The Saturday Six

One.

 Loved this article, which features the lovely Emily Fussner, a young lady I had the privilege of knowing for several years. She grew up in the church I attended a few years go. Emily is every bit as sweet and kind as these words would lead you to believe, and as the writer says, she carries herself in such a way that you really do forget she has physical limitations! I really enjoyed learning more about the specifics of her art. I see many pictures of it online, but it was fun to learn more about what is behind the scenes!

Two.

Trust me. Just trust me. You need to watch this. Especially if you love the song No Longer Slaves.  

Three.

 I will probably do a post on this sometime next month, but I must say I am loving the day planner I made for myself this year. Finally hit the jackpot on what works best for me! I use a lot of printables from the Scattered Squirrel website. She makes quality stuff, and it's FREE! WOO HOOOO!! She just released some calendars for 2018, which I'm excited about since I'm already beginning to have things ON the calendar for next year. So if you're dreaming up a planner for yourself for next year, check it out!

Four.

I kind of forgot this was Memorial Day weekend, because Ryan is working the whole thing, so it's just another weekend for us. BUT! If you are having a cookout on Memorial Day, this is a very cute ice cream sundae bar with printables and the whole bit!

Five.

STOP IT. JUST STOP IT. (I'm back in day planner mode.) This lady uses color coordinated Washi Tape to further organize her planner. I must do this next year. Can you even IMAGINE how pretty????

Six.

Source 

A few weeks ago, I saw this book, Never Give Up, by John Mason, was available for review. It looked interesting, and I hadn't read in the inspirational genre for a while, so I requested it. And now that I've finished reading it, I have a handful of bullet point thoughts to send your way!

* Though I have apparently been living under a rock and had not heard of John before, he is a bestselling author who began as a self-published author. Impressive! Even more impressive, he shared a story in this book about how he chose to continue running with his first books on his own, even though publishers tried to pick them up after they proved successful with sales. I like that philosophy!

* If you're looking for deep an philosophical, look elsewhere. This is not a dive-in-deep sort of book. But please don't think that I find it to be a waste of time, just because it's not deep. This felt more like a conversation-starter/journal-entry-starter book to me, and I'll elaborate more on that in a moment. I just wanted to clarify that if you're looking for something deep and academic, this isn't the choice for you.

* The chapters are short - 2 to 3 pages each - and and there are 52 chapters total. Do you see what I see? A one year study! Actually I think I would have preferred to read it that way, because each chapter really does stand alone. It's not really meant to be read all at once, though I did it that way.

* You know what I think this book would be PERFECT for? High school or college graduation gift. Seriously! Great zingers in each chapter, really wonderful life advice from his own experiences and backed up by appropriately used Scripture passages. A few funny stories and illustrations round out a book of good life advice for those starting out in a new season of life.

* You know another setting I think would be perfect for this? Mentoring. If I had a mentee right now, I would absolutely spend the next year going over the topics of each chapter, a week at a time, fostering discussion and application from them.

* While we're at it, I think it would be great for a small business team too. If you have weekly staff meetings and employees you want to motivate and mentor, this would be a great outline.

I'm keeping the book, and I hope I have the opportunity to use it in some setting in the near future. And since graduation season is upon us....gift idea!


** Revell sent me a copy of this book at no charge. All opinions are my own! **
 

The Saturday Six

One.

 I told you last week about Erica Wiggenhorn's new Bible study that comes out next month. I'm even MORE eager to dive into it now that I have my new Bible to go with it! ANYWAY! The release of the book is close enough now that the book is up for pre-order, and if you order here, you can get a free art print to go with it! Win-win!! This one will be great for small-group study, I can promise you. (Individual study, too! That's how I did the first book she wrote on Acts, and it worked GREAT as a solo study.)

Two.

Loved this article by Jamie Hilty, because it's a beautiful blend of the creativity of reusing items (you know how I love a good repurpose!) and the reuse of places, when one family has packed up its memories and another brings theirs.

Three.

 Did you know you can freeze avocados? I sure didn't know it. This is good to keep in mind since they are usually SO expensive and if I could find a sale...

