It's Been a Long Time!

It's been a long time since I posted on my blog! I've been busy, just not really busy cross-stitching!

As most of you know, and some were even a part of, I went to Honduras for my 3rd trip last summer. Every time I go, I just feel like there is something I need to do. This last trip, after spending every day with the same group of kids, I was even more convinced that surely there was something we could do!

Thanks to my husband and a good family friend, we finally did something! Simple Matters We kept thinking that it didn't need to be a big, complex thing. That it could be something simple: food, water, education. Things to us that are so ordinary, they hardly even matter. It's when you don't have it, that it really begins to matter! And if we all just do something simple, then together we can really make a difference.

To be honest, big dreams take big work! haha We had no idea how much would go into setting all of this up! We're not sure where this will take us. Not even sure we'll be able to raise the money we will need each month. I have no doubt we can raise it for a month or two! But what the next month? the next year?

We will trust God! Do what we can to positively change these kids' lives, and invite as many people to join us, as we possibly can!

In addition to getting Simple Matters up and running (we're even on facebook!)...remember those bookmarks I was collecting supplies for? Well, I got my first package of bookmarks! I am shocked at what a great job the ladies have done! Each bookmark is better than their previous one. There are about six ladies that have taken this opportunity seriously, and the money they receive is providing for their families.

We are selling the bookmarks: $3 for one or $5 for two. Plus a $1 to help cover shipping costs. 100% of the money received will go back to the ladies. Please contact me if you're interested in purchasing a bookmark.We're working on finding the best way to make these available.

Sara

To Blog or Not To Blog

That seems to be the question lately! :) I guess I kind of miss the interaction with other stitchers across the states, and around the world too.

I've had a few emails over the past few weeks from people who say they miss my blog! How nice is that?!

So I don't know. I'm not sure I have much to share with the blog world. I'm still thinking about it, if anybody is even here any more!

It's been almost three months. Crazy.

Dumb Comments

And another reason not to stay: why do I always get those types of comments left on my blog? All summer, I've had to go back and delete them! So frustrating.. :)

Hello and Goodbye

I've been gone with my family for the past eight weeks. We do youth mission trips during the summer. We were in four cities across NC; Moncton,Canada;Tegucigalpa, Hondruas; and NYC. We had a really great summer. Had so many neat experiences that we were fortunate enough to be involved with.

I obviously haven't posted since we've been gone. And oddly enough I haven't really missed blogging. So for now, I think I'm going to continue my break! I'm sure the cross-stitch world will continue to exist without my random blog posts! :)

Still stitching, though I haven't hardly touched a needle in two months. Maybe I'll be back. But not for now!

I'm available via my email if anybody needs to contact me: sssowers@hotmail.com

Sara

ISO Barb in Oregon??

For some reason I didn't save Barb's email! I tried to find her on 123stitch.com but maybe she contacted me through my blog?!! I owe a big thankyou for some fabric!! If you're Barb from OR, please leave me a comment or send me an email! :)

You guys won't believe the pile of fabric I have been given! We have so much we are probably going to do the same thing (in English) for a young mothers home in the USA.

Do you have extra 14 ct. aida for HONDURAS?

I already posted this at 123stitch.com, but am hoping to get some response from my blog too! :)

Forgive me for not retyping it, but it's a lot! :)

As some of you know, DH and I do lots of summer mission work with teenagers. We are heading to Honduras the end of July, and have the priveledge of working with young mothers in the capital city Tegucigalpa.

The place where we go to work, is run by a native Honduran. She daily feed 30-40 children that live in the surrounding area. She has been trying to reach the mothers in the area and she asked my DH if anybody would know how to teach the moms CROSS-STITCH!

WAHOO! :) imagine that, xstitch and me and mission! Can we say perfecto?!

ANYWAY! We've found a really awesome pattern that we are going to use with the ladies. Hopefully to be able to sell in their market place.

All that to sum up... I need pieces of 14 ct 17 by 13. The pattern only uses one color of thread, so I am going to go through all that DMC I bought when Walmart was going out of business! :) But if you have any needles and or cheap little scissors you might want to contribute, that'd be awesome!

We know for sure there will be 10 ladies there. But I'm hoping to leave them with enough supplies to make some more. Plus I'm going to take a few books to leave with them that have much smaller projects.

Would you want to help? Email me! :)

White/cream/ecru aida would work best. Sara

sssowers@hotmail.com

Thanks Ladies!

I Stitched for Sue Hillis

Remember this?

A couple weeks before our get-to-gether last weekend in Richmond, I got an email from Sue. She asked if I would be interested in stitching the pattern she made for the weekend, over one! I was so surprised she emailed me! :) I had the supplies within a day and had it stitched the next day.

And then she told me to finish it "however I want too".

All together, let's say it: "YIKES" This nice lady has been designing for forever and wants me to do it "however" I wanted! Can we say pressure?!

This is what I came up with:


I found some charms in my stash, and tied them on the ends of the ribbons. I know we all loved cross-stitch and without a doubt, we were going to laugh a lot!

So I sent her some pictures, she said it looked great... off to Richmond I went. The first night, I secretly handed her the project, it's top secret after all! :)

The next morning, as I got in line to register for the weekend, Sue grabbed my arm and asked me if I was able to check my email. Now my heart really started thumping. I felt for sure I did something wrong, that she didn't like it, that it wasn't what she wanted, etc. etc. etc.

Not to worry, turns out she liked it more in person than the pictures! I walked away and gave a huge sigh of relief!

When I got home, I was trying to explain to my kids and I said, "It'd be like if Lego asked you to post one of your projects online." And Andrew, my 13 year old says, "Oh mom, anybody can do that!"

I can always trust my kids to bring me back down to earth! HaHa

We had a great weekend. There were 70-80 of us, I never did get the final count. We met lots of new friends and got to sit with our Canadian friends. We only see them every two years, so we were glad to get to share a table with them.

My friend and I managed to hit 3 LNS's over the weekend. One on the way, one while we were there, and one on the way home. While we were there, we went to an itty-bitty shop that was stuffed to the brim with stuff! Course by the time 50-60 of us shopped at the same time, we were all much closer bonded! It was a tight fit, but I think we all managed to find something to spend our money on!!

And Sue invited 5-6 different people to come set up shops at the hotel! That was NOT a good idea! Well, I mean it was, but I might have spent a little too much money!

My family leaves in ten days to start two months of summer mission with teenagers. We're excited to get started and I have a million things to do to get ready. I got my stitching bag ready to go yesterday, but I highly doubt I'll get to much of any of it!

I bought some really neat smalls while on our stitching trip, had to move those straight to the top of the stitching list! Can't wait to show you!

See you around. Not sure when I'll get to post again.