Hardanger Embroidery Tutorial Pt. 2 (Sew, a Needle Pulling Thread)

   Once you've gathered all your materials, it's (obviously) time to get started.  Unwind the size 5 perle cotton - the larger size - and cut it to about the length of your wingspan (arms stretched out as far as they will go).  Depending on the project you're doing, it may or may not be enough to get you all the way around, but it's the most you really want to work with at a time.  Plus, it's easy enough to start a new thread.  Next, thread your tapestry needle.

  The first thing to learn when doing Hardanger is called a kloster block.  Essentially, it's a group of satin stitches to enclose threads in your fabric so you can later cut threads without it all unraveling.  With the cloth in your non-dominant hand, and the threaded needle in your dominant hand, count in at least 20 threads from the side and 30 threads from the top.  This can be on either side of the fabric, I just happened to start in the top right corner of mine.  My fabric is already cut because I did another ornament out of it before.  And also, I didn't count 30 threads down from the top so you'll see where I ran into a bit of a problem later.  Pull the thread most of the way through, but leave a good-size tail on the back.  You'll encase it in stitches later to keep it from pulling out.

  Now, in the same row count in 4 threads (toward the middle, not the edge) and take your needle down and pull firm (not tight!).  You may want to hold the tail in your fingers so you don't pull it all the way out...not like that ever happened to me, though (ha!).

        

On the backside, take your needle back 4 threads to the outside and up 1.  As you pull the thread through, make sure you wrap around the tail.  You'll catch it in every stitch on the back until you run out of tail or feel like it's significantly 'caught'.

  

  Repeat until you have five stitches on the front (enclosing 4 threads).  You've caught the tail under each stitch on the back, right?  You've made a kloster block!!!  Now there's only 11 more to go if you're making this little ornament.  I know Christmas is over, but you could be getting jump start on gifts for next year (or keep the first for yourself).


  You've been catching the tail on the back all the way around, right?  It's probably secure at this point, but I like to run it under at least two kloster blocks just to be safe.







  So, with your thread on the back side, take your needle directly UP 4 threads rather than to the outside 4 and up 1.  You're going to be starting in a new direction.  The picture below shows the front side of the work.  When you bring the needle up 4 threads toward the top, you're going to run it back down where your last kloster block ended...4 threads down again.  You'll have the thread running through that hole twice.

  You're still catching the tail on the back, right?  I'm not sure how long you left yours, but you'll probably want it long enough to catch at least most of the way through the second kloster block.    When you get to the end of this block and it's still pretty long, you can trim it.

   So on the back, you'll go up 4 threads and inside 1.  Straight down 4 threads on the front and repeat the process until you have 5 vertical stitches on the front.  It should look like this.  This is pretty easy so far, right? You can totally do this.  I absolutely believe in you!

  I would also like to let you know that sometimes despite your best efforts, your thread will get tangled (pictured left).  It may look like a knot, but usually if you pull on the correct loop it'll come loose.  So be patient and work it out rather than pulling the ends of the thread and making it tighter.  Use the needle to get in there if you need to.  Or tweezers sometimes work.

  Back to the sewing:  So after this block, you'll be turning your work to go up again and make another kloster block where the stitches within it run horizontal (like the first one we did).  From where your thread is on the back, count up 4 threads and run it through that hole again.  Yes, another thread is already running through there.  Are you starting to see a pattern when turning?  If not yet, well, you will.  From where you just came up on the front, count 4 threads to the inside and go back down.  On the back, count out 4 and up one and repeat until you have....that's right, 5 stitches.  You're totally getting it!  My tail has finally been about completely captured.  Looking back, I probably should have trimmed it pretty short on the third or fourth stitch of that block rather than leave it poking out of the top, but hindsight is 20-20, right? 

  Turn your orientation again and run a kloster block of vertical stitches along the top.  After this, the directions get a bit redundant.  Make sure that when you turn your work, you're going through a hole you've already been through once.  This anchors your threads so you can cut them later.  

   

 

 

     

 

  And finally we make it all the way around.  There are 12 kloster blocks in all and it looks a bit like a cross or a puzzle piece on the inside.  Now all you have is the rest of your thread on the back side.  I take my needle and run it under a kloster block or two, around the thread on the end of the block and back under the rest of the kloster block.  This anchors it quite securely and you can cut it safely.  

  This concludes the first part of your ornament.  Next up, the button-hole stitch all the way around and then lastly cutting out and embellishing the middle!


