A Lovely Little Post of Thoughts and Festive Musings...

Hello lovely readers and happy Thursday to you!

Can you believe that Christmas is a mere two weeks away...?

I haven't been in the blog world too much of late...if read my post from a week or two ago, you will probably understand why!  {{smiles}}

My precious mother is finding this 7th pregnancy much more challenging and tiring, so I feel honoured to still be at home and able to help her where I can!

Thank you to each of you who are dilligently praying for her and our baby brother...your thoughts and prayers are truly appreciated!

How I long to meet this little one who is already loved and cherished by his family...

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I thought I would share a little post of thoughts, happenings and various projects that I have been working on of late instead of the usual, Thursday Pearls...I had hoped to return to the blogosphere last week but alas!  The past few days have been a whirlwind of activity with more set to come!

In my absence, I have been working on completing a delightful little order for a sweet customer...can you guess what I have been creating?  Oh indeed...reindeer!

Oh, and I have a wonderfully festive tutorial planned for next week, sweet friends, so do stay posted!  If you like to sew and create, then you will love these darling fabric trees...

 

These patchwork fabric Christmas trees are also available on my Etsy shoppe...

My grandmother arrives late next week...she will spend Christmas with us and oh my!  

How much we have to complete before then!  Christmas crackers...we always love making our own...gifts for the girls...organising the final menu...what fun!

But our hope is to keep our Christmas celebrations Christ centred and simple so as to not lose the beauty of this time of year by stressing about trivial matters...a few years ago I shared a post on celebrating Christmas for real...would you perhaps like to read it...?  You can find my post here...

Christmas card making is something I just love, don't you...?

Each year we make a couple gift boxes for dear friends and family members, and I love popping a handmade Christmas card in each box of handmade and homemade goodies!

Simple and sweet...Christmas cards

This Monday coming we have a lovely Christmas brunch to look forward to...two dear friends and precious sisters in the Lord are hosting this little party for us and a few other young ladies, and I am sure it is going to so wonderful!

My dad has been away for a good few days now on a business trip, and is only expected home this coming Tuesday...of course we all miss him dearly, but we have tried to be productive in his absence...in the evenings we older girls have enjoyed watching Wives and Daughters which he got for us before he left!  Ah...how I love this BBC adaption!  So beautiful...

Cornflowers are blooming...aren't they beautiful...?  There is just something soft and romantic about them...{{happy sigh}}

In amongst daily happenings, the garden is growing and there is much preserving to be done too!  Cucumber pickles...summer squash bread...jam (made with berries from our neighbour!)...

Beth is lending a hand in the garden now as goodness!  There are just too many jobs to be done each day to keep the fresh produce coming in!  

Tomato Chilli Jam...oh so scrumptious...recipe can be found here...

And not to mention the watering...summer has arrived, and that means lots of hot weather!  

There is a terrible drought in our country at the moment, so would you perhaps pray that the Lord would see fit to send us some much needed rain?

Where we are, we have been fortunate to have more rain than most places in South Africa...and we are very thankful for that!

Gem Squash...

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Well now, dear readers...I must be off to finish off some house cleaning...with guests coming to stay, it is always a good idea to use the opportunity to give our homes a little tidy up and a sort through...my task has been to clean windows, and we have those lovely windows that are made up of tiny individual panes...this means a bit of extra work, but how satisfying it is to stand back and admire your handiwork!

Blessings to you and much love...thank you for your continued friendship in the blog world...I appreciate each one of you sweet ladies!

Oh, and for those of you who followed Beautiful Girlhood on Facebook, I would like to let you know that I no longer have a page as I deactivated my personal profile...I dearly want to spend more time enjoying my home, family and writing my blog/reading blogs, so hopefully I can free up some time to do just this by not being on Facebook...  I hope you will continue to follow here, though!

With joy in Jesus!

Thursday Pearls...on Friday

 

"The true secret of happiness lies in taking a genuine interest in all the details of daily life."

