Longing for Fall -- I Feel Alive

We're having a revival at my church, and it is such a blessing. Combined with my morning devotions, my days are filled with such wonderful feelings -- I don't want to stop at all. I feel so alive. I just want to praise forever.

Outside it's getting cooler every day. I can feel it in the breezes. Fall breezes have the ability to get into my skin, making it tingle. There's something very special about that Fall air that makes me want to run about just to feel it move against my skin. I want to be in the mountains, staring out over the misty blue yonder just to be there in God's creation. I've said it many times, how much I love the mountains. I've become obsessed with them as of late, and look forward to camping there soon. I've got mountain fever, I know it.

Lovely weather and church aside, I have a wee announcement.

My hard drive has died. I can't even get to the login screen on my big, beautiful computer, which means I am down to using my little laptop until I can get it fixed. This shouldn't be too much of a problem, but it will certainly keep me from getting online as much as I did with my desktop computer. It's an older laptop, a Windows XP,  and the screen is small, but she runs. So I won't complain at all. But, like I said, it may make my computer habits get slow.

When I'm not online, I hope to be writing something or crocheting , or taking pictures to share with you all so I can mass post them and spam your dashboards.

Have a beautiful, blessed Tuesday, my friends! ♥

DIY: Blue & Black Floral Patterned Bangle!

This is a wonderfully quick and easy way to make a great looking bracelet that doesn't break the bank! Great for kids!

WHAT YOU'LL NEED:

-Wooden Bangle Bracelet (I got mine from Hobby Lobby.)

-Acrylic paint (I chose blue, but you can use any color you like.)

-Permanent Marker (Preferably a Sharpie.)

-Sand paper (Optional: In case your wooden bracelet is rough!)

First, start by painting the entire wooden bangle with the acrylic paint of your choice and let dry.

After it has dried, get your marker and draw on the first flower of your pattern.

Once you have it drawn, add two X marks on either end of the horizontal petals. These will be the centers of your next flowers.

Working around the X on the right, draw in the remaining three petals (the first petal is one from the previous flower). Afterwards, draw an X on that flower's horizontal petal and repeat all the way around the bracelet until you connect with the X on the left.

Your pattern should look something like this:

Looks classy already, but we're not done yet!

Next, draw a line close to the inside edge of the bracelet. Do this on both sides.

Then draw another line alongside the first one and make sure it touches the very tips of the petals. Do this on both sides, as well.

And there you have it! A cheap and easy way to make a pretty little bracelet that is great for gifts, party favors, or anything else you can think of! Use different patterns and colors to really make it fun and classy. Let's see what you can come up with!

Hope you all enjoyed this little DIY tutorial! 

Have a blessed, great Saturday! ♥

The Day That Has Been Made

"This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it." Psalm 118:24 

God has blessed me with another morning, another day for me to see. He has given it to me. Why should I not be happy about that? 

I have been making an effort to have devotions every morning, and have found that I am much more lighthearted in these mornings than I have ever been. Even if something takes a turn for the worse during the day, big or small, I don't fret. This is a day that the Lord has made for me. Whatever happens during this day is in His will and I have no complaints about that. I trust Him to take care of me. Why should I worry, then?

He has made this day for me. I can't get over that. Everything I see, hear, and feel right now is something He has created. The summer bugs outside my window, chirping and whirring away in the bright, heated sunlight. The tall, lively green shrubs giving those bugs a place to rest. The grassy yard and the mighty pines beyond. The garden that is overflowing with plants, the bees further down the the way that zoom around in the warm air and float along the cool breezes, the silk-soft tree frogs I find plastered onto the side of the house, the fish in the ponds that dart about in streaks of vivid oranges and reds through glassy waters, the fruit trees and spindly blueberry bushes that will someday explode into great proportions, and the great blue sky high above with birds and clouds of every kind in it. It has all been made by God and given to my family and me as a gift. It's a beautiful picture, and I am humbled by just this thought alone.

What has the Lord made for you today?

Upcycled and Beautified: Makeup Tub!

As of late, my makeup bag has gotten a wee bit...erhm...crowded. With a surplus of many shades of brown/bronze eyeshadows (which I adore beyond words), I'm lucky to even get them all into the bag. If that is accomplished, it's impossible to zip the thing shut. So my makeup usually ends up spilling out on my nightstand or spread over my bed. As a result, some of it ends up UNDER my bed.

So I decided that I needed to fix this issue myself, and I would do it creatively.

I will willingly admit that I hoard things I think I could use later. I have a particular love for glass bottles, and containers are always kept and used for something. I'll keep bits of fabric to crochet with, as well as plastic bags for the same reason (I love to crochet with plastic). There are many other things that I save for the event that I may need them, but I am always tidy and never let those collections get out of hand. I'm an organized packrat....And proud.

So I had this wonderful butter tub I had been using to story ribbons and small crochet work in, and I decided it was going to get an upgrade. I washed the dust out of it, as it had been sitting open somewhere, then tugged over my pile of magazines and chopped out pictures of things that were inspiringly delicate; mainly flowers and soaps. 

Using some washable school glue and a paintbrush, I pasted the pictures onto the sides of the tub and folded them over the bottom as well. The pictures were pretty enough that I didn't feel the need to paste more pictures over them, so it's a pretty simple little tub, but I may add more in later. 

Now I have a container with room to spare for my makeup, and even my bottle of foundation fits in there! I'm quite satisfied with it, especially since I didn't have to buy anything. I was able to make something I needed out of what I already had, something functional and useful. It was highly satisfying.

