A chest full of hopes

My sisters and I each got a hope chest for christmas. We were very excited. The dilemma was, they were unfinished unassembled hope chests. So until this summer they've been sitting in there boxes in the yard shed just waiting to be finished. We each got our finishing supplies, (our choice of color) our sand paper, our creativity, and went to work. They are now all sitting in our room just waiting to be filled with hopes. I used a stain called "weathered gray". I was going for a vintage-y look. It was a lot of fun to put together. (I got some first time experience putting a piece of furniture together, too.) I love that it's personalized and I'll be able to use in my own home some day.

Do you have a hope chest?

Just Peachy

 The little crop of peaches from our peach tree. We made delicious peach sauce out of them.(The next best thing to apple sauce)

You may have noticed a few changes around here. I've changed my blog design up a bit. I have very little computer design skills but I like how it's turning out so far. Our summer has been consisting of a lot of organizing, crossing off check lists and as we're learning: A lot of frog eating. My mom's been reading a book about getting things done and being productive and it says eat the ugliest frog first. My sisters and I are working on organizing our room. We've been cleaning and getting rid of things. It's sort of like a jig saw puzzle. If you move something around you have to move something else around. I hope to be putting a few more posts out soon, but for now it might be a little quiet around here. 

 Have you all been enjoying your summer? Have you eaten any frogs?

Hello June

Job 36:28 
The clouds pour down their moisture
    and abundant showers fall on mankind.

Rain drops and showers have been reviving each plant in my mom's garden. It's beautiful seeing all the life thrive all around our yard. June is a refreshing month. Not only do the plants grow but I find that I too am growing. Less distractions make for more time to think. But with more time there is more time to waste. Summer is approaching and with it comes more fun things to do. Let us not forget (let me not forget) to lay all our activities before God and constantly be renewing our minds in His word, praising Him, and growing in Him- even through the summer.

Job 37:2-6
²Listen! Listen to the roar of his voice,
    to the rumbling that comes from his mouth.
³ He unleashes his lightning beneath the whole heaven
    and sends it to the ends of the earth.
⁴ After that comes the sound of his roar;
    he thunders with his majestic voice.
When his voice resounds,
    he holds nothing back.
⁵ God’s voice thunders in marvelous ways;
    he does great things beyond our understanding.
⁶ He says to the snow, ‘Fall on the earth,’
    and to the rain shower, ‘Be a mighty downpour.’

What do you like best about Summer?

Good bye summer.

 Good bye daisies

 Good bye bare feet

Good bye golden corn

 Good bye marigolds

 

Good bye caterpillars 

 

Good bye butterflies

 

 

 Saying my farewells to summer. Awaiting the arrival of fall.

 

What are you going to miss with summer's departure?

Short and Sweet Sunday Blessings

Sundays are such fun!

Going to church, praising God, fellowshipping with other believers and getting worship songs stuck in my head.
 I love Sundays.
We also went to our dear friends' house today. We had fun swimming, getting sunburn, eating yummy food, fellow shipping together and laughing together.



This song is stuck in my head. It's beautiful, isn't it? A great one to being humming over and over again.

How have you spent your Sunday?

The First Day Of Summer

                                     

How did you spend the first day of summer?...

Battle of the Swimsuits

                                                   {via}
 I know I am not the only one out there, though oftentimes it seems like it...
I find that it's very difficult to find a decent swim suit. ( And might I say the cost is ridiculous!)
Do you have the same problem? Although I don't go swimming that often, I do find it frustrating seeing how the culture handles swimming apparel. Many prefer to swim around the pool wearing the latest colored underwear... :-P

I thought I'd share a few helpful links and ideas to dress modestly for the glory of God even at the pool.

Here are some options I've tried and discovered. Click the links to the websites. All photos are from their websites.

Land's end

  They have a selection of swim suits, rash guards and swim skirts.

( Sorry the photo is so small. Click the link below for a better view.)

{via}

Swim Modest

  They have a selection of swim suits.

I have bought a swim dress from them and it has held up very well. It's well made and comfortable.

                                                                  {via}

Dressing For His Glory

They have a selection of clothes as well as swim wear, swim skirts, swim shirts, and swim skorts.

Their swim skirts are about the same price as land's end's skirt, but are a  quite a bit longer with leggings sewn in.

