Stick Horses

Jason and I made these for our kids for Christmas. Shh!

Lowly

Lowly

How low did you go

How low did you go

Oh, very very lowly

Man born with the beasts

Man born with the beasts

Oh, very very lowly

Son of a King

High and lifted up

But you drank the cup

Of the lowest of the lowly

You gave it up

You gave it up

To be a Man

Like one of us

When did baby stuff get cool?

Colors are fun

Flaming Pie Crab

Last night I dreamed that this guy had trained his crab to run really fast and throw flaming pies at things. The crab took off running at about 60 miles an hour, then when it got within a few feet of the mushroom, it hurled the pie, rolling on its edge at the mushroom, so that the pie stuck in it and caught it on fire.

Red and What Else?

Fake Quilt Wall Hanging

Behold, I have inscribed you on the palms of My hands; Your walls are continually before Me.

Isaiah 49:16

Recommended Reading

I Love Ghetto Homemade Halloween Costumes

I'm a tomato plant, if you can't tell.

Mother Daughter Acrylic...Nearly Done

She got a little more robust...maybe too robust. I didn't mean for her to be pregnant. But I kind of like it. What do you think?

Pitter Patter

A great parenthood song by friends Mackenzie and Randy Chester...

There will be a time for tea and coffee
There will be a time for quiet cafes
There will be a time for reading and writing
And dreaming the day away

But now is the time of pitter patter
Now is the time of what's the matter
Let me kiss you, make it better

Now is the time of sweet, soft kisses
Now is the time every mother misses
Over coffee in a quiet cafe

Early to bed, early to rise
Lay down your head, and close your eyes
Life is a dream that soon passes by
You will be grown in the blink of an eye
So please, let me kiss you one more time

Mother Daughter Acrylic

This looks more like the one I dreamed. I have to look at it for a few days before I know if it's finished.

Fish are Nice

Some Stuff

Some stuff I've been hearing from God the past few weeks...maybe somebody else will get something from it too?

1

be at peace

i am listening to you

i will cause your heart to rest

you have locked me out with the lies of your brain

that you are not good enough to find me

take heed to what you think

treat your mind as a great battleground

take caution where you walk

for what is in your mind

has the power to sway your whole body

if you will listen to me

and hear what i say

i will cause you to rest

be at peace

the enemy wants to destroy you

and separate you from me

but i am greater than your enemy

and i will walk with you through the fire

do not let fear overtake you

or men call you and name you

your name is of me

and of my realm

your name is prize

and you are being fought for

i came for you

i came to win you

i came to steal you away

from your captors

be at peace

for your enemy is a footstool for my feet

i do not see you

as man sees you

i am not like a man

i do not separate your good and bad

and weigh you on a scale

and cut and divide you into portions

to see what is right and holy and just

i do not discard portions of you

and lay you to waste in shame

i am your redeemer

who redeems all of you

my treasure is in your heart

and you will know who it is that comes for you

who comforts you

i will not look at you and say "this is good, i like this part"

and "this is bad, this part is worthless"

instead i hold you in the palm of my hand

and blow into the recesses of your heart

and say you are mine

you are all mine

and you will walk with me forever on my paths

and no shards of you will be wasted

and i will make every broken thing a glory by which i will make myself known

2

i'm freeing you

i'm freeing you to worship

healing praise will flow from you

bask

i flow freely

i don't have to come to you

you choose to taste me

you step in

3

your beauty is in your freedom

i've seen you dance when you have no cares

you are not meant or made to be weighed down with care

anxious, worry, distress, these things are not for you

your beauty is letting go

it may seem hard for you to see past

what stands before you

but you have nothing to fear

your beauty is carelessness

your beauty is not separate from you

a thing to attain, no

your beauty is you

a thing to be released

you don't work to get it

it's already there

everything you wish you were

it is there, you already are

your beauty is that place you have known where "nothing matters"

