a little bit o' wisdom is all we need.

"The best way to predict the future

is to invent it."

                                            ~Allan Kay

Do not turn to mediums or seek out spiritists, for you will be defiled by them. I am the LORD your God (Leviticus 19:31).

 

here's why i'm happy on a drizzly, grizzly day.

reason numero uno:

i survived the run.

thank you muchly for the prayers, y'all. i came, i ran, i conquered. it's all in a day's work...;)

reason numero dos:

ice cream + blackberries.

our blackberries are ripe. we have vanilla ice cream in the freezer. end of story.

reason numero tres:

this dress. <3

just one ball gown of extreme floofy-ness and prettiness and satiny silk is on my wish list. :]

oh, that and the $2000 to obtain it with.

reason numero cuatro:

angry birds.

 

so, there's these birds. and their eggs got stolen by these pigs. and they're angry. so they're knocking down the pig's towers. and you get points.

:]

okay, i never ever ever play computer games. huge waste of time, if you ask me. but this game...okay, i've taken down the barrier just a little. it's...umm, in one word: addicting. thus, i don't play it often. but when i do? "YES! I GOT IT! I KNOCKED THE TOWER DOWN!"

o_O

..that's my voice all over the house. :)

reason numero cinco:

old bikes.

we own two antique bikes, which we recently discovered are worth around $500 each. :] i don't care so much about the value as their looks..they are just as cute and whimsy as can be. i love old bikes with a passion. :)

reason numero seis:

el sonidito.

i listen to the hispanic station upon occasion, just for entertainment and fun. this song makes me laugh. period. :] i dare you to listen to the entire thing. it is the most repetetive...well, just hear for yourself:

*gasp* *cough* *gasp*

...isn't this the funniest song you have ever heard?? all that "uno dos tres cuatro!!!" XD

there. now you have seen what a truly abnormal girl i am.

why are you happy today?

You Know You're a Runner When...

{via}

You know you're a runner when...

Five miles is an "easy run."

Cross Country season is the best part of your year.

You have a hard time waking up early for a regular school day, but you get up at the crack of dawn to run just to stay in shape for next year.

Your shoes are full of holes and dirt, and the best thing in the world is getting a new pair.

Your teammates are some of your best buddies. ♥

You know the feeling of utter pain, but you also know that the most satisfying feeling in the world is finishing a race.

You never take being able to breath normally for granted again.

Walking isn't exercise anymore.

You look at the running clothes first in any store.

The words you dread most coming from your coach at practice are "run 99%."

(In other words, "kill yourself for an hour.")

Your toenails are forever shot, and your feet are hideously covered with blisters and calluses.

Sore muscles and sweaty hair are just part of daily life.

You feel gross if you miss a daily run.

You make up ryhmes to keep yourself from quitting.

There are such things as 'death runs.'

You know who is a runner are when you see them--whether you're in the grocery store or in church.  

I ♥ running. Any fellow sufferers? ;) Please be praying for me and my team today, as we run a team race. I am doing a 7 1/2 mile leg, and I want to do my best. Thank you, friends!

a very sweet sixteen + giveaway winners. (part 1)

So now, I can officially sing,

♫ "I am sixteen going on seventeen..." ♫

I always thought Leisel von Trapp so old as she sang those words. Now, it'a crazy to think I am her exact age, if a few months younger.

Aye, the fifteenth o' August was my sixteenth birthday, and as stated in the title, it was very sweet.

Literally, and otherwise.

Before I get started on the details of my happy day, I shall share an old photo to 'commemorate the day.' That's me on the left with the blonde hair, blue eyes, chubby cheeks...oh yes, and the charming expression. o_O I think I was around one or two.



..many years later..

An entirely mature, level-headed, always knowledgable in every circumstance, loving, forgiving, kind, wonderful, in every sense of the word, perfectly grown up sixteen-year-old.

Hmm.