~ William Morris

 ~

Blessings on your Friday, dearest readers...after a deligthful week of laughter, chatter and enjoying special time with friends,I have returned to the blogging world excited to share some wonderful Christmas delights, recipes and crafty things!

Much love to you all, friends!

Painting by:  Jessie Wilcox Smith

Family Favorite Christmas Traditions ~ A Guest Post by Elizabeth...

My sweet friend, Elizabeth who writes at Elizabeth Mary Online, kindly agreed to share a beautiful Christmas post with my readers today!

In this post she shares some of her favourite Christmas traditions and oh!  Traditions are very special, especially at Christmastime, don't you think...?

Thus...I am sure you will enjoy her lovely post today, sweet friends!  And do pop by her blog for some sweet crafting and baking delights!

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Hello, friends! I am so excited that Kelly-Anne invited me to share a guest post with you all today. And since it’s about Christmastime, it’s all the more exciting!!

Christmas at my house has always been one of my most favorite times of the year. Growing up, my sister and I looked forward to December all year long. We would excitedly anticipate the day when we would go and pick out the perfect tree, when all the movies and TV specials would be on, and when we could finally pull our favorite decorations down from the attic.

 Merry be your Christmas,

Peaceful be your home,

Joyful be your family,

Blessed be each one.

 My parents always made sure that at Christmas we did things that stood out as special for this time of year. A few of my favorite traditions are…

Listening to Christmas music *all the time*…I am a music lover, and Christmas music is some of my very favorite. We love to play our favorite CDs while running errands during the day or while we are preparing dinner. I personally love the traditional sounding Christmas carols; they just seem to get you in the Christmas spirit. If possible, we try to go to a Christmas show or concert in December. And that is a particular favorite of mine!

Baking lots and lots of sweet confections…My mom has always baked a ton at Christmas and has passed on that love to both my sister and I. We have several old stand-by recipes that we make, several of which come from my mom’s childhood. I love getting in the kitchen, music playing in the background, and pulling out a tray of freshly baked cookies from the oven. Sharing with friends and neighbors is one of my most favorite things, too!

Decorating…Every year we set out to find the perfect tree. And in my mind, the bigger the better. It’s always so much fun pulling out old ornaments that my sister and I made as young children. (Even though some of them look quite interesting! Ha! Ha!) The centerpiece of our decorations has always been our Nativity scene. It makes its home on our fireplace mantle and is one of the most beautiful decorations I think we have. Such a simple reminder of why we celebrate Christmas.

 

Crafting…Making homemade ornaments was something we did several years ago, and it was the perfect Christmas craft. We also always, always made gingerbread houses out of old cardboard milk cartons. My mom would hot glue graham crackers onto the outside of the carton, and then my sister and I would pile on the icing as glue and tons and tons of brightly colored candies.

Another thing we enjoy making each year is a Christingle (which I will be sharing about on my blog soon). My sister introduced the idea to us several years back, and now it's become a favorite tradition. When I was in first grade, I made an Advent wreath at church using little tea candles. This year, I wanted to make one that could be used year after year. It is such a beautiful centerpiece on our kitchen table. I’ll also be sharing how to make an Advent wreath soon on my blog.

Christmas is always a very family-centered time of year in our home. We don’t really do anything too extravagant, but it is always a special time of year. Nights spent at home watching a favorite holiday movie, driving around to look at all the lights in the city, or going to a Christmas concert are some of the things I love most.

 

I would love to hear what your favorite Christmas traditions are, especially if you have any special traditions pertaining to where you live. I hope you all have a beautifully blessed Christmas and a wonderful New Year!

Lastly, I want to say a special thank you to Kelly-Anne. I loved getting to share on your lovely blog and with your sweet readers. Thank you for this fun opportunity!!

May your day be lovely and blessed!

~

Thank you, dear Elizabeth for sharing this lovely post today...it certainly put me in the mood for some deligthful Christmas baking and crafting...{{smiles}}

Blessings to you, friends and happy December...the Christmas countdown has begun!  

