A Season of Abiding in Christ

I am going to warn you now, this will be a long post so grab your self a hot drink and settle down!

Imagine we are sitting in my lounge together, sipping delicious cups of tea or coffee, chatting like girls do and having a heart to heart. That is what I want this post to be like!

So sister, in this post I am opening up to you and sharing my heart. It's going to be raw & real but I hope you feel encouraged, inspired and hopeful by the end of it.

Let me rewind to a couple weeks ago.

I was pretty happy with where I was in life, until one night, I had a dream about a guy that I admire which stirred up a whole lot of thoughts, feelings & desires.

In the following days I felt restless & discontent with where I was. 

I looked at other girls, some even just a few years older than me, who were in romantic relationships. 

I wished I had what they had.

I reached out to my mum, and other girls for advice. I wanted answers. I wanted direction, to know how to move forward.

Slowly but surely, God started to reveal to me what I should do, namely, to seek Him first.

I began in my search for answers & advice by reading Elisabeth Elliot's book, Passion & Purity. 

That books shifted my focus. The story of Elisabeth & Jim Elliot is one that reflects Jesus so clearly and points to Him over and over again. After finishing it (which I did in a matter of days), I had hope and assurance that everything will happen in God's timing for He knows what is best for me.

But my journey doesn't and didn't end there. God was teaching me an important lesson.

I must stress the importance of reaching out to older, godly women in a time and season like this. If you too, face this struggle today don't hesitate to confide in your mother, grandmother, aunt, trusted friend, or another wise woman you know. They have sailed through these rough waters before and can offer you helpful advice and cover you in powerful prayer. I am so grateful for my own mother, grandmother and a few older sisters in Christ that have poured into my life in the last few years and helped me grow through times like this one.

While talking to older women who have already experienced these desires and longings is important, there is also great solace in sharing to girls in your own age group who may be going through exactly what you're going through. I was 'surprised' to find many other girls understood my sentiments and shared the same longings & desires, as well as the struggles with how to handle them.

Moving on in my journey over the last few weeks. I was still unsure of exactly what to do. 

I had a second dream one night. I woke up and just lay there, wishing that I had not dreamed it. 

Something I never thought of till someone pointed it out once, was that you can and should uplift your dreams (the type you have awhile you're sleeping) to God and ask Him to guard you from dreams that don't line up with Philippians 4:8. So I prayed for a few nights that God would guard my dreams while I slept and it helped!

Many of the girls who shared their advice all agreed on one thing. That prayer and continually digging into scripture was THE MOST IMPORTANT thing to do in a season such as this.

The Bible itself says, in Matthew 6:33, But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.

We are to have no other gods before the One True God, even relationships and desires that we have.

And I want to make myself clear, that I believe the desire for a husband and a romantic relationship is God given. If we didn't have that desire, no one would marry and there would be no future generations!

So in and of itself the desire for marriage is good. But if it distracts from our relationship with the Lord, its a problem.

It is now 22nd of May as I write this. I feel like I am in a better place now than I was a few weeks ago.

I want to share all the things I have done or am doing to help keep my focus on Christ in this season!

1. Contentment by Lydia Brownback

This devotional was the perfect thing for this season of my life. It is full of truth about contentment and where you truly find it--in Jesus. I have really enjoyed each chapter so far and it has really helped me discover that contentment is a choice, not something we feel based on our circumstances.

2. Studying contentment/satisfaction in the Bible

I went online and made a short list of specific passages & verse that speak about these topics and I am studying them slowly. My absolute favourite has been Isaiah 58:11.

3. Coffee & Bible Time PDF Prayer Journal (link)

This has been an amazing resource and has really helped my with establishing prayer into my life.

It has helped my to pray regularly, keep track of my prayers and keep things structured.

4. Sticking scripture reminders all around my room

I have verses almost everywhere I look in my room and they serve as constant reminders of God's truth!

5. Worship music (link)

I have created a Spotify playlist specific to this season of my life. It is called Surrender and is full of songs that sing of God's love for me, surrendering everything to the Lord & turning your eyes on Jesus.

6. Nurture the friendships you have with other sisters in Christ

It brought me so much joy this afternoon writing letters to my girlfriends and decorating the envelopes to send to them! 

Take the time to pour into these relationships and treasure them, girls! God has blessed me with so many wonderful friends and I can't wait to see the memories we will make in the future as we grow in grace together.