Part 1

Hardanger Embroidery Tutorial Pt. 1 (Gather Your Materials)

  I made a little Hardanger Christmas ornament for the purpose of this tutorial.  It took probably less than 6 hours all together, and a part of that 6 hours was taking about 100 photos so I could show you folks step-by-step.    I've been doing needlework like cross-stitch for years, but this was only my second piece of Hardanger.  My mother has been doing this for years, though, and taught me how, so this isn't really like the blind leading the blind.  I've also asked her to check the tutorial for inaccuracies, just so I know I'm not telling you to do something incorrectly.


What You'll Need
  Included in the photo are: Hardanger Fabric (a 22-count evenweave fabric) in white, ball-point hand needles or tapestry needles, tiny little scissors (!), and perle cotton in sizes 5 (skein) and 8 (ball) in matching colors. Not included in the photo is an optional hoop.  I don't use one, but you can if you like.

  Now I'll tell you a little bit more about the components.  You can probably get all of these from your local hobby/craft shop (Hobby Lobby, Michael's, Hancock Fabric, JoAnn Fabrics), or you could get them from My Amazon Shop. *

• Fabric - What I'm currently using is actually called Hardanger fabric and I have it in white.  It's an evenweave fabric woven in pairs (you'll see what I mean in the close up later) with 22 pairs per inch of fabric.  This embroidery can be done on any evenweave between 18 and 26 count whether woven in pairs of singly (so linen is also an option).  If you use a higher count fabric, the design will be smaller because the threads are more tightly packed.  You may be able to find Hardanger fabric in Ivory or Ecru or even some other colors, but you definitely have more options with linen and Aida.  I'd learn on Hardanger fabric though, before moving on.
• Needles - I included ball-point hand sewing needles in the picture because I used the for a while when I couldn't find my tapestry needles, but it's not the best idea.  They split the thread and the fabric and can potentially cause some blood loss in your fingers, so go for the tapestry needles.  They won't hurt when you accidentally stab yourself (unless you do it really hard), and they're much less likely to split the fabric and/or thread.
• Scissors - These are a pair of embroidery scissors given to me by my Granny.  They are super cute.  I'm not sure where you could find some with the same design, but any embroidery scissors will do.
• Thread - Perle Cotton in sizes 5 and 8 (or if you were doing this on a 26-count fabric you might want 8 and 12).  This IS NOT the same as DMC floss that one would use for cross-stitch.  Here I'm using a really lovely dark green so you can see the contrast better.  Colors on white is fine, but white on white or beige on beige is traditional. My mom and I have a light blue-green fabric with matching perle cotton that we're going to do something intricate on when we have more time (lol - more time).

Next up, actually getting started.


* Laura is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com.

I'm back...

Sorry folks. I know it's been a while, but I haven't abandoned my blog. There's so much to catch up on, and I have a scarf to knit, and two pair of pants and a dress to sew before Christmas, but I wanted to give you a preview of something else I've been working on. It's a technique called Hardanger and I'm going to do a tutorial for you in the next few days/weeks. I may also edit the picture when I take a better one. Hope you're all doing well!

Project-Finishing Week - Kindle Sleeve

  So as I mentioned before, I had some scrap fabric from an apron-sewing class I took last year.  I was tired of it just sitting there taking up space and definitely couldn't stomach the thought of just throwing it out (yeah, so I'm a bit of a pack rat), so I decided to use it to make a sleeve/pocket for my Kindle.  

  So I started by measuring my Kindle.  It's a little over 11", so I added some in for ease and seam allowances and cut it out.

  Isn't it pretty fabric?

  I started rolling down and pinning the top seam.

  I actually changed my mind and re-rolled this seam about a minute after a took this photo.  It was a little shorter than I liked, so I made it a little wider.  

  Here it is all sewn up.  It took all of two minutes.  Well...after I figured out that I had missed a step when threading the machine and that's why it kept jamming.  I really would've hated to have thrown it against a wall.  But of course it was user error.  Ugh.

  So then I folded it in half, right sides together and pinned it. So terribly difficult, right?  (BTW, remember to reverse when you begin and end stitching to secure your thread.)

  Here I am almost done sewing it up.  It really is that quick.

  I clipped the corner at the bottom so it would turn more easily.  I may still go back and zigzag the edges, but I don't think it's necessary.

  Then you turn it right-side-out.

