Elf Painting...

   Hello guys! I know that it's a little early to be thinking about Christmas, but I have to get some cards ready to sell at an event in November to support Elinor's Cow Project. Therefore, I was practicing for some Christmas cards that will need to be made between now and November. Even though this Elf painting will not be able to be on a card (due to several errors), I still thought I'd share it with you...

Step One:

I painted a small circle to be my elf's head... I should have placed it up a little higher. Later (as you will soon see), my Elf's legs interfered with the writing of "Merry Christmas" along the bottom of the card.

Step Two:

I painted a hat, shirt, and arms on my Elf. I probably should have shaped the top a little differently, because it ended up look a little too box-y. I also painted the words "Merry Christmas" on the bottom of the card.

Step 3:

I added a skirt and mouth to my painting. I also put red embellishments on her outfit. This was about the time that I realized I should have painted her a little higher up and made the words a little smaller.

Step 4:

My painting really came to life in this final step. I gave her hair, eyes, a nose, legs, shoes, and fingers. As you can see, however, her legs were far too low and messed with my "Merry Christmas". 

The only reason I painted this was really just to test my abilities and see if I could paint people. I hadn't really intended to put it on a card, which turned out to be good because if I had, I would have been quite frustrated with the numerous flaws. She turned out better than I thought she would, though! And that made me smile.

Book Review: Before You Meet Prince Charming

Title: Before You Meet Prince Charming

Author: Sarah Mally

Rating; 5/5

Age Recommendation: 10+

Plot: Before You Meet Prince Charming is all about remaining pure, and how you can do that right now, wherever you are in your life. It discusses how to prepare for your future husband, the dangers of our society's dating system, and provides examples of ways to get to know a young man while still remaining pure. 

We felt that this book did just what it set out to do - which was to help young ladies understand just what purity is, and how to exercise it in the world that we live in. We found it very encouraging, helpful, and biblical. We liked that Sarah didn't give you a list of standards she had already set, but presented many different approaches and allowed you to set your own standards.

Quality: This book was very well-written and clear in its message. Something that was very appreciated was that it perfectly explained purity, while still being age-appropriate. It is a book that we would recommend to any girl or woman over 10 (not because of any mature content, but just because it would be more interesting for that age).

Elinor's Thoughts: I enjoyed this book greatly, as well as learned quite a bit! It helped me to find ways that I could be more deeply committing my life to Christ, and it opened up some conversations with my sister, mom, and dad that were very meaningful. It made me excited for finding the man that God has for me, but it also helped me to remember that God should be my focus, more than anything else. This is one of those books that one day (Lord willing) I will want to have my daughters read. 

Marianne's Thoughts: I loved reading this book with Elinor! It really helped me to better understand what it means to "prepare" yourself for your future husband, and how I can do that now. Something else that Sarah explained was what it really means to "wait upon the Lord". She shared that that didn't mean just sitting around staring at the TV and waiting for God to bring some perfect young man to your door, but that you should wait upon the Lord the way a waitress waits upon the customer... you should serve Him. It was an analogy that will stick with me for a while :). It was a great book that I would recommend over and over again!

Throw Back Thursday #1

Hey, y'all! I'm re-reading my favorite parts of Elizabeth Camden's Into The Whirlwind. Definitely one of my all-time favorite novels! It is the perfect mixture of romantic suspense, and realistic scenarios. It was one of the first book reviews on our blog. I can hardly believe it's been almost a year since I last read this book! I still get the same contentment from reading it that I did then!

If you want to read my book review on Into The Whirlwind, you can do so HERE!

First Birthday!

Source

Hey everyone!

We have been blogging for exactly one year today! Thank you all for your support and encouragement this past year! We look forward to many more!

Love,

Quick Encouragement #37

For King and Country - Middle of Your Heart

Book Review: The Old Man and the Sea

Review by Elinor

Title: The Old Man and the Sea

Author: Earnest Hemingway

Rating: 4/5

Plot: Santiago is a Cuban fisherman who lives in the hope that he will soon catch a great marlin that will provide the money for food that he often does without. When he finally hooks one, he spends several tiring days at sea in a constant battle with it over who will survive. During this time, he longs for the companionship of a boy he taught to fish, but who was made by his parents to fish with someone else.

Characters; In the beginning and end of the book you get to know "the boy" (as he is often called) whom Santiago taught to fish. His loyalty to Santiago is so sweet and is shown in the way that he cares for him. In the time at sea though, it is only Santiago and the fish, so you don't really get to see any development for other characters.

Emotion: This book mostly had a heavy sort of sorrow to it. It really captured the feeling of being all alone. The book is really an account of the man's thoughts while hoping to catch this giant fish, who he has a true respect for. I think the point that the author was trying to get across was that bad things happen to everyone, no matter how hard you try to avoid them. But your choice is whether or not you will let them defeat you.

My Thoughts: This book was very emotional, but what I really found beautiful about the story was that Santiago endured so much hardship, but he still was never going to give up. He was going to do his best, and if that wasn't enough, he would try harder next time. His love for the boy, and the boy's love for him nearly brought me to tears several times. The ending was what I really felt made the story, it really showed that something horrible can happen, and life can still go on, and something good can come of it. I think this is one of those books that everyone should read at some point, but it wasn't one that I absolutely loved, so I probably won't be reading it again. I would also recommend it for an older audience, because there was a small amount of language.

Thanks for reading!

Post Ideas...

   Hello! It's just Marianne today. I just wanted to do a quick post asking ya'll what your personal favorite post(s) has been so that Elinor and I can plan our next posts accordingly. Also, if you have any ideas do share them with us! We would be thrilled to hear what you have to say! I was just looking, and our Favorite Movies and TV Series got a huge response. We will definitely be doing another one of those... one of these days ;). Anyway, I was just thinking out loud and wanted to know what ya'll thought! Thank you guys so much!