..Okay, not quite, perhaps. But I think it's safe to say I know more than I did when I was two, and there are some mistakes of my youth which I can gurantee you I won't be making again. Thus, I believe I can say with my head held high that I am prepared to grow up. 

*hides behind her baby doll and hair bows*

My sixteenth birthday began really a few days before, when my grandma brought over some key lime pie ice cream, lemon cake, and a present. :) Have you ever tried this bliss? It is exactly that: bliss. I had quite a bit, needless to say.  

The next day, we were off for our week long camping trip, and our two day stay with our dear friends, the H. Family.

Dani, Amanda, and Emily H. and I have been pen-pals, e-mail pals, and phone call pals :) for three years now..we were blessed with the chance to at last meet them face-to-face this past April, when we both attended The Christian Heritage Conference. Olivia also writes Dani, and thus we are all very good friends by now.

Amanda, me, and Dani at the conference

..Much to our sheer delight, while conversing at the conference we learned that our family would be camping this summer near their area. Of course, plans were made that we stop by their house for a few days prior to our vacation.

We arrived the day before my birthday, a little earlier than expected, and thus were greeted with unforgettable screams of surprise. ;) We were bombarded with hugs, much to our delights, and thus began a most unforgettable sixteenth birthday. Another family, the B.'s, were visiting as well, so we had a full house..which was tons of fun!

Prettyness of the H. Family's driveaway!

..I don't want to make this post an un-readable length, so I will just give you a glimpse of all that we did over the course of our, sadly short, time together. We and the Girls had conjured up a list of things we wanted to do together, and had been talking of this visit for months over the phone and e-mail, so we had a fully loaded schedule. As it turned out, we altered things to suit more lovely ladies in our group, but our hours together were pricelessly blissful. :) On the night we arrived, we all gathered in the living room (after we had squeezed and chattered eachother half to death ;) and played games until bedtime, when Dani, 'Manda, Em, Hannah, Anne, Olivia, and I all squeezed onto their bedroom floor and talked for a good while. Around 12:30 a.m., we got the bright idea that we would take a "night walk." Amidst many giggles and squeaky hinges, we tiptoed outside and...laughed. The next day we found we had wakened a few members of the family. Oops. 

When morning dawned, we arose early and made breakfast. Our day stretched before us promisingly, and here is what we ended up filling it with amidst talks and laughter..

  

Made meals

Fed and (they) milked their goats

Took many walks

Played games

Took (tons) of photos

Had a tea party

Danced and learned new dances

Attended a Bible study/dinner

Sang

..etc. :)

 I didn't get many pictures, but they got tons; thus the "part 1" in the title. :) Expect a few more posts chock full of pictures of our time...I firmly believe we took at least 1000. :] The H.'s oldest brother, Greg, is a professional photographer, so we all went out and he kindly did a big photoshoot in their amazingly pretty countryside. Here are some photos that my brother, Mark, shot of us getting into one of our poses..

Dear friends and new friends, smiling together! ♥

 During the afternoon, shortly before we left for an evening Bible study (which was wonderful!) at the P.'s beautiful home, I was treated to a "surprise tea party." Manda and I went for a little walk down the road, "under order," ;) and when we returned, I entered their home to a rousing chorus of "Happy Birthday to You!", smiling faces, cameras, a beautifully laid table, and two deliciously gourmet-looking peanut butter cup cheesecakes. I was so touched and thrilled

Altogether, I had a very "sweet sixteenth," as well as a lovely time with our friends, and on our vacation. We simply can't wait to see their dear faces again, in the hopeful near future. In the meantime, we have many upcoming pictures to commemorate the days! Praise the LORD for such a blessed time. ♥

Dani and I--photo by Emily. H. <3

Which brings me to my last point. The long-overdue WINNERS of my two latest giveaways.

For the la lemonada blog design package:

India Grace!

For the $15 gift certificate to Emariecreations:

Mary Minship!