7. Pursue creative hobbies or activities that bring you joy

Think about it. We are young now. We don't have a husband or family to care for so we have the time for these creative pursuits. I personally love knitting, painting, reading, scrapbook journaling, and a few other things. 

8. Scripture writing

Basically scripture writing is when you copy down large passages of scripture into a notebook. I think this will be a great way to implant more scripture into my mind & heart.

9. Love Defined by Bethany Beal & Kristen Clark

I read this book last year and I decided to make it a yearly read. I plan to read it again soon!

Love Defined offers so much helpful advice for one's love life and biblical truth. 

10. Coffee & Bible Time Podcast S2 Ep.3 - Finally being content in singleness (link)

 I really liked this podcast episode and I found it quite helpful. Ashley shares a bit about her current season, her intentional year of singleness, and things she has done to find contentment during her singleness.

What would you add to this list?

Lets chat in the comments!

keep blooming,

Holy Hunger & Satisfaction in Christ

Psalm 63 has been a favourite of mine for a while. 

I have read it over and over and studied it in-depth a year or so ago. 

As I am reading through Psalms at the moment, I reached Psalm 63 and got to take a deeper look at it again.

What never ceases to amaze me, is how no matter how many times you return to a passage of scripture, you can always come away with something new!

So this time as I read the words of the psalmist David, new things dawned on me and in the season I am in right now the meaning of this psalm became more precious to me.

I was so refreshed by what I learned I simply had to share a few points with you. I also highly suggest you study this psalm yourself, especially if you don't feel like getting into the word during this season of your life.

David writes these words when he is in the wilderness of Judah. He was in a desperate situation, he was most likely tired, thirsty and hungry. But instead of complaining about his fleshly needs, he makes holy complaints, pleas for spiritual food & water.

He knows that feeding his soul is more important that feeding his body. So He cries out to God!

There are three main references to the soul in the passage.

My soul thirsts for You

My soul shall be satisfied

My soul follows hard after You

I took a closer look at these three statements and learned some wonderful things!

1. My soul THIRSTS for You

The meaning of thirst is to have a strong desire for something, to feel dry, to have one's heart set on something. 

This should be my heart for God. A constant holy hunger. To feel dry without Him, to have my heart set on knowing Him.

(Ps 42:1-2, Mat 6:33, Hosea 5:15)

I must be diligent in soaking my soul in the water of the word daily. 

2. My soul shall be SATISFIED

My soul will be satisfied as with fat and rich food. (Ps 63:5)

Satisfied means contented, fulfilled, enjoyment, pleasure & comfort.

David knows that it is only in God that his soul will be satisfied. He knows that God alone can satisfy his longing soul.

For He satisfies the longing soul, and fills the hungry soul with goodness. Psalm 107:9

3. My soul CLINGS to You

To cling means to hold on tight, to remain close, cleave, grasping and embracing.

God never leaves us, so if we 'feel' distant from God it is because we did not remain close, or hold on tight to His promises (one of which is that He will never leave us nor forsake us!).

This psalm paints a picture of what it is to have a holy hunger & thirst. That thirst is for righteousness (Mat 5:6).

I also sensed a sort of cycle depicted in this psalm. 

Our souls thirst or long for something (God) but we often choose to fill it with other things. 

When we chose to fill and feed that thirst with God and His word we become truly satisfied. The more satisfied we become in Christ, the more we cling/cleave to Him because we know we will not experience such peace or contentment anywhere else. We thirst for Him more and more because once we have tasted and seen that He is good, our souls crave more and more. And so the cycle continues!

I hope that made sense! These are real and raw notes from my journal so I'm not sure that they always make sense to anyone other than myself! 

I hope this post encouraged you and please read and study this psalm for yourself!

keep blooming,

April Favourites

Hello darlings!

As you might already know, I have changed my posting day to Wednesday so I think I'll try to post  my monthly favourites on the last day of the month or thereabouts. We'll see how this new schedule works out.

This month was mostly spent at home with our country in lockdown. But it was a good month for me.
I did did a bunch of projects and cooking/baking.
This autumn has been amazing so far, so many sunny days. For more Autumny content, read my last post! 


So let's hop right in to my April favourites!


