So What's Up With You?

I haven't been around these parts in a little while, but Straddling the Gap still lives.  The last 9 months have been occupied with fundraising, planning, stressing and looking for donors.  Why?  My husband's children's choir, Pueri Cantores St. Bernard of Clairvaux, is going to Rome at this time next year to participate in the International Congress of Pueri Cantores.  Huh?  We get to sing for Pope Francis on New Year's Day 2016!!

It's an amazing opportunity to join nearly 5,000 other children from all over the world singing together in the Catholic Church's official language - Latin.  We are the only group from Arizona that is going and we're very proud of our kids - ages 9 through 18.  So was it enough to have this enormous endeavor on his plate?  Oh no.  I volunteered to be the chairperson of a $150,000 development campaign to fund the trip.  Yikes!

It has been a whirlwind to say the least.  We've had some adventures in fundraising and learned about development campaigns.  We're still learning.  Daily.  Sometimes I think we are learning by osmosis - constantly absorbing.  It's been thrilling but frustrating.  Scary and exhilarating all at the same time.  And we're only halfway through.

This has left me with little time to write Straddling the Gap and I do miss it.  So, for 2015 I'm going to write about what I'm doing.  Unfortunately it's not much crafting or sewing, but our fundraisers are interesting.  Next time I'll tell you about our newest fundraising endeavor - we have a tiger by the tail and a trip for two on the line.

In the meantime, if you want to hear more about our choir, please visit our website at www.pcsbc.org or like Pueri Cantores St. Bernard of Clairvaux on Facebook.

Cindy

Merry Christmas Traditions

It's 20 minutes until Christmas and I'm catching my breath.  I have been at church since 3:30 p.m. watching my daughter sing, singing myself and directing my husband's choir.  Christmas Eve is always a long day, but we are just getting started.

My husband will be home about 12:30 a.m. from his last Christmas Eve mass.  (If you haven't figured it out yet, he's a music director at a Catholic church.)  By that time we are both tired.  It's been a long day.

Now is the time for our private Christmas traditions.  When he comes home and kicks off his shoes, we'll watch the Pope at mass at the Vatican.  We'll also watch some of the local midnight mass with our bishop here in Phoenix.  We just can't seem to get enough liturgy, but it's nice just to watch and pray instead of serving as a liturgical minister.

Now is the time for the egg nog, maybe with a little bourbon whiskey :)  We will talk over how the night went, whether the children sang the Polish Christmas carol well, whether the contemporary band sounded OK on O Holy Night and how the adult choir fared on the Hallelujah Chorus at the end of midnight mass without a director (I needed to come home with the kids!).

Then it's time to get to work - Santa time.  There are gifts to be wrapped and others to be "placed".  Thank goodness our kids are tweens so we are out of the phase of assembling toys!  We're mostly removed from the 15 minute battle to wrestle toys out of boxes and packaging.  Usually we grab a bite of Santa's cookies, but this year we'll have to eat See's candy because the kids didn't have any cookies.  Works for me.  We're happy to help Santa however we can.

Finally, about 2:00 a.m. we will roll into bed.  Hopefully the house isn't too messy and the gifts are all there.  Hopefully I will be able to get dinner on the table on time and find something to wear for my Christmas dinner guests.  Hopefully everyone will be happy with their gifts.

Ready or not, Christmas is here.  Ready or not, the Christ-child is here.  Babies are like that.  You can clean, prepare, decorate, buy gifts and even celebrate, but in the end they will come in their time.  Christ came in His time.  Christ will come again in His time.

I pray I'm ready for that day.

Pumping Up the Party

A couple of months ago I went to an awesome vendor show - Cool Off in Style.  (We got in because it was at our church hall and the event coordinator invited us).  The party was all about how to step up your party - wedding receptions, corporate events, birthday parties, bar or bat mitzvahs or family reunions.  Even if you don't live in Arizona, these types of vendors are probably available in your area and would add a huge kick to your party!

