trend on a budget

I don't know about you, but I get really excited when fashion trends for girls actually look GIRLIE! I'm trying to raise my girls to be feminine and lovely, but the whole of the fashion world out there is making that really difficult! There is such a push to make little girls look like big girls and to make big girls look like women! That just makes me growl! I do not want my girls to walk around in potato sacks, but at the same hour I cannot in good conscience let them dress like the stars of popular child and tween shows.

Anyway, I am so excited that these are "in" this year! Bloomer shorts (I've seen them with ties on the legs, mostly).

That brings me to issue number 2! Budget!!!! We can't afford to go out and buy sweet, feminine, yet stylish clothing for our girls from the department store. So, as they say, necessity is the mother of invention. My oldest is growing like a weed and it is impossible to find modest shorts for an 11 year old without breaking the bank! Unless, you sew like I do.

I had been given some chambray fabric, which is perfect for this style. Have I mentioned I love free fabric???? That is the best way to keep sewing! Let your friends know that you'll take any unwanted fabric off of their hands! (Unless you live in a certain area of Missouri where I have lots of friends....They all sew!! No extra fabric there.) So, I had free fabric, great! Then I always get my patterns from JoAnn's when they are 99 cents. NEVER, EVER, AT ANY OTHER TIME DO I PURCHASE PATTERNS. You may as well be buying store bought clothes once you pay full price for a pattern and fabric! Pardon the rant, I will continue now. I had already used this pattern before, so I consider it already paid for. Which equals====free pattern. Good tally so far, free and free! I refuse to figure out how much a quarter of a spool of thread costs. If you are that analytical, you can figure it out.

So I started with a plain, elastic waist shorts pattern. I would tell you I followed directions, but I never do, so I won't. You may follow the directions! I left the bottom 3 inches of the sides open so I could add the ties. Then I gathered the bottoms, centered the ties with the inseam, and sewed them on. I top stitched the whole thing, hoping it would look a little more pro. heehee.

the gorgeous model with her new shorts

So, I think they turned out really cute! More importantly, she thinks they are awesome!
Victory for Mom!!!! And they were basically free. The only problem is that the other two are begging for me to make them a pair!
se la vie.
Check out our mission blog!
http://sotxandeanboendeavors.wordpress.com/

Busy much?

pink kitchen made from recycled tea boxes and foam

Hey! Hope everyone had a fantastic summer and that the "beginning of school rush" has begun  to abate. We finally started school this week and it went well. I had a moment of panic when I was trying to keep up with letter writing for 4th grade, compound sentences for 6th grade, and alphabetizing names for 1st grade all at the same time. I eventually realized that it went well and I don't think I had any new gray hairs at the end of the day.
 We continue to make Barbie crafts, which I consider to be art, science, and a lot of other technical educational terms. heehee. We have had to re-organize the area where the dolls are kept several times to accommodate the constant remodeling.I must admit to throwing some things away when the girls aren't looking! I get overwhelmed! I have to say, this has been a wonderful summer that I hope my girlies remember always. I've made an effort to play with them and be involved in what interests them. We are so much closer and it has been a great conversation starter!
Here is our September newsletter for those who read my blog about direction.

Hi Friends!

Many of you already may have heard, we are launching a new outreach, South Texas Andean/Bolivian Endeavors. (That’s a mouthful, I know!) Throughout several months of groaning and praying over our enormous desire to return to the mission field, we learned of and joined a mission organization called Adventive Cross Cultural Initiatives (ACCI). Through them we will begin leading short term mission-trips to Bolivia. Even though we wish we could move onto the Bolivian foreign mission-field tomorrow, that is not what God has planned for us at present.

What does this mean?

We are in the process of raising support for our first trip, hopefully this winter. This will be a survey trip where we will reconnect with our former mission colleagues and fellow laborers in Christ. We plan to travel to the various places where we formerly lived to organize optimum ministry contacts for our future teams. Our first trip will be about surveying these places and making arrangements for future mission-trip teams.

How can you be involved?

We need you to help us get to Bolivia for this first survey trip! Please consider one of the following options:

Onetime gifts of $10, $25, $50, $100, $250, $500 or more to reach our survey trip financial goal of $4,500.

See donation info below.

Where can you get more info?

http://www.facebook.com/SouthTexasAndeanBolivianEndeavors this is our Facebook page.

http://sotxandeanboendeavors.wordpress.com is our blog.

To make tax-deductible gifts, go to: http://www.adventive.ca/ This is the website for the mission that oversees us. There is a link for donation on the left side of the page. Click “Donate now (US)” and then find us in the drop down box labeled “choose a fund” under: “South America – Short-term Outreaches (Tom and Ann Withers)”.

If you wish to donate by mail: Send your check made out to ACCI to 141 East Main St, Rock Hill, SC, 29730. Stick a post it note to the check stating that it is for: S AmericaST (TWithers)

Thanks in advance for letting God use you to further His kingdom!

In Him, Ann Withers