What I Love: 8/18/13

I am thankful for the gift of gratitude. It allows me to take joy in the things around me, embrace life's ups and downs, and give glory to God no matter what.

This is it! I have completed a full year of What I Love. I miss many days (ahem, the last couple. Ahem), but it really has been a great excersise in simply embracing what God has given me. It's been a fun ride!

From here on out, I will still be posting regularly. Much of it will probably still be What I Love-style, but I'm hoping to share with you guys more pictures, some of the projects I do this semester, and other exciting things in my life.

Until later!

What I Love: 8/15/13

Packing to prepare for my return to school! I've missed it, and I am excited to go back. What will this year hold?

What I Love: 8/14/13

Going camping with my family (yes, that is the reason for my absence). A lot of laughs, a lot of cookies, marshmallows, and coffee, and a lot of wonderful memory-making family time. :)

What I Love: 8/11/13

Being able to bless the people around me with food, music, fun times, and fellowship.

What I love: 8/9/13

When God answers prayer. This morning, I was really exhausted, had a headache, and didn't want to go to work. I knew this wasn't a good attitude to start the day with, so I prayed and asked God to change my view and help me have a good day. And He did! The store wasn't too busy, but it was just busy enough to keep me from getting bored. My boss was in a good mood, and I got to play with lots of pretty fabric. :) Thanks God!

What I Love: 8/7/13

Thinking, planning, and getting excited for Fall Semester! It is going to be so great.

What I Love: 8/6/13

Getting coffee with one of my best friends, and getting to chat about everything under the sun. So good. :)

What I Love: 8/5/13

Having coupons to save lots of money with when shopping. :)

What I Love: 8/4/13

Babysitting! Especially when it's a sweet seven-month-old who can't stop smiling.

What I Love: 8/3/13

That both Ben and Rachael will be home soon! It will be nice to have the whole family in one place, even if it's only for a little while.

What I Love: 7/31/13

The Gatekeeper at Cedar Point. It's a new ride that's really fun. We went yesterday (hence my lack of posting), and we got to ride it. You should try it sometime.

What I Love: 7/28/13

Introducing my boyfriend to gooseberries, card games, and kayaking. But not at the same time.

What I Love: 7/27/13

After my post about modesty yesterday, I was reminded of this fantastic resource I'd stumbled across a few years ago. It's called the Modesty Survey, and basically, it's a survey of hundreds of Christian guys who gave their input as to what they see as modest. I love this because I want to be modest and protect the guys around me, but sometimes I just don't know. I might think something is modest (or sometimes I'm afraid I just don't think), and this is a really useful guide to get an idea of how guys see the world.

What I Love: 7/26/13

This video about bikinis and modesty. I came across it here. It is so true - our culture has completely stripped away modesty, and turned the very word into some sort of idea of a frumpy old grandma wearing eight layers of clothing. But what's it given us instead? Vulgar, less-is-more, the only way to look good on the beach is to wear as little clothing as possible. But it goes deeper than that. So much of our culture revolves around sexuality and attractiveness, but the world's broken idea of that is "I have to show myself off in order to be loved and attractive". But isn't it more attractive to be a little different, a little mysterious? To simply be a reflection of God's character that He made you to be? We are made in God's image, and our bodies are a temple of the Holy Spirit (1 Cor. 6:19-20). Shouldn't a temple be taken care of, kept holy, and not trashed?

Thank you to Jessica Rey for speaking truth. Also, if you are interested in her swimsuit designs, the website is here but it looks like a lot of them are sold out at the moment.

What I Love: 7/25/13

My bedroom is done! I'm so happy with how it turned out. A coat of paint, new curtains, pillows, and blankets, and it looks great! A big thank you to my mom for helping me paint, and for letting me do such a bold color.

Okay, now for the tour (click on the pictures to enlarge):

The view as you enter the room.

Turning to the right.

The back wall.

Turning all the way to the right.

Close up of the head of the bed. Note the Beard calendar.

Pictures on the wall.

Each of these photos/decorations was either taken by me, given to me, or found around the house.

The throw pillows I made. The yellow one is the same fabric as the curtains.

Rather dark picture of the curtains.

One last pretty shot :)

Paint: Glidden Peacock Blue

Bedspread: found

Curtains and throw pillows: Made by me with fabric from Sew-Green

Hope you liked it as much as I do! If you have any questions about it, feel free to ask them in the comments!

What I Love: 7/24/13

That God forgives. It is so crazy to know that despite my sins, despite my pride, despite my selfishness, God loves me and has forgiven me, simply because His Son thought I was worth it.

What I Love: 7/23/13

Gooseberry pie! It kind of sounds like something out of Anne of Green Gables, but it is actually very tasty. If you find yourself burdened with gooseberries, this is a great recipe to use them in. Gooseberries are very tart (the pie is similar to a sour cherry pie), but the addition of tapioca helps cut down on the tartness. A note though, the pie is pretty runny if you cut it right after pulling it out of the oven. I recommend serving it with ice cream, to help with the tartness even more.

Gooseberry Pie

Ingredients:
3 1/2 cups gooseberries
1 tsp orange rind
1/4 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 tbsp tapioca
2 tbsp melted butter
2-layer pie crust

Soak the tapioca for about 10 minutes. Then, combine all the ingredients (except the crust, obviously). Let the filling sit for 15 minutes. Then put the bottom crust in a 9 - inch pie pan, add the filling, and finish with the top crust. Crimp the edges and cut in some vents, and the pie is ready to bake! Put it in the oven at 350 degrees Fahrenheit, and bake for 30 minutes. It should look golden and bubbly. Let it cool, and enjoy!

What I Love: 7/22/13

Today marks the birth of the Royal Baby (Congrats, Prince William and Dutchess Kate!)

Fun fact: The baby is third in line for the throne: First is Prince Charles, then Prince William, then Prince Baby. He booted Prince Henry as third.

What I Love: 7/20/13

Guys. I found the cutest thing ever. LOOK:

source

They're "Squishables" and they are like 14 inches wide and round and fuzzy and ADORABLE. 

Squeeeeee!

What I Love: 7/19/13

making pillows and curtains for my bedroom!