The Women Who Knew Christ - 2022

This post is so long overdue and as I was cleaning up my pictures (the ones for TWWKC) to make space on my laptop - I stopped and thought - did I post this with the new pictures? 

The reason behind my not posting after holding this program was my father was ill and the chances of him passing were high. I was told we could postpone - but I had spent 3 months planning and I felt the sisters of my ward needed this. 

I needed this and I found solace in serving the sister of my ward as my literal sisters were with my Dad in Wales. To those who follow me, I live across the ocean here in the USA and have been since 2004. My Dad, sisters, and two of my older children along with their kids live in Wales. Which makes times like these, really HARD to cope with. 

Although, as I set up, I had my Dad's favorite kind of music on - Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons, etc. that he and mam would rock and roll to before Dad's brain hemorrhage when he was 41. I cried and I laughed, although, I probably cried more. 

When the night drew on, I stayed behind the backdrop, unable to stop my tears, not only from the program but from the feeling of such a strong spirit that all was well. Christ is with me. And the fact my dad was so ill.  Sisters came up to me after the program, tears in their eyes, all touched by the truthfulness of Christ and the testimony of the Holy Ghost witnessing to us that CHRIST LIVES - AND STILL LIVES. So, for me, this time around this program hit REALLY HARD and moved me beyond my expectations.

My dad passed 3 days later after we held this evening that focused on Christ. My life then was a blur for a week as I planned with my sisters and I flew home for more planning and my Dad's funeral. 

So, here we are now, nearly a year later posting this.

I will say this, I've already had a number of requests to send them a copy of this program I did back in 2014 and I will say it here too...please email me and I will send you the copy, gladly. As it is a wonderful program that focuses on Christ and the Women who knew HIM.

This time around, I wanted pictures of CHRIST on every table and everywhere else - entryway, food, and drinks. Afterall this program is all about our Savoir, Jesus Christ.

I purchased these wonderful olive garlands from Tablecloths Factory Which gives each table along with the lights  and muslin a nice touch.

As a gift from the Relief Society, I painstakingly made wood ornaments that feature all of CHRIST's names and pictures of CHRIST. I displayed many on the trees and then the rest in the take-home basket

This is CHRISTS TREE

I have one at home and it's the last tree to go up. It means the most and I ponder each name and picture of CHRIST as I place them on the tree. I hope that from that night each sister felt inspired and went home and with their families had a CHRIST TREE

I also purchased these photography backdrops.

One of the Nativity and one of the City of David in Jerusalem.

Sisters, were eager to take a picture in front of these.

I brought my pictures of CHRIST to display also. The wooden stars, I made at a RS Super Sat

We kept the food simple as in the previous time I planned this program. Dates, almonds, grapes, nuts, seeds, apricots, humus, tomatoes, cheese, pita bread, crackers. etc.

And yes, you spy chocolates. I cannot do any RS activity without incorporating chocolate

As the Savior promised, “Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid” (John 14:27). The life and teachings of Jesus Christ give us ways to feel His peace if we will turn to Him.

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The Last 5 Months

When do we realize our lives are fleeting moments of love, laughter, joy, days that fly by, days that seem to go slower than a snail's pace, hard days, good days, sad days, and even, those weird, Meh days! If we are honest with ourselves, we all experience days like that.

Me... Sheesh ...Yes, all of those days mentioned above, I have lived and will continue to experience for the rest of my life of that I am sure. We should allow ourselves leeway and grace when any of those days come, and give ourselves a pass to not feel guilty on the days we feel like MEH... 

This brings me here and I'm again playing catch up.  If I am honest, when I started this blog it was to keep myself from losing the last marble of my sanity when at the age of 42 we moved cross-country with 2 young children ages 4 & 2, and into a 600 sq ft student apartment when Jason went to WI to get his master's in computer science. I know, I shouldn't complain about the size of the place we lived in back then -  I know there are many out there who don't even have that, and that breaks my heart. It breaks my heart to see anyone on the street corner asking for help. At times I have given money, I even went and bought food for them and I hope I never have to be in that position. However, what I'm trying to get across is that being in a second marriage, already having 5 children, having two more little ones, and the prospect of what in all reality was pretty much me being a single parent while Jason went to school full time, studied then came home around 6-8pm ate dinner then did his part-time job... And me juggling the rest. 

My blog became my new way of journaling. To try out new ways to craft, bake and cook, and to improve my keyboard and writing skills. I've noticed life since moving back from WI has changed and for me, my writing took over. Yes, I still bake and cook,  go to church, plan activities for the church, move cross-country again lol, and these past 5 months, we have taken a family holiday to Walt Disney World, fly back to Utah In August to see Backstreet boys in concert, and September started the new year of kids school, October came and Halloween, our first in MD, then poof November and my 52nd birthday! Yep.....I said my age - and if I am honest, I can't quite believe that I am 52. Yes, some days my body and its aches remind me of my age and this morning, I noticed on my right, forefinger knuckle! UGH... It is looking like the beginnings of the stupid arthritis knuckle! EEK. Don't like that - Like what in the world right. Aging. I don't know if we ever are 100%with it lol.

I, also, got to go see Richard Marx for my birthday gift :) Which was amazing! I got to meet him too :)

Then December came and our kitchen remodel - done by Bray & Scarff finally got finished, well not 100% because we are ripping out the floor on the main floor so the contractor still needs to come back and put the toe-kicks and legs on the island in. So, for me, December which is normally a month when I can't wait to decorate for Christmas was a little out of whack but then morphed into sadness and loss.  A day my sisters knew would come at some point, however, are any of us ever ready for when that point in time happens and we lose a parent. Our only remaining parent. *I'll do a separate post for my dad.