Thursday Pearls

 

"There is no doubt that it is around the family and the home that all the greatest virtues, the most dominating virtues of human society are created, strenghtened and maintained."

~ Winston Churchill

 

"...And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down and thou risest up."

Deuteronomy 6:7, KJV 

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Thursday blessings, sweet friends!

 

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I will be taking a short blogging break, dear friends...we have some sweet friends coming to spend a few days with us, and we are thrilled to welcoming them here!  

I look forward to sharing photographs from our visit when I return...until then, may you have a truly blessed rest of November!

~

Much love in Christ,

 Painting:  Artist Unknown...

Greater is He...and More Special News...

I didn't think I would ever have the blessed opportunity of sharing something as special as this on my blog again...certainly not after my dear mother had not one or two, but three miscarriages in the past two years...

Dear friends I am simply delighted to be writing this post today and sharing with you the workings of our Almighty Father in our lives...

My precious mother is carrying a beautiful bundle, and for the first time, it is a...little boy!

Can you believe that...? 

We have never had one of those around here...only girls have been welcomed into our little family so far...  But we are all thrilled at this new blessing due to arrive in April 2016, Lord willing of course, and we are eagerly anticipating his arrival...

How strange to say his...surprisingly, from the very beginning of my mom's pregnancy, we all fell into saying ''him'' or ''his''...this was even before we discovered it was indeed a ''him'' all safe and healthy in my mother's womb!

My mother and I bought the first little babygro the other day and what joy it was to browse the baby section of the store again...without experiencing pain and heartache...

 

Rebekah, who is now a sweet six year old, was the first baby I wrote about on my blog...I started my blog in April 2009, and she was born a few months later in June of 2009...

My mom's past three miscarriages were difficult for us as a family to accept, and it was so hard to watch our mom go through such pain - both physical and emtional...

In August my mom quietly told me she was expecting once again, and although every ounce of me wanted to shriek with glee, I withheld my joy and remained focused on serving my mother and helping her through the next few weeks...each time she miscarried, it was at about 12 weeeks.  This time we withheld from telling the little girls until Mom was further along...

At 11 weeks my mom scheduled a scan, and we all waited anxiously at home, assuming the worst...but when my dad texted me with the news that all was well...oh my!  I burst into tears of joy and relief!

This week marks 19 weeks gestation, and after another scan, it appears that we are expecting a little brother...a precious, adorable baby boy!  

Having only had sisters up to now, this is a whole new experience and I can't wait to meet him...what will a little Gray boy look like?

You can imagine the happiness around here...we are so grateful to the Lord for seeing fit to bless our family with another little one and are humbled at His goodness...

Little Sofia is four years old and too adorable for words...she was the second baby I wrote about on my blog...and I thought she was the last...praise the Lord that He had other plans!

Having gone through the pain of losing unborn siblings, I have become more sensitive towards those ladies who have either lost an unborn precious babe or not been able to have children at all...  Oh, what pain, and I pray I may never take the gift of life for granted!  

While my family may be rejoicing at this time in our lives, I realise many other dear ladies may be reading my post today and experiencing tremendous heartache...I pray that your hearts may be comforted by the True Comforter...I believe He aches for us in our pain, and sees our sorrow...

Sometimes we need to go through certain trials in life to be more sympathetic towards others...even though the past three miscarriages were not something we would have chosen to go through - no one likes to suffer - but we did come out of these challenges stronger in our faith and closer towards each other...

We chose to praise the Lord for seeing fit to allow my mom to carry and give birth to six healthy girls...I think experiencing the fragility of life makes us all the more thankful for the blessings we do have and more appreciative of the time we have had with them.

Every day we live and breathe on this earth is a gift from our Father in heaven, and each day spent with a precious loved one is only by God's grace...  I am striving to embrace and enjoy each swiftly passing moment and season in life, and thank Him for the privilege of being a big sister to so many...