Congratulations, ladies--please e-mail me with your info, and I will guide you from there! More giveaways are coming soon, scattered amidst future months. Including another from Emariecreations! Keep a lookout. :D

♫ "I am sixteen, going on seventeen..." ♫

I wonder what this next 'chapter of life' will hold for me?

A Dream {Guest post by Abby}

My heritage on my paternal grandfather's side is German. Both of my paternal great-grandparents came over from Germany in the 1920s-30s before the last world war.  They didn't know each other; it wasn't until the middle thirties that they married, and began to establish their family, including my grandfather.

Fast forward to the early 80s, when my uncle Jim (dad's one and only younger brother) traveled to Germany for the first time.  To visit family members who still live in the same little village where Pappy was from, and to learn more about his heritage.

In 1985-86 (I think), he went their to live and study at the University of Tübingen, where he has since obtained his Master's and is working on his Doctrate.  That was the beginning of over twenty years of adventures that he has experienced in the 'fatherland' if you will. :)

At Christmastime 2009, my own father traveled to Germany for the first time and returned home with a wealth of stories, memories and happiness found in both Tubingen (where Jim and his wife reside), and also in Immenhausen where our extended family lives.  It was exciting to see him so pumped about his trip, and to have him share his experiences with our family, friends and church.  He wants to return someday...

My older brother Joel, has been dreaming about and planning for a trip to Germany for a number of years.  Last winter, we thought he and his friend Joe might have a chance to go and explore this beautiful country, but things didn't pan out and so they've put off the trip for another few months.  He is still planning and saving for this trip, and I sincerely hope that he gets to go with his friends soon.

I have a dream too.

My dream is more far-fetched and out of reach, due to my finances, and other circumstances.  But my dream includes a six-month stay in Tubingen with my uncle and aunt, assisting them in their mission / church work, visiting relatives, and exploring the magnificent countryside surrounding Tubingen.

Included in my dream is a burning desire to go to Berlin for a few days and explore the city in all its splendor and uniqueness.

Ever since my fascination with Dietrich Bonhoeffer began (about five years ago), I have longed to go and see the places he saw daily, to walk the same streets, to explore the places he did, and to take in the beauty of this old and historic metropolis.

I would like to investigate the Reichstag in all it's pristine glory, having been rebuilt following devastation it sustained during air raids at the end of WWII.


I want to stroll through the Brandenburg Gate and marvel at its powerful structure.

But there are a few places I would especially like to visit.  One is the Benderblock (made famous to Americans in the war film, Valkyrie). Where prominent members of the German resistance movement were murdered.

Another place I'd like to visit and spend hours touring, is Dietrich Bonhoeffer's house on Marienburger Allee 43.

And it would be a treat to take in a classical concert given by the Berlin Philharmonic. To walk along the Berlin wall and contemplate what it must have been like to live in a city, divided.  Or to stroll through the beautiful parks that dot the city on a sunny afternoon.  And before I left Berlin, I would like to consume some of its famous currywurst.

For now, all of this is just a dream... something to think about while lying lazily in bed early in the morning.  Something to work towards, to save up for and look forward to accomplishing!

I hope my dream comes true, someday.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Abby loves to cook, read, write, listen to music, think, spend time with friends, the great out-doors; photography, travel, history, geography, philosophy, metaphysics, languages and biblical studies are also interests in ‘my’ world. My goal is to live in a fashion which brings Jesus Christ honor, glory and praise, so that the Word of God would not be blasphemed.

Thank you Lucia for allowing me to guest 

post while you are away!

Audience {Guest Post by Rachel}

If I could hear Christ praying for me in the next room, I would not fear a million enemies.  Yet distance makes no difference.  He is praying for me.  ~Robert M. McCheyne

When I sat down to write this post for Lucia, I had no idea where to begin. It was more than an honour to be chosen to have these few moments on her beautiful blog. 

