It is PCS (permanent change of station) season once again, and while I am glad it is our turn to stay put, I still have to, sadly, bid Au'Voir to others.

This dear friend of mine gifted me with her stash of beads earlier this year; she was so generous to enable me in my want to practice beading that she, one day, handed me a large storage bag of beads, findings, and tools.  That's a good friend, dear Internets...one who trusts her craft goodies to another.

Also in the storage bag was a zip lock bag stuffed with a broken necklace.  She had mentioned that she was disappointed that it broke, but was happy to add it to the rest of the stash.

I couldn't have her leave without me doing something about it.

I am a novice at this beading thing, but I was able to make a bracelet and a beaded bookmark from the broken necklace.  They aren't complicated pieces like her necklace was originally, but I wanted to give a part of it back to her so she knew how much I appreciated her trust in me, that I would use the beads she gave me and then pass on the same good karma.

Friendships are much like beading aren't they?  Lots of little bits of ourselves, others and our environment and situations, strung together.  Each bead, while pretty in itself, is made even more beautiful accompanied by complimentary beads.  And locked in together - complete.

But just as how strong a beaded project is depends on its cord, friendships depend on the strength and quality of communication.  The honesty of words, the sincerity of tone, and the intention of message.  I, for one, try not to take it for granted.  As a nomad, I rely on it.  As a woman with great BFF's, I thrive on it.

Thank goodness for phone, email, facebook and blogs.

"I get by with a little help from my friends" - Beatles, '67

I hope you all had a great weekend!

Tiwala = (n) Trust, Faith, Belief

It's a heavy responsibility we carry as parents.  USDA estimated in 2009 that it can cost parents over $200,000 to raise a child from infancy to age 18.  Quite a hard number to take in all at once, especially having multiple children.

But these numbers don't scare me; in my opinion, the financial responsibility of raising a child is the most straightforward to tackle.  What affects me, and therefore challenges me more, is to guide the formation of their character.  

This weekend was my second son's First Communion.  We dressed him in his shirt, tie and slacks, packed the Church almost an hour before Mass began with probably a hundred other families, and watched him take this monumental Sacrament.  I was anxious and I sobbed during the Homily, along with other parents in the crowd.

The tears were not of sadness, a reminder that our childen are growing up. Instead, they are of joy, and of relief, that the thing, this Tiwala in God, has been passed down, and that he feels it too.  

I want him to know that this life is only a grain of sand in the beach of Heaven.  That the world doesn't revolve around him only and his happiness. That life is day to day, and lived the best way he can.  And that sorrow may come, but Tiwala in God will bring him through.

I made Big C a one-decade Rosary for his special day, with the center actually given to me by the dear lady at the church gift shop.  She had several rosaries that were broken, and she needed a good home for its parts. I jumped at her generosity!

My brother gave each of my children a Rosary blessed by the Pope in Rome, but I made him a more portable one to keep in his pockets.  I grew up praying the rosary and preferred my small thumb Rosary, as it was discreet.  I took it with me everywhere.  So, I thought a smaller Rosary to augment his beautiful Italian beads would be perfect.

I know these are all just first steps, he is only 8 after all.  But I'll take these small triumphs, and have Tiwala in not just God, but in my own son as well.

I hope you all had a wonderful weekend!  

 

 

Flowers in the brain

Northern Virginia weather has been throwing us a bone every few days, teasing us with great weather in between spurts of rain, letting us know that Spring is indeed here, and summer is just around the corner.

These last two days have been gorgeous.  And all I could think about were flowers.  But not the kind that one plants, because aside from these roses I was successful with at our Texas home, I am quite the black thumb.

I'm talking about the kind that's made with fabric.

So while Hubby might be planning on how to patch up a couple of areas in our cozy front yard, I am trying to figure out how many of these little clips I can make for my little girls.  And even for me.  And how I can add them to headbands, or to pins so I can put them on my favorite blue jean jacket

After, of course, I send these out to my giveaway winners.

It should be interesting to see how the fraying holds up with toddlers wearing them, but the only way to know is to work-em!

Hope you enjoy them, Ladies!  

TGIF, really? How about a giveaway?

I've never been a TGIF kind of girl.  As a nurse, there is never really a "Friday" while working shiftwork.  I end up calling it, TGIMF (Thank Goodness It's My Friday).  And now, as a stay at home mom, there really isn't an end to a work week.  I know, I know, it is all semantics, but I undoubtedly, cannot say TGIF.  It's a little disheartening if you think about it.

