I Got An E-mail The Other Day...

...And it was quite a shock. It was a quiz of sorts, of how "Girly" you were. I am really out of touch with our culture if this is the typical "Girly" there is out there.

Many of the items (The majority, I'd say...) on the list were decidedly worldly, immoral, and most UN-Biblical. These I mentally labeled as fitting with the "Worldly Girl" stereotype.

Some of the items on the list were neutral, and what I consider completely a personal preference, i.e. if you love horses or if you just don't care for them too much.

Lastly, a very few items on the list squeezed into fitting with my idea of a Biblically feminine young woman.

Here is the original list:

How Girly Are You~
Check what applies to you:


[ ]my fingernails/toenails are almost always painted

[ ] during the summer the only shoes I wear are flip flops

[ ] my favorite toys as a child were Barbie

[ ] my favorite color is PINK or PURPLE

[ ] I did/do gymnastics

[ ] I love skirts

[ ]Hollister is one of my favorite places to shop

[ ] I love tight jeans

[ ] I love chocolate

[ ]I've never had a real job

[ ]my hair is almost always straightened

[ ] I have a myspace

[ ]I would love to hang out at the mall with friends

[ ]I have a real diamond ring

[ ] I've gone to a tanning salon

[ ]I've gone to the beach to tan

[ ]I have more than 10 pairs of shoes not including slippers

[ ] I wear a shower cap

[ ]my cell phone might as well be part of me

[ ]I wear mascara everyday

[ ]I've been or am on a diet

[ ] bathing suits are cute

[ ] I don't know the difference between a sheep and a goat

[ ]big sunglasses are really cute!

[ ]I have gotten my nails done before

[ ]I own over 10 purses

[ ]MTV is one of my favorite channels

[ ]all I want to do at sleepovers is talk about boys

[ ] I love to have people do my hair

[ ] I give and receive hugs from all my friends

[ ] I hate bugs.

[ ]carnivals are so fun!

[ ]Summer is the BEST!

[ ]I'm waiting for my knight in shining armor

[ ] some musicians are hot

[ ] I am self-conscious

[ ]I cry often.

[ ]my car smells like vanilla or cherry

[ ]my dishes get washed more than once a week

[ ]I don't do sports

[ ]I don't like to run!!!

[ ]I squeal when I'm surprised.

[ ]I eat dried fruit as snack

[ ]I love romance novels

[ ]I dance around the house

[ ]I usually spend an hour or over to get ready to leave my house

[ ] I only have like 5 billion hair products

[ ]I love to get dressed up.

[ ]every part of my outfit needs to match

[ ] I talk on the phone at least once a day.

[ ]I apply lip stuff 50 times a day

[ ]I wish I looked like a model

[ ] hip hop is the best music

[ ] I pop my collar

[ ]I like to be the center of attention

[ ] guys with mohawks are weird

[ ] horses are beautiful

[ ] I'd rather not pay attention in school

[ ]kittens are adorable

[ ] I write my own music

[ ]I'd love to visit Hawaii

[ ] Valentines day is cute!

[ ] white is better than black.

[ ]my closet is CHOCK FULL of clothes. (I don't wear half of them though)

[ ]I love to read magazines.

[ ] I love to talk

[ ] I had Lisa Frank folders/posters/notebooks as a kid

[ ] my bubble baths are 1-2 hrs long

[ ] I have or still do plan ahead for my wedding

[ ]my friends and I are in a tight group

[ ] I like little kids(sometimes)

[ ]diet drinks are the best

[ ] I'm all about being vegetarian

[ ] I try my hardest not to eat McDonalds

[ ]I check my myspace/bebo/email daily

[ ] I love life, every second of it.

[ ] I have a lot of jewelry

[ ] my screen name(s) have x's in them

[ ] I have a friend named Ashley

[ ] anything can be cute.

[ ] it rocks to be a chick

[ ]it's not what they said it's the way they said it.

[ ]it's not what we should do it's what we shouldn't do.

[ ]pillows are soft and fluffy, I have more than 3 pillows on my bed

[ ]you love to play card games

[ ]you'd rather go shopping than on a hike.