Do I love being with them all the time...?  No.  Am I always wonderfully patient and giving of my time...?  Oh, definitely not!  But the Lord sees my failings and is so gracious in giving me another sibling to practice on...
How do we develop patience, self-control and gentleness within ourselves...?  By daily practicing!  What better way to rid myself of all selfishness than to be in this home where I am surrounded by imperfect individuals like myself and am constantly on call and available for His glory!  No, it is not easy and many times I cry out to our Father for His strength and grace!

And then He reminds me of the beautiful sacrifice made by my dear mother...

...She has laid down her plans and her life to carry another arrow for His army...another precious babe for the Kingdom...  I pray someday I may be just like her...what a blessing to learn from her and see the workings of our Almighty God in our lives because of her obedience.

We continue to trust Him to carry our baby brother and uphold our mom, giving her all the strength she needs...and I ask that you, my dear friends who believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, would you keep this little one and my mother in your prayers...?

~

I am so glad to have had the blessing of sharing this special news with you today...all praise and glory to our Lord and King...for His love endures forever...

With joy in Christ ~

 "Lo, children are an heritage of the Lord:  and the fruit of the womb is his reward.  As arrows are in the hand of a mighty warrior; so are children of the youth.  Happy is the man that hath his quiver full of them..."

~ Psalm 127:3-5, KJV

Thursday Pearls

"We have all of eternity to celebrate the victories won and only a few short hours before sunset to win them."

~ Amy Carmichael

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A blessed and wonderful Thursday to you, lovelies!

~

Hugs and love,

"So shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it."

~ Isaiah 55:11

The Sweetest Little Bits of Happiness...

...I was not intending to buy a beautiful tea pot today, I promise...  

And oh!  I just knew I shouldn't have gone into that second~hand store...  

But dear oh dear!  When I walk into a shop that has pretty tea cups, milk jugs, tea pots and other darling vintage~y items...I am a hopeless case!  

I was on the hunt for a pot to melt soap base in...yes indeed!  We are about to attempt a little soap making this week, dear friends!  

And then...I spotted it...

I fell in love and I simply had. to. have. it!  

 

 One thing I have learnt over the years that I have had an obsession for all things lovely is...never walk into a second~hand store with something...even a little something...in your purse.

As I was about to head to the fabric shop to do some much needed material shopping...I did have something on me...  I walked out the store deep in thought...and walked back in...then I walked out again, this time carrying my darling little tea pot carefully with a big smile on my face!

You see, my mother and grandmother have a few of the tea cups in this set which you may have seen dotted around my blog over the years...  

And I also wanted to have something just like theirs...although mine has a yellow pattern on it instead of the green theirs has.  Don't you simply adore the pretty rose and leaf pattern?

But oh!  I love it and I have just poured myself a cup of tea...brewed in my sweet little tea pot of course!  {{happy sigh}}

"Tea and letters are the best combination..." 

~ Kelly-Anne

I also popped by the post office...and discovered a deligthful letter from my sweet friend Miss M, and also from Margaret who blogs at Tea in the Valley...  

My sister, Nancy, met Margie during a tea cup exchange earlier this year, and now all three of us write letters - blog friends are the loveliest, aren't they...?

And Margie sweetly included two yummy blends of tea for each of us...both Christmassy flavoured!  I just had to sample the one now, but I did save the Christmas Morning tea for...Christmas morning!

Hmmm...I love spicy tea, and it is all the sweeter knowing it was lovingly sent all the way from Canada by Margaret!

~

I have some other splendid news to share too...our lovely friends, Miss M and her dear sister, Miss J, are coming to spend a week with us soon!  

Oh, we are all so thrilled and are already planning tea parties, walks and photo~shoots in the forest, along with watching the concert Nancy is playing in on the 28th together!  

Sisters in the Lord are hard to come by, and I am truly thankful for these sweet friends who share our love of vintage, tea and all things lovely...and of course for Jesus!

~

Ah...I just had to share this happiness with you today, dear friends!

May you have a blessed Tuesday further...I am off to sew a bit whilst watching Sense and Sensibility...{{smiles}}

~ Love and hugs ~

~

Do you have penfriends in other countries?

