Thank You!!! And a few of my Favourite things

Dearest Readers~

Thank you so much for the wonderful birthday blessings! Your kind words in your comments brightened my day immensely, and I am truly grateful for dear blogging friends! You are all the best, and do not let anyone say other wise.

Well, I suppose some of you are wondering how old I did turn. And my grand age is:

14

I really cannot believe fourteen years have passed all ready. I am so thankful of the blessings and favourite things the Lord has filled in my life. To celebrate 14 years I am going to list 14 wonderful blessings:

1. Family! My family is so supportive, so wonderful! No words can even half-way describe my love to them.

2. Friends~My friends are so wonderful. This blog has not even been established for a year, and I have all ready gained so many dear friends who I am eternally grateful to have in my acquaintance. A few of them I have written and Skyped with; every letter, note, and Skyping message is always a joy!

3. My neighbors~We are very blessed to live in a good, safe neighborhood. When I was younger, I envied people who lived in neat neighborhoods with sidewalks (yeah, we don't have sidewalks), and filled with many children to play with. Now, I see that I would rather have the neighbors we have currently, then a neighborhood filled with kids who would be influence me to do wrong.

4. Pen and Paper~ School has been a major source for my writing skills. I am immensely grateful that Mother has been willing to homeschool me since kindergarten!!!

5. Good Books~ Many thanks to Nancy Drew, Vision Forum, and Jane Austen! (There's a rumor going about that Charlotte Bronte is better than J.A.! Hmm?:)

6. A Cup of Steaming Tea~they warm me inside and out on those dreary days!

7. Letters and Packages Tied Up with Strings~These are a few of my favourite things!!! Yes, letters sealed with a bright red wax seal, is such a pleasant sight!!!

8. Sewing and Crocheting~A wonderful art filled with so much to do!

9. Sweet-scented Soap~It is true. Sweet soap cheers me up whenever I take a bath. Right now, I am using a very nice bar of Rosewater soap!:)

10. Roses, Lilacs, and Lavender!

11. Music!

12. Road to Avonlea and Larkrise to Candleford are a joy to watch!

13. Giveaways!:) Everyone loves a good giveaway!

14. My Blogging Sisters in Christ~You are all such wonderful blessings! Your comments are a bit of sunshine, and your kind words so refreshing!

Lots of Love,

~Grace~

A Very Special Birthday! (My 150th Post!)

To-day (the past four days;) have been such wonderful days! So many friends and family have made my birthday ever so special. So many things have happened within the few days, I do not know where to start!

My actual birthday was really to-day; however we celebrated on Sunday (and Friday and Saturday and today!:) On Sunday afternoon, after church, my parents took me out to a special brunch in Cambria. I had a scrumptious Egg Tart (or small quiche) that was filled with bacon, carmelized onions, bleu cheese, and was ever so yummy! The entrée came with toast and peach preserves, potatoes and squash, and fruit salad!

The cheery fire in the fireplace made the atmosphere more cozy and homey! Besides, it was rainy weather by the coast, and the warmth was very inviting....

The waitress was very sweet and gave me a yummy ice cream sundae with a sparkling candle. (When I heard her speak, she had an English accent; I immediately told Mother I liked her:).

The rose was so pretty, I decided to take it home and press it (between my Jane Austen books of course!:), to remind me of my *age (you have to guess it!)* and special birthday!

Mother and Father shared the chocolate moose! So tasty not to mention well presented!

After brunch Mama and I went shopping in my favourite herb shop...

We also went in a sweet (and cozy) yarn shop. I was tempted to buy all the yarn.

Such wishes from friends and family warms my heart. Each and every one of them are tremendous blessings in my life.

On Friday, I visited with my dearest friend Joanna and had a lovely lunch/dinner with their family. She gave me a lovely scarf (see bottom of post). The doorbell and phone has been ringing all the day long. Joanna was our last caller, and she stood in the doorway with a package wrapped in pink ribbon. Her parents cried from the car, "Special delivery," and I was so touched. Thank you, Joanna! You made my birthday extra special! Lots of Love!

On Saturday, Mother took me to the park and we browsed among the neat booths of the flee market (post coming soon). I bought some lovely linens!

