Catch Up Part 2

Okay here is the Ball and my new polonaise. Not many good pics of the dress, but bear with me.
Janessa, Lissi and Me.
Me...again. ;)

Me and Elijah, Lissi's brother dancing. This is the best shot of the dress.

Catch Up Part 1

Okay here we go. I'm gonna dive head long into this, because we have a lot of ground to cover. Starting with: Red RiverAwesome pic by Lissi. me in the background.

Another by Lissi.

Dadio. Our cook for the weekend.

Me and Sam, serving at the resturaunt.

Me, Sam, Evan, Janessa, and Lissi.

Books, don't ya love 'em?

*Sighs* Oh how I love books. If you were to come to my house and meet me, you would be sure of this fact. And some of you have, and are. To me, to read is to breathe. There is no difference. Life without books wouldn't be life at all.
Arnold Lobel said,
"Books to the ceiling,
Books to the sky,
My pile of books is a mile high.
How I love them! How I need them!
I'll have a long beard by the time I read them."

And Charles Elliot,
"Books are the quietest and most constant of friends; they are the most accessible and wisest of counsellors, and the most patient of teachers."

So why this random post on books, you ask? Well, I am reading a lot currently, and I have recieved a new book today.

#1. Crazy Love by Francis Chan http://crazylovebook.com/

This book is and most likely will change my view on how God's love is, has, and will be demonstated to his people.

This is one must read. Check out it's back cover:

"GOD IS LOVE.

Have you ever wondered if we're missing it? It's crazy, if you think about it. The God of the universe--The Creater of nitrogen and pine needles, galaxies and E-minor--loves us with a radical, unconditional, self-sacrificing love. And what is our typical response? We go to church, sing songs, and try not to cuss. Whether you've verbalized it yet or not...we all know something's wrong.

Does something deep inside your heart long to break free from the status quo? Are you hungry for an authentic faith that addresses the problems of our world with tangible, even radical solutins? God is calling you to a passionate love reationship with Himself. Because the answer to religious complacency isn't in working harder at a list of do's and don'ts--it's falling in love with God. And once you encounter His love, you will never be the same.

Because when you're wildly in love with someone, it changes everything."

#2. The Life Book by The Gideon's International https://www.thelifebook.com/index.php

There are 17.5 million high school students in the U.S. Studies say that only 4% of students are Bible-believing Christians, that means over 16 million high school students are missing God's gift of grace in Jesus Christ. Do you wish you could have a greater impact on the next generation? Getting involved with The Life Book Project allows you to help Christian students all over the U.S. saturate their schools with God's Word as they give The Life Book to their friends and classmates. How can you be involved? Go to the above link, or view, download, send a free copy of The Life Book here: https://www.thelifebook.com/get-the-lifebook.php

The life book is for students to hand out in their schools, organizations, sports clubs, and oher places where they can develope a relationship with those they give the book too. Find out more info at the website.

#3. By the Sword by Richard Cohen

Well, after the above two, I feel kinda out of place talking about this one. It's a boo about the history of swords. And it is entirely fascinating. Never had I known there was so much to a long piece of steel. Cohen tells his tale in a quirky, narritive way that captures and keeps hold of your attention. I picked this up becuase I needed to know about swords for my story, but I didn't plan on getting a history lesson. This book will definately inhabit my shelves for a long time after.

Anyways, hope you enjoyed this little book critique and gave you some interesting books to pick up soon. More to come from Fall Retreat soon, and Red River pics, and Dancing pics on their way this week!

Tid bits from Fall Retreat

Spent this last weekend away in Kentucky fellowshipping with old friends, new friends, and The Greatest Friend. Four Sermons: Four Different Passages of scripture.

1. "The Original Nic @ Night" John 3, with special emphasis on John 3:16
2. "A Camel, a Needle, and a CEO" Matthew 19:16-30
3. "A Fat Dent" Isaiah 6
4. "Survival Kit Info" 1 Kings 19

I'm going to go through each of them during this week and share what God revealed to me. I'm not going in order, so bear with me. Here is #2:


The Rich Young Ruler asked Christ 3 questions. Notice where his emphasis lies.

"What good thing must I do to get eternal life?"
"Which [commandments] must I follow ?"
"What still do I lack?"

