Encouraging Ladies of All Ages In Femininity And Biblical Womanhood

In an effort to support various entrepreneurial endeavors, Shining Stars will be featuring home businesses every other month. This includes hosting a giveaway of one or more items, sharing information about the business and products as well as contact info for those who would like to purchase items, and a listing on our Featured Home Business page (which is coming soon). If you have a home (family-run) business and would like to have it featured on this website, please contact me for details at shiningstarsmagazine[at]gmail[dot]com.

It’s time for another home business review and giveaway! Today I would like to introduce you to Carmen at Natural Linens …

My name is Carmen Bruno and I’ve been married to  my wonderful husband John for almost 18 years.  We are a Canadian family living in northern Texas.  We have been living here for the past 12 years.  A big change in weather from Canada!  We have been homeschooling our children throughout their entire lives.  I feel blessed as a mama to have been given this privilege.  It has truly been a wonderful journey.  We are coming to a close within the next few years of homeschooling our children and thus my day to day homeschooling responsibilities have been transitioning as the children are maturing and growing up. I enjoy very much sharing in morning Bible studies and our reading times.  We are a Torah observant family that has been striving to continually learn to obey and please our heavenly Father in all of the scriptures in the bible.  Our walk does look so much different than it did just five years ago.  Our love for Elohim grows daily and so does our faith.  I love being able to spend time outdoors with my family.

Natural Linens started in the fall of 2011.  I learned to sew as a young girl and have always enjoyed it.  Sewing came mostly due to the fact that we could not afford to purchase clothes; if I wanted something with a fabric and pattern I preferred, I would have to purchase my own fabric and make my own clothes, which I did.  This led me to expand my creativity.  Now that my homeschooling academic responsibilities are minimized, I now have more time to focus on other things.  Although I do most of the sewing, my family is involved in different aspects of the business.  Currently Leah, my 15 year old daughter takes care of packaging and shipping the products.  Her attention to detail is so important, even in this area. I am also blessed with her help in some of the sewing and completion with the products.  Zachary, our almost 17 year old son, is now in charge of the photography and listing of the products as well as any other product branding that is needed.  His computer skills have been have also been a blessing to our business.  My husband is also a big part of this business, as his many creative ideas have blossomed into wonderful items!  I appreciate being able to discuss new potential products ideas with John, as he is gifted with creativity and problem solving.  So, you see, we are all involved in some way or another.  It takes a team with many gifts to make something work.  This is a great entrepreneurial experience, not only for me but for our children as well.

I really enjoy preparing items for the home–items I know that a home keeper may need.  We are currently focusing on using 100% fabrics such as cotton, linen, wool and jute.  We believe these fabrics are very beneficial.  Currently we offer ruffled hand towels, dish towels, reusable tea bags and coffee filters, cloth napkins, pillow covers, cloth handkerchiefs and table runners, and will soon be adding reusable un-paper towels.  We also hope to offer items with hand print designs in the near future.  I’m looking forward to being involved in this process.

My favorite part in the making of these products, I have to say, is coming up with the ideas. After research, analysis, and discussions with my family, I start down the path to make my products.  I love sewing as well, as this gets the product completed,  but as I tell my children, even though the process of cutting is my least favorite, we can’t make an item unless we cut the fabric.  Cutting for me is a wonderful patience builder.

Hannah, thank you very much for asking me to do this interview, I am honoured that you have asked me.  I am always open to new ideas.  If anyone would like to share ideas for other linen items, please email me at naturallinens@tx.rr.com.  Please remember that we do offer custom orders for any of your needs.  Thank you for taking the time to visit our shop.  Please note that we do close for Shabbat, so please come back and visit when are open.

Carmen will be giving away a set of two Ruffled White Linen Hand Towels. This will make a wonderful addition to a hope chest collection … or for any women who wants to bring some freshness to her home.

Aren’t they beautiful?! This linen hand towel is very versatile and can be used in either your kitchen or bath area. A great look for a country french, cottage, shabby chic or homestead look. This fabric has been prewashed to alleviate any shrinkage. Seams have been overlocked (serged). The fabric is 100% linen … they measure approximately 16.5 X 16 inches (42.5 X 41 cm). Finished Edges: hem stitched, serged, frayed ruffle. Color: white/off white.