[ ]something is fuzzy or soft...you gotta have it!

[ ]you love roses

[ ] you've cried in a movie.

[ ] boys are either jerks or really nice.

[ ] it's bad when something happens and it's still bad the next day.

Some of these things shocked me. (Can you guess which?) Some I was okay with...I happen to love roses...and some were iffy. I could say SO much more about these topics but for now I'm just asking for your opinion. What do you think about the items on this list? Does any of it mirror you? What did you dislike the most on this list?

Please let me know.

Julia

Cute Blingee I Made

Make custom Glitter Graphics

I took the picture of those pretty Hydrangeas and Petunias and then added a glowing frame, a butterfly, and labeled it "Just Perfect." :)
What do you think?
Julia

NEW look for the New Me!

My blog is sporting a brand new look courtesy of "The Cutest Blog On The Block"! What do you think? Cute? Hopefully! I like it pretty well, but it may change next month. :)

I have other news.
I GOT MY BRACES OFF!
Yay! I am SO happy to be done with them, I have had braces for 2 and 1/2 years and that was too long for me! :) I had a wonderful Orthodontist who took very good care of my teeth and did a fantastic job, but braces are no fun. They hurt and get food stuck in them. So I am glad mine are gone!!

Here is Dr. Douglas Kallis affirming the decision he made a week earlier that my braces could come off. "Yep, looks like we can take 'em off today."

Here is the nurse cracking the metal brackets off my teeth - that hurt, it felt like my teeth were being pulled out as well as the braces! Then when the metal was off they had to scrape away the excess glue so the surface of my teeth would be nice and smooth. (That hurt too.)

When the hour and a half long ordeal (including X-rays and retainer impressions) was over, I was awarded with pretty balloon and a congratulatory "cake" made of candy bars. (YUM)
A closer view of the tasty treat: (no, it is not solid candy, there's a styrofoam cylinder in the middle with candy on the outside)

OKAY, I'm ready for the final verdict! :D Here is a picture of myself before my braces were removed:

...And here is a picture of me after the braces were taken off. (My dad says I look 22. :) I know I don't look that old but I think I look more mature, to say the least) What is your opinion?

I am so happy, so very happy! *Dances with glee* There is no explaining the difference of Braces and No Braces. I can actually eat chicken without having half of it shredded and sticking to my teeth with each bite! I'm allowed to eat POPCORN now, and with braces I couldn't do that. Yay!

And please let me know what you think of the new look for the blog! (If you want to change yours this site is SUPER easy to work with and they have millions of different backgrounds to choose from.) I thought I'd have to type something into my blog's main code, or something, but all I had to do was copy and paste a little code into a sidebar thingy that it explains very well how to do on the main website! This is the easiest way to change your blog there ever was! If you've been thinking it's time for a change, DO IT. I'll help if you have questions!

Love and blessings! Thanks to all the friends who prayed for me to feel better, I'm 99.9% better!

Gratefully yours,
Julia

Temporarily Out Of Action

I'm sick! (Cough-cough-wheeze) I'm running a high fever, currently 101.4 , with a throbbing headace and extremely sore throat. I dragged myself out of bed to sneak over to the computer and let my blogger buddies know why I've been silent!

I will be posting soon with some exciting news...right now I'm not up to doing it justice and loading the required pictures.

Please pray for a speedy recovery...I'm miserable!
(Cough-cough)
And now I return to bed rest....

Julia

UPDATE: (Friday the 18th)

Thank you for all of your loving prayers! :) I am now feeling much better, thought not completely well.
Julia

UPDATE: (Tuesday the 22nd)
Okay, I'm doing better! I had pinkeye for about four days (After the cough subsided a bit) so I could not take the crucial "after" pictures yet...so I believe I will have myself photographed tomorrow morning so you can see the drastic difference. :)
Then I promise I will post more! Actually, I'm thinking of starting a challenge, at least 1 post EVERY DAY for a week! I have lots of subjects piling up that I need to do, so this seems like a good way to catch up! :)
Anyway, see you tomorrow morning.....
Julia

Here's The Secret Activity I've Been Up To...