This awesome party was hosted by Pour Masters Bartending Service and wow, do they know how to throw a party.  They sponsor this event every year in June - just when it's really getting hot in Arizona!  It's a great break for what otherwise is a long hot summer.

Matt Carr at Creative Occasions took a large church hall (very similar to a hotel ballroom) and turned it into a chic nightclub vibe.  The lighting, the couches, the whole theme was amazing.

Time for some fun!  We were immediately drawn to a cool (literally) ice sculpture of a dinosaur.  Now these aren't your boring swans or fish - no, this was ice sculpture with a purpose!

Check this out - the waitress pours a drink down the dinosaur's tail and you catch it as it comes out of his mouth!  Now if that won't kick up your next party, nothing will!  This critter was courtesy of Mark Armitage at Armitageice.


We moved on next to a floor-to-ceiling screen with people standing in front of it.  They looked like they were painting directly onto the screen, but actually, they were virtually writing or drawing on images of themselves.

This one is called Pixalpaint and this would be a huge hit at a wedding reception.  If you look close at the picture above you can see that the writing comes from little "spray" paint cans.  Again, these are virtual paint cans, but they trigger the color of the pixels.  It really gives you the feel of graffiti.  Imagine doing that on images of the happy couple!  When it's all done, Pixal Paint prints the finished product for you as a photo image.

From this we moved on to another popular booth - the pictures on green screen!  You know, the one where you stand in front of a green screen with props and poses and it is superimposed on the background of your choice.  We took a picture home that night to the kids and told them we traveled to New York!  This was all courtesy of Green Screen AZ.  

Our personal photo favorite was the old fashioned photo booth from Arizona Photobooth.  For those of you too young to remember, you go into a small photo booth with as many people as you can cram in there (or in our case, with our sweetie) and take 4 to 5 pictures that come out in black & white.  The neat thing is that at the end of the night, the person who rented the photo booth gets a CD with all of the pictures.  This is an obvious choice for a wedding reception or bar mitzvah.

There were so many other vendors with things we never thought of, like caricatures, tattoos (henna), even people you can hire to reinforce your party theme.

 Perhaps the most unique service for your next special occasion was from Dave at Live Event Artist of Arizona.  This service brings an artist to your event and he paints a gorgeous oil painting of your event while it is happening!  I thought this must be the best "souvenir" for the party host who wants to capture the special day and remember it forever.

I wish I could go to one of these parties every week - it was so fun!  If you live in Arizona and are planning an event, I guarantee these services would add a unique touch.  DJs are nice and dessert tables are good, but just imagine how much your guests will remember your special event if they have something special to see or do.  Even if you don't live in the Phoenix area, you should look for fun and different goods and services to kick up the party!

cindy

I did not receive any compensation or other consideration from any of these vendors.  I just really liked each one and wanted to share them with you.

DIY First Communion Veil

Tomorrow is our big day.  First Communion and Confirmation.  The veil is the cherry on the top of the the First Communion ensemble.  It's also the easiest part to make.

I made my own bridal veil and it was important to me to make my daughter's First Communion veil.  They are not expensive to buy - you can get them anywhere you find First Communion dresses and even in bridal sections of craft stores.  But why buy when you can make your own?  (I should note that the following images are not mine, but come from various commercial sources.  You can find any of these images and corresponding vendors through a Google search of "communion veils," but I have also linked the pictures to the source website.)

First, you need to decide what the headpiece will be.  You can use a crown

A headband

Or a bow, barrette, cluster of flowers

They are all basically made the same way.  First thing is picking the right veil material.  You want sheer bridal fabric, not a coarse tulle.  The bridal tulle comes in wider widths than other fabrics and the wider the fabric, the fuller the veil can be.  You can also buy fabric that is already trimmed in lace or finished or do it yourself.  Finishing can be as simple as a rolled hem with a serger.  I didn't finish the ends of the veil, preferring to keep it simple.  Most store bought veils are finished.

After you determine the beginning width of the veil, decide how long you want the veil.  My daughter wanted a veil that went over her shoulder near her elbows.  That's about 24".  After you cut the tulle to your desired length you can cut the edges in curves.  We didn't do that, creating a more horizontal feel.