Carmen has a number of other beautiful products in her Etsy shop and I heartily recommend that you visit there yourself!

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So do you want a chance to win one of these products?!

Giveaway Rules:

You must be a Shining Stars Magazine subscriber to enter this giveaway. If you are not currently a subscriber and would like to be, please leave a comment on this post to join the giveaway and include your mailing address. I will add you to the subscription list and remove your address before I publish the comment.

All Shining Stars subscribers are allowed one entry!

For an additional entry (leave one comment for each additional entry):

• Visit Natural Linens and tell me which product is your favorite.

• Like Natural Linens on Facebook.

• Follow Shining Stars through Google Connect (on the sidebar).

• Add the Shining Stars link to your website or blogroll.

• Post about this giveaway on your own blog. (Make sure to leave the link to the post).

This giveaway ends on February 22nd.

First, I would like to announce the winners of the Featured Home Business Giveaway … Samantha L won the Teddy Toes blanket from Happy Heels by Hannah and Hannah M. won the tea package from Day by Day Creations. Congratulations y’all :) :)

Thank you all for participating! There will be a book review and giveaway beginning on January 8th and another FHB review and giveaway on February 8th.

Volume5 Number1 is coming together nicely – I still have some more layout/design work to do and a little more space to fill … there are a couple of things I am looking for :)  I decided to add a few regular columns – at least, that is the plan for now. We’ll see how it works out! The columns consist of:

• A Peek Into My Hope Chest
• Being Beautifiers
• Heroines In History
• Out Of The Mouth Of Babes
• Recommended Reading
• Serving Our Families

I have also thought about adding one that focuses on nutrition and healthy living. Any thoughts? At this point, I do not have entries for Being Beautifiers, Out Of The Mouths Of Babes and Serving Our Families.

Being Beautifiers ought to contain topics like “What are some ways that you make your home a pleasant and welcoming haven?” and “How do you combine modesty and femininity to present a beautiful outward appearance?”

Out Of The Mouths Of Babes will contain short stories about young children – these can be thought-provoking, inspirational and humorous.

Serving Our Families will contain ideas on practical ways that you serve and bless your family.

If any of you have anything to share that could fit into one of these columns, please let me know as soon as possible! We do not have the cover photos picked out yet, so there is still time to submit photos if you have some that you would like to share.

Thank you all so much for making this possible. This is not my magazine … Shining Stars provides a way for each of you to encourage many others with the insights and thoughts that the Father has given you. I am honored to be a part of this and join with all of you in blessing your sisters in Messiah!

Amidst all the hustle and bustle of our family’s preparations to join a conference that our fellowship is hosting this weekend, I have not yet been able to complete the FHB giveaway! I’m sorry for the delay and I will do my best to announce the winners on Monday, the 26th!

Featured Home Business is a fairly new project on the SSM website. In an effort to support various entrepreneurial endeavors, we will be featuring home businesses every other month. This includes hosting a giveaway of one or more items, sharing information about the business and products as well as contact info for those who would like to purchase items, and a listing on our Featured Home Business page (which is coming soon). If you have a home (family-run) business and would like to have it featured on this website, please contact me for details at shiningstarsmagazine[at]gmail[dot]com.

Welcome back for another home business review and giveaway! Like last time, we will be featuring two cottage industries today. Let me introduce you to Melody, owner of Day by Day Creations.

Greetings! My name is Melody Grubb and I’m 21. I live with six of my seven siblings and our dear parents on some land in north Texas, where we have some hogs, chickens, a couple of guard dogs, rabbits that I raise, two ducks and many cats. Our family forms a bluegrass-gospel band (www.thefullquiver.com) and we play at churches, nursing homes, festivals and other events locally and in the surrounding states; it is something that we do to the glory of God and pray He uses it for His purposes. When we are not playing somewhere, I enjoy working on various business ventures, caring for the animals, reading history and true stories, being a nanny three days a week, posting on my blog once in a while (www.melodygrubb.com) and teaching piano lessons. I pray that God is glorified through my life!

