Have you ever sat to sing songs with your (grand)kids and only remember a handful of those songs. I know just about all the Primary songs (Primary Chorister, favorite calling in the world!) but I still couldn't manage more than a few in the moment. Being a problem solver (ie: creative) I came up with this idea and designed it. A Primary Song Sing • Along Quilt. It's a quilt I can pull out that has over 50 songs listed on it. There'll never be a lull again. I can't make you all quilts but I can sell the fabric panel so you can make your own. 

So that's what I've put in our Etsy Shop - Primary Song Sing•Along Fabric Panel.

Singing the songs are so important for teaching the gospel. I think this is what I'm going to be giving to each of my grandkids when they're born. But I could see it being used as a babysitter blanket, wall hanging, singing time bean bags (cut down smaller), or pillowcase. 

What would you make out of the Primary Song Sing • Along Quilt Fabric Panel?

There's busy good and there's busy bad. I consider learning to be one of the busy goods and I've been on a streak lately. 

• I've learned how to do editable PDFs (still working on being quick at it) which many of you have asked about and will be very cool to add to some of my future downloads. 

• I've learned some and continue to learn about surface design. They're a couple of fabric projects that I did months ago that I'm so excited about sharing with you. (I'll post soon)

• Being an artist as well, I'm learning how to take my hand drawings and make it into digital artwork. Then I can use it for so many things, some of which will make it here to LDS NEST. Plus I've gone a totally new creative direction with Shannon's Studio which has caused me to rework my brand and website. All the new things will be up in about a month. Sooner I hope. 

• Plus I'm doing a little website housecleaning here too. (Which I would love to know what you like best about LDS NEST. Or maybe you'd like to see.) 

• Then the best good busy news for us as a family is that our youngest son Wade got his mission call yesterday. We love Utah and lived there for 15 years. In fact, until about 5 years ago the St. George Mission used to be in the Provo Mission where we lived. (We moved to Missouri about 7 years ago.) Being born and raised in Provo Wade said it feels like coming home. 

Because of all my new learning I haven't finished anything for LDS NEST lately so I went back through my files and found a camp craft I haven't shared with you. It's a flower clip and the gift download is here. You'll find photo instructions and supplies list. We gave this to the YCLs and they taught it to the girls.

As I was looking through things I couldn't find another camp craft that I thought I posted. I'm sure I posted it but figured if I couldn't find it then maybe you wouldn't be able to either. So, I'm re-posting that too. That gift download is here.

Well, that's just a little update of my good busy life. How's yours going?

Here's a link to our Thanksgiving sign post from last year. If you'd like the download go here.

If you're looking for a tabletop or buffet table decoration for your YWIE or NB then here's a DIY Lighted Torch that just might do the trick. I made 2 of them and I've used them several times. 

I enlarged the YW Torch image to about 15". Then I used a carbon sheet to trace the pattern onto the masonite board. I used a drill to make holes into each section to be cut out. Then I used my handheld jigsaw to cut out the design. These are painted white, though they could be painted the value colors if there're 8 of them.

Next, I bought small battery operated lights (very handy so I don't have to mess with finding a plug and having an extension cord), and hot glued (low melt) them onto the back of the board. I made sure the lights were visible from the front side and that the placement was staggered. And lastly, I took a tie wrap and tied all the loose wires from view. 

The masonite torch slides in and out of the approximately 1" x 3" base board. Using a table saw, cut a channel the same thickness as the masonite board. With this base, no glue is needed and it pulls apart so it stores away nicely.

The little holes seen at the end of the boards are for dowels to slide into. Flags, bandanas, buntings or anything can be put on a dowel and slid into the holes. This makes it versatile.

Good luck on your upcoming Young Women In Excellence and New Beginnings. 

Just a quick post. I have to do flyers periodically for activities. A flyer is just a little more eye catching if an image added. You can download these blank flyers by clicking the images below. It'll take you to our download page. Then add your own content. Another way we make your life a little easier.

Here's a link to the previous post about our DIY blank flyers.

There's a lot of talk about women, priesthood, and excommunication lately. Plenty of commentary on it as well. Some of it good, some not so much. Since the recent issues deal with Latter-day Saints directly we at LDS NEST had to think about what to say. Or not say in the discussion.

Personally, I always have plenty to say. Very opinionated in fact. But, I have a little motto -

Having lots of opinions I've realized that it's likely not all of them are good. So, I like to think about things a little before I venture opening my mouth. What should LDS NEST share? What's the message out of recent events? What discussions really help people? How does one help people stay on spiritual track? My thinking lead me to the scriptures and Alma sums it up for me.

I feel for the families who are struggling with these issues and I think of my own. Any one of us can, and often does, error. But what keeps bringing us back around is the word of God. Plain and simple.

So... Do we read it? Do we know it? Do we teach it?

In answer to how we should approach current events I came to the conclusion that the best use of my time and effort for my family and LDS NEST would be to make sure we share pure doctrine (Something that is "more powerful on minds than anything else".)  With that idea we had a FHE lesson about the Priesthood - Priesthood Power. I thought I'd share what I came up with, with you.

I read through Elder Oaks recent talk, Keys and Authority of the Priesthood, other talks and scripture. The information can be tricky to understand and I wanted it to be clear to my kids so I summarized it all out in a way that made sense to me. It made sense to them. Maybe it will make sense to you too.  There is a free download Ring Thing here.

Besides the Ring Thing Lesson there is a Lesson Outline to go with it and Power Bar wrappers. It's just a little added bonus for fun that you can purchase here (it includes all the Priesthood Power handouts.) Next on my mind to teach my kids about is Apostasy. What do you think about the subject?

