four year blogoversary giveaway

hullo, dearhearts! my, my! four years of tending this lil' garden o' mine and look how far we've come. together. there are a lot of things I really want to say, like how much every single one of you who visits my garden walk and leaves little bits of sunshine is so dear to my heart. and really. 'tis such an honor to write for such a lovely group of people. I suppose expressing my thanks in just a few mere words, will have to do for now as well as a little giveaway I have prepared. let's take a peek into three darling shops, shall we? 

etsy shop || blog || twitter || tumblr 

…a peek into the shop…

our first shop is kept by a pretty lady I have been blessed to become more acquainted with through letter correspondence. the lovely and oh-so-talentedly-creative miss katie of bird + willow runs an etsy shop filled with beautiful vintage and tenderly handcrafted delights. her lookbooks are stunning and each of the pages inside are artfully crafted with a love that is quite evident in her work. if you have not had the chance to view them, I highly encourage you to look here.   

// framed feather wall hanging // 

// renoir painting postcard set of 15 // 

// hello there stamped blank card // 

etsy shop || etsy profile

…a peek into the shop…

sweet karen runs our next establishment which is a delightfully whimsical little place brimming with handcrafted woodland-themed goods made specially for your beauty and health. she carries lip tints and body scrubs that sound almost scrumptious enough to be eaten. ;)   

wild rose lip tint

massage lotion bar

apple blossom lip tint

etsy shop || etsy profile || wine cubby || facebook  

…a peek into the shop…

last but most definitely not the least, we 

// jane austen regency stitch marker non-snag stitch markers // 

// fabulous vintage teapot non-snag stitch markers // 

// jane eyre non-snag stitch markers // 

// charlotte bronte three dimensional book stitch marker // 

// sherlock holmes non-snag stitch markers // 

// elegant cameo non-snag stitch markers // 

... product review...

it was a wonderful honor and pleasure to be able to write up a review to be included in this giveaway. 

dear brittany sweetly and most generously sent me a set of five stitch markers specially customized with some of my own photographs! I choose a few of my favorites from all the times I met this girl as we share a love for knitting. *wink* it will be lovely to knit up a few new creations with these lovelies. 

:: why I recommend brittany's shop :: 

| her customer service was splendid. just splendid! now, I must comment that it takes a lot of patience to work with a silly goose like me who can complicate the simplest of tasks. *smile* my requests were replied to with all promptness and she made sure that all of my questions were answered. it was truly a joy and blessing working with her!
| the high quality of her products could be seen in her work. the time and love she spent making each stitch marker is quite evident in her work.
|  shipping was incredibly fast {especially for a custom made product} and the items came in a neatly packed parcel, wrapped in bright red tissue paper. 

*disclaimer, I was not paid to do this review. all writings and photographs are my own.

__________________________________________________________________

...the giveaway...

| firstly,

my dear friend katie has sweetly contributed this lovely set of stationery from her shop. 

| secondly

karen kindly offered to giveaway this scrumptious sugar scrub...

| thirdly

brittany from knitcubby has most generously provided not one but two sets of knitting stitch markers from her darling shop!!! the first lucky lady will receive a set of four stitch markers, personally customized with their favorite downton abbey characters... 

{winner chooses which images they would like on their stitch markers!}

the second winner will be able to choose a any set of stitch markers $14.99 or under! there is such a lovely selection, it will be very difficult for you to choose. *wink*  

_______________________________________________

you may begin entering now, ladies!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

*update :: I unfortunately, forgot to mention that this giveaway is open to US readers only. apologies to my sweet International friends!

special, special thanks to katie and karen for making this giveaway possible as well as brittany for graciously sending the darling set for the product review! 

xoxo,

the girl in the garden. 

i'll always be here, little one.

I don't see you as often as I did a long time ago. I don't see your sweet seven-year old face brighten at the slightest whim with a sunny smile, or your eyes light up with your contagious laughter. I suppose, as time changes, people can hardly resist the itch of changing as well and with your growing up so fast, there isn't much room to make trips down the steep hill you call home. there's nothing but time. darling, there isn't really anybody I've loved like I love you, and although we aren't as close as I wish to be, I thank the Lord for what little bond He gave us - He gave me with you. I don't have a sister, and I think of you more like a little sister than my little niece. and my heart hurts accordingly. 

my heart hurts when I think of all the darkness there is in the world that is just waiting to snatch your innocence - of the hurt you already have felt that no one your age should have felt. I don't want to think of all the wounds and sadness your little heart will feel someday, when you are older and understand that growing up isn't all fun and games. my heart hurts that I can not be there to tell you all this. 

