Blog Redesign and Throwback Month!

Hello lovely readers!!

Were you a little worried,

when you first arrived at this blog page, thinking perhaps you had taken a wrong turn in ciber space?

Let me assure you, things may look a little different around here, but you did indeed

reach the same Gladness of Heart blog that you have {hopefully} come to know and love!

I decided it was time to update the look of the place,

make it more my own and move away from the pre-fabricated blog header and background.

What do you think?!

 {Seriously, please tell me!}

I still have a few little things to tweak here and there,

but for the most part, I love the new look!

Moving on to the next order of business:

In a stroke of irony, following on the heals of a new blog design,

I am dubbing September Throwback Month here on Gladness of Heart!

I will take you on a blast from the past with projects that I did before my blogging days,

and some that just got lost in the craziness of life and were never shared with you!
You know the type, I call them MIA projects- they happened, but then in the line
of blogging duty, they fell behind the schedule and just didn't happen.

If you are looking for a theme to blog to this month, I welcome you to join me!

This is a great excuse to show off some of your projects that you might

otherwise be a bit embarrassed to post because it was so long ago since you did them.

So what do you say, do you think you'll join me for a Throwback Month?
I hope to see you around!

Liebster Award

Lookie, lookie...I was twice nominated for the Liebster Blogger Award!

I really feel I should be getting a terrible blogger award y'all, instead of this.

I mean, I disappeared for about four months with no word.

Yeah. I'm pretty sure that falls under the terrible blogger distinction.

BUT...I will graciously accept these awards and try to get up on my blogging horse.
Actually, just as a little heads up, I am in the throes of redesigning my blog,
so get ready for an overhaul and face lift sometime in the future!

I also have some completed refashions (finally!) that I just need to
take 'after' pictures of, then I can share them with you!

Yep. Good things are coming!

Back to the present.
Or rather the past.

My first nomination came from the sweet McKenna over at Cherishing My Role.
Here are her questions and my answers to them.

1. (Hardest Question Ever) How would you describe yourself?
Creative, caring, passionate, stubborn, quietly opinionated,
intuitive, funny, cautious, curious, a dreamer, better one on one.

2. How would you describe your sense of fashion?
 Color. Always color.
Some days I'm elegant and retro, other days bright and boho.
I wear what is pretty and what makes me feel happy-- I don't limit
that to a certain style or era, because I love so many different ones.
But flowey things always make it into my closet.
Free, fun and colorful.

3. Favorite musical artist ever (Aren't these questions easy?)
 Ever? Ever?! Oh, why so hard?!
I'll make it somewhat simplified...my favorite instrument is the piano,
so I'm a sucker for a piece that tickles the ivory keys.
Like my fashion sense, I love (almost) all genres and types of music,
it depends on the mood I'm in and what I am doing at the time.

4. Favorite Snack?
 Salsa with fresh cilantro!!!!!!
And sharp cheddar cheese.
But not together.

5. What is your favorite non-fiction book?
 Works of C.S. Lewis

6. Favorite fiction book?
  Redeeming Love, by Francine Rivers

7. What is your favorite historical era fashion-wise and why?
 Probably the 50's or 70's.
I love the fit and flair dresses of the 50's, the colors and prints are all so cute!
The 70's has some really cute dresses and styles that were long and loose and flowing,
and I love those so much!

8. Tea or coffee?
Chia Tea Latte. :)

9. What are your thoughts on the mismatched sock epidemic?
 My theory is this. The washer and dryer are sort of like a mechanical cow....
they share the same stomach...one drinks the water, and the other...eats the socks.
I know, I know. It makes no sense.
But neither does one sock always disappearing!!

10. What Bible verses have jumped out at you recently?
 Deuteronomy 30:19a "This day...I have set before you life and death..."
Each day, we have a choice...over and over in numerous areas,
to choose life or death. Do I choose to say this and bring death
to this person's dreams, or death to this relationship?
Do I choose to do such and such that will be healthier and bring life into my body?
I think we have so many opportunities in our day to day life
that we can choose a path of life, growth, goodness,
or death, stuntedness, laziness etc.
The choice is before us each day, and we need to be conscious that it is ours to make.

