I'm Moving!

So, I have some exciting news to share with you all today!  Judging by the title of this post, you can probably guess what this news is.  Yes, it's true, I'm moving.  I'm not moving in the sense that I'm physically moving to a new location, or a new house. But my blog is going to be moving to a new website.

I have loved blogging here on this site but I feel like I need a fresh start. God has been doing so much in my life this past year and he has really been putting it on my heart to take this next step for my blog. 

This week I have been working on creating my own website for my blog on 'Wix' (Wix is a really neat website maker, and completely user friendly, only downside is the fee, but other than that, I would totally recommend it).   I really wanted my website to have the same feel as this blog so I incorporated many of the same design aspects to my new website.  

I have some exciting plans for my new blog and I don't want any of you to miss out.  You can find my new website at  Uniquely His. Please subscribe to my new blog so you can receive updates whenever I add a new blog post.  

God bless you all, and thank you so much for following me and supporting me here on my blog

Fill Me With Wonder

"Open my eyes that I may behold wondrous things out of your law." Psalm 119:18

I have a longing in my soul.  I want to see wondrous things.  I want to be amazed.

To stand in awe of mighty mountains that make me feel small.  To witness the power of a thunderstorm. To see how vast and how deep the ocean is.  To travel the world.  To have my breathe taken away by the wonders of God's creation.

But what am I to do when I find myself getting tired of the mundane routine of everyday life. When I'm stuck at home do I have to put these longings and dreams aside?



The amazing truth is that I don't have to go anywhere to find the answer to these longings.  I don't have to go to the mountains to know that I serve a mighty God.  All I have to do is look outside my window to be amazed at the wonders of God and His creation.

And the amazing God we serve has given us His Word. Each time I open my Bible I get to learn more about how much God loves me.

Each time I spend time with God I want to be filled with awe at the wonderful story of grace and mercy that is found in His Word.

May we never lose our wonder when we ponder the goodness of our God and all He has done for us. 

My True Home

I cannot describe to you the joy that fills my soul when I hear the waves crashing against the shore and feel the wet sand beneath my feet .  A huge smile spreads across my face.  I could stay here forever.  The ocean is home.

Yet, as I stand on the beach taking in the sights and breathing in the fresh sea air, I am reminded of my true home.  No, not my home here one earth, but my heavenly home.

"And I am going to prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am." John 14:3

Standing on the beach, with the ocean before me I can't imagine a better place to be.  The glories of heaven is a mystery to me.  My human mind cannot imagine it.  But I know one thing;  My king will be there and He is all I need.  

I'm challenged each day with a new goal in life.  To live for Jesus and to keep my eyes on the things above and not to follow the ways of the world.

"So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal". 2 Corinthians 4:18

Jesus is becoming my everything.  He is my joy, my comfort, my peace, my protector, my friend and He is my Savior.

One last time  I gaze out at the ocean, this time with a new perspective. I know that God's love for me is deeper than the deepest part of the ocean. With each wave that hits the shore I am reminded of the great promise God has given me.

"For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life." John 3:16

Change is Coming

Change is in the air.  As we near the first day of Fall I can't help but find myself getting excited! There is a huge grin on my face as I wave goodbye to summer - scorching hot heat, unbearable, not-so-fun, impossible-to-enjoy heat, and, yep, more heat. Maybe I'm exaggerating just a bit.  Truly, I had a wonderful summer, but I'm so thankful for change.  I'm thankful for cooler days, for routine, and for pumpkin spice Latte's.  That's the real reason right there, mmm, pumpkin spice, need I say more.

With the season of Fall fast approaching (the first day of fall is this Thursday!), the season when we celebrate change, I can't help but look back over the year and see all the change in my life as well. I am not the same person I was back when I first started this blog.  So much has changed. I have improved in many of the skills I'm passionate about (Photography, Sewing...), and I have pursued many new interests (Hand Lettering, Water color..),  but most importantly I have grown to have  a closer and dearer relationship with my Heavenly Father.

Keeping with the subject of change,  you may have noticed that I  changed my blog design.  It is my hope and plan to post more frequently.  I know that this has always been my aim with this blog but I'm going to really try this time. One thing I would like to share more of on this blog is my photography.  Another thing I would like to start posting about is my new found love and obsession with Hand Lettering.  If you want to see some of my Hand Lettering, I post most of my art on my Instagram account (@UniquelyHis4ever).

I'm looking forward to the change that is to come, but I'm especially looking forward to having my first Pumpkin Spice Latte of the season!  I hope you enjoy your last few days of summer.  I've already said my goodbye's to summer, I'm ready for Fall!

A Beautiful Hymn

"Come thou fount of every blessing, 

Tune my heart to sing thy Grace..."

