A Difficult Month

I realize I've been pretty absent of the blog for awhile.  I haven't written anything since the beginning of June.

  (Warning: This blog post is going to be kind of personal.) June was a pretty crazy month for me.  There was just a lot going on.  I was organizing the RNEST Etsy Craft Party and had back-to-back craft shows (I'll do some back entries with pictures of those), and then had to build up my stock to get ready for my next show.  

But the biggest thing was that my mother-in-law was sick with stage-4 cancer.  My husband and I visited her on the weekend of my birthday (June 21st) and I recognized that it was likely the last time I'd see her this side of heaven. 

I took this picture of us together right before I left.

My husband stayed for 2 weeks after that to help take care of her.  He was with her when she passed away on July 1st...3 days before my big July 4th show.  I soldiered on and did the show anyway...packing up all my product and displays when the show was over, dropping it off at home, grabbing our luggage, sending the dog home with my mom, and driving the 4 hours to Cleveland that night because the funeral was the next morning.  This was the first year I didn't get to see 4th of July fireworks (although, technically, I did see some in the distance as we were driving).

Tiny fireworks in the distance.

And my poor husband.  July 4th is his birthday.  He usually doesn't make a big deal out of it, and he doesn't mind me doing the Lyndonville 4th of July Craft Show every year on his birthday.  But I know his birthday is going to be tinged with sadness for awhile as he remembers his mom's passing each year.

I've been to funerals before, but for some reason this one was particularly hard... even though I know my mother-in-law knew Jesus and is in heaven.  I don't think I've ever cried so much at a funeral before.  I guess it was the reality of a parent dying hitting me.  Although I've been pretty okay since after going to the cemetery.  I had a lot of "anticipatory grief" in the weeks leading to her passing.  And I've read that anticipatory grief doesn't make the period of grieving shorter when the loved one finally passes, but I feel like for me it did.  I am sad I won't be able to see her again in this life and will miss her so much when we visit my husband's family at the holidays, but I am glad she doesn't have to suffer in this broken world anymore and is in glory with the Lord..

Even though I haven't cried as much since the day of her funeral, some things still make me tear up, of course.  An episode of Scrubs where the patient is dying of cancer.  Certain songs.  I don't think I'll be able to hear "Amazing Grace" for a long time without crying.  There was a bagpiper who played it at the cemetery... which was so beautiful, but at the same time so heartwrenching.

Sympathy flowers from my husband's workplace.

But ultimately, I choose to remember the good times I had with her and what an amazing, strong woman she was.  And I couldn't have asked for a better mother-in-law. 

Christmas Recap

Recap pictures from our trip to Cleveland to visit CJ's family for Christmas...

1. The Angola rest stop on the I-90 Thruway. The rest stop is actually in the median of the eastbound and westbound lanes. There are parking lots on each side and bridges over the roads going to the building in the middle that has the bathrooms, McDonald's, coffee shop, and gift shop. I always like standing in the middle of the bridge and watching the cars go under. (There was a dad and his 2 little girls waving to the oncoming cars and seeing how many people waved back. It was cute!)
2. "Welcome To Ohio!"  We always stop at the Ohio Visitor Center on our way to Cleveland...usually because all of us could use a bathroom break (including the dog!)!
3. I was bored and decided to take pictures of the pretty, snow covered trees on the side of the road we we were driving, and I happened to capture this picture of an old barn.
4. My niece Rayne and the Barn Owl Nubbins I gave her.
5. My Christmas present from CJ...a necklace with a vintage key with a handmade glass bead from my friend Francesca DeCaire, who makes cool jewelry with lampwork glass. (check out her Etsy shop!)
6. My niece, Maria, with the flower hair clip that I made out of hot pink guitar picks
7. CJ watching the Doctor Who Christmas Special with the crochet blanket his sister made for him for Christmas.
8. My niece, Taylor, with a Ninja Nubbin I gave her.
9. Owl spoon necklace from Sunshyne Silverwear that I gave to Rayne (check out Sunshyne Silverwear on Etsy!).

Happy Thanksgiving!

  CJ's mom recently had knee surgery, so he cooked Thanksgiving dinner himself at his parents' house (with a few dishes, and dessert contributed by his siblings).

CJ made his bacon-wrapped turkey.  He made it last year, and it is the best, most moist turkey I've ever had!

CJ received a rave dinner review from our nieces and nephew!

Adam & Nicole's Wedding: The Ceremony

Now for photos of the ceremony!

 The Stroudmore Inn has a lot of wedding chapels (five, I think).  Adam and Nicole got married at the Woodland Chapel.

This table that held the unity candle has particular significance.  It is made from the trunk of the willow tree that used to be in my parents' front yard that Adam used to climb when he was younger.  Adam put that chain around the tree years ago...and the tree grew around it...so the chain is embedded in the wood.  The company that my parents hired to cut the tree down wouldn't take this piece away with the rest of the tree, because the chain would damage the equipment they use to grind up the wood.  Adam and my parents had half-joked about turning the piece into a table.  One of my parents' friends from their church (the father of the boy who was the ring bearer for my wedding!) actually had the equipment needed to even out the piece in order to make a table.  So my parents paid him a visit to have the piece cut and the legs put in, and then Mom used EnviroTex to seal it.  It's an amazing table.  It looks like one of those $1000 tables you see at high end craft shows.