A few years ago I started purchasing loose tea from the Bulk Herb Store. I loved their all-natural, heavenly-tasting Jasmine Green, Pomegranate Green and flavored black teas so much that I wanted to share them with others and also make an income on the side. So a few months ago I bought some of their empty tea bags and two different flavors of their tea and, using a clothing iron, filled and pressed the bags. I am still perfecting the process, but am learning how to quickly (but efficiently) produce tea bags for those who enjoy a fresh cup of tea. Many times the bags are made when ordered so that they are even fresher.

I love the smell of Jasmine green tea! The Pomegranate-flavored green tea also has a strikingly-sweet scent which permeates the room as I fill the bags. That is my favorite part in making the tea bags —  enjoying that sweet smell and knowing it’s an all-natural smell!

Thank you for letting me share about my little business. I hope the winner will enjoy their gift of tea bags and that others will purchase some for themselves — I know you will enjoy drinking tea that is healthy and pure!

Melody will be giving away ten tea bags to one winner!

These tea bags are handmade, using all natural tea and tea bags. Each bag contains approximately 1.5 teaspoons of fresh loose tea. The winner will receive their choice of the available flavors.

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The second cottage industry that we are featuring today is Happy Heels by Hannah. Some of you may be familiar with this small home business … for those of you who have seen the Teddy Toes blankets and wanted to try one out – here is your chance!

We are five sisters – Hannah (21), Ruthie (17), Sarah (14), Abigail (12) and Lydia (8). We live with our parents and two brothers in rural Tennessee. We enjoy singing and playing music together, cooking, sewing projects, games, talking(!), visiting with friends, helping mothers with young children … and cleaning the bedroom that we share :)

Hannah started Happy Heels by Hannah a couple years ago. We had seen the pattern for Teddy Toes – a blanket specially designed to be used with a car seat … and we decided to start making and selling them. These blankets are made of 100% polyester fleece and come in a variety of colors. They are sized for babies 0-6 months. Ruthie has recently started offering drawstring baby gowns for sale too.

Our favorite part in making these products is … Hannah: “Thinking of cozy warm babies!” … Ruthie: “Cutting the thread on the final snap!” … Sarah: “Knowing that the blankets are being made with lots of love and care!” … Abigail: “Looking over the finished product!” … Lydia: “I haven’t made any blankets yet but I hope to start cutting them out soon!”

While this home business was started with selling baby blankets, we hope to expand in the future – offering other home-sewn items, jewelry and anything else that we start creating!

Happy Heels by Hannah will be giving away one Teddy Toes blanket!

While the Teddy Toes is designed for use with a car seat, it also makes a wonderful blanket to swaddle your baby at any time! Click here for pictorial directions on how to use the Teddy Toes.

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So do you want a chance to win one of these products?!

Giveaway Rules:

You must be a Shining Stars Magazine subscriber to enter this giveaway. If you are not currently a subscriber and would like to be, please leave a comment on this post to join the giveaway and include your mailing address. I will then add you to the subscription list and remove your address before I publish the comment.

All Shining Stars subscribers are allowed one entry, in which you must tell me which item you would prefer to win!

For an additional entry (leave one comment for each additional entry):

• Visit Day by Day Creations and tell me which tea flavor you would like best.

• Visit Happy Heels by Hannah and tell me which color blanket is your favorite.

• Follow Shining Stars through Google Connect (on the sidebar).

• Add the Shining Stars link to your website or blogroll.

• Post about this giveaway on your own blog. (Make sure to leave the link to the post).

This giveaway ends on December 22nd.

Featured Home Business is a fairly new project on the SSM website. In an effort to support various entrepreneurial endeavors, we will be featuring home businesses every other month. This includes hosting a giveaway of one or more items, sharing information about the business and products as well as contact info for those who would like to purchase items, and a listing on our Featured Home Business page (which is coming soon). If you have a home (family-run) business and would like to have it featured on this website, please contact me for details at shiningstarsmagazine[at]gmail[dot]com.

