Seven (days) of Skirts! Day 2 & 3

The days are flying by!  We went as a family to the river yesterday for some sun and fun.  It was a great time and we even saw some friends there.  Needless to say, after being gone for 4 hours I spent the rest of the day catching up so yesterday and today's skirts are here in one post. 

Day 2:

Skirt: Handmade culottes, split skirt or gauchos, whatever you want to call them.  Pattern online, see below.


Shirts: Cherokee brand t-shirt from Target in lavendar and the white shirt is an Izod from a thrift store about 6 years ago.

Hairstyle: Braid, done by Julia my wonderful hairstylist!

Shoes: Velcro sandals, Wal-mart.

The overshirt idea came from some Mennonite friends that I met recently.  They often wear a sleeveless blouse over their dress.  I love the idea because sometime I feel just a t-shirt is not exactly what I want to wear alone and the over blouse makes it feel just right!

I actually cut the sleeves off of this blouse right before we left.  Here are the steps if you want to make a sleeveless blouse for yourself.

 First, cut off the sleeve leaving about 3/4 inch from the seam.  Turn the shirt inside out so you see the inside of the shirt.  Turn under the edge and then turn under again.

 Stitch close to the fold.  It should look like the sleeve hole was top-stitched when you look at the outside (right side of the shirt).

The culottes I made from a pattern that I drafted to fit my measurements.  It was pretty easy and didn't take too much math!  ;-)  I bought the pattern online from Patterns That Fit You.  It is included in the Skirts patterns.  I just love this pattern.  I have used it many times. 

Day 3:

Skirt: Liz Claiborne, found at a thrift store for $8

Shirts:  Plaid white and lavendar Land's End, thrift store $1.25 and a sleeveless white t-shirt Liz Claiborne also a thrift store find for $1.50 (which you can't see).
Hairstyle:  Basic ponytail
Shoes: Comfy sandals, same as yesterday!

Bob and I headed into Civilization to do some errands and meet someone for business.  I love this denim skirt because it is so comfortable.  I love the style of the skirt, it is fitted not gathered at the waist, but not tight.  As you can probably tell, lavendar is one of my favorite colors. 

So there you have it. Until next time,

Seven (days) of Skirts!

SOS! Calling all girls, ladies, feminas, and women!

Our culture has almost seen the extinction of a very rare breed of person. Nearly nowhere to be seen, this type of human is very close to being wiped out completely. So difficult is a sighting that when one does catch a glimps of this unusual specimen of humanity, the stares and comments like "So, are you mormon or something?" or "You must be a homeschooler." from bystanders nearly drive it back into hiding.


This disappearing person is a woman.

A womanly woman. A feminine, chaste, discreet, modest woman! A godly woman who cares about obeying the commands of the word of God and the minds of her brothers in Christ more than the pressures of the world that try to influence her to dress seductively and immodestly, following after the trends in Hollywood's movies and New York's runways.


The above comes straight from Julia, my daughter's blog.  She is doing Seven (days) of Skirts and I decided to join her.  I will be posting as I can as my life is pretty busy! 

So here is DAY 1:

This is the work-at-home style of modesty. 

Skirt: Repurposed from an Eddie Bauer jumper that was about 10 years old.


Shirt: Cherokee brand t-shirt from Target

Hairstyle: Pulled back into a scrunchie and then up in a clip

Shoes: Super comfy slippers, Family Dollar for only $4.


Here is the back.  This hairstyle keeps the long hair out of the way for cooking and cleaning!

I am dressed this way because I am not leaving the house!  No one but my family will see me.  My shirt and skirt already have stains on them so if I get messy working around the house it won't matter!  I didn't even iron my skirt! *Gasp*

My sweetie had to get in on the fun while Julia was taking my picture!!  He is just so good to me!

The slippers are my standard footwear around the house.  These are in need of a good washing with drips and splotches on them. 

The nice thing about this outfit is the comfort.  And the pockets!  It helps to have pockets for stashing little things I pick up as I move around. 

I really like what Julia said on her Day 1 post:
I happen to believe that you can also be modest in pants, capris, and knee-length shorts (like bermuda shorts) as long as they are not tight (Tight clothing is NOT modest. I get so sick and tired of seeing girls wear tight-tight-TIGHT clothing and still claim they are 'modest' because they aren't showing any cleavage or their belly button.) But that's a different topic. :D Anyway... I chose to do this project and wear only skirts with my outfits.