Also, sorry for the lower quality pictures. These are from my phone since there seem to be NO AA batteries in the house to run my camera. It's an apocalypse, I tell you!

In between studying and memorizing a poem, I want to make something else, and I have my eyes on something to set my makeup on while I'm at the mirror at the end of my bed...without having to use my bed. I'm thinking a crocheted, removable hammock sort of thing.

Have a wonderfully creative and peaceful day, my friends. ♥

Cool, Cloudy Kayaking

It was the perfect, cool, overcast, cloudy day to go kayaking and fishing. Didn't catch anything, and with no sunblock (as we assumed it would be overcast all day), the sun eventually drove us away from a potentially paddle-filled day on the lake. Ah well. We'll wait until the lake that is stocked with fish opens to the public next month!

Apple Picking Goodness

"The apples are falling off the tree. Go pick them," my dad said at lunch. Being an outdoorsy girl, I could hardly resist.
"They're ready to be picked?" I squealed, grabbing a bowl and running outside.
And ready they were. Most of them just fell of the branches right into my hands, though the ones I had to stand on my toes to reach were more reluctant to loosen their hold.

Fall seems to have come early, and you won't find me complaining. I have never been a huge fan of hot weather, as I find it is easier to keep warm than it is to stay cool. Give me a reason to toss on a jacket or huddle around a fire, and I will take it without a second thought. Of course, it hasn't been THAT cool out. It got down to the mid 60's today, which is heavenly. I will willingly muck about in a t-shirt and shorts just to feel the cool air brush over my skin. It's refreshing and invigorating, and my favorite thing about Fall.

It was quite overcast today, and several times it rained. All around lovely. I enjoyed my time outside picking our own apples from our own tree (the only one that ever produced fruit, actually, which is why we decided to cut the others down and replace them with blueberry bushes and figs), and came inside quite refreshed. My mom had tea all ready, so she and I plopped onto the sofa and watched one of our favorite movies while having our own little tea party. We adore taking tea, and Mom was dying to use her new British teapot, so it was ideal.

Have a lovely Saturday, everyone! ♥

Tiny Visitors

 

There have been some very interesting visitors to my abode as of late. Very interesting figures indeed, both bursting with intrigue and adorableness. 

The tree frog was on my bedroom window when I opened my curtains in the morning, and I squealed with delight and called the little ones into my room so they could see up close the little soft cutie. He later jumped off and could be seen clinging for dear life to one of the branches of the shrubs not too far away as the windy day made a roller coaster ride out of it. I think I actually saw his little froggy eyes bug and his feet wrap around the branch more tightly.

The moth was an unknown stranger. I have no idea what kind of moth he was, but he hung around on the screen door and stared into the house like a pair of eyes and wings attached to an oversized, fuzzy mustard-colored turtleneck sweater. His face is what amused me the most, that and his sheer size! He was as big as my hand, and was ever so fluffy. A darling indeed. Again, the kids were fascinated by him, and he actually did hang around for another day or two.

I love it when the tiny creatures come to visit. Such delicate works of art, so tiny and yet working perfectly...only God could have created them. All of God's creations are equally fascinating, even the things we see every day can be refreshed and amazing if we take the time to really consider that they are there. It always blows my mind and lifts my eyes to the sky, for looking at such a marvelous creation reminds me that there is an even greater Creator.

I love nature, all things about it. What about you? What is your favorite part of nature?

Have a lovely Saturday night, everyone! Thunder is booming in the distance here, and I feel all snug in the house with the thought of rain coming. ♥

Shabby Chic & Dainty Pink

Shabby Chic and dainty pink -- for Grandma!

Have a wonderful Wednesday, everyone. ♥

The End of My Cosmetology Chapter

I'm done. It's so hard to believe.

Today was the last day of my Cosmetology classes. This time last year, I was nervous and excited at the same time, and I didn't know what to expect or what this experience was really going to be like. It has been a long ride, but such a rewarding experience. I've met so many lovely women and have learned so many amazing things, and I wouldn't trade this past year for anything in the world.

My finals went very well, as I had prayed before and during testing that they would. Everything went so smoothly, and a part of me is sad that it's over. But I'm starting a new chapter in my life, and I am so excited about it!

God has blessed me with this opportunity and experience, and I thank Him for everything that has happened over the past year and a half (since I technically started college last spring, only those classes were prerequisites).  None of this would have been possible without His provision and love.

Next, I wouldn't have been able to stay sane or do as well as I did without my family's support. They have stuck with my throughout my ups and downs, the stress and the easy times, and, more importantly, have put up with my constant school/hair chatter. They probably know everything I know because I've spoken about it so much. Thanks to my Dad for paying for this wonderful education, and thanks to my Mom for driving me every day. Thanks to my sister for letting my crash in the evenings on her bed because my brain was zombie-fied from exhaustion (even though I did make all of her blankets hot...in the summer), and for my little brother, little sister, and grandma being supportive and excited for me. And thanks to my friends (classmates, instructors, and online pals) for encouraging, helping, and for amusing me all the time.

Oh, it's been such a wonderful time, and even though I'm excited beyond words, I'm sad that my routine will be changed. For a year I've been going to the same place and seeing the same people...and it's over. -sniffle-

Here are some pictures of my work from school over the past months. I don't know why I never shared them here, but I assure you, there are plenty!

Just some shots of my work over the past months. It's been fun.

Now I'm off to sleep. All of my adrenaline and energy for the day has slipped away, and I'm exhausted.

Goodnight, world. ♥