{via}

Simply Modest Swimwear

They sell swim suits, leggings, swim suit patterns, and swim fabric.

                                                                        {via}
I bought a swim dress and leggings from here. They were well made, but the fabric hasn't been as durable as others.

Fresh Modesty

 Olivia sells a very pretty, stylish swim suit pattern. I haven't used her pattern before, but it looks very nice.

                                                                 {via}

These are just a few ideas and I am sure there are other solutions, depending on how much you prefer covering. I am not judging any one for what they swim in, but I hope that we'll all consider what we wear for the glory of God.


Do you have any suggestions on where to find or make a swim suit?... :-)

Summer Sewing

 After buying some fabric on Memorial day I had it all planned out what I was going to sew.
So, with my free time I sewed a cheerful summer dress.

I used this pattern again...

It's made out of turquoise patterned cotton, which I bought at Joann's.

 Sewing is so much fun! :-)


{Photos taken by my Sister.}



What have you been up to this summer?...

Wordless Wednesday : Swinging Barefoot

 

Summer skirts bargains

On Wednesday I got some great buys at good will. I got four new skirts and two new shirts. Perfect for this hot weather. Skirts are my favorite thing to wear. I love the fabric of each skirt swishing around when I walk. There is also so much of a variety in patterns to choose from...

             Here is the first one.... I love the little bow on the edge. :-)

               Here is one of my new shirts with the skirt. I like the feminine gathers on the sleeves.
                                  It's an elegant looking shirt.

                                       Here is the next skirt with the same shirt. This skirt is very airy and light.
                                        Definitely a summer-y skirt. :-)

               Here is the second shirt. It is so comfy. It has two cute pockets as well.
                            I. love. it.

                                     Here it is with the same skirt. The image of a summer wardrobe.

                                                This is a pretty cranberry skirt. It has a ruffly edge.

                                          The blouse with it... white matches with everything!

 Now, I think this is my favorite skirt. It is a very full and it seems the most sturdy and well made out of the four I got.

 Which one's your favorite?...:-)

Have a good day!

Summer Delights...!

I have been having a beautiful and radiant summer! Here are some blessings that I have been enjoying...

....Crocheting... oh yes. I finally, finally learned how to crochet. I have been reading so many books on how to crochet. But I never understood any of them and could figure them out. I saw some videos on lion yarn's website and I actually understood what they were saying. Now I know to crochet. It is so much fun!

     Here is one of my more neat looking squares. It's not perfect. But it is a good test square. This is not one of my friendship squares. :-) I am going to crochet a bit more first.

                                    A smaller square.

          I tried doing circular crocheting. It's hard. But I just got to keep crocheting! Practice, practice. :-)

                                                     ... I have been enjoying these....

....Photography...

 

      I have been seeing so many butterflies at our butterfly bush... mostly this kind of butterfly.

                                               

      This one is so lovely... it took me a while to actually capture it, because it kept flying away.

I have a picture of a butterfly that looks very similar to this one, that I took in 2008. Swallowtails are stunning

                                                               ...Watermelon...

                                               Yum. This colorful fruit is the picture of summer...

  Although I love drawing, I haven't been drawing too much this summer.

My sister Maggie on the other hand has. :-)
She is very talented and a great artist.
I have really been amazed by my sister's breath taking
pencil drawings and watercolor paintings.


Psalm 100

I hope you all are having a lovely summer! 

What fun things have you been doing? :-)

Musings...

                                               Summer flowers...

                                                 Summer showers...

                                      Vivid colors...

                                           Beautiful berries...

                                            The butterfly bush blooms...

                                                 Crape myrtles...


Long time no post... :-)
 
Sorry for the delay and lack of posts on my blog. My family and I have been enjoying the July weather with fun with friends, catching up on spring cleaning, and many other exciting, summery fun!
I guess you could say I have been taking a blogging break. Although I have been reading all of your blogs, with out a doubt. All of you are so special, encouraging and inspiring to learn and read about. Thank you all for your blogs. They are a blessing to me. ;-)
Unforunately my whole family has been under the weather for the last couple days with a fever, sore throat and a little nausea. ( No throwing up yet.) It seems our family has been getting sick a lot lately. But I am thankful for how healthy we usually are. :-)

Any way, I really should get to bed... I hope to be posting more soon!

Summer blessings.. to you and yours'!