Crochet Lace & Kinder Fun

I'm enjoying the long, burgundy top pictured above.  Cast off by its previous owner, this top found love and acceptance in my wardrobe. There, there lengthy top.  Momma is here. However on its own, it's just an ordinary top. Add the right necklace, scarf OR vest and we have something special. The final piece for me is the giving key with the simple word "create" embossed on the front. Soon I will have to pass it on, but until then I use it another day. Just the wearing of this necklace reminds me of who God created me to be, and of the encouragement received from a thoughtful friend. 

Now I'm ready. 

Outfit Breakdown

Vest: Altar'd State (similar)

Jeans: GAP True Skinny (similar)

Boots: Target (similar)

Necklace: the giving keys (exact)

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Where am I off to? Our local elementary school to spend time with a few important people.

I received a sweet note from the kindergarten teacher (that taught ALL four of our boys) requesting a reading of  "The Little Red Hen" and a mini-bread making demo to the Kindergarten classes. How could I refuse?

Well, I definitely had a good excuse to say no that day. It happened to be the same day as the Renew event at our church. This was a night that required lots of planning, made some of us lose sleep, etc. 

However, I confess I'm not up at the boy's school very often and they LOVE it when mom comes.  A wise woman advised me to leave MARGIN in my calendar. Another wise woman once told me that a creative person cannot create when the mind is over cluttered and scattered.  With personal experience I concur!  

In addition, a scattered, cluttered mind backs into her mother's car, forgets needed items at home or to pay a certain bill. The roughshod brain double books and flakes out on it's friends.  Sometimes we have to say no. I'm slowly, painstakingly learning this. But I need to say no to the right things. Only you and God can determine what those right things are. 

And this time, I felt the need to say yes.

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"Who will help me plant the wheat?

Not I, said the cat.

Not I, said the pig.

Not I, said the duck.

Then I shall do it myself."

my boys, sitting all the way on the left, were permitted by their 1st grade teacher to come

After over dramatizing "The Little Red Hen", it was time to show them how bread is made from grains of wheat. I love seeing their curious expressions and holding their attention captive as they pass a bowl of grain around, before and after, the grinding process. It's also fun to see them react to the airplane-like sound of my mill.Yeah it's loud.

The finished dough. Now they each will get a small portion of dough to shape into their own roll.

And in return for a morning well spent, this is what I received the next day...

Makes the heart melt like this amazing grilled cheese sandwich I prepared with our families batch of dough!

I also felt inspired enough to search Pinterest and use up some tomatoes I had lying around for tomato soup.  Anyone feeling hungry now? I felt only a small measure of guilt over this meal because I knew that the bread was good for me. And hey, so was the easy tomato soup.