family week: danielson

A few years ago, I mentioned watching Danielson: A Famile Movie (do I stand by that review? yes and no). Last night (so exciting!) I was able to see Danielson live in Chicago. There are so many wonderful things I could say about this band, but this is Family Week, so let me tell you something about how family is a part of Danielson.

First, the band started with all family members. Over time, that has changed here and there, but the family still works together on most projects. Even the little kids get to sing, and it's with those songs that my heart is especially touched.

Last night, Daniel told of a game they play at their house. Two times a day, Daniel, his wife Elin, and their kids take 60 seconds to tell what they like, what they are grateful for, what they are feeling in that moment. Nothing from the past, nothing in the future. Just that moment. He said the kids do better than the grown-ups and I believe it!

So there I was, in the hall of a bar (not my typical place to hang out!), listening to someone sing about Jesus calling the children to Him, and talk about their family, and I found it to be quite timely.

Now, what are you happy about or feeling in this moment? You have 60 seconds...go!

family week: family faith

I couldn't have a Family Week here on Wild Olive without actually getting some family involved. It took a bit of convincing (and attempting to keep the kids quiet long enough for her to write this!), but my mom is here with some excellent resources for keeping faith at the heart of your family.

The most important thing to me as a mom is keeping my children's hearts. I'm always looking for resources and ideas to help me on my journey as a mom, and our family's journey of faith. At this point in our family's life, the following links have been a source of help and encouragement.

The Doorposts blog is a great resource for parenting. It has ideas blending scripture with family life, and is kind and gentle, and home and family centered. Their main site has even more resources, including a store filled with fantastic family finds.

Splink is a weekly newsletter/devotional that sparks ideas for family faith talks. The ideas are simple and even car-friendly!

When I want to feel guilty, I visit Vibrant Faith Ministries. It makes me aware of conversations that need to be happening in my home on a daily basis. Their store has faith-talk starters, and the articles by Marilyn Sharpe in the download section are especially insightful.

Family Time Training is the work of Kirk Weaver, a man who is passionate about family time. You can find many free ideas here, as well as products and a subscription program giving you access to over 200 activities. We own many of the books, some are as old as Mollie!

And here are some books that I continually refer to, keeping them handy at all times:
Spiritual Parenting by Michelle Anthony
Family Traditions by J. Otis Ledbetter and Tim Smith
Visionary Parenting by Dr. Rob Rienow

Thanks, Mom! Without your amazing example, I might never have seen how important it is to walk with Jesus every day.

family week: family size

Let's talk for a moment about family size. I'm part of a big family, or at least what many people refer to as a big family. There are six kids, for a total of eight people who live at our house. This does not seem like a lot of people to us, because we're used to it. When I cook, I cook lots of food, and have a hard time with small quantities. To me, this is normal.

Now, I know that we are different from most families, but is it so strange to have this many people in a family? Is it crazy that most family-size packages will barely take care of half of us? Perhaps. But I'm good with that.

Now, tell us about your family. Are there a lot of you? Or just a couple?

family week: vintage craft

In the last couple of months, I've been sharing my vintage craft supplies and projects. Some of the items are things that I've found or purchased, and others have come from family members. What could be more perfect during Family Week then, than to show you something that my great grandmother made?!


This granny square blanket has been hanging on the back of a chair in my grandparents' living room for as long as I can remember. My grandma didn't crochet, so I always knew that it wasn't she who had made it. Only recently did I learn that it was my great grandma, whom I am named after.

There is a real quality to this blanket. It is well-made, and the yarn is just fuzzy enough. The colors are fantastic, and may inspire some color palettes for my own work. The total size is 13 squares by 9 squares, so it isn't very large, but just right for on your lap.

I don't know exactly when it was made, but grandma Mollie passed away in 1963, and I'm guessing that it was made quite a few years prior to that. Most likely in the late 40s. There are many items that have been passed onto me because of our shared name, but the hand-crafted ones are the most meaningful.

It is now hanging on the back of a chair in our living room. Just as it should.

family week: telling the story of family heirlooms

Amy of Lemon and Raspberry recently released an eBook called Tell Its Story. I've asked her to share with us a little about family treasures and how important it is to tell the stories of these objects and the people they belonged to. Please welcome her!

