Capturing December.....

I think I'll do this!  Will you join me?

Book Review: Touching the Sky...

And last but not least......

It's 1865 in Corpus Christi, Texas and Laura Marquardt and Brandon Reid are faced with the ugliness of the Civil War.  Life as they've known it is completely different now that the war is over.

Laura's spoiled and immature younger sister has gotten herself into some trouble and Laura and Brandon are put into the dangerous position of trying to get her out of it.  Slavery, lack of education, animosity between the North and the South, Tracie Peterson covers them all....

If you are interested in Historical Fiction, then this is the book for you!

Thank you to Bethany House for providing this book to me for free in return for my honest review!  My review of Book One in the Land of the Lone Star Series, Chasing the Sun, can be found here.

Many Blessings,
Melissa

Book Review: Traveler's Rest....

Jane Morrow has had a tough life.....a mother who committed suicide, a soldier fiancee permanently injured while away at war and a weak faith that seems to come and go with her emotions but God had a plan for her life.

Truman Rockaway had been living with a secret for many many years and no amount of healing during his tenure as a physician could take away his guilt from living with that secret.

Truman and Jane come together in a way that only God can orchestrate and both find the healing they have both been longing for.  While the story didn't turn out the way I expected it to, I was pleasantly surprised at how real Ann Tatlock's characters became and I look forward to reading a lot more of her work!

Thank you to Bethany House for providing this book to me for free in return for my honest review!

Many Blessings,
Melissa

Book Review: The Harvest of Grace.....

 

Good afternoon!  

If you've been a reader of mine for any length of time, you know I am a big fan of both Amish Fiction and Historical Fiction and I'm back today to share my thoughts on one of three books I've recently finished.  Enjoy!

The Harvest of Grace by Cindy Woodsmall is book three of the Ada's House Series and while I have not read books one and two, I was immediately drawn into their story.  The author did an excellent job of introducing the complex characters in a way that made you feel like you had already read the first two books and for quick reference included a complete list of the characters in the back of the book.

Sylvia Fisher is a young and hard working Old Order Amish woman.  Her story begins with a betrayal forcing her from her family, home and all that she's known.

Aaron Blank is fresh out of alcohol rehab and is looking to sell the family farm that Sylvia fled to in her time of need.  Needless to say, these two clash but in the end find a common ground in both their faith and a growing love for one another.

Grace....what a beautiful word!

Thank you to Waterbrook Multnomah Publishing Group for providing this book for free for my honest review!  

Many Blessings,

Melissa

Wishing you Happiness....

A bright and cheerful wish for happiness....

Quick Little Birthday Card....

 

A sweet little birthday card I made for a friend's daughter's birthday...

A Little Update.....

For those of you who have prayed for my best friend Tammy, here is a little video on how she's doing.  I can't tell you how proud I am of her!  Thank you to all of the prayer warriors out there and if the need ever arises for me to be able to return them on your behalf, please don't hesitate to let me know...

Stamping and Scrapping....

I've been doing a lot of stamping and scrapbooking around here lately....

 

 Ray 2012

 

 Chris Baby 1971

  

 Melissa First Day of School 1980...based on a layout I saw on the internet but for the life of me I can't find the original source!

 

Bill Father's Day based on this card!

Have you created anything lately?

Book Review: Chasing the Sun....

Tracie Peterson's Chasing the Sun was simply delightful!  Set in the 1860's Hannah Dandridge finds herself responsible for her younger siblings when her father disappears.  Ms. Dandridge knows that she's in for a tough time when the original owner of the ranch they live on returns unexpectedly.  I was inspired by her giving yet firm nature and her spunk kept me chuckling throughout the book.  The other characters were well rounded and believable as well.

I look forward to reading many more books from Tracie Peterson!

Thank you to Bethany House for providing Chasing the Sun to me for free in return for my honest review!

Live Like That- Sidewalk Prophets- lyrics

Book Review: The Scent of Cherry Blossoms

Here's book review number two.....

The Scent of Cherry Blossoms by: Cindy Woodsmall

The Scent of Cherry Blossoms by Cindy Woodsmall was a sweet and quick read!  It was refreshing to jump into dialogue that wasn't derogatory or tasteless in nature.  The story starts with complicated family relationships and ends with sacrifices in order to follow God's promptings.  My limited knowledge of the inner workings of the Amish and Mennonite communities was increased and this book has re-ignited my interest in how they live their lives.  I highly recommend this book!

Thank you to Waterbrook Multnomah Publishing Group for providing this book for free for my honest review!

 

Book Review: Where Will You Go from Here?

Good morning friends!  It's been a while since I've reviewed a book on here and have not one, but two!  I will post the reviews separately so be sure to check them both out....

Where Will You Go from Here?  Valorie Burton

We all have less than desirable events that take place in our lives so I was excited to receive Where Will You Go from Here? in hopes that it would provide simple steps to overcome trying situations.  Unfortunately,  I found it difficult to stay focused on what Ms. Burton was writing.  At first I thought it was because I wasn't going through a particularly difficult time at the point of reading the book, but the further I got into it, the worse my wandering mind got!  I was highly disappointed and have a hard time recommending this book to anyone else.  

Thank you to Waterbrook Multnomah Publishing Group for supplying this book to me for free for my honest review.

Reader Question....

 Source

Happy Friday!


I've been kicking around the idea of starting a Homekeeping/Homemaking/Household Binder and was wondering a few things....

1. Does it help with organization or just add one more thing to your To-Do List?

2. Does it help you save money?

3. Is it something you currently do?

Any and all input would be really helpful!

Have a good weekend!

Masculine Birthday....

Well, it's been so long since I've posted, I've almost forgotten how to do it!