  Hey, it's just waiting for a Kindle!

  I think I'll just go ahead and slide it right in there. It's not like I'm a little bit clumsy sometimes and tend to drop things...

  The Kindle is safely inside its sleeve.  You may not be able to tell, but trust me, it's in there.




  Next up: making a laptop sleeve, finishing the sundress that is definitely beginner-quality work, and finishing the endless backstitching on the bookmark.  It's not really endless, it just seems that way at 1 AM.  At least I'm making progress, right?

The girl who can't focus

  Do you know anybody who can't seem to complete one project before moving on to the next?  I am that girl. I took an apron-sewing class at the local sewing center, but I still haven't finished assembling it. I also have an almost-completed sundress. I would actually like to complete that before it gets cool again.  Aside from that, I'm currently knitting two scarves, making some Teneriffe lace medallions, cross-stitching a bookmark and some baby bibs (counted and stamped, respectively), and have material to make a few skirts and some other projects.  Actually, many other projects.

Edited to add: I didn't make the lace edging around the
bookmark.  I bought it as is and am embellishing with cross-
stitch.  You can find them at Hobby Lobby or other stores
like it, I'm sure.

  I name this coming week project-finishing week.  I am actually going to get out my sewing machine and work on something every day.  Granted, the knitting will be ongoing, and I very much doubt I'll finish that next week, but I have until it gets cool again to get the scarves done (which in Alabama means maybe November).  I'm riding with some friends to Birmingham tonight to do some dancing and bid a friend farewell, so I'll take the cross-stitch bookmark with me and get a little more work done on it in the car.  I'm also going to take some scrap pre-quilted fabric from the apron and make a pocket for my Kindle.  Then I'm going to go buy some more and make a pocket for my laptop.  That way I could carry it around in my regular backpack and it will still be protected.  And of course, I'll be posting updates as I go.  What about you?  Are you anything like me?  What projects have you left unfinished so far?

Pin of the Week - July 10 - 16

  This entry will be short and sweet.  If you're a Harry Potter fan, you likely know the final movie came out Friday.  You may have even already seen it.  I'll be waiting until my husband finishes reading book 6, we re-watch Deathly Hallows Pt. 1, and the crowds die down a little bit.  But this pin...well, it made me laugh.  So here you go, for any who may not have seen it:

  The caption with which I pinned this (and many others have as well) is, "It is obvious that this student deserves an A+."  Have a great week!

Her Name is Lulu

There is in Africa (Kenya, specifically) a little girl named Lulu.  

  She is 9 years old, has 5 siblings, and lives with her father and step-mother.  The average income there is less than $25 a month.  Can you believe it? That's approximately 1 restaurant meal for me and the husband, and that's all they earn for a month.  But you know what?  There is hope for Lulu.  Lulu goes to church at a Compassion site, and that is how we came to sponsor her.  By $38 per month she is supported and Compassion is helped to bring sponsorships to more and more children in poverty.

  From the Compassion website:

    "Your sponsorship allows the staff of <Lulu's> Child Development Center to provide your sponsored child with Bible teaching, medical screening, home-visits and academic support.  The center staff will also provide income-generating activities and support groups for the parents or guardians of your sponsored child."

  We don't just send money to Compassion/Lulu's family, though.  We're more engaged than that.  Last year for her birthday, we bought a greeting card in which you could record a message and sang Happy Birthday to her.  The letter we received after she had listened to the card expressed amazement that we had included her name in the song.  The letter said (Compassion workers help write/take dictation for the younger children), "she feels very honoured and further tells you that God wonna reward you for making her feel so special."  I almost cried when I read that.  Just a simple birthday card, but it made her feel special and loved.  All children should feel special and loved.  Another time, I wrote to her that I was teaching preschool.  She wrote back that she wished I could be her teacher.  I did cry at that.

  Last year we were not doing so well at writing letters, so we've now made it a monthly recurring event in our calendar.  Tonight we'll be writing her a letter (something simple).  We'll tell her about the warm temperatures and our garden and whatever else comes to mind.  If you sponsor a child, consider writing them at least once every other month.  There's an electronic form on their website which makes it incredibly easy.  The children want to know who these incredible people are that sponsor them.  They want to know you.

  For those of you who haven't heard of Compassion, or who have and weren't sure how they worked, I'll be posting some more information soon, so stay tuned.  In the meantime, consider clicking the Compassion link to the side and sponsoring a child greatly in need of your support.  It's not just $38/month.  It changes lives - theirs and maybe even yours.

