Window Stars for Easter

I made three new window stars for Easter as part of my 2020 goals. Although I'm no longer making window stars to sell through my Etsy shop due to continued pain from the car accident in November 2018, I still like to make window stars here and there for holidays.

The first one is a blue window star that I saw on Pinterest. I realized that I had already tried this pattern when I looked at the pin. (I made it in red the first time I made this window star.)

My version of this star for Easter is in pink and is made from 3"x5" paper:

The second pattern I tried, also a pin on Pinterest, I also used 3"x5" paper. Once I got to the third step (pictured on the left below), the folds were a bit more challenging due to the multiple layers of paper. Perhaps a larger size paper would have been easier to fold (maybe 4"x6"). 

I made this star in yellow so all the details could be seen in the points. With a darker paper, the details would have been lost. 

The third pattern is one that Olivia tried and she wanted to see if I could make because her window star didn't turn out like she wanted it to look. The pattern is pinned and leads to a video on YouTube:

This paper uses 8 squares that are 3 1/4" x 3 1/4". This is how my window star turned out using the pattern on the video:

Two New Window Stars

One of my goals this year is to try two new window star patterns each month. I have quite a few patterns on my Pinterest origami board. The two I picked this month are below.

The first pin is of a yellow window star with the instructions in a different language. (The pin doesn't lead to a website.) I was able to see that the paper is cut to 7.5 cm x 8 cm. At least that gave the size which is important. To make the window star, I just followed the pictures.

I made the window star using blue kite paper, and it turned out like this:

The second pattern I did was of an eight-pointed star that led to Origami Maniacs:

I did the window star in purple and it turned out like this:

It was fun to try some new patterns. What I found out, though, was that my ability to do window stars for any prolonged period of time is no longer possible which essentially ends what I can sell in my Etsy shop.

Even after spinal surgery in October 2019 due to being rear-ended by another driver in November 2018 (it was his fault - he wasn't paying attention), the ability to keep my neck in the position it needs to be still hurts and limits what I can do. At least I can make a couple stars here and there for my family or gifts.

Sophia's 18th Birthday

Day before Sophia's birthday...the last day she was a child:

- Slept in until 1 p.m. She had difficulty sleeping during the night, so I let her sleep in as long as she wanted. She was shocked that it was as late it was and that I hadn't told her to get up...repeatedly. A small - but obviously needed - gift.

- In the late-afternoon/evening on the last day Sophia was 17 years old, she and Olivia went to see Aquaman. They enjoyed the movie and were excited to have popcorn that they could load up with various flavored toppings (versus the butter-and-limited-salt-only popcorn that we would typically have when we go to a movie together as a family).

On Sophia's 18th birthday...the first day she is an adult:

- Marked her height on the closet.

- Took photos of the birthday banner.

This year, I added the final photo to the banner (Sophia's 2018-19 photo that was taken at the homeschool co-op).

It is hard to believe that she is 18 years old. It seems like yesterday she was an infant and toddler.

- We were going to do a special breakfast of her choice. However, because we were going out to lunch we decided to do the breakfast on another day during the upcoming week.

Instead, I set the table with a white tablecloth, had a vase of flowers, and put the presents and cards on the table.

- Decorated the windows with window stars that I made that matched the flowers, gift wrap, and color scheme.

- Ate lunch at a new establishment in St. Paul. The building is Keg and Case; and in it there are a variety of restaurants and shops.

Paige and I got our food at Revival Smoked Meats. I had a pork sandwich with coleslaw and pickles. It was delicious. Sophia wanted to try the macaroni and cheese, so we got the side dish (which would have been a meal in itself). We took the macaroni and cheese home to enjoy on New Year's Eve.

Paige had a pastrami sandwich.

The girls went to a pizza place and got pizza.

Afterwards, we went to another shop that sold macarons; and then another that sold cotton candy.

There are no dyes in the cotton candy - only flavor. Mine was pina colada with coconut chips sprinkled on and an umbrella.

Sophia got butterbeer (a drink referenced in the Harry Potter books) cotton candy. Hers came with sprinkles and a bow.

- Visited the Minnesota History Museum in St. Paul. There was a special exhibit about Somali-Americans. Below, Sophia is standing by a nomadic Somalian home.

There also was a special exhibit about the year 1968. There was a medical helicopter in the exhibit that was from the Vietnam War.

There were household items and toys - including a Mrs. Beasley doll and thermos.

Another part of the exhibit looked like it could have been from my parents. That plaid cooler is one that we owned; and we had mesh chairs very similar to the ones shown. It was like looking at our backyard - a glimpse back in time.

Olivia and Paige were done before us, so Sophia and I explored some of the other exhibits. There was a buffalo near the Native American area. You could take out the different parts and scan the code under a computer. It would tell you the body part and how Native Americans would use it.

When we were done, the girls and Paige stood by an oversized postcard on the staircase landing.

- Visited Kowalski's where Sophia picked out a cheesecake with caramel, chocolate, and pecans for the topping.

- Took photos of Sophia with both parents.

 

- Enjoyed appetizers.

- Opened presents. Lucy wanted to help Sophia. He's about 15 years old now and has limited (if any) vision in his right eye.

Many of the gifts were ones that she will need at college next year. She's opening a clothes dryer which the girls both said that we could start using now rather than hanging some clothes to dry over the shower curtain pole, hanging up in closets, and/or putting over the edge of Sophia's metal bedframe.

She got a set of four corkboards for her dorm room. She's debating  about whether to keep them plain or cover them with fabric to match her room.