Four.

Looking for some fun outdoor ideas for this summer? I think some of these work just as well for adults as they do for kids! So if you're planning parties, check them out!

Five.

 This post and its ideas are geared towards families/kids, but I think the daily themes could be EASILY converted to anyone of any age! Take a week this summer and theme it up!! I think it sounds really fun!

Six.

Source

Clearly I did NOT have time to read a book this week, even though I had one waiting in the wings to be read, but I do have a book to offer to you!


One of my friends invited me to her online Usborne book party, and even though I've heard of this company, I've never purchased any of their books (largely because, you know, no children)! But I wanted to help her out, and I had actually run across a recommendation of an Usborne book that's not new, but it's still available for purchase. So I chose that one in an attempt to continue to grow the kiddo library for our visiting kids.

That's how I ended up with the Big Book of Things to Spot. (It's written by Ruth Brocklehurst, Gillian Doherty and Anna Milbourne, Illustrated by Teri Gower, and designed by Susannah Owen.) I'd read about this book, which is actually part of a homeschool curriculum, so I figured it had the blend of both fun value and educational value. (Even though we don't have kids, I am a stickler about the things I add to our stash. I don't want them to be mindless, fluffy toys and activities. I want them to be things that are valuable in learning, while still being fun.)

The book came earlier this week, and I'm not gonna lie: I had fun looking through it myself! It's kind of "Where's Waldo" in style, in that the pages are full color illustrations, but you're supposed to look for certain things on each page. But it's much less crammed than the Waldo books, so it doesn't give you a headache.

The book is divided into four sections, and each section gives you 1001 things to spot in its pages. Section 1 is 1001 Animals to Spot, Section 2 is 1001 Things to Spot on the Farm, Section 3 is 1001 Things to Spot in the Town, and Section 4 is 1001 Things to Spot Long Ago. Each scene is a two page spread, and along the sides of the pages you'll find the instructions of what you're looking for and the number of them you should find.

For example, the first spread is called "On the Farm," so the scene includes a barn, some pasture, a pond, and a field. Somewhere across those two pages, you'll find 3 puppies, 5 ducks, 9 ducklings...etc. Along with the instructions of what to find, there's a sample photo of each thing, so you'll know exactly what to look for. It's great for working on counting, colors, identifying items, etc.

The final section, which talks about things from long ago, features different parts of the world and different years, like Pharaoh's Court in Egypt, 3500 years ago, Going Hunting in India 350 years ago and the Drive-In-Movies in North America, 45 years ago.

Lots of fun pictures, lots of color, lots of learning, and it doesn't make a single noise on its own. (I am not a fan of noise-making books.)

I am glad I picked this one and call it a good addition to our little library for visitors! Oh! And bonus: you can get this in either a paperback or hardback version, so you can choose the affordability and/or durability you need!

The Saturday Six

One.

 Maybe it's the book nerd in me, I don't know, but I found this post fascinating. Behind the scenes look at the design of a book cover. (And also - I wanna be a book cover model!! And also also - yes, I know I'm not a model.)

Two.

Last year, I did Erica Wiggenhorn's Bible Study, "An Unexplainable Life" twice. Once on my own and once leading the small group with Ryan's work friends. It really changed the way I view my relationship with the Lord and with the local church body. Well, Erica has a sequel study coming out NEXT MONTH, and I cannot wait to dig into it! It's called "The Unexplainable Church," and I hiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiighly recommend it, based on what I know of the first study!! If your small group is scoping out studies to go over this fall, PICK THESE! 

Three.

 Garage sale season is upon us, and I found this article chronicling some of the best things to hunt for at these sales! Good ideas!

Four.

 Maybe THIS is why my running speeds aren't as fast as some??? I am not using these? (Although I did have a really good mile this week. Second mile was terrible, but mile one was AMAZING!)

Five.

 I have a lot of teacher friends, and I know they are weary at the end of this school year. (And every school year.) I used to want to be a teacher, so I have a tender place in my soul for them and the work they do, especially when feeling so restricted by goals to achieve things that go far outside their intended subject. That's why this post is so perfect. If you're a teacher (or know and love one), read it!
 