I wish I could make you understand that there are storms beyond anything imaginable that will brew in your life, that will tear apart the same life that you fought so hard to build. there will be doubts and fears and darkness that everybody is too afraid to tell you about, that the people who are closest to you will pretend away and hold empty answers to burdening questions. but even more so, I wish I could make you understand that there is a loving Savior above it all who will whisper in your ear, when I can't, "I'll always be here, little one." if only you will listen.

forever yours | auntie grace.  

>> giving all my secrets away <<

"You're wrong, you know. You DO count. You've always counted, and I've always trusted you. You were right. I'm not okay..." -from the BBC series Sherlock

i scribbled down these jumble of words at midnight a few nights since past - the thought of sleeping never crossed my mind as my heart was so full and my throat stifling so many stubborn tears that blurred my vision despite my attempts of shoving them back, and the paper never before seemed so welcoming...

as a dear dear reader, you do not live in my world but only posses such a tiny window into it within such a minute rectangular box composed of jumbled words that it can hardly describe half of the every-day life I am living. having such a small insignificant glance into my world {even stopping by to read my worthless ramblings and extending your interest and love in the form of notes is most humbling}, I should hardly want in any way to make you believe my world is perfect. the world that so often times feels the need to be different; to be perfect. and simply put: it's not. 
I am a silly foolish human being. I struggle every. single. day. and more often times fall as much as having no wish to get back up again. at moments, I find it so cruel, time can trammel upon life casting no sympathy, all the while expecting me to follow and live. 
so. 
I have composed a little list of my faults - some of which comprised of my innermost thoughts. I have no wish to sound immature, snobbish, or self-centered in any way at all, as I list off these rather foolish yet-oh-so-affecting woes of life, nor should I want you to think my life is so utterly dismal, in which it is not. I want you to view me as a real-human being, not just a girl behind the screen, and to be completely and wholly honest with you, dear friend, I think it good to reveal the real raw me to the world. I only pray, to encourage any young lady reading this, whose heart can completely and utterly relate.

i. I struggle with false expectations of how my life, at this age, should be like with tons of friends and activities to occupy my time. now, I know that tons of shallow friendships could never replace the relationships with young ladies who I have come to call my close-knit sister, but over these past few months, I have come to realize {after analyzing my heart}, that I truly do love people. I love being surrounded in the company of people, learning their life stories, sharing a smile or challenging myself to make them smile. another name for that, is being a social butterfly, or so I've heard. but all my life, I feel as though I have touched little lives of people my age, and I have often questioned why the Lord has set me aside, apart from a desire that seems so pure and simple. I have attempted to become involved in plenty of activities {sports, speech, theatre, dance, swimming, music} - actually every activity under the sun {with the exception of attending public school} I have tried my hand out, but every time God closes the door. and I have struggled desperately to bow my head and accept.

ii. I struggle with loneliness. I am an only child, living in a small town, in a small homeschool group, in a small community, in a small church, in small social circles, in a small family - everything which surrounds me is small, except for the "great wide somewhere," which encompasses its outer walls. isolation is a word I detest with my whole being, but that's one of the words to which wholly describes my world at times.

iii. I struggle with liking my family. not my immediate family, mind you, although I do not always respect my wonderful parents as I should, but my aunts and uncles and more specifically the person I feel at times forced to call my sister. jealousy is familiar feeling as I look upon "normal families" who have two sets of grandparents {all mine have since past} and friends who have normal siblings who even if they are not always a "big happy family" they love each other. truly love each other. 

iv. I often struggle with wishing I lived *so-and-so's* life with her big family, loving siblings, and flourishing opportunities. although, I love this friend with a sister's heart alone, deep down I know I wish my life was like hers {perhaps, NOT her's but similar}. 

v. I often struggle with learning the purpose of my life. my friends seem so sure of themselves: one wants to be a writer, one a writer/film producer, another a counselor, whilst the other a secretary, and always there passions for life can be so clear and obvious...and then there's me. who posses one talent she holds so dear to her heart but feels like it cannot be applicable to life. to make things. as much as I enjoy swimming and writing and making music, these pastimes do not come close to my love for crafting. and it seems to me, at times, so unfair that everybody else has some desire to support themselves in life, whereas I hold onto just a mere hobby {more like an obsession of sorts} that in reality is just wishful thinking to go into as a supportive career.      

there's so many wars I've fought in my head. so many things, I know I'm not. but with God's grace and strength alone, I promise you that:: 

we'll keep marching on. 

x. | the girl in the garden.

postscript :: have you figured out that I'm a onerepublic fan yet? *smile*