A few years ago, at least once a month, my husband Andrew and I would drive the 20+ miles down to Burbank, California and spend the morning just visiting with his great-grandfather.

We always sat in the kitchen – where the acoustics were best for him to actually hear us – and we always took the time to chat about what was new in his life.

And, frankly, his outings and appointments were the only things new. His house, purchased in the early 1960s, had been furnished and filled upon move-in and virtually untouched since then.

But beyond just the dishes and furniture leftover from the 60s, this sweet man kept some of his most prized possessions in a little shelving nook just outside the kitchen. Those items and objects that were gifted to him, or that remind him most of his late wife, or call to mind the family and descendants he has scattered all over the country – these objects are the ones he kept close-at-hand.

When Andrew’s great-grandfather passed away, we were gifted with some of his belongings to help us remember him. (I am currently in the middle of recording these family treasures like the vintage luggage pictured here in a blog series on Our Inheritance over at Those Crazy Schuberts).

There is more of this story to tell.

These are the objects that connect us to Andrew's great-grandfather, and the rest of the family by extension. These are the objects that help keep his story alive.

The pipes that this man collected, or the furniture that will always remind us of the 1960s, or the amazing vintage luggage that has clearly been loved.

Recording and sharing the stories of your family's belongings is such an ideal way to share these stories of your object, or your collection of objects, with other people who are as interested or invested as you.

My vintage-loving friends are getting a kick out of our new treasures.

My husband's family is loving getting to see all these pieces that once belonged to their father or grandfather (or great-grandfather).

But most importantly, these are family treasures that all have a story – both connected to their original owner and connected to their new owner.

These are objects that need to have their story told.

My recent eBook - Tell Its Story: Journaling the Story of your Stuff - walks through the ideas behind material culture and the value of physical objects in our lives. We discuss real life examples (like music or your childhood homes) … and then go on to discuss specific techniques to record the stories of your objects.

The final chapter looks at 4 or 5 different projects you can make to help record the stories of your things – your heirlooms, your souvenirs, your every day objects. Make sure you look for the project involving the fabric pieces pictured here!

I believe in things.

I believe that your belongings DO have meaning beyond just their physical makeup.

And I believe those things deserve to be recorded.

Amy has a copy of her eBook for one lucky Wild Olive reader! Just leave a comment telling about your favorite family heirloom (no matter how old it is!), along with a way for us to contact you. Friday afternoon, I'll announce a winner.

But that's not all! She is also offering all of you wonderful folks a 25% discount on Tell Its Story. (That makes it $9 instead of $12!) Just enter code WILDOLIVE at checkout.

Thank you so much Amy! I have a hard time letting go of "stuff" and it's almost always because of the story that it holds. I'm ready to make sure that others can experience the stories that are so dear!

family week: make a family crest

One of the first things to get me started on the idea of Family Week was a family crest. I love this idea, almost as much as I love naming a house. It's so old-fashioned and lovely. But why should you even consider an idea that few people ever used, let alone nowadays?

A family crest tells what your family is known for.

I want to have a crest that serves as a reminder of what is important to our family, and what we want to be known for. It isn't for others to see, although it can be. I want something that says to this house, "This is who we are and what we do."

Last year, Heather Carson created a wonderful series called The Family Franchise, and I highly recommend it when thinking about what your family is all about. For me, I looked at what was most important to our family. It came down to faith and togetherness, and so I got to work.

This process will look a little different for everyone, but you can do this! I'll talk you through my process, but consider it a starting point for your own family. First, I sketched a crest design:

If you do this, don't feel like it has to be complicated. I wanted it to be simple so that I could use it for lots of things. The final design looks a bit like a lower case "t", but it is a cross and a numeral "8" for the eight people in our family. A heart is part of the eight. There are a lot of simple symbols that you could use to represent the things that your family values the most and wants to be known for.

I have plans for using this crest in many ways, but I started out by stitching it. Imagine that! This is where simplicity comes in handy.

I had this project in mind when starting this, so when stitching the border of the crest, I attached the embroidery to a piece of felt. It is trimmed fairly close to the stitches.

All that is left is to attach it to a picture frame, which is waiting to be filled with a family photo!

Now, here are some other ideas that I have in mind for this crest:

• Paper piece it and frame it.
• Fill it in, print it out, laminate cards for in wallets.
• Applique felt pins or patches.