BOOKS 

I have a lot of books on the go at the moment and I finished a few during the month of April.
~ Daughter of Rome by Tessa Afshar
~ The Magician's Nephew by C.S. Lewis
~ The Heart Between Us by Lindsay Harrel

I enjoyed all of these books but I think Daughter of Rome would be my favourite out of the three.

MUSIC & PODCASTS

I have been listening to a lot of music this month. I'll leave some of my favourite playlists/songs below.

~ slow playlist

~ Take Me Home, Country Roads by John Denver

~ STILL by Rend Collective

~ Jesus, Strong & Kind by CityAlight

~ Cool with Being Crazy by Willow City

MOVIES

The Chosen : The Series

This is honestly THE. BEST TV. SHOW. I have ever seen! You have to watch it!
It is a Jesus show but unlike any other screen portrayal of Jesus' life we have ever seen. The Chosen brings out Jesus' humanness, Jewishness and loving kindness in such a touching way, it's incredible.
We get to see his miracle and ministry as it takes of in Season 1 through the eyes of those who witnessed it, Matthew, Mary Magdalene, Simon Peter, Andrew and the rest.
Season 1 is available for FREE on YouTube right now or you can stream it for the app. But do yourself a favor and watch, will you?


FASHION & BEAUTY

This month I have been enjoying getting out my woolly knits and wearing them when the weather gets cooler.
I also have loved this skirt and the autumn vibes it has!

Let me know in the comments what your favourite movie or TV show was this month!

keep blooming,

Reading, Knitting & Golden Leaves // Autumn Seasonal Journal

Hello darlings!

Welcome to a new series on my blog!

In series I will be documenting the beauty and little joys of each season throughout the year.
I will be sharing projects I'm working on, highlights of the season, recipes, photos, and any other interesting tidbits I feel like including.

So lets hop right in!

I think Autumn has to be my favourite season of all!
I think it's so beautiful and peaceful. The leaves start to softly fall, woodpiles are stocked up, the scent of wood fires burning penetrates the crisp air.
Produce is in abundance which means soups, pies, crumbles and stews are on the menu.
The following links are to some delicious recipes I have enjoyed this month:

Sweet Potato & Black Bean Chilli

Spiced Baked Fruit (I haven't gotten to making this one yet but it is a easy and quick dessert to enjoy on these cold evenings!)

Swedish Cardamom Buns (These are some of the best things you will ever bake if you try them!)

Ultimate Sticky Buns

This season I have been filling my room with flowers, fresh and dried. I found these ones by the footpath on one of my many walks in the past few weeks.

I have been reading a lot in that past few weeks and have somehow manged to get 5 books on the go all at once!

One of those books is Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier, which I felt would fit the season perfectly with its slightly dark and Gothic theme. So far I'm finding it a great read and I can't wait to finish it!

It is the perfect book to read while the rain is pouring outside, except we have not had much rain this month so I read it outside on a blanket with a cup of coffee instead.

After finishing a vintage cardigan I was working on for over a year earlier in the season, I couldn't wait to get started on a new knitting project. Knitting is a very appropriate autumn & winter activity for me and once summer comes around I usually put a hold on it. 

My current project is a throw blanket, made with a soft cotton in a lovely oatmeal colour.

I have since knitted quite a bit more than what is pictured here. We have been watching a lot of different TV series and I like to knit away while I watch.

Quick story: I remember when I first started learning how to knit. My Nonna had come for a visit and she helped me to knit my first wobbly rows. That evening out family settled down to watch a movie and she brought out her knitting and began clicking away with her needles with her eyes on the screen. I figured I'd be able to do it too, so I got out my knitting. But my Nonna discouraged me saying I would need a bit more practice before I could both knit and watch a movie.

Well Nonna, I can do it now and quite well if I do say so myself! 

This past weekend I intentionally made time for rest & restful activities.
One thing that I really enjoyed was doing some simple sketches of leaves and other little things in nature. It was really fun to just sketch. I didn't worry about making them perfect and just tried to capture the simplicity of each leaf.

