Biltmore For A Day.

One of the pleasures of being back in the South is visiting places I haven’t been to in awhile. However, this time was different. Why? The dresses and costumes from one of my favorite shows, Downton Abbey, were on display at the Biltmore Estate in Asheville, North Carolina. The dresses had exquisite beading detail and beautiful fabrics. My favorite dresses were the debutant’s dresses from Lady Rose MacClare’s introduction to society. I also loved another of Lady Rose’s dresses that was an in-house party dress. The ambience of the house was wonderfully matched to that of the dresses and costumes on display. After touring the house with its’ long corridors and beautifully decorated rooms, we got to see some of the grounds and gardens. I loved seeing the beautifully trimmed lawns and fountains. The rose garden was lovely with all the different types of roses and it reminded a little of the Mirabell Palace Gardens in Salzburg that I toured last summer. On our way back to the car we walked through the green houses and a hot house. I was really excited to see a real hot house after watching all of the Jane Austen movies like Pride & Prejudice and Sense & Sensibility. It was wonderful to experience the Biltmore again and see all of the wonderful dresses from Downton Abbey. Thank you, Asheville, for a wonderful afternoon!

-C

p.s. 

All of the pictures are my own except for the last two.

Debutante Gowns via Pinterest

Lady Rose MacClare Party Dress via Pinterest

It's Complicated.

Complicated. This word perfectly describes life. There are so many wonderful aspects of this life we live in, but at the same time there are so many things that can get us down. Therefore, it’s complicated. My joy and comfort in this life is knowing that Christ is constant. His love is so complicated, yet simple at the same time. Simple in knowing that He loves us despite everything we’ve done or will do. Complicated in the fact that He was perfect, yet laid down His life for us in a beautiful exchange. The other part of His love that puts me in a state of awe and wonder is His constant pursuing of my heart and my life to serve and glorify Him. To think that He was perfect, yet chose to take the blame for us is definitely something worth living for Him for. Along with living for Christ comes a realm of things most people don’t oft expect. For example, going through hardships, times of confusion, times of waiting, and times of hitting rock bottom where the only thing we have to cling to is Christ. I feel as though I’ve been in that place of feeling like there was nothing left and where the bottom had fallen out of all the dreams and plans I had. I had family and friends surrounding me during that time, but I felt alone at times. The strangest thing about that time was that I still felt the love of Christ and the comfort of learning how to trust Him more. It was uncomfortable, but it was(and still is) the kind of uncomfortable that brings us closer to Him. Over the past few months I have grown so much in my faith and learning to trust God in EVERY situation. I have loved getting to have a better glimpse into the heart of my Savior and how He is still working in my life and preparing me for the wonderful things that lie ahead.

Recently I made a trip from my school back to the South with a friend. Before we left, her parents prayed for our trip and that we would learn something new about God while we were travelling. And the amazing thing is that I did learn something new. I realized that God is everywhere. Whether I am in a traffic jam, going through endless fields, eating a Wendy’s connected to a gas station, or going through the mountains on the curviest of roads. He is there. I’ve been told this my entire life and thought I believed it, but I experienced it in reality. I’m so thankful for God revealing a little more of His glory.

Thank you, Lord, for this complicated life. I’m thankful for the times of growth and hardship because they bring me closer to you. You are good. You are faithful. You will provide. Let my prayer always be to draw closer to you and to continue to place my trust in you.   

Sweet Memories.

The Little Old Lady Who Was Not Afraid of Anything, Junie B. Jones, Amelia Bedelia, Too Many Pumpkins, The Giant Jam Sandwich, All Tutus Should Be Pink, Henry and Mudge, Jamberry, The Cookie Store Cat… and the list goes on and on and on! These are the stories that describe my childhood and bring back such sweet memories. Those of my mom reading to me, hearing my grade school teachers read in class, or sitting in the sun on the carpet by the window in my grandparent’s living room while reading one of these books. Children’s books have a way about them that can bring back good memories to almost everyone. I love reminiscing about my childhood every time I pass the children’s section in a store. Opening those books allows me to escape into a little pocket joy and forget about the stresses of life and school and forgetting about that paper that is due or the test that I have coming up, if only for a few minutes. Each time I think about those books I get excited about the opportunity I have to share those same memories with my future students! I hope that they will remember the wonderful stories I read to them and that they will treasure them and be reminded of a sweet time in their lives later down the road. So here’s to more wonderful stories and memories to come!