I wanted to put my heart and soul into this. 

Normally, I tend to lean more toward the poetic vein...seeking out the beauties in everyday life, searching for the small voice of God amid the chaos of daily life. 

But recently, I came to a startling conclusion about my own personal life...and my own tiny place in the blogging world. 

I'm seeking to find my voice. I'm learning to be real. 

There are so many things that flit across the sunrise in this corner of the universe, coming out of the woodwork to overwhelm those of us who call blogging our home. 

The memes that seem to fill every single day of the week. 

Monday Musings, Wordless Wednesdays, Photo Fridays. 

Not that I'm complaining. Sometimes, it's nice to have a sort of outline to guide us as we go along this garden pathway. 

But never forget what started you here in the first place.

It was about being real. It was about sharing your heart with whomever would listen. 

It's about you. And Him. 


It's not a show for the outside world. It's a cup of cinnamon-laced hot chocolate with the King of Kings. 


It's a precious moment between you and Christ alone, regardless of who may be watching.

Let the outside fade. Let the memes be stripped away.

Blog for your audience of One. 

About the author: I, Rachel, am a 20 -year-old dreamy newlywed, and the author of DramaticElegance. My blood runs red with passion and delight...composed with hints of freshly brewed coffee, melted chocolate, and the ink from a thousand pens. My eyes glitter with stars and imagination...my nose is flooded with the aroma of country breezes and white jasmine. My lips are laden with poetry and prose, glory and honor to the King of the universe. I am the love child of music and candlelight. I am the daughter of Aslan, and my song is love. I am a princess of the Kingdom of Heaven. I am a thundering whisper. I am a roaring lamb. 

I am only me.

(You can also find me on my twitter, you can email me, and you can also check out my August giveaway)

My Insignificant Corner of the Universe {a guest post by HannahLouise}

I have just figured out that thanks to an 18 hour time difference, I'm writing this on Wednesday night but for most of you readers, I'm guessing it's still Tuesday afternoon. Blame the time difference.

Where was I ..... ? Oh yes, the time difference - I'll explain that now.

It is already Wednesday where I live. Actually, it's Wednesday night. So where do I live exactly? Well......

A few hints?

The largest coral reef in the world is off the coast of my country.

Rainforests and deserts, snow and salt lakes, rivers that only run in the wet season, wet season equals flooding.

The mighty Burdekin River. This photo was taken in Jan 2009 and the water was
up to the bottom of the top half of the sign. It hit 20.75 metres and the bridge is
about 13 metres high.

In some parts of my country, they have hot, dry summers and cold, wet winters. Some parts even get snow. Other parts have hot, wet summers and cold, dry winters.

Any guesses?

The Southern Cross watches over my country.

Cricket is a favourite sport.

Well, if you haven't worked it out, I'll tell you.

Australia! Yes, I am Australian by birth and have lived here all my life. Actually, I live in the northeastern parts of Queensland - The Sunshine State!

So my country. We're not that much different than the rest of the world. Generally, Australians are pretty laid back, easy-going, & friendly if you know what I mean.

Now our termanology well, for a tourist from overseas you may end up finding that a bit confusing. We tend to use the word 'bloody' a lot, as in 'that's bloody terrific' or 'he's a bloody idiot'. In both cases 'bloody' is used as a substitute for 'really' or 'real'. We also tend to use the word 'mate' a lot if we don't know someone's name. As in 'she'll be right, mate'. And we tend to use the femimine pronoun 'she' a lot too. Example: "Don't worry about that, mate, she's right."

So yes, that's one way we're unique.

Don't ever call a koala a 'koala bear' because really, they aren't a bear so just call them a 'koala'. And, never try to pet one in the wild because that's just not common sense.

Down here we use the metric system for measuring so that's metres, grams, litres etc. In my way of thinking (remember, I've been brought up on this) it's a lot easier to calculate conversions from metres to kilometres. It's based on 10, so it's super easy to convert to larger units.

