My Heart's Cry! "Words".

Please take a second to listen to this upbeat, totally amazing song my sweet friend Rachel P. told me about.

It is my heart's cry for this blog, and for my everyday life.


Hawk Nelson - Words (Feat. Bart Millard of MercyMe) Official Lyric Video from hawk-nelson on GodTube.

The Fairest Beauty - A Review

First, a little about the book and the author...

Christy Award finalist Melanie Dickerson (The Merchant’s Daughter) ventures back to the world of make-believe with another enchanting take on a fairy tale classic in THE FAIREST BEAUTY (Zondervan; $9.99; January 2013).

 

Inspired by the story of Snow White, Dickerson introduces readers to Sophie, a belabored seventeen-year-old trapped in the clutches of the evil Duchess Ermengard. Doomed to spend all of eternity locked away in the Hohendorf castle cooking and cleaning, Sophie is unexpectedly swept off her feet by Gabehart, a mysterious noble

who intends to rescue her.

But when Sophie learns that Gabehart is already betrothed to someone else, her heart sinks. In yet another twist, Gabehart informs Sophie that she is actually the daughter of Duke Baldewin and is also betrothed—to Gabehart's brother.

With barely a moment to digest all the new information, Sophie finds herself on the run with Gabehart, narrowly escaping the duchess and her crafty guards. The two seek refuge at the Cottage of the Seven (the home of seven hospitable dwarfs) where their romance continues.

Once Duke Baldewin and Sophie's “intended” arrive, the duo’s love is put to the ultimate test.

Should Sophie defy her destiny and marry Gabehart, hurting those to whom they’re engaged? Or should she open up her heart to a complete stranger for the sake of tradition?

Dickerson caps off another alluring spin on a classic that matches the romantic flare and elegance of her previous books, The Merchant’s Daughter and The Healer’s Apprentice. She transports her captive readers back to the medieval era with distinct language and scene design with appeal that spans the centuries.

And, keeping in step with the current big screen adaptations, Dickerson modernizes the popular heroine as a courageous, warm-spirited young woman who is not a simple damsel in distress.

Filled with adventure, romance and suspense, THE FAIREST BEAUTY grips readers until its dramatic ending, leaving them anticipating the next Dickerson reincarnation.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Melanie Dickerson’s 2010 debut novel, The Healer’s Apprentice, was named the Best First Book by the National Readers’ Choice Awards and was both a Christy and Carol Award finalist. The book also earned the HOLT Medallion Award of Merit and was a Maggie Award finalist. Dickerson’s follow-up book, 2011’s The Merchant’s Daughter, was also a Christy Award finalist. She lives in Huntsville, Alabama, with her husband and two daughters. www.melaniedickerson.com

What I thought:

In a word? This book was disappointing. Very. I didn't find it as good as I expected it would be, and the flowery description up there ^ seems like it belongs to a different story. Gabe wasn't 'mysterious', there was no 'ultimate test' of their infatuation (not love), and it was very apparent that Sophie wasn't going to marry Gabe's brother Valten, she was just wondering how to break the news that she was marrying Gabe. And to be honest, I did not find her 'courageous'.

Throughout a lot of the book, it seemed the main conflict or struggle was Sophie and Gabe's angst over the fact that they loved each other even though they shouldn't because both of them were 'betrothed' to other people. This was agonized over and went on for a long time, meanwhile they were traveling through the woods together, for the greater part of the time all alone until a kindly guard showed up to be a convenient chaperone. (The guards were not much of a threat, by the way, as most of them 'adored' Sophie so were unloyal to the duchess)

We were told over, and over, and over again how "handsome" Gabe was, how drop-dead-gorgeous Sophie was, and Sophie cried multiple times about wishing she could marry Gabe and feeling not good enough to be his bride.

I could have forgiven a lot of the annoyance if the writing style had been good. Unfortunately, it was boring. There were many moments that I would have just put the book down and never opened it again if I hadn't promised to review it on my blog. It was full of weak sentences like "Sophie looked worried."and the language was not medieval or old-fashioned in the least. When the author did throw in an old-fashioned term or German word "guten morgen", (good morning) for example, it was actually jarring and didn't fit the rest of the words. I was told that the book was in olden-day Bavaria, but I didn't 'see' anything to convince me of that culture.

