Two Amazing Women

Extraordinary Women

May We Know Them

May We Be Them

May We Raise Them

Each month I try to feature amazing women.  They are inspirational.  I call them Women of Hope.  Today I am featuring two ladies together.  Both are artists. Both are EXTREMELY organized and get things done (LOTS). And both have great compassion for others. 

I am always looking for women who inspire (haven’t met one yet who didn’t).  If you would be interested in being featured, I would be honored to do so.  (I would love your feedback:  Do you like the idea of this being a “Woman of Hope” or “An Extraordinary Women”?)

Enjoy reading about Barb and Rhonda. 

Holly: I consider you both to be so inspirational.  Tell me what hope means to you.

Barb: Getting to the point in your life where you trust your path.  Then hope is possible because you know how you will grow. Growth comes from challenges.  Hope is the  ability to decide.   Living with alcoholism taught me to trust.  Trust in God. Trust in my having the ability to move in and out of a situation.  I learned to never give up hope because without hope we feel alone.

Rhonda:  Hope and faith walk hand in hand. The One you have your faith in determines your tangible hope.   We all need friends with strong faith, because when we’re down, our friends can give us a reason to be up, count our blessings, show us the way out and we can do the same for them.

Holly: What is your favorite saying or verse:

Barb: Leave good tracks.

Rhonda: Trust in the Lord with all your heart.  Lean not on your own understanding.  In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will direct your paths. Proverbs 3: 5-6

Holly: What color is hope to you? Why?

Barb: Hope is all colors because it has different faces.

Rhonda: Purple is hope because it is a royal color and represents the King and Jesus is my reason for hope.

Holly: You are both so creative.  What do you enjoy most about the creative process?

Barb:  To make something from nothing and to be challenged to come up with something that is different and unusual.  Creativity calms my mind.  I love photography but getting pictures matted and framed is work,  Wood burn gourds on the other hand is relaxing..  It’s fueling to me when people admire your work, but you need also to honor your own work.

Rhonda: I don’t think that I am that creative.  The best I can do is improve on an idea.  There is nothing new under the sun.

Holly: Weren’t you involved in Country Folk art shows?

Rhonda: Yes, I worked for them for eight years.  I was the show manager and then editor for the magazine, “Yippy Yi Yea.”  I guess you could say that I am an organizer and planner.   When I make something, I work backwards.  I think about what people are buying and then I create to that.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Holly:  Both of you work together to manage the CrossRoads gift shop and thrift store.   Tell us about that.

Barb:  What I like best is the people working there.  They are all volunteers who are there because they want to be and their positive energy makes people feel better.  They help people create income for worthy causes from around the world.  Most of our volunteers feel a sense of satisfaction because of what the store represents.  It is also fun to do the merchandising and being in charge of ordering new products.  Our store is a place of “Hope” as thrift helps locally and gift helps globally.

Rhonda: Can I just ditto that?!

Holly: Tell us what the store represents. 

Barb & Rhonda: CrossRoads is a fair trade marketplace.  In third world countries artists don’t have a market to sell their goods so they get scammed. World Fair Trade pays them fair money for their products and gives them a place to sell their wares.  What the people create to sell has to be be made of sustainable materials.  They can’t take from their environment.   Many times they use what might be otherwise thrown away or leftovers.  Also, we have a thrift area in the back of our store.  We send $1,000 monthly to the Mennonite Central Committee to help with programs such as AIDS, diabetes, digging wells, sewing, education in third world countries.  This provides a way to empower women and give them hope.  We are in a win-win situation.  We are a charitable organization that gives twice – we resell goods in our thrift store and the money goes for a good cause. We are helping artists by selling their handcrafted merchandise.  We also have thrift customers who buy things to repurpose and recreate cool items.

Holly: I can attest to that.  Look at what I just got from them.  I can't wait to do something with the pretties. 

(Doesn't this look like fun?)

Holly: Neither Barb or Rhonda is associated with the Mennonite Church but believe deeply in being charitable to others.  Just this spring they put together a community fashion show of thrift items to show others just how fashionable thrift can be.  It was a lovely luncheon coupled with an auction of goods and, of course, the money went to charity.  Barb and Rhonda, you two are AMAZING and INSPIRATIONAL!
Today I am linking with Beverly and all the other Pink ladies at How Sweet the Sound.  Please stop over and visit them too!

