It's not about me... but thanks.

What do you do when people say you're awesome?
When people compliment you, tell you you're talented, smart, beautiful, creative, and amazing... how does one react?

The wrong way to respond is to let your pride inflate like a hot-air balloon and soar up through the heavens until you think you're the greatest thing since sliced bread. Which I *cough* have done before.
(incidentally, what IS so great about sliced bread anyway?)
Another wrong way to respond is to blush, duck around the corner, hide in the ladies' room, and insist you don't deserve a single compliment.

One of the right ways to respond (not THE right way, just A right way) is to smile and quietly say
"Thank you."
I have my bad days. I have my good days. On my bad days, I do not deserve to be called beautiful or amazing... 'cause I'm not. On my good days, I work hard, I accomplish a lot, okay, I deserve a little pat on the back. Not fawning admiration, but a small "thanks". Which I get x100 from my loving family. :) They're so good about saying "thank you".
So. About blog awards.

I received some lately from a very dear (boy, those words seem so insipid. What an understatement) wonderful, sweet friend ... Rachelle.
I also got one from Lizzie, a past winner of a jewelry giveaway I did! :)
And Charity also awarded me! I enjoy reading her book reviews.

Thank you, girls. I appreciate the awards.
From Lizzie:

(According to Lizzie, "Liebster" means 'Dearest' in German)

RULES:

• Choose five up and coming blogs with less than 200 followers to award. Make sure and notify them by comment or e-mail that you did so.
• Show your thanks to the blogger who gave you the award by linking back to them. If you’re not already a follower of their blog, that might be a great way to show appreciation for the award. :)
• Post the award on your blog, and be sure to link back to the 5 blogs you awarded, so that others can visit them.

Fun part! Awarding others! Surely, it is more blessed to give than to receive...

1. Rachelle! Who inspires me to dare and dream and discover. 

2. Rachel! Who is such a sweet and sisterly influence in my life.

(less than 200 followers? oh well....)

3. Sarah! Who heads the MOHL group that has blessed me in countless ways. A good friend.

4. Katelyn! A faithful commenter! (a highly desirable quality in a blog reader)

5. Miss Dashwood! A frequent poster of all things Period Drama. I love her blog. :)

I hereby award you all the "Liebster" blog award.

 From Rachelle:

Oh, my, goodness. This is the cutest blog award I have ever seen. I got it a few years ago, but I'll happily accept it again!

I award:

Melody

Emily N.

and Rose H.

For being "Kreativ" and "Kute"! :)

Strawberries! *snicker* Inside joke. Among the MOHL gals.

 Whom I hereby award! MOHL gals, the strawberry award is yours. :D You know who you are.

I really like this one... It's neat!

I award:

1. Bailey

2. Shannon

3. Lauren Brittany

For being versatile! :) 

From Charity:

I'm an inspiration! Wow. No pressure, right? Right....

I award:

1. Arianna

2. Jessica

3. Delaney

For their inspiration. :)

Charity also awarded me the Irrisistibly Sweet blog award, and a few others I'd already received. :)

And I think with some of these awards you are supposed to post 7 random things about yourself.

*Randomocity*

1. I am not afraid of bugs. I squish them myself. Unless a handy brother happens to be nearby, in which case I calmly and nicely ask them to dispose of it.
2. Today I designed the remaining bits and pieces of the new CD cases for our ebooks on how to make jewelry and how to make duct tape weapons. It was a huge job, but everything came out splendidly! Yay! :)
3. I rarely pay more than $2 for a piece of clothing. I'm a dedicated thrift-shopper.
4. I love talking to people, but in general I hate using the telephone. Go figure!
5. I am going to buy myself a big heart-shaped box full of chocolates this year, because I do not have a 'valentine'.
6. I'm a really good cook. But I plan to get better. :)
7. I am on page 235 out of 378, editing my novel, Lissie.

I hope you enjoyed this post! :) Have a wonderful Sunday!

MIA - Missing In Action?

Hey Everybody!