 This location was beautiful.  I joked that I wish I'd known about this place when CJ and I got married!

 I loved the woods surrounding it.

My father got ordained as a pastor a few months ago, specifically in order to perform the ceremony.
It's still a little weird to me that my dad is actually a pastor.  He's been a deacon at his church for years, but now he's an actual pastor!  Someone called him "Father" and he replied "Yes...father of the groom!" (my family is not Catholic and I think someone calling him "Father" probably either weirded him out or amused him)

 Here comes the bride!

 Beautiful dress!

 "Mawwiage!  Mawwiage is what bwings us togethah today!"

Yes...that is actually how my father began the ceremony!  Everyone loved it!

(if you don't get it...you really need to watch "The Princess Bride")

 The mothers lighting the unity candles.

 The kiss!

 Mr. and Mrs. Chatfield!
So happy!

Adam & Nicole's Wedding: Pre-Ceremony

I took SO many pictures yesterday!  It's hard to decide which ones to post!  I think I'm going to have to do separate posts for each section of the wedding instead of one HUGE blog post.  This entry is pictures from before the ceremony...

Nicole's tank top she was wearing as she was getting her hair and makeup done.

Mom helping the bridesmaids put on their shoes.

(left to right)
Nicole's grandma, my and Adam's grandma, and Nicole's Mom. 

 The grandmas becoming friends!

 The bride in her beautiful dress!

 Nicole giving my mom a Pandora charm bracelet...and both of them trying not to cry!

 The signifigance of the beads: Love and Faith, Wedding colors, Little Boy, Daughter/Mother Hearts. Service to her Country (Mom was in the Air Force before I was born), and a Snake (referencing a snake ring my dad has always worn and Adam wears one as well...the ring is in reference to a song Dad used to sing in church about a Bible story about Moses and the Israelites in the wilderness).

Adam and our parents.

 Me and my "little" brother. (Contrary to popular belief, I am the older one!)

Not many pictures of me...since I was behind the camera most of the time.  I'm sure there will be more once the professional's photos are available.  I feel bad because I have no pictures of my husband either.  I have no good excuse for that one.  Again though...I know the professional photographer got pictures of him.

A Beautiful Wedding...

It was a beautiful wedding...

This photo is all you get for now.
I'll post more pictures later this week.  I'm a bit wiped out from dancing right now. ;)


It was such a beautiful wedding...and maybe the most fun reception I've ever been to!

Happy (belated) Mother's Day!

We took my mom out to a belated Mother's Day dinner tonight.  

And I was finally able to give her the spoon pendant I got for her!

Back when I bought my own pendant from Sunshyne Silverwear, Mom told me the pendant I got was the one she would have chosen for herself.  So I had the idea to commission Erin to make a similar one so I could give it to Mom as a Mother's Day gift.  I had her make it purple, since Mom wears a lot of purple.

Handmade Christmas 2011!

I never officially signed the Handmade Holiday Pledge (which is "at least half of the holiday gifts I give will be handmade! *by me, a friend, or a super-cool artist), but I do believe that at least half of my gifts I gave this year were handmade.  This month, I was working on top-secret handmade Christmas gifts for my nieces.  I had to wait until after Christmas to post pictures, since I wasn't sure if they check my blog at all and didn't want to inadvertently spoil the surprise.  But now I can finally share!

Pieces cut out before sewing.

First up was an "Invader Zim" hat for my oldest niece.  (she is one of those teens who are borderline obsessed with the cancelled Nickelodeon show). I was originally going to make her a Cheshire Cat purse to match the plush I gave her two years ago, but my sister-in-law had asked about an "Invader Zim" hat, so I made that instead!

And the finished product!

 (modeling it myself in my bathroom mirror)

Next is a Monster Purse for my middle niece (the oldest's younger sister).  I made a monster purse last year that she really liked, but I ended up selling it at a show.  So this was the perfect opportunity for me to make her one of her own.

Last is an Owl Purse for my youngest niece.  She's REALLY into owls (of course, who ISN'T into owls nowadays?) and my mother-in-law had suggested that I make her an owl purse. (I know there are feet shown in the cut-out-pieces photo...but I forgot about them when I sewed the purse up!  I don't think it mattered much to anyone though.)

And now the big reveal!...

(I wasn't at a good angle to get a good picture of her reaction...but she was VERY excited)

She was so excited that she couldn't stand still enough for me to get a good picture!

I made all 3 girls line up so I could get good pictures. 

I also have a nephew (the youngest niece's brother), but I was at a loss at what to make for him.  He's 17, and teenage boys are so difficult to hand make gifts for!  But we got a tip from my mother-in-law that he wanted a set of "Percy Jackson and the Olympians" books, so we got him a boxed set, which he was very happy with!  And I an get behind that.  If you can't hand-make something, books are a good way to go!  I fully endorse the activity of reading! (I was quite the book-worm when I was a teen)

They were all thrilled with their gifts, which made me very happy!  I think I am officially the "cool aunt"! ;)

I have a feeling I am going to start getting lots of requests for purses now!  I've already gotten a few after I posted the pictures on Facebook! 

I wasn't very confident in making purses before.  I had only made one before as an experiment. But I thought they would look unfinished if I didn't line them, and the idea of lining them was daunting to me.  But I find that if I make the purses out of sweaters, the "raw" seams on the inside of the bag look okay.  So I may be adding purses to my line of products pretty soon!