Six.

 
Often when I tell you about a book I've read, I am quick to gush about how I flew through it. Couldn't put it down. I guess in my mind, that is one of the great compliments to a book: this one was so good, I just couldn't put it down. And probably for fiction, especially, that is true. But this week I learned the opposite can also be a high compliment to a book. Messy Beautiful Friendship was that book for me this week. It was so good, I had to keep putting it down so I could chew on the words and let them wash over me before I continued.

Christine Hoover is a Texas-loving pasttor's wife who left her beloved Texas roots (and friends) to follow her husband's ministry call to Virginia. This is not her first book, but it was my introduction to her, and my goodness, do I ever appreciate the heart, soul, and deep transparency she put into this book!

It's hard to write about friendship. I think it's harder now than ever, because friendship is so confusing (thanks, social media!) anymore. Facebook has redefined the word "friend" entirely, and we all have to stop and translate in our heads to know for sure where each person in our "friend" life actually fits.

Friendship is hard because we can be catty. Friendship is hard because we compare. Friendship is hard because we're busy. Friendship is hard because we're prideful. But friendship is a gift from the Lord designed (amazingly enough) NOT to fill our social media feed, but to fill our souls and push us closer to Him.

I've heard that about marriage before. I've never thought of it being the same for friendship until I read Christine's book. If we're doing friendship the way the Lord designed, we are friends filled with grace, we aren't afraid of conflict, we dig deep, we walk through the hard stuff just as faithfully as the fun stuff, and in the end, we both know we're nearer to the Lord because this friendship exists.

Christine shares many vulnerable stories from her own life and shows through her own successes and failures how to have honest conversations, move past assumptions (and their lies), walk through valleys, and believe the best from friends.

This book was very convicting to me. I'm not always the friend I want to be, and I read many reminders of why I need to do some things differently, as well as many convicting words about the proper role of friendships in my life.

This book isn't a fast read, and I mean that as a high compliment. If you do blow through it, I think you'll miss so many key points you should pause to digest, savor, and even implement.

If you're frustrated by your friendships, whether the lack or state of them, pick up this book. She has many wise nuggets to share (even a list of them in the back!) and she's safe to learn from, because she's not a perfect friend either. (And what a relief that was to know!)

* Baker Books sent me a copy of this book; all opinions are my own!*

The Saturday Six

One.

No. Just no. I would not drive on any of these roads. Call me a chicken if you want to, but my answer remains NO. (If the view is so beautiful, just take pictures when YOU go and I'll look at your pictures.)

 Yes, I know I just did a detox. Finding ice cream links is a bad idea. And maybe you've seen this before, but I sure hadn't. Ice cream nachos with waffle cone pieces as the chips? GENIUS.

Three.

 The information in this post by Megan Emily blew my mind. I didn't know any of this info about bottled water (other than being wary of the packaging) and the recycling dilemma. Fascinating and troubling all at once.

Four.

 How stinking cute is this tiny shop? It's like a tiny house, but it's a shop! (Hence the name...tiny shop.)

Five.

 Some helpful - and surprisingly non-cheesy - Mother's Day gift ideas! Check them out! YOU HAVE ONE WEEK LEFT!!!!!


Six.

Back in February, I reviewed a children's book called The Beautiful Garden of Eden, written by Gary Bower. I chose it because I was trying to grow my children's book collection for when kiddos come to visit, and I absolutely loved that book. So when I saw that two more books from this same series were up for review, I had to get them.


These books are part of a series called "A Faith that God Built." They are all written in the same rhyme pattern as the familiar poem "The House that Jack Built." But these books are all based on Bible stories. The two I read this week were The Frightening Philippi Jail  and The Hurry-Up Exit from Egypt.

All the same things I loved about the first one I read were still present in these books, beginning with Barbara Chotiner's whimsical artwork on each page. As I stated before, I think the artwork is as important as the wording in a children's book, and she does a great job.

In The Hurry-Up Exit from Egypt, I loved Gary's word choices (fun words for kids!!), including scampering lickety-split, and hobbly, wobbly, wiggly wheels. There are more, but those were a couple of my favorite phrases. Made it fun to read this book out loud!