Of course, on Sunday we went to brunch. (See the basket? Is it not lovely. A gift from my sister. During the summer months, I shall use it as a farmer's market basket; for the winter months it shall store my yarn supply!:)

My dear neighbor came over with a delicious, cake-sized cupcake!

It is so yummy!

~~~~~~Gifts~~~~~~

Of course, I cannot post about each and every gift I received; however, I shall show you a few for now:

This lovely crimson scarf is oh, so soft! A sweet gift from a dear friend!

A cute tea cup from my dear friend's sister-in-law!

My parents gave me some lovely presents including a sewing machine (hopefully I shall post pictures soon;) and this pretty scrapbook, I picked out while on our trip to Yosemite. (I wish we had a JoAnn's!!!)

On Friday, I talked to my good friend Johanna, and opened my presents. She is such a dear and sweet friend; whom I am greatly blessed to call my friend! Such sweet presents she sent me!

My other, dear friend Jenna sent me this lovely apron. I LOVE it dear friend!!! I was able to chat with her on Saturday.

To-day, my dear friend Miriam called me which was a special treat. I feel greatly blessed to have such wonderful friends!!!

And, finally, my sweet, past violin teacher sent me this darling lamp! What a special gift! I shall cherish it always, and hope, to find a special place for it soon. Thank you so much, Shawna!!!

Well, I should perhaps, prepare for bed soon. I have too many things to do before my "Old Fashion Christmas," event coming soon. I have to gather my stories, giveaway sponsors, video tutorials, and not to mention gifts!!!

Now, I am off to soak in my heavenly-smelling lavender salts (another gift from a neighbor!:)

Oh, and by the way...can you guess how old I am? :)

Lots of Love to all of you,

P.S. A few people have been leaving my garden in which I do not blame them, for I have been very lazy with my posts:). I just wanted to say a big thank you to my dear and faithful readers whose loyalty I am truly thankful for!

P.S.S. My "Old Fashion Christmas" event is coming up soon, starting I think, day after Thanksgiving. Be preparing your tutorials and ideas!:) I have some pretty neat giveaway items in mind and am SO excited!!!:)

Another Sweet Smelling Giveaway!

Click HERE for a giveaway you won't want to miss!

A Bit of Autumn Happiness...

What a lovely autumn day in my garden! Why, thank you for stopping by for a sweet visits! My dear readers, are always welcome in my garden!

A few days ago, Mother, a few close friends, and I went for a visit to a local fruit stand named "Avela Barn," which is only open twice a year: summer and autumn. In the summertime, people may go berry picking and the peaches and nectarines are in season. There is also a candy/ice cream parlor open, and two sweet little stores that sell trinkets, jams, cookbooks, and so much more!

In the autumn, the apples come into season along with lovely pies, scones, breads, and turnovers being baked. People may come to see the animals, buy corn, pick their own pumkins, and have fun in the hay maze.

The bright and cheery sunflowers were in bloom:

Bright and cheery....

.....A bit of sunshine....

Sun flowers are one of my favourite flowers!

We also went to a small fruit stand named "Gopher Glen," where they sell bushels of freshly picked apples including Johnilicious, Heaven Sent, Fuji, and a wide variety ranging from the sweetest to the tartest of apples.

This picture reminded me of "Apples of Gold." :)

"There is something in the autumn that is native to my blood...."~Bliss Carman

A merry autumn to you, my dear readers!

May the Lord fill your day with His abundant blessings!

With Love and Blessings~

P.S. I hopefully, will be posting a few pictures (and or videos) of Colony Days for you! I had such a lovely time!

Introducing...

Dearest Readers,

To-morrow, is one of the most enjoyable days all year. Here, where I live, we do not have many reenactments only a Civil War Ball and Colony Days. To-morrow an event which is called Colony Days is being held at a neighboring town, and I am SO excited!!!:)

Colony days is a fun reenactment of Tent City (a small town made of canvas tents) established during the turning of the century (between Victorian and WWI eras). Tent City was made for the people whose houses were still being built. There are many fun activities held during the festivities and neat booths like the Barber, the launder, the Red Cross, and so much more! I am very excited that my mom will be filming along with taking a bunch of pictures for your enjoyment!!!

So, during this reenactment I form a character. Last year I was named Lillian Grey; I was the daughter of the owner of the local Merchantile, or store that had just a little bit of everything.

This year, I have formed a character named Miss Elsie Tomwell. She's a somewhat poor fiddler girl and she-well, why don't I introduce her to you with an interview? :)