Such beautiful words found in such a beautiful hymn. Tune my heart to sing thy grace. But a few days ago as my family was singing this hymn I asked myself, what does that mean, to have our hearts tuned?

I remember years ago when we had a piano tuner come to our house to tune our piano. He had to open up our piano and pull all of the strings until the piano sounded like it was supposed to. It took a few hours but once he was finished our piano sounded better than before. The music was pleasing to the ear because all the notes were tuned perfectly.

Just like the piano, our hearts need to be tuned. And who tunes our heart? God is the great heart tuner. Sometimes it's a long process, and sometimes the pulling of our heart strings may cause pain. But we cannot make music pleasing to God on our own accord. Our life song is just noise until we allow God to come inside and change us. 

Once we allow God to enter in and give him the okay to have his way in our life then He will get to work on tuning our hearts. In His perfect timing He makes our lives into a beautiful arrangement of his Grace.

Lord Jesus, make my life into a song that is pleasing to you. Lord, I want to live a life that brings glory and honor to your name.

Investing in the Lives of Others

"Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God." Ruth 1:16

I want to share with you all my most recent purchase. For the longest time I have been seeing so many post on Instagram about a new type of Bible. It's called a Journaling Bible and it's a special type of Bible that has extra room on each page for notes, or art, or whatever you are inspired to create in the blank space. I've been having a lot of fun learning new hand lettering and calligraphy techniques and the idea of using this new pastime to help you study God's Word seemed like such a wonderful idea.



Last week I finally bought myself this beautiful Journaling Bible. I love with the vintage cover! All my siblings agreed that it fits me perfectly. I can't wait to express myself creatively in the pages of this Bible. Already I have been able to create my first hand lettering art in the pages my Journaling Bible (as you can see in the pictures below).

This past week God has been teaching me a lot about what I, as a Christian girl, can do each day to bless those around me. God has put on my heart the need each day to take the time to invest more in the lives of each of my siblings. I'm really close to my sister and I have decided to start a weekly Bible study with her. The book of Ruth kept coming to mind and I knew God wanted us to go through this book together. Today we read the first chapter of Ruth. We had such a blessed time together.



I wanted to make this time together very special for my sister so I made a quick trip to Starbucks (my sister LOVES Starbucks) and got us a special treat to sip on while we dug into God's Word together.

I actually pre-read the first chapter of Ruth and wrote down in a notebook questions for her to answer to help us draw out the chapter. I also taught her one of my favorite ways to study the bible; The SOAP method:

S: Scripture (choose a verse that spoke to you in the passage you read)

O: Observation (What is that verse saying, what's the context around that verse)

A: Application (How can you apply this verse to your life, what can you learn from this verse)

P: Prayer (Ask God to help you to apply what you learned to your life)



Each day I see how God has blessed me in so many ways. I have such a wonderful family and I am so thankful for my sister. I'm so excited to see what God is going to teach us as we continue to spend time with Him each week.

Lastly, I want to encourage you to take the time each day to invest in the lives of those around you. God has put certain people in our lives for a reason. Are we actively seeking to help those people grow in their walk with God, or are we just around them to have fun? Who has God put in your life who needs that extra word of encouragement each day? How can your example bless those around you?

Lord, help me to bring You glory in all I do. Show me how I can invest in the lives of others. I want to make the best use of the time, Lord. I want to point others to You in all I do.

What ways have you invested in others? Has anyone ever taken the time to invest in your life? Are you currently in any Bible studies?

Thank You Garlands of Grace

There is a really neat online shop called Garlands of Grace that sells the cutest hair accessories. For the longest time I have wanted to buy one of the many hair wraps they sell.  I'm so cheap though. For me twenty dollars is a lot to spend on an accessory for your hair. But I knew that eventually I would splurge and buy myself something from their shop, it was only a matter of time.  

Well, that time finally came.  After my spring job came to an end I figured I could use some of my money to treat myself.  Today my package came and I just had to share with you all how excited I am!



Once I opened the package I excitedly peeked inside.  Reaching my hand inside I pulled out a small parcel wrapped in tissue paper (pictured above).  It was so pretty I almost didn't want to open it. But I was even more anxious to see what was inside of it.   After I took a quick picture I began to untie the ribbon.

It's so special to receive something in the mail that has obviously been carefully put together by loving hands. I felt really special to receive such a lovely package today.

To my delight I found my "Cecily's Garden Party Chiffon" inside the parcel.  Along with it was also a small card of bible verses and a sweet thank you note.  

Of course I couldn't wait to try on my new hair wrap.  I'm in love with the rose design.  Anyone who knows me well will tell you that its a a perfect fit.  

You can also have the extra material hang over the back of your hair to give it a different twist.

If you have never heard of Garlands of Grace, you need to check them out.  Even if all you'll end up doing is browsing through their products, you won't be disappointed.   