Using a clear monofilament thread (fishing line), create tiny gathers and use a hand needle or machine stitch to gather the veil.  If you use a hand sewing method, use a machine zig-zag stitch to fasten the gathers.  Make the gathers as full or loose as you choose.  

Now it's time to attach the gathered veil to the headband.  In our case we had a headpiece we purchased. My daughter wanted it to be more like a headband, so we cut it.

If you leave the round headpiece intact, you can sew the veil at the gathers directly onto the headpiece.  If you stretch it around the ring, you will have a veil that is loose on top of the head.  That's fine if it's the look you want.

Otherwise you can gather it more tightly.  Transparent combs are excellent for this and can be found in the bridal sections of most craft stores.  Hand sew the gathered veil onto the comb.  You can add beads, crystals, ribbons or flowers.  We just used it like it was part of the headpiece.

And there you have it - a veil that is very versatile in its look, but constructed in the same easy method.

cindy

The Happiest Place on Earth

There are some places that you know immediately by sound and smell even if you can't see them.  They instantaneously create feelings and memories that rush in like you just felt or experienced them.  For me, one of those places is Disneyland.

We made our first trip to Disneyland when our kids were 9 months and nearly 3.  They don't remember anything about that trip, but they do remember the subsequent trips we took nearly every year.  Now when we go back it feels like a comfortable sweater - someplace familiar.  Every ride, every store, every part of the park has a memory for me of my kids at various ages.

A couple of weeks ago we went there again.  The St. Bernard Choristers had the privilege of singing at Disneyland.  (This was the big trip we were fundraising for.)  It was a new experience and very special because it was a place we knew so well.  We did get to see a new part of Disneyland because we were able to go "backstage".   It seemed so . . . ordinary.  What was extraordinary was seeing my husband direct his children's choir and watch my daughter sing a solo.  Funny thing about that song - after the beginning of the song (which is my daughter's first solo) the music track suddenly stopped.  My clever and talented husband didn't miss a beat - he jumped over to the piano and finished the song!  Here's both parts of the song:

Life is not always perfect, but Disneyland is still the Happiest Place on Earth!

cindy

Beauty for Ashes

Today begins Lent, the season that prepares Christians for the commemoration of the suffering, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.  We start this season with ashes to remind us that we come from dust and to dust we shall return.  Many see it as a time of sadness and mourning.  But Lent is really a time of transition, where we can renew our commitment, come home and change our lives.

The Year of the LORD’s Favor - Isaiah 61

 ¹ The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me, 
   because the LORD has anointed me 
   to proclaim good news to the poor. 
He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, 
   to proclaim freedom for the captives 
   and release from darkness for the prisoners,^[a] 
2 to proclaim the year of the LORD’s favor 

   and the day of vengeance of our God, 
to comfort all who mourn, 
 ³ and provide for those who grieve in Zion— 
to bestow on them a crown of beauty 
   instead of ashes, 
the oil of joy 
   instead of mourning, 
and a garment of praise 
   instead of a spirit of despair. 
They will be called oaks of righteousness, 
   a planting of the LORD 
   for the display of his splendor.

Today I received ashes, but in 40 days I hope to celebrate in the beauty of the Lord's resurrection on Easter.

cindy

A Visit Back in Time

Some of you may have read that we traveled to California last week for a choral festival in San Juan Capistrano.  While the kids were in rehearsal, Christian and I toured the historic Mission of San Juan Capistrano.

Founded in 1776 by the Franciscan friars, it includes the oldest standing building in California, Father Serra's chapel.

 
This is the place the swallows fly to every March on St. Joseph's day (March 19).  I have seldom visited places so beautiful.

This is the original mission church, which collapsed in the 1800s.

Christian was not really interested in going in for the tour (he wanted to sit in the car with his iPod Touch), but once he was inside, he loved it!

My favorite part was that you could stay there forever, thinking about all the people of faith who lived there.