Paper Bag Tutorial

I thought that I would show a quick tutorial of a project I did for the wedding.  I decided today that I am the "Thrift Queen".  I know that others hold that title with me and I embrace you. =0)
I had collected some 12X12 sheets of black & white scrapbook paper (you'll never believe where I got it from) knowing that I could use them for something for my daughter's wedding.  When she bought her bridesmaids their gifts, she wanted bags to put their gifts in.  Being the last minute person that I am, I made bags out of the scrapbook paper.  I'd love to tell you that this was my original idea, but it was not.  I got it from a GREAT blog called Jones Design Company.  Pop on over there and take a peek.  It's a great place to visit!
1. The first step was to measure what I was putting in the bags so that they were big enough for the gift to fit. Measure both the length and width allowing extra length so that the gift bag extends slightly above your gift.  Also, add up to an additional inch to fold up the bottom of the bag.

 

2. Next I folded the bag in thirds making sure that it was wide enough for the item to fit in.  I then ran a long bead of glue down next to the edge and sealed it.  Run your finger down the glue to make it smooth.  You want your bags to look professional and not bumpy.

3.  Next I took a pair of scissors with a decorative cutting edge and cut across the top of the bag.  At the bottom of the bag fold it up approximately 1 inch and glue across, again making sure the glue is smooth.  Let your bags set to dry before adding your gift.

There you have some pretty finished paper bags.

My daughter had both jewelry and flip flops for her bridesmaids.  We put the jewelry in the paper bags and then I made a larger sized bag out of tulle and gathered it at the top.  We tied a black satin ribbon around it that had 4-5 pearls beaded on it.  Simple and elegant!

What Kind of Tree Are you

I've been thinking a lot about growth lately - my own, others, my children's and then I related it to trees. (You know, another world as text lesson).  
When we first begin to grow, we must, like a tree, grow our roots down deep so that when the storms of life come, we will be well grounded.  Once we have done that, then we can branch out.  Have you ever noticed those trees with the branches extending long and wide up toward the heavens?  They often have beautiful blooms on them as they begin yet another journey of regrowth.  I am more like those trees today than in my early years.  As I have experienced life, I chose to rethink some of my thoughts and beliefs.  Honestly, I was a little rigid, err I mean I didn't know I was that way.  I just thought it was the "right" way.  Uh-oh.  There it is.  "The right way" can sure get us into a lot of trouble.  I learned that there are many ways and that I didn't have the corner on the right way.  Now, my branches extend more and I welcome the beauty of regrowth as I forge ahead with the next chapter in my life.  I must say that I rather like it.  Birds come and perch on my arms and sometimes they even build nests and stay a while.  They must feel safe.  That is a good feeling.  The more extended out my branches are, the more I can provide shade from the heat.  If I have dug my roots down deep because I have learned that is what is necessary to remain calm and firm, then others can come and be safe there too.   I rather like being a tree.  There are so many kinds - some stately, some more beautiful than others, but all with purpose and meaning.  I think that I might like to be an oak tree.  How about you?  What kind of tree are you?
dance music blog

One Hundred Forty

Joining others who are learning to look for all that is good. 

Homemade cards

Cookouts with friends

Learning from others

Baking

A clean house

Seeing a silver lining in the clouds

Cloth napkins

Fresh pineapple

Old lace

Dirt

Water

Hot showers

Wheat thins (can you tell what I’m eating?)

Light

Bargains

Being transformed

The ability to think

The smell of cologne

Baby Magic lotion

Being the one that bought the “last” item of something

Dog fur

Ideas

Scattering seeds to grow new flowers

Friends who give good hugs

Inspiring stories

140. Laughing

Linking today with A Holy Experience

aholyexperience.com

clouds/ dogs/ blog

Something Old Something New

Today is an eclectic mix of things to show you. The first comes from a planter outside our front door.  I love mixing colors of flowers.  The more the merrier!

We've had three incredible rains here this month (that's about three more than usual), so my flowers are doing nicely.  My flowers would like to add a personal thank you for the rain because their owner isn't the best when it comes to taking care of them.  

Would you believe that the next picture is of the wreaths that my bridesmaids wore in their hair at our wedding a century, a few years ago?  

A dear friend of mine who was in my wedding came to my daughter's wedding.  She had given her bridesmaid outfit to my daughter about a year ago and we decided to make something out of the blouse for "something old".  We made a garter.  Would you also  believe that I don't have a picture of that at the moment?  I do, however, have a picture of the skirt hem.  It is quite pretty.

Well, I think I will stop here.  Short and sweet.  Have a lovely weekend and stay cool.
I am linking with Show and Tell Friday and Pink Saturday.