We've been having a terrible time with our download site (ge.tt). It's a free service so we can't complain much but it's frustrating. For you and us. It's been down on and off for the past month and many of you have tried to download our nestibles and haven't been able to. Some of you have emailed us to ask for files and we try to get back to all of you. (Sorry if we've missed someone.)

The nice thing about the download mess is that we get to meet some of you, Nesties, through email. One such person is Janelle J. She emailed about some files and said she was doing them for YW. She had a great idea that we have to share.

If you've been around LDS NEST you know about our Compliment Kits. The first file had over 3000 downloads and the new one put up a couple of weeks ago has a few hundred. A few of you like it.

Janelle liked it and did the Compliment Kits with her YW. But, the fabric covering was going to be trickier than she wanted to do so she came up with an alternative. Duct Tape Covered Tins. Genius easy. I asked for a photo and her's turned out so cute that I asked if I could share it with you. She kindly said yes.

Do you have any photos of your Compliment Kits you want to share? Share them on our Facebook page.

Our YW Camp and 4th Year Adventure are done for the year. (On to Youth Conference!) Camp always requires so many people's effort. And it's all volunteer as you know. Our Stake likes to show a little love and appreciation even for the smallest of services. This is a little Thank You Gift that we gave out this year. It was super fast and super easy. (Think of me, my paper cutter and double-sided tape standing at the back of my car.) 

I've changed up the version above to be camp generic for your use. Download here if you need a little YW Camp help. Share some of the thank you gifts you've given (or received) for service.

I'm in charge of YW Camp thank you gifts this year. So I went back to see what we did last year. Then I thought you all might be needing some ideas too. Of course you can use this idea anytime.

There you have it. A personalized thank you gift that's easy to do and put together. Have any you want to share with us?

There are always activities in the church and we generally get information out with flyers. In the past few months we've had a couple of stake youth activities that we needed flyers for. (BTW - These were GREAT activities!) Usually we have youth do the flyers but with the timing we had I ended up doing them. We figured you might be able to use them in some way for your activities.

Soooooo.... you can download blank ones to use. If someone asks you to do a flyer you can just add your own wording to change it up. Wham. Bam. Done.

Does your ward/stake use flyers or is it just us?

We hope everyone's Mother's day was meaningful. Mine was. Especially this year. 

I went to visit Leila's gravesite Saturday. And, I actually took a selfie. Don't know why I just went with it. (Alisha left some lovely flowers there earlier in the day.) It was a pretty teary-eyed hour, no surprise. 

For some reason I just wished that I could bring Joseph there. I know she's not really there but I think there's something about going anyways. On Sunday, Leila's husband came up with Joseph so I asked if I could take JoJo to Leila's graveside. He said yes and came with us. I know this might not be able to happen every year and he's likely to have another mother to celebrate but I'm glad I got to this first year. Considering the day before, amazingly I didn't cry once with Joseph there. I was happy for the moment. Who wouldn't be happy around a face like that!

Which brings me to my New Year's resolution word post that I did a few weeks ago but haven't shared yet. I felt maybe I was being over dramatic or something with my word choice. But, after my first Mother's day without Leila it seemed like exactly the right word at the right time. So here it is...

I used to do a list of goals for my New Year's resolutions and I've loved the lists I've done over the years but I find that it's really a year round habit now.  So the past few years I've used a different method. Now I pick one word for the year to work on. For 2011 it was "Focused" and 2012 was "Finish". I had one for 2013 but didn't write it down, just had it floating in my head. Then when Leila died everything changed and I seriously can't remember what it was. 2013 will forever be a different kind of year for me.

When 2014 came I picked another word. I like to "wear" the word for a month or two before I commit to it. It has to feel right. That's one of the reasons I like this change in methods for resolutions. It makes me go deeper into my feelings and it becomes more meaningful. 
My word for 2014 is...

I know I'm not letting you know until the year is almost half over. Don't judge :) Like I said, it has to feel right. And sometimes right doesn't fit the calendar's timetable. 

Then I made something to help me remember this year's word. It's been in one of my black idea books for a little while now and it seemed like a good time to do it.

It also has a special meaning relating to a phrase in my patriarchal blessing that really helped/helps me. There's also a song by Sara Bareilles - Brave - that's a little upbeat reminder. So, this year I'm gonna be BRAVE!

That was my post before Mother's day. Then this morning I read this post by one of Joseph's amazing NICU nurses, Sally. More tears. As it turns out I was able to put "my word" into full practice the last few days. If nothing else, this weekend I was brave.

Do you have a word to share?

We're still celebrating our birthday over here. We can't help it! We like to party. In honor of our birthday, and you, we are doing a DIY eye chart giveaway! Here is what you do: 

1. Sign up for our email list here: http://mad.ly/signups/99104/join
2. Make sure you've "Liked" us on Facebook

That's it! Easy peasy. Saturday is the last day to enter. We will draw ten names on Monday which means ten of you will get the material and instructions for this eye chart FREE! 

What are you waiting for??

*Canvas not included.

Alisha did a graphic design "Kind Words" here and put it to a t-shirt. It made me think that I wanted to have Leila's words, "I Choose to be Happy" and Alisha's design on a t-shirt so I could order it. Alisha did it for me. (Thanks Alisha) When I went to look at it I saw these other things. 

But then I saw this pillow and decided that I wanted this instead. 

Not that you have to buy anything. I just thought I'd share because it made me happy.

Our July Issue is ready today for our LDS Nesties. Fun celebrate summer ideas. Not a member yet? Join up here. Here's a peek at some of the sections of the Newsletter & Notes.

I did a post last year around this time on my personal site, Shannon's Studio, but thought I'd share it here. It's a Young Women's Personal Progress Divine Nature Value Experience #3. Wow, that was a mouth full. This value experience doesn't have to be done on Father's Day, but it might be a nice incentive. Read more about it HERE.