A HUGE plus for this book was Gary's careful choice to attribute the dividing of the Red Sea to God's power and not Moses' rod. I think when talking to kids, it's easy to focus on the method and not the power behind the method, so I really appreciated his approach in that part of the story.

Also, with a story like this, there's the question of how to explain the Egyptians' fate when they pursued the Israelites: how do you make it truthful without scaring little kiddos? I thought he did that very well, and the last page of the book pointed to the Scripture reference where families can go together to read the full story and talk about it more in depth.

In The Frightening Philippi Jail, there were more fun phrases, like the bugs and the rats and the slugs that crawled on the crooks and the thieves and the thugs, and the shackles that fell to the floor when a chain-breaking quaking flung open the door.

This is another story that is interesting to tell to kids, because there are certainly parts that are scary (being in jail and the jailer wanting to kill himself), but Gary kept the focus on the fact that Paul and Silas didn't even deserve to be in there, but they chose to pray and praise out loud anyway.

The book ends like the others, by pointing back to Scripture and offering a key verse from the Scripture passage, in case you want to work on memorization.

I'd dearly love to have this whole set of books; I think they are well done, theologically sound, and fun to read! (In fact, I offered to read them to Ryan for our family devotions. LOL!)

* Tyndale provided a copy of each book to me, but all opinions are my own. *

What I Learned in April

WOW. So April ends on Sunday. WHAT? I realized about two days ago that a new month is looming RIGHT NOW and I need to hurry to make sure I have my goals made, my birthday cards ordered, and my schedule set, because May is fixin' to be one cuh-ra-zay busy month in Shafferland. So while I anticipate that what I'll learn next month is to hang onto my hat, here's a peek at what I learned in April!

1. I am so glad we did a tiny destination wedding.

Ryan's sister is getting married this year and is in the throes of heavy wedding planning. This month, I was invited to a few of the meetings with a bunch of the family girls, and while it was fun (because hello! Wedding!), I realized I'm so glad we had a tiny little wedding that was far, far away. I know we hurt and disappointed a lot of people who wanted to attend our wedding and couldn't, because it was too far, but for my anxious personality, that itty bitty wedding was so perfect, and I'm glad we did it that way. I don't think I realized just how much until I was reminded of the enormity of traditional wedding planning!

2. Cozy mysteries are an actual genre.

I probably shouldn't be admitting out loud that I did not know that, because it probably reveals a giant flaw in my literature-loving understanding. But when I interviewed Ann Gabhart earlier this month about her Hidden Springs Mystery series, we talked about how they had such a lightheartedness about them, compared to the dark, heavy suspense of other crime novels I've read. And that's where I learned about cozy mysteries. In these books, the violence is written in a much more toned-down manner to allow the reader a more comfortable experience, while still getting to participate in a mystery.

3. You can purchase riced cauliflower.

Am I the only one who didn't know about this? I found a recipe to try this month that made "breadsticks" out of cauliflower. The instructions said to grind up the cauliflower in a blender until it was the size of pieces of rice. Someone had commented and asked if she could just use frozen riced cauliflower. What? You can buy it already processed? For a girl who has the worst blender ever made, this was very exciting news! Save time and headache? OKAY!!!!!

4. I drink water better if it's cold.

I'm not a bad water-drinker. I'm thankful for that because I hated water when I was a kid and pretty much refused to drink it. But as an adult, I started enjoying it and it's all we have here at home, really. We don't keep pop in the house and I don't even make tea all that often. But I had noticed that even though I'm pretty good at drinking water, I wasn't getting in as much as I wanted. And that's when I discovered that I drink it much better if it's cold. How did I not know this about myself until just now? 

