Things To Do When You Are Stuck At Home

Hello darlings!

I was hesitant to do a post like this because I wasn't sure if you would be interested since it is quite a common blog post topic at the moment.
But I asked, and you answered and said yes, so here it is!

These are some fun ideas of what we could do while stuck in quarantine at home.
I wanted to come up with some original and positive ideas to help keep us happy during an unpredictable time.

Personally, I am mostly an introvert and have been home-schooled my entire life so staying at home isn't a biggie for me. I feel for you if you an extrovert and are craving to be with people and around your friends.
But I hope that these ideas help keep you have some fun, stay entertained and stop you from going too crazy!

~ ~ ~ ~

1. Have a games night with your family
Now is a great time to start spending some quality time with your family so what better way to that than a fun games night!

2. Reorganize your bookshelf (ideas here)
For my bookworm friends out there, have some fun with your bookshelves and organize them by colour or add some little nick-knacks here and there to give your shelves a fresh look.

3. Do a read-a-long of a favourite book (or a new one) with some friends
I'm thinking of doing this with a couple of my friends and to pick one of Jane Austen's books as a way to finally read one and connect with my friends at the same time.

4. Spend an afternoon creating outfits with the pieces in your wardrobe that you don't wear often
I have been wanting to do this for a while and I think now is the perfect time to get creative with the pieces in my wardrobe that I don't wear very much and find some new ways to style them.

5. Go for a prayer walk 
Go get some exercise and fresh air and spend time in prayer to tell Him what's on your heart during this crazy time.

6. Spend more time in the Word
Are you always making the excuse that you don't spend time in the Word because you're too busy?
Well, now you have time so go spend time with your Saviour!

7. Try some new recipes
I know that for me personally, I have a bunch of recipes saved on my Pinterest that I'd love to try out.
Here's the link to my foodie board on Pinterest if you need inspiration!

8. Have a fun self portrait photo shoot
Get into a cute outfit and take a bunch of snaps! If you have a sister, get her to join in and have fun with it.

9. Write letters to your friends
I'm definitely going to be staying in touch with my friends and to make it more fun I'm going to send some good old fashioned snail mail!


I hope these little ideas give you some inspiration and brighten your day!

keep blooming,

Christmas Gift Guide for Young Ladies

Hello darlings!

With Christmas fast approaching, I thought it would be fun to compile a few gift ideas for the special girls in your life!
I have to be honest with you and say that I love giving & receiving gifts both equally.
It is fun to pick out something for someone you love, carefully wrap it up and then present it to them at Christmas time.

I do love homemade gifts and think that they are a great option that shows extra thought in your gift. But I am here today to share some fun things I have found that I think would make wonderful Christmas presents!

Let's go!


Disclaimer:
Many of these will be New Zealand stores so if you live outside of NZ, I apologize if you can't find it in your country. But most of these things(or similar versions) should be available at a range of stores worldwide.



1. ESV Journaling Bible Elegant Grace Print from Manna Christian Store
A beautiful journaling Bible like this one would be a great gift for a girl in your life who loves studying the Bible and who has an artistic side.

2. Little Letter Necklace in Silver or Gold from Sophie Store
I myself would love to get one of these sweet little letter necklaces! It's small, special and slightly personal because you can pick out their initial.

3. Love Defined by Kristen Clark & Bethany Baird from Amazon
If you know a girl who loves to read, get her this wonderful book! It's full of practical and biblical advice and perspectives on romantic relationships.

4. Sol Cup Reusable Glass Coffee Cup from Oh Natural
If your friend is a coffee lover, a pretty & reusable coffee cup would be perfect for her. This one is gorgeous with its pink accents and bound to make whoever you gift it to happy.

5. Emma Block Lady Cyclist A5 Notebook from Emma Block's Etsy Store
A small notebook with a darling cover illustration by Emma Block would be great for the girl ho can't get enough stationary. Pair this with a cute pen, and maybe a pencil case for a cute gift to give your stationery fanatic!

