sisters in service: elizabeth giuliacci

Welcome to Sisters in Service, a series designed to lift, inspire, and motivate us to celebrate the (many!) different ways we can serve our brothers and sisters while we're here on this earth. Each post spotlights a project or idea that's lifting others, serving the Lord, and changing the world for good!

Hang onto your panties, friends, 'cause my big sis Betz is here today. 

{and I had to bribe, wheedle, and whine for months to get her here. ahem.}

Can I gush for a minute?

Betz {alias Elizabeth} and I were not terribly close growing up -- she is 7 years older than me.

But as soon as I left home and was suddenly on my own...

As soon as I had a baby and realized I had no idea what I was doing...

As soon as R & I started making scary life decisions that didn't exactly please everyone...

This chick was there for me with a bottle of formula in one hand, a tissue in the other, limitless availability on the phone {despite 5 kids to raise and a billion piano lessons to teach}, and the endless assurance that "you are totally normal, I promise," whenever I started freaking out. 

She knows her beans, people.

{love you, Betz.} 

So just what is Betz's big service project? Read on...

What do you do all day?

I am a mother to 5 of the most beautiful children in the whole world.

Have you always pictured yourself as a mother?

Ever since I can remember, I always wanted to be a mother. THIS is my dream job. I believe that "the family is central to the Creator's plan for the eternal destiny of His children." I know I can be with my family forever. Not just until they leave for college or they get married or until I die. This is my dream job for eternity.

And it's all peaches and cream, right?
Nobody told me how HARD it was going to be to have this dream job! It's so NOT about me. It's all about someone else ALL the time, 24/7. There is no break. Someone ALWAYS needs me, and someone is always calling "Mommy, mommy, mommy..." 

{seriously, cutest little italian babies ever, hello? and her man works for the giants, which is totally rad.}

So how do you juggle the needs of 5 kids, your husband, and yourself?

I don't know. I just do. People say they don't think they could do it. Yeah...actually, you could. This didn't happen to me all at once. I had (thankfully) one child at a time. And each time I was about to have a baby, I panicked. I was sure I wouldn't be able to do it. And each time, I was made equal to the task. 

What gets you through the hard parts?

For me, the ONLY way to make it is to read the word of God, and have a solid relationship with Him through prayer. That's when my home is blessed with the Spirit, and that's when I feel hope and peace.

What's your advice for new moms?

Don't read the mommy books! Just go to the mother's lounge at church. Everything I needed to know, my friends who had 5 or 6 children knew already...

Any last words?

I wear a lot of hats. I'm not always fabulous at all my jobs all the time (there's that one time I completely forgot to go to my child's Student of the Month assembly), but I think my cumulative score is pretty good. There are times when I look at my children and feel certain that I've known them much longer than their mortal years. I catch glimpses of who they can become and I hope I am equipped to lead them there. Motherhood includes a lot of guilt. But when I pour my heart out to my Heavenly Father about all my shortcomings as a mother, I feel a warm, gentle feeling that lets me know He will help make up the difference.

Thanks for coming over {finally}, Betz!

I think it is hard to remember that motherhood is service.

That we don't need to be beating on ourselves for not going out and saving the rest of the world all the time. Having a gaggle (or one or two or whatever) of little souls to teach and save is a big job in itself, thankyouverymuch. 

And please, let's not forget that, as a wise woman once put it, "Motherhood is more than bearing children...It is the essence of who we are as women." You don't need to have kids to be a mother. All of us can be part of "the Lord's secret weapon." Cool, huh?

sisters in service: talents of sisters

Welcome to Sisters in Service, a series designed to lift, inspire, and motivate us to celebrate the (many!) different ways we can serve our brothers and sisters while we're here on this earth. Each post spotlights a project or idea that's lifting others, serving the Lord, and changing the world for good!

Today I'm so excited to introduce you to Courtney and Lauren, a pair of beautiful & dynamic sisters and stay-at-home moms, who have started Talents of Sisters, a nonprofit organization designed to make real differences in the lives of women.

Take it away, friends!

In a sentence, what's your project?
We sell donated handmade goods to raise funds which we in turn donate to small charities or other efforts that directly empower, educate and heal women worldwide, and where we can see the actual impact our donation.

Why is this project important to you?
It all started when we read the book Half the Sky. We wanted a way to feel like we were doing something to help counteract the horrible injustices in the world that are done to girls on a daily basis. Being stay-at-home mothers, our circle of influence felt pretty small. We didn't have a lot of means to contribute to causes we supported, and we didn't have the time to really get out there and do anything, so we looked around at what we could do -- make, collect, and sell handmade crafts. 

Have you had any special experiences along the way you'd care to share?
The most special thing so far has just been the positive response.  Everyone we talk to is so open to helping in whatever way they can. Through donations we've received, we've paid for a latrine for girls to use at a school in Africa, a bicycle to help a girl get to school, home birthing kits to help women have safer and cleaner birth experiences, and we've sponsored a woman from Sudan through Women for Women International. 

{earrings and necklace benefitting TOS}

What's your long-term vision for this project?
We would love to have a thriving marketplace with items being donating to us and sold on a regular basis so we can fund some big projects. We'd love to be able to help rescue a girl from sexual slavery, fund fistula operations, pay for a woman to be properly trained as a midwife, and help build better facilities for girls to go to school in.  