5.  Lawn rollers can be filled with water.

When I was a kid, I remember every spring, my dad would hire a guy from town to come out to their property with his big heavy roller. I'd be instructed to stay far away while the man drove his tractor slowly through the massive yard, leveling the ground so Dad could proceed with the first mowing of the season. This year, Ryan borrowed a roller from a friend of his, with the intent of rolling our yard and one of his co-worker's yards. When I asked how he planned to heft that thing into his truck and drive it to her house, he just stared at me funny and said, "Just empty it?" Empty it? That's when I found out that these modern, newfangled rollers are plastic and hollow, and you just fill them up with water to create the weight. When you're done, you empty it out and you could lift the whole thing one-handed. Who knew? 

6. My husband can rock a flamingo suit like you wouldn't believe.

 This absolutely falls under "sentences I never expected to type" and also is entirely self-explanatory.

7. Traction isn't as scary as I thought.

I tried it for the first time this month. I have a lot of tightness and discomfort (we'll stop short of calling it pain, because it's really not pain) in my neck, which I'm sure comes from a combination of carrying all my stress there and sitting in front of a computer for pretty much every waking hour of my life. I always thought traction was like some horrible immobilizing thing you were stuck in for life if you broke your back or something. But I found this very relaxing and helpful in stretching out my poor strained neck!

So that's what I learned. What about you? Any April revelations?

The Stories We Tell...and the Stories We Can't

As some of you have surmised from this week's scatterbrained blogging, it has been a week over here in Shafferland. It started with this g.r.e.a.t. story that happened to me on Tuesday, but unfortunately I can't blog it. You have no idea how much I wish I could. It was such a hoot and would have made THE perfect post, but alas, I fear it would be unintentionally hurtful to an involved party, and even though the chance of him reading my blog is somewhere in the neighborhood of zero percent, I can't risk it. I don't want to be hurtful. But let's just say it kicked off the week in quite a fashion.

That event (which did send my blood pressure into all sorts of realms) took place mere hours before my doctor's appointment. I think you probably know I am not a big fan of doctors. Ryan  has been asking me so kindly for months now to go get my checkup. And for months, I have respectfully declined, so finally he said, "You have to call for an appointment this week." Remembering that my vows included a promise to love, honor, and obey, I called the office. I was hoping they couldn't get me in until 2025 or so, but they had an opening this week (lucky me!) and I have been psyching myself up for this auspicious occasion.

(I wore my "fear not" and "be still" bracelets and made Ryan accompany me to the front door of the office just to get me inside. This white coat syndrome thing is no joke.)

When the doctor asked why I was there, I said, "My husband made me show up," and I don't think that's on his top ten list of frequently heard answers. He did seem genuinely puzzled by everything I said. Our conversation went (in part) like this:

Doctor: So you have no pain of any kind?
Bekah: Nope.
Doctor: No blood in your urine or stool?
Bekah: (Are we hoping for that or something?) Definitely no.
Doctor: No medications...at all?
Bekah: Nope.
Doctor: Tubal? C-sections?
Bekah: I've never been pregnant.
Doctor: Never?
Bekah: Nope.
Doctor: Do you work out?
Bekah: Yes! Often!
Doctor: Really?
Bekah: Was that not obvious????

I guess most people who come have an interesting smattering of problems, and I was boring. In the end, he decided I was healthy, and the only lecture I received was that I needed my ears cleaned out. And if I'd known he was going to poke around in them, I would have taken care of that before I went.

So that was the beginning of the week. Yesterday, the forecast called for storms throughout the day, and Ryan was sweating the fact that he'd not been able to mow our yard this week. (He's spent every evening helping out other folks at their houses.) So I decided to mow during the day while he was at work.

When we got married, we both owned push mowers, and obviously we didn't need two, so we sold mine. Ryan said he liked his better. That was fine with me, but the first time I tried to mow last year, I stopped about two minutes in to ask what in the WORLD was wrong with that thing! He looked it over and declared it fine. Between huffs and puffs, I said, "It's so hard to push! How do I turn up the propelling thing?" He just laughed and said, "Oh this isn't self-propelled."

WHAT?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!

You sold my wonderful mower that would drag me through the yard of its own accord, and now I have to push the daylights out of this thing?

Oh. And did I mention our yard has a hill? Looks tiny. Isn't tiny.