11. Where in the world would you travel to if you could?
 India!

 

My second nomination came from my fellow Refashion Runway contestant from
last year, Magda over at House of Estrela.
Here were her quarries to me.


1. What's your main inspiration when it comes to sewing?
I get a lot of inspiration from sites like BurdaStyle and Modcloth...
I love the style of clothes that Modcloth offers, and I get inspired to sew my own versions,
as I usually don't have the money to spend on their items.
I stay up to date on the newest pattern releases from BurdaStyle,
and they are a great source of inspiration!
And fashion in general...I'm not a very trendy person, but I pick things here and there
that I like that are popular and try to incorporate them into my sewing.

2. What do you like to sew the most?
 I do more refashion sewing than pattern sewing right now,
and that varies based on what I find. I probably refashion more tops
because I need more to go with all of the skirts I have in my closet!

3. How did you learn to sew?
 I taught myself with the help of my mom.
She tried teaching me many times, but it took a determined decision on my part
that I was going to make myself learn this skill, for it to finally click.
I research and learn new techniques from sewing blogs otherwise.

4. Have you taught anyone else to sew in your life?
 Sort of, yes!
My little sister wanted to make a fun pillow for her bed,
so I taught her how to measure, cut, and iron her pieces and then sew them together!
She was pretty content with it, and hasn't really wanted to sew since...but the initial groundwork was laid!

5. What are you working on at the moment?
 Actually, I just finished a blouse refashion, and I haven't quite decided what to work on next.
I think I will end up taking in a couple pairs of trousers to make them 'skinny' next.

The Liebster Award is given to up and coming bloggers who have less than 200 followers,

as a way to recognize them and widen their audience.

1.  Each nominee must link back the person who nominated them.
2.  Answer the 10 questions which are given to you by the nominator.
3.  Nominate 10 other bloggers for this award who have less than 200 followers.
4. Create 10 questions for your nominees to answer.
5. Let the nominees know that they have been nominated by going to their blog and notifying them.

Soo....

I'm gonna do something a little unorthodox and NOT select my nominees right now.

I'm pretty sure that all of the bloggers I follow currently have received this award 

and have passed it on already, so it would just be redundant to nominate them again.

Therefore I have decided to put my nominees on hold until I discover them...

I have a few lists of blogger directories that I have been meaning to peruse,

so I'll save up my little blog award love and pass it on in the future!

In the meantime,

thank you to both of you lovely ladies for the nomination,

and to those of you who actually stuck around to the end of this post.

You are great. :)

Giveaway Reminder

" The essence of creativity is essentially risk, 

believing enough to leap into the yet unseen.

The theological term for this is faith. "

~ Ann Voskamp ~

There is still time to enter your name

for my Vintage Pattern Giveaway!

Visit this post to read more and find out how!

The winner will be announced tomorrow,

though probably pretty late because I'll be spending the day

out and about with my dear, sweet friend Atlanta here in Tennessee!

If I don't get time to put up the results tomorrow, I'll get it up on Sunday.

Have a blessed weekend all!

Bloggiversary and Giveaway! {CLOSED}

Guess what?

Today marks the Two Year Anniversary of this little blog!

I started this blog at about 1a.m. on the morning of March 8, in 2012!

Back then, this blog was a place to share my thoughts and lighthearted little ramblings,

but, since refocusing and taking blogging seriously last spring,

it has really transformed from it's humble beginnings!

 So really, I only feel as if I have been blogging for one year, not two. 

As a way of saying thank you

for being such a wonderful community of blogging friends,

I am having a giveaway!

Honestly,

this anniversary kind of snuck on me,

so I wish I had more to offer you,

but I think someone out there might be excited to receive

some Vintage sewing patterns!

Giveaway!

As you can see,

two are Simplicity dress patterns from the 60's

and the third is a Vogue pant and top pattern dated 1975.

Sizes:

Both dresses start at bust size 31 and up to 38 inches.

The other pattern starts at bust 31-40 for the top,

and the pants are 33-42 in the hips.

These of course are used patterns,

and I haven't checked to see if all the pieces are there,

but I know they come with the original instruction guides!

To Enter:

*Leave a comment below. 