So how about a giveaway?  I have never really done one here on Halu-Halo.  But I have been busying myself making little bitty things for Baby J's party, that I have a few little extra materials I can use to make something for you all!

A few things headed for the goodie bags: 

Beaded clippies...

 

and name key/bag chains...

To enter this giveaway, please leave me a note here on my blog, or on Halu-Halo's fanpage (you'll have to like me first - wink), and tell me what your favorite party food is, and I will enter you for the giveaway of either

 - a clip - you pick a size and i will make a little beaded bling for you or your lil sweetie

 - a personalized key chain 

I will pick 3! winners (random), and hopefully from of one of those winners, I will make your party food for Baby J's shebang.  Note that I should be able to mail out by the end of NEXT week.  Please give me time while I stress over the party next weekend. :) 

I will accept entries by Sunday April 3 @ 8pm eastern

Can't wait to hear what you all love to eat!

 

Preparing myself

The little-lest member of this Halu-Halo family is turning one next week.

Yes, I know, right?  Where did that baby go?

She, as you can see below, has decided that she wants to be a toddler.

But I refuse to give this last year up without having a party.  Not just for her, but for me, for Hubby, and for her older siblings.  These babies don't get to be such a happy one-year-olds without the rest of the crew who feed, cajole, appease, and tickle her.  So I have been busy, thinking of special little ways to celebrate the day.

Inspired by another friend's idea, I decided to do handmade for the thank you goodie bags for the children coming.  I love goodie bags like I love Chuck E Ch&*se -----> which means, not so much.  But just like going to that crazy restaurant/arcade, we have given them away ourselves because it's just all part of childhood - no?  There are bigger fish to fry, and I would rather save my energy for that.  

Instead, I have tried to stay away from the goodie bag aisle at the Party Store and have opted for more meaningful take-a-ways. 

Here's a sneak peak of three I'm giving away, though more are in the works.

It's going to be a small bag, that's for sure!  But hopefully it will last longer than the whistles and tops that find their way under the kids' beds or in between the couch cushions.

What have you all done for goodie bags?

Lola's Lesson: Sending Thank You's

My mother - we call her "Lola", which is Tagalog for grandmother - always hounds me about Thank you's.  Even to this day, she will call me after I have posted pictures on Facebook of one of her apo's (grandchild) birthdays and she will ask me - "Did you send thank you cards?".  Of which I always roll my eyes and say one of two things:

1. "Ugh, yes mom, I did!" or

2. "Ugh, I'm almost done with them!"

It's a lost art though, isn't it, to write an honest to goodness thank you card.  It's so much easier to call, text or email a Thank You.  I, personally, love to send and receive all versions of Thanks, but I do have a stack of blank cards here at home at the ready.  Because while most folks have a Devil and an Angel on their shoulders, I also have a Lola right on my head.

The virtual Lola has actually been jumping on my cranium for a while now, because I hadn't sent a proper, handwritten, thank you to a couple of friends who have done such thoughtful things for me these last couple of months.

Thoughtful doesn't really cover it, because these two ladies gave up some loved items of theirs to share with me, so I thought a little made item for each of them would give my thank you card a little bit more of an oomph.

...a thong for one...

...a bracelet for the other...

I also wanted me to make sure I tell you all Thank You for being such great readers, some for a few years.  Although I haven't celebrated a Blogversary, it's been more than 5 years that I have took to writing on the internet!  Thank you for supporting me every step of the way.

Much love, Tif

Cute Placebo

I really should not be watching infomercials into the night.  While, I do have to add that "into the night" means - into 10pm, these infomercial marketers have figured out how to slip them in earlier in the evening.  And it works!  Because they can catch infomercial addicts such as myself who are simply channel surfing while folding laundry at night.

I think I've seen every infomercial known to man and have almost picked up the phone with every single one.  Gullible - yes, I am.  Though, in all fairness, the workout DVDs I have purchased in the past have previously done wonders for me, so no regrets there.  But the Orange Glo?  And Rich Dad, Poor Dad?  That would be another set of stories in themselves.

Have you taken a watch at those Irenew bracelets?  I thought they were ridiculous initially, but after watching the infomercial, the subliminal messages started to sink in.  It doesn't take long people.  This is why I am a great MLM party plan customer.  Scrapbook, Homewares, Stamping, Basket reps can spot me from afar.  

