Tuesday Chatter (and our clothing style, Lizbeth)

Miss Emily finally woke up this morning -- storms lately have really tired her out it seems. And she came out of the bedroom singing away. All sorts of songs, nothing particular. She does that. Sings without a particular song in mind. She might start off with one of the hymns we do during devotions (like Victory in Jesus -- she loves that one) but she'll flip into at least 3 other tunes in the process. The theme from Daniel Boone seems to be a favorite now as well. And the other day it was Hello Dolly. The Fred McMurray Disney movie, Follow Me, Boys is another definite favorite of hers. Sometimes she starts a song then decides to flip right into a different tune instead of the proper one....it's strange hearing something like Count Your Blessings sung to some old time show tune, let me tell you!

Sometimes she just sings instead of talking to us. She sings everything she does, all day long. She sings about what she wants for breakfast, what color she's using in her 'school' book...whatever, whenever.

She's not the weird one here either. Each of the children have done this. Most still do, actually. Wild Child sings alot. Don't know why they've always done this. It's not like I sing through my pregnancies at all...probably a good thing given my lack of singing style! But, despite the fact Momma can't sing much, they love to do it.


LizBeth asked about our dress style here (Hey, email me when you have a chance, Lizbeth!). It's relatively plain and simple really. We use Candle on The Hill's Simply Modest Cape Dress and the Country Classic dress for the older girls and myself. The youngers wear the similar style, Girls Button Dress. We sometimes make the Modest Vest for the dresses as well (olders and youngers both). We wear hanging style veils for everyday, and the younger girls wear plain white kapps (ours are gathered, not pleated or starched) for church. Outside we wear what I suppose looks like a Prairie Bonnet. The olders wear the hanging veils now. Of course, you have the slips or bloomers and such, but aprons are mostly at home for choring in the summer. It's hard for me to do the aprons down here in the summer with the level of heat and humidity we have. Yes, generations ago they not only wore aprons, but have several more layers of stuff to boot. Not me. I'm too much a northern girl for that kind of layering in this heat! I'd have died if I had to wear all the wool clothing from way back when!

Typically, I sew for the boys as well, but lately I've been allowing myself to get too far behind on that needed closet of clothing (the post from a couple years ago...), so they boys have been getting khaki pants and store-bought button up shirts -- we usually remove the collars from those -- and a few plain t-shirts for chore work outside. It's laziness on my part totally. While I am still able to find things suitable for our personaly direction at the store for the boys, I will concentrate on keeping up with the list for the girls. When needed or when I have time again to really do what I should be doing, the boys wear broadfalls with suspenders and band collar shirts. They might get a vest or so for church wear, but usually it's just pants and shirts. Everyday normal wear. We don't go into town in tee shirts and jeans. We don't even have jeans.

The boys usually wear a hat outside, especially Jacob who is still careful with being in the sun. We have straw hats (typical looking Amish sort I suppose) and they have some straw cowboy type hats as well. Once in a great while you might see them in something like a baseball cap. One of the Amish families we visit in Pontotoc let me know which family still makes their straw hats. Now I need to get with them and see if they would be willing to make a few to sell -- they boys all need hats and they are hard to find down here, and difficult for mailing from the store we used to shop at back north.

We don't find much at any local stores worth spending our money on, truth be told. Sure, we find a long denim skirt once in a while, and maybe some tee shirts and blouses, but not enough to keep us clothed. There are virtually no dresses to be found that I'd allow my girls to wear. And the clothing choices for the youngest ones is just as bad. I realize it's the style and all, but that's not what I'm interested in...following the fads and fashions of those around me. I'd spend way too much money on trying to keep up with the Joneses when it comes to the fickle tides of fashion these days.

So, we sew for ourselves. It's not for everyone, but it is better for us personally. There -- the best I can do at not being judgemental. I'm not. Folks wear what they want. That's their choice and it honestly doesnt' make a difference to me. During the summer, sadly, my children get very little "in town" time. They certainly don't go shopping with me when I need to be in, say, Tupelo at Sam's of WalMart. Not once the weather gets warm. My olders have gone a few times, but it's just not worth putting that much open flesh in their eyes imo. It's bad here, with the heat and all, and most folks (even those far too 'mature') choose to be very undressed, even at the stores. Micro tank tops and too tight, too low-slung skirts and such. Wide open flesh spilling out all over.

I just don't need that slung around in my face, and definitely not in my children's faces. I just don't think it's necessary to parade about half dressed. It's not about cape dresses or vests or anything else. It's about having some sense of self-respect. It's about having a little respect for others. Judgemental or not, that's just how we feel and that is what has guided our personal choices here.

Yeah, yeah...my mini soapbox for the day. You'll get used to it :o)

Here's our doll pattern for the week -- Make a Rag Doll. We're making Amish-style dolls. No particular reason, just that the youngers like their dolls to be dressed as they are, dresses aprons and kapps or bonnets.

I will get some photos of the dogs up soon....and the log cabin doll house! Here's a great page of dollhouses to share until I post ours (these are so neat! This is the log cabin page, but definitely get to the home page and look at all the others!)