Book Review:Encouragement for Today

I recently had the chance to review the new devotion book out from the Proverbs 31 ministries! It is filled with 100 devotions to encourage you Women in your day to day life.  Each devotion written by everyday women. I really liked this devotion book because it wasn't one of those day to day ones listed by date. It's one you can just go to anytime when you need a dose of encouragement. At the end of each devotion it gives you bible verses to look up that go along with the devotion. Plus it gives you a reminder to remember what to learn from the devotion. Then a thought on how to respond and what you can take with you from that devotion. This is a nice woman's devotion for somebody just wanting something encouraging and simple to understand devotions for each day.

Received this free for my honest review from booksneeze.com

A Tea Party...

Today was my Mom's Birthday!!! I came up with a Tea party type theme. I love planning themes and putting it all together!! Pinterest can be such a big help as well!

 I saw this Dress Cake on Pinterest. It was such an easy cake to make. I baked cupcakes and then arrange them. I had to take off the bottom row because I messed up. I didn't have a icing tip to do like they did on the one I seen. So I just iced the whole thing. The waves kinda came in by accident. It made it look like ruffles so I liked it!! I then added some pearls and a brooch. It turned out better than I thought it would. Not great but so cute!!

 I was going to make little mini weenie biscuits, but when I made the Sausage Pinwheels I had enough mixture left to make one more. So I used the biscuits on that. I just put the the lil smokies on top the stand.

 Dollar stores are really a blessings and you find great party supplies in them!! I had the china in the house and I stacked it up to make a stand holder(pinterest idea). I ordered the napkins and table runner from Oriental Trading company online when they were running a free shipping offer. I used a pretty glass for the flower holder. Flowers and plates and table cloth from the dollar stores!!

 Chicken Salad Sandwiches and Pasta Salad. I love the bowtie pasta noodles.

 The cute picture was something a blogger friend had made me and it matched perfect. I made some Punch. I could not find our punch bowl. It's probably packed away somewhere since we don't use it much out here since moving. So I took a cake stand and turned it upside and put the lid on top. Cups and little Bowls from the dollar stores. Then I stacked more plates and made stands. I had some Strawberry Wafers and Yogurt Pretzels on one. Then Marshmallows and Strawberries on the other with Chocolate in a Teacup in the middle.

My sister said "Downton Abbey" when she seen the kitchen and I will go with that cause I love Downton Abbey, but I just love Vintage altogether.

Seasons of Life...

Life is so full of changes. The past two years I have really seen the changes in the seasons of life. Sometimes it excites me to think what the new season could bring. Other times if scares me what could be ahead. I just want to stay in the moment,"the good moments"sometimes!! I don't want to face sometimes what could lay ahead. It's such a crazy transition into adulthood. Sometimes your heart is tugging to stay and wanting to not leave the past. Then the other half wants to move on and start some big adventure in life. Life can be so confusing at times. When you're standing at a crossroad and your looking around you and you have absolutely no idea which road to take. I let fear stand in my way so much. I just want to run and jump and take the leaps of faith sometimes but I just find myself staring and waiting in the crossroad afraid to move. I may not be making any sense to anybody in this post,but I have a lot on my mind lately. How do you get over fear taking over your body? How to follow your dreams when you just feel afraid? I am reaching the age of 30 next year. I feel like everyone my age has gone on with their lives. They have gotten married,had families of their own. Then I'm like that's me on the sidelines watching the normal phases of life go through everyone but me. I fine and content most of the time. It's just sometimes that little nag inside me starts nagging me and I start wondering where I am going? Then this verse comes to mind and I think just wait it will all work out. For it says "To everything there is a season".

Ecclesiastes 3:1-8

To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:

 A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted;

 A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up;

A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;

 A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing. A time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away;

 A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;

 A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace.

Flying Leaps...

I looked on the deck this morning and I noticed a squirrel walking the rail. There is no stairs on the back deck and we started wondering how it got up there. We watched it. It could not figure out how it was going to get down. It kept walking along the rail trying to find a way down. I finally open the door and walked on the deck to see if I could do something and all of a sudden it took a flying leap and nose dived into the fence. I have not seen it anymore. It sure did take a good skydive though.