Thank you Garlands of Grace for this lovely new hair accessory! This is going to be a new favorite hair style of mine!

Finally, Another Post!

I have been so busy working at Rock-N-Water,  a living History camp my family works at during the spring. I'm sorry that it has been weeks since my last post. I just haven't found the time to sit down and write a new post.  But I have found the time to edit some pictures that my mom has taken at Rock-N-Water. I thought I would share some of the pictures.  Below are some highlights of the first month at Rock-N-Water.  

 My brother and I working in the kitchen

Camp cleanup, many hands make the work light

My Siblings and I (I'm in the middle)

Filling up the water gott

Having fun at Campfire

 Staying warm by the fire after a long day 

Who says work can't be fun

We played the craziest game of jump rope at the staff party.  I'm not very good at jump rope so I took pictures.

And that is a peek into why I have been so busy the past month and will still be busy this next month.  I'm so blessed to have found a place to belong at this place and with these amazing people.  Rock-N-Water truly is a special place.

It's That Time of Year Again!

I'm so excited and I just can't keep it to myself!  If you remember in many of my previous posts, I refer to a camp my family works at during the spring called Rock-N-Water.  Well, spring is here, and we are busy preparing for the next two months which will be very busy.

Rock-N-Water is a camp where 4th Graders come to learn about the Gold Rush.  Not only do these kids get to learn about the Gold Rush, they get to travel back in time.  As a guide at Rock-N-Water I get to dress up as a character from the Gold Rush and tell these  kids about "my time" (1854).  

One of my habits has always been to keep a journal to record the highlights of my life.   I don't write in it everyday (who does).  I probably write in my journal about twice a month.  A few days ago I was reading some of my writing from last year while I worked at Rock-N-Water. I thought I would share a bit!

April 12, 2015
I love Rock-N-Water so much! I love being at camp and getting to know all the other guides.  I love the feeling of being a part of the Rock-N-Water family.  Below I'm going to list the reasons why I love this place so much.

1. I get to share God's love with others and make a difference in the lives of others by working there.
2. The staff is Amazing! I love being a part of the Rock-N-Water family.
3. I love history and I LOVE dressing up.  There is something magical about dressing up and traveling back to the past to teach the 4th graders about the Gold Rush.
4. I get to work alongside my family.  Often times my mother and brother will be on the same trip as me.
5. It forces me out of my comfort zone.  It's true! I don't feel shy when I'm at Rock-N-Water.  I feel like a different person.
6. I've come to realize I love to work with kids and teach them about history.

And I could keep going on and on...

(the above picture is my brother and I at Rock-N-Water in Spring 2014)

May 2, 2015
I've never laughed so hard in my life! Being one of the staff at Rock-N-Water is truly one of the most wonderful things.  I'm starting to get to know a lot of the other staff at Rock-N-Water and form new friendships.  Rock-N-Water is the best thing ever...

May 27, 2015
Yesterday I had so much fun! We were at Rock-N-Water and there were so many staff at camp.  We all loaded up into the vans and went out to get frozen yogurt.  Afterwords we had tons of camp clean-up to work on, but I've never had so much fun while working...

May 31, 2015
The end of Season party was today.  It was fun but bittersweet. The worst part was saying goodbye. I can't wait for next year's season...

And now Rock-N-Water is here again.  I'm looking forward to seeing my friends from last year and making new friends. But most importantly, I can't wait to serve the Lord and share God's truth with others!

Phoenix Vacation ~ The Highlights

There is no place like home, and there is no better company than family. As you may have noticed, I have not been very active on my blog lately. This last week my family went camping in Phoenix Arizona. My Dads parents vacation in Phoenix during the winter and spring months so we made the long drive to Phoenix to visit them.

We pulled our pop-up camper (pictured above) over 1000 miles (round trip) to Phoenix and than back home. We had a wonderful time and I can't believe our much awaited and anticipated trip is now over. Time sure does fly, especially when your making memories.

I thought that I would share with you some pictures from our trip. During the whole trip my camera was never more than an arms reach away. I took hundreds of pictures but I'll just share with you my favorites.

On the long drive to Arizona we took a short detour and drove through Joshua Tree National Park. The park was unique and interesting it's in own way, but it will not make it to my list of my favorite National Parks. Joshua Tree National park is located in the Mojave Desert and I've decided I'm not a big fan of the desert.



To my surprise though, the desert did have a good amount of color to show off. I found this blooming Prickly Pear Cactus and snapped a few shots. The picture below is my favorite.



I would like to call Arizona "Land of the Great Saguaro Cactus". There are hardly any trees in the part of Arizona we visited. Instead the trees are replaced by the Saguaro Cactus.



Our campsite was right next to a beautiful lake called Canyon Lake. I took the picture below from our campsite during the sunset.