And so it was that I got that silly mower out, got it started on the first try (woot woot!), and spent an hour pushing that thing all over the place. It was easy at first, but after a few runs of the hill, my calves were screaming, and I remembered why I missed my beloved mower. My lines looked like the chutes on a Chutes and Ladders game, but let the record show that yard got mowed before the first of the downpours arrived.

So while Ryan ran around helping people last night, I baked him a Razzleberry pie. I figured our week warranted one. And that hour with the mower worked off my piece before I ever ate it!

The Saturday Six

One.

While I do not currently have a "formal" mentor in my life, I have many women whose lives and walks with the Lord provide mentorship to me, and I appreciate that. I have also had seasons when I met with different women to allow them to mentor me, and I've served as one before, to a younger friend. It's such an important role, and I fear too many think they are not qualified because they are not perfect. And that's why this article by Carol Kent speaks such life and truth over that myth!


Two.

Last week on the Six, I shared with you a post by my friend Sarah Forgrave that gives healthy(ish) options to choose when eating fast food. (Because we all know fast food happens!) This week, she continued her series on healthy options, but she offers the same advice for sandwich and deli-style restaurants. Thought I would pass it along to you!

Three.

 This article was fascinating to me. The guy is a photographer who builds sets out of miniatures and random props he makes by hand, but the finished photos look like absolute, full-size, real life.

Four.

This article CRACKED me up. 25 random (and may I add - WEIRD) things church members have said to pastors.  

Five.

Still looking for a last-minute Easter dish? Looking for one that has some healthy qualities to it? 30 options here from Dashing Dish. (We've had three Dashing Dish recipes this week, and ALL have been keepers in my opinion. 2/3 keepers in Ryan's opinion.)

Six.

In a weird blog twist, I'm telling you about four books today. WHAT?!?!! I know! I was so busy reading advanced copies of books to help some authors that I didn't have time to read a whole extra book, but it's high time I reviewed these four on the blogaroo, so here you go! I've actually mentioned all of these before in suggested reading lists, but I've never officially told you all about them.

If you heard Tuesday's podcast, you heard about our trip to hear our friend Brent Vernon in concert. Brent is a multi-talented guy. He can sing and play the piano, he's a ventriloquist, but he's also an author and illustrator of children's books! I had owned two of his four books already, but you know me and incomplete collections: shiver! So at that concert, I rounded out my stash and purchased the last two books. And now I shall tell you about them!

The first three books are all part of a series called the Audrey Amaka stories. Audrey Amaka is a neckless giraffe who wears blue sparkly high heeled shoes to help in the height department. Also featured in these books are her two friends, Nelson and Doodle. (Nelson is terribly accident-prone, and I so identify with the poor guy!)

Each book features an important virtue from the Bible, told through creative story. In Neckless, the first book of the series, Audrey learns that she is fearfully and wonderfully made, even if she looks different from everyone else. And she learns that sometimes the very things that make you different can actually make you valuable and special. In book two, Curiosity Crescent Audrey and her friends take a special trip with Mr. Amaka, but they learn the importance of obedience and the consequences that result from disobedience. And in book three, The Okapicat Audrey meets her cousin Ornela, who turns out to be more of a copycat than an Okapi. During Ornela's week-long visit to Audrey's house, both girls learn important lessons about being content with who they are and how attitudes and actions make a big difference!

The stories are all 32 pages long, fun to read, the lessons are well-taught, and the illustrations are amazing. I could just sit and look at the pictures all day! :)

The fourth and newest book Brent wrote is called The Gingerbrood, and it's a Christmas book written in rhyme. I'm always in awe of those who can write poetry, since I have zero skills in that department. :) This book tells the story of a batch of gingerbread cookies that escape from Mrs. Claus's oven, believing if they don't, they'll end up as Santa's snack. The book follows them on their adventures through the North Pole, and is fun to read out loud! (Also amazing illustrations in this one. And if you want a page count - it's 23 pages.)

If you have kiddos in your life, these books would make fun gifts for them. If you don't have kiddos, these books make a great resource to have on hand when some show up at your house and expect you to have books for them to read! (Our niece and nephew loved them when I read them during a stay at our house.)