Oh yeah - our seasons are all round about too. Here it's Dec - Feb is summer, Mar - May autumn, Jun - Aug winter and Sep -Nov spring. But, where I live in northern QLD, we work things by dry and wet. Wet usually is our Nov - Apr, dry is the rest of the year. If we get a really decent wet season, we end up having almost all of north & central QLD under water. Yeah - I'm not joking. It happened this last summer, the year before in '10, and in '09. I'm serious people!
Then there's the menace from Dec - Apr in northern Aus. It's another major weather system. You Americans call them hurricanes, but here they're called cyclones and they're nasty. In Apr '05, Tropical Cyclone Larry wiped out all our bananas. And this year in Feb, TC Yasi wiped out all our bananas again plus gave us a serious fright!

The three photos above is what Yasi did to us. Thankfully, no roof came off but it seriously felt like it would!

Well where was I? Oh yes.

Down here we also have a mixed up school year. Yeah. But, it is very practical and straightforward. We start the new school year at then end of January. When Easter comes around, we get two weeks off. Then at the end of June we get another two weeks off. Another two weeks off at the end of September, and then the school year wraps up in the second year of December! Mind you, all the states & territories have their own school calender with different holiday dates, so what I put up is the QLD timetable. We also don't go on vacation, we go on holiday ;)

The beach at Bundaberg

Sorghum at Dalby

The Mitchellgrass downs country in Western QLD

That wraps up my little spiel on Australia. I hope you found it interesting.

Oh - do not go swimming in the northern beaches unless it's in a stinger net during the summer because you don't want to have a run in with a jellyfish cos they're nasty.
Don't swim in the northern waterholes and rivers because they're inhabited by 3 metre man eating crocs - no lie!

I hope this has been educational. For me at the end of a long day - it's just been my rambling thoughts with a few pictures.

And thank you for Lucia for letting me guest post!

God bless & Good night!

Who am I? Well I'm glad you asked! I'm HannahLouise. Almost 16. Homeschooled and doing year 11. Seven siblings, one neice. Aussie bred and born! Doing a Cert 3 in Aged Care with TAFE as the first step to nursing. God-lover. Ameture pianist, author and seamstress. Love reading. Fav authors are Janette Oke, CS Lewis and Beverly Lewis. Love music. Fav artists are Rebecca St James, Britt Nicole, Michelle Tumes & a bunch more. Hoping to become a nurse. Got some major dreams and am trusting in God to hopefully fulfill some! My blog is a private blog, otherwise I would stick a link up here!

Modesty in an Immodest World (A Guest Post by Qui)

As girls, modesty is something we all struggle with daily. I know that I am sometimes tempted to dress a certain way to be accepted or to look like everyone else. Also, our choices of modest clothing is becoming very limited. I've had the same four pairs of shorts for 3 years because I can't find any others that are modest length that aren't bermudas. (Bermudas don't look good with my body type.)
 Over the years I've gathered some tips (from my mom, from Seventeen magazine- even though they didn't know they were giving me modesty tips-, and friends) about how to make the immodest clothes in the store work for you and be cute.
Here are 3 very popular looks this fall- or last fall, I don't really care about staying with the trends as long as it's cute- made modest. Mind you, it's easier to stay modest in fall because of the cooler weather, but there are still things we need to address. Especially if you live in the south like me and your fall clothes won't be the same as others because of the heat.

001) Fall Shorts

Perhaps my favorite trend from last fall was the fall shorts. They are basically nice suit pants cropped and cuffed into shorts. Of course, the shorts are too short. What a surprise! What I'm about to say might sound a little odd, but what you want to do to fix that is wear leggings under the shorts. Yes, leggings under shorts. It helps with the cool weather and the modesty!
What to wear with it: There are a couple ways you could do this look.  You can wear them with any nicer t-shirt, though it should be semi-form fitting and tucked in. Pair that top with a really cute cardigan and put a very thin belt on over the cardigan just under your bust. Or you can get a cute blouse like the lace top pictured above. For shoes, do whatever you want, though oxfords (with heels or not) look best!


