Saturday, January 23, 2016

Taking a Little Rest...❤


Sweet friends...I am taking a little break from the lovely world of blogging...my dear sister and I are currently planning a special Valentine's/birthday (my mother's birthday is February 14th!) picnic lunch...of course I will share pictures!
 
~
I leave you with these beautiful, inspiring words from Dietrich Bonheoffer...

There is meaning in every journey that is unknown to the traveler.” 

I won't be gone long, but I know I will miss you all!  {{smiles}}

May the Lord bless you all as you strive to serve Him in every area of your life!  
Have a wonderful, creative month of January further!


"...In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths."

~ Proverbs 3:6, KJV

Thursday, January 21, 2016

Thursday Pearls...


"Memories are the key not to the past, but to the future."

~ Corrie Ten Boom

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...Praising the Lord for you all today, dear readers...may each of you have a truly blessed Thursday, dwelling on Jesus and His precious, forgiving love!

Tuesday, January 19, 2016

Sweet Little Valentine Cards...



Valentine's Day is swiftly approaching once again, and it just happens to be one of my very favourite events of the year...
I simply adore all things red and pink, and I love hearts of all shapes and sizes...

If you've been reading Beautiful Girlhood for some time, you will more than likely have discovered by now that I don't celebrate Valentine's in the wordly sense...

I am waiting on the Lord to reveal His perfect will for my life, and if that involves a Godly prince somewhere along the way, then I shall be very glad indeed...I want God to write my love story someday, should He see fit...{{smiles}}

 ~
My lovely sister, Nancy, has been creating these sweet heart cards for the market, using beautiful scrapbook paper and fabric remnants...I thought I would enjoy making a few for my gift box, which I most certainly did!

I love sewing paper as the result is quite striking and oh so simple!  
Perhaps you would like to make a few of these lovelies for your stash of cards, dear friends...?  
They don't just have to be for Valentine's...they can be for any occasion...I know they would light up the face of a sweet friend!
 
I used reds and pinks, but you could also use different colours if you'd like and perhaps a different shape in place of a heart - the possibilities are endless indeed!


~ To Make ~

To start, cut brown kraft cardboard to size...I made mine 2.25" x 4.5", then scored and folded them in half to create a little card...

 

Then cut patterned scrapbook paper or card to size - make your paper a little smaller than the actual card by leaving off a 1/4" or so... 

 



Now cut out a heart template which will fit nicely on your card...trace onto the wrong side of assorted fabric scraps, and cut out carefully.  
 

Use a small piece of double-sided tape to adhere the fabric heart to each piece of patterned scrapbook paper as this makes it easier to sew.
Thread your machine with black cotton and sew all around each heart, being careful to keep the shape intact!
Now secure each piece of patterned scrapbook paper with the fabric heart to the little cards with acid-free scrapbooking glue.

...And there you are!  

~
Praying you will have a truly blessed week, lovely readers!


 ~ For God so loved the world, that he gave his only beggotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.  John 3:16, KJV ~

  ~

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Saturday, January 16, 2016

Soap, Delightful Soap ~ A Few Simple Ideas


Remember how I told you we finally attempted soap making after so many years of dreaming about it, dear friends…?

Well, I thought I would share some pictures of our little soaps with you, and also some sweet and simple ideas for wrapping them beautifully…

  

 Soaps make such wonderful presents, particularly as hostess gifts!

Don’t you just love the smell of all natural soap…?


I will let you in on a little secret…we found some wonderful natural soap base from a local soap company (The Soap Barn), and thus our soap making experience was simple and very enjoyable!

 


Although I would very much like to try making soap from start to finish someday, I am quite happy to potter about with nothing but essential oils, some dried herbs/flowers and ready-made soap base – yes, in this instance, I am happy to “cheat’’ a little – for now, anyway!  {{smiles}}


~

I have included our recipe for you should you wish to make your own sweet soaps…I found it in the lovely Ideas magazine, November 2015...I did ''tweak'' a few things, though...

~ Simple Soap ~

You will need...
  
white soap base (the 'melt and pour' variety)
dried rose buds
rose essential oil
red food colouring
mould
spraying alcohol

To make...

