Too Cute For Words...

 Happy St. Patrick's Day (late!)

Praying that your day is full of sunshine, green grass, tips of daffodils shooting out of the moist dirt, and other lovely reminders of the spring that's just around the corner! :-)

30-Day Challenge, Day 17

An art piece.

Here is one I really like.   I'm not sure what it is about it... it's just sweet and homey and peaceful looking.  :-)

 I love this too.  The sea... the flowers... the book... the tea... that's where I want to be right now. :-)

 I also have several other "favorites" with sheep/shepherds theme but I've posted them quite often in various posts on this blog, so if you go back through "devotional thoughts", you should find them....

There.  Now I think I'm caught up.... ;-)

30-Day Challenge, Day 11

A photo of you taken recently.

This one was taken on Sunday... of my new haircut. :-)

This is from the Christmas Ball in December.  I like the "movie feel" of the picture.  Photo by Brandon Pieplow.

That was a pretty easy post. 

30-Day Challenge, Day 10

A photo of you taken over ten years ago.

Oh dear!  We've got heaps of those and I am absolutely addicted to "old" photos.  Anyway, here are some, because I did not take time to scan more, and besides, most of you probably wouldn't be as interested in them as I am. :-)

 Okay, now I'm the one with my tongue sticking out, as usual. :-P

At the airport on the way to California, when I was six

 probably watching a movie right here...eating popcorn...hanging out with my pal (my sister ;-) )...wearing my favorite pajamas (Disney's Pocahontas themed) :-)

At Campobello with my aunt Lois, when I was seven

 

 And probably my favorite from the "era"... the Christmas I got Kirsten (1998...?)

 I LOVE pictures from when my sisters and I were little!!  :-D :-D :-D

30-Day Challenge, Day 9

A photo you took.

Card game, anyone?

 Kitty's pretty full of herself... she thinks she can beat you at cards.  I dunno, I think she might not have all the rules down yet-- particularly Number 1 Rule: Don't let the other players see your cards! :-P

Swing Over and Visit...

Bethany's new photography blog!
http://atbabphotography.blogspot.com/

Just a Post to Say...

...Merry Start of the Christmas Season!

"Did you say Christmas?  Is there anything under this tree for me?"

"O Christmas Tree, O Christmas Tree..."

Pictures by Bethany (and turtle property of Bethany) :-)


QUESTION:
What are some Christ-centered ways that you celebrate Christmas?  I'd love to hear ideas.  Also, any ideas for a Christ-themed, Christmas-themed blog-post series?

Kirsten's Secret Friend ~ A Photo Story

 I recently made this photo story (with Amanda's help), based on a chapter in the second book of the American Girl Kirsten series by Janet Shaw.  Enjoy! :-)

http://picasaweb.google.com/105696927071578854141/KirstenSSecretFriend#

P.S. I know, my lack of posting is inexcusable... I really just haven't been taking the time to write down my thoughts... Hopefully I'll get some more posts up soon.

Just Miscellaneous Happy Things :-)

Today I went to JoAnn Fabrics and was able to pick up some fun things for my "Etsy" sewing.

Let me show you some up-close shots of some of the items. I'm pretty happy with them! :-)

Iron-on applique for a doll-sized polo dress that I'll be making:

Decorative fabric roses to trim some Colonial-style doll dresses (I noticed several of Felicity's dresses are trimmed with fabric flowers, especially on the sleeves, so I followed suit :-) ).

Frog closures for a doll-sized Spencer jacket:

An awl for setting eyelets (unfortunately, the JoAnn's we went to doesn't carry eyelets so I may have to order them):

Two white-on-white prints:

They're not so bold as that, but I took the picture with flash so that you could see the difference in the prints. The one on top is for a Georgian/Colonial doll dress, the one on the bottom for a Regency doll dress.

Then I got home and found a lovely package in the mail for my dear sweet friend and sister in Christ, Leah!