Modesty is a lost art these days.  Yes, tight is the norm as well as low-cut and short.  I believe a good standard for tightness is the 1 inch pinch.  What I mean is, where the clothes cover the hips, grab a piece at the hips.  If I can pinch about an inch of fabric away from my body (that really comes out to be about 2 inches of width), without stretching it, I am  probably close to being not too tight.  If I can do this on both sides at one time, even better.  I definitely don't want my clothes to look painted on.  Actually, this needs to be done at the waist for t-shirts and legs in pants as jeans these days are sooooo tight.  Also the shirt should not be snug, but relaxed fitting and not see-through.   Keep undergarments, like bra straps and lacy camis undercover.  I could go into more details but I will leave it like this.  

The Bible is very clear on modesty.  I Timothy 2:9-10 says, "In like manner also, that women adorn themselves in modest apparel, with shamefacedness and sobriety; not with broided hair, or gold, or pearls, or costly array; But (which becometh women professing godliness) with good works."

I also believe that as a Christian woman, I have a great responsibility to the men around me to not be a stumbling-block.  I don't need to make it any harder for a man to keep his mind pure by dressing carelessly.  Do we even think of this anymore?  Am I or are you so focused on what I want, to be stylish or have my freedom to dress as I please, that I totally disregard those around me?  God help us.

I am not a skirt-only advocate.  I do wear pants and capris at home.  But lately, I have felt led to wear skirts or loose culottes when I am out in public.  I usually wear some kind of blouse with a higher neckline, too.  Interestingly enough, people are so respectful of me when I am dressed this way.  They open doors and smile more.

Now for the REAL ME part,  I almost didn't post these pictures.  When I reviewed them, I thought, "Oh man, I look so fat!  I can't post these!"  Now wait a minute!  Fat, fat??  Compared to whom?  And who says?? 

Our culture today is obsessed with skinny.  Before the days of Twiggy and Barbie, women were considered normal if they had a little body fat.  Strong, robust women worked hard for their families on farms and in the home.  Paintings of past eras show women with volumptuous curves and feminine figures.  Not to mention my ancestry.  I am 100% Dutch.  Dutch people are big boned, tall and robust.  It is not healthy to be as skinny as your bone structure will allow. 

It is NOT NORMAL to be so thin!  It may be popular but it is NOT NORMAL.  I for one, am taking back my body type and being totally content right where I am and not conforming to what the world and culture say I should look like.  I love me, even the way I look!  Perfection does not have to rule in how much I weigh.  I would not be "prettier" if I was thinnner.  So I am going to just be myself.  How about you just be yourself, too?

BTW, I have purposely tried to not "preach" here.  I am not going to use my blog to be a woman preacher.  So if I use the personal tense, please forgive me for sounding self centered.  I am trying to avoid finger-pointing,  OK? 

Well, there you have it.  I hope that when people see me, they see my heart's desire for holiness and godliness, and the way I dress doesn't come in the way of that, but rather enhances it.

The Real Me

Ok.  That's it!  I've had it!  I AM JUST GOING TO BE ME!!!!

Yes, I struggle with wanting people to approve of me.  So much so that I have only been writing what is safe, politically correct Christian type writing. 

Well, no more!  I am going to write what I want.  I am going to share what is on my mind and heart even if there might be someone out there who doesn't approve! 

It is time for me to be really just me.  So I hope I don't offend you, dear reader, but this is my blog and I am going to say things as I see them. 

Aaahhh.  What a relief to finally just be me.  I have some interesting posts in mind as soon as I find some time to get them written. 

So for now, have a great evening!

What a Friend

What a Friend We Have in Jesus

What a friend we have in Jesus all our sins and griefs to bear!

What a privilege to carry everything to God in prayer!

O what peace we often forfeit, O what needless pain we bear,

All because we do not carry everything to God in prayer!

Have we trials and temptations?  Is there trouble anywhere?

We should never be discouraged;  Take it to the Lord in prayer!

Can we find a friend so faithful, Who will all our sorrows share?

Jesus knows our every weakness; Take it to the Lord in prayer!

Are we weak and heavy laden, Cumbered with a load of care?

