Planning a Garden Party {a guest post by Samantha}

Hello! I am thrilled to be a guest poster in Grace's beautiful garden! This is my first time at guest posting, and I am very excited to be able to share my ideas with you today.

 I am a lover of all things old-fashioned and lovely, including tea parties and garden parties. While I don't have the opportunity to host many tea or garden parties, I am always coming up with ideas for when I do have one.

~Hosting a Garden Party~

While summer may be coming to a close, it is not too late to host an end-of-summer garden party!

There are still many options for fresh flowers and foods, and you can use the late

summer color palette to inspire your decorations.

~Decorating the Table~

Since this is still a summer party, try to keep your decoration light and colorful, while

still adding in some late summer/early fall touches.

Some colors to use would be deep reds/crimson, yellow, darker greens, orange, etc.

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Fresh flowers are a must! Try to get either wildflowers, or other late summer flowers,

like sunflowers, Queen Anne's lace, zinnias, etc.

You can gather in a bunch and tie them with a pretty ribbon....

...or gather a few flowers together and display them in a lovely vintage vase:

Name cards are always nice, and make your guests feel special.

You can keep them simple, or embellish them with artificial or paper flowers,

pretty stickers, etc.

Finish off your table setting with china dishes and teacups.

Don't worry if you don't have enough teacups for everyone- ask your guests

to bring along their favorite mug or teacup to the party, then while

 you are sipping tea you can swap stories about how they came into possession

of the cup, or why it is their favorite.

~Dainty Tea Treats~

What you serve will depend on the time of day. If you are hosting your party mid-morning, then consider

serving foods that include both breakfast and lunch options.

Ideas include fresh fruit, small pastries, muffins or scones, quiche, etc.

If you party is around lunch time or mid-afternoon, you may want to consider serving something

a little more filling, like sandwiches, fresh salads, etc.

Small tea sandwiches are always delicious, and very easy to make.

Simply slice the crust off of white or wheat bread, cut into rectangles, circles or

triangles, and fill with chicken salad, egg salad, ham salad, etc.

Make sure to mark each type of sandwich if you are serving multiply kinds, that

way your guests will be sure to get a sandwich they like.

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Fresh fruit is always good, no matter what time of day you are having your party.

You can serve it in salad form, or on a skewer.

Choose fruits that are in season and fresh.

You can also serve miniature muffins, biscotti, or scones.

They are all appropriate for a tea, not matter what time of day.

~Sweets and Beverages~

Of course, you can't forget to include some sweets!
The sky is the limit when it comes to delicious treats to serve.

Just about any favorite recipe can be down-sized into a miniature

version of itself.

Pies and tarts can be made in miniature pans, puddings can be served in little serving

dishes, and even ice cream, sherbet or sorbet can be served, though in dainty portions.

Petite fours are usually a mainstay at many tea parties. You can decorate

the little cakes with icing, or embellish with sugar or fresh edible flowers.

An assortment of various tea cookies are also nice.

Keep the flavors light, though. Lemon, butter or vanilla

are three tasty options!

Keep your desserts light. Try to not include rich or heavy desserts.

If you would prefer to not serve sweet, sugary treats at your party,

fresh fruit with a little whipped cream is always a yummy and healthy option.

*********

Whether you are planning a garden party or tea party, tea is always

an appropriate beverage. If possible, offer several different tea options to your

guests. You can serve a regular sun tea, then offer fresh peppermint tea

or a fruit-flavored tea. Even someone who doesn't like tea is sure

to find a flavor that suites them.

Along with tea you can serve water, lemonade (preferable pink!), and/or fruit juices.

~Setting the Mood~

Now that your table is decorated and the food is made, it is time to "set the mood"

for your party!

Put on some pretty music, light a sweet-smelling candle, and don your prettiest outfit (don't forget the hat and gloves!).

And most importantly......

Greet every guests with a smile and encouraging word!

( All pictures via pinterest)

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Miss Samantha is an recent homeschool graduate who finds enjoyment in all things historical and old-fashioned. If she were a better seamstress, her closet would be filled with historical outfits!

Her other interests include reading, baking, spending time out-of-doors and being with friends.

She enjoys sharing her thoughts on her two blogs, Simple Delights & Sunshine.

One blog is devoted to sharing recipes, movie reviews from a Christian perspective, spiritual thoughts, etc., while the other blog is dedicated to her other interest, which is buying, selling and promoting handmade crafts.

Feel free to stop by and take a look!

Blogging Tips {A Guest Post by Bethany}

Hello Ladies!

