The Invisible Mother

I know Mother's Day is not here yet but this story touched my heart so much that I wanted to share it with everyone. It will definitely open your perspective to the joys of being a Mom.

Invisible Mother......
It all began to make sense, the blank stares, the lack of response, the way one of the kids will walk into the room while I'm on the phone and ask to be taken to the store. Inside I'm thinking, 'Can't you see I'm on the phone?' Obviously, not. No one can see if I'm on the phone, or cooking, or sweeping the floor, or even standing on my head in the corner, because no one can see me at all. I'm invisible. The invisible Mom. Some days I am only a pair of hands, nothing more: Can you fix this? Can you tie this? Can you open this? Some days I'm not a pair of hands; I'm not even a human being. I'm a clock to ask, 'What time is it?' I'm a satellite guide to answer, 'What number is the Disney Channel?' I'm a car to order, 'Right around 5:30, please.' I was certain that these were the hands that once held books and the eyes that studied history and the mind that graduated sum a cum laude - but now they had disappeared into the peanut butter, never to be seen again. She's going; she's going; she is gone! One night, a group of us were having dinner, celebrating the return of a friend from England .. Janice had just gotten back from a fabulous trip, and she was going on and on about the hotel she stayed in.. I was sitting there, looking around at the others all put together so well. It was hard not to compare and feel sorry for myself. I was feeling pretty pathetic, when Janice turned to me with a beautifully wrapped package, and said, 'I brought you this.' It was a book on the great cathedrals of Europe . I wasn't exactly sure why she'd given it to me until I read her inscription: 'To Charlotte , with admiration for the greatness of what you are building when no one sees.' In the days ahead I would read - no, devour - the book. And I would discover what would become for me, four life-changing truths, after which I could pattern my work: No one can say who built the great cathedrals - we have no record of their names. These builders gave their whole lives for a work they would never see finished. They made great sacrifices and expected no credit. The passion of their building was fueled by their faith that the eyes of God saw everything. A legendary story in the book told of a rich man who came to visit the >> cathedral while it was being built, and he saw a workman carving a tiny bird on the inside of a beam. He was puzzled and asked the man, 'Why are you spending so much time carving that bird into a beam that will be covered by the roof? No one will ever see it.' And the workman replied, 'Because God sees.' I closed the book, feeling the missing piece fall into place. It was almost as if I heard God whispering to me, 'I see you, Charlotte. I see the sacrifices you make every day, even when no one around you does. No act of kindness you've done, no sequin you've sewn on, no cupcake you've baked, is too small for me to notice and smile over.. You are building a great cathedral, but you can't see right now what it will become.' At times, my invisibility feels like an affliction. But it is not a disease that is erasing my life. It is the cure for the disease of my own self-centeredness. It is the antidote to my strong, stubborn pride. I keep the right perspective when I see myself as a great builder. As one of the people who show up at a job that they will never see finished, to work on something that their name will never be on. The writer of the book went so far as to say that no cathedrals could ever be built in our lifetime because there are so few people willing to sacrifice to that degree. When I really think about it, I don't want my son to tell the friend he's bringing home from college for Thanksgiving, 'My Mom gets up at 4 in the morning and bakes homemade pies, and then she hand bastes a turkey for three hours and presses all the linens for the table.' That would mean I'd built a shrine or a monument to myself.. I just want him to want to come home. And then, if there is anything more to say to his friend, to add, 'you're gonna love it there.' As mothers, we are building great cathedrals. We cannot be seen if we're doing it right. And one day, it is very possible that the world will marvel, not only at what we have built, but at the beauty that has been added to the world by the sacrifices of invisible women. Great Job, MOM! Share this with all the Invisible Moms you know...I just did. Hope this encourages you when the going gets tough as it sometimes does. We never know what our finished products will turn out to be because of our perseverance.

Attitude of Gratitude Award

Wow! I am so excited to have received this award from Liz of Craft from my heart http://craftfrommyheart.blogspot.com/. My networking skills are in the beginning stages but one thing I have learned is that there are alot of friends out there that have shown their support for me and my business and I would like to show my support to the following blogs by passing this Attitude of Gratitude award to them.

1. 2 under 2 whew http://2under2whew.blogspot.com/

2. Nothin' But Love http://bettszoo.blogspot.com/

3.Laurie's World http://laurie-lauriesworld.blogspot.com/

4. Milliron Family http://millironfamily.blogspot.com/

5. Fun Child Learning Activities http://mylittlerembrandt.blogspot.com/

6. Military Momz http://militarymomz.blogspot.com/

7. Grooby Baby Blog http://groovybabyblog.blogspot.com/

8. What Mommy Things http://whatmommythinks.blogspot.com/

9. A touch of Tabitha Bags http://www.atouchoftabitha.blogspot.com/

10.Life is Sweet http://1momof5.blogspot.com/

The Rules of Accepting and Sharing this Award1. Put the logo on your blog or post.2. Nominate at least 10 blogs that show an attitude of gratitude3. Link to your nominees within your post4. Comment on their blogs to let them know they’ve received this award5. Share the love and link to this post and the person who nominated you for the award. Tell us how you’ve come to have an attitude of gratitude.