6. Kind Is The New Classy by Candace Cameron Bure from Amazon
Another great read that any of your friends or women in your life are bound to love! Candace Cameron Bure's book talks about the lack of kindness in this world and how women can put kindness into practice in their lives.

7. Canvas Tote Bag : Woodland from kikki.K
I would personally get this tote bag as a way of holding other smaller gifts inside it. Imagine the delight on that special girls face when she pulls all the little hand-picked goodies out of this adorable tote bag (gift wrapping that is also part of the gift!).

8. Burt's Bees Holiday Spa Collection from Burt's Bees
Girls, be honest, we all would love a gift like this! Pamper your girlfriend by gifting her this lovely spa set from Burt's Bees. Maybe you could have a spa day together at a later date and create a memory too!

9. Tickets to a concert or event
Does your friend or sister have a favourite band? Or maybe she would love to go see a ballet? Get tickets for the two of you to go and do this together. Not only will she loves it but you will share the experience and make memories.

10. Velvet Knotted Headband - Baby Pink
For the girl that you know loves a good accessory, gift her this beautiful velvet headband!


I hope these ideas help you find the perfect gift for the girls in your life that are special to you.
Personally, I would love to receive any of these!

Merry Christmas!


keep blooming,
Hannah, xo




(Blogger wouldn't let me add my usually signature at the end so this will have to suffice.)

6 Ways to Freshen Up Your Room

via Unsplash

Hello darlings!

If you know me you will know that I love decorating my bedroom, and organisation.
It makes me so happy to have a clean, pretty and organised space to call my own. But we all know that your bedroom can get messy and untidy quite quickly!

Today I want to share some of my favourite ways to freshen up and tidy my room!



1. Let the fresh air in!
I am a great believer in the benefits of fresh air! I love to open the window in my room on a sunny day and let in that lovely breeze.
It just makes the room feel a lot cleaner even though all you did was open the window. It also helps improve the quality of the indoor air.


2. Wash your bedding (or get a new set)
I don't do this enough! I did it recently and let the duvet cover and everything else dry outside in the sun and it felt so nice to get into a clean bed that night.
If your bedding is looking a bit worn and thin, maybe it is time to get a new one!


3. Wipe down all the surfaces & vacuum the floor (thoroughly!)
I usually vacuum once a week and wipe everything down every now and then when the dust has accumulated a bit.
These are both simple and quick tasks but both ones that will make a difference!


4. Add fresh flowers or a house plant
Adding something living to your space instantly helps make it feel more alive! Makes sense right?
Flowers make anything so happy and cheerful and will probably make you smile when you see therm.
House plants also help to clean the air and some even improve sleep quality. They are definitely something to keep around!


5. Declutter, declutter, declutter!
I find decluttering to very satisfying and rewarding. Get rid of the thing you no longer need or want. Giving them to a second-hand shop means someone else can enjoy it more than you did.
This applies to clothes, decor items, books and other bits & bobs. It will give you more space and make your room look cleaner because you have fewer things in it.


6. Hang up some new wall decor
I recently made my own little banner and hung it up on my wall and I love how it looks!
Frame a print or photo, put up a cute wall hanging, or a garland/banner. A few new touches here and there will give your space an updated look and help you feel more inspired when you are in it.


Enjoy these quick tips and I hope they help or inspire you to make something beautiful out of your space!



keep blooming,

Hannah

4 Bible Verses That You Should Think on Daily

I love the Bible. I love that you can find answers to every question you could ever have in the Bible. It was designed to be our manual for life.

In my room, I love to write out Bible verses and stick them up everywhere so that I can look at them and be reminded of God's truths.

Whilst reading in Kristen Clark and Bethany Beal's second book, Love Defined, last night, I decided to stick some new verses up.
In the book, Love Defined, Kristen and Bethany share these verses and how they impacted their own lives and so I chose some to use for myself.
These verses are great, life-changing, impacting truths that we should be meditating on often.

So here are four (out of many) Bible verses that you too, should be glancing at daily and meditating on.