(Each year, one of the Tent City actors are given an award for best booth presentation, best actor award for adults and children. There are judges that go on "rounds" asking questions to the actors, then deciding whom should be awarded. Here are some of the questions they may ask):

Question: Hello! And who are you and how old are you?

Elsie: My name is Elsie Tomwell, and I am fourteen years of age, sir.

Question: With whom do you live and where do you live? Do you live on a farm?

Elsie: I live with my Ma and Pa in a small house outside of town. We are a poor and do not live on a farm, but we do have a few chickens and a grey old horse.

Question: What do your parents do?

Elsie: My pa takes up work wherever he can find some. My ma takes up sewing. She does embroidery, mending, sewing-you name it. In fact, she sewed this dress I am wearing right now. Isn't it lovely? It used to be an ugly old gown, but my ma can make anything pretty.

Question: How gave you the fiddle?

Elsie: My grandfather promised me this fiddle when he passed away a long while ago. It's one of my most valuable possessions. He said it was crafted in Europe a long time ago.

I hope you are all having a lovely autumn day!

Lots of Love,
~Elsie, The Poor Fiddler Girl~

P.S. A lovely autumn post is coming soon! :)

P.S.S. All who live near me are welcome to come! I should like to see you there. To find me, I'll be playing the fiddle, so you cannot miss me:D!

A Devotion

Dearest Readers,

A friend recommended a lovely and encouraging devotion, sent to you everyday by e-mail. Here is a devotional that is definitely something to ponder:

Parents

by Heather Hart

"Honor your father and mother"--which is the first commandment with a promise-- "that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on the earth."

Ephesians 6:2-3

Did you just sigh? This is one of those verses that sometimes we would rather just ignore, right? Well, we can't do that. This is part of God's Word, and all of God's Word is important. Plus, this is the first commandment with a promise! The first four commandments don't have promises (that's just the way it is), but when we get to this one, God tells us that if we follow this, that we will enjoy life. Why is that? For one thing, if we obey our parents, life at home will be a lot more pleasing! They will be happier, thus we will be happier. It might not be fun to clean our room, or fold the laundry, but we can do these things with a happy heart because we know that doing them not only pleases our parents, but pleases God too!

Honoring our father and mother is more than just doing what they say. It also means that we don't talk bad about them to our friends, or yell at them. We need to remember that our words are powerful, and God only wants us to say things that are beneficial to those around us (Eph. 4:29). We also need to remember that we are to be content in every circumstance (Phi. 4:11), and always willing to go the extra mile (Matt. 5:41).

Reflection:

Do you honor your parents with your actions, words, and heart?

Application Step:

Today, work at honoring your parents. Don't talk back, do what they say, and smile at them. Pray for them that they can be the parents that God wants them to be (and if they aren't believers, pray for their salvation!). Try to something today that you know will make your parents happy without them having to tell you.

Prayer:

Father God, thank you for my parents. Thank you that they work so hard for me, help me to honor them. Help me to love them. Please bless them and help them to be the parents that you want them to be. Help me to respect them, and be a blessing to them. In Jesus name I pray, Amen.

Many Blessings,
Grace

~Announcements~

Dearest Readers,

Well, the Giveaway season is still going on, and so, I am going to save my prize (soon to be prizes:) for a more special event I am really excited about. As you know from the older post, I told you I was planning to host an event called an 'Old Fashion Christmas,' and I want to prepare the prizes for that before the season's busyness catches up to me:). I am also going to try to make it my 200th post event, and might even give finding sponsors a try.

Also, I am sorry for the lack of pictures. I lost my camera (which I am really sad about). I am not as sad as I may be, because I was saving for a really good camera anyways; however, now it's official!:) Please pray that I will either save up for my camera really quickly or I will find my camera! Thank you so much; I appreciate your prayers!

Another thing is...my birthday is coming up in two weeks!!! I am so excited!:)

Many Blessings,
Grace

Monthly Interview #2 Sarah from Country Musings!

To-day's interview is with a very sweet and dear friend of mine, who has a pure heart for the Lord and a sweet farmer girl's touch.

Miss Sarah is a very sweet-spirited young lady, whom plays the fiddle (one of our things in common:), and loves knitting. I do not recall how I stumbled upon her blog; however, I am very grateful I did. It is such a blessing to visit her!

