Checkin' In

I've felt buried this month under all the things I'd committed myself to. It's been a crazy month and I'll be glad to see April... even more than I was glad to see March. Don't get me wrong there was some great stuff that happened this month, but I don't plan on being that busy again for some time. Here's our general rundown:

• David and I along with another couple facilitated another Love and Respect DVD seminar at our church. That was every Tuesday for five weeks. We had an average attendance of 13 and I think it was a great time.
• Planning, planning and more planning for the weekend's Ladies Retreat! Phew! I'm glad that I didn't have to plan it alone, but it sure was a busy month with meetings and computer administrating.

• By the way, the fundraiser went extremely well. My product didn't sell as well as I would've hoped, but there were (I think) about 7 women who needed financial support and in the end we helped 10! My friend Donna is a bake sale queen!!!!
• I did sell a total of 5 notebook covers and I bartered for one more and even arranged a custom sewing project which will also be done in barter. I've already received my payment (a whole mess load of rice krispie squares- my request) and all I can say is that it better be some awesome sewing!
• This month has also played host to relational issues which I think are finally on the mend - this alone was such an exhausting experience that this month felt like three months long.
• Add to all this my weekly commitments of Bible study, mom's group, sewing with the lovely Sophia and two weeks in the church nursery.
• Ladies Retreat is THIS WEEKEND! I can hardly wait. I am soooo looking forward to this! I am almost finished my assigned tasks and I'm feeling ready. Packing will begin soon as there are extras that I need to bring this year.
• I've been completely dissatisfied with baby books this season. I usually have one purchased and partially filled out by now, but haven't found one I liked. I decided to go a different route this time. I purchased one of these memory boxes as a starting point to do my own baby book. It was inspired by the scrapbooking trend "project life". I don't scrapbook anymore, but I've taken the inspiration of this along with the memory box and have a plan that I'm pretty happy with. I'll show you as I go along. I've started an inspiration board on Pinterest if you're curious.
• I've designed a few cards to fill out. They're 4x6 and I will print them on cardstock to insert in Micah's album. Here's a couple to give you an idea:

• I sewed a new diaper bag/going away bag. I need to get some pics, but I'll try to post soon. 
• We've had incredible weather this month. At the beginning of the month we had days and days of snow and by now it's completely gone and we've swung in temperatures all over the place. I'll be glad for spring to truly come!

Fundraising part two

I have only one more notebook cover to make to meet my goal for the Ladies Retreat Fundraiser. I am hoping to sell 7, so I wanted 10 to put out. I have already sold one, so that was encouraging. I am really happy with the individual details of each notebook cover. They are all unique and most of them cannot even be copied, as I used up the last of several of these supplies. I am the only fundraiser who isn't baking, so I'm a little nervous that these will "hold their own". I want to be a good team player. This week is the sale at our church, so we'll see soon enough. I'll have at least 2 more to make before Ladies Retreat (gifts for our speaker and worship leader) and I would like one for myself, but I would also like to sew my customary going-away-I-"need"-a-new-bag bag. Silly, I know, but hey if you can sew, why not? Anyway, here are the latest notebook covers.

 the display

 ruffles and Amy Butler's Love Fabric

 a variation on the corduroy and doily one - this one was easier to sew through all the layers!

 A little pink satin and lace to dress it up.

 Some more ruffles and lace - the photography really misses out on the details of this one.

(try to click on it to enlarge)

 This one buttons in the back so it doesn't distract from the flower.

This one is quite plushy and thick.

Phew! That's a lot of sewing in a short time. Thankfully our faithful and loving friend "Auntie" Trudy took the children for me for three and a half hours last Saturday and I got three finished in that time. That is an improvement on time, considering with interruptions from the children, I've been know to spend almost three hours on one notebook cover. I am looking forward to sewing some non-mandentory things soon.