What a lovely day it is here in Miss Grace's Garden! I am so honored and pleased to be able to be guest posting while Miss Grace is away! Today I have some Blogging tips for you "Blogger fans" that I have learned from several years of Blogging experience. I hope that they will help you and make your blog extra nice!

I have been blogging since November of 2009 and have really enjoyed it! Blogger is a great way to share many things, update friends and family on recent news, share with friends what you have been doing lately and lots more! Lately the Lord has been showing me how I, as a blogger have the opportunity to reach people I normally wouldn't reach through my blogs. Thus I have the opportunity to share Christ's love with them and encourage those who are devoted to Him. I want to encourage all you Christian bloggers to use ever opportunity you get through blogging to encourage others who are following Christ! This was one of the things that was a priority for me and Johanna when we started Royal Daughters of the King ministry back in June.

When I started blogging back in 2009, my first blog was for my previously published magazine Hearts for God, which I have since quit publishing and moved on to Royal Daughters of the King. I needed a site for HFG to share updates with subscribers and to give information on the magazine for new subscribers  and subscribers-to-be. So that blog started and later I started our other blog, The Ward Family Blog. I started it in hopes to share with friends and family the happenings around our house, and since there are 8 of us in my family, there is a lot to tell! :D

Now for the blogger tips!

Always use pictures! Pictures that go along with your post always make such a nice effect and make the post seem more real. Pictures I take often need a little editing so I like to use Picnik for that since it's free and has a lot of neat options!

Post often. If you get busy and can't post, at least try and post a little something explaining that you will be taking a blogging break. No one likes to be left hanging! {I've been bad about this!} When someone truly enjoys your blog then they will want to see reguar posts so try and be faithful!

Post ideas: Here are some ideas for posts you can feature on your blog: giveaway posts, product reviews, posts with things you have been doing lately, photos about what you and your family have been up to, posts of what your day looks like, craft tutorial posts, recipe posts, quote posts, interview posts, guest posts, book review posts, host a blog event, share a music video, and an "ask me" post.

Don't worry about what your blog looks like. Although it is important to make sure your blog looks nice, sometimes bloggers take so much effort in trying to please others by how their blog looks they don't have any energy left to actually post on it! So keep it simple and clean and write from your heart!

Don't compare your blog to others. I think that a lot of people {including myself!} get caught in this trap. When we allow ourselves to think about how great her blog is, what an awesome design she has, the amount of followers another blog has, how many comment she gets, and so on, it can discourage you! When we are constantly comparing our blog to theirs than this can lower our ability or desire to post things with confidence.

Pray for your blog! Praying was something I did a lot of for my ministry blog once it started, and I still do it now! Pray and ask that God would allow your blog to encourage others and bring them to Him and to bless your blog. Ask Him to give you wisdom in knowing what to write and what not to write, to give you the ability to speak to your readers hearts! Ask Him what His will is for your blog and allow Him to guide you through it.

Find someone who can help! When you find a experienced blogger friend who you can ask blogger questions to it help a lot! Blogger can sometimes get a bit complicated so be sure and have someone you can go to for answers you will have.

Keep your posts at the right length. Sometimes it's hard to find the perfect length for a post. You never want it too short, but not too long either! You want it long enough to give the reader a good idea of what you are writing about, but not so long that they don't want to read it since it's soooo long. :)

Encourage! Always remember to encourage your readers in the Lord and use lots of Scripture that goes with your post! It's always a blessing to be able to read Scripture from blogs! I like to use BibleGateway to do a Bible search for verses with keywords that go with my post and then copy them onto the actual post.

Have a contact form. For those with blogs, you will have people who want to  contact  you personally, but in another form than a comment. Contact forms are perfect for this! Especially since you can have someone contact you without revealing your email address. Free contact form sites I have used include 123 Contact and Kontactr.

Justify your posts. When you are making a new post on blogger, on the top of the post box were all the gadgets are, in between the "Insert jump break" tool is and the "Numbered bullet" tool is, there is a drop down box were you can "justify" your post {a.k.a. make your post fit nicely on your blog}. Just click your mouse and keep it clicked down while you go over the words of your post until they are underlined in blue. Then go to the justify option and click on it!

Keep your sidebar clean. Cluttered sidebars can often be a distraction so try and go through yours every so often to keep it neat and tidy.

I hope that these tips will help you! May God bless you as you blog for Him!

Because of Jesus and in His Love,

Bethany

About The Authoress: Bethany Ann is a mid-teen aged Christian girl who lives with her 5 younger siblings, parents and 3 dogs in Texas. Some of her interest include Bible work, sewing, reading, blogging, encouraging young ladies in the Lord, crocheting, knitting, baking/cooking, crafting, helping around the house and more! She loves the Lord and desires to glorify Him through her writings. Her blogs include Royal Daughters of the King, which is a encouragement blog for young ladies which is done with Johanna of An Old Fashioned Girl blog, and The Ward Family Blog.

