♥ Ta-dah!

I've found my inner DIY diva. She's fabulous. Her house is amazing and her projects are all to die for. This shall be her first post. There may be others, it just depends on what she finds.

First, I must give due credit to another crafty blogger from whom I borrowed this idea. Check out My So Call Green Life for inspiration and tutorials galore. You can thank me later.

For this project, you will need:

* a t-shirt. size medium or large works best so you have enough to make it shorter if you want. i've heard this doesn't work with 100% cotton shirts, so make sure you find a stretchy blend.

* rotisserie cutter (you can find them at wal-mart for about $12)

* cutting surface- you don't want to ruin any other surface because the cutter is sharp

* 10-12 beads with holes big enough for the fabric to fit through

* safety-pin (this is optional, it depends on the size of your beads)

To begin, I cut off the torso at the arms. Sorry, I didn't get a picture of this part because I didn't think to blog it until after. Anyway. Imagine drawing a line, horizontally, from one armpit to the other and that is where I cut.

Stopping just short of the seam, cut the whole section of cloth into 1/4" to 1/2" strips. Make sure you don't cut through the seam.

Take each end of the material in your hand and pull gently (you can do this in small section, too). Each piece will curl into itself.

Gather each attached end of the cloth and wrap them with strips from the shirt. I cut the sleeves, horizontally, to make the strips.

Cut one strip of cloth in the middle and string your beads with a knot in between each one. The holes in my beads were too small to simply string, so I used the safety-pin to poke the material into and through the other end. Tie the remaining ends together to complete the fancy, beaded, part of the scarf.

Wha-la! You've made yourself a chic, upcycled scarf for the fall! Send us pictures and we'll post them! Nomzaran@yahoo.com.

Until next time...

♥365 Days of Change

Nomz wrote all about what has happened to her this year. Holy cats, it's been a crazy year hasn't it? Feels almost like the stuff she accomplished should've taken longer. But, no, that's my Naomi. She crams all the learning and growing things into 365 days of change.

I'd say the same amount of craziness has happened in my life, too. If you take Sazaran from summer of 2010 and hold her up to Sazaran of 2011 you probably would think they're two different people; the former being sort of a gray-scale version of the latter. However, I'm not going to blog about what has happened to me; instead, I'm going to blog about what has happened in me. Because we all know that what happens to you does not necessarily reflect what happens inside of you.

- First and foremost, I've learned (am learning) what true love is. I'm being brought back to the basics: love, grace, mercy, time with Jesus. The main character of this life lesson? My husband, Bruce. Didn't see THAT coming, did ya?! He's been a prime example, from day one of the climb towards that sacrificial love that always endures. I'm so happy that I get to do life with him, I wouldn't want to be tethered to anyone else.

-I've learned to laugh, even when the most logical emotion is the opposite.

- Just like Nomz, (gosh we're so much alike) I branched out with my writing and honed in on that voice speaking inside of me. I took on the challenge of my frequent writer's block and just wrote... a lot. Not even in the blog, but everywhere. Yes, if you're wondering, I'm still offending people with my words. Not intentionally, though. It just happens. I've learned that that part of me might never change. As long as I use it for good and not for evil I don't think I'll employ censor tape.

- I've learned to discern which bridges need to be burned and which need to be rebuilt.

- I've been shown the difference between loving people just as they are and knowing that love calls us from victory to victory. Love doesn't allow us to wallow in our old ways, but it challenges us to be new and improved. Still, that love that says, "I'll stick with you and love you for YOU" is an important lesson.

- I've learned to not forget about my dreams and to pursue them.

- I'm learning about suffering. And death. And love. And how they all blend to make the most beautiful life-tapestry. I'm learning that the hard way doesn't always have to be seen as the worst way. See? Fireflight knows:

The pressure makes us stronger
The struggle makes us hunger
The hard lessons make the difference
And the difference makes it worth it

- Life comes in full circle, ya know? All the things I never thought I'd personally have to deal with are right back in my life. God's sneaky like that.

- I've learned about friendship. What it looks like, what it doesn't look like. Where I need to improve and where I've done a good job. I've learned to let go and/or to cling to, all the while finally realizing that friendship is not a source of "what can I get from this?" but "how can I be your friend, first?" That's a tricky one, let me tell you.