Also - it was insinuated that some of the characters... a brooding huntsman and a flirtatious maid in the duchess's employ... had gone for a walk at night and did a lot more than walking, which was totally unnecessary and gross. The duchess herself was evil for no reason.

The book finally got mildly interesting near the end when some of the characters traveled to the 'cottage of the seven' where Sophie was staying and then she went to Gabe's home, but the ending wrapped up much too conveniently. (I.e. Gabe got a letter from Brittola's (his intended) father that Brittola had married someone else.... whereupon he proceeded to dip Sophie backwards and kiss her passionately in front of all their family members...twice.)

So... I'm very sorry to say that I did not enjoy this book. Friends of mine have said they liked the first two books by Melanie Dickerson, so I was thinking that this would be a good one too... maybe the others were much better.


I was provided a free review copy of this book by Zondervan. I was not required to write a positive review. These thoughts are my own. 

When the Ocean Calls

Hey friends!

I have returned to the land of my youth, a space of sea and sky, where even in December one can merely throw on a t-shirt, shorts, and flip-flops and feel perfectly comfortable in the salt-caressed air. :D

Zounds. Get me to the beach and I wax lyrical. ;)

We're in Venice, Florida, visiting my grandma... and we'll be attending my cousin's wedding on Saturday! I'm so excited for her and her fiance.

The drive down was relaxing for everybody but Daddy, who did the driving. (Such a good man!) I cuddled with my microplush-encased body pillow and read a book on my Kindle with music streaming into my ears through my iPod earbuds.

It's crazy how different childhood car trips are to our car trips now. Now, we might take like, 3 bathroom breaks all day. And during one of those we throw together some sandwiches, then eat them on the road. It's super-streamlined. Also... my 'toy bag' now consists of a tote stuffed with my Kindle, my iPod, my journal, my camera, and a couple extra notebooks & pens... and my laptop sitting next to it in its sweet matching sleeve. Gone are the coloring books and stuffed animals! :D

Today we got up kind of early... 7:30 for me. I always seem to wake up early here - I think it's all the sunlight pouring into Grandma's house. :D But anyway, it's nice to be up and about sooner than later. I scrambled some eggs and made toast for breakfast, then we headed out to do some shopping!

First we stopped by the Goodwill, which is the best Goodwill in the world. We always find amazing stuff there. This time I found a skirt that looks like a peacock... exact same shade of blue with an intricate pattern, though not actual peacock-eyes. I'll have to snap a photo of it for you. :)

Then we hit Target, hoping to pick up some blankets to replace the ones that fell off the van roof (How that happened, we have NO idea, Daddy is the king of strapping-stuff-safely)... but the boys decided they could make do with the blankets Grandma is lending them for now. :) However... I managed to snag some sweet shoes and a clutch wallet-purse that will go perfectly with what I'm wearing to the wedding! Observe:

The copper shoes and purse will go so nicely with my orange dress! :D
The jewelry I made for the occasion is yet to be revealed. ;)

After finding those gems, we popped into Publix to pick up a chicken for dinner. We also grabbed some of Mark's favorite maple-glazed honey ham lunch meat. :) And sundried tomato hummus. Yum!

We enjoyed an extremely tasty lunch at home, then Daddy and Grandma went to go pick up some new plants for her front yard and I took the boys to the beach for an hour and a half. I took pictures, and half walked, half ran up and down the beach -for a stretch about as long as our driveway- eight times. It felt so nice to get some exercise and work up a healthy glow, especially after sitting in the car doing nothing yesterday. :)

Now you see 'em...

Now you don't! Guess who's who! ;)

Miss Austen was right - walking does improve the complexion!  :D

Once home, we rested for a little and then Mama and I whipped up some dinner... crockpot chicken, Julia-mashed potatoes, gravy, and green beans were on the menu. Now we plan to watch the football game between the Broncos and the Raiders - I'm rooting for Peyton Manning. ;)

I don't know if I'll be able to do a blog post every day while we're gone, but I'll check in with you now and then to let you know how we're doing! :)

Till then, a few pictures...

:)

Cute little sand pipers danced down the water's edge. 

The sky was feathered with clouds. 

The ferry dock. :)

Here's the boardwalk over from the ferry dock. :) We ride the ferry across a strip of water to get to the beach.