I did not mean to disappear out of sight like a little chipmunk diving deep into a burrow. But it happened, quite by accident. 

Indeed, I've been so busy I feel a bit like a puppy chasing its tail in circles and never catching up!

Before I forget to tell you, I have a post coming up tomorrow on Meditations of His Love that I'd love for you to read, featuring a song that has really spoken to my heart without using any words. 

My design inspiration for my jewelry pieces has been old-fashioned, vintage, peach, and old turquoise.

There you have it. Peach and turquoise. In one photo.

I have a book review, a soup recipe, pictures of some of my jewelry projects, and the release of a stunning new website + a giveaway all stacked up in my "To-Post" box. I will try to crank them out within the next few weeks! So stay tuned. :) I haven't gone anywhere, life has just revved up a little for me and the scenery is flying past more quickly! :)

Have a lovely weekend!

Funny Jane Austen Buttons

I made these up for Miss Dashwood's contest over at Yet Another Period Drama Blog. :)

I'll smile if you leave a comment with which JA movie each quote I used comes from! (except for picture #2) :D *Hint* - it's not the same movie as each picture.

And PLEASE do not take these without asking! Thanks. :D (except, of course, for Miss Dashwood)

Which was your favorite?

Little Letters...

Dear Laptop... I am so grateful for you. You are my portal to the outside world, my canvas, my outlet for creative expression... my friend. ;) Also my addiction and time-vacuum. But we won't go there. :D Time certainly flies when you're having fun...

Dear Lounge Chair... I immensely enjoyed our date together on Sunday afternoon when the weather was fine and I was able to soak up some sun. I'm so glad I brought you back from my trip to Florida. I think we're going to have many good times together as the weather grows warmer... ;)

Dear Jewelry Pliers... hang in there with me. The craft shows will come and then they will be done, and then you may return to your happy place in the tin pot with the other tools on my worktable, and the days of overuse will end!

Dear Gym... I am looking forward to seeing you today. And Wednesday. And Friday. I need you, for my energy is shrinking and my .... uh.... I'm not 'shrinked' in areas that need it....

Dear Bath & Body Works... what would I ever do without your body cream, (so wonderful for super-dry winter skin) fragrance mist (a tasty uplifting of the senses, with 0 calories) and shower gel? (bubbles! I love 'em!)

Dear Perry Mason DVD... How in the world did he figure out that case?!? I had no idea that guy that looked like the murderer was actually an F.B.I agent.... Thank you for being a great stress release...

Dear Fuzzy Socks... Bless you.

Dear Crochet Hook & Yarn... I promise, I have not forgotten you! And my cousin liked her afghan, you did your job well. :D I will return to you when my 3-part Quest with a capital Q (otherwise known as Homeschool Conventions) ... is over.

Dear Hair... I'm thinking it's time for a trim. I know you just got down to Mid-Thigh, I'm happy for you, you look great... but it's for your own good. Those split ends won't be ignored for long. And could ya lighten up a little? One of my online blogging friends mistook you for "Dark" and we both know you're a natural blonde. :D

Dear Inspiration... Please, don't go away.

Dear Dirty Dishes... Where in the world did you all come from? You'd think there were fifteen people living in this house, not five...

Dear Adobe Photoshop CS5... I WILL CONQUER YOU. Be warned.

Dear Novel... You darling thing! Wait until we finish editing! It was the most thrilling moment of my life when I wrote your "The End" five minutes before this year began. :D

Dear Baby Chicks... Welcome to the world, you five new, precious babies. I can hardly believe we hatched you with only the aid of a broody hen, and in the middle of freezing January temperatures, too. It's a good life, I know you'll enjoy it. Wait until you find your first grasshopper - yum-yum! :D

Dear Driver's License... I can't wait until you arrive in the mail. I'm making do with your counterpart printed on a folded piece of paper, but it won't seem "final" until I hold the real plastic card in my hand.

