miss kellie's literary party.

{giveaways are closed.  thank you to all the young ladies who entered. please join me on the morrow to read the announcements. I also have two product reviews I am very excited to be posting!}

donning my simply darling bonnet {adorned with a few sprigs of fresh lavender and tied with a cream bow}, to-day I am visiting Miss Kellie's charming corner of the blogging world for a sweet little gathering she has prepared. dear Miss Kellie is a sweet acquaintance of mine, who has kindly invited all to gather in her sweet parlour for her annual lovely literary heroine blog party! 'tis positively delightful, no? 

Introduce yourself!  Divulge your life's vision, likes, dislikes, aspirations, or something completely random!

well, my name is Miss Grace. I am the keeper and tender of this garden I have come to call my own.
I simply cannot tell everything about myself as there is too much to tell, but I can tell you that 'tis not about me; 'tis about Him. And only through His merciful grace do I have the blessed opportunity to write to my readers. my aspiration in life is to please and serve Him and bless/encourage/inspire other young ladies through the process of my triumphs and struggles. 

a few of my favorite things would be...faraway friends, letters sealed with wax, raindrops on roses, the wind whistling through the pines, old books and new, pinterest eye candy, seasons of spring and gold, vintage clothing, historical dances and reenactments, a cat's sweet purr, a garden filled with herbs, jars filled with lavender, whimsical nature pleasures, teatime delights, drawers filled with card making supplies, vintage lace and wooden spools, antique shopping, travelling to distant lands, a basket brimming with yarn, words to type, almond trees laden with spring blossoms, the sea's beckoning, the little glen I call home, and so many more things I delight in this beautiful life! 

    

What, to you, forms the essence of a true heroine? 

the true heroine is of noble spirit but most importantly places God first in her life. she encourages and uplifts her sisters in Christ, and is kind and of sweet spirit. she aids those in need, and although meek spirited, she is strong when duty calls. she stands firmly for what she believes in, yet does not force her opinion's upon one unbecomingly. she is feminine and graceful and admired by many.  

Share (up to) four heroines of literature that you most admire and relate to. 


Miss Molly Gibson from Wives and Daughters

Miss Amy Dorrit from Little Dorrit 

Esther Summerson from Bleak House

Laura from Larkrise to Candleford

Five of your favorite historical novels? 

The Goose Girl 
The Apothecary's Daughter
A Heart Most Worthy 
My Heart Remembers 
The Princess Academy
{you may view more of my favorites here} 

Out of those five books who is your favorite main character and why? 

Of course, 'twould have to be Miss Lillian Haswell! She is very knowledgeable in the art of herbal remedies, being an apothecary's daughter, and stays by her elderly father's side when times became difficult.

Out of those five books who is your favorite secondary character and why?
I think I very much liked reading Miss Lucianna's story in A Heart Most Worthy by Siri Mitchel. Although a bit skittish, Lucianna perseveres to survive in America, doing everything within her power to keep her elderly aunt {who does not treat Lucianna very kindly} safe. read the full review of the book here.

If you were to plan out your dream vacation, where would you travel to - and what would you plan to do there? 

most definitely Italy. yet I often suffer from many occasional bouts of wanderlust and imagine travelling to England, France, New Zealand, Austria, Germany, and so many more places in this world! In Italy, I should like to walk the cobblestone streets of olden days {with my scoop of gelato of course ;)} and stroll down the beautiful Almalfi Coast. I would also very much like to visit Verona where Shakespeare's Juliet's balcony is supposedly said to lay and the Venice canals.

What is your favorite time period and culture to read about?
my favorite time period I do so love to read about is the Regency era, Victorian era, French Revolution, the Dark Ages, and Edwardian era. culture? probably either English, Italian, or Ancient Greece/Roman periods.

You have been invited to perform at the local charity concert. Singing, comedy, recitation - what is your act comprised of?
my act comprises all three, although singing is not my forte. I do so enjoy making people laugh merrily and acting is a passion of mine.

If you were to attend a party where each guest was to portray a heroine of literature, who would you select to represent?
hmm...I suppose I would very much like to either Miss Esther Summerson or Emma Woodhouse.

What are your sentiments on the subject of chocolate? 

my sentiments are this : I do not believe I could abide living in a world without the wonderful aroma, silkiness, or dark enchanting taste of chocolate. {how's that for poetic}

Favorite author(s)? 

Julie Klassen
Siri Mitchel
Golden Keyes Parsons
L. M. Montgomery

Besides essentials, what would you take on a visiting voyage to a foreign land? 

my camera to be sure, my journal so that I might record the day's adventures, and my dearest friend.