Also, the day I got back to Wales was Carys' first gymnastics showcase - which Jason and Seren attended and kindly videoed for me.

Anyways, this brings me to gosh, a new year! 2023. Feels weird saying and even weirder reading it like it should be a year in a futuristic movie lol. But, nope, here we all are in a new year and I hope one in which we should not take for granted, a year in which we allow ourselves to grow, be it mentally, emotionally, physically, personally, or spiritually. I know I want to be more focused on finishing the second book in a series I'm writing* one that continues to nag at me lol. I need to continue to work on a stand-alone book that is itching at the corners of my mind too. Then, being in our church Relief Society Presidency means I am in charge of overseeing and planning activities.  Thank goodness our Jan one is an easy one - Cocoa, Cookies, and Chit-chat.

Anyhow... Below are some pictures of the past 5 months. 

The kitchen is demolished!

Carys and me - I smell children :)

Me & Richard Marx!

Our Trip to DC

YEAH! How pretty does our new Kitchen look?

Dad x I will always miss you & now your with mam x

My sister Judith & I at Carreg Cennen Castle picking up Welsh wool blankets.

Carys at her gymnastics showcase

My eldest daughter Jodi, her hubby Simon and girls, Hannah, Alice, and Evelyn

CHRISTMAS TIME

Evelyn

Hannah & Alice.

Blessings, love, joy to all for this new year x

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Christmas Movie Costume Party

Yes, I know the title says Christmas Movie Costume Party and its still October. But, this year instead of me and Jason hosting our Ugly Sweater party, I thought I'd mix it up a little ;) and I needed to get a head start with planning and of course then the costume.

So, MOVIE CHARACTER THEME popped into my head.  
Above is one of my fav's - Pretty in Pink :)

Then for the next few hours, I, Ashton, Seren and Carys has a blast thinking who'd be like to be. Mind you Seren and Carys' costumes were for Halloween, as the Christmas party is for us older people lol

Ashton was quick off the mark who how she wanted to be and as my last blog post says, she's going as Phantom of the Opera for Halloween and the Christmas party. Then Carys said she was going to be Christine, then Seren followed with can we look at costumes lol

Me, well, figuring what I wanted to go as proved harder lol I knew I wanted to be in a girly costume but what. I love the 80's movies and vampire movies, but a lot of those outfits weren't what I was looking for.

 Take Aaliyah from Queen of the Damned and the hot Stewart Townsend- er...not wearing that lol Maybe if I was still 18 lol Ash and I went back and forth. I didn't want to be a superhero either.

Then the movie Labyrinth popped up and I knew exactly what I was going to go as - and no, it isn't David Bowie's character - Goblin king lol

I'm going as Jennifer Connolly's, character Sarah from Labyrinth and not in her jeans and top, but the ball scene where she wears that amazing totally 80's massive puff sleeves and dances with the Goblin King :)

Jason decided against going as the Goblin King - can you guess why lol Might be the tight pants, wig, and make-up lol

Instead, Jason decided to go as Indiana Jones :) 

Then came the Google process again and finding the dress. Now, I know there was no way I would find one just like the one above but I would try my best. I found one close enough on this site; Hallowencostumes.com. I waited with bated breath until the dress arrived. Now, I had ginger hair! Sarah has brown! So...... I purchased a wig from amazon.  Knowing all too well, I'd have to transform that long wig into how Sarah wear's hers.

The dress and wig came. :) This is the dress I bought. Not quite like the real thing right.

ASHTON MODELING IT :) Look at those sleeves!! Massive.

The dress was too long for me - that's what I get for being short lol and where the darts were on the bodice the organza had already pulled away :( BUT it didn't matter. I was going to take it all apart anyway and make it my own. And that's what I did. But first I had to find a match for the organza and the Casa bodice fabric that matched the skirt part of the dress.

Fabric.com and Fabricdirect.com worked great and I found the fabric I needed for a great price. I also picked up some ribbon, boning and lots of beading and applique for the bodice.

I unpicked the bodice from the skirt and sleeves from the bodice. And this is what It looked like. Then I used the original as my pattern. I laid it on my fabric and cut two sets. Outer and lining.

Below is the new bodice I made with the sleeves reattached. 

I used boning at the top of the bodice.

I then got to work, adding beads to the applique. I found bracelets that I used.

This is what I ended up sewing on to the bodice. I also added more beads and made fabric rosettes to add to it

Here is what it looked like after hours of hand sewing :) I also nipped and tucked the sleeves so they weren't as massive and added a gathered ribbon.

The skirt was easy. I shortened it from the waist by two inches, then made a waistband with hook and eye to close it. I added extra tulle under the skirt and a length of organza to the front where I hiked it up, making it look like Sarah's. I added a fabric rosette and beads.

The finished costume. It was once a whole dress and is now a separate bodice and skirt :) Which, I'll model when it's time for our Christmas party :) Wig and all.

Now - the wig.

I transformed the straight wig into this by back-combing and lots of Hairspray and pins. Not as full as the characters, but close enough. Then I began to attempt the hair decoration.

The head decoration. 

Lots of wire and using a plyers to bend and shape into something that resembled the original.

Testing as I went. Needless at this point it was too big lol

Once I was happy how it looked on the wig, I literally dripped hot glue onto the wire to thicken it and for it to hold its shape. Then sprayed it. Then added sprayed leaves and ribbon.

And the finished wig. 

It did turn out bigger than I expected, but it didn't matter and besides, I wasn't going to  make another lol

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