Dear Wal-Mart... Yeah! You saw us! Me and my (younger) big bro's paid you a visit all on our lonesomes, without hide nor hair of a parent figure. I drove through your parking lot without even a scratch, nor chance of getting one. I am so proud of me. Were you?

Dear Daffodils... Spring hasn't sprung yet. Don't die! You came up early but if you can just hold in the blooms for a few more days, I think we might get some warmth and you can blossom unhindered. Be patient.

I saw this fun idea over at "A Butcher, A Baker, A Candlestick Maker" and thought it was too cute to pass up! :D Hope you enjoyed it.

My Secondary Jane Austen Character Quiz Results

I get Elizabeth Bennet as my answer when I take a Jane Austen personality quiz, but when I took a quiz on which *secondary* character I was, I was rather surprised...

Julia's Result: Jane Bennet on quiz: Which Jane Austen Secondary Heroine Are You? You are Jane Bennet of Pride and Prejudice! Sweet, loving and compassionate almost to a fault, you have great difficulty in seeing anything but the best in people. You are quite five times as pretty as any of your sisters and most definitely your mother's favorite. You want to marry for love and not money, but somehow you manage to catch the eye of the richest bachelor in the neighborhood. How on earth did that happen? :) Quiz Maker Take this quiz & get your result

Which Jane Austen Secondary Heroine Are You? » online exam

Actually, I do look like her, in that picture anyway. :D Especially the flyaway wisps of golden hair around the face. I've looked up into the mirror to see those many times.

But I would have to say that I am not as sweet as Jane. My temperament is not so good and angelic, but neither am I quite that gullible. :D

It is quite true that I am five times as pretty as any of my sisters... for I do not have any!! Lol! I think it would be quite easy to say that I am prettier than my brothers... for they are handsome, not pretty.

But on the results, I was actually 43% Jane Bennet, 32% Jane Fairfax! :) Who'd have thunk? The remaining percentages were small increments of the other possible answers on the test, the least small being 12% Charlotte Lucas... because I can be calm like her sometimes if I put my mind to it. ;)

If you take the quiz, let me know who you get! :D

Also, there is a giveaway over at A Butcher, A Baker, A Candlestick Maker! It ends at midnight December 22. And she's having a feminine fashion week, you should check out her modest outfits! :)

Learning Never Ceases

Hello world!

Boy, sometimes it's scary thinking that anybody in the world who finds my blog can read what little me has to say. Then other times I laugh and say "Hello world, isn't it a beautiful day?" ;)

I spent a ton of money this week on beads. You see, after my last jewelry show I was cleaned out, and my little (okay, HUGE) stash of beads needed to be replenished with both some basics, and some fresh items to jazz up my existing inventory.

I was feeling euphoric when I walked out of Jo-Ann fabrics with a sack full of plunder a few days ago (they had a 40% off sale on their beads, woohoo!) But the order to Fire Mountain (the online place I get my basics like headpins, beading wire, and crimp tubes... you know, the stuff that holds my bits of glorious sparkle together...) left me feeling ukky. I cringed when I looked at the total. (gold and silver has gone waaaay up. Forget about through the roof, we're banging into the moon at this point) And then I sent up a devout prayer that I would sell enough jewelry to cover my expenses... and maybe, perhaps, possibly, make a teensy bit of profit. :D

I'm still praying.

As for other news...

I found this free wordart the other day and saved it for inspiration. :D



My mom and dad talked to us recently about 'the finishing process' and how their job now is to give us the final polish for us to be ready to be adults. ;) Mom compared us to a green tomato... how we're fully grown but not ripened all the way yet. :D It was very inspiring and I thought her object prop was brilliant. :D My mommy is so wise.

One of the gifts and skills Mama wants to pass on to me is learning to play the piano by chords, so that I could play for a worship service if I ever had the opportunity. I already play by ear but haven't learned my chords yet. Should be fun! :)

 She also wants to help me develop my voice. Mama is fully equipped to be a voice teacher, packing a double major in music and education. So now those teaching skills are going to be turned full blast my way. :) I'm looking forward to it. I love to sing, and I'm excited about polishing my voice.