In which century were most of the books you read written? 

it depends upon my mood. as of late I have been reading more books written during the early 1900's, but I do love to read a scrumptious {historically inspired} contemporary book as well. 

In your opinion, the ultimate hero in literature is…

Describe your ideal dwelling place. 

I do so admire Miss Woodhouse's Hartfield with it's lovely gardens and beautiful countryside...

yet I would be very much content with a simple cottage similar to that of the Dashwood's with lovely countryside like that of Anne of Green Gables surrounding it...

{and we musn't forget the sea is to be nearby ;)} 

Sum up your fashion style in five words. 

elegant, classy, vintage, quirky, and dainty.

Have you ever wanted to change a character’s name? 

yes, I have. on very few occasions, although I cannot remember a particular time or book 

In your opinion, the most dastardly villain of all literature is... 

Three favorite Non-fiction books? 

I am afraid I have little taste for non-fiction books, which I know is terribly wicked of me, but I do love devotional books to which I am very fond including that of...
Before You Meet Prince Charming by Sarah Malley
Preparing to be a Help Meet by Debi Pearl
How to be a Lady by Henry Newcomb
Beautiful Girlhood

Your duties met for the day, how would you choose to spend a carefree summer afternoon? 

oh, there is so much to be done! but what specifically appeals to me at this very moment is to lazily sit amongst the wildflowers and feel the wind and sunshine dapple upon my face {that is, if it is a relatively cool day in June}.

Create a verbal sketch of your dream hat - in such a way as will best portray your true character. 

my bonnet would be a most becoming little thing, made of satin and always adorned with fresh flowers. cream satin ribbons drape down to tie about my neck.

Share the most significant event(s) that have marked your life in the past year.

perhaps, one of the most significant events that has marked this past year was the meeting with my dearest of dear friends, and the making of so many new ones. I am looking forward to what the future of this year, hardly begun, will hold and what adventures I shall pen thereafter. 

Share the Bible passage(s) that have been most inspiring to you recently.

For the Lord God is a sun and shiled: the Lord will give grace and glory: no good thing will He withhold from them that walk uprightly. O Lord of hosts, blessed is the man that trusteth in Thee. 
{psalms 84:11-12}

now 'tis your turn to join! but hurry...there are only two more days! 

xoxo,
the girl in the garden. 

{photographs via pinterest and google search}

be sure to enter her giveaway found here. 

a springtide reverie.

came the spring with all its splendor, 

all its birds and all its blossoms 

all its flowers and leaves and grasses. 

>>---Hennry Wadsworth Longfellow---> 

the year's at spring...camera in hand, I step out of the house; flickering rays of light spill through the branches of pine forming small pools atop the stone path. I gingerly fingered the supple wind, embracing the refreshing caress. for the zenith of february, the weather was remarkably pleasant that fair afternoon and there was a crispness about the air {to which I eagerly drank} which murmured to me that spring was near. 

my heart flutters. my spirit trills like a sparrow released from a cold, leaden cage. blooms of cream peep from the grim outlines of the gnarled almonds. the little buds shimmered like pearls on a string, bobbing daintily in the breeze --- a sight pleasing to my wistful heart locked by a winter's key, quenching my soul thirsty for signs of vernal life. 

I see myriads of blossoms flowing down the grey branches like a train of silk. and I wonder how one could not be but gay by the jocund display of splendor? to witness the grandeur of the Creator's spring imprinted in the tiniest of details is overwhelming. to think that God loves me, a person of such little importance, to allow me to behold so much beauty is awe-inspiring.     

and for a moment, just a moment, my camera's shutter stops, and my mind begins to capture the reverie. to clasp in my "heart of hearts" forever. 

I thank God for this most amazing day, 
for the leaping greenly spirits of trees 
& for the blue dreams of sky 
& for everything which is natural, 
which is infinite. 
>>---E.E. Cummings--->

dear to my heart.

“Kindred spirits are not so scarce as I used to think. It's splendid to find out there are so many of them in the world.” 
― Lucy Maud Montgomery, Anne of Green Gables

“True friends are always together in spirit. (Anne Shirley)” 
― Lucy Maud Montgomery, Anne of Green Gables

“There is nothing I would not do for those who are really my friends. I have no notion of loving people by halves, it is not my nature.” 
― Jane Austen, Northanger Abbey

just for you...

happy birthday to my dear sweet friend Gabby!!! praying that you have a beautifully blessed day filled with sunshine, laughter, love, family, and dear friends. thank you for being such a sweet friend and blessing in my life...thank you for being a wonderful reminder and model of what a young Godly lady should be. 

may the Lord bless you immensely, dear heart!

lovingly,

your goose. 