It's obviously a busy time around here, but I wanted to pop on and post a card I made for a friend for his birthday tomorrow night.  It's similar to the one I made here.....when in doubt, CASE yourself!

Thanks for stopping by!

 

It's Easter Time!

As promised, I'm posting the Easter banner and eggs I covered for some of my Easter decor this year. I decided to stick with monochromatic tones that went well with the house because the colors are so warm.....goodness knows we need it since it's only 46 degrees and snowed in some parts of our area this morning!


For the banner I used a Sizzix Pennant Die from Stampin' Up!, stamped the letters and hand cut them out before attaching them to the pennants. It was a little tedious and time consuming but I like how it turned out. As for the eggs, I just tore designer paper into strips and mod-podged them to some plastic eggs. So the total cost for both projects was $0! I love those kinds of projects!


And instead of feeling sorry for myself because I don't have a beautiful mantle to decorate for holidays and seasons, I decided I could use our table under the big mirror in place of one. Hey, a girls got to use what she has right?

Thanks for stopping by!



Linking to:

Kristen's Creations

Dear Lillie

Easter Blessings.....

Good morning!

I hope your holy week is shaping up to be a good one!

I've been busy with projects around the house for Easter and sat down last night and whipped up a couple of cards to share. I broke out a retired stamp set from Stampin' Up! that was still in its packaging....why do I do that?!

I chose to forgo the traditional yellow daffodil look and went with the more modern color palette of the peach. It was also the first time I used the pleated ribbon from Stampin' Up! and LOVE it. I'm definitely getting some more in the other colors they offer! While the overall card and layout is simple, adding some shimmer spray (that did not show up on the camera) and outlining the white flowers with a gray marker really made the image pop.

Have you made anything for Easter this year? I'd love to see it so leave a link in the comment section below so that I can check it out! And be sure to come back tomorrow to see my banner and eggs that I made for this year's decor....

Recipe Cards for a Friend.....

Just a quick post today.....have a good weekend!

Pinterest Challenge Mailbox.....

Good evening!

Like many others on the web, I've been bit by the Pinterest bug! I've been pinning for some time now and decided it was finally time to try one of the projects sitting on one of my boards. Plus, it coincided with a Pinterest Challenge on Bower Power so how could I resist?

Here is my inspiration piece:

It came from a fellow Stampin' Up! Demonstrator on Stampin' Connection. I thought it was super sweet and something that a special friend would enjoy in her home.

And here is my piece:

I changed the Designer Paper to something that would coordinate with her home decor and think it turned out just as sweet. What do you think?

Have you completed a Pinterest project lately? If so, I'd love to see it! And if you are looking for additional inspiration from other participants, please check out Bower Power and send a little love her Katie's way!

Some Favorite Websites....

I've been a little under the weather this week but as part of my ongoing Thrifty Living Series, I wanted to share a couple of my favorite sites. I read them regularly and can't say enough how inspirational I find them! The thing that I find most intriguing about all of them is that they promote living the best you can....even if it's on very little. The truth is that our attitude's will determine how successful we are at living within our means. Please be sure to check them out and them out and let me know what you think!

Blue Chateau Interiors

The Peaceful Mom

Living Rich on Less

Book Review - Financial Peace Revisited....

Good morning!

It's been a while since I've done a book review but since this one goes along with the ongoing Thrifty Living Series, I thought it would be a good time to share my thoughts.


For any one who is searching for financial books, Dave Ramsey is no stranger. I've heard him many times on the radio and have read about his advice on several of the blogs I follow so I thought it was time for me to read one of his books myself.

While all of the chapters weren't applicable to us, Dave's straight shooting choice of words were appreciated by both my husband and myself! Here are some basic points he covered:

1. You must cut back on your lifestyle.

2. Pay your tithe first and yourself second. 10% recommended in both cases.

3. Do not go into debt for anything.

4. Do not make financial decisions based on how someone else views your choices.

5. Build an emergency fund of 3-6 months of expenses.

6. Plan for the unexpected because it WILL happen.

7. Create a "sinking fund" savings account for large purchases.

8. Let compound interest work for you and not against you.

9. Reduce risk by diversifying where your money is.

10. Disciplined savings wins out over mutual funds, stocks, bonds, commodities, etc.

11. Fully fund Roth IRA's.

12. Make sure adequate insurances are in place.

13. Participate in 401(k) programs and take advantage of employer matching funds.

14. Pay off your house if applicable.

15. Give and keep on giving.

Overall, we agreed with most of what Financial Peace said. We live very similar to the items listed above. There was one point in particular I found distasteful and it was when Dave referred to salesmen in a rather unflattering way and seemed to encourage an attitude that I would rather not take upon myself. In my personal opinion, I never want my character to be brought into question! Even if it could save us some money....

I'd love to hear your thoughts on the Dave Ramsey plan. Have you read any of his books? Listened to his radio program? Do you adhere to any of his teachings?

Have a good weekend!

Thrifty Living Series, Pinterest and an Award.....

Good morning friends....well, I guess it's actually afternoon now that I glance at the clock! :o)


After my post on Friday, I spent most of my weekend with all kinds of things whirling around in my mind. I've decided to go ahead and do a Thrifty Living Series because I can't possibly be the only one who is concerned with the way things are going in our world today! I invite you to join me on this journey and would love it if you would let me know you are reading from time to time.



Leave it to pinterest to sum up my thoughts perfectly!


Before I go, I'd like to say thank you to my special friend Sue who blessed me with an online award this weekend....I'm touched and honored that you thought of me my friend! While I don't tag others with awards myself, I am very thankful for our online family! If you get a chance, please drop by Sue's blog and give her a little love....

Have a good day!




Linking to: Natasha in Oz.....