Do you have an obsession for anything lovely and vintage?

Announcing....the Sweet Giveaway Winner!

 Today it is time to announce the sweet winner of the Shining Stars magazine giveaway which I hosted last week...  

A big thank you to all the lovely ladies who entered...

And I would again like to extend heartfelt thanks to Hannah, the founder and editress of this beautiful magazine for young ladies for generously offering a year's subscription(4 issues) to Shining Stars to one of my lovely readers...

~

Now...without further ado...I announce that the winner, randomly chosen by my sister, Sindy is...

Sabrina!

Sabrina said...

"Hi Kelly-Anne

Thank you so much for hosting this giveaway. I would love to enter. In addition, I have followed Radical Femininity on Google, subscribed to the Shining Stars website, shared this giveaway on Pinterest and followed Beautiful Girlhood on Google.

Looking forward to seeing which beautiful lady wins this lovely giveaway.

Sabrina"

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Dear Sabrina!  I do pray you will be truly blessed through reading Shining Stars...
Please would you send me an email with your postal address so that I can pass it along to Hannah?  Thank you!
{Email Address is on my side bar...}

~

Praying that each of you, dear friends, may have a blessed weekend!

Thursday Pearls

 

"There is no neutral position in the Lord.  You are either becoming more like Christ everyday or you're becoming less like Him.  That's because whether you realise it or not, you're never standing still."

~ Stormie Omartian

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Blessings and joy in Jesus!

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

Painting by:  Richard S Johnson

How Does My Garden Grow ~ November

Ah, how I love this time of year when the garden begins to grow in earnest...the little seeds and seedlings I planted in September have begun to flower and fruit...how exciting is that?
 

The joys of farm living are evident in the Springtime...especially as the weather warms up and the spring rains fall!  As I once remarked to a sweet blog friend...it is as if one can actually ''see'' or ''hear'' the plants growing as they drink in the water and soak up the warmth!

Pretty flowers adorning the pathway...

Do come and take a walk with me around my November garden, dear friends...?

Bush beans flowering and producing beans in abundance!  They are Rio Zape bush beans, and I am growing them to dry...my!  Once you have tasted home grown beans in a dish, you will never want to buy store-bought again!

Albenga Bush Beans...

One of my favourite ways to cook green beans, is to cut them up into 1.5cm pieces and fry them over a medium heat in a little butter and some extra-virgin olive oil...add some crushed garlic - about 2 cloves - and fry for a further minute.  Once the beans start to turn slightly golden (or taste them - they should still be crisp...don't overcook the beans!), add a squeeze of fresh lemon juice.  Stir and serve immediently as a simple and flavourful side dish.

Potatoes, all seven beds of them, growing so beautifully!  I love new potatoes, and can't wait to harvest these!

Courgette...

...And a few other lovelies...{{smiles}}

Sage...how pretty are these purple flowers...?

Gem Squash...

Ashley Cucumer...almost there, folks!  Hmmm....I can taste those pickled cucumbers!

...And beautiful peaches!  Ah...

...And I just had to share pictures of our little pooches...

 

My Izzie...

And her cousin, Chloe.  Chloe is Beth's dog...

 Oh, and before I forget, just take a look at this beauty overlooking our garden...  This is a Brown Hooded Kingfisher and he visits us quite regularly...I got as close as I could and snapped this before he spotted me and flew away...

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What is growing in your garden at the moment...?  I know many of you are weloming cooler Autumn weather, and letting your gardens rest...but for my fellow readers enjoying springtime, may you enjoy each busy day sowing, weeding and watching...

 ~

  This post may be shared with...

~ The Art of Homemaking Mondays, Roses of Inspiration, Wise Woman Link-Up, Raising Homemakers Link-Up, Cooking and Crafting with J and J and Modest Monday

Shining Stars GIVEAWAY...Still Time to Enter!

Just popping in to remind you of the lovely Shining Stars giveaway which will be closing on the 12th of November...you don't want to miss it!