Cut the soap base into 1 x 1 cm cubes and place in a thick-based pot over a very low heat, stirring constantly till melted.  
Use a metal spoon or spatula to stir, placing it in a jug of warm water when not using to prevent the soap residue from hardening.
Mix a few drops of the essential oil into the soap base and stir to combine.
Dip the tip of a wooden skewer or toothpick in the food colouring and then into the soap.  
Stir again and repeat to add more colour, if you prefer.
Transfer the coloured soap mixture to your mould, and spray with alcohol to prevent bubbles from forming on the top.
Leave to stand for a few hours until set.  
Before the soap sets completely, make holes in the surface using a wooden skewer and insert rosebuds into the holes.
Leave the soap to stand overnight to harden completely. 
Turn the soap out of the mould the next day and cut up.

~ A Few Wrapping Ideas ~  



One of my favourite ways to wrap soaps is to use fabric and ribbon or lace…   
I shared this idea a few years ago, so do hop over to this post to see how to wrap your soaps with fabric…



Beautiful paper is of course lovely for wrapping soaps in, and I like to use good quality scrapbook paper…  
Wrap your soaps as you would a gift, and add ribbon or lace if you wish… 


A little strip of patterned paper is also lovely around soap, and is handy as recipients can see straight away what it looks (and smells!) like!  
This is our coffee soap, which is scented with vanilla essential oil and contains fresh coffee grounds…




 Broad lace…ah, just gorgeous for wrapping soaps!
Secure lace at the bottom of the soap with double-sided tape...

 


A white doily and some narrow pink ribbon…a pretty and simple way to wrap a soap!  


Or simply decorate with dried flowers such as rose buds which we placed on top of our rose scented soap…

~

Do you have any lovely ideas for decorating and wrapping handmade soaps…?

~

May each of you have a truly blessed weekend further!
 

 ~

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Thursday, January 14, 2016

Thursday Pearls


 "I enjoy doing housework, ironing, washing, cooking, dishwashing. Whenever I get one of those questionaires and they ask what is your profession, I always put down housewife. It's an admirable profession, why apologize for it. You aren't stupid because you're a housewife. When you're stirring the jam you can read Shakespeare." 

~ Tasha Tudor

"And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men..."

~ Colossians 3:23, KJV 

~
Thursday blessings, dearest readers...

Sunday, January 10, 2016

Birthday Blessings...

Oh, are these not the most charming floral sewing tins...?

Perfect for storing sewing goodies in and oh!  So beautiful and decorative in the sewing room...



My mom and dad sweetly gifted me with these lovelies for my nineteenth birthday last Sunday...I am hoping to do my sewing corner up a little bit this coming year, and these will be a delightful addition!


My dear sister, Nancy, made me these two adorable crocheted baskets which I will use to store my buttons, bobbins and other little sewing things in!


It is my hope to finally purchase my own sewing machine at the end of this month, my friends...I simply cannot wait to share the exciting news with you when it occurs...{{smiles}}

Until then, I am enjoying picking up some sewing work again and filling my market stall which is somewhat empty at this time of year!

~
And dear friends...I was truly touched by all your sweet, heartfelt birthday emails and comments you sent me...thank you ever so much...they put a big smile on my face!

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Praying you have a truly blessed week...may it be creative too!

"Every good gift and every perfcet gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow or turning."

~ James 1:17, KJV

Thursday, January 7, 2016

Thursday Pearls


"Reading a great work of literature
can truly be likened to having a
conversation with a great mind."
 
~Jennie Chancey

"Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things."

~ Philippians 4:8, KJV

~
Thursday blessings, sweetest friends!


Painting:  Lady Reading By A Window by Thomas Benjamin Kennington

Sunday, January 3, 2016

The Year of...2015...

 

 And so the year of 2015 draws to a close, and I find myself thinking back over the course of the last twelve months, remembering certain events, special times and sorrows, and praising my Father in Heaven for His incredible mercy and grace for each day...