Little Things
~ the fire burning in the fireplace
~ hot cups of tea & coffee
~ plaid shirts and jeans
~ Birkenstocks
~ colourful leaves pressed in an old book
~ sketching in the sunshine
~ stewed apple
~ feijoa jam making
~ baking lots of goodies
~ staying in my warm bed on crisp mornings
~ blooming zinnias
~ sugar and spice
~ pumpkins, apples and sweet potatoes
~ turning the pages of a book
~ making coffee in a french press
~ acoustic music

Music: I've really enjoyed listening to acoustic songs and instrumentals this season. The warm, deep tones of the guitar really warm my heart and I love the mood they create. I'll link to some of my favourite playlists:

morning mist and coffee {autumn}

Sweater Weather Instrumentals

Into Freedom - Lovkn album

I hope you enjoyed my highlights of the season so far.
Let me know your favourite Autumn recipe in the comments!

keep blooming,

A Slow & Quiet Life

Hello darlings!

With everyone basically being forced to stay home for a while, I think one lesson that many will take away from this experience is to slow down!

Our culture today is very much focused on being busy, productive, accomplishing everything and just overall living a very fast paced life.
Many people are starting to wake up to this over time and realizing that they just can't do it anymore.

For me personally, I don't have a very busy schedule or a demanding job. I am just a teen living at home, studying at home and writing this blog.
But even I have been caught up in crossing off all the things on my to do list and getting things done.
I actually went through a season not long ago where this mindset of always having to be doing something kept me from being still and spending time sitting in God's presence.

It is not a healthy way to live, nor is it biblical.

Even God Himself rested after He created everything (Genesis 2:2-3). This was an example for us to follow because He knows that we need rest from our work.

Matthew 11:28-30 tells us to turn to Christ when we are weary and burdened and He will give us rest, that His yoke is easy and His burden is light.

"Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls."

Matthew 11:29

His burden is light because He does not leave us to carry it.
If we are willing and lay the burden of our busy life at His feet, He will carry it and we will be at rest.


So surrendering our schedules to Him is the first step but how do we live slower, quieter lives in the midst of the mile-long to do list?

Dwell in His presence
By spending time in God's Word early in the day, you are allowing yourself to have some quiet moments before the day starts and you are filling up with His love & grace which are vital to surviving each day.
You will be better equipped to deal with challenges and blessings that come along your way throughout the day. You will be able to handle things with grace.
I usually find my days go much better when I have taken the time to read the Bible in the morning.


Limit Social Media
I don't know about you, but I find that often spending any extended amount of time doesn't leave me feeling at peace or restful.
It usually leads to some discontentment or restlessness.
So in the pursuit of a slower, quieter life I think limiting time spent on social media is a wise step to take and I speak to myself here also!


Surrender to the Lord
This is probably one the most important step on this list. If you feel weighed down by everything, the best and first thing to do is to surrender it all to the Lord.
Just tell Him what is on your mind, all of the things you feel you should be doing and leave knowing He hears you and He will give you peace that passes understanding.


Declutter & Simplify Your Space
Decluttering is almost the 'trend' at the moment. I have seen countless 'declutter with me' videos on YouTube and I enjoy watching them. I also find them motivating to start decluttering my own space.
It is quite freeing to get rid of unnecessary items in your home or bedroom and create a simpler space to live in.
Decluttering my physical surroundings often clears some head space and leaves me feeling refreshed.


Do Something You Enjoy Outside of Working
Do something creative that you enjoy or pick up a new creative hobby! I personally enjoy painting, knitting, photography, reading, and more recently art journaling/scrapbooking.
Whatever it is that you enjoy, do it more often and have fun with it!


Notice Everything & Delight in the Lord
Something I learnt in my quiet time recently is that part of delighting in the Lord is delighting in all of the blessings He gives us.

"All through the day, every good thing that gives us pleasure should be an instance of delighting in God." (John Piper, How Do I Delight Myself in the Lord?)

"Notice everything. The way the snow falls. The way the light comes through the curtains. The way your morning coffee smells. The way the wind blows. Notice everything." (Kaetlyn Anne, Winter Rest, Roots, and Reflections)



I chose to place some spiritual things on this list because I believe it is an important part in all of this but I also included some practical steps on this list because our physical surroundings often influence our mind and feelings.

For some further reading, I suggest this blog post from Calico + Twine.

Let's stop and think about the way we are living and make the necessary changes to start living at a slower pace.


keep blooming,

March Favourites

Hello darlings!

Its hard to believe that I haven't done a monthly favourites post since November!
January and February to me felt like they were really long but also because we were busy, time went by very quickly it seemed.
March has felt like it has gone on forever but finally April is around the corner.