I could stay there for hours exploring the little corners and places that were so peaceful and serene.

There are so many other pictures I took, but they would fill a book.  In the meantime, if you're in southern California, this is someplace you must see.

cindy

Fundraising Follies

This weekend, we are going on a trip to California for my husband’s business.  He is a church music director and his children’s choir is singing at a festival and Disneyland!  Being the music director’s wife is like being a pastor’s wife – you’re expected to lead in supporting the ministry.  Sooo, I became the unofficial chair of the fundraising committee – a committee of two with my dear Katie to help.  We both work full time outside of the home so we were a bit handicapped out of the gate.  In fact, we didn’t start fundraising until after the first of the year.

Our big fundraiser was a multi-basket raffle.  We assembled baskets with themes and sold raffle tickets that the purchaser used to pick the basket(s) he or she wanted.  I enlisted the choir moms to either create entire baskets or donate items to include in a basket.  Some of the “complete” baskets were 25 boxes of Girl Scout cookies, a tool set, a spa basket, and a cooking basket complete with fancy kitchen supplies.  The other baskets were assembled by Katie and I and included individual items we put together.  We made a “Mom Relief “ basket that included perfume, jewelry, picture frames and thank you notes and a homemade teddy bear.  We also assembled a “Scrapbook” basket where we broke into our stashes and came up with albums, stickers, paper, tools, embellishments and a certificate for a day crop at a local scrapbook cottage. 

I learned several things about basket raffles: 
1.  If you ask people to put together a whole basket, let them choose the theme. 
2.  Ask people to donate items, group them together and create your own theme.  We had a “Religious Items” basket (complete with reserved parking and a front pew for Christmas and Easter). 
3.  Don’t be limited by the obvious themes – restaurant, manicure, movie gift certificates (although those are great), but use your imagination!  Our baskets included, among other things, a Scentsy warmer, homemade booties and a bag of Dove chocolate. 
4.  “Regifting” is encouraged!  It's best use of a gift you don’t want/need. 
5.  Don’t be afraid to ask local businesses!  We had donations from salons, a scrapbook cottage, a well-known Nascar driver, a photographer and a casino. 
6.  Think outside the box – what about a gift certificate for dry cleaning, grocery store, house cleaning services, the local hardware store, even babysitting from some teens at the church? 
7.  You don’t have to have a “big ticket” item in the baskets.  We did have a couple of baskets that included tickets to sporting events and a trip to Cancun, but those weren’t even the most popular baskets.  The most popular was the “Foodie” basket with bottles of wine, wine glasses, snacks and local restaurant gift certificates. 

The best part was that over a three week period of selling tickets after our masses, we raised over $6,000!  That was before the “tried and true” bake sale we had on Super Bowl Sunday.  Tomorrow I will give you some of the best tips I learned for bake sales.

cindy

Rush, Rush, Rush

We're in the thick of it now.  It's like a tidal wave that will carry you away if you're not careful, and you'll end up on that desert island, but you will get beat up getting there.  Of course I'm talking about Christmas season.  Are you under the tidal wave or riding the wave?

My husband is a church music director so the pressure of December has a whole different meaning.  There is no such thing as Christmas vacation.  He's busy preparing for 6 masses for Christmas (including 2 that occur at the same time!)  He has five choirs and two cantors.  There's a concert on Sunday and he's been working like a dog on it.  He just finished producing a CD featuring the two cantors and it goes on sale this weekend.  In addition to the concert on Sunday (in which both my daughter and I are singing), my son is in a holiday concert on Saturday completely unrelated to church. Yep, it's a little hectic.

I am having fun, though.  My kids are enjoying the Advent calendar and are looking forward to adding a person to our nativity every night.  Santa is still a big deal, but they recognize that mom and dad also give them gifts (so they have two lists for Christmas).  I'm going to write a Christmas letter for the first time in years and I should be mailing my Christmas cards before December 23.  I actually get to eat Christmas dinner!  Oh, and Jesus is coming too.  It's going to be a blessed Christmas!

