The new design – it’s here!
February 27, 2009
Yes, it’s official. The new design is up and running! I have spent several hours designing the new look and am quite pleased with the outcome. In case this is your first time here, below are the before and after shots.
Our dear little friend at the top has many butterfly friends that will help her greet each and every one of you (a few you will have to find on your own). The little girl and butterflies I drew in Adobe Illustrator based on a drawing by my sister that I inspired her to draw.
Our “dear little friend” does need a proper name, so if you think of a sweet name for her, I would appreciate it if you would share it with me as I am in need of a few ideas. Thank you!
Zutter Bind-It-All . . . The Book Binder
February 26, 2009
I made a couple notebooks for the Christians at the Crossroads conference the day before we left, which was quite an endeavor for such a busy day. Thankfully I was able to get them finished in time.
The covers are decoupaged (for extra beauty) chipboard with scrapbook paper. The lined pages are cut from one of those great back-to-school 5¢ notebook deals. The smaller one is actually made from the scraps of the pages in the larger book.
The handy little Zutter Bind-It-All machine punches the holes and securely crimps the binding to keep the notebook together. These are the first two notebooks that I have made with the Zutter, and I’m sure there will be many more to come. It is a very easy tool to use, and makes one feel quite productive!
Photo Shoot with the Fruit
February 24, 2009
A contest deadline was yesterday . . . and we made it in just in time. Just in time (I cannot stress that enough).
My project was to photograph a still life that gives glory to God. Fruit was my choice, as it shows God’s amazing creativity and care in designing even the little things.
They were positioned just right in an old enamelware bowl, propped up by an apple (who hid in the back).
In the background are two foam core boards which I painted my favorite color.
To brighten the left side, I had my dear sister hold up a white foam board which reflected light onto the darker side (a tip I learned from a previous photography judge).
The top pick is the one on the bottom left, which was sent away in the mail just yesterday. The photo shoot with the fruit has ended for now, but there will probably be another one some day.
As to the contest, the Lord is in control and His will will be accomplished! Praise be to God!
“Praise the Lord!
Praise the Lord, O my soul!
I will praise the Lord while I live;
I will sing praises to my God while I have my being.”
- Psalm 146:1-2 -
P.S. Just a little heads up, a new design of Simply Vintagegirl should arrive in a few days.
Because of His grace, I have hope!
February 21, 2009
If it were not for God’s grace . . .
. . . I would be lost in this world of sin.
. . . I would be seeking contentment and find none.
. . . I would be wanting to be happy, but no joy would come.
. . . I would be looking for love that I could not define.
. . . I would be living a life of rebellion against Him.
. . . I would be longing for hope, but only become depressed.
Because of God’s grace . . .
. . . He has saved me. A sinner I still am, but He has cleansed me with His blood and forgiven with His love.
. . . He gives me contentment in Himself, in what He has given me, in where He has placed me.
. . . He has blessed me with His joy and delight in Him.
. . . He shows me only a small glimpse of His unfathomable love and I am blown away.
. . . He is teaching me to be submissive and to love and respect the authority that He has placed over me with His sovereign hand.
. . . He has given me a hope. A hope for the future. A hope for eternity. A hope in Him.
To God alone is all the praise, glory, and honor. He is continually working on me, and showing me His grace. I deserve none of His goodness, only punishment. But before the foundations of the earth He laid out His plan, and in that plan He chose to show me His goodness, His grace. It is not because of anything that I have done, only what He has done! Praise be to my mighty Lord and Savior!
Thank you Lord, I praise Your holy Name!
“I will give thanks to the Lord with all my heart;
I will tell of all Your wonders.
I will be glad and exult in You;
I will sing praise to Your name, O Most High.”
- Psalm 9:1-2 -
Sing and have some tea.
February 18, 2009
These were in the background of a photo shoot I did for the Girlhood Home Companion (a beautiful magazine for daughters, mothers, and grandmothers).
Momma made the made the little birdie pouch. It is themed off of a pouch my sister, Breezy, made several years back. The simple whimsy of it is darling.
The tea cups have been around for a long while. I don’t remember a time when we did not have them. We still use them as we always have – for muffins and milk. They are old, chipped, and cracked, but just as lovely as they ever were.
Notes from the Christians at the Crossroads Conference
February 17, 2009
What a pleasure it was last weekend to have the opportunity to hear the Botkin family speak. And in addition to that getting to meet many, many like-minded families. It was truly a joy!
These are some of my notes, most likely reworded as I was jotting them down as quickly as I could while still trying to hear what they were saying next.
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The home is a place of stimulation and delight . . . and a greenhouse for budding Christian leaders.
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The family is a crucial part of God’s creation. How can we expect to succeed and get along well with others if we cannot get along with our siblings.
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If we get annoyed or upset with someone, we are in the wrong. We must get the log out of our own eye before we remove the speck from our brother’s (Matthew 7:4-5).
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Work builds the workers together. In the same way working together as a family builds the family together.
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As adult children, we need to:
• Grow up
• Be responsible
• Take initiative
• Seek God individually
• Put ourselves behind the family vision and contribute as thinking adults
• Communicate openly and honestly (it is very important)
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Earth is our battlefield. A soldier is eager to serve in the greatest capacity he can. We must be eager to serve the Lord in the greatest capacity.
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There are only two services in life: serving self and serving God. Who are you serving?
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Make the most of every minute, take every thought captive to Christ (2 Corinthians 10:5).
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The most loving thing we can do to an unbeliever is share the Gospel with him.
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The Bible does not say you “should,” but you “must.” A command demands precisely what is to be done. God has given us commands and we must do them.