Blessings,

Monday, Get Out of My Way!

RISE UP AND ATTACK THE DAY WITH ENTHUSIASM.

Attitude is everything.

When I wake up in the mornings and dilly-dally around, not bothering to pull out my Bible, cuddling under the cozy warmth of my unbelievably soft blankets until I fall back asleep again... then the whole day feels off-kilter. It's much harder to accomplish my goals.

This week, we're going to Florida for my cousin's wedding. I can hardly wait, but before our van hits the highway, there's a lot to be done. And I don't plan on letting my healthy lifestyle slide one centimeter, either. No skipping exercise or munching extra snacks. Nuh-uh.

I'm resolved to set my face like flint and whirl through the chores and cooking and packing that await me. With the help of God, the ultimate time-multiplier, and upbeat music in my ears. :)

So move over, Monday morning! I'm not scared of you. In fact, I'm gonna win. My to-do list will be conquered. Just you watch and see! :)

eShakti.com Product Review {My New Dress}

Recently I contacted eShakti.com about reviewing their products, which happen to be beautiful and affordable custom-fit clothing! They replied right away and told me to choose anything I wanted in the store. (Wow!) I looked for a long time through the pretty dresses and briefly thought about choosing one of the really cute jackets or coats... but I ended up settling on this dress - which was actually in the clearance section. I thought the color and style would be best for me, out of all the selection of dresses. Many of them were sleeveless, which is great unless you would rather have some sleeve on your dress, like I would. ;)

Yup. I love it. The dress was a bit more vibrant in person than it looked on the website, so instead of the light peachy orange I thought it was going to be... it was brighter and sunnier! :D But I still like it, and the color looks well with my complexion. :)

My sweet Dad and brother Mark took these shots of me one evening. :)



I'm not crazy about my pose in this picture but it's the best one I have of the back of the dress...



And here's a close-up for you.

I chose to go with the custom-fit option instead of choosing a regular size, and I was very happy with how the dress fit me!

I would HIGHLY reccomend eShakti.com to any of my blog followers. I was very impressed with the quality and service... the dress came earlier than they stated it would, thus I'll be able to wear it to my cousin's wedding in Florida! *Score!* (I was shocked that it came all the way from India in such a tiny little flat box... gracious!) :D

The next week looks like a busy one for us, but I'll try to throw some blog posts your way! :)

Like Moonlight at Low Tide - A Review

Here I am, back again with another review of a new Zondervan title!
Like Moonlight at Low Tide, by Nicole Quigley.

Here's some information about the book:

In LIKE MOONLIGHT AT LOW TIDE, Missy returns to her hometown of Anna Maria Island, Florida, where she was once referred to as the ugliest girl in school. After spending three years in Pennsylvania, unbeknownst to herself, Missy has blossomed. It takes the romantic attention of her childhood crush for her to realize that she’s not the “Messy” Keiser who used to be greeted by barks in her middle school hallway.

Finally catching a glimpse into the alluring world of high school popularity and parties she never dreamed of attending, Missy becomes entangled with three boys who will change her life: handsome and confident jock Sam King; her elusive neighbor, Josh, who has a quiet confidence and unwavering faith; and her rebellious brother, Robby, who struggles between obtaining the life he wants and settling for the life others expect him to have.

With everyone noticing the new Missy, her skewed self-perception slowly begins to heal in a raw and honest story about what happens after the bullying stops.

 

Quigley reflects, “You can’t read the papers these days without seeing stories about school-age bullying, but not many people talk about what happens afterward. How do you ever feel right after being told you’re all wrong for so long?”

 

Set in her hometown, Quigley captures the ethereal essence of Anna Maria Island, a barrier island off the Gulf coast of Florida, where skim boarding and pool hopping are the activities of choice and the temperature hovers mostly around eighty degrees.

 

With magnetic prose that reads like poetry, LIKE MOONLIGHT AT LOW TIDE is an emotional page-turner that will be sure to hook lovers of YA fiction from page one through to the climactic close.

 

“I think this book will resonate with a wide range of readers,”Quigley adds, “because everyone has experienced some form of bullying and reacted to it for better or worse, whether they realized it or not.”