~~~~~The Interview~~~~~

Grace: What inspired you to start a blog and how long have you been blogging?

Miss Sarah: Well, My mom actually started up our family blog five years ago. She would post every once in a while, and then when my sister and I got old enough to post things, we joined in. I believe mom started the blog to keep far away family members updated on what ‘the herd’ was up to. (living on a cattle ranch, we lovingly call our family ‘the herd’)

Grace: What is perhaps your favourite thing about blogging?

Miss Sarah: Well, I absolutely LOVE comments!! They definitely make my day. J I like being able to share my thoughts about different things and get feedback from readers. It is always nice to see what other Christian young ladies are doing and what their thoughts are on different subjects. I also like putting up different kinds of back grounds and making the blog something that is pretty.

Grace: What are readers most likely to find at your blog?

Miss Sarah: Readers will find a wide range of things. Cattle ranching up dates, sewing posts, thoughts on different things from the Bible, pictures, and lots of humorous stories of what goes on at the ranch.

Grace: One word that would describe your personality and why?

Miss Sarah: Well, as one friend described me once “Bubbly”. I love to laugh-and if you have never heard or believed the saying “laughter is the best medicine”, well it is! I hardly get sick.. lol! I love to live life to it’s fullest and to God’s glory. I am very outgoing and love to meet new people and make new friends. (And don't say creative cause we have too many of those. Just teasing, you can say whatever you want:) (ha, I didn’t say creative!!! Lol!!! Yeah, you have gotten lots of those!)

Grace: Give us a little insight into your life.

Miss Sarah: Well, let’s see…. I am the second eldest daughter, and sister to three fun loving siblings; one older sister and two younger brothers. We live on a ranch with my wonderful parents whom God has totally blessed me with. I don’t know what I would do without them! I am finishing up my last year of high school with my favorite teacher, being my dear mom. Ranch life has it’s ups and downs, but we have learned to grow closer to each other. You will usually find me hanging out with one of my siblings laughing, talking, and just enjoying the great out doors.

Grace:What are some of your interests/hobbies?

Miss Sarah: I love sewing, cooking, baking, crafting, spending time with little kid friends of mine, spending time with my family and friends, laughing, riding horses, riding cows, and doing different competitions with my brothers (as in, seeing who can run the fastest- I always lose now…-, or who can go hand over hand across the high pole-I always lose at that one too..-, etc, etc.)

Grace: Tell us a bit about your walk with Christ.

Miss Sarah: I have had an amazing experience in my walk with the Lord. He has blessed me with so much grace and mercy that I do not deserve. When I was younger, maybe 7, I gave my life to Christ. Being little, I didn’t really understand much about the responsibility to that commitment. In fact, I think I wanted to become a Christian so that I could have the yummy communion- hey, I liked grape juice. ;-) Since then I have changed a lot, I hope! A couple years after, when I was 9-10, my sister and I were left home alone while mom did grocery shopping. This was nothing really new, as we were both old enough to kind of take care of our selves. In the part of the country where I live, we get lots of wind. It is pretty dry and dusty here, too. Well, on this particular day, the wind was blowing really hard and had picked up a wall of dirt on the other side of the road. The dirt around the house was so thick at times that you couldn’t see to the end of the yard! Well, I was alone, my sister being in the shower, and was scared to death that our house would blow away. I tried calling mom, but the line wouldn’t go through. Finally, I had to resort to praying. This thought had never occurred to me much. I prayed before meals and that was it. It wasn’t like I was in rebellion, but I certainly wasn’t developing in my relationship. I prayed that God would make the wind stop. As I was praying, I was watching the big wall of dirt. It is building higher! I prayed even harder and suddenly… the wind stopped. The wall of dirt came down and I was awed beyond anything, as you can imagine. Since that time, I have really developed a wonderful relationship with my Lord and Savior. I hope to continue to grow in Him as He teaches me new things. I am always so excited (well, on most days!) to learn new things from Him. Often times the lessons are painful ones, but I know that He knows best for me and will help me to reach whatever point I need to get to. Thanks so much for interviewing me, Sweet Grace!!!