Pin of the Week - July 3 - 9

  So, this post is only 4 days late... sorry about that.  Do you know what it's like when you're trying to clean your house for company and then ten (or a thousand) things pop up that you HAVE to do, and then you realize there's only a few hours until company arrives and you're still not ready, or is that just me?  Anyway, the house is still slowly getting more organized.  I've finally figured out what to do with a little table and hutch that so far has been a catch-all for things we have nowhere else to put, and I'm working on that.  At least one shelf is going to be a mail station.  I'll keep stationary and stamps there, as well as incoming mail to deal with/respond to.  Thus, this last week's pin.

  I love that it's something I could personalize and make all by myself - or at least with help from the husband, dad, or combination thereof.  I mean, I'm sure I could make it myself, but it would take a whole lot longer and they have the tools.  I'm sure they'll be overjoyed to help me with this! (Where's that sarcasm font?) Here is the link to the step-by-step instructions if this projects interests you too.

Red, White, and Blue Cake

  Happy Independence Day!  Can you believe it's already the 4th of July (and the day is almost over, to boot)?  We've had a rather relaxing holiday weekend here.  My Uncle Dieter came for a visit (from Germany), so we had a nice family gathering for Sunday dinner.  Uncle Dieter isn't actually related to us by blood or marriage, but by a foreign exchange program that occurred years before I was born and has developed into a strong kinship with our whole family.  When Chris and I were in Berlin almost two years ago, we made sure to visit with his family.  Dieter was here to drop his daughter Andrea off just outside of Atlanta for her own two-week exchange experience.

Andrea, Dieter, Daniela, and Felix

  At any rate, this special visit combined with a holiday weekend necessitated a special dessert.  Now, if you look online you can find a variety of patriotic-themed desserts (and is that odd? I'm not sure I'd want a patriotic German dessert...).  The problem for most of them, though, is that they're decorated with berries, which I really don't like (yes, I know I'm a bit odd - just remember, more berries for you).  This problem was solved when my mom found a recipe for Blue Velvet Cake on Pinterest.  She proposed this: I would bake the blue cake, she would make her Red Velvet Cake, and we would exchange layers.  I was, of course, agreeable.  She cut each of her layers in half, and assembled with the frosting she always puts on her Red Velvet.  I didn't cut my layers in half and used the frosting from the Betty Crocker site.  It got great reviews, and I'd not tried one like it before.  I'm not entirely sure what went wrong, but it wasn't really easily spreadable.  It tastes fine, but I'm not sure I'll use it again.  Maybe I'll just blame it on the weather.  Anyway, here's a very low-light picture of the cake.



  You can find the recipe for the Blue Velvet cake and frosting here.  My mom's recipe for Red Velvet is included below.  I hope you all had a wonderfully enjoyable day.  And you know what? I think I could deal with a dessert the colors of Germany's flag if it were devil's food cake with peanut butter frosting, and maybe red frosting decoration?  It's not quite right, but I guess I have until October 3 to figure it out.


Red Velvet Cake
Cake Ingredients:
1 cup butter or margarine (2 sticks) - softened
1.5 cups sugar
2 eggs
2 oz. red food coloring
2 teaspoons cocoa, leveled
2.5 cups cake flour (from a box)
pinch salt
1 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon vinegar

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 and prepare cake pans.Cream first three ingredients.  Make paste of cocoa and food color and add to mix.  Combine flour and salt, and buttermilk and vanilla.  Add to creamed ingredients, alternating wet and dry, starting and ending with dry.  Place baking soda on top and pour on vinegar.  Fold in - DO NOT STIR.  Bake in 2 prepared 9-inch pans for 30 minutes.  Cool completely before frosting.

Icing Ingredients:
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 cup water
1 cup butter (2 sticks) - softened
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla

Directions:
Mix starch and water.  Cook until thick over medium heat, stirring constantly.  Cool completely.  Cream butter and sugar until fluffy.  Add vanilla and cooled cornstarch.  Beat until like whipped cream.

Pin of the Week - June 26 - July 2

  I know it's been a rather quiet week around here, but I've been working at VBS.  Do you know how exhausting that can be?  Well, it's finally over and life is getting a little bit back to normal.  I have a few neat things that I'm planning to do over the next week or two, and hopefully I can blog about those soon.  Cleaning and organizing is still slow going, but at least it's going!