I almost picked up the phone.  I really, really almost did, because who wouldn't want naturally balanced energy?  And to not feel like you need a caffeine drip to make it through the end of the day when the kids ask me such difficult questions like, "what's for dinner?".  I was stumped with that one yesterday.  And if you knew me, you know that is a bad, bad thing, since I am a compulsive dinner planner.

But.  I didn't.  And not just because Dave Ramsey has gained a seat at our table, but because I think Hubby may turn me into IA (Infomercial Anonymous), of which I would probably ascend to as President.   

Instead, I made myself my own bracelet, named appropriately as :  Icangetittogether bracelet.

I used memory wire, pearl seed beeds and cute flower beads I purchased last year.  Super fast to put together; just quick enough that after I put it on, Baby J summoned and I was back into my night routine.

And guess what?  I woke up this morning and knew exactly what to make for breakfast.  It's working see?

Nod with me....

(thank you...)

Now I'm really, really cheating on my sewing machine.

Freida (my sewing machine) must be really really upset with me now.  She's been giving me the cold shoulder...I've noticed that when I've passed her on my way to the laundry room, she hasn't been calling my name.  

And yes, it's because I've been having a good time with more beads, and this time with beaded serving wear.

These are a part of handmade holidays, for three different families.  I actually saw beaded serving wear at the last craft show I went to.  The wrapping technique I used, of course, is not as intricate as the ones I saw, where the artisan used several layers of beads.  But I just love how it just makes the piece pop!

Here's one I wrapped randomly with pearl seed beads for a family friend...  

A more modern design going to a young couple...

And a super fun set for a couple with beads that match their entertaining space.  This was made using two layers of wrapping.

I'm going to admit now that I am finding myself thinking of different looping techniques or different types of beads right before I go to bed at night.  In fact, at Mass today, I kept staring at other women's necklaces and earrings, wondering how they were made.  And those beading books from the library?  I've renewed them twice.

Crafter's Obsession.  I have it.  Again.  Sort of like how the world stopped when I got my first sewing machine.  Or when I had to be pulled out from the depths of yarn when I was learning to knit.  Or, by golly, just as how Hubby had to remind me to sleep when I started bag-making.  

But what's a girl to do, but feed the need?  Because there is just something so magical about making something big from little things, of dreaming up combinations of colors and textures, and of seeing something completed knowing it came from your own hands.

Hopefully, Freida will forgive me.

That thong-th-thong-thong-thong

I made a couple of thongs today.

One for a friend.

 

And then one for me! 

 

Beaded book thongs, that is...

What did you think I mean?

 

They are by far better than what I have been using to save my pages...such as an old receipt or even, a scrap piece of yarn.  The recipient is one of my best friends and an avid reader.  

This is part of my handmade holidays by the way.  Still not done. 

I know, I know...I'm working on it.

 

Hope you like my thongs! :)  Have a great night!

Cheating on my sewing machine.

I miss Freida.

Freida is my sewing BFF.   Freida is my sewing machine, and old discontinued Fresia of the Husqvarna Viking family.  She stitches most everything I ask her to. Her buttons have been fiddled with by curious little fingers.  She's been adorned by my daughter's stickers.  She is my partner in mediation. 

She's been in hibernation for a while now...a long time for sewists like myself.  I haven't sewn on her in almost a month (I KNOW!) , though I have a queue that needs to be tackled as part of Christmas presents.  But I have a now-crawling-quickly-and-cruising Baby J.  She is underfoot in the most rambunctious of ways.  I had no choice, and Freida is covered and in the workroom until I can secure a safe place where I can set her up.

In sewing's place, I have been knitting.  Freida is used to my knitting.  She knows that those knitting needles will never take her place.  After all, knitting is a long term commitment, while Freida can work basic patchwork doll quilt in hours!  Knitting hat takes me a few days.  A cardi - months!  

And, never have I ever put Freida away, even while in the depths of finishing a knitting project.

But I don't think Freida will like knowing that I have been beading while she is away.

It's gives me such great satisfaction, to complete a project in one sitting.  That I can work and watch Baby J, and can get up when she decides that she wants to eat the Christmas tree.  I love having all of my tools within reach, in little tiny drawers I can put away quickly.

I wonder how she will feel knowing that I have checked out almost every beading book in the library?  And instead of stalking new fabrics that have come into market, have been learning about different stones? 

 

I hope she knows that while I am finding a new way to express myself, she is and will always be my first crafting love.

There's room for everyone, right?