Another thing I want to 'polish' is... my writing.

I hope to be back soon with a recipe for my very favoritest it's-so-good-I-could-just-sink-through-the-floor soup, made with a delectable creamy broth and ham and potatoes. Also celery. And we're having it for dinner! *dances*

Until then, I hope you have a lovely week!

I'm thankful for Colors and Writing

I missed yesterday! Boo-hoo-hoo! *sniff*

So... I'll make up for it by posting TWO things I'm thankful for today. :) That'll make it all better. ;)

I really am so glad my sweet friend Rachel started this challenge and prompted us all to join her! :) It has been a blessing to me! :D See the other posts at Young Homemakers!

I love writing.

I don't dedicate my whole blog to the topic of writing, nor do I really share about it much, but writing is a huge part of my life. I love my characters and plot twists and finding the perfect phrase or descriptive word. It's a very personal thing for me, and for a while I was actually terrified of the idea of publishing something I had written. It wouldn't be good enough... there would be so many flaws... what would people I know in real life think of my writing? Would they be searching my book for a character that looked just like them, and be offended because I had given the annoying character their same hair color? ;) (I know, ridiculous, right?)

I'm okay with the idea of publishing my book now, but I'm not planning on doing anything to actively market it until I write "The End" and do some careful typo-checking and tweaking of words. :)

But I'm so glad that I can write. I love writing and I am very thankful for it. :)

The other thing I am thankful for today is COLOR. I love colors! Colors move me and inspire me and excite me! I can be walking down the yarn aisle and spot a delightful skein of yarn in an amazing shade and have it bring a delighted smile to my face... whether I buy it or not! I love the colors in the leaves of Autumn and the roses of Summer. I love designing something with digital graphics with colors that become instant eye candy when placed together. I love throwing together shades of color that complement each other in a soft, cozy afghan. :) I am so thankful for the colors God created.

I had a Brownie for Breakfast today...

I had a brownie for breakfast today.

And why I did it, I just couldn’t say,

But I played very hard on a field yesterday

It was Ultimate Frisbee on a rainy Friday.

We had so much fun in the mud and the grass,

I almost didn’t mind that my team came in last

We tried our hardest, but all to no avail,

And alas, when we lost, I held back a wail.

Afterwards, we cleaned up, and then we went back

To the house and the kitchen for a yummy snack

But the room was so crowded with Frisbee fans

That I hardly could get to my brownie pan.

I managed to grab one, but it was so small,

I felt that I’d not had a brownie at all.

In two bites, or less, it was gone from my sight

And then we drove home through the darkening night.

I rode home with Daddy; Mom was in the van,

Zipping along in our ‘Dodge Caravan’

Containing our brownies, so I had no chance

To fulfill my longing for chocolate romance

And when we got home, I felt like a dud,

I jumped in the shower and scrubbed off the mud

Then flopped into bed, and though I wasn’t mad,

I was remembering muscles I’d forgotten I had

But I fell asleep, slept all through the night

Then awoke just to see in the bright morning light

That I’d slept in so late that it wasn’t so early

I’d slumbered in bed until nearly 10:30!

At once I got up and went into the kitchen

And then once I got there – what did I see?

A shiny pan of brownies just waiting for snitchin’

Sitting there, calling and winking at me

I lifted the foil, and oh – there they were

Beckoning, and promising much tasty pleasure

So what’s my excuse? Well, what can I say?

But that I had to have

A brownie,

For breakfast,

Today.

Off To The Beach...

Hi blog readers! :)

My family and I are leaving this morning for Florida to spend thanksgiving week with my grandmother. I hope to come back with a tan and a few seashells. :) While I'm gone, I hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving! (Tip: Go light on the mashed potatoes and gravy - fill up on turkey and veg instead!) :D


On our trip, I will be taking my new iPod shuffle. In pink. :D

 The reason I had to get a new one was that my old iPod shuffle tragically got left in the pocket of the hoodie I wore to the gym, and drowned in the washing machine. *sniff!* :( Strangely, the earbuds still worked just fine, it was only the iPod that died. (?) Anyway, I loaded up my NEW iPod with all my favorite music and it's ready for the trip! I even got a little adapter so that you can plug the iPod's usb plug right into an electrical outlet to charge it! No need for a computer! (which is a good thing, because my grandmother does not have one) :D


And, I thought I'd share pictures of a little project I'd done recently...