Dearest Sarah, It was my pleasure to interview you! You are such a sweet girl, and I am very thankful for our friendship. May the Lord bless you and all that are dear to your heart.

Visit Miss Sarah by clicking on the button above!:)Many Blessings,

I've got to share!

I found this on Seven Sister's Blog, and my mouth dropped! Look at her fingers!!!!!!!

And she has such a little bow, and her vibrato (When they wiggle their fingers) is superb all ready, and she's like what six?!:) Think of how her teacher plays.

Enjoy!

October's Monthly Interview #1 Kassie from A Stand Against the World

There are so many young ladies that want to be interviewed, that I have decided to post at least two interviews each month. I'm sorry I did not post this sooner.

To-day's interview is with a lovely young maiden, whom I have just recently met. She is a very sweet young lady with a heart and passion for the Lord.

Grace: When did you first create your blog and how long have you been blogging?

Miss Kassie: Well, I first created my blog a couple months ago but, I have been blogging for two years now.

Grace: What is your favourite part about blogging?

Miss Kassie: Sharing my thoughts and my beliefs and writing!

Grace: What will readers most likely find at your blog?

Miss Kassie: My day to day life and debatable things...along with God struck thoughts and articles.

Grace: Tell us some of your favourite pastimes and or interests.

Miss Kassie: Well..where do I start?... Crochet, cooking, READING! (Huge book worm), embroidery, writing!, sewing and audio dramas. And of course, spending time with my heavenly prince :) Interest? Politics, writing, Eras of elegance, any womanly accessories, Femininity.

Grace: Give us a little insight into your life.

Miss Kassie: My life consist of God honoring femininity! Nothing else. I am the meal planer for my family and the eldest of four.

Grace: One word that would describe your personality and why?

Miss Kassie: Creativity, because I ALWAYS have ideas !

Grace: Tell us a bit about your walk with Christ.

Miss Kassie: I have been a christian ever sense I can remember...but I didn't really get the true concept of a Christ like woman till earlier this year. So for the past year I have reconstructed my life and am now have a passion for God's true call of womanhood! Check out my other blog at: Ladiesoffemininity.blogspot.com

Thank you so much, Kassie for letting me interview you!

I do greatly encourage you to visit Kassie's Blog at A Stand Against the World.

Blessings,
Grace

Just Living~Fiesta De Octobre Week #1

Miss Jo March is hosting a Fiesta at Scraps from My Workbasket, and ya'll are invited!
Fiesta #1 (which is one of the MANY fiestas this month) requires you to fill out a "tag" called Just Living:

{1} What time do you wake up each morning? Usually at 7:30 A.M. for school, but if we are not going anywhere in particular that day, Mother lets me sleep until 8:00. Why? Because of school!:)

{2} You've just woken up, and you're thirsty. You fix yourself a glass of....orange juice to swallow my vitamin and probiotics. I can absolutely NOT handle my vitamins without orange juice. (Our family goes through {or can go though} a carton of orange juice within days:) I have been of late making myself a cup of black tea (trying out the different ones anyhow because I am running low on vanilla:)

{3} Where do you go to school? Hehehe, as most of you know...I'm HOMESCHOOLED!!! And loving it. What do you like/dislike about it? I love that I am able to stay home and not be affected by some of the bad things of public school like peer pressure and worldly teachings. I love going to school in my pj's, and eating breakfast during my morning lessons. I like that I am able to stay home with Mother as well. However, I suppose I do not like A Beka curriculum because their grading can be very strict. I could miss a question on a quiz and receive a 90%; that's ten points off one question!

{4} How many siblings do you have? One who has never lived with us, is married, and lives with my sweet niece an 1 1/2 hr. away from where we live. What are their names and ages (if you're allowed to share)? My sister's name is Tricia, however, I do not really like to reveal her age:)

{5} What is your favorite game to play with your family? Apples to Apples, Phase Ten, and a few more. We really do not play that many games...