How might you incorporate a family crest into your family?

family week: being together

Let me tell you a little something about my family. First, the most important thing to my family is our faith in God. He's number One. But after that, family is the thing. We put the family, as a unit, before each member, and when one person has something to do on their own, the rest of the family supports them. And because family is so important to us, we make a real effort to do as much as possible together. We spend a LOT of time together, and sometimes it looks and feels like this:

But even though it can make things a little crazy, we find that it helps much more than it hinders. Here are some things that we do together:

Laugh. If you can't tell from the photo above, we have a lot of fun around here. We play games (we're new Farkle fans), tell jokes (at the dinner table...at least until mom makes it stop), watch movies (gotta love those Minions), and enjoy silliness...together.

Serve. My dad is a children's pastor, and all of us go along to many of the times that there are things going on for kids. Everyone has jobs that they help with, and we all contribute in some way. We've learned that serving the Lord (with gladness!) is something that we are called to do...together.

Eat. This is a food family. Some of us enjoy eating more than others do, but you can bet that when we are around, there will be food involved. When you share a meal with someone, it creates an opportunity to connect, and our family really connects over food. Nearly every night we sit down for a home-cooked dinner...together.

Talk. Sometimes my family talks a little too much, but talking and discussing things is good. We talk about what we're reading, things we're working on, what we're worried about, how our faith walk is going. We talk a lot...together.

Celebrate. Holidays and birthdays are a favorite time here. In recent years there have been fewer extra people that come to celebrate with us (many family members have moved or passed on), but that doesn't stop us from doing things up big. Even the small stuff! We love to honor people and special times...together.

Spend Time. There are a lot of busy things in life, and often they pull us away from each other. We make a conscious effort to reduce the number of things that will do that. We take turns with our schedule so that the family calendar doesn't get too full of activities, especially those where we aren't all participating. To me, this idea of spending time together, even if it is doing nothing, is what keeps us a family. We do life...together.

family week

This week we'll be directing our attention to families. Families come in all kinds of shapes and sizes. Some are close and some are distant. Some are biological and some come together in unique ways. Still others are a completely unrelated group of friends. However a family looks, it is important for the growth and support of each individual, and of the whole.

I have asked some very special people to contribute to this week's fun, and I really cannot wait for all that is in store. I welcome you to this blog family, and to family week.

sponsor giveaway: winners

We've got winners from Friday's fantastic sponsor giveaways! Random.org has chosen the following:

Congratulations, ladies! I'll be in touch soon!

KRISTEN: I don't have your email address, so please contact me @ molliejohanson at gmail dot com. Thanks!

a bracelet and april sponsorship

I have pinned a bunch of variations on upcycled bracelets recently, and when I found a bunch of scraps last night, I was finally ready to make one! For the braided bracelet here, I used this tutorial. But I have some t-shirts and other old clothes that are past their prime and will find their way into these fun bangles very soon.

In sponsorship news, I have a few small ad spots left for April, so if you're interested, please send me an email! (molliejohanson at gmail dot com). And speaking of sponsors, be sure to check out all of yesterday's lovely posts from my March sponsors. There are some great diys and giveaways (open until Monday)!

Have a great weekend, and get ready for something special all next week...

sponsor giveaway: happy campers from kam

My sponsors have some wonderful things that they share on their blogs. Today they'll be sharing some fun things here on Wild Olive: giveaways, tutorials, good stuff. Be sure to check in all day!

Kam from Campfire Chic is a happy camper and a happy stitcher, and she wants one of you to have my Happy Camper embroidery patterns!

To enter, visit Kam, then come back here and leave a comment with your name and a way that we can contact you. The giveaway will remain open until Monday at noon. Good luck!

sponsor giveaway: pretty things from paige

My sponsors have some wonderful things that they share on their blogs. Today they'll be sharing some fun things here on Wild Olive: giveaways, tutorials, good stuff. Be sure to check in all day!

Paige is one of those young bloggers that makes me feel like I was a very unambitious teenager. She's cute, sweet, and she makes lots of pretty things...and you could win some!

Hi there! I am Paige, the girl behind Pink Lemonade! A little bit about me... I am 15, I am home schooled, I love Jesus, my family, crafting, fashion, sewing, rhinestones, pretty much everything!!! I am living my dreams through my business and blog! If you get a chance, drop by my blog! I would love to have you!