Precious Savior still our refuge, Take it to the Lord in prayer!

Do thy friends despise, forsake thee?  Take it to the Lord in prayer!

In His arms He'll take and shield thee;  Thou wilt find a solace there.

If you have no friends or they have forsaken you, Jesus is your friend.  He will care for you and sustain you.  You never have to walk alone. 

Never alone,

Really Great News!!

The details are finally in place so that we can announce that we are now vendors for The Old Schoolhouse Magazine in their ebook store online!! 

This is a really big magazine in the homeschool arena.  The ebooks will be listed soon.  We just signed the contracts so everything is ready to go.  We are really excited because they liked all of our ebooks and wanted to sell them in their store! 

What is so amazing is that a year ago, I contacted them and asked if they would sell our Battle Book and Armored Glove Book (that was all we had back then).    They said no and that was fine. 

Then at the GHEA conference a reviewer for their Homeschool Blogger saw our materials and suggested we have it reviewed for more exposure.  We checked into it but the cost was beyond our meager budget.  So no go there. 

Then just the other day I get an email from The Old Schoolhouse asking us to sell in their ebook store as things had changed and they were adding new products!  Wahoo!  Yes!  So we filled out all the forms and sent them the necessary docs and we are on the way! 

Will you please pray that they sell well?  It would be so awesome to see our children prosper, as they get all the proceeds of the ebooks. 

Just for your information, you can buy the ebooks directly from our websites.  We get all of the money from our website and we get a royalty from TOS.  (But we are so happy with the exposure from TOS!!)

Julia's site is Jewels by Julia and she is selling her How to Create series.  Check it out HERE. 

My sons' website is Warfare by Duct Tape and they have 4 books for sale.  Check it out HERE. 

AND, the other big news is that Julia has her jewelry in a local shop now!  It is a very nice shop with high end clothing and shoes.  They bought the jewelry outright instead of consignment which is so good for Julia. 

Here it is displayed at the store.  If you are local, please email me or leave a comment and I'll tell you where it is.  :) 

We are rejoicing here as a family!  We are so blessed and we are so grateful.  God truly is good!

Rejoicing,

When There is Just Too Much

Some days there is just too much to do.  You feel overwhelmed.  You begin to get stressed out.  There is no way it will all be done in time. 

Yes, we all feel that way sometimes.  Julia has written a post for a devotional blog, Meditations of His Love.  She speaks to that very thing.  Click HERE to read it.  I think you will be blessed! 

Answering His call,

Room Makeover

Julia has posted about her new room makeover.  She designed the whole thing.  We had so much fun shopping online for the fabric from Fabric.com.  I was able to help her by sewing the curtains and the bedspread.  It was part of our birthday present to her, really. 

It is so exciting to see her grow up and mature.  She is growing into such a fine young woman.  So hop over there to see all the pictures and descriptions about her room.  Her blog is HERE.

Have a blessed day,

One Word

I overheard Julia ask her brothers,  "How would you describe Reginald?"  (Reginald is a fictional character in a story that she is writing.)  They started naming off things and then she said, "One word."

One word.  That really struck me.  Now it took longer for the boys to answer.  Eventually they named some traits. 

One word.  It stuck with me.  How would I describe myself with one word?  How would someone else describe me with one word?   How would you describe yourself with one word?  How do others see you?

Would the word be negative or positive?  Am I characterized by good things or negative things?

As a Christian, my life should exhibit more of the fruits of the Spirit than the works of the flesh.

Gal 5:1921 Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness,

 Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies,

 Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.

The "do" here means habitually, practise, perform repeatedly.  I understand that none of us are perfect.  We all have a bad day now and then.  But this is referring to something that happens all the time, something we are characterized by.  

And in the very next verse....
Gal 5:22-25 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,

 Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.
 And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.
 If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.


Oh, Lord, may my life reflect your character.  May I daily become more like you in every aspect of my life.  May those around me see you in my life, my words and my actions. 

Rom. 12:1-2 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.

 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

Seeking to be more like Him,

Pray for Your Man

Our husband, our men, need our prayers.  It is easy to get focused on the day-to-day things, sometimes forgetting the importance of praying for those right in front of us. 

But it is important, even vital to pray for our husbands.  They need the support and the encouragement that our prayers provide.  God is able to touch them, mold them and refine them in ways that are beyond our understanding. 