One has to look back to see where we have come from before we can go forward…we need to remember the workings of our Lord and hide His Word in our hearts in order that we may move into the new year strong and fresh with our eyes fixed on Him…

I am left in awe at God’s grace after going back and playing out the happenings of 2015 in my mind…a year of pain, hope, sorrow, happiness and most of all, growth…both in our hearts and in our lives...both spiritually and physically…
Jesus has seen fit to grow our family this year, and as we welcome His blessings, so our hearts become heavier under the weight of the love He has given us to share!

I would like to share with you the most memorable moments in 2015 and I do hope you will enjoy seeing a glimpse of 2015 through my eyes…

 ~
January…probably my favourite month of every year, and perhaps you’ve guessed why…  My birthday falls on the 3rd of January, and this year I celebrated my eighteenth birthday with friends and family, thanking Jesus for His many blessings throughout my life!  

January also saw me assist a very dear and special friend of mine with the photography at a mutual friend’s wedding…  Although we seldom see each other (even though we literally live 10 minutes apart), we have formed a sweet friendship and enjoy chatting over tea every so often…  To see the wedding she captured so beautifully through her lens, do visit her blog here

~
In February I participated in a delightful tea cup exchange for the very first time!  Oh, what joy it was to wrap up a tea cup and some other lovely goodies and ship them to Canada, where the dear lady I was partnered with in the swap, lives…  To see my post on this lovely event, stop by here
 

February also saw our family experience the heartbreak of a miscarriage once again…it was a time of great sorrow, but also a time of drawing closer to Jesus and submitting to His plans for us…

 

We also celebrated my dear mother’s birthday and Valentine’s day with a special, memorable dinner

I sewed a lot more of my own clothes this year, and I am hoping to sew even more in 2016!


 

I took part in a 'Literary Heroine Blog Party' for the first time which was so delightful!

~

 

March was a busy month as we celebrated Easter, played in a small concert with our string ensemble group and I prepared for a month away from home.
 

~
In April I was led by the Lord to offer up my time and assist a friend’s mother with her little ones and home whilst her husband and older children were away.  I can honestly say I grew as a person through these few weeks spent away from home, and learned many things…I was looking after little boys, which was a completely new experience for me coming from a family of only girls!

 

I also visited my grandmother whilst in the Cape and you can see photographs from my trip here  I missed my little sister, Gabrielle’s birthday which I was of course heart sore about, but I was glad to know she enjoyed her special day!  What a special part of our lives she is!

 

~
In May I returned home and settled back into doing what I love…I wrote a post called Finding Joy in a Season of Loneliness, which I hoped would be an encouragement and a blessing to other young ladies like myself, who have chosen to pursue the Lord’s will for their lives in becoming a daughter at home…it isn’t always easy or enjoyable, but He is the Master and Teacher, and His grace is sufficient for us…

 

 

In June Rebekah turned six years old, and we put together a sweet Princess party just for her!  I am so thankful for this sweet, compassionate little sister who has a quiet way of capturing your heart and loving you unconditionally…
 

We also went on an incredible drive up the old Montague Pass which I shared about here…this year I learned how blessed I am to be here, in South Africa, and to appreciate the unique beauty of this country!

~  

 

In July Beth turned eleven years old  My Bethy girl, as I call her, and I are very close…not in age, but we share a special relationship and a love for many of the same things including animals, calligraphy and the outdoors!

I also began corresponding through letters with a couple of lovely ladies overseas, and it has been the most precious thing to write back and forth and bless one another with words, pictures and little gifts!  Our Father knows just what we need!

I also took another trip to Cape Town in July which you can read about here

~

 
In August I passed my Learner’s licence exam, and I am slowly but surely learning to drive…did you note the s.l.o.w.l.y. part, my friends?  {{smiles}}


We also found out Mom was expecting again, and although we wanted to be excited, the fear of another miscarriage kept us quiet and reserved in our joy…
  
~
 

In September I again participated in a tea cup exchange hosted by lovely Stephanie at The Enchanting Rose  See the post from my reveal here

 

I also opened my Etsy shoppe which you can visit here!  I am stocking up where I can, so do stop by to see what I have been creating recently…


In September we opened our hearts and home up to this young lady  Our family is fostering her till the end of February 2016 when she will be eighteen and it has been a learning experience all round...it hasn’t been easy, but our God is great and continues to give us His love and strength…


This year I grew a bigger garden, thanks to some extra outside help each week, and so far we have harvested plenty of potatoes, squash, salad greens, beetroot, etc…   

 
How to Make Preserved Basil...see post here...