I am very excited to get back into sharing my monthly favourites with you.
So lets dive into March!


BOOKS

My focus for my reading this year is not how many I can read but just to enjoy reading go through them at a slower pace so as to get the most out of them.
So this month I finished a total of three books.

~ When God Calls the Heart: Devotions from Hope Valley by Michelle Cox & Brian Bird
~ The Help by Kathryn Stockett {reread}
~ I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith

I can't pick a favourite and I will tell you why.
When God Calls the Heart was a nice devo but not my favourite. The Help is a favourite book of mine and I reread it this month so it doesn't really count as a new favourite.
Now, I Capture the Castle is a book that I can't quite pin how I feel about it. I enjoyed reading it though. You can read some of my thoughts on it here.

MUSIC & PODCASTS

~ Q + A | Get To Know Me Harvest Work Ep. 3

~ Good and Gracious King by CityAlight

~ Sheep May Safely Graze by Bach

~ Slow Down Playlist by Kaetlyn Kennedy

MOVIES

Jumanji: The Next Level

I was surprised at how much I like these movies!
They are quite funny and the adventure is thrilling to watch. I went and saw it in the cinema with my siblings and some friends (we snuck our own drinks in too!).

I haven't actually watched many movies lately so that is all I've got!


FASHION & BEAUTY

~ I am loving wearing cosy clothing as the weather gets colder! There will definitely be some autumn/winter fashion post coming soon...

~ These clips and sunglasses have been some favourite accessories of mine this month.

Talk to me!
What was you favourite movie you watched this month?


keep blooming,

On Loving Jesus above all Things // Book Excerpt

Hello darlings!

I was reading The Imitation of Christ by Thomas A Kempis during my quiet time the other today (great book by the way!) and this particular chapter just spoke to my heart.
I'm going to be sharing the entire chapter (it is quite short) here in this post with my favourite lines in bold type.

I pray this stirs your heart as it did mine and that you'll pick up this book and be inspired.

Book 2 - Counsels On the Inner Life

Chapter 7

~ On Loving Jesus above all Things ~

"Blessed is he who understands what it is to love Jesus, and to despise himself for Jesus' sake.

You must surrender all other love for His love, for Jesus desires to be loved alone, and above all things. The love of creatures is deceptive and unstable; the love of Jesus is faithful and enduring.

Whoever clings to any creature will fall with its falling; but he who holds to Jesus shall stand firm for ever. Love Him, therefore, and keep Him as your friend; for when all others desert you, He will not abandon you, nor allow you to perish at the last. 

Whether you wish for it or not, you must in the end be parted from them all. 

Hold fast to Jesus, both in life and death, and trust yourself to His faithfulness, for He alone can aid you when all others fail.

Your Beloved is of such a nature that He will not share your love with another; He desires your heart for Himself alone, and to reign there as a King on His throne. If you could empty your heart of all creatures, Jesus would delight to dwell with you.

Whatever trust you place in men rather than in Jesus is almost wholly wasted. 

Do not trust or lean on a windblown reed, for 'all flesh is as grass, and its glory will fall like the flower of the grass'.

If you look only to men's outward appearance, you will soon be deceived; for if you seek comfort or gain from others, you will often meet with loss. 

If you seek Jesus in all things, you will surely find Jesus. And if you seek yourself, you will surely find yourself, but only to your ruin.

For a man who does not seek Jesus does himself greater hurt than the whole world and all his enemies could ever do him.

What stood out to you from this chapter?

keep blooming,

Getting Back Into The Word

Hello darlings!

I coming to you today from the couch in our living room with a post that I need and I hope that you will also benefit from it.

Since the beginning of this year, I have found it difficult to have regular quiet times with the Lord.
Now life has been full of ups and downs for me ever since December 2019 till now.
I knew that I needed Jesus in those moments but it was hard to find the time and the frame of mind to sit still and read His Word.

In the past week I have tried getting back into it, but it is still a struggle however much I crave it and need it.

So here I am today with this post where I will give myself and you ideas and motivation to get back into the Bible!


1. Spend time with Him even when you don't feel like it.
One of the biggest lessons I learnt last year was that you shouldn't depend on your feelings when it come to spending time with God. You may not feel like it but it is so important that you do it anyway. Then eventually it will become easier and He will give you a desire for His Word.