Nothing we could ever do could give us salvation. This guy comes running to the one who could do all this for him, and he asks what he has to do to earn his salvation. This is a guy who is used to earning things. He is rich. He has a high place in the temple. He has stuff.
But Christ asks him to follow the six commandments that have to do with your relationships with people.
"Do not murder, Do not steal, do not commit adultery, do not give false testimony, honor your father and mother, and love your neighbor as yourself."
This guy had money. He didn't have to steal, he could buy it. He could bribe people to do what he wanted, ect. He had "followed" these commands. So the guy asks what more must I do?
Christ replies,
"If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me."
Jesus knows that this guy just wants the easy way out. He wants to do what he can to get by, he doesn't want to sacrifice something for the one who made the Greatest Sacrifice.
This guy is justifying himself on external actions. If he sells everything he has, he will lose his position, power, authority, place in society, ect. He will be destitute and will have to rely on Christ, and accept the amazing gift that surviving off of God is.
But he doesn't. He just walks away. And Christ turns to his disciples and makes a very interesting remark.
"I tell you the truth, it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God."
In Jewish society, the camel is one of the most unclean animal in their culture. Christ is essentially saying "The path to heaven is narrow and it's gate small, nothing unclean gets past it."
Hearing this, the disciples are greatly concerned, for the Jews thought that wealth was a sign of God's blessing on your life. And while that maybe so, the Jews took it a step further in saying that if you were rich, you would have eternal life.
The Disciples panicked. They had grown up with this ideology. But they were dirt poor. They had left everything behind in following Christ. If this rich man can't get to heaven, how could they?
But Jesus responds with this,
"And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or fields for my sake will receive a hundred times as much and will inherit eternal life. But many who are first will be last, and many who are last will be first."
The Ruler had everything but lacked Jesus. The disciples had everything in Jesus, but were envious of what the Ruler had. Following Jesus isn't about "getting blessings". The reward for following Jesus, is Jesus. He is the only thing you can take with you to heaven.
After all, when was the last time you saw a herse with a U-haul attached to it? You can't take jack-nothin' with you when you die.

So who of the two was the richest in the end? The ruler, or the disciples?

For Lissi

Found this and I couldn't resist posting it. This song is so sweet and amazing.

Florida 2009

Well, I've finally found a lull in my day (or month as it were) to put some stuff up. So, here is the trip to Florida I took with Allison in September after my birthday.

Me and Lissie.

This is the dinner I made for us. Each of us cooked either lunch or dinner while we were down there. Lissi and I did dinner and the boys did lunch. I made chicken pot pie and fried apples. I have to admit, it was pretty good....especially the apples!

And here is Allison's. She made shrimp scampi (which was delicious by the way), green beans, salad, and garlic bread.

One day at the beach we had the idea to make Allison into a mermaid. So we did. And here is the finished project. We put seaweed around her for decoration, and on her head for a crown. It was tons of fun, but unfortunatly, the seaweed itched Lissi like crazy and her arm was really acky after laying like that for so long while we covered her in sand. A lot of people who walked by really liked it and took pictures!

The place where we stayed also had a neighborhood pool and we would go there when the beach got really windy and the currents became dangerous. Right to left: Elijah, me Lissi, and Lee.

The second day at the beach, Elijah and I decided to make a sand castle, which then turned into a contest between me and him, and Allison and Lee.

And the finished project: We won the "Best Aslan's How Look-a-like Award". Course, we were the only ones to build an Aslan's How Look-a-like. :) Oh well, it was fun and it really did look quite like it.

I had a great time and am so thankful to Lissi and her family for allowing me to go with them. Lissi teased me that I took the place of her guitar. ;) Hopefully some time this weekend or next week I'll have more pics up of Red River!!! Stay tuned.

So much for keeping on track...

Sorry guys,......again. Things keep going way too fast for me too keep up with stuff. So, some more updates.

1. My Dad had surgery this past Wednesday on his back. Two of his lower vetebrae were sqeezing around his spinal cord, cutting off the circulation to his legs. As a result, his legs were falling asleep when he stood up for a while. Luckily the surgery went wonderful and he is alreay home and on his feet. Please continue to pray that his incessions don't become infected. The incession is causing him some minor pain, but his back is feeling better already.
2. My trip to Florida with Allison's family was soooo much fun! I have pictures and as soon as I can remeber where I placed my hard drive stick, they will be on here! ;)
3. My book is going good, however I will not be posting my book on here for copyright precautions. But, I will be posting snipits.
4. We went to Red River last weekend and had an amazing time. As soon as I get some pictures from Allison, you can be sure I will update extensively.
5. My cousin is now married and both Andrew and Kendall looked wonderful! My other cousin, Nathan will be marrying his fiancee, Robin, in January.
6. Upcoming events include the annual Thanksgiving trip to NC, Yule Fest in December, and Nathan's wedding in NC.


Stay tuned for more details. ;)

Happenings Number 2

Okay, I am officially ashamed of my lack of attention to my blog! I'm becoming like some people I know who only post once a month!!!! ;) You know who you are!!!

Well, to begin with announcments:

1. I am having my birthday next week! YAY!!!

2. I am leaving for Florida next week with my dearest Lisi!!!!!! YAY!

3. I am writing a novel!!! That is probably the main reason why I haven't been posting as much. Every avaiable second I have on the laptop is consumed in writing my novel. Thankfully, I enjoy it and it is a lot of fun! When I start finishing chapters, I'll post them so you can read and critique!!!

