Friday Favorites - Hobbies and Why I Blog

      Have a hobby? What is it, and why do you do it? Obviously, mine is sewing and blogging...and reading blogs. For me, I have Uncle Sam to thank for starting me on this crazy obsession with sewing and blogging. A little piece of paper showed up at our house called "orders". That left me to wave goodbye to my mister, and return to an empty house and a nine month old. Knowing that the clock can click awfully slow when you have over half a year to wait, I figured I had better find something for myself to do. I did something really simple, I asked God to help me find something purposeful to do. Don't ever think little things like that don't matter to God, they most certainly do! Long story short, sewing was what that purposeful thing became. When the baby went down for naps and bed, I watched how-to videos on u-tube, read blogs, and taught myself about this thing called sewing.

      When my days dragged, I'd take a trip to the fabric store, and come home and sew, and sew, and sew. And let me just tell you, some of it was pretty ugly looking stuff! It was my way to apply my mind to something other than the negatives. It was something to go do besides check the news and worry, check my email for the billionth time, or stare at the phone. Just as a side, in the off chance there's a military wife reading this...two pieces of advice for deployments: Find yourself a good church to go to, and find yourself something to do. I've gone through three deployments, and I know for a fact you'll need both. Blogging sort of just followed on its own. Other people had taught me so much through their blogs, that I felt like I could give back a little by making my own blog. If it helps someone just trying to learn like I was, than its worth it. Trust me when I say, starting a blog was outside of my comfort zone. I don't like computers, and I don't like being conspicuous in anyway. Blogging is a stretch for me, but what fun!

Urban Times

     If you want to do something, you had better just knock the "I don't have time for that" excuse out of your vocabulary. Not too many people have extra time laying around. I have a three year old, and a nine month old, and they need as much attention as any kid does. Time management is a whole different topic, but I can tell you I have to be super strict on myself if I want to get extra's done, like blogging and sewing. Time is there if you budget for it.

     I hear people say all the time, well "I wish I could _____". I say it too! I wish I could do a lot of things! Wishing alone just doesn't make things happen though, hard work does! Yes, natural ability and inclination does help, but you'll never learn something until you apply yourself to do it. Three years ago, I had never made a single wearable garment. Now, most of the clothes in my closet are my own work, and I've got an Etsy shop to sell them! Point being, if you want to do it, just do it. Whatever "it" is to you...sewing, painting, furniture fixing, cooking, whatever. Yes, it will take hours and hours of work, and mess ups, and possibly lots of chocolate and coffee. But, chances are, you'll benefit so much from the effort you put into it.  I doubt you'll be seeing my label coming soon to a Neimen Marcus store near you anytime soon. That's not the point, the point is to take every little bit of life and ability that God has allowed me to have and use it all 100%. I'm not saying I do that, but it's the goal anyway.

     There is nothing like that satisfied feeling when you've accomplished something you never have done before. So, here's me encouraging you to get outside your box of what you know, and learn something new! You can do it!

   

     (Pictures used via Pinterest.) By the way, has anyone besides me noticed it's getting harder and harder to find the original sources for pictures on Pinterest? It makes me sad not to be able to give the hard worker behind the picture full credit.

Romans 8:39   Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.