New Dress Added to Site

I made this cute pillowcase dress for my grandaughter's birthday and have put in on my site. I love the black print with the cute little dogs. These dresses are so versatile because you can wear them alone or team it up with a blouse, t-shirt or turtleneck underneath. The straps make size adjusting a breeze. You can see this dress along with my other custom made outfits at my website
http://www.pinaforesandknickerbockers.com

A great blog to support

I just ran across an awesome blog to help support our troups. Check it out and show your support.
http://2under2whew.blogspot.com/2009/03/support-our-troops-giveaway.html

Words from the Wise

1. When we get piled upon one another in large cities, as in Europe, we shall become as corrupt as Europe. Thomas Jefferson
2. The democracy will cease to exist when you take away from those who are willing to work and give to those who would not. Thomas Jefferson
3. It is incumbent on every generation to pay its own debts as it goes. A principle which if acted on would save one-half the wars of the world. Thomas Jefferson
4. I predict future happiness for Americans if they can prevent the government from wasting the labors of the people under the pretense of taking care of them. Thomas Jefferson
5. My reading of history convinces me that most bad government results from too much government. Thomas Jefferson
6. No free man shall ever be debarred the use of arms. Thomas Jefferson
7. The strongest reason for the people to retain the right to keep and bear arms is, as a last resort, to protect themselves against tyranny in government. Thomas Jefferson
8. The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants. Thomas Jefferson
9. To compel a man to subsidize with his taxes the propagation of ideas which he disbelieves and abhors is sinful and tyrannical. Thomas Jefferson
And One Very Interesting Quote. In light of the present financial crisis, it's interesting to read what Thomas Jefferson said in 1802: “I believe that banking institutions are more dangerous to our liberties than standing armies. If the American people ever allow private banks to control the issue of their currency, first by inflation, then by deflation, the banks and corporations that will grow up around the banks will deprive the people of all property until their children wake-up homeless on the continent their fathers conquered.”

The Return of Pinafores

"Little girls have been wearing pinafores for more than a hundred years. the graceful style is practical as well as pretty, and its popularity has not diminished over the years, nor is it likely to in the near future. " This quote was taken from a sewing book by Kitty Benton which was written in 1981. Sadly the pinafore is becoming a thing of the past which is the main reason I started my business Pinafores and Knickerbockers. When my daughter was small some 20 years ago it was very typical for her to be seen wearing a dress with a pinafore to church each Sunday but now it seems that little girls are trying so hard to dress like big girls that the classic dresses are disappearing.

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I love the article written by Kitty Benton on pinafores that I wanted to share it on my blog.

" In the nineteenth century, most dresses for little girls were made with no-nonsense serges and twills meant to to take the wear and tear inflicted by active young bodies and to last long enough to be passed on to younger sisters. They were also meant to to keep those bodies warm in houses heated only by fireplaces. In those days, it was far more difficult to keep clothes clean than it is now, so dresses were usually made in dark colors that minimized soil and, incidentally, reflected the more limited color palette of the period.

Hence, the invention of the pinafore. Pinafore fabric was washable, light in weight, relatively inexpensive and easy to replace, and-almost always- white. In fact, the origin of the word and the garment comes from the early custom of pinning an apron on the front (afore) of a dress to prevent soil. As to color, the freshness of white, its compatibility with every color, and the becoming way it highlights a child's face make it the choice for most piafores even today. Then, too, a white pinafore immediately dresses up the simplest of frocks, especially if accented with a ruffle, some eyelet or lace, a bow or two, or even a few embroidered flowers."

Best of all a pinafore can be easily and quickly made in a number of traditional styles, as seen in the photos of pinafores that I have made. Whatever style, the "pinney" is sure to bring out the figure of any little girl and at the same time it protects her best dress.

All pinafores can be purchased from my website.

"that's Not My Job"

I have had this little story on my refrigerator for quite awhile and use it for my kids almost daily but I started thinking that it is also very relevant in our society today.

This is a story about four people named Everybody, Somebody, Anybody and Nobody. There was an important job to be done and Everybody was sure that Somebody would do it. Anybody could have done it, but Nobody did it. Somebody got angry about that, because it was Everybody's job. Everybody thought Anybody could do it, but Nobody realized that Everybody wouldn't do it. It ended up that Everybody blamed Somebody when Nobody did what Anybody could have.

Care Bears Pinafore Dress

It's been awhile since I have added something new but I have finally been able to make another jumper/pinafore dress. This one is made from a cute border print with care bears.

You can find this dress along with all my other custom made outfits at my website

5th grade assignment-this is awesome!!

A fifth grade teacher in a Christian school asked her class to look at TV commercials and see if they could use them in some way to communicate ideas about God. Here are some of the results. It's nice to know that some of our youth still believe.

God is like. BAYER ASPIRIN He works miracles.

God is like. a FORD He's got a better idea.

God is like. COKE He's the real thing. (This is great)

God is like. HALLMARK CARDS He cares enough to send His very best.

God is like. TIDE He gets the stains out that others leave behind.

God is like. GENERAL ELECTRIC He brings good things to life.

God is like. SEARS He has everything.

God is like. ALKA-SELTZER Try Him, you'll like Him

God is like. SCOTCH TAPE You can't see Him, but you know He's there.

God is like. DELTA He's ready when you are.

God is like. ALLSTATE: You're in good hands with Him.

God is like. VO-5 Hair Spray He holds through all kinds of weather.

God is like. DIAL SOAP Aren't you glad you have Him? Don't you wish everybody did? (that one is my favorite)

God is like. the U.S. POST OFFICE Neither rain, nor snow, nor sleet nor ice will keep Him from His appointed destination.

God is like. Chevrolet. . .the heart beat of America

God is like Maxwell House. . Good to the very last drop

God is like. Bounty. . . He is the quicker picker upper. . can handle the tough jobs. . and He won't fall apart on you

New Turtle Pantset

I got a head start on summer this year and this is the first of my summer outfits. Cute and bright purple turtle fabric with bright orange contrast make this a really fun outfit for any little girl to wear this summer when the weather turns warm. The top can also be worn in cooler months with a shirt underneath.