Introducing Nikolia Designs!
Niki has been working on her website off and on for a few months now. I included this project with her dyeing project to incorporate computer and writing into her curriculum. (Neither of which are her favorites but it’s a way to get her to enjoy it a bit more since she’s incorporating some of her favorite things this way.) It is coming along nicely and I wanted to share it with all of you. I’m hoping to have her put up a slideshow of all the things she’s sewn this year along with a few other surprises.
Read MoreA Hidden Community
Last month, I decided to share my story about our recent miscarriage in hopes it would bring comfort to even one other person experiencing the same pain we were enduring. To my surprise, I learned miscarriage is much more common than I ever realized and that there is a hidden community of women who have also experienced the sadness of miscarriage. These kind-hearted women came from all over to comfort me and in thanksgiving to all of their endearing support over the past several weeks, I have dedicated this next post on The Sounding to all of them.
Read MoreHomeschooling has taught me to…
Embrace Distractions:
They’re going to happen. This is a fact that I tried to ignore and pretend didn’t exist. I was determined to fight against any and all distractions by readying myself with battle armor and defending the walls of our home school. Distractions are far more powerful than anything I have to use in defense. It took an epic battle where I crumbled to the ground in complete and utter defeat before I grasped and completely accepted this concept.
Read MoreInfluence by Association
Photo note: Niki made the pajama pants with the green fabric draped over the top of the mannequin.
Les and I met the rest of Niki’s classmates today. We arranged for a super quick tour of Niki’s infamous sewing room since Les has not had a chance to see it yet. Her apparel design program is a relatively small class of 15 comprised of only girls who have all become friends over the last several months. Outside of class, the girls also text each other back and forth - talking about various things including what they missed in class that day, setting up times to hang out together, and the not surprising, “What are you wearing tomorrow?”
Read MoreMy Apologies to Everyone in Baggage Claim
I kissed my kids goodbye at church after Liturgy on Sunday and headed for the airport leaving them with my mom and dad. I had a doctor appointment in Atlanta and was going to be gone for one night. My departure from home was uneventful so it didn’t prepare me for the incident I was going to encounter while walking through baggage claim the next day after arriving back home.
Read MoreCoffee Date with Niki
I was invited by my 17 year-old daughter for a coffee date to do school work. Um…yes, please.
Grandma graciously agreed to watch the boys while we left to spend the next few hours at a nearby coffee cafe. It’s not the typical cranked out coffee shop. As soon as you walk in the door, you realize it’s a well-loved hang out. The walls have received many obvious layers of paint, although it still looks nice. (Maybe something I’d see in England at an old pub.) The floor has been ripped up and left baring only black cement but somehow it works for this place. The lights shine down from the ceiling casting shadows on the tables and people below. The aroma of brewed espresso lingers in the air and temptingly whispers to me to order one. Laptops glow against a few, scattered faces. Hands write feverishly as they take notes or write an assignment. Friends chat on a nearby couch while sipping on hot tea to ease the chill of the cool air seeping into the coffee shop through a cracked screen door.
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