Crocheting!! And no, it is not pronounced "Crow-chet-ing" It is said like "Crow - SHAY - ing"
What you see here are Granny Squares. I am making a queen-size afghan out of them. I have just about half of them done. When I finish crocheting all the squares, then comes the job of doing another row around each one in white, and then sewing the squares together with more white yarn.
As you can see, I am doing the blanket in a multi-colored pastel scheme.
The (center) square below is my favorite:

I had a little yarn left that has sparkly iridescent thread running through it.
I got a wonderful idea and crocheted with two strands of yarn at once, producing this effect:
The rainbow squares and blue-and-green squares are also double-stranded.
These are the two squares I'll be doing next. I'm kind of designing the blanket as I go along, so I'm experimenting with what colors look the best together...
I have been crocheting with almost every spare minute I have, so that has taken a little time away from my blogging.

INTERESTING NOTE: The blanket is designed following a pattern my Great-Grandmother used for a twin-sized afghan that is now residing in a cedar chest in my bedroom.

I hope you won't be shy, please tell me if you like to crochet or knit too!

Julia

Jane Austen Heroine Poll Results:

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Well, this is very interesting. I know it's a very very hard choice to choose one favorite from all of Jane's wonderful ladies, but the results were amazing! Of course I only got 20 votes, so I may re-do the poll.

Elizabeth Bennet 12 (60%)

Jane Bennet 0 (0%)

Emma Woodhouse 3 (15%)

Fanny Price 0 (0%)

Elinor Dashwood 5 (25%)

Marianne Dashwood 0 (0%)

Anne Elliot 0 (0%)

First place was Elizabeth Bennet, with 12 votes. Dear Lizzie! She's actually my favorite heroine, why, I have no clue. I very much enjoyed both versions of the movie P&P and watching Lizzie portrayed by Jennifer Ehle and Keira Knightley. I thought Jennifer Ehle looked more like my ideal Elizabeth Bennet, but Keira was fascinating as well. (Such expressive eyes!) And Matthew Macfayden was great as Darcy!! (More on that later, when I post about the guys...)

Second place goes to Elinor Dashwood, with 5 votes. I love Elinor too, I've seen two versions of Sense and Sensibility, the one played by Emma Thompson and the one shown on the PBS Masterpiece theater. I've also read the book, (I've read all the Austen books!) Which I actually didn't enjoy as much as the movies...it was a bit too drawn-out, although I did like reading it. Anyway, getting back to Elinor, We could all learn a valuable lesson from her example in patience, gentleness, and kindness in the midst of a very exasperating situation.

Third place is Emma Woodhouse with 3 votes! Oh yes, she did know everything, didn't she? :) Or at least she thought she did. How nice of Mr. Knightley to love her in spite of her abominable attitude towards her acquaintances! I've not yet seen the movie with Gwyneth Paltrow, but I did watch the version that played on Masterpiece theater once. I have read the book, which I liked! :) There's something amusing about Emma's struggle with her pride...I'm glad she got everything sorted out in the end.

Poor Jane Bennet, Fanny Price, Marianne Dashwood and Anne Elliot all are at the bottom with 0 votes! Now, I didn't particularly fancy Fanny or Anne, but I love Jane and Marianne!! Don't we all love Jane Bennet's sweet goodwill towards all humankind? I love the scene in the Keira version of P&P where Jane and Lizzie are giggling under the covers after the first ball...what a perfect picture of sisterly affection! I actually didn't like the Jane in the Jennifer Ehle version, I thought she wasn't quite as pretty as Lizzie and her breathy voice got on my nerves. (Although I profess to like both P&P versions equally!)

And Oh, pity upon our romantic Marianne Dashwood! What a scoundrel Willoughby is! True, Marianne shows a deplorable lack of common sense but still, our hearts go out to this poor, imaginative maiden! Thank goodness for a heroic Colonel Brandon who most gallantly comes to the rescue. (Even though he's much much older than Marianne, if you stop to think about it)

And how can we forget Fanny. The meek country cousin who falls in love with Edmond. I haven't read this story recently but I do remember that I liked the book way better than the movie adaption I saw...according to several reviewists there has not been a good Mansfield Park movie yet! There's a lot going on in this Jane Austen story....And I'm sorry but I don't have time for an extensive review at present! (Maybe later...)

