Another Year
November 30, 2008
Another year in my life has passed. O how quickly time flies! It seems only a few weeks ago that I was little and thought of myself as one the of the “big” girls.
I am thankful to have God’s Word in my own language, and to have the freedom to share the gospel openly. I am thankful for the way the Lord has protected my family and I from pain and great sorrows. I am thankful for His saving grace, and for all that He provides for my family and I.
This past year I have grown closer to the Lord and seen Him shaping me. I fall short in so many areas, but He is patient and carries me through.
I look forward to the future God has in store for me. My great hope is to glorify God in all that I do. I look forward to becoming (if the Lord wills) a godly wife and mother (of many little ones!).
It is a comfort to know that the Lord’s will will be accomplished. I do not have to worry about tomorrow, He will provide.
“The mind of man plans his way,
But the Lord directs his steps.” – Proverbs 16:9
He will guide my paths, and direct my steps. God is powerful and great. Praise be to His name!
A Homemade Christmas – #6 – Vintage Locket
November 27, 2008
Welcome to the sixth A Homemade Christmas! This is week Six of Ten (you don’t have to enter in each one). I hope you’ll join us in sharing about homemade gifts that you have received or made — past, present, and future!
You can click here for the Introductory post.
Here is an idea for a vintage locket. I just purchased this little locket, which was on clearance. It is new, but had been given a vintage look by distressing.
The photos I placed in the locket are of my great-great-great grandparents James and Elizabeth who lived in the late 1800’s. Both of the pictures are of them, only many years had elapsed between the taking of the first and the taking of the second.
This is what the outside of the locket looks like. It has a lovely floral design with a small speckled texture.
If you make one, you can add few ribbons or lace for extra beauty. The locket can be worn as a necklace (on a chain) or as a broach (by adding a pin to the ribbons).
Have you made or received any homemade gifts? If you’d like to make a post about your homemade gifts, you can sign Mr. Linky below. You can add one of my Homemade Christmas icons to your blog by clicking here. Each Thursday (until the end of December) there will be A Homemade Christmas post! Hope you’ll join in the fun as we learn, inspire, and encourage one another!
| 1. Emily 2. Robin |
3. BreezyTulip 4. Becca |
5. Willow 6. mary |
snippets from my week
November 25, 2008
the birds gathered
i created in the kitchen
the snow came and went
A Tea and Hope Chest Birthday Party
November 24, 2008
A couple Saturdays ago (the 15th) we went to Susannah’s birthday tea party, it was a very sweet occasion! For their 16th birthdays, the ladies of their family have a hope chest party, where the gifts they receive are intended for the hope chest. A couple weeks ago was Susannah’s 17th birthday, so the party was a bit late, but it still counts!
Here are a few photos of and tidbits about the party.
Here is the delicious yellow chocolate birthday cake! Since it was actually her 17th birthday a couple weeks ago, she got to blow out 17 candles. The icing on this cake was the tastiest I have ever eaten. It was made and decorated by her older sister Jessica.
There were two large and two small (this is one of the small ones) tables in their sun room. Each was sweetly decorated with homemade table clothes and napkins with a kerosene lamp in the middle of the table. Each table had a bowl of chocolate covered pretzels, a plate of pin wheels, a tea pot of hot water, as well as cream and sugar.
See Susannah peeking over Maggie’s head? It thought this was such a cute shot!
Her grandmother put together photos of Susannah growing up for her birthday. Here we are all huddled around looking at the pictures. We got to hear some of the stories (short versions) behind them. It is so enjoyable to hear the stories of others, it is like glimpsing into their life long before we even knew one another.
There were many girls. I don’t believe I have ever been in a room with so many like-minded young ladies all at one time. So darling! I was able to meet and talk with several, though not everyone.
One of the tea pots at my table. I sat with Susannah, Maggie, and Jocelyn, as well as several other young ladies.
Pouring the hot water. Most of the girls brought their favorite tea cups. Sadly I forgot mine, it is a part of a set of china that I have inherited. I felt quite silly to forget my tea cup (as well as the tea cups of the rest of our family) when going to a tea party!
