8 January 2011
An old, painted crate from a rummage sale has made the perfect home for our handmade soap, making a cheerful display in our kitchen (especially with the little “sunshine” decoration).
Every batch of soap we’ve made in our home has been unique, but each and every bar of soap makes for a smooth, refreshing, and bubbly wash.
Crate: Inexpensive yard sale find
Soap: Homemade – plain & oatmeal
Decoration: Handmade and easy to make
(for a closer look, see them in a tree or basket)
P.S. You can find the recipe for this kind of soap on the Homestead Blessings: The Art of Soap Making DVD.
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15 September 2010
When the trees are trimmed in Autumn, make sure you save the sticks. They can be used for many different things that can be useful as well as add a touch of simple beauty to your home.
In the past I have made a flower-dryer out of sticks freshly trimmed from our pear trees. Another whimsical thing we have done with the trimmings was to make a bouquet of them.
This year we plan to make a bouquet of sticks with a special purpose. From the twigs we will hang little notes of things we are thankful for. It will be called, “The Thankful Tree.”
(But first, we’ll need to trim the trees – which can be done during any month ending with an “r”.)
14 August 2010
. . . and many things to learn that can be found between the covers of books.
There is something very refreshing and satisfying about sitting down with a good book to read and study. With a long list of books to read, as well as a good deal of research to do, we will be enjoying many books over the next few weeks.
A book that I have been reading is “Beloved Bride” by Bill Potter. It is a collection of letters from General “Stonewall” Jackson to his wife, Mary Anna, with snippets about their life sprinkled throughout.
After the death of his first wife and their baby, General Jackson wrote the following in a letter to his sister, which is a wonderful example and depiction of his trust in the Lord:
“I have been called to pass through the deep waters of affliction, but all has been satisfied. The Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away, blessed be the name of the Lord. It is his will that my Dearest wife and child should no longer abide with me, and as it is his holy will, I am perfectly reconciled to the sad bereavement, though I deeply mourn my loss.
“Oh! The consolations of religion! I can willingly submit to anything if God strengthens me. I have joy in knowing that God withholds no good things from them that love and keep his commandments. And he will overrule this Sad, Sad bereavement for good.“
What good books you have been reading lately?
26 July 2010
There once was an old dollhouse looking for a new home. It was handmade with love, for a special little someone . . . but she grew up and no longer wanted it.
It went to the garage sale, hoping for a new family.
A treasure-seeker found it, and saw the love put into creating it. She bought it with plans to revamp it, re-furnish it, and refine it, so that one day it would could be a dollhouse again.
But, sadly, the treasure-seeker did not have the time or opportunity to bring about her plans. It was time, again, for the dollhouse to find a new home, where hopefully it could be cherished. And that is how I come into the story.
Although I do not play with dolls, or create miniature furniture . . . I do collect old books. And those books were in need of a happy place to reside – a place where they could be seen and enjoyed.
That dollhouse is where the stories in those old books now sit.
An old dollhouse, handmade with love, now filled with old books, being treasured anew.
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23 June 2010
On June 12th, I was surrounded by my precious family and many friends whom I have had the pleasure of knowing in my lifetime. They came to celebrate what the Lord has done in my life, how He has taught, instructed, and guided me.
And how He laid it on the hearts of my parents to educate my sister and me at home.
My dear parents spoke to those gathered at our home about the workings of the Lord and His great mercy He has shown towards our family. What a blessing and encouragement to hear them speak and glorify the Lord with a testimony of His goodness.
It was a beautiful day. I have an over-abundance of things to be thankful for!
As you may well know, I will be learning for the rest of my life. I have been blessed with a love of learning. The celebration was the end of my “official” education at home, but I won’t stop the adventure there. (We do have more projects in the works!)
The decorations shown above were made from folded, vintage dictionary pages which were hot-glued together. On top was glued lace (which had been sewn into a circle) with scrapbook paper added to the center. They make for a perfect whimsical decoration!
7 June 2010
A little over thirteen years ago, the Lord gave my mother the vision of homeschooling. As she shared about it with my father, God laid it on both of their hearts. There wasn’t a choice.
And here we are. Thirteen years later.
My gratefulness to God and to my parents can never be fully expressed. Because of being educated at home, Breezy and I were able to be raised with a biblical worldview and Christ-centered education.
The precious parents my Lord has blessed me with, by God’s grace, were able to follow the commands in Deuteronomy 6:5-7, which says,
“You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart
and with all your soul and with all your might.
These words, which I am commanding you today, shall be on your heart.
You shall teach them diligently to your sons and
shall talk of them when you sit in your house and when
you walk by the way and when you lie down and when you rise up.”
Although my “official” home education is over, my education will never be complete . . . because I’ll always be learning. Always be watching. Always be reading.
I like it that way. And I’m thankful to have had instilled in me the love of learning.
P.S. The photos are of crinkled, vintage dictionary pages, which will be a part of the decorations for my upcoming graduation open house.
9 February 2010
“In the same way that God designed all of creation in its undeniable perfection and beauty, He handcrafted each girl’s situation with exquisite precision. He chose the exact parents, position, and opportunities that would best fulfill His purposes for her life and bring Him glory. . . continue reading.”
—Anna Sofia & Elizabeth Botkin at Visionary Daughters
“I don’t think that any woman could prepare long enough to perfectly execute this list [in Titus 2:3-5]. But it is my duty to aim to follow this standard that God has set. . . . And what better way to practice being a keeper at home than to learn the ins and outs from my mother, who has wells of wisdom on the subject! And who could think of a better way to prepare to submit to a husband, whether he’s right or wrong, than to practice in a daughters relationship to her father? . . . continue reading.”
—Stephanie at In His Time
“It is when we create things for God’s sake that our work most clearly promotes His glory, rather than threatening to compete with it. Thus the true purpose of art is the same as the true purpose of anything: it is not for ourselves or for our own self-expression, but for the service of others and the glory of God.”
—Philip Graham Ryken in Art for God’s Sake
16 January 2010
Simply Vintagegirl has changed her outfit to one a bit more fashionable to her title. The new layout is soft and gentle, incorporating a few vintage accents.
The new design has been in the workings for quite some time now. It began just as an idea (as most things do), and then formulated into what it is today (after a couple major changes in the blueprints).
A few changes include:
• The Home page and Photography blog retiring,
• The Archives have moved to their own page,
• A Frequently Asked Questions (f.a.q.) page is in the works, and
• The Categories are now located at the top of the blog.
The before and after:
The vintage texture in the background I created from a scan of an old book. The words you can see in the image are from this lovely poem my dear cousin wrote.
There are a couple more things I’m going to do to the design, but I wanted to go ahead and surprise you all with it now. In the meantime, please pretend you do not see the dust.
P.S. New posts are on their way, so stay tuned to keep updated!