2. Change things up.
This will look different from person to person but make whatever changes you think you need to get back into reading the Word.
Maybe do it in a new place in your house or outdoors. Use a new Bible study or plan.
Start reading a Christian non-fiction book at the beginning of your quiet time.


3. Listen to worship music or hymns during the day.
I always find that listening to some Christian music uplifts and inspires me and sometimes gets me motivated to spend more time with God.


4. Pour out your heart to Him in your journal.
I recently started doing this and it has been really good. All I do is pull out my journal before I start my quiet time and answer the question God asked Adam and Eve in Genesis 3, "Where are you?"
Where are you at? Where is your heart?
Tell Him how you feel and what is on your heart. He is a caring Father who wants to know you!


5. Do a Bible study with some friends or together with others on the YouVersion Bible app.
I'm doing this at the moment and not only does it keep you and your friends accountable, it is a wonderful way to grow together and connect over the Word.


6. Make it a time you look forward to.
Make this special time with Jesus special same as you would with a friend. Make yourself comfortable, brew some tea or coffee, light a candle or turn on some fairy lights, and use some pretty stationary for your journaling.
Also remember who it is that you are meeting with. We have the privilege to meet with the King of the Universe when ever we want! And He is always there waiting for you to spend time with Him.



Do you have any thought or ideas? Share them in the comments!
I'd love to hear your thoughts and I pray that we all have the strength and grace to get back into the Word and continue in it.

keep blooming,

Why I Want To Be A Mother & Homemaker

Hello darlings!

I'm going to warn you now, what I am about to say in this post might be a little controversial and many women today wouldn't share my opinions on these topics.
But I have decided to go ahead and share what is on my heart about being a mother & homemaker and I hope that you find it interesting and inspiring all the same.

My reason for speaking about this is because I think its something that is unpopular but necessary in today's society and the women that do want to pursue the life of a mother/homemaker often feel alone in their choice of lifestyle.



My Life Dream

If you were to ask me what my biggest dream in life is, my answer wouldn't be to have a great career and a fancy apartment in the city.

No, my answer would be this, that my dream is to become a wife and mother and create a home in the country where we can grow our own food, live naturally and simply and let my kids grow up getting dirty and playing outdoors.
We'd have some chickens, maybe a cow and live of the land where we could.

This is my dream,  however counter-cultural it may be.
If you share the dream to be a mother and homemaker one day I want to tell you that that is a wonderful calling and dream and if it is the Lord' s will for you then go for it!
The world needs more women to mother and nurture the next generation in godly homes that radiate Christ.


Motherhood

Yesterday, my dad told me he had been talking with our neighbor and mention how I wanted to be a mother and stay at home etc.
The neighbor was of the opinion that that wasn't a real job. He couldn't have been farther from the truth. I believe being a mother is a job, and not an easy on at that.
As a mother, you give all of yourself to raising and nurturing your kids and that isn't easy. I know from watching my own mum and other stay-at-home mothers I know.

The call to be a mother is a Biblical one too. Often in the Bible God used mothers to accomplish His will.
I believe it is a worthy calling and if I am called to be one I intend to honor that calling.



Homemaking

A homemaker is a person who manages a home especially as a principal occupation.
A homemaker is a woman who's primary occupation is nurturing and creating a home for her family.

Personally, I enjoy creating a happy, comfortable space and nurturing my space so I love the idea of having a home to nurture and being a stay-at-home mother.
Homemaking is also a Biblical practice, like the woman mentioned in Proverbs 31!

Many women in the past lived like this and families thrived. Think Little House on the Prairie...
That simple lifestyle is a healthier than the hectic rushing around most people call normal.

Read Calico & Twine for more inspiration and info on a simpler lifestyle!


Resources

These are a bunch of women, blogs, YouTube channels and Instagram accounts that embrace motherhood, homemaking and simple living.

Milena Ciciotti YouTube

Mrs Midwest YouTube

Girl In Calico YouTube

Housewives are Not Oppressed Mrs Midwest YouTube Video
Homemaking Practices You Can Start TODAY! Mrs Midwest YouTube Video
Why I Love Being a Homemaker Mrs Midwest YouTube Video

Farmhouse on Boone Blog


So those are some of my thoughts on the matter!
What are your thoughts? Lets chat in the comments!


keep blooming,

Let Me Gather My Thoughts on Little Women 2019...

Hello darlings!