everything was okay, it was okay

just to exist

4

i take no pleasure in those that would shrink back

i am depending on you to come forth

you will come forth

you will be noticed

you will speak and be heard

challenge yourself to accept my invitation

be bold today

i am offering you what i am

now offer me who you are

yes, be bold with me

assume i want to hear you

assume i want to see you

do not hide from me

take a chance

risk fellowship with me

stop denying me yourself

don't assume i have shut you off

before you even come

5

i am pleased

that you are moving towards me

trusting that i am good

what is plainly seen

has been hidden from you

because you did not believe

but now, as you believe

with each step closer

your heart comes more alive

you are awakened

i am always wanting

you to move closer

freshness, vitality

you're made to live in this place of freedom

knowing who you are

come and enjoy me

6

it is an old sinful mindset

it is not my new way for you

you know this

do not open that old door

or listen at its hinges

you are free to be who you are

without fear or shame

i want you to enjoy your life

your life in me

you are created to breathe freely

if it is binding and constricting

and making your heart feel bruised

it is of the enemy

the enemy is a liar

what is the truth

i will tell you what is the truth

you are made for glory

you are made for freedom

seek these things

and your treasure will be pure

i am not a harsh father

i am gentle and humble of heart

i do not break the bruised reed

i refresh the weary

i do not put out a smoldering flame

my wrath is for the wicked

for all who refuse me

i am near to the contrite in heart

i am near to the poor, the weak, the beggar

i will deliver you

this is my word to you

your enemy is shattered

i am coming to you

see and hear

be filled with the joy of the everlasting god

you had been sold to slavery

but now your heart is ransomed

and returned to your king

bow before me and let your heart rest

i'm not angry with you

here is my daughter

given headship, given authority

to rule and reign

here is my daughter, alive

go and be free

that which is in you is purity and wholeness

speak freely

walk without fear

go and believe

go and seek

effect change

heal

make my name yours

i am with you

you are a flowering tree

you have penitence about you

gifts flow and life wells out of you

hope for more

7

yesterday

you walked among thorns

and briars

that which would attempt

to choke out your life

i am calling you today

to come with me

into a hiding place

designed just for you

where these things do not grow

come to a place

designed just for you

where you will be able to

breathe freely

untouched by assailants

i am asking you to come to me

i am not turning you away

i am calling you here

you have feverishly tried

to do what is right

but your heart wound tight

you still live in fear

i am calling to you

can you hear it? listen

you fear to really lean on me

you keep your footing so you will not fall

but so you have not experienced my care

you have experienced your own

fall on me

will i catch you?

you are not meant to control your life

see the fish, they still live though you do not tend them

though you forget them altogether

i am here to care for you

let's go back to the beginning

i made adam and created eve just for him

from his bones and flesh

and he rejoiced because she was like him

now i rejoice because you are like me

can you bear this?

i see me in you, you are the same kind

i will that you be like me

and you are

if i will that you be like me

will i not care for your life

to guide you and heal you?

to bring you to know truth

you are like me

and if you will come deeper

i will show you

lift up your hands

surrender

8

i made you this way so you could

bear my glory this way

deep currents of joy are in you

healing waters, freedoms, deliverances

gaieties, laughters, hilarities, blessings

peace, truth, gladness

yes they are there, they are there

they are there

open your heart wider and you will know

stop protecting yourself

i am your protector

i am your king, your shield, your overseer

you are not alone

i watch your every breath

release your care to me

i am in charge of you

the care of life steals the fruit of the word

care for nothing

be delivered from care

yes i want you to enjoy freedom

this is not an option for you

this is not a frivolity

freedom is center stage

the crux of your life

oh, get it

stop thinking you are not obedient enough

to experience my goodness

i'm calling you to a life of freedom

obey me in this

come and taste of the waters of joy

it is imperative

my holy spirit's ministry to you

is peace, is refreshment

this is not a frivolity

this is your life

you see how you have done without it

you are anxious and afraid

i want to heal you

you have to believe it's for you

that i am not holding it back from you

please me

walk towards me

your faith pleases me

keep coming

every day

Car Seat Cover

Using this pattern I found on Etsy, I made Heidi a new car seat cover out of some of the Raggedy Ann fabric I got from Spoonflower. This was a tough project; sewing through all those fabric and stuffing layers was very arduous.

Fish Tank Dream

This is not really my style of music but it is so fun to goof around with Garageband!

This song is about a recurring dream I had over many years about a fish aquarium, and the interpretation I received while eating a fish taco with my friend's family. Whoa, I never thought about how ironic that was...

