From Scratch, from the Heart

After looking at the pictures from the royal wedding I found myself re-captivated by the hats and “fascinators”  Growing up I always loved to wear wide brimmed hats.  And was constantly looking for vintage hats at the auction and garage sales.  Hats seem to make an outfit to have that extra feminine touch. 

Things you will need:

• Newspaper
• Flexible wire- moldable but not too moldable that it will flop when you want it to lay down
• Hot glue gun and glue sticks
• Straight pins (I use quilting pins because they are longer)
• Needle and  Thread
• Interfacing
• Material and trimmings to decorate your hat.

1.I took newspaper (several layers) of course using the article from the Royal Wedding “The Moment.  Sealed with a Kiss” and put a round piece of flexible wire around it.  To get the shape of the wire cut it to the appropriate size of how you want your hat to be.  Because this is a fascinator and not a hat I used a medium sized circle.  Cut the newspaper about an inch larger than your hat frame. 

2. Take the newspaper and snip around the circumference about 3/4 to 1 inch.  This will help it to easily wrap around the hat frame. 
3. Hot glue the hat frame together.  I wrapped it several times but wanted to make sure it would not come undone. 

4. Take the newspaper and pin it around the hat frame.  I took every other piece then overlapped the other flaps. 

 
5. Once it is pinned take a needle and thread and stitch it around the circumference of the hat.  I secured it by going around the hat brim instead of weaving in and out. 

 6. Glue the newspaper flaps together and to the inside of the hat.  
7. Add heavy interfacing around the hat.  There will be overlapping but it will be covered up by your hat material.
8. Now comes your creativity.  Take material, feathers, tulle....you name it and cover and decorate your hat.  

Being a want-to-be creative genius I decided to make my own fascinator from scratch. 

The series of pictures are the steps that I took in making the hat.  I left out the pictures of how I created the look of the outside of the hat because I believe in originality and creativity.  

  

I hesitated putting this up before I have wore the hat. But due to special request I’m putting it up!  Look for pictures of me in the next few weeks with my new hat and matching skirt!

Also....look for the upcoming blog when I make a hat, outfit and shoes to match!  It is already looking good! 

My Royal Wedding

Last week an event took place that caught the eye of the entire world.  It wasn’t a overpriced athletic event, a horrific catastrophic natural disaster, or even a bomb killing hundreds or even thousands of people.  It was a wedding. Reading posts mainly on Facebook some were absolutely taken by the event.  Some felt as though they were living through a fairy tale in real life.  Others were upset that it was being covered so much rather than the horrible tornados in the US.  Some were fascinated by the effort that went into the wedding and some couldn’t care in the slightest what the Royals did. 

I for one was fascinated.  I am a girl. A hopeless romantic and believe in the “magic” of weddings.  I can not say I know of one girl who has not given even a little thought into her big day.  Most girls, plan several weddings as a child while dreaming of her Prince Charming.  I still have my wedding  “plans” that I was absolutely forced to make (can you hear my sarcasm?) in 8th grade for a home economics class.  How styles change....

Thinking about this wedding my mind, as usual went wild.  If only I were a Royal.  I would like to think I have the elegance and class of a Royal.  The mannerisms as well as manners of a Royal.....so why was I not born Lady Brita Lynn Barcus of Indianapolis or of somewhere?   Kate Middleton was not born Royal. Maybe I still have my chances. Ok so no I don’t nor do I truly want it.  

I am a Royal.  I was born royalty and will marry royalty.  I was born a child of the King.  (Currently making me a princess) and I am waiting for my bridegroom to come where I will be his bride. (Making me a Queen).  Not only will I be the bride of a King.  I am a bride of the King of Kings. (Making me Queen of Queens)  I am ROYAL! Jesus gives each and every one of us a chance to become His bride.  

Ha, “You are Corny!!!!”  Really? Am I?  We are fascinated by a wedding that we were not invited to, they don’t know us and we will most likely never make their acquaintance nor of any other royalty.  Yet we have the chance to be not only invited to, but become the bride of the wedding not of the century but the Wedding of the Ages!  

I know what my future holds.  Jesus is my true love.  I can not wait until He comes and takes me to be with Him forever!  This isn’t a fairy tale,  it is real life.  It is going to happen.  I am planning my wedding by reading His word, drawing closer to Him in prayer and leading others to become His bride as well.  

