NOW COLLECTING DRESSES FOR OCC SHOE BOXES!

Fire up those sewing machines folks!  It is that time of year again! Each year we collect handmade pillowcase dresses from you all to pack in Samaritan's Purse's Operation Christmas Child's shoe boxes. We collect dresses for 2-14 year old girls that are well constructed and NOT see through to add to Christmas boxes for little girls in need all over the world!

What a great program to pair with! We provide a basic need as well as make her feel pretty-perhaps for the first time in her life, and she is told there is a God who loves her. 

Help us bless little girls this Christmas by making as many dresses as you can and get them to me by November 15th. That is one month away! Fire up those sewing machines ladies! 

CLICK HERE FOR SUGGESTIONS TO PACK IN BOXES!!

I will also be collecting small items to help fill boxes so if you want to drop off appropriate items, I will accept them too. If you want to make a donation to help cover the cost of items but don't want to shop yourself, please click the "DONATE" link in the upper right corner of this blog and I will buy items to fill boxes. 

Donations of dresses & small items to go in shoe boxes can be mailed to:

 Cornerstone Church-Dress a Girl Connecticut ministry

1146 Waterbury Road

Cheshire, CT 06410

THANK You and please SHARE!

LADIES & GENTLEMEN...

FIRE UP THOSE SEWING MACHINES!

We have a new request for 500 dresses to go to Africa this summer.  I need all hands on deck to help me reach this goal!  Remember our guidelines-NO SEE THROUGH DRESSES!! Let's respect the modesty of little girls and keep unwanted prying eyes away!  Also, remember to use sturdy garment notions-not just craft notions, no gluing anything on, 100% cotton quilting fabric is best or heavy cotton pillowcases (again, not see through!).  Sew a dress you would be proud to have your daughter, niece, granddaughter or loved on in!  

We want to send the very best dress possible as it may be the only one she ever receives. 

Wouldn't you love to have a hand in putting a smile like this one on a little girl's face??

Once dresses are fully finished, contact me at dressagirlct@gmail.com to arrange drop off or shipment to me.  Thanks so much for considering sewing to bless little girls.  If you cannot sew and wonder how you can help, please click the "DONATE" button at the top of this blog page and make a donation to help us defray the costs of buying supplies and sending dresses to missionaries who take the dresses. Thank you! Now get to work! :)

PLAN TO EAT

I am so excited to share that I have found a new way to help me on my path to being a Trim Healthy Mama!  Besides discovering this wonderful book, I have recently discovered a site to help me plan my meals, organize my recipes, share them with others, create a shopping list and buy only what I really need!  Then I can cook great real food -without realizing too late that I am short an ingredient or two, run to the store when it is inconvenient etc.

Check out this great site!  PLAN TO EAT

It is very inexpensive and they don't use your information to slam you with emails, ads etc. There is a 30 day trial period without having to provide your credit card! (Unusual, right?) This is a great way to help monitor what you spend on food through planning. The perk is you can buy and cook real food without falling prey to fast food which is both poor nutrition and gets pricey fast! Can you tell I am excited about this?? What are you waiting for, go sign up and try it!  (I just bought the service!)

Click on the above picture to be directed to the website! 

45 Life Lessons, written by a 90 year old

45 Life Lessons, written by a 90 year old

1. Life isn’t fair, but it’s still good.
2. When in doubt, just take the next small step.
3. Life is too short not to enjoy it.
4. Your job won’t take care of you when you are sick. Your friends and family will.
5. Don’t buy stuff you don’t need.
6. You don’t have to win every argument. Stay true to yourself.
7. Cry with someone. It’s more healing than crying alone.
8. It’s OK to get angry with God. He can take it.
9. Save for things that matter.
10. When it comes to chocolate, resistance is futile.
11. Make peace with your past so it won’t screw up the present.
12. It’s OK to let your children see you cry.
13. Don’t compare your life to others. You have no idea what their journey is all about.
14. If a relationship has to be a secret, you shouldn’t be in it.
15. Everything can change in the blink of an eye… But don’t worry; God never blinks.
16. Take a deep breath. It calms the mind.
17. Get rid of anything that isn’t useful.  Clutter weighs you down in many ways.
18. Whatever doesn’t kill you really does make you stronger.
19. It’s never too late to be happy.  But it’s all up to you and no one else.
20. When it comes to going after what you love in life, don’t take no for an answer.
21. Burn the candles, use the nice sheets, wear the fancy lingerie. Don’t save it for a special occasion. Today is special.
22. Overprepare, then go with the flow.
23. Be eccentric now. Don’t wait for old age to wear purple.
24. The most important sex organ is the brain.
25. No one is in charge of your happiness but you.
26. Frame every so-called disaster with these words, ‘In five years, will this matter?’
27. Always choose Life.
28. Forgive but don’t forget.
29. What other people think of you is none of your business.
30. Time heals almost everything. Give Time time.
31. However good or bad a situation is, it will change.
32. Don’t take yourself so seriously. No one else does.
33. Believe in miracles.
34. God loves you because of who God is, not because of anything you did or didn’t do.
35. Don’t audit life. Show up and make the most of it now.
36. Growing old beats the alternative — dying young.
37. Your children get only one childhood.
38. All that truly matters in the end is that you loved.
39. Get outside every day. Miracles are waiting everywhere.
40. If we all threw our problems in a pile and saw everyone else’s, we’d
grab ours back.
41. Envy is a waste of time. Accept what you already have, not what you think you need.
42. The best is yet to come…
43. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.
44. Yield.
45. Life isn’t tied with a bow, but it’s still a gift.