{6} What's the silliest thing you've ever done with your siblings, cousins or any other family member? Would you do it again if you could? Hmmm....hard to say. My sister and I do not play many games when she stays with us, however I do remember playing hide and seek when I was younger. Again hard to say.:)

{7} What's your favorite game to play with your friends? I LOVE playing Nancy Drew computer games with my friend, especially during the night at sleepovers since we get really spooked then;) I like playing catch and flashlight tag as well.

{8} If you could meet one person in the whole wide world (who's currently alive), who would it be? Why would you want to meet that person? What would you say to them? Could they be fictional? If they could, I would absolutely LOVE to meet either Miss Emma Woodhouse or Lillian Haswell from The Apothecary's Daughter by Julie Klassen. If they were not fictional I would love to meet...The Duggars!!!!:) They are such an inspiration, and I would absolutely LOVE to meet them someday!

{9} If you could meet one person in the whole wide world (from the past), who would it be? Why would you want to meet that person? What would you say to them? Someone in the past...hmm...Probably, Jane Austen? I don't know...her life seemed so dull compared to her novels!:) How about...Ruth or Esther?

{10} What is your favorite way to worship God? Singing, dancing, playing an instrument, praying, fasting? Singing and playing an instrument.

{11} "God cares about the little things of life." Do you agree? Can you give specific examples of ways that God has shown Himself in the little things of your life? Yes, I absolutely agree! One time, my dentist prescribed a special type of toothpaste to help protect me from cavities. Mother went to Walmart and picked up the prescription. She said, "You know what's amazing?" I said, "What?"

"Your prescription was $25 dollars, and daddy's paycheck was a little extra, but guess what? It was exactly $25 dollars extra!!!"

Another example is when my rabbit ran away. God brought him back!:)

{12} Is there a particular Bible verse that has stood out to you recently? Which verse and why? Rejoice in the Lord always. I know, it's depressing to listen to the radio or the news, and I know things are tight for some people right now, but if we Rejoice in the Lord and be faithful unto Him, he will provide!

{13} Your parents are out for the day, leaving you home alone (with your siblings). Then, your grandmother from out of state calls and says she'll be there in fifteen minutes. (She wasn't supposed to come until tomorrow) What do you do?

Well, that would be awesome to have a grandmother in the first place! Okay, I'm going to have a calm situation and a chaotic situation.

~Practical Explanation ~

I would (if I had siblings) round them all up in the living area, and tell them that grandmother was coming to town within the half hour. We would spruce the house up a bit (my mom would have the house pretty much cleaned all ready:), and then I would call my mom telling her, grandmother just called and said she was coming in fifteen minutes. My siblings and I would set the table with flowers, dress in our relatively good clothes, oh, and is there anything else? I suppose pop the scones in the oven, set the kettle on the stove, and prepare for tea!:D

~Panicky Situation~

"Okay, grandmother, I am so glad that you are coming! Can't wait to see you! Bye!" *Set the phone down* "Everybody, come quick!!!! Grandmother is coming in 15 min, and we need to get this house cleaned!" George comes running down the stairs with mud on his face, Noel can't find her stockings or shoes, Lizzy is finishing up a test, my sewing stuff is cluttered throughout the house, oh, and what's that?! "George, did you and your friend hid my needles again?!!" There are dishes to be cleaned, the floors are a mess, my dress needs to be pressed, my hair must be a disaster, the neighbor rang the doorbell wondering if they could have some eggs, the chickens escaped their pen, the dog is chasing the cat who is chasing after the chickens, the chickens are going haywire, the phone rings, oh, and what's that now? A SPECK OF DUST!!!! STOP!!!! We hear grandmother's car pulling up in the driveway, and everybody who was screaming and jumping and crying, stops when they hear footsteps....

Okay, that would totally NOT happen for many reasons!:)

{14} Have you ever traveled out of country? Why did you go? Um, I suppose Mexico counts. We only went to the border while visiting San Diego.

{15} What sport do you play and what do you enjoy about it? I used to play basketball, but have now stopped. I swim a lot in the summer, though.

