Book Review - What The Heart Sees

I just finished reading What The Heart Sees, A Collection of Amish Romances From Kathleen Fuller. These three stories were previously published in An Amish Christmas, An Amish Gathering, and An Amish Love.

The first story is A Miracle for Miriam. Miriam liked a boy named Seth when they were 14 years old, but when Seth found out, he ridiculed her. Five years later, Miriam still has not gotten over the rejection and is afraid to get close to anyone and then Seth comes back into her life after being severely injured in a car accident.

The second story is A Place of His Own which is the story of Josiah and Amanda who were best friends. Josiah moved away as a teenager after his mother died but has now returned years later to sell the family farm. Josiah's attitude has changed and Amanda tries to figure out what happened to her childhood friend.

The third story is What the Heart Sees. Ellie Chupp is blind due to an accident that killed her best friend. Her best friend's fiance, Christopher, moved away but has now returned several years later. Ellie and Christopher start getting to know each other and having feelings for each other.

What I found to be the common theme in the stories is that the different individuals learn to give their difficult and confusing situations to God to handle. When they start to do that, then God starts to work in ways that end up in a happy outcome for them. I enjoyed reading the stories and also included in the back of the book is a Reading Group Guide and Amish Recipes, yum! I would recommend this book to anyone, especially fans of Amish fiction.

I was given a copy of this book from Thomas Nelson Publishers in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.

nesting and paris treasuries

I can't believe it's already Thursday! It seems like the weeks that have a holiday in them are shorter plus I've been busy trying to get J enrolled for kindergarten next August. Not only did I have to fill out the usual forms but now there's a new requirement that kids (at least here in S.D.) need a dental and health evaluation before starting school. So J had his first dental appointment yesterday. Overall it went pretty well and the most important thing is he has no cavities.

Little Pink Plum has been featured in some more treasuries - here's a couple of the latest ones:

friday fun

I don't usually play games online but I am getting hooked on Bejeweled. If you haven't seen it before - watch the video for a preview of how it works. And if you want to play, click here for the free (no download) version. Have fun!

projects

I've been thinking of doing a couple of craft shows this spring; so far I've only done the shows during the holiday season. So I ordered some new supplies - more of the silver plated pendant trays and some vintage look bobby pins. And I still have tons of scrabble tiles and glass tiles to make pendants out of. Since sales have slowed down since the holiday rush, this will be the perfect time for me to start working on inventory for craft shows.

front page

I finally got around to getting a screenshot of the front page treasury that Little Pink Plum was featured in December 2010. You can see my 'paisley deer on pink' pocket mirror, middle row. I got the screenshot from CraftCult which is a fantastic site, so many great widgets and other tools for Etsy sellers.

smilebox slideshow

There's a new (to me) site I found that lets you make slideshows and post them on your blog, facebook, etc. Here's one I made with random pictures of J to see how it works (no music, although that's an option). Have a great weekend!

A free digital slideshow by Smilebox

sugar cookie pops

One of my favorite food blogs, Our Best Bites has a great tutorial perfect for Valentine's Day - sugar cookie pops! So cute - cookies on a stick! Check it out by clicking here.

Photo - Our Best Bites

diy projects from marie claire idees

Did you watch the Superbowl? I watched the halftime show and spent some time catching up on reading my favorite blogs. Somehow I stumbled upon Marie Claire Idees. (It's in French but I used google toolbar to translate). There's tons of beautiful pictures, crafting projects, recipes and more. Not only can you read the current issue, but there's also an archive section where I found some of these DIY projects:


Outdoor Lanterns - a simple project - just cover lanterns with different shaped pasta such as corkscrew and bow tie


Vases - drinking glasses covered with scraps of embroidered cloths


Reecycled spoons turned into a frame - simply glue directly onto the mirror

Book Review - The Shelter of God's Promises

I recently read The Shelter of God's Promises written by Sheila Walsh. The author asks "Where do you turn for shelter in the worst storms of life?" The book is divided into ten chapters and Sheila references scripture verses for what God has promised us, what God's promises mean, and how encounters with Christ are the eternal fulfillment of His unrelenting commitment to us.

I felt inspired and reassured of God's protection (shelter) after reading this book and will keep in mind this verse "Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you" (Hebrews 13.5). The book is written in a way that is easy to read and understand and also includes a Bible Study in the back. This is a great book for anyone who wants or needs affirmation that God is always with us and I would highly recommend it to everyone.

(Disclosure - I was given a copy of this book from Thomas Nelson Publishers in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.)

happy groundhog day!

Happy Groundhog Day! So what exactly is it? The basics: Groundhog Day is celebrated on Feb. 2 in the U.S. and Canada. If it’s cloudy when the groundhog leaves his burrow in the morning, it will leave the burrow, signifying winter will soon end. If it’s sunny, the groundhog will see his shadow and be scared back into his burrow, meaning winter will continue for six more weeks. I hope the groundhog sticks his head out and ends winter soon!