Showing posts with label Samford. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Samford. Show all posts

Monday, May 19, 2014

Graduation and a Gift

What a great weekend. We celebrated the graduation of our oldest son from the Brock School of Business at Samford University. It was so special to see all the young people crossing that stage and receiving their diplomas. Samford is oh-so-beautiful year round but especially in the Spring.

It was a bit sad walking the campus knowing that this chapter has come to a close for our son.  The bright spot is that Drew will continue working with the campus population next year. There will be another group of Launchers to mentor and the pancake parties will go on.

We helped him move out of his dorm and into his new apartment in Bham. He will be home for a few days next week and then back to his new home for good. It feels good to have him successfully leave the nest but we are sad to have him five hours away. At least he is not on the opposite coast (like me) or other side of the world. Though that day will come.

Now for some crafty updates...

I finished my first project with Heather Bailey's Birds and Branches. I did the cover since it had the photo I could follow for color placement. I have never done a needlework project that did not have a legend to follow and I am finding it a bit intimidating making those choices myself. I have jumped in on bird number two. I am sure I will embrace having color choice freedom in short order.

My plan is to complete three of the birds and incorporate them into some scrappy minis to hang in my future studio. Why don't I have a studio now? I'll save that for a future post. It is a slightly interesting topic in itself.

But, I will tell you why I have chosen Birds and Branches for this project. My husband has always come up with interesting nicknames for our pets, me and our boys. It started with our first fur-baby, a miniature dachshund named Wee Woodman Editsto or Woody for short. He called him Woody-Gator because of his big mouth. It did not stop there, the silly nickname list was quite long.

Now for the birds...Shortly after we brought our first son home from the hospital he started calling me Mommie Bird. The nickname lives on more than twenty years later and has made me love all things birdie. You would think my home would be full of birds but it isn't. I am not much of collector. I prefer less clutter. But this is a "wall" project so it is okay.

On a related note...

When I came home from Alabama this weekend I found a little box in the mail. Look what was in it! An adorable blue bird figurine. It is from some dear friends who live overseas.


My New Blue Birds


Bird on the shelf with a broom from India, family figurine from Kenya, egg from Romania, original painting of our surname initial with the Chinese symbol for "Family" decorating the "F",  and Three Wise Men from Puerto Rico. All special international gifts we have received.

I have a big finish that I am dying to share but will wait until the end of the month since it is my A Lovely Year of Finishes project for this month. Plus, I still need sunny day photos with the real camera.

Tuesday, April 29, 2014

Saris into Thread...Thread into Hope

Be warned, this is a proud Mamma blog post...but I think you will find it interesting and on topic just the same.

My eldest son is about to graduate from Samford University in Birmingham, AL. (Sam not Stan) His team took top honors in the Brock School of Business social entrepreneur business plan competition and they advanced to The Neely School of Business International Social Entrepreneurship competition. You can read about it in the Samford Belltower. They took fourth Place out of 28 teams.


My son is top row, on the left.

The team is in the process of importing their first product, thread made from recycled saris. How cool is that. I can't wait to get my hands on some of their yarn. They have samples in Birmingham but I am all the way over in Augusta. I guess I'll have to wait until graduation in mid-May to run my fingers through the silky goodness. But this is not just about beautiful yarn, it is about improving people's lives.

Now, you may be thinking this is such a wonderful project for a group of business students, but it's not just a project. They have more irons in the fire and plans to help more people escape poverty and earn a fair wage. Please go check out the website for Work of Worth International and read more about the exciting things they are up to.

They are also looking for more boutique needlework/fibre shops to carry this product. If you have any suggestions or requests, please leave me a comment and I'll make sure the info gets to WoW.

Now, for the latest...The team is in another competition. The Regions New Venture Challenge. They have once again advanced to the final round!

Blessings

Sew Fresh Quilts