4. I haven't even started making my Robe de l'angliese. A fact of which I am terribly ashamed. :( But I have recieved my silk from Sam, and it as absolutely lovely!!!!!

5. Last, but not least, I'M GONNA BE AN AUNT!!!!!!!! You heard me! God is blessing Josh and Lori with a precious bundle of joy due in March. So far, we have heard that the darling is four inches long, and has already been dubbed Waldo Kirby by the dearest's adoring parents!!! ;)

Now for upcoming projects:

1. Well, the Robe de l'angliese.

2. My silk neckerchief.

3. An embroidery floss holder. (Quite creative actually and I am very proud of it!)

Things to check out in the upcoming months:

1. More things to come on my political blog, Politically Incorrect on Purpose.

2. Another blog for my embroidery work. I will also have a way for you to contact me if you would like to have me do some for you. I will have more information on that soon.

3. Upcoming re-enactments and trips. Red River is around the bend and my second trip to Ohio this year is also coming up. November will also bring the annual Thanksgiving trip to NC.

4. And finally, pics from Florida!!!! Hope fully you will be entertained, but I can't promise anything! ;)

So, hopefully this will all hold you guys over for a few week while I catch my breath from all that is going on. Keep and eye out for what's to come!

Another Blog

Hey guys. I am in the middle of preparing several new blogs that I am writing. They are a politics blog, and "project" blog, and I will hopefully soon be having an embroidery blog. The politics one is already up. Please check it out and follow! Click here:

http://politicallyincorrectonpurpose.blogspot.com

Enjoy!

What are men compared to rocks and mountains...?

For I have learned
to look on nature, not as in the hour
of thoughtless youth: but in hearing often times
the still sad music of humanity,
nor harsh nor grating, though of ample power
to chasten and subdue. And I have felt
a presence that disturbs me with the joy
of elevated thought; a sense sublime
of something far more deeply infused,
whose dwelling is in the light of setting suns,
and the round ocean and the living air,
and the blue sky and in the mind of man;
a motion and a spirit that impels
all thinking things, all objects of thought,
and rolls through all things. Therefore am I still
a lover of the meadows and the woods,
and mountains; and of all that we behold
from this green earth; of all the mighty world
of eye, and ear-both what they half create,
and what perceive; well pleased to recognize
in nature and the language of the senses,
the anchor of my purest thoughts, the nurse,
the guide, the guardian of my heart, and soul,
of all my moral being.
-William Wordsworth

Well....

Okay, I have good news and bad news:

Bad news first.

I have decided not to do the Regency dresses right now, but maybe later on in the future. Right now I want to focus on dresses I can wear in the 1775-1789 time slot, which means polonaises and in the case of my newest project, a Robe de l'anglaise.

Good news:

I have several pictures from movies and documented portraites of that time period showing this style of dress. I have another drawing of the one I want to make, but I will post that later with pictures of the fabric. Which brings me to another point. I have already bought the fabric to make this gown, so I would like to get it done first before the Regency dresses. This dress is very fancy and is more of a "special occasion" dress or as I would use it, a dance dress. My version is very militarical in style and is very clean cut. It actually has much of the style of the bodice of a riding habbit.

So here are the pictures, with captions. :)

This is an actual portrait done at the time. This dress encompases the entire design I want, however with a little less lace and more green.

This is from a movie called the Duchess which stars Keira Knightley. While I did not actually see this movie, there are some great costumes in it and photos of them are redily avaible. This is a jacket, where mine would be floor length, and the point comes lower than what I would like, but it shows very clearly the "triangular" design of the bodice, which is what I'm going for.
This is also the Duchess, in another dress in the same style. (She's on the right) I love the crossed neck scarf and the cameo.
Here is the above dress up close. The point is not as long as the jacket version and the colors here are beautiful. This is at an exhibit, and I don't like the way they did the scarf here.

So! There you have it. Later on today I'll scan the drawing of the dress and load the pics of the fabric for you guys. Enjoy!

New Project

Okay, so I have been doing some Englsih Country Dancing every other Tuesday night and I have decided to make a few Empire dresses (or Regency as they are also known) to dance in and to just plain ol' dress up in. :) To those of you who are still confuzzled, I am making a few dresses that look like they walked out of a Jane Austen movie. They may look similar to Jane's dresses in Pride and Prejudice. I sketched out my designs and I wanted to post them all to so here we go.

Here is the first one. The main dress (underneath) is a simple day dress with a drawstring neckline. It will be out of a cream of light colored fabric with a faint/small print. It will have cupped sleeves. The outer part (jacket) buttons beneath the bustline with two fabric covered buttons out of the same fabric. The jacket will be either a pale green or a ligth blue/grey. I haven't decided yet, however I will take suggestions. The back of the jacket has three sets of double pleats, (Sam, Allison: The kind on the side of my long gown), giving it a very full back.

