Two-in-One...

These seasonal centerpieces and mug rug have been my main sewing project this past week.

The Autumn Side...

 The Winter Side...

I love this table centerpiece (holiday hexagon) pattern from Love Laugh Quilt. I made a few of this pattern for Mother's day gifts...and these are also gifts that I can't wait to give! And what's better...they are 'just because' kind of gifts!

This picture shows well the two sides...

The Autumn side will go great through Thanksgiving...then the day after, it can be flipped over and...Viola! Already to start decorating for Christmas!

I would struggle with this though...

I used to wait till the day or two after Thanksgiving to decorate for Christmas, but in the past few years I have begun decorating in mid-November...so for about a week I'm wondering how to decorate my table for Thanksgiving! I love fall decorations...but the rest of the house is ready to celebrate Christmas. Maybe I can start doing a dusting of 'snow' on the fall leaves for that week...a meshing of the seasons!

So when do you decorate or start decorating for Christmas?

And here's my confession, I had my Christmas village still covered in SNOW up until the end of September, when I finally redecorated it for fall...hmmm...back to snow in a couple of weeks - it must be an Alaskan village :)

Also, to accompany one of the centerpieces, I made one of the adorable fabric pumpkins I've been seeing all over blog land.

I love them and the way mine came out...even with the many interruption I seem to continually have (an eleven month old will do that for you!) it only took maybe an hour, maybe an hour-n-half...LOVE the quick accomplishments! I'll probably want to whip out a few more before Thanksgiving!

My pumpkin is the ultimate recycle project too...the fabric is a skrit I really liked but wore only a couple of times (it was a little small) but loved the fabric...so it became a great pumpkin material. The stuffing is from an old bean bag chair of my husbands and the stem and leaf are scrap pieces of fabric. Fun to use things from around the house :)

I'll be showing these off at some of the linky parties on my right side bar and entering in the October Houseware section at Celebrate Color. Check out all the fun going on in blog land!

And a quick family note...my baby started walking today!!! She was going about 5 feet (measurement feet...not her feet) across the living room tonight.



I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord,

beseech you that ye walk worthy

of the vocation wherewith ye are called,

Ephesians 4:1

Walking daily in a way to honor the Lord is a goal that a true Christian should have... we have a 'vocation'... a job to get done for the Lord and we need to make sure we are accomplishing that job to His glory. I know some days I fall short of always being a good example to my girls...but I am thankful we have a forgiving God that allows us another chance and He keeps working on us - DAILY!

When I was younger, my favorite short chorus was I Love You, Lord...and I still enjoy it very much and have been playing through it when I sit down to practice...

I love you, Lord,

and I lift my voice

to worship You;

O my soul, rejoice!

take joy, my King,

in what You hear;

may it be a sweet,

sweet sound in Your ear.

Worship Him with a sweet sound...your voice!

Amanda