We, as wives know our husbands better than anyone.  Their strengths and weaknesses are apparent to us.  Let us avoid the trap of dwelling on their flaws.  It is not our place to fix them.  That is God's place.  Be on guard against nagging.  Better to bring those things to our Heavenly Father and intercede on our husbands behalf.  God will move and change as we pray for them.  Maybe the best remedy for weaknesses in our men is to get out of the way and let God work in them! 

God has a plan for our men that is above what we can think.  We may have ideas on how they should be, but God knows what is best for them. 

If (when?) those little things they do frustrate you, pray.  Don't simmer in negative thoughts, pray.  When he does things in ways you would have done differently, pray for him.  Pray blessings on him.  Pray Ephesians 3 for him.  Pray that he would have wisdom, be hungry for God's Word and desire to do the right thing above all else.  Pray that he would fulfill his role as leader of the family.  Pray he be filled with the fruits of the Spirit.  Avoid manipulative prayers, like "God make him see my way..."  But pray Biblically. 

As you pray, your heart will be refreshed and you will gain a heavenly perspective of your mate.  You will begin to see him as the Father sees him.    Praying will bring you peace and help you to be sweet and peaceful to him. 

Then stand back and watch God faithfully answer your prayers, in His time and in His way.  Your life together will blossom and your relationship will take on new meaning. 

1Thess 5:17 Pray without ceasing.

Mark 11:24 Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.

May your be blessed as you pray for your man.

Praying,

A Creative Giveaway!!

My sweet friend Michelle is hosting a giveaway of Julia's new ebooks!  She is giving away 3 sets of all three books!  Head on over there and enter to win.  You will be so glad you did, especially if you win! 
Click HERE to go to Michelle's blog, She Looketh Well. 

Have a blessed day!

Blessings!

It has been a busy 2 weeks.  I have tried to post 3 times and blogger wouldn't work for me so hopefully this time will work. 

God has been pouring out his blessings on us, literally!

We have been sweating through a very hot summer with almost no rain.  Needless to say for a landscaping company that is not good news.  We had been praying for more work as we were quickly finishing the rush of spring projects that we had lined up.  But for a long time, no calls, no contacts, nothing, nada...  But just as we are getting ready to do the last job on our list, a previous contact asked for an updated proposal and another friend asked for more work to be done.  Thank you, Lord!

We also were praying for rain.  Yesterday, God gave us our own personal rainstorm for 3 hours! Seriously. 

There were large bands of rain on the radar but far north and south of us.  Right in the middle of the radar map was our little storm not even 3 miles wide.  We received a drenching rain and cool breezes!  Thank you, Lord!

Some friends invited us to go blueberry picking with them today.  I had already gotten some at a local u-pick for $10 a gallon.  But today we were able to get almost 5 gallons in an hour and a half for FREE!!  The berries are bigger and sweeter than the other place.  AND the lady told us to come back next Saturday and pick more because they can't get them all and they are falling on the ground!!  Thank you, Lord!

Julia wanted a bedroom make-over for her birthday and this week we were able to finish her curtains and bedspread just in time for my sister and her husband coming to stay with us overnight!  Thank you, Lord!

Today, a man at a garage sale today gave Bob a full size filing cabinet for free, just what we needed to organize our office space!  Thank you, Lord!

A dear friend has offered to post about Julia's ebooks on her blog to help us get the word out.  Her blog is She Looketh Well.  She is also offering a giveaway for the ebooks so check it out.  Thank you, Lord! 

I feel like I could go on and on.  But don't you see the hand of God in all of this?  He is so faithful to do what He says He will do and one of those things is to take care of His children.  He will pour out a blessing if you look to Him. 

Malchi 3:10-11 Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the LORD of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.

And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes, and he shall not destroy the fruits of your ground; neither shall your vine cast her fruit before the time in the field, saith the LORD of hosts.

Psalm 81:10 I am the LORD thy God, which brought thee out of the land of Egypt: open thy mouth wide, and I will fill it.



Psa 34:8-10 O taste and see that the LORD is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him.

 O fear the LORD, ye his saints: for there is no want to them that fear him.

The young lions do lack, and suffer hunger: but they that seek the LORD shall not want any good thing.


Thank you, Lord,