To see my review and enter to stand a chance of winning a year's subsciption to this magazine, hop over to THIS post!

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Blessings to you, dearest readers!

Shining Stars ~ Magazine Review and…a GIVEAWAY!

 Dear readers, I am so delighted to share this review with you today…

When Hannah, the lovely editress and founder of Shining Stars magazine, contacted me a while back asking if I would be willing to do a review for her, I happily agreed...

…And I was just thrilled when I discovered a few back issues in my mailbox and I eagerly pored over each page…

If you are a daughter~at~home, a potential daughter~at~home or mother~at~home, you will

appreciate and enjoy these beautiful magazines…each article encourages and inspires women both young and old to pursue beautiful, Biblical womanhood (even when it is difficult…in fact, especially when it is difficult!) and I was blessed by what the various authors had to share…

There are so few young women who have chosen stay~at~home~daughterhood, and thus it is very refreshing to read of like-minded young ladies and be encouraged to keep on walking this road…

Our homes are so important and we are blessed to have the responsibility of keeping them…and learning how to keep them.  I love what a fellow blogger shared with her readers…

“I firmly believe that the home is a beautiful canvas for biblical hospitality, servanthood and discipleship.”

Miss Jen, Blessed Femina

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Shining Stars magazines are printed quarterly, and to subscribe, visit the website over here...

I originally thought these magazines were downloadable, and I was simply thrilled to realise that each magazine is printed on quality paper and mailed, so I can sip my coffee and page through a magazine…  I love being able to turn an actual page…  {{happy sigh}}

Each magazine has a different theme…there are also regular columns such as…

...A Peek into my Hope Chest

Being Beautifiers

Crafts in the Home

Healthy Living

Heroines in History

Little Ladies (for younger readers)

Meet a Star

Penpal Place…

…And so much more!

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I love what Hannah has to say in the beginning of each magazine…

“…This magazine is made up of submissions from people who, in their understanding of Scripture, may “walk their walk” a little differently than you or I…”

There are certainly things which I may not agree with in these magazines…for instance, I don’t just wear skirts, but it is very true that we do indeed all walk the road given to us by the Lord, and yes…mine may look quite different to yours...  But I think it is important that we as Believers do what the Lord has called us as individuals to do, and it may not be the same for everyone…

Our main goal should be to share the Gospel with unbelievers…

 

~

I will most definitely be subscribing to Shining Stars, and I would encourage other young ladies to do the same…and if you are an aunt, mother or grandmother of a young lady, why don’t you gift her with a subscription this Christmas?  I know she would be blessed and inspired!

Oh, we need so much encouragement as we walk along this road, and it is wonderful to discover this in Shining Stars…

~

Now, I have a truly wonderful surprise for you, dear friends…Hannah is sweetly offering one of my readers a year’s subscription to Shining Stars Magazine which is four issues…

Isn’t that delightful…?

How the giveaway works…

To stand a chance to win a year’s subscription to Shining Stars magazine, simply leave a comment below…

Giveaway will end on the 10th of November and winner will be picked randomly.  This giveaway is open to readers all over the world.

To gain extra entries…

Like Radical Feminity (Hannah’s blog) on Facebook

Follow Radical Feminity through Google Friend Connect

Subscribe to Shining Stars website
Share this giveaway through your choice of social media...

Follow Beautiful Girlhood through Google Friend Connect

Like Beautiful Girlhood on Facebook

*Please leave another comment telling me what you did so I can give you extra entries….

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A big thank you to Hannah for all the time and love she pours into creating these lovely magazines…and also for hosting this wonderful giveaway today!

May your weekend be wonderful and blessed, sweet friends!

 P.S.  All thoughts are entirely my own...:-)

Thursday Pearls

 

 “Trying to do the Lord’s work in your own strength is the most confusing, exhausting, and tedious of all work. But when you are filled with the Holy Spirit, then the ministry of Jesus just flows out of you.”

~ Corrie Ten Boom 

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Thursday blessings, dearest friends!

~ I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.  Philippians 4:11 ~