- I'm being called to something higher; to something that scares the crap out of me. And I think this might be the next lesson that I learn: I can do nothing on my own. God shows His funny sense of humor when He uses the foolish things to confound the wise. He calls the weakest people to tackle the biggest tasks. He chooses the most unexpected ways to fulfill His will. I'm part of that unexpected pick, I think. Not even I would have chosen me for what He has planned. And I need to learn to let go and trust. <---- biggest lesson, right there.

- I've learned that the lessons will never stop presenting themselves. And the choice of when to learn the lesson is up to me.

♫ A Dose of Nomz

Truth me told, Sazaran and I have slacked on this blog. This last year has created HUGE changes in not only this blog, our friendship, but our personal lives as well. We haven't deleted it because our ever faithful readers still check in on us (awwww, you guys! <3), and we have plans to revive this thing...as it comes to us. Before we can do that, I think we both owe you some updates. I'll start, and then I'll bug Sazaran, and maybe it'll kick off the possible best future blog you could ever fathom. We love writing for you, we adore that you've stuck around waiting for us, and we can't WAIT to turn the lights back on in this place.

In the last year, Nomz has:

-Moved from Wyoming to Colorado
-Continued to raise two bouncing baby girls, who are about to enter school (gaspSOB)
-Changed jobs, from Social Marketing Specialist, to Social Marketing Specialist working at an Accounting Firm
-Lost a friend
-Gained 100 friends
-Started another blog: http://ruggedgrace.wordpress.com/
-Joined a non-profit organization called "Colorado Young Farmers"
-Might Possibly have joined the board of directors at another non-profit, it's unapproved and unofficial
-Fell further in love with Brandon, the girls, life...
-Traveled to Boston and Las Vegas, two new places for this girl
-Was in one of my best friends' wedding
-Watched my girls be Flower Girls in said wedding, their first public appearance in tutus!
-Fit BACK into my size 4/6 jeans
-Ran a 5K
-Walked a 5K
-Read over 100 books

....

I'm sure there's more. It's been a long year, long day, and my baby starts kindergarten tomorrow, so lemme alone.

Sazaran and I have changed monumentally this year, as you'll see, but our passion for writing continues and we'll continue to pop in and surprise you with gorgeous words as often as you'll let us.

While we're waiting for her to jump in on this bandwagon, ...what's the top ten things you've done while we've been gone?

Yours Truly,
Nomz

Free The Girls update!

Actually, this isn't so much of an update as it is a wrap-up. We wanted you, our awesomely awesome readers to know how many bras we collected, in total.

With bras trickling in even months after we officially stopped taking them, we were able to donate 376 bras to Free The Girls! {And I don't think we even collected bras from other drop-off points! Am I right, Wyomingwildrose?} This is amazing, people! I don't think we can clearly express just how much this will help those victims who have been rescued from modern-day slavery, who are yet to be rescued and who help with the rescuing. The impact we've made on these people will ripple out and bring so much healing and new life to others. And you helped do it! Bravo to you!!

I (Sazaran) had the chance to meet Kimba, the co-founder of FTG, and talk to her a little bit about what's to come. She informed me that they're well on their way to becoming a non-profit organization which means they'll be able to accept monetary donations as well as bras. They've also had businesses from Denver partner with them and are planning new ways to actually get the bras to Africa.

It just gives you a warm, fuzzy feeling inside, don't it? :)

SO. With that being said, let's keep in mind that there's still so much to do. Human trafficking is a tangled mess of evil that won't easily be squashed. What can you/we still do to keep the efforts of Kimba and countless other fueled? Well...

* Buy the really cute, really stylish shirts that Free The Girls is selling here. Ten percent of the profits go directly toward releasing the captives and putting their captors behind bars.

* Give bras! Duh! Even though our blogging has slowed and we no longer have drop-boxes in public places, we'll still be more than happy if you want to hand over your braziers for the greater good.

* If you don't have bras or have a hoarding problem, you can donate your money to Free the Girls here.

* Spread the word. Word of mouth is really important for Free the Girls right now because the less money they spend on promoting, the more money they can use toward freeing victims.

* Pray. Pray for the women who have been taken; pray that their hope will remain confident in that we are looking for them. Pray that Kimba and Mama T are strengthened and can continue in this amazing cause without discouragement or stress. Pray that the men (and women, because some of them are involved, too) who commit this horrible act against humanity will realize what they're doing and STOP.