Day's of handwritten notes...

I was doing laundry in the basement the other day. I found a notebook in a box. It was a bunch of hymns my maw maw Brewer wrote out. These two are my favorite!! Nothing better then seeing loved ones handwriting on paper after they have gone. I'd rather have this then any typed up computer version!! I love homemade and handwritten things better than anything. It shows a part of the person. Where have the days gone of good ole fashion handwritten things? I myself still adore writing cards and letters and writing recipes on cards. It's just something special about it.

A day at the Ranch....

Yesterday me,Mom and Dad rode over to Hurricane Mills TN. The location of my favorite Country singer "Loretta Lynn". She has a ranch there. You can see a Museum,a replica of her childhood Kentucky home, a replica coal mine where her daddy was a coal miner,doll and fan museum,grist mill museum,Indian artifact museum,and her Plantation house she use to live in. Plus there are gift shops and a snack shop. It's my 3rd time going there and I just love it. It's so beautiful with the creek and waterfall running through it. We didn't take the tour this time because we have done all that. On the tour you can see all the stuff I mentioned above. They have events that go on throughout the whole year. On the property she also has a Campground,Cabins and a Concert area. All sorts of things. 

We got off on a country road by accident and were pretty much,what I call,the middle of nowhere..lol :) The plus side was beautiful scenery! It turned into a rainy day,but by the time we left the ranch it was clearing up.

 One lane Bridge over a beautiful river!!

 Lots of beautiful land

 We stopped at the Loretta Lynn Kitchen for some breakfast. It had Loretta Lynn stuff over the walls and a huge gift shop with all sorts of stuff!

 My favorite movie is "Coal Miner's Daughter".

 I just thought this was cool. Would not want to meet a real one in person..lol

Next was off to the Ranch!!

Motocross racing a popular event that happens there was going on. It was packed in that area!!

 The river and falls are so beautiful!!!

 It's a whole little western like town

 Grist mill and Fan and Doll museum

 I loved this purple blanket and the dolls!

 A doll her late husband bought her.

 An old Grist mill where one of the stores is in

 The stairs with her and her husband's name on them. The Plantation where she lived. I think she lives in a house behind it now.

 Her land is just so beautiful and I love the Animals!!

Hope I didn't bore you with all these pictures!! I am a picture freak!! It was such a nice day!! Thanks for coming along with me on here!!

I have more pictures from another visit if you click here and want to see those!!

Book Review: The Letters by Suzanne Woods Fisher

Suzanne is one of my favorite Amish fiction writers!! This book is a start to her news series "The Inn at Eagle Hill".  In this book we meet Rose and her late husband's children. Rose is widowed and living with her Mother in law. She is trying to figure out a way to make money to pay off debt left by her husband. His business got into a bunch of trouble and people lost money. She feels she needs to pay it back even though it wasn't her fault. While in a store she overhears some English people needing a place to stay and she invites them to her home on a whim. From this she decides to open a bed and breakfast in her basement. With the help of her next door neighbor Galen she gets it open and running. Her first guest arrives and the story gets going. I was a little lost in the start of book,it was kinda slow,but it slowly drew me in to what would happen. We see different stories coming out of each character! Another nice visit with the Amish in Suzanne's new series!! Nice Read!!

About the Author

Suzanne Woods Fisher is the bestselling author of the Lancaster County Secrets series and the Stoney Ridge Seasons series, as well as nonfiction books about the Amish, including Amish Peace. She is also the coauthor of a new Amish children's series, The Adventures of Lily Lapp. Her interest in the Anabaptist cultures can be directly traced to her grandfather, who was raised in the Old Order German Baptist Brethren Church in Franklin County, Pennsylvania. Suzanne is a Carol Award winner and a Christy Award finalist. She is a columnist for Christian Post and Cooking & Such magazines. She lives in California. For more information, please visit suzannewoodsfisher.com and connect with her on Twitter @suzannewfisher. Get Amish proverbs delivered right to your iPhone or iPad! Download the Free App! She is also Author of the new books The Adventures of Lily Lapp http://adventuresoflilylapp.com/

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I received this book free for my honest review!!