002) The little dress. 

Whether it's a little black dress, a little sun dress, or any kind of dress, let's face it: when they say little, they ain't kidding. If you have short legs, this probably isn't an issue, but us long legged girls have huge issues with this. So how do we fix it? This wonderful thing called....jeans! It's a great way to tap into that inner 70s girl. Which is another hot trend this fall.
The rules for this is that your jeans have to be semi-tight. If you're not comfortable with skinny jeans, I would go with flare jeans. The shorter the dress, the looser your jeans can be. The longer the dress, the tighter they should be. You should never wear jeans with any dress longer than about 3 inches above the knee. 
What to wear it with: If the weather is cooler, you can pair it with a cardigan (following the same rules as the cardigan in the first outfit) and a skinny belt. You can wear it with whatever shoes you want, but I think it looks cutest with a nice pair of wedges or little heels if you're wearing flare jeans. If you're wearing skinny jeans, you should wear ankle boots or high-tops.


003) The Boyish Blazer

Okay...the blazer is a more risky thing to wear. You have to wear it EXACTLY right or else you end up looking like Ellen Degeneres if you know what I mean. So, if you're going to wear a blazer make sure it's a bright color. Like coral! Then always pair it with a skirt or over a dress. You can wear it with jeans, but you need to try extra hard to make it look girly. Wear a floral top and have a flower headband in your hair. Accessorize with pink. It's just very easy to get across the wrong message. If you don't know what I'm talking about, I'll just say that I'm not dissing less girly girls. I love me a jeans and t-shirt day just like everyone else. All I'm doing is helping this un-girly trend become more girly. Embrace your femininity! Don't try to look like a man! 
The Rules: I already said most of the rules above...But other than the ones I already said, wear it open! You should almost always wear your blazer open!
What to wear it with: A cute, more plain, t-shirt or blouse. A skirt, or if you're feeling daring jeans. Shoes: preferably heels, but you can always wear them with flats or oxfords or Converse. 


004) Others:
Here are some other trends to "fix."


Skinny Jeans: If you want the skinny look but you don't want skin tight, try to find Skinny jeans (not the Super Skinny) that are a size or two too big. That way they're a little looser in the leg area, but it's still the skinny jean cut. When you do this however, you'll have to take in the jeans at the waist most likely or hem them. If you don't know how to do this, just look it up on youtube or ask your mom. :) But it's better to have to alter then have jeans that don't fit properly. 


Sky High Heels: This is one of those modesty things that not everyone agrees on. Some of you (like me) think it's totally fine to wear very high heels as long as you're comfortable walking in them, but some of you think they're immodest. (I can totally see where you're coming from! Sometimes high high heels aren't very modest.) If you do want to wear them, but you think they look kind of inappropriate with your skirt or dress, pair them with some bell bottom jeans.


Well, that is all! This post is getting rather long, so I should probably stop even though I could go on for hours.


Thanks so much to Lucia for letting me post on her blog! :)

{ About the Author }
Who am I? I am a 15 year old homeschooler and a nerd of many trades. I sing, I act, I dance, I write, and I live for fall. I am a Christian and not afraid to admit it. In my eyes, vintage = life. I am one of those people who takes in your face pictures of myself. In another life, I am a fifth year at Hogwarts, a Time Lord, a Starship Ranger, and a Jedi-Master. I run a blog called Dancing Through Life.

Better Blogging Tips {guest post by Hannah Grace}

Hello everyone!  My name is Hannah Grace, and it's a pleasure and a honor to get to guest-post for my dear friend while she is away. :-)  Today I'm going to share some tips and such that I've learned while blogging.


