~Be On The Lookout~

I'm just dropping in to tell you to be on the lookout for some new posts coming up in the New Year!

These will include...

• Hot Cocoa recipe
• DIY  post or two
• A Guest post

And a surprise! 
So stay tuned.

Merry Christmas, Happy Holiday's, and a very joyful New Year!

~Merry Christmas From Becoming Virtuous~

Luke 2 Verse 8 Through 14

And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.

 And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.

 And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.

For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.

And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.

And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying,

Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.

Merry Christmas from me to you! 

~Inexpensive Gift Ideas for the Hard to Shop For~

Since it's getting close to Christmas {Already? I thought we did this last month} here is a quick list I have gathered of inexpensive  gift ideas for that hard-to-shop-for special somebody. This list is not a paid sponsorship or a review, it's just something I thought of that I wanted to share with y'all. Feel free to add your ideas in the comment section below!

1. Soap.
Whether it's handsoap, a bar of soap, or soap shavings for a bath, giving the gift of some good-smelling soap will brighten the receivers Christmas, and who doesn't love a useful gift?
$1-$10 {or however much you want to spend}

2. A coffee or tea mug
A mug with some instant coffee, hot chocolate, or a few tea bags is the perfect gift for those cold, cold days of winter ahead.
 $1-$10

3. Candles.
One of my favorite things to give my mom is a candle or two. They smell good, make the room smell good, and relax me every time.
$1-$15
If you want to give a decent candle that doesn't give you a headache from strong fumes, and that lasts quite a long time, I recommend going to a craft Store like Michaels or Hobby Lobby. The usually run from $5-$10 depending on the size.
 Tractor Supply has some adorable country-style candles that are scented from bacon, maple syrup, or peppermint candy.


4. Kitchen Utensils.
This may seem like an odd gift, but if you think about it... when have you not used a kitchen utensil? Be it a spatula, some spoons, skewers even? It will give both of ya'll a good laugh, but it will also be a very useful  thing to have.
$0.50-$3

5.  A Handmaid Calendar,
I gave my brother a calendar last year that I had printed off the internet and made into a "Forever Alone" calendar. I had made each month a different pun about being single (i.e. Forever Alone February, Just Me July, All by Myself April, Don't Date December.)  He loved it, and we both had a good laugh after he opened it.
Free
HERE are some templates


6. Some Headphones.
Maybe they love music, maybe the travel a lot, or maybe they do some work on a computer; but who hasn't used headphones? Maybe buy four or five pairs and give them all at once.
$1-$20

7. A Relaxing Piano Music CD
Everyone's taste in music differ, but our taste in relaxing piano music doesn't. Whether It's Yiruma, Jim Brickman, or Michele Mclaughlin, (or maybe one of your own favorites) relaxing piano music is {in my opinion} the perfect gift for anyone.
Price varies
 

I hope I have given you some ideas. If you have some of your own, then please add to the comment section below!

Blessings, Abigail.

~My Shop~

Since it's getting close to Christmas, I thought it is about time that I shared my Etsy shop, Sew Cute Handcrafted Gifts   I have a nice ( I think their nice anyway) selection of homemade gifts for almost every occasion.

I have crocheted cotton washcloths in various colors

click HERE to see an orange set in my store

click HERE to see a pink and blue set in my store

click HERE to see a black and white set in my store

I have a few baby receiving blankets

click HERE to see a burgundy blanket

click HERE to see a navy blue blanket

and some various pot holder's 

click HERE to see some oversized set potholders

click HERE to see a black and white patterned set of potholders

click HERE to see a handloom woven set of potholders

These were actually made by my younger sister

And I also have a lot of other items on there....

Baby bibs

Diaper bag, purse, or tote #1

Diaper bag, purse, or tote #2

Fabric Tic-Tac-Toe game

and more! New items are added every month or week so make sure you save my shop to come to later!

I hope I can help your Christmas list get smaller this year!

Blessings, Abigail Joy

~Salvation~

Romans 1:16 King James Version (KJV)

16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.

Acts 28:28 King James Version (KJV)

28 Be it known therefore unto you, that the salvation of God is sent unto the Gentiles, and that they will hear it.

Romans 10:13 King James Version (KJV)

13 For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.

Romans 3:23 King James Version (KJV)

23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;

Romans 6:23 King James Version (KJV)

23 For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

~Modest Outfit of the Day: Episode 6 ~

Ever since the weather started getting colder, I've been so excited to get out my winter outfits! And this past Friday it got down into the 70's, so I was able to wear my first fall-like outfit of the year. IT was still a little warm, so I tried to stay clear of thick clothing and scarves.

You can see a very similar outfit  HERE

Shirt -- Goodwill, $5.00

Skirt-- Sister- In- Law (Thanks girlie!) 

Ankle Boots -- On Sale at Walmart $5.00

My sister took these pictures on our town square, and I just love the beauty of it.

I hope to get back on the ball and start posting more, so keep a lookout.

Blessings

Abigail 

~A Visit to the Beach~

Recently, my family and I took an impromptu day-trip to the beach. 

It has been 14 years since we've been, so most of my younger brothers and sisters had never seen the ocean. Needless to say, most--if not all-- of us fell in love.  

Please, enjoy these pictures! 

One of the ocean's river-ways 

Marshlands created by the tides.

The waves were so soothing.

Docks and boats.

More open air. 

I think this image of anonymous beach-goers perfectly captures the attitude of the shoreline.

Where did you go this Summer?

~Summer Solstice~

Birds were busy finding partners, food,  and a place to raise their young.

Busy eating, preparing for the endless cycle of seasons.

Swift storms brought rainbows..

And beautiful evening skies.