There was a little saucer for the tea bags. I had peppermint tea, which I had never had before. It was actually much tastier than I expected it would be.
Mrs. Trisch gave a wonderful talk about her girls and how important it is to have a servant’s heart. It was a very encouraging speech, and one that truly blessed me.
We had a wonderful time and are so glad that we went! We just met the farmgirls at a reenactment in October, but had originally “met” them through blogging. They are such dear, encouraging friends and a blessing to be around!
The Whimsical Tree + Announcement
November 21, 2008
Well, it is about time. I have finally opened my shoppe. :) I have been planning and planning it for a long while now, but it wasn’t until last night that it all happened.
My shoppe is located on Etsy.com, a site to buy and sell all things homemade.
I do not have much in my shoppe yet (it is still in the works) but you can
visit my little shoppe here.
One of the things I am currently selling is a set of the cards I designed below, entitled
“The Whimsical Tree.”
Do you like? It’s in the shoppe right now, just waiting to find a home to be sent from!
A Homemade Christmas – #5 – Purses
November 20, 2008
Welcome to the fifth A Homemade Christmas! This is week Five of Ten (you don’t have to enter in each one). I hope you’ll join us in sharing about homemade gifts that you have received or made — past, present, and future! You can click here for the Introductory post.
A gift for the ladies.
This purse is simple to make, and is a lovely accent to any lady’s wardrobe. I based it off a pattern from the book Bend-the-Rules Sewing (we checked it out at our wonderful local library). I must say that I adore corduroy. Working with it, feeling it, seeing it. It is just cute material! For some reason, I never used to like it, but it is now my favorite.
The interior is a cotton fabric with light blue, green, and mauve whimsical flowers in straight rows on top of a solid tan background.
The handle stays inside these (one on each side at the top).
The bow adds extra beauty. This bag was very enjoyable to make, and easier than I thought it would be. I plan on making more, and playing around with the pattern to come up with a few different sizes.
Have you made or received any homemade gifts? If you’d like to make a post about your homemade gifts, you can sign Mr. Linky below. You can add one of my Homemade Christmas icons to your blog by clicking here. Each Thursday (until the end of December) there will be A Homemade Christmas post! Hope you’ll join in the fun as we learn, inspire, and encourage one another!
| 1. Robin 2. Sarah Mae (Rethinking Christmas) 3. Maralena |
4. Elastigirl 5. SchoolinRhome 6. Trisch |
7. Becca 8. M.L.@The House of Whimsy 9. onedaymore |
A FREE Gift for You!
November 17, 2008
For all those who like to plan ahead, I have made a special gift. It is also for those who may not always plan ahead, but really like cute calendars.
Monthly Calendar (2-Page Spread Layout)
The past few weeks I have been working on calendar spreads. Each month is a 2-Page spread, with a box for each date. There is a column on the left side of the left page with room for extra notes.
They will fit perfectly into a three-ring binder, especially since I left room for the holes made by the hole punch. They are made to lay side by side.
The calendars are perfect for remembering birthdays and anniversaries, writing out meal menus, and planning out your everyday life!
These calendars are download-able in two different files. One file is for November 2008 to December 2008, and the other is for January 2009 through December 2009.
I made it just in time for you to use it for your holiday planning and then for the whole next year!
Excited? Click here for information on downloading!
And the winner of the apron is . . .
November 15, 2008
. . . Vanessa!
In her comment she wrote:
I LOVE the apron!! If I didn’t have so many sewing projects lined up, I’d attempt to make one for myself. Random fact: I love spiced chai tea and drink a cup almost everyday.
Thank you to all of you who entered! It was a joy to do this, and I truly wish that I had an apron for you all to win.
I am planning on more giveaways in the future!
While living the life my Lord has blessed me with, I am at home with my family enjoying being a daughter, homemaker and artist. My highest goal is to give glory to God and enjoy Him forever. It is He that has saved me with His amazing grace and is continually molding me; to Him I owe everything. Read more . . .