I may not be riding on top of that tidal wave, but I think I'm body surfing without getting tossed on the beach.  Ho, ho, ho!

cindy

Advent Season

It's now December and everyone is rushing around getting ready for Christmas.  This year I'm celebrating Advent.  I know Advent comes every year and it's a time of preparation for the birth of Christ, but I am so busy getting ready for Christmas that I forget about Advent.  Not this year - First Things First.  If you don't know what Advent is about, here's Advent in Two Minutes:

I'm making a concerted effort to teach my kids about Advent.  In addition to putting treats in our Advent "house", I'm including a verse from the Bible that anticipates the birth of Jesus.  We also have an Advent wreath and light it every night as we read the verse.

Another new tradition (can it be a tradition if it's new?) is to set up our "Bethlehem" and populate it one person at a time.  We have a Fontanini set and they name each person and provide a back story. I know they are not Biblically based, but I want my kids to understand each person and his/her perspective living in Bethlehem at the time of Jesus' birth.  Here's an empty Bethlehem:

My son mentioned the sheep were dead, but they are just sleeping :)

So what are you doing to prepare?  Are you preparing for "Christmas" or Christ's birth?  One more reminder:

Cool, huh?

cindy

Louisville

This week Kentster and I are in Louisville, Kentucky for the National Pastoral Musicians Conference.  Yep, I took a week off work for a "romantic getaway." :)  It's been a nice trip so far and the kids are having a great time with their aunts in southern Illinois.  

Louisville is a very nice city - it reminds me of St. Louis where I grew up.  Hot, humid and has a river separating it from the next state.

The conference is interesting too.  For those of you who don't know (and I doubt very many people do), the Roman Catholic Church in English-speaking countries is implementing a new Roman Missal on the first Sunday of Advent this year.  (WHAT?!?)  That probably sounded like gobblygook to most people.  What it means is that the words to many of the prayers used in the American Catholic church for over 40 years have been retranslated (changed).  What that means for music directors like Kentster is that they are all looking scrambling desperately seeking the perfect new musical setting for the mass.  It's made for a fascinating conference this year.

See the Louisville Slugger in his mouth??  

We've also had some fun here in Louisville.  We had a great dinner last night at Joe's Crab Shack:

Me after a few drinks

We also worshipped at a beautiful Taize prayer service:

Today was the "goodie" day where the publishers give out music samples at listening (and sight reading) sessions.  That's fun.  I'm also sure the liturgy tomorrow will be inspiring.  I'm also enjoying the fact that it doesn't get dark here until after 9:00 p.m.:

Best of all, I get to spend an entire week with the love of my life, my very best friend, my wonderful husband.  God, husband, family - it looks like I have my priorities in order this week.

cindy

Happy Birthday Church!

Happy birthday Church!  Did you know that Pentecost is the birthday of the Church?  The birth of Christianity is celebrated this day - the day voices of all races and languages came together and heard each other with one voice.  Acts 2: 1-11.  So let's party!  The Holy Spirit is the guest of honor and will blow out the candles.  St. Peter set the table and St. Paul brought the guests.  But this is no ordinary birthday party.  We are guests, but the guest of honor is bringing the gifts. The Holy Spirit brings wisdom, understanding, counsel, fortitude, knowledge, piety and fear of the Lord.  Isaiah 11:2-3.  Everything is set at the table and the party is ready to begin.  Will we be there?

The most important thing I need to remember is to accept the gifts that God gives us through the Holy Spirit.  He is the guiding force in our lives, in everything we do, but only if we accept the gifts given freely.  I need to live in Him, walk beside Him and love through Him (the Holy Spirit), with Him (Jesus Christ) and in Him (God the Father).  I personally choose to stay close to the Church because I know it will survive all trials and the gates of Hell shall not prevail over it.  Matthew 16: 17-19.  And there are trials - both for the Church and for each of us personally.  Hold onto the Rock and wait for the day when we will all speak with one voice -  just like the first Pentecost.

cindy