• • • •

Psalm 118:8

It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in man.

"No guy can ever give you what only God was intended to give." ~ Love Defined

"Instead of looking to a man for your hope, this verse is saying that it's better to put your hope in Christ. " ~ Love Defined

Proverbs 3:5-6

Trust in the Lord with all your heart; and lean not on your own understanding.

In all your ways acknowledge Him and He shall direct your paths.

"I wanted to be a woman who fully and completely trusted in Him with my singleness." ~ Love Defined

Psalm 51:10

Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.

"Instead of becoming Proverbs 7 women, let's choose to be women who reflect the holiness and purity of Christ. Let's use our femininity to promote purity in the men around us." ~ Love Defined

Matthew 6:33

But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you.

"Instead of being on the hunt for Mr Right, we need to be in the Word, becoming Miss Right. Our goal as single women should be centred on becoming more like Christ each day." ~ Love Defined

"This verse is saying that we should pursue Christ first, and when we do, God will give us what we need (not necessarily what we want). " ~ Love Defined

Next to my bedroom mirror

In the bathroom near my mirror

On my bedroom wall

I pray that this inspires you and that these verses will impact your life. I pray that you will have the strength to pursue a God-honoring lifestyle and that you will seek Him in all areas of your life.

Be a woman who goes against the way society tells you to act and do what God tells you to do in His wonderful Word!

keep on blooming.

xoxo
Hannah

A Sustaining Quiet Time Method for 2019

Hello darlings!

The other morning, I was sitting outside in the warm breeze to have my quiet time when this idea struck me.
I quickly jotted it down with the intention of sharing it with you, and today I am going to be giving you an idea that will hopefully kickstart your quiet time in this new year if you need it!

So my idea was, how your quiet time can essentially look like a 3-course meal!
Yes, you heard me right, a 3-course meal.

I created this outline of what this 'meal' would look like.

~ • ~

• Start with prayer! This sets the tone and course of your time with God and in this situation could resemble the setting of the table before you eat.

E N T R E E

A simple, encouraging devotional

A devotional is a snack or entree to open your quiet time with. If you don't have as much time this is all you might get away with but generally, it will not leave you full for long.

I am using My Utmost for His Highest by Oswald Chambers as mine and I love it.

M A I N

Bible Reading & Journaling

THIS IS THE GOOD STUFF. The sustaining, amazing, filling, stuff! Even if you read a little or a lot, you got to read it daily! 5 minutes in the Word is better than no time. 

Make sure to write down some thoughts so you can meditate and remember what you read too!

D E S S E R T

A few pages of a Christian non-fiction book

This helps you get some reading done and also enrich your mind by filling it with MORE truth!

One of my goals for this year is to read more faith-impacting books. 

• End in prayer!

~ • ~

That is how I have been doing my Bible study lately and I love it. I love to think of it as a daily meal that is even more fulfilling than real food!

I hope that this gives you some inspiration if you feel like you're quiet time has been lacking a boost.

xoxo

Hannah

Bible Reading Tips

I have come to really enjoy doing my Bible reading in the mornings. It brings me great joy and fulfilment. I'm not a pro, no one is. But I have come across some resources and tips that can help you get motivated and get deeper into the Word.
I have a similar post here.

#1 
USE A STUDY GUIDE

Now, I do believe that you shouldn't learn to rely on commentaries, study guides and devotionals. We should be able to study our Bibles without these things, but they can be helpful. I studied Genesis using this devotional from Newspring Church. It was good but when I started read Exodus I wanted to a deeper study.
I found a detailed study guide by David Guzik on Blue Letter Bible. I love it. He shows you some of the historical things you would never know otherwise. He has a guide for each book of the Bible. I highly recommend it and the other resources on BLB.

#2

INVEST IN GOOD PENS/HIGHLIGHTERS

It helps to have highlighters that don't bleed through your pages badly and wreck your Bible.
You could either just go to your local stationery store and buy some good quality highlighters like Faber-Castell and gel highlighters or get highlighter made especially for Bibles.
The Daily Grace Co. has some beautiful ones that I have only heard good thing about. I'm aiming to get some soon.