Anyway, here's my pin of the week.
 


  I love to read.  I tend to forget about anything else when immersed in a good book.  That not necessarily a good thing.  I don't hear people when they ask me or tell me something and sometimes I forget to eat.  


  Toward the end of May, the website www.woot.com offered a 2nd generation Kindle 3G.  I went for it!  I had been considering purchasing an e-reader for a while.  I wasn't convinced I would really love it, but the thought of being able to carry around multiple books on one small device... well, it appealed to me.  My Kindle arrived a few days later and I Fell.In.Love.  I take the darn thing everywhere.  I have over 50 books loaded in my account, most of which were free (Free ebook collection -> Limited Time Offers -> sort by price: low to high).  And though this Pin has been accurate since I learned to read (I used to check out 15 books from the library at a time when I was little, read them all in about 4 days, and anxiously await the next week when I would wash, rinse, and repeat), it's especially accurate again now, because I've finished about 8 books since I got the Kindle... some of them around 4 in the morning.  What can I say, sometimes the more things change, the more they stay the same.


  What about y'all?  Have you been reading anything recently?  Got any great recommendations for me?  And as always, you can find my pins at Laura's Pinterest Site  and comment here if you'd like an invite.

Getting Organized

  I am not what anybody would really call organized.  Growing up, my room was always a mess disaster area.  My parents were always after me to clean up.  I would spend hours in my room, going through piles of old school papers and books and get distracted as I went.  I wound up reading old assignments from years before or reading whole books and getting absolutely NO cleaning done.

  Household chores were only slightly better.  I hated washing dishes (probably because the dishwasher was broken throughout my childhood), and drying them was only passably better.  (Vacuuming, however, was always a fun task.)  Laundry wasn't horrible, but I wouldn't get around to it until I had nothing clean left to wear and once it was washed, you could forget me actually folding it.

  So clutter, mess, and disorganization was my life through grade school, college, and into married life.  I had a great admiration for people with beautifully clean homes, and wondered why I wasn't one of them.  I was ashamed of the state of my room/house and always wanted to be better.  I'd start cleaning, but the effort to keep it clean only lasted for a week or two.  I would buy books about cleaning, organizing, and decluttering, but never would follow-through.

  I did learn a lot about myself, though.  I learned that just because I was a Girl Scout and "Be prepared," was a great motto, it didn't mean I had to keep anything I might possibly ever have a use for in the future.  It is okay to throw things away and let it go.  I learned to fight the perfectionist inside my head that would say, "There's too much.  You'll never get done, so don't even start.  You don't have the time to finish it right now," when I looked at a messy area instead of just spending 10 or 15 minutes doing what I could and eventually getting it clean a little bit at a time.

  It's still an uphill battle.  I fight the urge to buy all the cute organizational supplies, because right now it would be a waste of money because I would never use them.  It would just be more clutter.  A few weeks ago, I restarted the Flylady system for maybe the 6th time.  This time, I'm not being so strict.  I'm adapting it to fit my life a little better.  I know what doesn't work, so I'm just trying to build habits that do work.  I've printed out some chore charts to keep me (and the hubby) better on track.  Eventually I'd love to make them all pretty and laminate it so we could mark with dry-erase marker instead of me having to print a new one each week, but that's the perfectionist in me.  If I waited til then to do it, it would never get done.  This way, my house is getting cleaner and my life more organized little by little until I have time to make it pretty.

  So for right now, you're not going to be seeing any pictures of my house.  It's not gonna happen.  But after a while longer, I hope to be able to show you things that are working for me, and explain a little better about how I got to that point.  In the mean time, why don't you share with me some of your tips.  What works for you?

Pin of the Week - June 19-25

  So I've seen some other bloggers post their favorite pin of the week, so I thought I'd engage in the sincerest form of flattery.

  Because I love to dance, I have a few (or 6) pairs of shoes with suede soles.  Dance floors can be quite dusty, and this has a tendency to get all over anything the shoes end up touching.  And no matter how carefully I try to arrange them with their soles together and everything, the dust still ends up on everything (like the nice black skirt I was going to wear to the dance tomorrow night, darnit!), so sometimes I'd put them in a plastic grocery bag, but then I saw this:

  Just pack the shoes in a disposable shower cap.  Love it!  And it's still a relatively cheap solution.  I'm all about that!  I thought maybe I wasn't the only person who could use this idea, so here you go.  If you want to follow me on Pinterest, find me here: http://pinterest.com/kix444/  And if you want an invite, just comment and let me know!