MY THOUGHTS:

Overall consensus - it was a book with a powerful message, one I think needs to be heard by today's average teen. I was impressed with how the book brought everything around to the point where the main character, Missy, finally decided to trust her life to God and make the right choice. :) It was very real and believable.
 Unfortunately, I cannot recommend this book to any of my blog readers younger than 16 because of some of the characters and situations portrayed in the book, and references to drugs and alcohol. :( I thought it was handled with great tact, and although I didn't enjoy reading those parts of the book, I think the rest of the story and writing voice made up for it.

What I loved:

I loved the setting, first off. I used to live in southern Florida, although it wasn't on an island like Anna Maria. The scenery and details and 'feel' of the book are SPOT ON... Which must come from the author having grown up there. (Write what you know, people, it works!) :D The way the author wrote this book was masterful, and something I appreciated as a fellow writer. The scents and sounds and expressions and colors all feel like you're watching a movie play in your head. I was completely immersed in the book while reading this story, which I do not often feel. Well done, Ms. Quigley!

I loved the characters. While some of the people in the book were not very 'savory' people, everyone in the book just jumped off the page and came to life. I felt like I knew them. I could picture the kid's faces and stances.

*slight spoiler alert* - I loved Josh Durham, the boy-next-door. He was so great. I loved the way he acted Christlike without being preachy or pushy in the least, and the way he cared for Missy in a selfless manner after a tragedy struck her life, and showed her a better way, and what faith means. Really, what's not to love about a guy who leaves a flower on your windowsill every day? ;)

Also... I could really relate to Missy in the area of the kids around her. I was looked down on and left out a lot when I was a young teen, although the kids I was 'friends' with were Christians, so it wasn't as mean and outright name-calling as the secular public-school kids in this book were. It was interesting to see what happened to Missy when she came back to her school after being gone for a few years and was suddenly treated better because she was 'cute' now and had grown up.

What I didn't like:
I did not like some of the scenes in this book involving the school kids - a third of the way through the book I was thinking "okay, if this gets any worse, I'm putting it down" - but it never quite got to that point, and while Missy was in some potentially 'dangerous' situations, it turned out all right.
___________________

I think this book would be a great outreach tool for the average secular teen, and help kids who have been struggling with rejection. I don't think it would be as good of a read for the average sheltered young homeschooler.
I am looking forward to Nicole Quigley's future books, because her writing was amazing. Though I didn't like some of her story's setting, I would be very interested in reading another book by her and savoring the crisp, immersing voice of her writing. :)

I hope you enjoyed this review!



I was provided a free review copy of this book by Zondervan. I was not required to write a positive review. These are my own thoughts on the story.

The Bright Side

I'm staring out at the sun glittering yellow through the woods as it dips below the hills on the horizon. Earlier, I went for a 2-mile hike and crunched the fallen leaves under my feet. (Then I painted my toenails aqua with sparkles.) ;) The trees are nearly bare. Autumn is on its way out... and Winter is peering around the corner.

You know, there is always going to be something "Not Perfect" in your life. Nothing will be just right until we cross beyond that last shore and find ourselves in the presence of God. But that's no reason to waste the moments you have right now.

Life is such a beautiful thing! There is always a bright side, always a silver lining, always a reason to smile, and sigh, and be thankful. Tiny blessings are all around me. All I have to do is look up and start to count them. And when they all add up... they're huge. I am so blessed. I have been given so much.

In the waiting times, the seasons of 'limbo', hold up your head. Good news is just around the corner. Past the bend in the road, something glorious awaits.

A Julia's Journal Jumble

It's been a day full of mostly quiet reflection... kind of nice after the busy weekend we had. :)

Yesterday we went to a friend's house and danced the night away on a very cold evening... we started at 7:00 and by the time we'd finished at 9:08, it was 39 degrees! We went prepared, however, because Mama looked up the weather forecast and knew ahead of time that it would be cold. All of us brought our winter coats along... although I ended up not wearing mine! I was warm enough with just jeans, long-johns, (gents, pretend you didn't read that, if there are any of you) a thermal long-sleeve shirt and a hooded sweater... and a pair of incredibly soft fuzzy mitten-gloves. The mittens were the best idea ever... all the people I danced with who clasped my hands exclaimed "Your hands are so warm!" :D

Like this? There's more!