It feels so nice to be back at my laptop writing blog posts for your enjoyment (I hope!).
I am quite excited for today's post, in which I will be chatting about the latest Little Women adaptation and comparing it to the beloved 1994 version--which is my personal favourite.

1994 vs. 2019

As previously mentioned, this adaptation is my favourite and one of those lovely films that warms my heart!
It is the one I've watched the most too.
I believe it captures the warmth and charm the story best and makes me want to go back to it again and again.

I'll also admit that I think Christian Bale makes the best Laurie, portraying him as the sweet, boyish character we all love from the book. Winona Ryder is a perfect Jo and brings her to the screen wonderfully aswell.

Overall, I think am quite biased as to my feelings about this version!
But now let us discuss the most recent adaptation...





As I had strong attachments to the older adaptation of the story,
I admit I was skeptical about what this new adaptation would be like.
But I was surprised, and I actually enjoyed it. I don't like it quite as much as the 1994 one but it was still pretty good.

Emma Watson, Saoirise Ronan, Eliza Scanlen, and Florence Pugh were all fabulous and played their roles wonderfully.
It took me about half of the film to get used to Timothee Chalamet as Laurie. But he was alright apart from the fact that he looks like a teenager throughout the whole film, which doesn't really work when they have all grown up, got married and there he is still looking 18 (and Chalamet is actually 24...)!

Aside from that, there was a scene where Amy is talking to Laurie and some of the things she says had a slight feminist edge to them that irritated me a little.

Other Thoughts

Costumes
This is always my favourite part about period drama films! I'll insert pictures of some of the ones that I rally liked.

Jo's outfit here is so suited to her personality!

What girl wouldn't want to attend a ball in this dress!

This might be my favourite of all of them!

Beautiful dreamy Meg!

Again, Amy has a beautiful wardrobe!

The cinematography and sets were really beautiful and well done too. I loved the scenes in the garden like the photo above and John & Meg's wedding.

Plot

The plot was done slightly differently to the other adaptations I've seen. We are introduced to the characters when Meg is already married and a lot of what happens towards the end of the book has already happened in the beginning of the film. 

Then it goes back and forth between the past when they were young to the present events unfolding.

Not sure if that made sense!

So to wrap up this post, I did enjoy this adaptation and recommend it to those who love the story or would like an introduction to the book. But I do highly suggest that if you haven't already read the book go read it right now!

The book is best and is so dear to my heart! talking about it makes me want to go back and reread it.

keep blooming,

My 2020 Reading Goals

Hello darlings!

Welcome to my first post for 2020 (that's going to take some getting used to...)! Can you believe that it is already 2020, and a new decade has begun?
I love how the dawning of a new year offers a new beginning and a fresh start which always motivates me to make changes and set goals.
Today's post is going to be on the topic of books & reading, and what my plans for this year are as far as reading goes.

First of all, how many books do I want to read this year?
Last year I set my Goodreads Reading Challenge to 60 books. But when I saw that it was unlikely that I would reach a total of 60 books, I lowered it to 50 and then managed to complete it.
This year I don't want to pressure myself to read a certain amount of books so that I end up rusjing through book to finish them and reach my goal by Dec 31st. Instead, I've set my goal to 1 book so I can just read for the enjoyment of reading and see how many I manage to read by the end of 2020.
I want to simply enjoy reading and not worry about completing a large goal even though I know that I can reach 50 books in a year.

As for my other reading goals/plans, I have been thinking about what kind of books I want to read this year.
I would like to try and read all of the books I own currently and have sitting on my shelves and to have the satisfaction of knowing that I own books that I have read and loved.
Another goal for my reading this year is to read more classics.
A while back, I wrote a post (here) where I talked about how I wanted to start reading more classic books and this is the year I am going to put that plan in action.
I am actually currently reading Mary Barton by Elizabeth Gaskell, and very much enjoying it!

A few of the other classics I would like to try and read this year (most of which I already own)...
- Larkrise to Candleford by Flora Thompson
- A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens
- Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier
- Cranford by Elizabeth Gaskell
- Sense & Sensibility by Jane Austen
- Good Wives by Louisa May Alcott

I also plan on reading some more Christian non-fiction this year and try to reread some old favourites aswell.

Tell me in the comments below, what is your reading goal for 2020 and what is one book you plan on reading this year!


keep blooming,