Don’t get me wrong....the royal wedding has me thinking of my own earthly wedding.  Shhh Can you keep a secret? I even had Thomas get me a bridal magazine = )  I am not even engaged and still the thought of planning a wedding makes me ecstatic!  Royal  wedding or not.  Marrying the love of your life is the best wedding that can happen.  So what if I don’t have a billion dollar budget? Me, Prince Charming, a preacher....this could still work.  

Now I’m off to go put on my tiara, look at bridal magazines and watch Princess Bride or maybe Princess Diaries.  

My Valentine

Anyone who has known me for over 5 minutes must know that I am a complete hopeless romantic.  I have always been.  Whether it was the stories of my grandparents overcoming age and circumstance or religion and the age of war or if it was instilled upon me at birth (seeing how I am true Valentine) I am always fascinated by stories of true love.  Even the same stories told over and over again never grow old.  The spark of love makes me smile every time. 

This Valentine’s Day is very different from the rest because I am in......love.  Suddenly the stories of love I have heard now resound even more beautifully because I am in the midst of my very own fascinating love story.  To some this is the time where you stop reading my blog because you are in the “he man woman haters club” or something to that effect.  However I urge you to keep reading.  Not because it is my blog but to read of a story that is truly one for the books. 

When Thomas and I first started “talking”, I broke every rule I ever made about relationships.  I was supposed to be kind, gentle, thoughtful, romantic and the list goes on. HA!  I was stand- offish and told him exactly what I thought about everything (especially what I thought he should and should not do).  I was trying to run him off.   Lucky me, he took my curtness as a hard to get kind of girl and he was not going to stop until I had fell for him.  This cycle went on for months! Even after a date which consisted of lovely dinner, a nice long walk on the beach in Florida and him getting down on one knee asking me to be his girlfriend I kept saying no. Something was holding me back. 

He claims he asked me to be his girlfriend 6 times (I can only remember 3) before I finally said yes on my favorite summer holidays July 4th. It was romantic as it could get and I was ready to start the relationship I kept putting off. 

Literally the next week I got sick.  Not the flu kind of sick but a sickness that some doctors have yet to explain. Sparing you most of the details Thomas went from having a somewhat normal girlfriend to one who could barely talk from stuttering, think straight, socialize...an emotional wreck.   At first I thought well...not wonder I kept saying no.  It was never meant to be.  However Thomas did not shun me or take the easy way out.  He embraced me with open arms, learning my every fault and dealt with it.  

Some days were better than others yet Thomas was faithful never leaving me or doubting our relationship. His confidence and courage gave me confidence and courage.  In November I took a turn for the worse and began having more severe problems.  I could not work and rarely felt like speaking to anyone.  I was the girl who was supposed to have her act together...yet I could barely complete a sentence without convulsing or losing my train of thought.  Thomas still stood by me when many had walked away. 

Most anyone who has some Bible knowledge knows of “doubting Thomas” well I have found a Thomas who is a “faithful Thomas”.   Everyday Thomas has come to see me bringing sunshine with him.  I know there have been hard days for him but he never let it show.  He laughs with me in the good times, cries with me in the bad times, always knowing what I need when I need it.  He does not get discouraged when I do not feel good enough to get out.  He makes being at home one of the best dates! 

Now I know that some of you are laughing at my maybe naive love story but I can assure you that a love like this is not an everyday thing.  In my darkest moments when my hair is a mess and I am wearing my favorite but truly ugly orange sweat pant skirt Thomas will look me in the eye telling I am beautiful and truly mean it.  Love does not look at the outside but looks at the heart.  Thomas looks not only at what I am right not but what I am going to be and what we are going to be together. 

Most people would have walked away from a relationship that gives and rarely receives.  But if one is looking only to receive they will only find someone who has their same selfish qualities.  During this first real relationship I have learned a great deal and know that waiting is not all that bad because one day with the right one is a whole lot better than years with the wrong one.  Love is more than an emotion or feeling.  In my opinion it is actions.  Some actions that may even seem to go unnoticed are the actions that mean the most. 

The greatest love stories of all times are not the easy relationships but are rather the relationships that had to overcome hardships and tragedies.  True love surpasses any road blocks and knows that some detours make for the most meaningful memories ever made.   

I love you Thomas.