Today we rested at home and I posted some blog backgrounds... (I'm seriously thinking about using one of them on my blog, they're just too pretty)... then I went on a 2-mile hike, 8 times up and down our driveway, marching quickly in time to the music on my iPod. It was great! I've gotten to where I can do it almost without breaking a sweat. And I'm up to 11 pounds lost on my healthier eating regime, which gives me a warm feeling of satisfaction. ;) (Especially after all that food on Thanksgiving!)

In short - Life is Good. :D How was your weekend?

This Warmth

It's almost like I can reach out and touch it... I feel the light so near. The sun shining through the woods has been absolutely gorgeous the past few days. And yes, I took this picture. :)

My heart is filled to overflowing with thankfulness and joy. I wonder why it hasn't ended, but am delighted that this feeling lasts. :)

Entry from my prayer journal yesterday:

Dear Lord,

Thank you for this wonderful, heart-warming, soul-enriching day.

It was beautiful.

The food was delicious and there was a sweet spirit in the air.

Thank you for Daddy, Mama, Mark, and Steven.

Thank you for:

Love. Joy.

Golden light.

Autumn. Leaves. Camellias. Pies. Turkey. Fresh air.

My home. My life. My future. My past. My friends.

Dancing! :D Laughter. Singing. Music. Colors. Words.

Chocolate. Caramel. Strawberries.

Shoes on my feet and clothes on my body.

Down blankets. Warm fires. Hot chocolate with marsmallows. Tall fur-lined slipper boots.

Mittens. Tea. Books. Movies. Smiles. Happy hearts. Contented souls.

Peace.

Your promises, protection, and provision. Health.

My camera. Memories. Loved ones and extended family.

Energy. Inspiration. Creativity. Ideas. Talents.

Gifts. Letters. Phone Calls. Chats.

My laptop. ;)

And all the days ahead of me in your perfect plan for my life.

I love you, Lord. Thank you for loving me too.

The glinting golden Autumn leaves of the Hickories, Maples, Chinquapin oaks, and Post oaks

This is the ravine we look down on from our back porch. The pictures really don't do it justice.

The bouquet I arranged for the Thanksgiving table. In a blue Ball Mason jar, of course.

 

I hope you had as lovely of a Thanksgiving as I did!

Pumpkin Pie and Golden Rain

Today, there was a whole lotta bakin' goin' on. ;) We baked up three batches of homemade stuffing (eh... 'dressing' to some people - not us. We've always called it stuffing. Dressing is what you drizzle on your salad!) ... and we also baked FOUR pies. 2 apple pies, 1 pecan pie - from pecans I cracked by hand! - and 1 pumpkin pie. All from scratch with homemade crusts. Any minute now the oven timer will beep and I'll have to stop typing to go get the bubbling apple pies out of the oven.

I love this time of year. :)

We'll be celebrating Thanksgiving just-the-five-of-us this year. We'll be traveling in December to go to a cousin's wedding so it wasn't feasible to go anywhere for Thanksgiving... and all our family lives out-of-state. But we plan on having a grand time anyway, and the food is going to be absolutely delicious... :D

This afternoon I was looking out the window at the gorgeous, glimmering, golden light pouring down through the wooded ravine near our house, and then the wind began to blow and gently tugged free thousands of fluttering leaves that danced in the slanted sunlight. It literally took my breath away and I gasped from the sheer beauty. It looked like golden rain. Or perhaps snow, because the leaves floated like giant snowflakes.

When I notice things like that, it's almost like I can reach out and feel the presence of God, just waiting there for me to see Him. It makes my heart glow.

I hope you have a warm and wonderful Thanksgiving!

Don't Keep Calm Contest Entries

When I saw that Miss Laurie over at Old-Fashioned Charm was having a "Don't Keep Calm" poster-making contest, I thought about entering but didn't want to go to all the trouble of opening my graphic design program and doing all that work... but then she mentioned the Keep-Calm-O-Matic, which I decided to go look into... and boy, was it easy to use! I bookmarked that right away. :D

Here are my three entries for the contest. I wasn't feeling particularly witty today, but I am satisfied with them, I think. Especially #3. ;) LOL.

From the '95 Pride and Prejudice, of course... Mrs. Bennett...

Also from Pride and Prejudice... Elizabeth Bennett

From the BBC Emma! :D

Hope you enjoyed those... :)