And those storms brought the creek bed higher...

And made tiny water falls over every rock.

Every day was an adventure.

Every hour  a story waiting to be told.

The sunshine through the leaves made it seem
like reality was altered.

And the water begged to be swam in.

Standing on the shore was like looking to the future, never knowing what was in it,
yet excited to find out. 

Flowers waited impatiently to be picked.

And Tomorrow waited impatiently  to be discovered.

Yes, Summer had finally arrived.

“All in all, it was a never-to-be-forgotten summer — one of those summers which come seldom into any life, but leave a rich heritage of beautiful memories in their going — one of those summers which, in a fortunate combination of delightful weather, delightful friends and delightful doing, come as near to perfection as anything can come in this world.” 
― L.M. Montgomery, Anne's House of Dreams

This is a repost from last year. 

You can read about it by clicking HERE

~Easy-Peasy Foaming Soap Refill~

My family and I have been refilling our hand soaps for a while now, and let me tell you, it saves money. Believe it or not, spending $3 a week on hand soap adds up, so here is a quick tutorial on how we refill our foaming hand soap. This is probably the easiest DIY tutorial ever.

Start with empty soap containers 

Get your favorite shampoo. 

Fill the soap bottle until the whole bottom is covered.

Fill with warm water, leaving enough room for shaking. About 3/4 the way up.

Shake until the shampoo has dissolved  and the water is tinted with the shampoo. 

And that's it! Easy peasy. 

I hope I help you save at least $3 this week. ~smile~ 

Blessings! 

Abigail

~Random Book Haul~

I decided to do a random, unplanned book haul for you. To show my recent purchases or gifts.
I. Love. Books! I always have.
 I have been collecting books since I was 11, when I received my first book, an abridged copy of Little Women by Louisa May Alcott; which I read repeatedly until it sadly fell apart at the seams.
I hope you enjoy the book haul!


The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis complete collection.
My (amazing, sweet) Mother has always bought us one book every time we go to a thriftstore for as long as I can remember. So I may have taken advantage of that by often looking for books more than other items of need or want. I found this collection of The Chronicles of Narnia the last time we went to Goodwill, and, let me tell you.. I was very excited when I did! My older sister had a copy of this, but took it with her when she got hitched, and I've been on the lookout ever since.

1984 by George Orwell

I have read Orwell's other works, and was excited to find this at a book sale because I've been wanting to read it. Now, if I don't like it, I can just re-gift it ~smile~  

I bought it at a book sale for 50 cents.

And I found these beauties at a church book sale. I love Dear America and My America Diaries, and I've been collecting them for as long as I can remember.  

I'm not sure who the authors are, but the books are

My Face to the Wind

Land of the Buffalo Bones

and 

Lady of Ch'iao  Kuo

They were $2.00 each, a good deal if I do say so myself! 

As you can see, I have a growing stash of these books. About half of them were my older sister's, until she relinquished her claim  got married and gave them to me.  I love the stories they tell, and how they each transport me to a different time in history.

What books are you collecting? Do you have a favorite series? 

Blessings! 

Abigail. 

~Modest Outfit of the Day. Episode 5~

With the cooler weather still going on, it's high time that Spring comes! Don't you think? Let's have a " Bring on Spring" rally, and maybe we'll get the attention of the weatherman.
Anywho, back to my reason for making this post... Here is my latest outfit.
I shall call it, "I've Got The Spring Blues".

You may remember these ankle boots from this post from February

And the khaki skirt from my first modest OOTD post back in January.

Please forgive my awkward attempts at nonchalant posing

It was still a little cold, so I layered an undershirt from Walmart for added warmth.

Shirt- Ross for $7.99

Skirt- Thrift store for $2.99

Shoes- Walmart for $5.00

Layered undershirt- Walmart for $1.97

Are you more relaxed with your personal style, or do you like to dress up for every event?

I'm a mix of both. During the week I'm more relaxed in my style choices, but once Friday comes you won't see me in a teeshirt-jean -skirt combo. ~smile~  

Blessings! 

Abigail. 

~ God is Love~

1 John 4:8b

 "...God is love."

Isn't that a beautiful thought?

 God is love.

 I was pondering on this when 1 Corinthians 13 came to mind. You know, the "Love Chapter"? 

1 Corinthians 13:4-8

4 Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up,

5 Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil;

6 Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth;

7 Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.

8 Charity never faileth: 

 What I gathered from these two passages of Scripture is, 

 God is Love,  

God suffers long

God envies not

God vaunteth not Himself, is not puffed up

God does not behave Himself unseemly

God doesn't seek out His own kind

God is not easily provoked

God thinks no evil

God rejoices not in iniquity, but rejoices in truth

God bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things

But above all....

God never fails!

Aren't those comforting thoughts? That God can do all those things, and still love us. 

Blessings and happy Spring, 

Abigail Joy.

These pictures are from a year-old post of when we to a beautiful monastery. 

Click here to read the post.

~Modest Outfit of the Day: Episode 4~

For Sunday's outfit, I wanted to get the feel of spring. As I'm sure you know, spring is right around the corner, and I am so ready for warmer weather and greener nature! 

Peach blossoms

I also have a new hair cut  that I want to show off a little, along with my new shoes!

These were taken on the side of a Dollar General. {smile} I thought
it would be artsy-fartsy  to have them taken somewhere else besides right outside my home. 

 My Mother let me borrow her sweater since all mine were too old and threadbare for the public eye and it is still a little chilly outside.

Shirt - Thrift store for about a $1.00

Skirt- Made by me

Shoes- Goodwill for $6.00

Sweater- My Mother's

I didn't really have any inspiration for this outfit, except that I had some new items in my closet that I wanted to wear.