Today I want to share about two home businesses that are run by two young ladies and we will be giving away two lovely items! First, let me tell you a little about the owner  of Rosie’s Red Roses etsy shop.

Hello! My name is Rosi and I am a 17 year old daughter to two wonderful parents and I have two great sisters. I live in the hot state of AZ where we go from summer to winter and back to summer with a very short spring and autumn. Nevertheless, I love spending time outside photographing, taking walks and gardening, but I also enjoy sewing, reading, baking and crocheting.

The first business I started was Honor Your Head (a shop in which I sell headcoverings, bible covers and other handmade goodies) in about December 2010. I then decided to make another shop called Rosie’s Red Roses, where I sell totes, zippered pouches, wristlets, headbands and other cute things.

I really enjoy the picking of the fabrics, going to the store and seeing which fabrics would be perfect for the season we are in. Also, I enjoy photographing the products!

I would like to say that if you are a young lady who enjoys a craft or hobby and would like to make some money, definitely open a shop, you can learn many things including patience in YHWH’s timing! Go for it, you can do it with His help.

Rosi has kindly offered to give away a beautiful zipped pouch – just look at these pictures!

This is a lovely blue zippered pouch with white dots in a swirly pattern and a matching white zipper. The inside lining is grey making it hard to spot light stains. This pouch is perfect for all your necessities and perfect for organizing a larger bag or for grabbing it on the go if you do not want to carry a larger bag! Measures 7 1/2 x 4 1/2 so it is not overly large but will fit all your things!

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The second home business that we are featuring this month, is Happy Hill Cards – a small entrepreneurial endeavor that was started by a young lady who I happen to know very well! Let me introduce her to you …

Hello! My name is Sarah Marianna Washburn, and I am 14 years old. I live in the beautiful country of middle Tennessee with my two parents and six siblings. My father and mothers names are Tom and Annie and my siblings are, Hannah (20), Tommy (19) Ruthie (17), Me (14), Abigail (12), Samuel (10), and Lydia (7). We live on a small farm where we raise dogs and have two goats, a lamb, chickens, and cats. My interests include, my Father in Heaven and His Son, my family, playing guitar and piano, dancing, playing soccer, working on the computer, taking care of children, school, writing my pen-pals, talking with friends, going to meetings, taking care of puppies, working on the cards, riding bikes and taking walks and playing with the best dog in the world … my baby Charlie :)

At Happy Hill Cards, I mainly sell handmade and handcrafted greeting cards, but I am planning on posting some handmade stationary on the blog too. The cards are all 4 1/4″ x 5 1/2″ unless specifically described differently. The cards are all made out of card stock, so they are nice and firm. They all come with envelopes. I have made these cards for a year now, but I have just recently posted them on the blog to sell.

I am not really sure what my favorite part about making the cards is. I like to decorate the blank card and turn it in to something pretty. I hope that the winner enjoys my cards. Thank you for holding this giveaway for me.

Sarah is giving away a set of five beautiful handmade cards!

Each of the cards is 4 1/4″ x 5 1/2″ and is made of quality card stock. Sarah does all of the artwork with a variety of pens, markers and colored pencils. This set comes with five envelopes as well.

So … do you want a chance to win one of these lovely gifts?!

Giveaway Rules:

You must be a Shining Stars Magazine subscriber to enter this giveaway. If you are not currently a subscriber and would like to be, please leave a comment on this post to join the giveaway and include your mailing address. I will then add you to the subscription list and remove your address before I publish the comment.

All Shining Stars subscribers are allowed one entry, in which you must tell me which item you would prefer to win!

For an additional entry (leave one comment for each additional entry):

• Visit Rosie’s Red Roses and tell me which item is your favorite.

• Visit Happy Hill Cards and tell me which item is your favorite.

• Follow Shining Stars through Google Connect (on the sidebar).

• Add the Shining Stars link to your website or blogroll.

• Post about this giveaway on your own blog. (Make sure to leave the link to the post).

This giveaway ends on October 22nd.

(Note: Rosi does close her shop for the sabbath. If you visit it and do not see any items, just check back in a day or two!)