Borrowed from another blog:  http://kangalex.com/post/31729006624/45-life-lessons-written-by-a-90-year-old

Know someone going on a missions trip? We'd love them to take dresses to girls in need!

Help us bless girls with their own pillowcase dress!

We are in need of people to take our dresses to countries where there is a need for girls to be properly clothed.  We rely on people traveling personally or on mission trips that can carry our dresses to areas where we can bless girls with their own beautiful handmade pillowcase dress!  If you or your church are taking a trip, please consider contacting me to obtain dresses.  I am in Connecticut and can provide you with these dresses at no cost.  All we ask is that you will personally put the dresses on the girls-over their existing clothes- and let them know God loves them.  Tell them that they are beautiful and have worth.  Tell them the dress was made by someone who loves them just as God does.  Make them feel pretty and special-maybe for the first time in their lives.  Take photos of the girls in their new dresses and email them to us so that we can share the look of feeling beautiful and special with others.  We can show the ladies who sew these dresses what good self esteem and happiness looks like.  It inspires people to get involved and encourages those already sewing to keep on sewing for this wonderful cause.

For more information, please email me at dressagirlct@gmail.com.  If you are not local but willing to pay for the shipping charges, I can send you dresses to carry on your trip.  We are a not for profit organization and we simply desire to make God's best dress and bless girls around the world.

Can you help?

Sew with Us this Saturday, October 12!

Dress a Girl Connecticut is meeting this weekend!

Join us

 this 

Saturday, October 12, 2013 

from 9am-3pm 

(or any time in between!)

as we Sew, Label and Package dresses!

We will be meeting at:

 Cornerstone Church, 1146 Waterbury Road, Cheshire 

in "Sal's House."

If you have a sewing machine, bring it.  

If you have an iron & ironing board, bring it.  

If you have cotton quilting fabric or pretty pillowcases, bring them.  

(Donations always welcomed!)   

If you come around lunchtime, bring something to share!

This is alot of fun and I look forward to seeing new and familiar faces! 

No sewing experience necessary! 

There are other "tasks" such as cutting, ironing, labeling, sizing, rolling and packaging the dresses.

We are always in need of boxes of quality gallon sized zip lock bags!

We will be making dresses to fulfill requests for dresses to go into Samaritan's Purse Operation Christmas Child girls' boxes.  Other items that are usually included are toiletries, dolls, stuffed animals, costume jewelry, books and games.  However, think SMALL---these all go into a shoebox!

Here are some ideas for items to pack:

• SCHOOL SUPPLIES: Pens, pencils and sharpeners, crayons or markers, stamps and ink pad sets, writing pads or paper, solar calculators, coloring and picture books, etc.
• TOYS: Small cars, balls, dolls, stuffed animals, kazoos, harmonicas, yo-yos, jump ropes, small Etch A Sketch,® toys that light up or make noise (with extra batteries), Slinky,® etc.
• HYGIENE ITEMS: Toothbrush, toothpaste, mild bar soap (in a plastic bag), comb, washcloth, etc.

• OTHER: T-shirts, socks, ball caps, sunglasses, hair clips, toy jewelry, watches, flashlights (with extra batteries)

We will be collecting these items on Saturday as well to include in the Christmas boxes!

Have questions?  Email me at dressagirlct@gmail.com.  See you Saturday!

Dresses made in memory of those lost in the Sandy Hook Elementary School tragedy.

Soon after the tragic and senseless shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School just about 30 minutes from me in Newtown, CT, I began to receive requests for Dress a Girl Connecticut to DO SOMETHING.  After thinking about this for some time, I decided that we could honor all those lost in this terrible event by helping other kids, namely little girls who have little.  It feels good to help others and by making dresses in memory of those lost, we remember and honor those.

These are the labels that I came up with for all the dresses you make and send in to me. 

 S.H.E.'S. remembered = Sandy Hook Elementary School remembered

 

The following dresses were received from our DAG Virginia representative, Karen.  

She made personalized tags for each to honor an individual.

 

As received on Christmas Eve.

 

Interested in helping out?  Consider making a dress.  Green & white are the S.H.E.S. colors and many are now making dresses in green with white trim & details.  All dresses will be sent out to countries with girls in need.

Help us remember and honor the boys, girls and women of Sandy Hook Elementary School!

God Bless!