To end in an upbeat style, check out these pictures of our journey to free the girls!

Ashley! donated her talent to make us this awesome sign for our bra box. Isn't it pretty?!

A HUGE thank you to Rylee from Cheyenne's News Channel 5 (and Sazaran's fiance, Bruce, for his awesomerest connections) for helping us spread the word about Free the Girls!

Sarah: "We should totally wear these on the outside of our shirts for the interview."

Camera guy: "Please, no."

If you're wondering, YES, the ladies of RJ do get hit on. No, these are not their bras.

They're Nomz's bras. Heh. :)

Sorry ladies, Jay is married. :)

We want to give huge-mongous Thank yous to:

Channel News 5 for highlighting the story and helping us raise our voices

Jay for his awesome attitude and willingness to hop right in and support our efforts.

Ruby Juice for being the main avenue for donations (I think they should have kept the bras for decoration, but that's just me).

Each and every soul who chose to donate new, used and gently used bras. You made the difference. And we love your faces for it.

<3 Nomz and Sazaran

♫ Stay Out of Your Way

“To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment.”— Ralph Waldo Emerson

My heart hurts.

It's been a day of conflict. And what hurts the most, is that not a single bit of it was with me. I just had to sit and watch the pain happen. I was sitting at work today, getting dizzy, watching two friends destroy each other with venomous thoughts.

As if watching a movie, I chose to rewind. I thought back on the last few months, and how much I've shed tears for broken friends, lost sleep over torn family, and emailed until my fingers were exhausted - resolving or creating conflict.

It's not one person that's always involved. It's every single person that I know...hurting. I hear a lot of excuses. I give a lot of excuses. ...

She's selfish. He's always been mean, I've just run out of patience. Money is too tight to fix things. She won't learn from her mistakes. I'm facing a life-change, and can't deal with it. It's his fault. It's his job. My kids are naughty. She's gotten so self, and boy, absorbed. She always has an excuse. He loves somebody else more than me. He won't leave his dream for mine. She's quick to judge, but refuses to see herself truly. He's clingy. My job is too hard.

It's ironic how when we're absolutely unhappy, we immediately turn to blame somebody else, isn't it? We never find ourselves to blame for our own unhappiness, but we're quick to boast how we found our destiny. Our love. Our joy. All the good.

"For every second that we are angry, we lose a second of happiness."
"Bitterness is a symptom of emotional failure."
"In life, don't always wait for someone to come along and fix whats wrong. Sometimes, you just have to be your own hero/"

To find happiness and balance, we've got to find it in ourselves, by ourselves, accepting full responsibility for our choices, emotions, and actions. To find your place in this world, you've got to pick your path all on your own. To find a sense of belonging, listen to your heart. Your heart.

To find your way, you've got to get out of your way.

Yours Truly,
Nomz

♫ Toddler Trouble: Episode 987651

Sometimes, having toddlers make me want to act like one. Obtain a mental picture of me stomping around in a gigantic circle, pulling my hair, and huffing as loudly as possible when things don't go my way. It may look silly in your head, but me, I'm winning our little game.

Being a mom of two toddlers, I am blessed to be challenged with something new every single day. I face those challenges with the outlook that I can love them through all of it. There is nothing that a little love can't cure. Of course, sometimes love means punishment, but in our house, that's a rare necessity. I have good kids. The toddler I had you mentally picture above was more me actually, than them. I've never seen them throw a rager like some kids. I'm challenged though, like any other mom. And I've officially become stumped.

I've become stumped over something ridiculously simple, probably. All the more reason for there to be epic comments telling me how silly I'm being, and how to fix this little issue of mine. Call me hysterical if you want, but please help me before I get my huff-face on again.

My girls are five and four. And while I have a goal of us all sitting around the dinner table every night together as a family, our busy schedules rarely allow it. Perhaps the best solution. Regardless of the table, they get dinner every night (I get props for THAT, right?!). And it's rare that they argue about what I put in front of them. Willing to at least try what I've attempted, for fear I'll make them eat it at the next meal, and the next, and the next until they like it (ah hem, thank you Alicia, for THAT brilliance).

BUT...they take AN HOUR AND A HALF to finish anything put in front of them! They get to giggling and carrying on, or crying out of exhausting, that they refuse to eat at a decent pace.