I am hoping to get a crop of brassica in before long…here are a few of my How Does My Garden Grow posts if you’d like to see how our garden has taken shape over the past few months…

 

We visited my grandmother in her mountain home again...this time, it was Nancy, Mom and I who enjoyed a little road trip!  {{smiles}}

~
 
In October little Sofia turned four…can you believe this precious little girl is growing up so quickly?  She keeps life interesting and fun…


Nancy also celebrated her sixteenth birthday with a beautiful high tea with a couple friends…

In October I also announced my mother’s seventh pregnancy…a little boy is on his way, and oh my!  We are so excited!  My mom is now 26 weeks along, and before long we will have a little one running around…what fun that will be!

~

 

In November I signed up for an ornament exchange hosted by my dear blogging friend, Vicky!  I was so incredibly blessed through this exchange, and met some sweet new friends!  See my reveal post here


We also had two special young ladies spend a few days with us, and we celebrated our friendship with a lovely, girly tea party which you can see over here!

~

 
Our homemade Christmas cake...

December was busy…very busy, and although I enjoyed just about every moment, I think I am ready for a quieter time…  Christmas came and went, and I can definitely say it was a special one!

~
This year I participated in a read-along for the book, Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott which was hosted by this lovely lady…I truly enjoyed discussing each chapter of my favourite story in depth!  Through joining this read-along, I was inspired to read more and have truly enjoyed it thus far!

I have seen some wonderful time period films this year including Belle, Wives and Daughters, David Copperfield and Far from the Maddening Crowd…my love for period drama has increased…I am captured by these stories and the way of life in those days…

I also read Stepping Heavenward by Elizabeth Prentiss, and this beautiful, challenging book is one I would highly recommend to every woman, both young and old…

What moments in 2015 stand out the most to you?

~
...2015 was a wonderful year for...

 Baking...

 
Raspberry and Oat Muffins.. 
 
Scones and Raspberry Jam...

Portuguese potato bread...

Preserving...
 
Marmalade...

Cooking..
 
Morrocan Spiced Meatballs...
 
 Chicken with Tarragon and Peppers...

 Sewing...

 
 Patchwork embroidered cushion for a friend...

Embroidered clothes hanger...

Patchwork tea cosy...for my hope chest... 

Family...

Four of my little sisters and I...Sofia, Rebekah, Gabrielle and Beth... 

 
Gabrielle and I posing for a picture...

Crafting...

Fabric Covered Tins...

 Herbal Bathtime Teas...

 Decoupaged Easter Eggs...
Gardening...
 
Cucumbers...

 
 Potato flowers...aren't they lovely...?

~
Dear friends, I am incredibly thankful and blessed by each of you, and praise the Lord for the friendships I have formed in this year of 2015…thank you for your kindness, your prayers, your encouragement and enthusiasm!  Blogging is one of my greatest joys, and every day I am overwhelmed at the kindness I receive from each of you!

I pray this next year of 2016 will be a beautiful year of growth for each of you…growth in our Lord Jesus Christ who loves us too much to leave us the way we are...  May we continue to strive to live a life for Him, extending grace and love to others in need and cultivating a deeper, more precious relationship with our Saviour.  He never promised an easy road, but He did promise to be near us and pick us up when we fall.  

 He is all we need, my friends…  Every day, thank Him for His goodness – sing His praises whenever you can!  May we not get caught up in the busyness of this life and allow the most important thing to become the least important…  I don’t know what this new year holds, nor do any of us…but the Lord knows, and I want to encourage you to keep your eyes fixed on Jesus and what He did on the cross…yes, there will be moments of sorrow and days of pain, but never lose sight of His love for you which is deeper than the deepest ocean!

Thank you for the rich fellowship this year, sweet readers!  Blessings in Christ Jesus!


  ~ Then thou shalt walk walk in the thy way safely, and thy foot shall not stumble."  Proverbs 3:23 ~