I love to getting to know my readers, so let's do this, 

tell me where you are writing from...state/country!

*You must be a follower of this blog.

In the comments, also let me know how you are following,

via Blogger, Bloglovin', or e-mail. 

I will leave this giveaway open for 1 week,

with the winner to be drawn at random and announced next Saturday!

Thank you for reading Gladness of Heart

and for all of your wonderful support and much appreciated comments!

God bless and good luck!

Day 27: Blogs of Note

If you have been hanging around here for any amount of time,

you probably have a pretty good idea as to some of my favorite blogs.

I mentioned several of them in this post, as they were my nominees

for The Sunshine Award.

And, of course there is the blog roll I keep 

in the sidebar of my blog.

BUT,

just in case you are still wondering,

I'll spell it out for you.

Friend's Blogs

 Atlanta @ The Story of a Seamstress

Atlanta and I have been friends for several years now.

She is an amazing seamstress and historical garment expert,

AND just recently a new mommy!

Since her prince charming came and swept her off her feet,

and consequently brought her home to his castle in Tennessee,

I keep very close tabs on her lovely blog to keep in touch.

Aspen @ Texas Rebel Girl

Aspen is actually the younger sister to Atlanta!

Thankfully she still lives close by,

but I can keep up with the going on in her life at her new blog.

For all you true farm girls and super healthy eaters,

Aspen's blog is definitely for you.

Kayla at My Corner of Middle Earth

Also a personal friend,

Kayla is temporarily in California,

so I use her blog as a means to keep in touch.

Also a new blogger, she shares her own music,

drawings, adventures, and all things LofR.

Favorite Refashion/Sewing Blogs

Renegade Seamstress

Refashionista

Diary of a MadMama

Charity Shop Chic

House of Estrela

Carissa Knits 

Second Chances by Susan

Other Blogs

Eccentric Owl- fashion blog

The Enchanting Rose- crafts, recipes and general loveliness

Wearing It On My Sleeves- humorous fashion blog

That pretty much covers my 'main skeeze' blogs,

and the ones I keep close tabs on.

Here are a few that I've come across lately that peaked my interest.

Newly Discovered Blogs

 A Splash of Tan- fashion blog

Fifties Darling- fashion blog

Into the Woods- GREAT retro fashion blog

So, 

juuussst in case you didn't have enough blogs to follow,

I gave you a few more.

What are some of your favorite blogs?
Leave a comment!
I always enjoy discovering new blogs and meeting new people.


~~~~

I'm linking up at Anchored in Love Divine
for the Blog Everyday in February Challenge!

A 'Dos' of Sunshine: Blog Awards!

Did you see what I did there, in the post title?

Since I was twice nominated for the Sunshine award it is a 'dos' of sunshine, no?! 

(snicker, it's funny and you know it.)

Anyway, moving on!

Yes!

I have been so blessed to be nominated for The Sunshine Award

by Reyna from A Peace of the Past AND McKenna from Cherishing My Role!

Thank you ladies! It was such a sweet surprise!

And I have to admit, I'm kinda sorta pretty tickled pink because this is the first blog award I've received!

Now for the questions from Reyna:

• Do you like to write with a pencil or a pen?

A pen.

As Anne would say,
"I have a scratchy pen 
and I can't write love-letters with a scratchy pen . . . or a sharp pen . . . or a stub pen. 
So you'll only get that kind of letter from me when I have exactly the right kind of pen."
Anne of Windy Poplars by L.M. Montgomery

The right pen is key...I'm especially fond of the dark, black gel-pen sort
The INC. Brand Pro X-Tank pens are my favorite!
(Total nerd moment, I know...)

 

• In which century were most of the books you read written?

Most of the books I read/have read are by modern authors,

such as Francine Rivers, Michael Phillips (not to be confused with the Olympic swimmer),

Janette Oke, Gilbert Morris etc. 

But I do LOVE C.S. Lewis' writings, as well as Shakespeare, Jane Austen,

old poetry and some of the other, singularly great classic pieces of literature,
as referenced in the proceeding question.

Jane Eyre is possibly one of my favorite 'old' books.

 

• What is one of your favorite Bible verses? I know hardly anyone has just a single favorite, so just pick one that comes to mind.

Actually, that one is easy!

My favorite verse(s) is

Isaiah 43:18-19

In fact, I have a second blog (which has been sadly abandoned as of late)

that gets it's namesake from those verses. 
 

• Do you sew, and if so (haha), what?

I do sew, and I just celebrated the one year anniversary

of (finally) learning how this past Valentine's Day!

I still feel so new to the world of sewing,

but I enjoy refashioning clothes the most, partly because

it is so practical and far less expensive than buying material.

But I enjoy a good 'scratch' project too and have tons

of clothing patterns (vintage!) that I want to make! 
 

• What are three of your favorite movies?

Three?! Just three?!

An all encompassing statement is that I love old movies!

That being said, if I had to pick only three favorites,

I would have to say.... 
 

Hello, Dolly
Bringing up Baby
Letters to Juliet

...this was so hard....
and I'm not even sure those were the right three...
*heavy sigh*...oh well

Thanks Reyna!