'twould be lovely if you leaved a little note either here or on my dear friend's blog to wish miss gabby a very happy birthday! 

jane austen-inspired giveaway finale.

well, since I have not been the most faithful in posting these giveaways, I thought I would combine them to become a HUGE giveaway. ;)

______________________________________

alrighty, now off to the giveaways.

shop // facebook // website

alice has kindly contributed this pin towards my Jane Austen event... 

{listing} 

for the young lady who desires to announce her love for Pemberly to the world. :) 

// shop // 

dear, sweet "Dody" has generously contributed this simply lovely journal...

a sweet little place to pen one's hopes, dreams, memories, or one's heart musings of an era long gone by...

>> listing << 

shop // website //

masha has also contributed a very generous gift of $10 shop credit so that the winner might choose something to her liking...

>> listing << 

including perhaps, a set of her lovely notecards, or a Jane Austen print. 

{I purchased a Jane Eyre print for a friend's birthday last summer, and it came beautifully packaged in brown paper tied with hemp twine and sealed with a wax Jane Austen silhouette}. 

// shop // 

meghan generously contributed two of her soaps inspired by emma's lovely hartfield and northanger abbey...

>> listing << 

>> listing << 

perhaps, reading Jane Austen's works while bathing with this delightful soap. 

// shop // facebook // twitter // website // 

and finally, sara has sweetly contributed this Jane Austen lip balm....

>> listing << 

to keep an avid Janite's lips smooth and silky. 

special SPECIAL thanks to all of my wonderful sponsors for making this giveaway possible. I hope that business flourishes for you this year!

>>--- requirements ---> 

{one} 'tis a requirement that you complete the madatory entry. you may proceed to gain additional entries thereafter completion. 

{two} you must leave separate comments per entry. example : three entries, do leave three separate notes. 

{three} when becoming an official visitor to my garden walk {in other words, following my blog} you must be a public visitor via google friends connect. 

{four} this giveaway is open to US young ladies only. 

{five} this specific giveaway shall close on sunday, february 29th at 12:00 noon {pacific timing}. late entries shall not be accepted, and winners when announced, must claim their prize promptly.  

:: mandatory entry :: 

to enter...simply tell me what your favorite Jane Austen book or movie adaption is. 

:: extra entries :: 

{one} heart each shop on etsy. 

// one entry per shop you heart //  

{two} be or become an official visitor of this blog.  

{three} spread the word. mention this little giveaway o' mine in a blog post, on twitter, facebook, etc.

 // one entry per place you share // 

{four} enter my two other giveaways. 

// two entries per giveway you enter // 

 {five} participate in my letter exchange. {now open to ages 14 ~ 19}  

{six} purchase something from each shop.

// ten entries per thing purchased} 

___________________________________

I look forward to hearing from you. 

lovingly,

the girl in the garden. 

note :: please browse through the personal websites above with caution. I have not thoroughly looked through the Etsy shop owner's blogs and do not know the content or programs they support. thank you!

>>----love note---->

love always,

the girl in the garden. 

spread the love // heart to heart. {a letter exchange}

happy valentine's day, to my darling friends! I hope all of you had a lovely day, even if you did not have anyone special to spend it with. *wink* honestly, 'tis a comfort to me that God has plans for my life, and hope that when I am of age to court or date, I shall still be as confident that He will direct my paths in this life. His ways are always best, although the concept seems very hard to grasp at times. 

for now, I know that I am much too young to "entangle" myself in a "relationship" with a young suitor, as such at my age are most often times temporary or premature. although, on valentine's especially, there is always something about receiving a little note from a certain little somebody that makes one's heart flutter with tingling excitement. just to know someone care's, someone notices you is endearing. for someone to take the time to send a little something to let you know that they are thinking about you. 

if this is the case, can we not name all letters and notes we receive love letters? I have a wooden box brimming with letters I have received from dearhearts all across the country {even around the world}, and every time I pick up and glance at the familiar, they are all dear as such sweet warmth and love is enclosed within all of them. can I not call it a love letter?      