I found this GORGEOUS old-fashioned frame with a collage mat inside it for 8.00 at Ross. (I love that place, it's like a huge yard-sale) I took it home, and waited for months trying to decide which 'perfect' photographs to print and put inside.

Then I saw a tutorial where a lady had filled a similar collage with neutral backgrounds in each picture hole with a single feather in each square. It looked pretty cool, and inspired me to work with what I had on hand... which was a lot of old greeting cards left over from birthdays and my graduation party in '09.

 I especially like the peach one in this corner - it says "God is crazy about you. He doesn't just like you a little, he doesn't just think you're sort of special - the God of the universe is head-over-heels, deeply, truly, forever-and-ever in love with you."

I even fixed some of them up. The "Love, Hugs, Laughter" card in the corner there used to say "Happy Birthday" across the top, which was nice but I didn't want it in my collage... so I covered the text with two pieces of paper and stuck a flower sticker in the corner for a little extra embellishment. :) Also, the black damask-patterned one in the center used to have a fancy "B" in the middle... but I don't have a B in my name... so I simply stuck a pretty sunflower sticker over it, and Voila! It was perfect collage material. :)

Hoping you have a very happy Thanksgiving,

Color Combination Happiness

So I was cleaning my room and noticed four shirts lying on my easy chair. They each had an equal amount of space on the chair where they were displaying their various colors. I had to stop and stare - the colors looked so beautiful together! I gathered them all up in my arms and marveled.

Then, I plopped down at my desk and tried to re-create the shades on my computer so I wouldn't forget about this color combination. It was too pretty not to share.

So I had to share it with you! What do you think?

Do you like these colors together too, or is it just me?

Also... While I was playing around, I decided to show ya'll my color scheme for my future kitchen. I've wanted my kitchen to be a soft purple and sunny yellow ever since I first found a picture of a purple kitchen in a magazine.

Isn't that cute?? :D I've already collected some kitchen supplies in the right shades of purple and yellow. (Seriously, it is not easy to find kitchen accessories in these colors) So far, among other things, I have a purple skillet and a yellow colander (strainer). :D

Also, someday, I would Love, Love, LOVE a master bedroom in these soothing colors:

And I would love to crochet a king-size afghan in these colors too. Wouldn't that look nice?

What is your favorite color combination? Do you like pink and gray, or orange and baby blue? Tell me what colors work for you. :)

The late-updating, vacuum-fighting, re-shrinking me

Okaaaay, so after that somewhat (all right, rather... very...) unusual post title, I have an even more interesting post! It could be a little mixed-up, but this is the real Julia, at 10:00 pm with all the wonderful sugar from a vanilla waffle ice cream cone topped with strawberry jam racing through her system. *grins*

Yes, you wanted to see pictures of the homeschool convention. No, they will not be appearing in this post. I'm sorry.  I did not download them yet - they're on my mom's camera and I am unfamiliar with the shiny silver little device. I will share them with you when they are downloaded. But I do have the news!  I sold half my jewelry inventory at the booth, and my brothers sold all but 4 spears and 2 throwing axes. It was wonderful and we are definitely going back next year! :D

Oh, and ehrm... the hotel pool was about 2 feet wide and 6 feet long. I kid you not. Very unimpressive.
The rest of the hotel was really cool! ...But they should have skipped the pool.

And now, we interrupt our regularly scheduled blogposting to bring you... The Beautiful Blogger Award!

Thank you Joanna!! I'm touched. What a sweet thing for you to do! :D

- Thank the person who nominated you and link to their blog.


- Copy the award and paste it to your blog.