Sophia and I went to a craft show in November at a local church. Each year there is a vendor who is an Hmong-American who sells work that she and her mother sew  or cross-stitch. Sophia liked this kitty purse. It even has a little bell under its chin.

There was a box of hangers of different types - some to hold clothes, others to hold slippery clothes, another to hold pants, one to hold scarves, and another to hold camis. I had no idea there were so many different types of hangers.

- Had birthday cheesecake. It's a good thing we got the larger cheesecake so we could fit all the candles on it!

Sophia liked the purple theme with the candles, plates, and napkins.

It was a wonderful birthday; and memorable way to spend Sophia's first day as an adult.

December Photography Scavenger Hunt

For the December Scavenger Hunt on Swap-Bot, there were five items to photograph. Below are my photos and descriptions.

Something stuck to something else

After Christmas, I spent some time trying some new window star patterns. Each of the points of these stars is folded 14 or 16 times and glued as new folds are done.

Then when all the points are done, I glue the points to one another so they are stuck to one another to create a new shape and pattern.

To stick the stars to windows, I use a few loops of clear tape. If the tape is put behind areas where there are more folds, you can't see the tape.

Something artificial

Sophia got this air freshener for Paige.

Although the ingredients are artificial, the smell is pleasant and is perfect for this time of the year.

Something that is in a row or rows

Cooper was looking out the window and a flock of goldfinches came to the feeder. The birds fly so quickly to and from the feeder. At this one point, pictured below, there were six goldfinches eating in two rows.

They stayed in rows for a little while - all politely eating together. They must have been eager to eat before the storm moved in.

Something fancy

When I was growing up, my parents had this corner hutch. There was a light in it, and the glass shelves had a variety of special, fancy, and mementos that were meaningful to them.

After they both died, I inherited the hutch and many of the items in it. I added some of our own items that have special meaning to our family.

One of the items in the hutch is a wooden advent "wreath" with four white candles. When the candles are burning, the little fan moves. As it moves, the wise men, camel, shepherd, sheep, and other figurines move in a circle as well.

This was very fancy for us when we were growing up, and it only came out of the hutch periodically.

I took this out last year and lit the candles. It didn't quite work like it should have - as it did when my parents used it. The heat from the candles started burning the wood, so I blew out the candles. I think it's fine just to look it rather than use it. I don't want to ruin something that belonged to them.

Something dented

I'm not sure what possessed me to choose this can of soup that was so dented. Normally I pick cans that are in good shape and not damaged.

Next time I'm grocery shopping I'll need to be more focused and look at the condition of the cans and boxes.

My Favorite Photos - November 2018

During the past month, these were some of my favorite photos. As I look at them as a while, they focus on volunteering, family, traditions, and creativity.

I finished cutting out the pieces from blue jeans that were traced at the Service Project Sampler Day back in October. The pieces are put together in kits and sent to Sole Hope which then sends them to Uganda, Africa. In Uganda, tailors and cobblers create shoes that are given to people who have had jiggers removed from their feet.

Jiggers are microscopic insects that burrow into one's feet and can lay eggs. The egg sacs can get to be pea size and there can be so many eggs that it can be debilitating - preventing children and adults from walking, running, and playing. Kids no longer can go to school; adults can't work or take care of their homes; and the elderly are homebound.

So, our club was able to do 25 kits at the event. After the event, I cut out the remaining pieces that had been traced, but there wasn't enough time to cut out them out. Below are 8 of the 13 kits that I did after the event. All together, we did 38 kits so that 38 children will have a pair of shoes and no longer have to deal with debilitating and life-threatening jiggers.

The girls took a sewing class through 4-H in November and made earbud cases. They learned how to sew a zipper in a project as well as sew in a circle.

We celebrated the 15th anniversary of Olivia's adoption day. I made caramel rolls using a recipe that my dad used to make. We also had sausages for breakfast.

During November, Olivia worked on and completed a 3,000-piece puzzle.

We celebrated Thanksgiving at our farm. This is the adult and older-teen table. We had a table of my nephews and nieces who aren't teens yet.

On the day after Thanksgiving, we packed food at Feed My Starving Children. Our group packed 54 cases of food. Over 11,000 meals for children who are struggling to find food to eat each day.

On the Saturday of Thanksgiving weekend, we went hiking at Interstate State Park. It was a beautiful hike; and on a trail that we had not hiked before.

We also went to a Christmas tree farm. There was a dog there who Sophia and I enjoyed spending some time with as we looked at the wreaths and indoor train.

I spent time during November making some window stars.

I saw the patterns on Pinterest and wanted to see if I could make them.

It was fun trying some new patterns.

We have plenty of window stars to decorate our windows for the holidays.

There are some windows that I can use for upcoming holidays beyond Christmas - like Valentine's Day.

On the Sunday of Thanksgiving weekend, my sister, Paige, Olivia, Sophia, and I went to Vinterlights to see the town's lights be lit for the holidays.

We talked with friends; and had hot chocolate and cookies indoors before heading outside to see the lights and sing some Christmas carols.

On November 26th, we celebrated Sophia's 17th anniversary of her adoption day. This is the last anniversary that she is a child. Next year, she will be 18...an adult. How time went by way too quickly.

On November 29th, we went to Bethel University to see their annual Christmas concert. There were 300 students who sang or played an instrument. It was impressive and beautiful.

We all enjoyed the behind-the-scenes tour before the performance where we got to see the organ close-up and behind the stage. It is only one of four organs of its type in the world.