And this was what was in the package:

I Come Quietly To Meet You: An Intimate Journey in God's Presence
Devotional Readings by Amy Carmichael, Arranged by David Hazard

That was so sweet of her! I LOVE Amy Carmichael and just devour anything I read of hers. Thank you so much for the book, Leah! I love it!! (((HUGS)))

Another happy thing--

A sneak peak of the dress I drafted some time back and sewed on Saturday. I need to get better color pictures before I list it on Etsy.

Now, one more happy thing:

I ordered a new "model"/"investment" for my Etsy shop! I'm debating whether I should show her to you or not. Shall it be a surprise when I get her, or should I tell you now? Hm...........

No, I won't tell you. You'll have to wait til she arrives! :-D

Thanks for letting me share! Remember to rejoice in the Lord today and thank Him for all His blessings-- "forget not all His benefits", not only the material benefits, but the amazing spiritual benefits as well.

Just for Fun

As some of you know, one of my kind of "goofy" interests is American Girl dolls (stemming from a lifelong friendship with Kirsten :-) ).  I especially enjoy playing dolls with little girls (because it's a good excuse to play dolls and not seem immature. ;-) )  The other week, a little friend of mine and I put together a doll "photo story".  We made up the story together and used hers and my dolls to act it.  I thought I would go ahead and share it with you for fun. :-)

Here it is:

Rebecca Makes a Friend

For the Sake of a Post :-)

Yes, yes, I know. I am becoming a terrible blogger! My bad!

I have been writing nearly everyday, but not on blogger. Lately my main project has been The Marquis' Daughter. In order to ward of laziness and finish my book sooner, I have set myself the goal of writing at least 500 words every day of the week but Sunday. I started this on the 7th of June and have missed my wordcount "only" three days. ;-)

500 words really isn't very much. It's only about a page plus a paragraph. Therefore, it's slow moving and even at 500 words a day, I often don't feel like I got much done. Yesterday, however, I was in an incredible writing mood. I plugged myself up to my MP3 player (Soundtracks and Writing Music folder ;-) ) and wrote almost all day! Total wordcount added? 4,576 words. :-D It was SO FUN!

But today it is cloudy and muggy and dull, and I don't have much inspiration. :-P

Here are some "just for fun" pictures of Minorca, one of the settings in The Marquis' Daughter. :-) This is where the character Mark Sayers lives at the beginning. I think I'm gonna have to go visit there... :-D

I hope to post soon some reviews on books I've recently read, as well as some of what the Lord has been teaching me lately. He has been doing some great things and showing me so much about Him, and teaching me to trust Him!

TTFN!
~Melanie

Friends Visit :-)

Just for fun. :-D

More to come on "Day by Day"!

:-(

Except on Inkblots. :-)
The original line from which the text above is taken is probably us girls' FAVORITE Charlie Brown line. :-) Watch the video below to know why. (I'M SERIOUS! WATCH IT!)

(That's our cousin Daniel and us in November 2007, when we went out to California to see my grandma. Daniel is such a pickle. :-) )

I hadn't thought about it for a long time....

...and then... I thought about it...

....and kept thinking about it....
...which made me think about looking up a friend of mine who I hadn't talked to for a long time, on Facebook....
(my friend, Lois, is in the yellow outfit)

...and then I was looking at her pictures...

...which made me think about it even more...

...about people who need Jesus...

...an Odissi dancer...

...a miserable-looking Hindu couple, who probably didn't even know each other until that day they got married...

...precious little children...

...a rather frightful-looking Hindu performer...

...because they were taught to believe in and slave under this...

...instead of to believe in and worship the One True God, Jehovah, and His Son Jesus Christ.

Who knows how long I'll be thinking about it, or what will come of it. Nevertheless, I have been reminded...
India needs Jesus.

Thanks for bearing with my ramble. I have a lot on my mind these days.

Faith

Faith is to believe what God says is true.

Faith is to trust what God does is right.

Faith is to be confident that what God allows in my life is for my good.

Faith is to live in hope; what God has promised for today will also be true for tomorrow.

Faith always has an object and that object must always be GOD.

 

~Taken from a bookmark sent to us by a friend