What are some of your favorite stories?

-C

Why?

God works in mysterious ways and those ways can often be very confusing and hard to swallow. Recently, I’ve been experiencing those mysterious ways for myself. I don’t understand why now is the time for everything to change, but God does. He has a wonderful plan that I will never be able to fathom. Not everything goes as I plan and we can make plans and plan for the future so much, but God can change those. So many thoughts are running through my head and at the same time I have no idea what I’m doing anymore.  During this time of uncertainty, I need to cling to Christ. Times and people may change, but God will NEVER change! That is so comforting to me. It’s hard for me to always be joyful, but in the coming days, weeks, and months it is my prayer that God will work in my life so much more than I ever expected or imagined he would! It warms my heart to know how much he truly cares for and loves me! He died for me so that I would come to know him and serve him. Now I can start afresh and be able to focus solely on Christ and what he wants for me. As my mom says, “Choose joy and bloom where you are planted!”

Peace & Solace.

I don’t know about y’all, but lately it seems as if life is busy and there’s not much time for quiet and being alone. I miss sitting in the quiet and reading God’s promises. I get so caught up in what needs to be done and then getting sidetracked on other things that I forget to spend time with the most important person in my life. Too often I feel as if I make up excuses to not read my Bible and do my devotions… maybe it’s too late at night, or I’m too tired to get up early enough, or I don’t want to rip off God of not spending quality time with Him and just cutting it short. But what are our excuses worth? Nothing. God wants us! All of us. He wants our busy. He wants our calm. He wants our anxious. He wants our stress. He wants to take care of us. The other day when I stopped to read my devotions, something that really caught my attention was that it is okay to say, “Help me, Jesus. I need you to help me today!” I found myself saying that over and over and over the other day. When I began to feel stressed and overwhelmed, I cried out to God saying “I need help. I can’t do this without you.” And you know what? He came to my rescue. He came and picked me up when I couldn’t carry myself anymore. I’m so thankful for little reminders that it’s okay to ask for help. That it’s okay to realize that it is near impossible to do everything on our own. I hope that in your day-to-day lives that you will remember to ask for help even if that means stopping in the middle of the sidewalk on the way to class or running an errand to the grocery store. God is with us and He is there to help us. He wants us to rest in His peace and find our solace in Him.

“My heart has heard you say, ‘Come and talk with me.’ And my heart responds, ‘LORD, I am coming.’” –Psalm 27:8

Take A Break.

{my painting}

Tonight we had a floor crafting party! It was nice to "get away" from school, homework, and stress and just "be" with the girls on my floor. It was a wonderful time of just sitting in each other's company and listening to our stories about life. It is so amazing to see how God is working in my life and the other girl's lives on my floor. I'm so thankful to have had this opportunity to sit with them and learn more about them. Here's to more crafting and bonding times!

Land that I love.

I love the South. It’s my home and I’m proud to be from there. I’m enchanted by everything that makes it unique. Sweet tea is our house wine and macaroni is a vegetable. I love that football games are the place to be on Friday nights and that everyone watches college ball on Saturdays. Beautiful flowers dripping from windowsills and khudzu and ivy crawling up the sides of old homes. Sitting on porch swings with loved ones and making apple pies with Grandma. Southern drawls make everything sound perfect and sweet and bless your heart. Everyone’s nickname is “sugar” or “honey” and fireflies are our nightlights. Tea parties with fine china and little sandwiches are just as fun as barbeques with family and friends. Church bazaars and antique stores brim with little trinkets and treasures. Mason jars are a staple. Farmers markets are fun on the weekends and homemade food is the crème de la crème. Going to church on Sunday is just as essential as waking up in the morning. Small towns are dreamy and after dinner strolls are a must. Trips to the beach are a summertime tradition and hushpuppies go right along with sweet friends and company. Country roads were meant for long drives and wildflowers were meant to be picked. Nothing is really yours until it’s monogrammed and pearls are essential. Pink and polka dots go with everything. Hard work is built into us and helping out our neighbors is as natural as eating ice cream. The South is magical and I’ll always love it. Someday, I’ll return there.

-C