~~~

And now for McKenna's questions

1. How long have you been blogging?
 I have technically been blogging for nearly two years
(at this blog), though I really only started to get into blogging seriously last spring!

 

2. Tea or Coffee?
Funny story.
I used to hate tea!
Try as I might I couldn't make myself down the stuff.
Then one winter about four years ago, I got sick, and a steaming cup of spearmint tea
just hit the spot, and I've enjoyed tea ever since!

Both have their place, I don't think I could choose.
But I probably enjoy coffee more. :)

 

3. What are your favorite historical eras?
1940-1950's! 
I do enjoy costumes and fashioned from other historical eras as well,
but I don't know much about them.


 

4. What fandoms do you associate yourself with  
(e.g.; Marvel, Doctor Who, LotR, Benedict Cumberbatch, Jane Austen, etc.)?
 I'm not really a part of any fandoms, but being in a household of brothers, I must admit I'm pretty interested in the Marvel franchise...and fairly taken with Tom Hiddleston, 
with Jeremy Renner a close second.

5. Do you play any instruments?
I took piano when I was really young, got back at it in my teens for three years, 
covering 4 levels, and then just stopped because my teacher moved away.
I still love the instrument, but I don't really play much anymore.
I also play the recorder and had fun figuring out Celtic music by ear! 

 

6. What is your favorite book of the Bible and why?
Probably Isaiah...I relate to so much of what he covers,
and the imagery, beauty and depth of book draw me in.
Romans would be second choice.

 

7. On a scale of 1-10, how do you feel about tweed?

(1 being "Disgusting", 10 being "Wish I lived in Yorkshire")
Probably a 3...meh.
I'd wear it was comfortable and I liked the style and color.
But I don't seek it out.

8. Do you enjoy traveling?
Is this a trick question?!
Yes!
I also love driving...road trip, baby!

 

9. What is your most treasured childhood memory?
It was close to mom's due date, she was expecting my
third brother. Dad sent me and my younger brothers
to stay with Nana and Papa for about a week to give mom some rest.
All of my cousins lived just minutes down the road, or a walk across the pasture,
from Nana and Papa, so we got together and played everyday.

One day,
Nana and Papa informed us they planned to take us all swimming at the lake the following day, we were all so excited! 

Low and behold, 
the next day it cold...and pouring rain.

We were devastated.
But my Nana was a most imaginative and ingenuitive grandmother,
who was a master at pretend.

She rigged up what has gone down in the history books of our family
as the best Beach Party ever!

We laid out blue blankets for the water,
yellow blankets for sand, blew up the beach toys, and put on our swim suits!

We turned up the heat, packed a picnic and had a blast!
Pillows became jet skis, and Papa turned the couch in a boat 
(none of these we actually had in real life, mind you!)
We even had a passenger fall overboard! :)

Every single one of us cousins (I had 6 at the time) remember this beach party!
 That is one of my best childhood memories!

 

10. What is your personal style and how does it reflect your personality?
My style, like my personality, is many faceted!
I love skirts and dresses in the summer,
but come winter time, there is just nothing like a pair of jeans,
a button up flannel and a warm bulky sweeter!