You can find all four books (plus Brent's music!) in this online store. Totally recommend all of it! 

The Saturday Six (No Foolin'!)

One.

 Working on the kitchen cabinets (and of course, by that I mean RYAN working on the kitchen cabinets) has me all in the mood to rethink my decorations in most of the house. Not that I want to go buy a bunch of stuff, but just that I want to shop the house and remix and rethink. Love the style of the Collingsworth girls, so this post has me ready to get moving!

Two.

I'm getting ready to interview a fiction writer for the Conversation Cafe (my first time to talk fiction with someone on that podcast!) and I thought this written conversation with novelist Deborah Raney was very interesting! I always find it fascinating to learn more about the reading and writing habits of authors! (P.S. - enjoy, Lori!)

Three.

 Did you know I was a piano lesson failure? I took them for 11 years but didn't apply myself and can barely play anything. Womp, womp. But even though I'm terrible, I have a huge appreciation for piano talent and found this short video fascinating. A professional pianist wore eye tracking glasses while he played, and you can see what he's looking at while he plays. He even narrates it to explain what he's doing. Really cool!

Four.

Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh big hair. I've had it. Have you had it? My biggest goal in the mid 90's was to have the perfect "wings" on my hair. Sadly, my hair is so thick, as soon as I'd spray the wings out to the side (held in place by a giant plastic pick), the hair would collapse and I'd just have a sticky, covered-up mess. But this post has some truly impressive big hair. TRULY.

Five.

Capsule or no capsule, if you're in the mood for some cute clothes, Simply Bliss Boutique has some ADORABLE new stuff rolling through the boutique. Of course you should check out every category, but here are the new arrivals! 

 
Six.

Source

I was back in the land of fiction this week, where books are concerned, reading a new-to-me author by the name of Ginny L. Yttrup. I'd heard of her before, from my radio days, but I hadn't read anything she'd written until now.


A few days ago, I read a post written by a book-reviewer who said she struggles with Christian fiction, because it doesn't get messy enough for her. She wants real-life scenarios, nothing sugar-coated, and she feels Christian fiction is too polished. Writers are afraid to get into sticky topics, she said. I wrestled with that for a while, because I don't feel the same way about Christian fiction. I read it to enjoy a happy place when days are hard, and I don't want to have to worry about finding bad language and sinful behavior filling the pages.

But as a happy compromise for readers like that reviewer and me, Home, by Ginny L. Yttrup, offers an honest look at hard situations without being filled with anything offensive or contradictory to Scripture.

The book is written through the continuously alternated viewpoints of three characters. (At first I feared this might distract me, but it didn't at all.) Melanie is a mildly successful novelist, her husband Craig is a well-respected architect, and their twenty-plus year marriage has hit a rocky place. A depressed economy means it doesn't matter how great of a home-builder Craig is, because no one can afford to buy. A distracted and restless heart means Melanie is in danger of not meeting her next book deadline. And both these things mean not enough money sits in the bank account for Melanie and Craig to continue their current lifestyle. And as everyone knows, money troubles are tough on any marriage. Avoiding each other and burying under work seems the preferred M.O. for both of them.

Meanwhile, their neighbor and good friend Jill is facing a few battles of her own. Not within her marriage or their finances, but within her mind. Nightmares and  obsessive-compulsive behavior have increased so dramatically that her husband and even their sweet little children are noticing that something isn't right. Admitting a problem exists isn't what Jill wants to do, but she realizes she may not have a choice.

Mental illness, marriage woes, and wandering eyes are among the hard topics Ginny addresses in these pages, and she does so in a beautiful balance that doesn't condemn, but also doesn't gloss over the severity of the situations and the need for repentance, accountability, truth, and professional help. The book wasn't sugary, it wasn't filled with shiny packages tied with neat bows, and yet it did offer the escape to another place that I always long for when I read. (BONUS: there was a cottage with a water view involved. I love cottages and water!)

I grew to love these characters and appreciated the insights into their minds, their fears, their struggles, and their faith. I would definitely read more from Ginny!

* I received a complimentary copy of this book from Barbour Publishing and was under no obligation to post a review.