Because this is a day dress, it can be worn with or without the jacket. It instantly becomes a dress you would wear to a dinner party with the jacket. If you don't wear the jacket, you could put a bit of ribbon around the bust line for a sash to make a whole other dress.

Dress #2

For this dress, the jacket is worn again, but we have a different day dress worn underneath. This dress is very rouched and the front crosses over, clasping with a fabric covered button. The fabric is a very light weight gauzy kind and will probably be white. The sleeves are just above the elbows. This dress can also be worn without the jacket and with a ribbon/sash. This one is designed to be a ball gown or dressier one when worn without the jacket.

So there you have it! My teo new projects for the end summer/early fall. I hope to buy the fabric soon, so please make any suggestions asap. I wanted these dresses tio be very versatile. With the jacket, I get four dresses instead of two! Let me know what you guys think!

July 4th Celebration

Well, my family decided to celebrate the 4th of July in a little different than the normal American family. Especially in the fact that we do re-enactments. So, last Saturday, we went down to Mansker's Station for the day and "par-tehd". :)

This is the official Mansker's Station jam band. Minus Daddy (dead center) who picked up the guitar, sa down and started playing with them. Ms. Laura is on the extreme right. There were guitars, dulcimers, madolins, and a violin.

The Lovely Daddy. Pardon the Sprite cans. The site fed the volunteers lunch. :)
Here is Janessa (in the blue jacket, dead center) dancing a dance called the Whipporwill. This is one of our favorite dances and it has a lot of twirls. Sam is in the background in the blur dress.

Here I am (in the red jacket) and so is Sam. By the way, that jacket is brand new and I love it! It's a long gown that I made from a linen tablecloth. It has two pleats in the back and tripled pleats at the side. Very fashionable. ;)

Me and Sam again.

Me in the background with my partner. Now you can see me from the front.
This is one little pic I like to call:

Clash of the Centuries

We have an Abraham Lincoln impersinator new here and they had him come and speak. He was very good and we all love him. He is very funny and sweet. At the dances, he tried to get partners for the standing girls left. One time he has come out and borrowed 18th century clothes and fought in an Indian Skirmish we had. It was a lot of fun and he claimed to be representing Abe's grandfather. ;)

Hope you all had a safe and wonderful 4th of July.

God Bless.

Brace Face

BEFORE @ 9:10 am

AFTER @ 10:15 YAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Part V cont.

Okay, so on our way back from Ohio, we stopped in Lexington, KY to go to the Lexington Horse Park.

They had these monstrous chairs made from old cross country jumps and we had to get a picture......or more.

Daddy and Mumsie

Janessa and Me acting grumpy...well just me acting.

Us two posed all nicely.

Definately a Christmas letter pic.

Oh, come on. They are too real! Have a little imagination!!

Janessa riding a barrell.

One of the horses shown to us. I can't remember is name because they all looked alike. I just like these two best.
This was a "Horses of the World" show.
Some of the riders practicing their show jumping.

Even more to come

Part V: OHIO

When I hear the word "Ohio" I think of that patriotic song they make you learn the states to in elementary school where they go..." Ohhh-Hyyyy-Yo!".

Anywho, sorry for keeping you guys waiting for so long. Been really busy. But today I have a triple installment because a lot has happened since June 15th. (That was appearently the last day I posted in case you were wondering, which you weren't. So I should shut up now.)

For you lovely education (of nothing inparticular) I will provide you with some marvelous pictures of my time in Ohio. Meet my wonderlous (yes, I ended that with "-lous") family.

Here are two of my adorable cousins (the one on the left is taken, sorry). Andrew (left) is the second oldest and Stephen (right) is the baby. He graduated from highschool this year. (That's why we went to Ohio)
Here they are with their parents: (l to r) Andrew, Aunt Marilyn, Stephen, Uncle Martin. Uncle Martin is my mother's older brother.
Here they are again: (l to r) Uncle Martin, Stephen, Mumsie, and Aunt Charlotte, Mumsie's sister.
And here we are. SHOCKER!!!!! Janae got her hair cut!!! Yes, if you haven't already seen me, I got my hair cut in Ohio. It's a cute little bob and it feels great. Now back to the pic. Me, Stephen, and Janessa.

And this pic, I just couldn't resist!!!!! This is Lizz, Andrew and Stephen's sister (she's in between them in age) She is a hairdresser and is the one who cut my hair there. This is at a Relay for Life event we went to and that Lizz participated in. Our grandmother died from cancer. Her shirt says "Running With Scissors" since she ran with a bunch of hair dressers. We had just eaten a frozen custard/slushi thing and our tongues were, obviously, blue. Lizz is awesome!!!!

More to come.