I like vintage and feminine styles, 
but I also lean towards long, flowing styles more like 70's, hippy clothes. 
I'm all over the place, really. :)

 

11. What is your all-time favorite item of clothing or outfit to wear?

Well, it definitely isn't the bra!

Probably a sweeter...I have two comfy ones I practically live in when it is cold.



There you have it!
Thanks, McKenna!
~~~~

And now, time for some rules and my nominees!

If you didn't read my little sleuthing story behind this award, you really ought to.

I'll wait.

Ready?

So, in light of all I learned while researching this award,
I'm going to reinstate the mission statement of The Sunshine Award
and adjust the rules to fit some of the earliest, and close to origin, posts I found.

The Sunshine Award is..

"For bloggers who positively and creatively inspire others

in the blogsphere." 

Those who bring a little sunshine into our day!

THE RULES:

• Thank and recognize the blogger(s) who nominated you (link back)
• Post the award on your blog
• Answer the questions given you by your Nominator.
•  Nominate 5-10 other bloggers (no tag backs) and let them know you nominated them
• Set 10 questions for your nominees to answer

The rules given me by my two nominators

also included an extra step: list 11 facts about yourself.

That is something that has been added through the passage of time,

and seemed a little redundant since you were already answering 10 questions;

therefore I altered the rules I'm attaching to my nominees.

However, 

I just so happened to recently share 11 facts about myself in this little post...

so I still completed that step for my nominators. :)

My Sunshine Award Nominees

1. Jen from Diary of a MadMama

2. Stephanie from The Enchanting Rose

3. Kristina at The Eccentric Owl

4. Delvalina at Falling in Love With Jesus

5. Magda at House of Estrela

6. Carissa at Carissa Knits

And for these last two (I couldn't quite come up with 10!), I'm bending the rules a little.

These two ladies don't have blogs, but they are faithful and encouraging readers who

always leave nice comments to cheer up my day!

They certainly bring some Sunshine into my blogworld.

7. jenny-o

&

8. marilyn

Thank you ladies! 

You always bring a smile a to my face.

Questions for the Nominees

1. What are some of your 'accomplishements'

(in the Jane Austen sense of the word: i.e. sewing, crocheting, drawing, instrument, singing...)

2. Where do you get your inspiration (sewing, crafting, outfits etc.) OTHER than Pinterest?

3. Name one new thing you want to make/try this year.

4. Given the choice of anyone in the world (presently living),

whom would you want as a diner guest?

5.  What are some things that make you really happy?

6. Favorite book series?

7. Favorite book made movie.

8. Pet Peeves?

9. If you could visit any country in the world, where would you go?

10. When you were a kid what did you want to be when you grew up?

Would you still choose that?

Thanks for the nominations,
and I look forward to hearing back from all of you!

The Sunflower/Sunshine Award: A Sleuthing Story!

 Hey all!
Guess what?
I was recently nominated twice for the Sunshine Award...well sorta.
That is where the sleuthing story comes in.
I call this story...The Case of the Mistaken Identity Award! 





Reyna from the blog A Peace of the Past
nominated me for The Sunflower Blogger Award.
What a nice gesture! Thank you Reyna!

But before writing a post about it, I wanted to do some research and learn
more about this award.

To my surprise, I found nearly nothing.

So, I put on my curious, ex-journalistic sleuthing hat and started digging!

Following all of the blog link backwards,
I tracked this particular thread of the 'Sunflower' award and found some
very interesting things!

As far back as I can track it,
which is 14 blogs back, this leg of the award started in the United Kingdom!
Unfortunately, I can't track it back any further, the blogger not only didn't use a link
but they didn't put up a post about the award...so, I lost the scent!

Hop down 7 blogs and we come to North America.
I'm not sure if it is the US or not, there was no 'about me' info at that particular blog,
but the address was no longer uk.
The blogger after that was from Canada!
And the last 6 blogs that have circulated this award have been in various US states.

Now here is the big discovery...
The award mistakenly changed names 9 blogs ago!
The blog author just misread the title and changed it from the Sunshine Award to the Sunflower award!
I accredit that mistake to the fact that the previous blogger used an image of a sunflower.


THAT would explain why I didn't come up a string of results
when I searched the Sunflower Award!

 

This Sunflower Blogger Award badge appeared on the scene
just 4 blogs back, created by Sarah, Plain and Average.
It is a shame this image is obsolete, it is so pretty!


NOW that I had the name right, I did a search on The Sunshine Award
and found tons of posts and images!

I found there are various images that have been used with this award.

These two seamed to be the least used images that are circulating.

And these two are the most popular
with the blue and orange image seemingly the oldest, most used and official, award image.

And, just like the images have changed from blog to blog,
apparently so have the rules!

The rules are basically this: answer questions given to you
(in some cases I found, it was a predetermined list of basic questions: fav. color etc. that never changed)
by the person who nominated you, and then you nominated so many people in return
and asked them your own set of questions.

In my research, I found the numbers varied any where from the current rules of
answering 11 questions to only 7, and from tagging 11 people to only 5!

In all my sleuthing however, I was never able to find the origins of the Sunshine Award.

Apparently I'm not the only one who has searched this thing out..
I came across this post and the author shared much of what I had discovered,
that the numbers/rules had changed lots over the course of time.
I was impressed to find that she had tracked the award back to January of 2010!
This award already has a rich history.


It is crazy how things get so changed and turned around.
But when you play a game of telephone on an epic world wide scale,
things are bound to get a little jumbled. :)

But, with a little sleuthing I was able to clear some of the confusion up anyway.
You're welcome. :)

To further this interesting story
....no sooner had I completed all of my research, than I received
a comment from another blogger that I had been nominated for the Sunshine Award!
Gee...glad I got all that cleared up! 

Since I was nominated twice,
and have a long list of questions to answer, I'm going to break that into another post.

I hope you enjoyed this brief History of The Sunshine Award
and my detective adventures!

Come back later for Q&A time with my two nominators
and my own nominations for The Sunshine Award!

Day 24: Guest Post with Diary of a MadMama!

Today, 
I am so pleased and excited to share with you one of my favorite bloggers!

I stay on top of all her posts, and look anxiously forward to each one!

Allow me to introduce to you, Jen from Diary of a MadMama!

This t-shirt dress and the floral hi-low hem makeover below

 are just two (there are so many to choose from) of my favorite refashions from Jen...
can you tell I like dresses?

 I 'met' Jen through the very first Refashion Runway Competition,

held by Beth at Renegade Seamstress, and immediately singled her out as my favorite!

I've been following her ever since.

I love her sense of humor and creativity!

She does some of the most unique and 'out of the box' refashions I've ever seen.

I hope you enjoy her as much as I do!