Paige is giving away a $15 credit to her shop, and let me tell you, there are some fantastic things that you can get for that $15. Not to mention, she has new items coming soon!

To enter, become a follower of Paige's blog. Then come back here and leave a comment with your name and a way that we can contact you. The giveaway will remain open until Monday at noon. Good luck!

sponsor diy: granny squares with michelle

My sponsors have some wonderful things that they share on their blogs. Today they'll be sharing some fun things here on Wild Olive: giveaways, tutorials, good stuff. Be sure to check in all day!

Happy Friday, everyone! My name is Michelle Dillman of craftydill and I love all things vintage and handmade. Like many of us, I am a multi-generational crafter from a long line of sewers, crocheters, embroiders, etc. The generation dictated the craft- my mom did macrame, quilling and cross stitch while my grandmothers crocheted, quilted and embroidered. I have fond memories of watching and learning from these talented women and cherish those crafty moments with my grandmas! Which might explain why I love anything involving grannies- my own wonderful and creative grandmothers, apples and crochet motifs!!

My all-time favorite craft is crocheting and I have a tutorial for you all here on the most basic of motifs- the Granny Square. It requires basic crocheting knowledge and if you're not yet a hooker, I hope this inspires you to learn :)

Granny Square Tutorial

Supplies:
H hook [5.00mm]
worsted weight yarn [i used 'I Love this Cotton'- a Hobby Lobby brand...I LOVE this yarn!]
yarn needle

Stitches used [in US crochet terms]:
ch = chain
ss = slip stitch
dc = double crochet
granny [my own term] = 3dc in on chain space from previous round

*Weaving ends can be done as you go or, if you're like me, you can wait until the end and do it. I also like to stitch over the ends wherever possible.

Round 1:
1. begin by making a magic ring...if you're unfamiliar, there is a great step-by-step guide here - follow it through Step 6.
2. ch3 [counts as 1dc], into your ring 2 dc, *ch2, granny* (repeat ** 2 more times), join with ss into top of first ch3 and pull your magic ring closed.

Round 2:
1. ss in next two dc; ss in ch2 space from previous round
2. ch3 [counts as 1dc]; into same ch2 space 2dc, ch2, granny, ch1
3. *into next ch2 space granny, ch2, granny, ch1* (repeat ** 2 more times)
4. join with ss into top of first ch3; cut yarn with 6" tail and bind off

Round 3:
1. join new color with ss into corner ch2 space from previous round
2. ch3 [counts as 1dc]; into same ch2 space 2dc, ch2, granny, ch1
3. into next ch1 space granny, ch1; *into next ch2 space granny, ch2, granny, ch1; into next ch1 space granny, ch1* (repeat ** 3 more times)
4. join with ss into top of first ch3

Additional Rounds:
You can make as many or few rounds as you like and change color wherever you see fit.

Just remember that the chain count separating grannies in the corner is 2 and on the sides it is 1.

And the possibilities are endless for using your Granny Squares! There is plenty of inspiration on Flickr, Ravelry and other websites... You can make afghans, pillows, hotpads, dishcloths, sachet covers- whatever you can dream up! Or through 2011, send them to Sarah London for her charitable project, Crochet a Rainbow. Details can be found here.

Please feel free to contact me with any questions and I hope you enjoy this tutorial- I had a blast writing it up! - or are inspired to start hooking. Happy Spring!!

Thanks, Michelle! Now I'm in the mood to get back to some crocheting...

sponsor giveaway: andee's blankie

My sponsors have some wonderful things that they share on their blogs. Today they'll be sharing some fun things here on Wild Olive: giveaways, tutorials, good stuff. Be sure to check in all day!


Hi there! This is Andee from Bearing Fruit. I just made this sweet baby blankie and I am offering it as a giveaway.

The little snuggle blankie is pre-washed and made of soft cotton on one side and cuddly fleece on the other. It measures 14 1/2 in. x 15 in.. It is the perfect size for cuddles and carrying along.

To be entered to win, go to my blog post here and enter a comment, and please be sure to include an email so I can contact you if you are the winner. On April 8th I will draw a random number for the winner.