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Be willing to lower your name and bring up your parents’ honor (i.e. don’t say “Well, my parents won’t let me . . .”). Don’t blame, slander, share, or reveal your parents’ sin. Instead of thinking, “What can my parents do for me?” think, “What can I do to serve them?”
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Learn the interests of your parents, understand why they are interested, and develop those same interests. This applies to sibling’s interests as well – become interested in what they are interested in, show them you care.
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An attitude of disrespect can easily rub off — do not spend time with friends who are disrespectful and dishonoring to their parents and authority. Choose your friends wisely.
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Our honoring of our parents and elders is linked to honoring God. If we cannot honor our parents, how can we honor God?
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Our parents were selected by God before the beginning of time. To dishonor them is to suggest that God made a mistake.
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Anna Sofia and Elizabeth talking with other young ladies after their session on Dominion Oriented Femininity.
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The Pilgrim women cared more for those who they would never meet (the future generations) then they cared for their own comfort. May we do the same.
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We are living in a generation where women have lost and forgotten what femininity means. The next generation will be looking to us to see what femininity is. What will they see?
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We need to invest in the family that God has blessed us with. When we are investing in the family that we have now, we are practicing what we will one day be doing with our own family.
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A dominion woman embraces a hard life and loves it.
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Be selfless, not selfish. We need to think of how we can help and serve our father or husband. Look for ways to help and encourage.
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The state of the nation is determined by the state of the home.
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The first priority is to train and raise our children. The housework comes second.
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Those are just a few of my notes. While typing these out and re-reading them I noticed that they would all be great post topics! I just might end up writing about a few of them. I hope you enjoyed reading over the notes.
The Botkins are hoping to have a few conferences across the county, so you might get the opportunity to go to one. I was greatly encouraged and challenged by the conference, it has changed our lives!
Photos from the Christians at the Crossroads Conference
February 15, 2009
Last weekend nearly 700 people gathered for the Christians at the Crossroads conference in Columbus, Georgia. The speakers were the Botkin family, a family that has a vision for family and the future. Each session was convicting and encouraging. These are a “few” of the photos that we took throughout the weekend. (For quicker loading, click here.)
On Friday night, the Botkin daughters played a few southern pieces on their harps. Such beautiful music!
One of the exciting things about the trip was that there were live plants outside. As Hoosiers (natives of Indiana), we had not seen green in quite a long while. How refreshing the lovely clover was to look upon!
We had a little picnic on the lawn outside of the convention center with Mia’s family. The weather was perfect (we even got a bit too warm), and the company delightful! I had originally met Mia through her blog and was excited to actually meet her in person.
There was a nice little river along the walk where we ate. It was a bit of a steep journey down to the water, but we made it safely down and back up again. Here is Mia’s sister, Macy, standing on some rocks in the water.
We wanted a group shot, so Breezy held onto one side of our camera and Mia held onto the other. We all fit in perfectly. Credit goes to Mia for this photo, as she was the one who clicked the button.
I was able to meet several bloggers during the weekend, it was wonderful! Here I am with Christie and one of her lovely daughters. She is an encouragement and a beautiful portrayal of Biblical womanhood and femininity.
Shannon and I. Shannon’s blog has been an inspiration to me for several months now. I also had the privileged to meet her sister, Tiffany — they are both such sweet young ladies.
Jessica and I. I found her blog a while back and have enjoyed her photography and sewing projects. She brought her coat (she made up the pattern from a photograph), which was very neat to get to see in person. We had a very encouraging visit along with her sister, Rebecca.
Breezy, Julia, Mia, McKenzie, and I. Julia’s family and our family were able to sit together for most of Saturday and Julia makes lovely jewelry (you can see some in her shop). I enjoy reading McKenzie’s blog and seeing her love for the Lord and her family through her writing.
Katherine, Allie, Kristin, Breezy, Me, and Lauren. The Allen ladies (the three at left) were a sweet surprise to get to meet. They went to Scotland for the Faith and Freedom Tour and we recognized them from pictures on Mr. Phillip’s blog. Lauren is a fellow Hoosier, we were able to spend a good deal of time talking with her and her siblings.
Breezy and I took turns taking our family pictures on top of the parking garage.
Olivia and I. It was really good to get to visit with her and her younger siblings. The Powers family were an important part of the conference, as they scheduled and set up the conference.
Rebecca and I. It was very exciting to finally get to meet Rebecca. We originally met at the online Christian Homemaking Conference (Anna and Elizabeth Botkin were two of the speakers) two years ago and have been writing to each other ever since. She is such a sweet friend and it was a great blessing to get to meet her and her family!
Me, Elizabeth, Rachel, Rebecca, Christiana, Lauren, Breezy, Anna Sofia, Prentiss, and Emily. This was taken Sunday morning at the church where Mr. Botkin preached.
Several pianists played after the service while families lingered talking. How sweet the fellowship was with other like-minded believers! (This is of Rachel playing the piano.)
On the way home, the clouds were reflecting off the windows of the car and were visible through the rear view mirror.
Before we left Georgia, we stopped that the beautiful Callaway Gardens in Pine Mountain.
There were little pine cones on the ground at the gardens, so I bent down to get this photo of one (I wasn’t looking through the viewfinder, so it took a couple shots to get the right angle).
Breezy, Daddy, and I. I am so thankful for my father and his love and faithfulness in leading our family.
The gorgeous sunset on the way home. We arrived home Monday evening. What a wonderful and encouraging weekend it was! I plan on posting some of the notes I took at the conference soon.
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 . . .