The Gift of the Moment {a guest post by Kellie}

Greetings, ladies!  This is Kellie from Accordion to Kellie.  I am so happy to have had Miss Grace ask me to sow some inspirational seeds in her lovely little garden while she is away.  I pray that you will be inspired, encouraged, and blessed by visiting today.  Enjoy!

{Via}

Time has the habit of doing some of the strangest things - one moment it seems as if our days go on forever, seemingly changeless... then suddenly, entire years have passed with naught but the rustling of memories to remind us of those happy golden days. 

 They fly by with such breath-taking rapidity that a times I am caught unprepared to say goodbye, to move on with Life's Story.

{Via}

One day a thought struck me, a thought so awe-inspiring that I had to at least attempt to write it down.

Each moment we draw breath, we are shaping the course of the whole rest of our life. Every word uttered, each deed done or left undone, will be held accountable to God at the Judgment Day. 

As I wrote in my journal:

"Every moment carries me further away from the wonderful chapter which has just been penned in my life's book, making me depend more and more on the memories. I almost cannot bear it, but for the thought that just as each moment whisks me away from the past, it also carries me forward to fill the next moments in my life with that which will matter in Eternity, one by one. 

A whole lifetime, made up of single moments.

Each moment to fill with glory, to be encompassed in the light of the Savior, to strive to do His will, to bless and encourage the other lives around me. 

{Via}

"So I can go on living, after all. Not only have I been blessed with many, many wonderful and dear memories, but I find that, more importantly still, I have been freshly encouraged to take every moment captive for the will of my Father. He has given me an incredible gift. Let me not waste it."

I penned this little story based on on that journal entry. 

{Via}

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She stood at the kitchen sink, apron-clad, a song on her lips, her busy fingers transforming the tumbling pile of soiled plates and bespattered bowls into a neat row of sparkling ceramic. The lights were low, and there was a quietness about the room that showed she was alone. The table was emptied, the morrow's bread cooling on its rack, the floor brought to its usual state of shining neatness - everywhere were signs of many long hours of toil. 

{Via}

The girl worked on, seemingly unconscious of the fact that her legs were aching, her hair ruffled, the tasks yet to be completed still loomed ahead between her and the moment when she could quit the room she had occupied so long. As the round enamel clock ticked its familiar relentless staccato, she looked tired, and her face grew weary, yet it never lost an expression of deep contentment and peace which even a stranger could plainly see was a habitual one. True, once she gave a long sigh, but it was quickly replaced with a wry smile, then a little laugh, as she soaped and scrubbed, her eyes gazing through the dark glass of the window on visions which no other could see. 

{Via}

To an ignorant observer, the little scene displayed a picture of inglorious drudgery - a wasted life, laboring away at seemingly irksome tasks, monotonous in their regularity. Each moment she stood there might have been spent in some other way - she could have used her time to give herself pleasure. And yet, she remained in the place she had taken up, willingly giving the hours to perform these small and tedious duties of everyday life. To all appearances, this girl was a fool to throw away her life in such a thankless fashion!

If only that same shortsighted observer had been able to see the joy in her heart. . . if only they, too, could know what it is to have the perfect peace which fills us, and spills over on the lives around us, when we are living for the King of Kings. For this girl had been blessed with an incredible gift, and she knew it. A whole lifetime of moments lay before her, slipping into the passing of time like precious pearls off a string. Each one full of potential, to be redeemed by filling it with thoughts and works glorifying her Maker. She knew that the time she was using was not her own - that it had been given her to use to the best of her ability for the glory of the One who bestowed it on her. 

{Via}

An entire lifetime, made up of single moments. An entire life living in the light of the Savior, striving to do His will, to bless and encourage the other lives around it. Sometimes loosing a precious moment through carelessness or self-indulgence, but ever being given a new one to move forward with, to beautify a life, to be remembered by.

The girl drew her eyes away from the shadowy windowpane. She looked at the clock for a long moment. The second hand moved with almost frightening regularity, continually ticking off the seconds. After the last platter had been placed in the dish rack, she went to the open kitchen door and stood looking into the dusk. The warm summer breeze rustled in the poplars overhead, and the faint, sweet music of a fiddle wafted up the hill from the valley. She stood there in the doorway for a great while, with her face raised to the sky.

{Via}

In that little scene, I saw a picture of glorious dedication - a blessed and useful life, giving of herself, claiming each and every moment for the glory and praise of the Savior. 

I saw her smile. She wiped her hands on the well-worn apron, and closed the door.

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