Not far from where we camped was a old west town called "Goldfield Ghost Town". We packed a picnic lunch and spent one of our day's walking around and taking lots of pictures of this neat place.



The picture below is from a pottery store we visited. I loved all the rustic colors of all the ornaments hanging on the porch.



We also visited another small old west style town called Tortilla Flats. We had lunch at the towns restaurant and I was intrigued at the wallpaper. Talk about expensive wallpaper. The walls were covered in dollar bills!



Not only was the wallpaper unique, but the bar seats were saddles instead of stools. How neat!



The next day we said our goodbyes to Canyon Lake and Arizona and made the long drive home. I love traveling, learning new things, and visiting new places, but there truly is no place like home. I'm eager to get back to the regular routine of life now that our Arizona trip is over.

If you want to see more pictures from my family's vacation I am posting more pictures to a photography blog which I have been trying to set up. I started the blog about the same time I started this one but I never posted anything and pretty much forgot about the blog. I just recently changed the design and I am trying to post on it more often. If your interested, my Photography blog is: Shutter Crazy

Shooting With Soul ~ Exercise Three: Something You Collect

I am still slowly working my way through my book Shooting With Soul by Alessandra Cave (if you want to know more about this book check out my previous post here). The last exercise was to take a picture of my shadow (you can see my pictures here) and today's exercise is to take a picture of something I collect.

When I think about all the different things I collect one thing comes to my mind right away.  I love to collect journals.  I will admit that I have a lot of empty journals but it is always my intention to fill every page of each journal I buy.

Journals are so special to me because to me they mean memories. I want to be able to remember how blessed I am and I have found that one way I can do this is by writing in my journal(s).  

As you can see, in the picture below, I have quite the collection of journals. I wasn't even able to fit all of my journals in this picture.  

Journals aren't the only thing I collect.  All I needed was a quick look in my closet to see that I have quite the collection of winter boots.

I didn't realize how many boots I had until I decided to drag them all outside (It was quite the workout).  I took some pictures of all my boots lined up before I dragged them back inside.  

I'm excited to be able to slowly, but surely, make my way through this book!

What is something you collect? 

My Sewing Adventures - Pattern Drafting

  

Sewing has been one of my favorite pastimes for a long time .  Not just sewing, but sewing costumes.  I've come to a point where I am so familiar with a patterns that I find myself wanting to make my own patterns.  A dear friend of mine who knows the skill of pattern drafting let me borrow a few of the books that really helped her learn the skill.  I would highly recommend Designing Dress Patterns by Helen Nicol Tanous.  I found to my surprise that this book wasn't overly complicated, and  It really helped me understand all the tricks and techniques involved in pattern drafting.

The first step of my endeavor into pattern drafting was to create what is called the basic block.  The book Designing Dress Patterns gives you the measurements to make a basic block in size 14.  

I cut out, on a sheet of poster board, the basic block for both the front and back bodice, and the sleeve.  My basic block is pictured below.

Using the basic blocks I learned how to swing darts, how to "Slash and Spread" for adding gathers,  how to add the extra length for buttons, how to draft a pattern for the facing, and so much more. If any of those terms are unfamiliar with you I basically learned how to take the basic blocks that you see above and add to them to create whatever style I desire.

For my first official project I decided to draft my own prairie blouse pattern. Spring is here and the spring living history camp, Rock-N-Water, that my family works at is going to be starting soon. I've been busy sewing aprons and skirts for the upcoming season at Rock-N-Water.

As  I began the process of creating my pattern I found that pattern drafting is not as easy as I first thought.  I drafted pattern piece after pattern piece.  Using scrap fabric I would test out my pattern only to find that it didn't look at all like I had envisioned.  But after making all the changes that were necessary I finally drafted a pattern that worked.  

I created a blouse with slightly off the shoulder sleeves, a yoke with gathers, bishop sleeves, and with lace to fancy it up a bit. Below is my finished blouse.

Since my blouse turned out to be such a success I decided to make my sister one as well.  I made a few adjustments to hers.  She wanted a peter pan color and sleeves that only came just slightly past her elbow.  The finished blouse I made for her is pictured below.

Lastly, my mom loved my blouse pattern so much she asked me to make her one too.  As you can see, in the picture below, I made quite a few changes for her blouse.  I made the yoke a little bit wider and a little bit longer.  It was her idea to use contrasting fabrics and I think that was a great idea.  The contrasting fabrics really look nice on this blouse.  

I am very happy with my pattern.  I'm so glad I can say that it was a success. I am amazed at how I  was able to create three different looks by using the same pattern. 

Though pattern drafting was a lot harder than I initially thought, it is not impossible and this was only the first step, of many, to having a better understanding of pattern drafting.