{16} Do you like cats or dogs better? If neither, specify: Hmm...I love dogs because they give you affection whereas cats could care less if you don't have food; however dogs are so high maintenance. Cats are sweet and cute, but do not really give you a lot of affection; however, they are low maintenance.

{17} Country or city? Country!!! Except, I do like visiting the city sometimes.

{18} Cowboy hat or prairie bonnet? Wait, is this one of those questions that whichever one you choose would reflect your personality? *Crickets in the background* Okay, prairie bonnet.

{19} Flipflops or tennis shoes? Flip flops!

{20} Do you like Jo's blog? Yeah, I'm new to it, but yes, I like it!:)

On a Rainy Day...

Thank you for stopping by! I do hope it is much sunnier where you live, and yet filled with autumn crispness and cheer. Many people do not like gloomy-weathered days, nor the chill that follows them. I do not mind cloudy or rainy days, and in fact, have been looking forward to one for awhile, since the last heat wave that befell us. I always volunteer to fetch the mail whenever it is raining (as well as on normal days:), and love to smell the lovely scent of the newly dampened earth.

On a rainy day I like to~

Write my letters, and send bits of sunshine even when I have none...

Curl up and read....

(Note: I don't need reading glasses. I just need them for distance:)

I like to make myself a cup of steaming tea....

(Do you like my new tea cozy I won?)

Many Blessings,

Hope Marie Needs 50 Followers and Upcoming Event!

Miss Hope Marie from Walking in Him is planning a special giveaway for her 50th post, but she needs 50 followers!!! So head on over to Walking in Him!

Also, Miss Ashley Nichole is hosting a lovely fall fashion event!!!

I am so excited to join, and hope to see you there as well!

Story of a Seamstress's Giveaway #2!!!

Atlanta is giveaway another lovely prize which I encourage you to check out HERE!!!

Giveaway at Story of a Seamstress

Miss Atlanta from Story of a Seamstress is hosting a lovely giveaway! One blessed winner shall receive a whimsical and simple painting by 'oh kirby.' I have been setting my eye on her paintings and I do encourage you to go check out the prize HERE!

~Knitting~

A merry autumn to you, dear readers!!! Can you believe September slipped past us so quickly? Now, perhaps we shall see a change of scenery in my garden, and soon the leaves on the trees shall turn vibrant colours, and the apples will soon rippen! Oh, how I love autumn!

Hopefully, a chill in the air should be coming our way, for autumn does not indeed feel like autumn without it being cooler! I have been attempting to knit a warm scarf for the winter.

I do love purple!

Tell me how you like it! I do think it is progressing rather well! Thank you again for stopping by my dear garden!

Much love and many blessings,

An Outing to a Quaint Village Yonder

The other day, my parents decided that we should go for a nice outing in a quaint little town, a bit over an hour and a half away from where we live. The sky was filled with fluffy cumulus clouds:

I am so excited that these came out well through the car window!

This one reminds me of when the mighty horn shall blow and we all ascend to heaven above! Oh, when shall that day come!

This evening, we heard thunder, and forecaster predicted a thunder storm. I absolutely love storms, and am sorry to admit I did not capture any pictures, even though this was an AMAZING lightning storm. It's purple bolts streaked across the night sky, and was HUGE even though it was a ways off!

A sweet windmill...

We arrived around lunchtime, and ate at a charming sandwich shop. I ordered the English Cotsworth Cheese sandwich, and it definitely was the best cheese sandwich I ever had!:)

And this is my favourite shop in Solvang. It is full of lace and handkerchiefs and dollies and dresses and tea cups and charms and cameos and so many more Victorian delights!!! I could definitely spend a lot of money in there!:) However, out of all the sweet lovelies in there, (including a cameo pin I set my heart on) I only purchased a small soap, rose-scented soap (because the things in there are very expensive.) Mother purchased for me a beautiful charm for my charm bracelet for my birthday on the twenty fiveth! I am not going to reveal what the charm is, but you shall have to wait for pictures!:)

If you are ever shall meet me, I shall definitely take you to this charming little village named Solvang!

Lots of Love,

P.S. I do regret that I did not take more pictures of this charming town!:)