I have connected with so many young ladies through blogger who now I am honored to now call my dearest of sisters. although this is a place for me to type my heart and share creativity to the world, one of my main  goals since the birth of this garden walk was to connect other young ladies in a safe environment. to connect a heart in Texas to a heart with the same dreams, struggles, and aspirations a heart in Washington shares. 

so with such thoughts in mind, I would like to present to you the concept of a letter exchange hosted here in my garden. now, I have not had time to make this very elaborate {and unfortunately, I should have presented the idea weeks before}, but I do so hope that you shall be able participate.  

>>-------------> here's how it works...

 enter your name and your blog address in the linky tool at the bottom of this post and leave your e-mailing address in a note on this post. {note :: if you prefer not to have your e-mail address published, please leave me a separate comment.} 

at the end of the week, I shall randomly draw two girls names and will send their contact information to you. 

suggestions on what to include in your letter...

write a little description about yourself. your life. your blog. your interests//hobbies etc. 

ask questions. 

include suggestions on book titles and magazines. 

add recipes.

make a valentine's card. 

add mini letters with verses written on them. 

include a little "extra" something to brighten their day. 

the requirements are simple. 

|one| because a fourteen year old young lady usually has little in common with a twenty year old, for this specific letter exchange I am limiting the age groups to being 14 ~ 19 years of age. 

|two| if you are a young lady 16 years of age or under you must have your parents permission to participate. 

|three| when participating, you are making a commitment that you will send a letter to your assigned penning friend by the end of the month. the deadline for sending your note is the first week of march. 

| four | there will be only 10 slots available. once 10 girls fill the linky below, the linky tool shall be closed. 

| five |  participating in this letter exchange, you will have to give your personal mailing address with another young lady. 

this letter exchange is designed to connect other like-minded young ladies with each other, and in all honesty just to encourage them with a little note. perhaps, the acquaintanceship will only last one letter, but the encouragement and thoughtfulness enclosed within the parchment page, shall be cherished forever.

sealed with love,
the keeper of the garden.

giveaway no. 2 // literary luxe

hullo, dearies!
well, I apologize for the lateness of this giveaway...it has been a horror to try to number my comments now that blogger has implemented their new comment form {which I found out to be named, "threaded comments."} in all honesty, I rather like the new form, but I need a way to number the comments, so that I may announce giveaway winners. :) which, has not been easy at all. also, I must apologize for not returning any of your sweet comments. I have been increasingly overwhelmed by life on and off of the computer, thus explaining my slowness in returning your sweet notes. ;) 

since the previous winner, of the Naomi Lynn Stationery did not respond, the new winner is...

comment #100 KHBride! 

and the winner of the lovely Valentine giveaway is...

comment #61 Miss Mary Beth! 

congratulations, ladies! please contact me at gracesgardenwalk@gmail.com with your mailing addresses 

to claim your prizes! as winners, you may not enter the giveaway published below. 

__________________________________

to-day, let us visit another simply darling shop, I know you shall adore as much as I do! 

shop // website // facebook // blog 

 Jessica owns such a charming shop filled with literary inspired, whimsies, handmade with lots of love...

her products are both useful, encouraging, and ever so bookish. 

_______________________________________

>>--- the giveaway ---> 

the winner shall receive...this lovely Jane Austen inspired journal! 

whether you like to write sensibly about every-day happenstances, or dream of a whimsical English mansion like that of Pemberly, this sweet little notebook with faithfully hold all your heart musings. 

special thanks to Jessica for contributing towards my garden party. 

____________________________________

>>--- requirements ---> 

{one} 'tis a requirement that you complete the madatory entry. you may proceed to gain additional entries thereafter completion. 

{two} you must leave separate comments per entry. example : three entries, do leave three separate notes. 

{three} when becoming an official visitor to my garden walk {in other words, following my blog} you must be a public visitor via google friends connect. 

{four} this giveaway is open to US young ladies only. 

{five} this specific giveaway shall close on sunday, february 26th at 12:00 noon {pacific timing}. late entries shall not be accepted, and winners when announced, must claim their prize promptly.  

:: mandatory entry :: 

to enter...simply visit Jessica's delightful shop and tell me what catches your interest.

and

tell me what your favorite quote is.  

:: extra entries :: 

{one} heart her shop, add Jessica to your etsy circle, and like her on facebook. 

// one entry per thing you accomplish //   

{two} be or become an official visitor of this blog.  

{three} spread the word. mention this little giveaway o' mine in a blog post, on twitter, facebook, etc.

 // one entry per place you share // 

{four} enter my other giveaway. 

 {five} purchase something from Jessica's shop. 

___________________________________

I look forward to hearing from you. 

lovingly,

the girl in the garden.