How can I get involved?
That's the easy part!  You can donate handmade goods to us in several ways (details on our site).  You can visit our Etsy shop and take a look at what we've got for sale (we've got some stuff that would make great gifts!).  And you can help get the word out about what we're doing. We are always looking for people that want to help in any way!

Isn't that awesome?

I hope you've felt inspired and empowered today.

We can't change the whole world, but we can change the world for one person! 
Ready to donate some handmade items? Or to buy some?
{psst, there's a pretty MM zip pouch up for grabs!}

You can find Talents of Sisters on their web site, on Facebook, and on Etsy.

Thanks for visiting with us, Lauren & Courtney!

sisters in service: do. good stitches

Welcome to Sisters in Service!

Here we aim to lift, inspire, and motivate, and celebrate the (many!) different ways we can serve our brothers and sisters 

while we're here on earth. Today, let's give a big hip-hooray, 'cause it's Rachel from Stitched in Color!

Rachel has got to be one of the most got-it-together bloggers I know. If you've got a mind for modern quilting, you need to subscribe to her blog. Her quilts are drop-dead gorgeous, her ideas are inspired, and what's more, she knows how to organize lots of people to make a big difference in others' lives. Rachel is the mastermama behind do. Good Stitches, an online quilting bee that has grown to include a whopping 8 circles of sewists! 

Take it away, Rachel...

In a sentence, what's your project?
do. Good Stitches is a virtual quilting bee that creates quilts for people in need through many different charities.

Why is this project important to you?

Because I'm blessed with the time, resources, and passion for quilting, it's important to me to use that blessing to bless others. The online sewing community is filled with generous souls who feel the same way! 

concept + quilting by Natalie :: image source

Have you had any special experiences along the way you'd care to share?
I didn't understand at first that it's the diversity of the creative visions in any given circle that are the real power and excitement behind the quilting bee concept. My favorite quilt (that I've designed) for do. Good Stitches is Love in Wonky Stars. To me this quilt captures that power! It was such a joy to send it to a child through Wrap Them in Love.

concept + quilting by Rachel :: image source

What's your long-term vision for this project?
More circles, more quilts, more charities! Every month or so, we are able to launch new circles when folks step forward to lead as circle hosts and quilters. It takes some organization skills to be a circle host and it takes some quilting skills to be a quilter, but lots of us are capable!

How can I get involved?
While quilts of all styles are wonderful acts of charity, this bee intends to bring together active Flickr-users who enjoy a modern quilt style. If you have some experience with making quilts blocks, you can get involved! You don't need to know how to make all sorts of quilt styles -- directions are included, though basic sewing skills are assumed. You will create blocks from your own fabric stash. To join the wait list, please use this form. We always need more Quilters in order to launch a new circle. So, if you are able to act as a Quilter, please register as one!

concept + quilting by Ara Jane :: image source

You can read more about the guidelines for participating in do. Good Stitches right here.
I am in the "Love" circle and can tell you that it is an amazing bee -- impeccably organized, and I get to learn a cool new block every single month.

You can also drool a little at the d.GS Flickr pool of finished quilts. 

Thanks for coming over, Rachel -- your project is an amazing example 

of what can happen when we all put our heads {and our fabric stashes} together!

sisters in service: the joyful life library

Welcome to Sisters in Service, a series designed to lift, inspire, and motivate us to celebrate the (many!) different ways we can serve our brothers and sisters while we're here on earth. Each post will spotlight a project or idea that's lifting others and serving the Lord in ways big and small. There are so many ladies out there who are doing some amazing things!

To kick off the series, I've got a special treat for you... it's Heather from Life Made Lovely!

(Don't you just want to hug her?!)

Heather blogs about faith, family, creativity, and choosing a joyful life. Her positivism (and realism) is wonderfully refreshing, as is her cute style! She also has a special project going called the Joyful Life Library, which provides joyful books for families in pediatric intensive care units (PICUs) across the country. So... take it away, Heather!

In a sentence, what's your project?
The Joyful Life Library aims to create children's libraries in as many PICUs around the country as we can as a way to bring a bit of comfort from home to the hospital.

Why is this project important to you? 
While we were in the hospital and hospice home with our newborn son, for all but 3 days of his 6-week life, we discovered the difference small bits of comfort can make on your life.  Each small moment of kindness we experienced during those days helped us to keep putting one foot in front of the other.  We learned firsthand that as parents, there wasn't much we could do to participate in our son's care, but by reading to him it helped us to feel involved.  It helped to relax his heart rate and helped to relax us too, and now we want to make books available to all families whose children have been thrust into a similar medical crisis.

What's your long-term vision for this project?

I would love nothing more then to see this project expand to sponsor a library in every pediatric intensive care unit in the country, and of course be able to keep all those shelves filled with joyful children's books.  

How can I get involved?
One of the things I understood very clearly when God put this on my heart was that it was not MY project.  It's HIS and he wants as many hands touching it as possible.  Because of that, we are constantly looking at new ways to get people involved.

If your heart feels compelled to help us bring comfort to kiddos in the midst of a medical crisis, you can:

- Help us establish a Joyful Life Library at your local children's hospital
- Host a book drive for one of our sponsored hospitals that's near you

- Host a virtual book drive (use our joyful life library Amazon wish lists; see two of them here and here) for any of the hospitals we sponsor

- Become a sponsor of my blog, which allows you to buy books for a sponsored hospital AND advertise your business or blog

You can read more about the Joyful Life Library right here.  Thanks for visiting, Heather, and for sharing your amazing project with us!