- Tell us seven interesting facts about yourself.

- Pass this award on to 15 fantastic bloggers you have discovered.

- Contact your nominations and let them know they’ve won.



1. Today, I started crocheting a RUG! Oh so cute. I must post pictures soon.

2. Tomorrow, we are going strawberry picking - oh joy! I love strawberries, especially freshly-picked!

3. Next week, we are having a Yard Sale at our house and wow did we ever have too much stuff squirreled away that we are (hopefully) getting rid of.

4. Yesterday I had a battle royale with the vacuum cleaner and whipped it into submission, emerging victorious with a spotlessly clean bedroom carpet. This really deserves its own blog post, but I'm squeezing it in here... You see, the vacuum broke a while ago, and so I had to use the 'pet brush' tool on the hose to clean my whole floor. This means I was down on my hands and knees, pushing this ridiculously small tube (attached to the machine with a stretchy hose) across the floor. I was an easy mark for the base, which kept getting tugged when I extended the stretchy hose, and falling over on top of me! Ouch! *grrr.*

5.Remember my "Incredible shrinking Julia" post? Well... I sort of 'un-shrunk', so now I'm re-shrinking! Yay! Already lost 3 pounds. :D
 
6. Mama made chocolate chip cookies yesterday, and we bought waffle cones to make ice cream cones at the store today, so 'shrinking' has been very difficult for me lately! (Tell me I don't need to be eating ice cream.)
 
7. The other day, I actually got a blister from playing a toy accordion. (See? I told you this blog post was going to be weird!) Apparently I was concentrating so hard on trying to pick out the melody of 'Amazing Grace' that I didn't realize I was getting a blister from the strap, which was too small. *facepalm*
 
And now, to award somone else.
 
Rachel. My sweet blogging friend! Rachel's latest post on our devotional blog, Meditations of His love, was exactly what I needed to hear at that moment, and I was in awe of the way God used her to speak to me. My dear, I am awarding you with this award for being the beautifully clear example of God's love that has so inspired me. God bless you!
 
I hope the rest of you will not mind that I didn't do the required 15 awardees. I wanted to do something special for Rachel. :)
 
Time for me to be signing off. Have a lovely weekend, ya'll!
 
Love & Hugs,

Flower Photos

Rain is pouring outside my window as I sit here typing at my desk. Thunder rolls, lightning crashes. It's a gloomy day! But I have sunshine in my heart, and I know the storm shall soon pass away.

And so, just for fun, I uploaded a TON of flower and butterfly and garden pictures. I hope you enjoy them as much as I enjoyed taking them! :)

These pictures were taken at Callaway Gardens on the first Sunday of April.

Beautiful sun-kissed pansies

Peach blossoms. Oh yes.

Blooming peach trees.

This is either Eidelweiss, or snowdrops. I'm not sure.

A frilly Hibiscus flower

The fiery heart of a tulip

A slightly ragged, yet still gorgeous butterfly.

A blue butterfly resting in peace.

A small orange and brown butterfly, brilliantly illuminated by the sun

An owl butterfly reposing in a shady spot of the garden.

Crisp, oh-so-Dutch red and white tulips.

A bright profusion of double daffodils and pink tulips

Soft pink cherry blossoms

One of my most favorite spots in Callaway- petunia baskets float above a bubbling fountain 

Bright pink hyacinths pop against the dark green leafy background in this picture.

Cascading hollyhocks with open, spotted throats.

Pure, lovely, white easter lilies.

Delicate tendrils emerge from the heart of this white orchid.

Creamy yellow orchids glow with a pearlescent sheen

Tangy orange tulips, peach and yellow jonquils, ah! This is life. ;)

Light pink tulips dance in this bright sunshine.

Back at my house, I took a few pictures of these gorgeous irises with butter yellow tops and drooping violet petals.

Think that was pretty? Wait until you see...

The inside.

These peppermint azaleas also look good enough to eat! They're one of my favorite plants in our yard.

I hope you liked the pictures! Leave me a comment letting me know which was your favorite.