couple pintresting

The hubbs and I spent a good hour this afternoon "pintresting"...like I said on my post on The Newlin Weds...it is more fun to find little, silly things exciting if you are with someone who finds the same thing just as exciting...so it was great fun for both of us...we even picked pintresting over watching a movie together. I love that the hubbs and I find most of the same things equally as funny.

Here are some of the goodies we found:

1.} I really hope this will be found in our home in Arkansas if you ever come to visit...

Etsy

2.} I inherited a taxidermic deer head recently...and let's just say I was a little intimidated about displaying it in our home (even though Arkansas is the prime place to have a deer head) until I saw item number 4 below...hello crochet buck head

 Pintrest Blog

3.} Button pins are generally pretty useless unless you have a backpack you want to decorate...but alas, you can use them to decorate your home!

4.} For my sister (since this is her birthday month...although, I don't know where to buy it)

 Pintrest

5.} To put on file for my sister's 30th birthday...number pinata how-to

Oh Happy Day!

6.} Cute crayons for small gifts...and I even have a Texas state shape ice cube tray that would make for some very cute Texas Party favors :) Perhaps I could also make a Texas pinata with the above how-to

Flickr

Did you get overly excited or a smile out of any of the above? If, so...let me know. And if you have more to share, let me know! 

Much love,

Emily Elizabeth

I just realized today that I will miss Fall for the first time in my entire life. After I dwelled on the sad fact for about 10 seconds, I was reminded that I will not be missing Christmas with family this year. And that made it all right :)

Much love,

Emily Elizabeth

P.S. A very Happy Birthday Month to some of my awesome sisters: my sister, Amy...my soul sister, Justina...my mother's sister, Aunt Debbi...and my sister-in-law, Kellie! I love you gals!

I have the best job ever

Not only is everyday packed full of new and exciting things, I get to go on awesome trips to experience even more cool and exciting things...see my post on The Newlin Weds for deets on the most recent trip 

I love spending time with the artisans of Azizi Life and their kids...this is Mose (Mow-say)...and the way he acted and looked up at me reminded me so much of my nephew, James (when he was younger)...

Do you see the resemblance?

If you don't, then I guess it was the way he acted that hit it home for me...he's James' Rwandan brother :)

Nevertheless, it's wonderful to meet the treasures that the artisans work for.

Much love,

Emily Elizabeth

banana leaf twine

one would not think that this much twine would take over an hour to learn how to do...I mean, it looked simple, really

But alas, it was not...my teacher insisted that my fingers be exactly like hers...and that I use the exact technique she used...and, well, my brain was just not catching on as fast as she would have liked :) But she was very very proud of me when I finally caught on!

Then, to show her that I wasn't totally mentally inept when it came to handicrafts, I showed her my mad crochet skillz...

She snatched my hook and yarn from my hands and started crocheting the exact pattern I was doing...I wonder now, after the fact, if she was showing me what a fast learner she was...or maybe what a wonderful teacher, I was! :)

It was actually very fun and I hope I will get to send my teacher a crocheted washcloth the next time Azizi Life visits...because, you know, presents are the best.

Much love,
Emily Elizabeth

Dear Coca Cola,

You are no Dr. Pepper, but thank you for always hitting the spot.

Much love,
Emily Elizabeth

crochet to-do

I believe this will be at the top of my projects list when I get back to the states and start the task of using my  yarn stash

That's right, Mom...granny squares...and hexigon ones at that :)

I have yet to make a blanket for the hubbs and I...and I believe this pattern would make a cute wedding present, too...I would just have to get started way before the love birds got engaged :)

The pattern can be found here

Much love,
Emily Elizabeth

greetings

One thing that we were told on our first walk about town was that greetings are extremely important to Rwandans...when you go to a party, you must greet everyone in the room upon arrival...so when I get to work, it is best for me to do the same. And then you say goodbye to everyone before you leave a place...

Yesterday, the hubbs and I went on a "cultural tourism" outing that Azizi Life is refining as one of their products. We traveled about 10 minutes by car and 30 minutes by foot (down a path that we were not looking forward to hiking back up) to a villiage where a cooperative of Azizi Life weavers live...the women who make up the Abarikumwe Association (meaning, people who are together), were our hostesses for the day.

Our activities included such things like fetching water from the community pipe in large (and small) water containers...carrying rocks (on our heads) to a house that one of the members was building with her family, sharing a meal, and learning how to weave with sisal.

You probably know me well enough to know that the weaving was my favorite part :)

My finished ring! Florida (sp? sounds like "floor ee da"), my teacher, made me a beautiful one as well.

I think my favorite thing about our trip to visit Abarikumwe were all the times we prayed. When we arrived, we prayed. Before we ate, we prayed. And then, before we left, we prayed. I love that. It was as if prayer was their greeting. 

Praying with visiting friends before they set off for home is a beautiful tradition...one that the hubbs and I may want to make our own.

Much love,

Emily Elizabeth