#3
SCRIPTURE TYPER APP

This is a good app to try if you love memorizing bible verses or you want to start to memorize it.
I have tried it and I do recommend it.

Personally, I would use a different method but it has worked for some people.
Basically, you pick a verse and then type only the 1st letter of each word etc.

#4

THE BIBLE PROJECT

Visual Storytelling Meets the Bible
I have mentioned them before but I have to again.

The Bible Project has helped me a lot when it comes to studying the Word.

They have a little video for each book of the Bible giving you an overview of what to expect as well as word study videos and videos on biblical themes.

I absolutely love what they do and I would like to support them in the future. They are a non-profit organization and money you donate goes toward whatever video they're working on at that time.




#5
ACCOUNTABILITY

Another thing that could help you stay on top of your Bible reading is having an accountability partner.
Find a friend and check in with each other to make sure both of you are reading your Bibles and praying daily.
I have never tried this but I think it would quite fun and helpful.

#6

DO IT OUTSIDE

I don't know about you, but personally, I feel closer to God or more focused and connected when I do my quiet time outside, which to be honest isn't often.
Especially this time of year, the mornings are too cold and dark to do it in the garden.
Sometimes I like to pick up my Bible, pen and notebook and read some later in the day though so then would be a good time to get outside.
Plus, you get some fresh air!






#7
BEGIN AND END IN PRAYER

Disclaimer: I do not do this but I want to work on it!

I believe and know that I should be opening and closing my devotional time in prayer but it often gets overlooked or forgotten.
"I don't have time", "Oops, I forgot", "Oh, I do it next time".
(Anyone else?)
I'd like my 'before' prayer to be just asking God to open my heart to his truths and to reveal Himself to me in the Scriptures and my ending prayer to be a prayer over my day.
#goal

#8

MAKE USE OF YOUR MARGINS (OR STICKY NOTES)

If your Bible has large spaces/margins, that's great!
Utilize that space by writing some of your thoughts and note right next to the passage you just read.
If you have a smaller bible, like me, it doesn't have much room for notes. Sticky note to the rescue!

I sometimes write a short sentence or a few words in the white space at the bottom of my page but sticky note are my friends when it comes to this 'sticky' situation!






I hope and pray that these tips might help and inspire you in your quiet time.

xoxo
Hannah

Modest Fashion Inspiration Picks from Pinterest

Ahh, Pinterest! Filled with creative ideas and inspiration. I find a lot of fashion inspiration on there. I love to type in a piece of clothing(like silk scarf) and then see all the ways you could wear it.
Here's a link to my fashion board: Stylish

In today's post, I'm going to share some of my modest inspiration picks from Pinterest. I'll link the source of each photo underneath it for further info!

Inspiration #1

Source

I really love this look. I plan to thrift a floral dress one day and transform it into a kimono 'jacket/cardigan'. I feel like they add some femininity to jeans.


Inspiration #2

Source

A t-shirt, cardigan, and skirt topped off with a skinny belt around the cardi. I think it looks quite cute.
Also, I have never seen a cardigan so beautiful! Not sure about the colour but the birds are beautiful.


Inspiration #3

Source

This idea is one I have tried myself and love. Throw on a simple tee, and add a shirt as a 'jacket'. I have worn this look a few times and it's definitely one of my favourite ways to wear a button-down shirt.



Inspiration #4

Source

I'm generally not the type of person who wears a more 'sporty' outfit. But if I'm honest I love this look.
A nice vest jacket over a cozy jersey with a cap and ankle boots is an outfit I would love to try. Also modest and cute.


Inspiration #5

Source

I am always looking for new ways to wear button-down shirts. This one is one I would love to try out. I normally wouldn't wear a necklace with a collar, but pearls and statement necklace seem to work well and look cute too.