~~~~~

Hello there!

Jen here, from Diary of a MadMama.

I am so honored that Desarae would so kindly ask me to be a guest blogger!
I have been blogging for a little over a year, and I've really enjoyed the journey so far!

Recently I refashioned the sleeves of these sweaters into fingerless gloves:

Meh

Since all I used were the sleeves (and not even all of the sleeves), I still had a lot of sweater leftover.

Not wanting anything to go to waste, I thought of the perfect way to use up the leftovers...
A WINTER MAXI SKIRT!

I love the comfy-coziness of maxi skirts, and I HATE being cold
(especially this winter in Michigan, with arguably the worst winter weather I have ever experienced).
A maxi skirt made out of sweaters = warmth and style!

As a side note, I purchased the grey and red sweaters for 49-cents each at my local thrift store,
which fits my weekly "49-Cent Friday" blog series (the black sweater was given to me for free!).

The grey and red sweaters have strands of sparkly silver threads woven into them,
giving them a shimmery effect.

The black and grey sweaters are very stretchy, making them perfect for this skirt.
I mean, if the sweaters aren't stretchy enough, I'd end up walking like a geisha!

Since the red sweater had a higher wool content, it wasn't as stretchy,
so I decided to use it as the waistband (and top section) of the maxi skirt,
keeping the other (more stretchy) sweater pieces as the bottom of the skirt.

So to begin, I cut the sweaters across at the armpits like so:

Snip!

Snip!!

With the red sweater, I trimmed higher above the armpits to give myself more material, since I was using it as the upper, waist portion of the skirt.