I know I'm not alone in this, and I know it's normal...because I did it. And my parents solved it by putting a timer on the table. When the timer was up, we lost out on dinner. Period. Because I hated that rule SO MUCH when I was small, I'm being stubborn and refusing to try the method. But, times are desperate. I want my kids to have healthy meals, and finish them in a timely manner, and if I have to (*big gulp*), I'll try the timer plan.

First though, what would you do if you were me? If I sat you down with a pair of giggling turtles, and asked you to make them eat at a comfortable pace...how would you light the fire? How would you encourage them to get-a-move-on? Or perhaps I'm overreacting, and I should encourage them to eat at their own pace. It's only bedtime and playtime we're putting off, after all. Maybe, just maybe, this is the universe saying "Grow yourself some patience, mama bear."

Frustrated mama.

Yours Truly,
Nomz

MUST LOVE BLOGS

Ever thought of having a blog? Today they’re a dime a dozen and you can find someone’s posted thoughts on any topic ever imagined. Literally. There are some pretty weird blogs out there; there are also some pretty amazing, hilarious, inspiring and creatively unique blogs out there. Here are some tips that Nomz and I have put together for your reference:

Must Love Writing
As said above, blogs are everywhere and almost everyone has tried their hand at blogging. But, we really think it takes someone who really loves writing to have a successful blog. And you can tell when someone who doesn’t really have a personal relationship with their dictionary/thesaurus tries to put their thoughts into words. Yes, yes you can. So, please, love writing. It’s so much more fun that way.

Accept Critique Gracefully
Nomz and I are far from being professional bloggers and Lord knows we have so much to learn (and remember) about this gig; the trick is to pick and choose each bit of advice and criticism that people freely hand over. There has been more than one occasion where a friend or stranger shared their opinion of our posts- sometimes we took it to heart, discussed it or just put it on the shelf to collect pretty particles of dust. The key is to discern whether someone is being genuine or critical in a negative way and then to figure out how to apply it (or not) to your writing. Remember: A blog is personal, but making it too personal can leave you exposed for people to attack.

Ignore the “Anonymous” Nay-Sayers
This one could go for both Life in general and any type of blog you attempt. They’ll always be there with their clouds of doom and negativity. Ignore them. Love your writing, anyway; be passionate, anyway; tell the truth, anyway; stand up for yourself, anyway.

Add Your Own Touch
With how diverse our gorgeous world is, there will never be enough information to cover or too many stories to tell. But, all these things can be told in a boring and blasé way. If you want to blog about your cat, your job or your bad habits then, please, be creative! Or no one will care and no one will read. Don’t be afraid to be different, you're speaking to a really loud room, most saying all the same things- stand out or fail. Our touch? It seems to be Random Thoughts, doesn't it? That sort of just evolved.

PICTURES, PICTURES, PICTURES
There’s a reason why we usually put a picture at the beginning of our posts- they capture imagination and create a mental foundation for the rest of the read.

Keep A Journal, Be Consistent
These two go together, we feel, because they depend on each other. Nomz and I both have scads of journals that we’re constantly scribbling notes, quotes and inspiration in. Without a piece of paper to write your blogging ideas about, you’ll never remember because something else will grab your attention. A journal will allow you to pace your writing and hash out ideas for posts; consistency is important if you want to maintain interest.

Know Your Stuff
Be researched if you plan on *sounding* researched. Chances are somebody is already an expert. Also, it will help to have some HTML knowledge, some technical background will help you rank on Google and get unique visitors to your blog, not just your loyal army of friends and family. <--- This is allll Nomz’s area of specialty. And thank God for her!

Scrap It All

OR, you can ignore everything we've just said and blog for you! If writing helps release anxiety; if you don't really care who reads your stuff or if anyone does at all or if what need to do is write or die... then, by all means, spill your happy heart out! We'll cheer for you and if you send us a link we may read your stuff every now and then!

So, there it is folks! Our little tips on having a blog that you can be proud of. We’re still small news compared to some amazing blogs out there, but we LOVE our Daily Offensive!!

Here are some blogs we adore and have learned our secrets from:

The Bloggess
i heart things and things
New Directions
Hyperbole and a Half
Remarkably Typical
Calamity Jill
Airing My Dirty Laundry, One Sock At A Time
The DIY Nearlywed