Introductions

   My name is Laura Kathryne.  Currently, I'm in my late twenties, have been married just over 5 years, and am not entirely sure what's next for me.  I have a degree in German and an interest in many other languages, have been teaching preschool for the last 3 years, and may possibly go back to school for a business degree.  I'm sure I'll write at least a little about whatever happens, but that's not the focus of the blog right now.


The Big Ones:
   I love to cook and bake.  I truly enjoy time in the kitchen (except for washing dishes, which I absolutely hate to do), and the more complicated the recipe, the more excited I get.  I'm a weird one, though, cause I'm not a fan of coffee, tea, berries, melons, or a few other things.  I love chocolate!  That's got to count for something, right?  My husband is also a picky eater, so meal planning can be a bit of a challenge.  I hope to blog about all sorts of yummy goodies and possibly about some freezer meals for exceptionally picky people here.
   Now on to crafting.  I enjoy my very beginner sewing efforts and hope to get a lot more proficient.  I love to knit and am currently working on a scarf (or two...).  I'm working on my first stamped cross-stitch, but I've completed many counted cross-stitches.  I'm learning the arts of bobbin lace and Teneriffe lace (it is Not tatting!), and plan to learn Hardanger and other types of embroidery. Oh, and I'm learning to crochet!  I'm sure I'll have a lot of projects to share with you.  Lace-making is a bit of a dying art, but I love to spread the love!
   I'm also a swing dance fanatic.  Lindy Hop is like a drug.  I began dancing in the Fall of 2002 and haven't stopped since.  I dance often in Auburn and Atlanta, and sometimes in Huntsville and Birmingham.  I also love vintage hairstyles and am becoming more interested in vintage clothing and swing music.  I'm currently loving some Amos Lee - Sweet Pea right now.

The Lesser Ones:   
   I've recently planted a garden in my back yard.  We're attempting to grow green beans (pole), tomatoes (Cherokee purple and Roma), spinach (but I live in the South and it's summer, so doubtful), soy beans, carrots, celery, onion, eggplant, straightneck squash, zucchini, rosemary, mint, thyme, dill, lavendar, basil, oregano, chives, and sage.  I got an incredibly late start (because I'm a bit of a procrastinator - who would have guessed?), so I don't know if any of it will really work, but I'm hopeful.  I would love to cook with produce straight out of my back yard.  Not paying someone else for said produce is also a bit of a draw.  If it doesn't work this year, I'll try again earlier next year!
   As I mentioned earlier, I'm a bit of a procrastinator.  I'm also incredibly unorganized.  Growing up, my room was always a wreck.  I'd clean it occasionally, but it'd never stay that way, and my house now is about the same.  I'm sick of it.  I've made a start at organizing before, but this time I'm getting serious.  I've used Flylady (never heard of it? Google her!) in the past, but this time I'm adapting it to fit me a little better.  Currently I'm just trying to get my house in order a little at a time, but with this new system, maybe I'll be able to maintain it.
   We have a LOT of home improvement projects to get around to, and I'm sure in time we will, but it's possible I'll document that here (or ask for help!).  Currently we're in the middle of renovating our master bathroom.  There's been no forward progress for a few months, but we should be moving on it soon, so maybe expect some Middle and After pictures of that.
   Reading is a great passion of mine.  I tend to disappear into books (much to the chagrin of my husband).  I love science fiction, fantasy, literature, and am trying to find my way into more nonfiction.  I always hear people mention neat books they've read and I don't even know where to begin to look for something that always used to seem so unappealing. If you have any suggestions, let me know!  And maybe I'll include some book reviews here. I'm already itching to recommend Radical by David Platt, so there, I just did it.  And on that note...


The Biggest One:
   God.  My faith will play a part in this blog.  There is no way to exclude it because it is WHO I AM.  Yes, it's that important to me.  As a result, I'm a BIG fan of Compassion International.  My husband and I sponsor a little girl in Kenya right now, and hope to be able to go visit her sometime.  We would also love to be able to sponsor another many more.  We aren't there yet, but we are working toward that end.  We also support through Campus Crusade for Christ, other individual missionaries, and The Sound of Hope.  The Sound of Hope is just over a year old, but they are already doing wonderful things.  Please consider visiting their site and supporting them.  www.thesoundofhope.org