And lastly Anne Elliot. Again I liked the book better than the movie, in the book Anne's meekness and gentleness come across as desirable virtues but in the movie we are not quite convinced. Thankfully Captain Wentworth arrives on the scene and after a bit of shilly-shallying which causes Anne much heartbreak he writes her a note telling her he hasn't lost his love for her, though it's been 8 years since he left for the sea after she was persuaded to spurn his marriage proposal.

If you didn't get a chance to vote please tell me your favorite Jane Austen Heroine! I'd love to discuss them with you. :)

AND .....to vote for your favorite Jane Austen Hero, see the poll on the sidebar!

Julia

Happy Fourth of July!

Happy Fourth of July!!!

I, for one, am very thankful that our forefathers had the courage to break away from the U.K. and form their own country! (I've nothing against Great Britain, I love the English Jane Austen movies, but I'm so glad the U.S.A is it's own country!) Hurray for FREEDOM! Especially religious freedom. Think about it. You can pray, out loud, in the middle of Wal-mart and the worst you will get is funny looks. I can think of several countries where you would recieve much worse than that if you dared have the audacity to say you believe in the Lord God Jesus Christ. You can go to church and not have to hide underground while you praise and worship the Lord. Can you imagine what that would be like, having to hide your faith?

And I could go on and on but I'll keep it short and sweet. THANK GOD for our wonderful country, the United States of America! Happy Birthday, America! HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY, Everyone!!

Julia

I've Been Tagged!

I've been Tagged! Yay! Thanks Mia from Aspiring Homemaker! I was wondering how long it would take for someone to tag me for something. :) (Hint-hint-hint...)

Here is what I and my lucky friends who are tagged by me have to do:

*Link the person who tagged you to your blog.

*Answer some questions

*And tag 4-6 other people and comment on their blogs to let them know they've been tagged!

This 'tag' had three questions to answer concerning authors. The first one is....Who is Your Favorite Author and why?

Well, I have many favorite authors, and choosing one from all of them was extremely difficult, they were all neck-and-neck, but in the photo finish Louisa May Alcott came out first. I love all her books, and they never get old. I'm currently re-reading Little Women, my big, thick, original and un-abridged version. I love the four March sisters, Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy, and how they're all so different. And I love the sequels, Little Men and Jo's Boys, the stories of how Jo March started a school for boys called "Plumfield". Louisa May Alcott also wrote several other stories including Jack and Jill, An Old Fashioned Girl, and Eight Cousins, and its sequel Rose in Bloom. All righty, moving on....

The second question was "Who Was your First Favorite Author and why?"

Hmmm....Oh what a hard question....I think L. M. Montgomery became my favorite author when I was eight years old, desperate for something good to read that was appropriate for an eight-year-old and that measured up to my reading level. She wrote the Anne of Green Gables series of 8 books, Anne of Green Gables, Anne of Avonlea, Anne of the Island, Anne of Windy Poplars, Anne's House of Dreams, Anne of Ingleside, Rainbow Valley, and Rilla of Ingleside. She also wrote the Emily trilogy, which I liked, about a girl who goes to live with her two spinster aunts on a farm.

And the third question was "Who is the most recent addition to your favorite authors and why?"

Definitely the Mally siblings! My heart was touched by Sarah's book "Before you Meet Prince Charming" and I wrote a review on it which you can find in my post archives, and "Making Brothers and Sisters Best Friends", written by Sarah, Stephen, and Grace Mally made me laugh hilariously and seriously think about my relationship with my two younger brothers.

That was fun! Thanks again, Mia from Aspiring Homemaker! And now, I get to choose who I want to tag!! Ha-ha-hah! :) I'll tag...

Joanna

Brianna

Mckenzie

Hannah

Lydia

Maddie

Breezy

Madison

Bethany

and

Mia - another Mia, different from the "Aspiring Homemaker" Mia!

Blessings to All my dear blogging friends,

and Remember...I love comments! Even if I didn't tag you, drop me a note and tell me your favorite author!

Julia