Friday, May 4, 2012

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.

A Smooth Sea Never Made a Skillful Sailor

      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!

Little by little is a lot.
     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.

time management

     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.

Gifts and talents. Beautifully said.

     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!

  Adventure... 
     (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. 
Pin It

5 comments:

  1. Amen sister! Col 3:23 is my life goal. When I read "do it heartily as to the Lord" its hard to make an excuse for why I didn't try! That being said...sewing and me...hmm, I think that's where people like you come in:) ~mev

    ReplyDelete
  2. Thank you Abby - that was wonderful!! I so agree. I have often said, "I would rather be on my death bed remembering all the things I did, instead of regretting those I didn't do". I never knew it was reworded from a Mark Twain quote, so now I'll give him credit. I really admire those of you who post tutorials. I can show someone how to do something and sometimes even talk them through it, but I am not good at all at putting it in pictures and on paper. I so look up to you and your Mister, you are both setting fine examples for the girls. I read your posts on here and fondly remember Sunday morning walks to church :)

    ReplyDelete
  3. Love your post and the quotes you put with it, how true! Thanks for your lovely comment on my house dress (this is my version of doing it anyway, despite having no clue...), got me to visit you. i like your blog and am following you now with gfc. would be honored if you would like to follow back, but no hard feelings if not :-)
    love
    jutta

    ReplyDelete
  4. just realized i am following you already :-). being on a European time zone, all the blogposts from there are present when i look at blogger and the american ones are way back...
    will seek you out deliberately in future :-)

    ReplyDelete
  5. Oh, Abby, what a beautiful post! So nice to meet another Jesus lovin' gal. Thank you for sharing your heart. Also, thank you for the visit and sweet comment @TheDedicatedHouse. It means the world. Wishing you a grand weekend. Toodles, Kathryn

    ReplyDelete