Wovenhand

I went to a Wovenhand concert last night in Pittsburgh. Very interesting experience. Like being in the bowels of a wooly mammoth?

Concerts make me want to be in a band. Well, I've always wanted to be in a band, but I've never felt that I could just get some people together and make it happen. I believe God is going to have to put it together, the right people, the right place, the right time. I'm not getting any younger, and at age 34 with two small children, it really doesn't look like it's going to be any time soon, but if it's meant to be, and I believe it is, it will happen someday.

Raggedy Ann Fabric

I got my new fabric which spoonflower graciously gave me in replacement of the scratchy fabric they accidentally printed Jason's Chinese village on. They have really excellent customer service. The print looks really awesome (much better than this photo), and there are no traces of banding anymore, even with the browns in the swatch they printed for me. That is very exciting, for those of us that love brown and could not use it in any large way in a design previously.

Photos

I took some pictures of my cutie cute heads the other day in my husband's office, which is a small room that juts off the front of our house and has 5 windows, hence excellent light. Here are some of my favorites.

Snow on the Road

Who would go out on this night?

Snowdrift road devoid of light

You pulled me into the bitter air

Who is driving, why and where?

Ice forms and melts in my hands

Drips from my hair and clings to my neck

I've been outside far too long

My eyes frozen shut long

You cannot see through this storm

This is not cause for alarm

Though you think it's you who drives

I am keeping you alive

Please Vote For My Spoony Flowers

I'm in a fabric designing contest, there are 7 pages of designs to vote on and I'm on the 6th page, the green one by royal forest....

Click here to vote

Raggedy Ann

This is my attempt to recreate the pattern on the dress of my beloved old Raggedy Ann doll. I think that the color schemes I have favored my whole life stem from this dress. They just make me happy!

Brown Dress

Elsie is a photo-taking maestro now! She took this picture of me in a dress I made last week. I really love this pattern and I think I will be reusing it again and again.

spoon flower fabric contest

For a spoonflower contest, in which the goal is to incorporate spoons and flowers into a fabric design.

Elsie's Picture

My four year old took this picture of me and my husband this morning. I was pretty impressed!

Landmark

I'm halfway through my beginner's upright bass book and I just learned a song called "Bile 'Em Cabbage Down". Pretty exciting, right? What does it mean? I don't know, but it sounds like a great one to bust out at parties. "Hey Mary, do you know "Bile 'Em Cabbage Down?" "Of course I do!"

Some of the others in my repertoire:
Rosin Rap
Teeter Totter
Tribal Lament
Pepperoni Pizza
Hot Cross Buns
4th Finger Marathon
Texas Two-String
Hop Scotch
Jumping Jacks
For Pete's Sake
Olympic Challenge
Olympic High Jump
Rolling Along

I will play any of these for your party for the right price

I can't believe this exists.

bird repeat

Lady Wisdom

Prints available here: http://mary2.imagekind.com/RoyalForest

For Anna

I made this for my dear friend Amy's baby Anna who is due very soon. It is the same dress and bonnet pattern that I used for my neice a couple of years ago.

Fabric Design

Maybe I shouldn't call these fabric designs, since I rarely ever have them printed on fabric and make anything out of them. Maybe I should call them "potential fabric designs"?

Open

Psalm 57

Let your mercy come like spring
To the heart who trusts in you
I will hide beneath your wings
From the evil that pursues
In you my soul takes refuge

I cry out to God most high
For you alone can give me rest
And when the lions prowl outside
You send your love and faithfulness
In you my soul takes refuge

Time to come awake my lyre
Get up off the floor my soul
Give it all it's what you've got
Give it all it's what you've got
To the one who makes you whole
In you my soul takes refuge

They have spread a net for my feet
I was bowed down in distress
They have dug a pit in my path
But they have fallen in themselves

Puppies

My litter.

Note to self: do not use eyeliner and eyeshadow on kids' faces again. It DOES NOT come off easily and it burns the eyes!

Ladybug Picnic

Hand Heart Hold

It was time

1/2 size Palatino upright bass

Heart Dress

I made another dress.

Don't you love the little matching pig-tail holders?

You know you do!

Goofing around with my designs