Snip!

I just trimmed down the sides a bit to make it smoother.

Snip!

Using the brand-new serger I got for Christmas, I serged around the top of the red sweater...

Pretty stitches 'eh?

...and then trimmed the ribbed waistband off of the black sweater:

Snip!

After that was trimmed off, I placed the black sweater into the red sweater (wrong-sides together):

And serged them together...

Whirrrr...

Then I placed the grey sweater into the black sweater (once again, wrong-sides together):



Once I serged that together, it was all done! And since I left the ribbed band on the grey sweater, the bottom was already finished.

I love that the red sweater already is snug, which means I didn't need to add elastic.

This skirt is super comfy and I love it dressed up with my wide, black belt:

By the way, what do you think of my slippers? ;)

I hope you like this quick and easy refashion.
Thanks so much for having me, Desarae! :)

~Jen


~~~~
I'm linking up at Anchored in Love Divine
for the Blog Everyday in February Challenge!

Day 23: The Joys of Blogging!

Why do people blog?

Why spend hours taking pictures, laboring over grammar and sentence structure
to complete one little post, only to do it all over again the next day?

We all have our reasons,
but most of them come down to this...
we enjoy it.

Have you ever wanted to start a blog?

Today I'm going let you in on a little secret...or two,
about why I enjoy blogging, and maybe you'll be encouraged to start your own.

1. I finish things

I have a habit of starting projects and not finished them, can I hear an amen?!

Blogging can be a great motivator to finish projects,

because it provides a place to share them and get feddback!

2. Expression
No secret here, I love writing,
and this little blog gives me an arena to practice my craft, and share my words.
Whatever it is that makes you tick, blogging is a means to express that.

3. A Challenge
Not only was it a challenge creating my blog, getting all of the technical
aspects to come together, but it continues to push me on to new challenges.
Whether it be with my projects, a particularly intimate post, or just blogging in general,
being involved in the world of blogging challenges you to step it up.

4. Growth Chart
Each time you do overcome a challenge, it is right there in your archives as proof.
Looking back on older blog posts is a great way to measure
the strides you have taken and see the progress of your efforts,
as well as shortcomings you may need to work on.

5. Get organized
Running a blog is a great way to teach you organization and time management skills!
I've learned to keep a journal of all my blogging and post ideas as well
as a calender just for my blog. This way I can see when I have posts
scheduled and when I need to spend a day preparing more.

6. Community!
Last but most important and rewarding,
is the community of blogging!

I get to meet wonderful new people,
who slowly over time, become my friends, and share more and more of their stories.
For me, blogging and the people I connect with through it, are inseparable...
they are one and the same.

So thank you each and every single one of your who stops by to 'see' me.
I read every comment and do my best to reply.
And to all of you 'shadow readers', the ones lurking unseen in cyber space, reading but holding your peace.
I understand.
I used to be just like you.
I look forward to the day when you decide to pop out of the wood work and say 'hi'.

Blogging connects people.
There are blogs that I follow who's writers I have never met,
but I feel as if they are my real friends because I have been
so drawn in by their stories and allowed their little life to become a part of mine.

It is impossible that we could ever meet all of the great people living in this world,
but through blogging, I think we can connect with some of those great people and know their beauty
through a small, glowing screen.


That is what I enjoy most.The greatness, the beauty, and the community of blogging.

~~~~
I'm linking up at Anchored in Love Divine
for the Blog Everyday in February Challenge!

Day #8: Moving Music

Ahh...music.

That word is...well...music to my ears.

It sends exultant flutters and warm ribbons of deep contentment through my being!

 As with most areas in my life, I have very eclectic taste when it comes to music.
I listen from anything to Christian Worship, Big Band, Classic, Instrumental and Opera
to Christian Pop, Oldies Hits, Flamenco, World/Folk music, and some Techno.
A lot depends on the song and the musicians.

Music is very powerful,
and that being the case, I believe we need to be very careful what music we listen to.
Music goes far beyond sound and words, effecting us to the very center of how we think and feel.
You can completely change your mood, perspective on life, and feelings with a song.

Even within the genres which I like to listen to,
there are songs, but more especially artists, that I won't listen to because
of the spirit behind their music.