Inspiration #6

None found

To be honest, this outfit reminds me of something the older Duggar or Bates girls would wear! A cargo jacket like this one is on my to-thrift list. Last month I found a denim skirt similar to this one that I love.


Inspiration #7

Source

Maxi skirts are so great. Modest but also trendy and cute. Dressed up or down, they're a great modest wardrobe staple.
Long cardigans are a piece of clothing that I really like and want to have more of. They also help make an outfit more modest by covering the bottom area!


Inspiration #8

Source

If you still want to wear that pretty summer dress in the colder months, simply add a long-sleeved layer under it. A shirt, a jersey or just a long-sleeved top.

Did that inspire to get creative with your clothes? Which outfit was your favourite?

7 Days, 7 Ways with Scarves

So a new series begins! I mention in my March Favourites that I found a book about wearing scarves. I decided to try out some of the ways the book suggests and share my favourites with you along with a few other ways I like to add a scarf to my outfits.
This is the first of a series called 7 Days, 7 Ways were I take a piece(scarf, hair bow, hat) and show you 7 ways to wear it. I hope you like it!
While I was working on this post, I got my braces out so that is why they are in some pictures and not in others! Photo Credit: My lovely Mummy!

The Infinity ~ Day 1

This is a super simple scarf style and I'm sure most of you already know it and wear it. Still, I think it's the simplest things that can be most effective. In this outfit (jeans, top, cardigan), the scarf is the centrepiece. It is the only pop of colour and elevates the outfit.

The Audrey ~ Day 2

I love this style. I was happy with how this whole outfit turned out and the scarf just made it better. I ended up with quite a Frenchy chic style going on, and I loved it. With my favourite pencil skirt, a simple polka dot t-shirt, a skinny belt, and those cute 'vintage' earrings from my mini thrift haul, I was very pleased with the combo. I also seem to have a few navy blue clothing items in my wardrobe!

The Cummerbund ~ Day 3

This is such a cool idea. It makes perfect sense too. Use a long scarf as a belt to add some colour to a simple dress. I also love this blue dress because it goes with lots of things. Wearing the scarf around your waist is quite comfortable too, more comfortable than a belt. I will be doing this a lot more in the future.

The Paris ~ Day 4

I absolutely love this scarf look, and this scarf which is pure silk and I thrifted it! Silk scarves are the best! It's so soft, comfy and warm too. (Notice my shoes? I love them too. Very vintage inspired!) Back to the scarf and outfit. Lately, I have been lazy and just wearing jeans because the weather is cooler now. I did wear a grey cardigan with this outfit but took it off later in the day. You will definitely be seeing me wear this scarf (and this scarf look) many more times in the future!

The New York ~ Day 5

A nice cozy look for autumn & winter. This scarf is very soft and warm, perfect for the colder months. I took these pictures with a tripod. My aunt gave me this scarf for my birthday a few years ago. This scarf look is very easy to do and you get a nice bit of warmth around your neck. For the best results use and big square scarf for the best poofyness!

The Professor ~ Day 6

Ahhh, how I do love this scarf! The Professor is meant to be worn when you have a collared shirt but I decided not to wear one that day. My outfit was mostly thrifted, my jeans, the jersey and the star of the show, the silk scarf. get a good silk scarf and you will not regret it.
The leaves are slowly changing colour in the background and my 2nd favourite season is underway.
I always make sure that my outfits are comfy as well as stylish and this one fit the bill.

The Knotted Choker ~ Day 7

This method of scarf tying wasn't from the book but I included it anyway because it's a very versatile look. I have worn this peach coloured scarf with a few outfits tied in this way.
All you need a long, thinner scarf. Wrap it around your neck and tie it up in the front.
I didn't actually wear this outfit for the whole day because as soon as I stepped outside I realised it was really too chilly to wear this summery dress!


In case you were wondering I used the word 'scarf/scarves' a total of 24 times! Beat that!
I hope you enjoyed this post as much I did putting it together.

P.S Hopefully my Monday Friday shedule will be restored back to order!