Before I get started though, may I say...Happy 16th Birthday, Lucia!!!  Yes, today is her birthday!  I have had the joy of knowing Lu for over two years now, and have been blessed immensely by her.  Happy birthday, girl, we love you! <3

Okay, on to the blogging tips.  Although I've been blogging for three years, I feel like I started to really blog at my current blog, which I've had just short of one year.  Maybe you don't need all these tips.  Maybe you're new and can use them.  Or maybe you've been blogging for awhile but want to make your blog better.  Whatever the case, I hope people will learn from my mistakes. :-)

~Don't beg for followers.  I've always been a bit put off by those ginormous blogs with 600, 800, or even 1,000 followers [the big blogs I follow now were small when they started out].  A couple of them seemed like they were begging for followers, with all their "follow me!" signs and such.  I'm not saying it's a bad idea to try and gain followers, but do it subtly.  If I visit your blog, big or small, I don't want to get blasted with "follow me!" posted everywhere [and yes, I've seen blogs where the "about me" was actually filled with reasons on why you should follow their blog.]  The only time I "ask" people to follow me is if I'm having a giveaway.  A couple blog/websites I follow have a "special offer" for those who follow through google or email. [for example,one crochet blog offers a free crocheting pattern if you sign up for emails]

Remember: followers are people that like what you have to say on your blog.  Someone who is interested in photography will most likely not follow a lot of knitting/crocheting centered blogs.  A writer will probably not follow a blog about fashion.  So don't be offended if someone does not follow your blog!  I only follow blogs that are about things I am interested in, or I enjoy the posts.

~Be Consistent in your posting. This is one I've learned the hard way.  On my old blog, I would take random breaks without posting about it first, and then come back a couple weeks or a month later [sometimes even longer!], and post almost every day for a couple weeks before disappearing again.  This annoyed people, and I lost a lot of readers because they had no idea when I'd suddenly disappear, and no idea when I'd come back and overwhelm them with posts.  I still struggle a bit with this, since life is just so busy for me, but I try to post 2-4 times a week, as consistently as possible.

If you must take a blogging break, either because you're busy or going on a trip, at the very least tell people.  Try to schedule some of your own posts, or get guest posts [like Lucia does!].  And if you aren't really going anywhere or taking a break, but you know that you'll be busy for several days, schedule a post or two and let blogger do the posting for you!  I often spend Sunday afternoon working on a couple posts for the upcoming week if I'm going to be busy.

~Try to include related pictures in your post.  Okay, admit it, when you open a blog post on someone's blog the last thing you want to see is paragraph after paragraph rambling on and on about something.  We need distractions, so include pictures in your post...just make sure they are as related as possible to what you're writing about!  Look at this post for examples. ;-)

But be careful, unless the blog post is specifically about pictures [e.g "pictures from our beach trip!"] don't overload on the pictures.  Probably no more than 2-4 related pictures.  And don't forget to credit if they aren't yours...I got my pictures from weheartit.

~For the love of Dickens, use readable font!!!  This is one of my biggest pet peeves in the blogging world.  Nothing makes me run screaming click away from your blog faster than unreadable font.  Use something simple and readable, like Ariel, georgia, Times, or Verdana.  Fancy fonts for things like blog titles are okay, or even post titles, but still make sure it's at the very least semi-readable, please! 


~Keep it simple in the template department, too.  Another blogging pet peeve [and this is probably because I used to be a blog designer myself] is crazy, cluttered blogs with huge headers that take years to load [I admit to being guilty in this area], music that automatically plays [AUGH!!!], and a crazy, loud background.  Keep it simple, folks, keep it simple.

~Don't make your posts too long.  Like this one probably is.  Oops. ;-)  If you have a long story to tell, make a part two, okay?  That'll get them to come back, too.

