Blessings!

This year has been a financial struggle for us.  It has been a necessary one as I have left my full time teaching gig in order to homeschool my boys (an unpaid, full time teaching gig).  But, for all of struggles, I have loved being with my boys more and helping them to learn.  In many ways, life has improved.

I started my home business and it is growing.  It is slowly growing and getting stronger by the day.  I have no doubt that it will eventually be able to replace my earlier income.

But, I have to admit horrendous frustration when my sewing machine died.  I inherited a couple of older ones that died soon after also.  Hubby is great at being able to do minor maintenance on them and he kept me going for months longer than I should have been able to go.  But, he can only do so much!

I depend on my sewing machine to do some repairs, make things for around the home, make great gifts without spending loads of cash, quilting, and just general therapy for me.  I love to make things.  It makes me happy.  It saves me money and I enjoy it!

When the shirting baby quilt fell apart because of faulty stitching, I knew that my machine sewing days were nearing a close.  My mom and a friend allowed me to finish up a Christmas gift on their machines, but I had to re-think oodles of gifts because I couldn't do the sewing projects that I had planned.

But, Black Friday came and my hubby blessed me tremendously.  I had an online coupon to a site and they put a sewing machine on deep markdown.  It isn't fancy and it wasn't a pricey machine to begin with, but it will serve my needs well.  We were able to pick it up for less than 50% of the original price with free shipping, the coupon, and the sale in progress.  It's not my dream machine and I will continue to save a little here and there to eventually get that one, but it is a Consumer Reports Best Buy rated machine.

I am SO grateful for my hubby and this blessing in my life.  I can't wait for it to arrive.  I am going to take amazing care of this little baby!   And yes, the photo above is of the machine that I am getting.  Nothing to brag about, perhaps, but it means the world to my little, creative heart!