When I was young my dad taught me the importance of this lesson.
He would play a song for me, then ask me what the spirit was behind that song.
If you listen intently, not to the words, but to the song- was is the predominant feeling you get?
Is it worship? Serenity? Joy?
Or it is anger? Rebellion? Sorrow?

There is a message in music that is deeper than words and notes,
it is what the song makes you feel, where it wants to take you.
Be careful what you feed yourself with.
Always analyze whether what you are 'hearing' is truthful and healthy.

Sure, I listen to some secular music just for fun,
and I like listening to some Christian rap-ish music every now and again.
But it is just like junk food, you shouldn't make a consistent diet of empty, hallow, self-focused music.
All in moderation.


"Everything is permissible"--but not everything is beneficial. 
"Everything is permissible"--but not everything is constructive.
 1 Corinthians 10:23


Anyways.

Getting down from my little soap box,

I'll share just a few of my favorite musical selections with you.
By clicking the links, you will taken to YouTube where you can listen to these amazing songs.



Instrumental and Vocal

Le Onde by Ludovico Einaudi

Summer Rain by Hayley Westenra



Worship and Uplifting 
 
Strong God by Meredith Andrews 
(her entire Worth it All Album is mind blowing!)

Safe by Phil Wickham

Here Goes by Bebo Norman



 Christian Contemporary

He Said by Group1Crew

Something in Your Eyes by Shonlock

 All For You by Ty Tribbett
This one will get your groove on!
I love this one when you need some energy!



Crooning Oldies

Beyond the Sea by Robbie Williams 
(or Frank Sinatra or Kevin Spacey)

If you like that song, you will love any of these...I love this genre of music!
Especially Michael Buble.

A Kiss to Build a Dream On
The Way You Look Tonight
 Almost Like Being In Love
La Vie En Rose


Other

New Soul by Yael Naim

 Say by John Mayer


Enjoy!
If you still didn't get your music fix,
you can search through some of my older posts titled Monday Melodies,
where I used to share some of my favorite selections.

~~~~
I'm linking up at Anchored in Love Divine
for the Blog Everyday in February Challenge!

Day #4: A Name With A Story

Have you ever wondered how this little blog got its name?
A name is an important thing.

So important that God even changed the names of several of His followers
in both the Old and New Testaments.
Apparently, it is something that requires some serious thought.

Truth be told,

there was no great lightbulb moment when I came up with 'Gladness of Heart',

but I do feel it was something the Lord inspired.

See, I'm a wanderer, a dreamer, a romantic.

If I had my way, I would travel the world sampling the cultures and hearts

of the people of many nations; see the beautiful handiwork of God and man displayed in nature and architect,
and soak in the music, colors, and rhythms of other nattionalities.

But, as life really is,

I live in a tiny Texas 'village', transplanted from my beautiful northern roots,
and far away from anything exciting and cultural.

Let's just say I often have to submit my adventurous heart to God and trust Him with the details of my life.

It was upon one such trusting lesson that I came across these verses...

"This is what I have observed to be good:

that it is appropriate for a person to eat, 

 to drink and to find satisfaction 

in their toilsome labor under the sun

during the few days of life God has given them

—for this is their lot.

Moreover, when God gives someone wealth and possessions,

and the ability to enjoy them,

to accept their lot and be happy in their toil

—this is a gift of God.

They seldom reflect on the days of their life, because

God keeps them occupied with gladness of heart."

Ecclesiastes

5:18- 20

 The Lord really impressed upon me that last portion:

'God keeps them occupied with gladness of heart.'

He gives us the occupation of our hands,

and He has given us what we need to have gladness in our hearts, 
but the choice remains ours to find joy in where we are.

So really, this blog became a way of submitting to where God has me right now.

In a little place, living a little life....choosing to find gladness in it all.

Since then, 

this blog really has become a source of gladness for me,

giving me a chance to travel through my thoughts and writings,
 even connecting me with people the world over, people like you, who come by to read!

They say we grow into our names...and I'm glad of that. 

~~~~
I'm linking up at Anchored in Love Divine
for the Blog Everyday in February Challenge!