Well, I hope those helped!  There is SO much more I could talk about, but this is just what came to might right away.  Thanks for letting me post here, Lucia! <3

I'm Hannah Grace, a young Christian woman who thinks irregular thoughts and isn’t afraid to voice them. I'm unsure as to what exactly God has in mind for me, but I enjoy writing, photography, playing my guitar, knitting and crocheting, reading, herbalism, and being with my friends.  I dance to the beat of my own music, have conversations with the wind, am in love with Frank Sinatra, and am a wayfaring stranger.  You have never met another person quite like me, I guarantee it.


I blog at Walk.  Take pictures at Precious Moments.  Write reviews at My Goodreads Page.  Get inspired by Whispers of Heaven, my tumblr.

only hope. ♥

[ Mandy Moore as quiet Jamie Sullivan in the 2002 film, A Walk to Remember. ]

There are some songs that just touch you.

This is one.

It is from the movie A Walk to Remember, which in itself is a tear-jerker (new favorite movie...made me cry buckets..review coming up soon..). Jamie Sullivan ( played by Mandy Moore), the un-stylish, Jesus-loving, gentle and quiet girl who is the base of the film, sings it for a school play. If you watch the whole movie, see its sad-slash-wonderful ending, and then listen to this song again, the whole effect is...breathtaking. 

Here is the piano version, with "Jamie" (Mandy Moore) singing...I love this version a whole lot better than the original Switchfoot version with guitar/drums/raspy voices. :]

Listen and love, friends.

Only Hope

By Switchfoot 

There's a song that's inside of my soul

It's the one that I've tried to write over

And over and over and over again

I'm awake in the infinite cold

But You sing to me over

And over and over again

So I lay my head back down

And I lift my hands and pray

To be only Your's, I pray

To be only Your's

I know now You're my only hope...

p.s. (learning this on the piano is a good idea, methinks. isn't it beautiful? ♥♥ also..I know my giveaways end on the 20th, but I won't be back till the 23rd; thus, you may still enter until then, if you are reading this after the 20th.)

this week.

These past four days have been spent in another home--our friends, the C.'s. A mutual friend, Mollie P., was visiting from CA, and we all wanted to spend time together, so we just went up there to stay awhile! We had a grand ole time...mud fights, a beautiful hike, cookies, games, good movies (I foresee a big post, and few reviews in the future!), etc.

I don't have much time to write, so for now, I'll just share one picture that pretty much sums up the week. :]

With only the girls home for a little while, we decided to don our old clothes and make a "mud hill." I've heard people take mud baths....:]

Annnnnddd...

1.) Sunday, we're leaving for Idaho. And seeing our dearest friends ever, the H.s. Reeeally excited, here. :)

2.) Guest posters are needed. If you have an amzing idea and think you would suffice, send me an e-mail.

3.) My birfday is in three days. :)

4.) I got my sports physical today, and had to get two shots. My arm is all achey now, and I'm using one hand to type. :P Who here loves shots? ;)

5.) I watched a movie this week that made me cry. Like, as in, "sob" cry. More on that later. :.)

6.) I love you guys. ♥ Here's a hug. See y'all in a week or so...

{HUG}

and i am..?

Hey there! Thanks for stopping by lucia, etc. I'm Lucia. :)

..That's pronounced LOO-SEE-UH; Italian for "giver of Light." I strive to live up to my name; sometimes I succeed, sometimes..I don't. ;)

>>I am a sixteen-year-old small town Northwestern girl who loves Jesus and loves people. Making a new friend makes my day. :]

>>I am also a wanna-be photographer (who just purchased her first DSLR camera), a writing enthusiast, an artist when I want to be, a piano player of eight years, a pen-pal to twelve, and a runner to boot. I love all animals in general, especially kittens and horses, and I couldn't live without singing and laughter.

>>I am homeschooled and lovin' it, along with my three siblings: Olivia, Mark, and Anne.

This blog is a place to share my thoughts and ponderings with the world--with you.

It's such a pleasure to meet you; I hope you stay awhile!

-Lucia