Cheers!
xo
Andee

Go on over to Andee's blog to enter this super sweet giveaway! Thanks Andee!

sponsor giveaway: fawn necklace from kat

My sponsors have some wonderful things that they share on their blogs. Today they'll be sharing some fun things here on Wild Olive: giveaways, tutorials, good stuff. Be sure to check in all day!

Right now, I'm happy to welcome Kat (of Chesire Kat), and she has the prettiest necklace to give away!

Hello Everyone! Today is my birthday, but I couldn't keep all the fun to myself. Some lucky reader will also be getting a gift. You can enter to win this sweet little bamboo fawn necklace, made by yours truly.

But it doesn't stop there! From now until next Friday, all orders in my shop over $15 will receive free shipping. Enter code BIRTHDAY when you checkout. Good luck!

To enter, stop by Kat's blog and wish her a happy birthday. Then come back here and leave a comment with your name and a way that we can contact you. The giveaway will remain open until Monday at noon. Good luck!

sponsor diy: cute packaging from ooh leela!

My sponsors have some wonderful things that they share on their blogs. Today they'll be sharing some fun things here on Wild Olive: giveaways, tutorials, good stuff. Be sure to check in all day!

Hello Wild Olive friends! My name is Isabela, from Ooh Leela. I am so excited to be here today – thank you so much for this opportunity Mollie! And I am so very excited that spring is just around the corner. Don’t get me wrong, I absolutely love the winter time, but I am a bit tired of the cold… To celebrate spring and the happy lemon tree I have in my backyard, I wanted to share a project I worked on last week.

My neighbors appreciated the lemons and the fact that they were delivered in such a cute package! And best of all, if you don’t have a happy lemon tree in your backyard, you can use whatever you have on hand. I hope you (and your neighbors) enjoy it too!

Materials list:
Brown mailing paper or a brown paper bag
Cello wrap or clear vinyl
Ribbon, yarn or raffia ribbon
Scissors
Pencil
Craft knife
Ruler
Tape
Eyelet pliers
Paper

Step 1:
If you are using brown mailing paper, draw a rectangle and cut it out. To accommodate 10-12 small lemons, I used a 18”x12” rectangle. Otherwise, skip to step #3


Step 2:
Pretend you are wrapping a sheet of paper. For now, just score the paper and open it back up.

Step 3:
Use those lines as a guide to draw a smaller rectangle in the center of the big rectangle. Cut the smaller rectangle out. If you are using a brown paper bag, this can be a bit tricky. Make sure you insert a piece of cardboard inside the bag so that you don’t cut all the way through.


Step 4:
Using the smaller rectangle as a guide, cut a rectangle out of cello wrap that is 1” to 1.5” larger than the smaller rectangle.

Step 5:
Tape the clear rectangle to the underside of the original 18”x12” rectangle or paper bag.

Step 6:
Make an envelope (refer to step #2), leave one of the sides open.


Step 7:
Put the lemons inside this little envelope you made. Close the 4th side.

Step 8:
Embellish your bag with ribbon, raffia ribbon and/or yarn and add a recipe card. Using your eyelet pliers punch a hole and add your favorite recipe. I added a lemon bar recipe from the Barefoot Contessa. Download it here. Voila! A Sweet and thoughtful surprise that is sure to put a smile on everyone’s faces!


Thank you Isabela! There are so many things that I want to package up like this now!

sponsor giveaway: embroidery supplies from anita

My sponsors have some wonderful things that they share on their blogs. Today they'll be sharing some fun things here on Wild Olive: giveaways, tutorials, good stuff. Be sure to check in all day!

If you like embroidery, you're gonna love this giveaway. To go along with my Embroidery Basics series, Anita has put together a prize pack with some wonderful supplies for you!

Anita here! I have filled a thrifted wicker basket with fabrics: 1 1/2 yards of neutral canvas (perfect to make a tote bag with), 1 yard of 200 count unbleached quilting muslin, 1 yard of white Egyptian cotton, and a pair of white 200 thread count pillowcases. I topped it off with 24 skeins of DMC 6 strand floss.

To complete the package, you get to choose 3 Wild Olive embroidery patterns!

To enter, give Anita a visit and become a follower of her blog. Then come back here and leave a comment with your name and a way that we can contact you. The giveaway will remain open until Monday at noon. Good luck!