Moving...

Happy Wednesday, lovelies!

Due to a mishap with an old Google account getting hacked, attempting to merge two accounts into one blog, and a whole bunch of other confusion, 

I have decided to move this blog to a new (although similar :-) ) blogger url. 

Click on the picture of my brand new header to go to the site, as well as follow via Google+. :-) 

The Greatest Moments

Happy Tuesday! It's been waaayyy too long since I've last posted... life has been 

hectic, 

and Summery, 

and crazy, 

and beautiful. 

Summer classes are now in full swing, and I'm officially doing full time course work for the next month. Even if that means more work, I'm super grateful for the chance to test out the full time waters - that way, I'll be more prepared for the possibility of going full time in the Fall. So, it's all good!

But, in the midst of all that school/job searching/normal life busyness, the picture above was such a sweet reminder.... the greatest moments in life truly are the simplest. 

Having board game tournaments with my nephews.

Discovering psychotic shows on Netflix instant with my brother. ;-)

Little talks with my Mom and Dad. 

Skyping with a friend.

Simple, sweet moments that I would never want to miss. 

          ♥

I hope you have a gorgeous day today!

Party Animal

As another round of a bug has hit our house, this weekend has consisted of wild things like 

watching a Youtube series...

...working on an essay...

...and reading in bed...

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I know, party animal. ;-) 

What about you? How has your weekend been? 

Spring Days

Hi sweet readers! I hope you are having a perfectly lovely, gorgeous Spring so far...

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These warmer days of sunshine and rain showers have been a flurry of working and job searching, finally[!!] finishing Sherlock season 3, sleepovers, a million things to do and procrastinate on ;-), a sweet new cousin arriving, and - of course - school work...

I quickly realized pretty soon after the start of this semester just how much time must be invested to get everything done, even as just a part time student. 

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Still, I'm really looking forward to the challenges ahead as I get closer to going full time in August. It will be hard...many times stressful...and always a ton of work... but I definitely won't be doing it alone.

"I can do all things through him who strengthens me."

~Philippians 4:13

God's strength + my awesome family and friends backing me up all the way = immensely blessed

♥

What about you? 

What have you been up to these April days?

Sunshine Award

Good morning, everyone! 

The sun is peeking through the trees as it makes it's climb into the sky, throwing beams across the yard in hues deep gold and orange. It seems fitting then, as the world begins to be basked in light, that I [finally remember to] post about two sweet people and what they did. :-)

Laura, from Gazing Wonders, and Reyna Nicole, from A Peace of the Past, both awarded me the 

Sunshine Award!

Thank you, ladies! :-) 

Here's how it works:

1. Answer the questions set by your nomination blogger.
2. Nominate as many or as few fellow bloggers as your like.
3. Set questions for your nominees.

The Questions  

1. Where would you like to live someday?

Down an old dirt road, wildflowers dotting the fields around and dancing in the warm breeze. 

2. Is there any  music or songs that ever gives you the chills from hearing it?

Skrillex - haha! Sorry to any dubstep fans out there. ;-)  

3. How will your ideal dream house look like? 

A white farm house, surrounded by a wrap around porch perfect for afternoon sitting and Sunday get-togethers. 

4. Would you prefer to live in a city or out in the country?

I think answers to 1. and 3. kind of give it away - heh heh :-)

5. Something that inspires you is...

Selfless love for others.

6. Where you afraid of an specific horror movie as a child? 

Oh my gosh, yes! One word: Twister. ;-)

7. Did you ever sleep with a nightlight ? 

Not exactly a nightlight... I had a glow-in-the-dark wall sticker that had Psalms 56:3 on it. :-) 

8. What is your favorite dessert? 

Oh man, that is waaayyy too hard to say. :-D Probably hot peach cobler, preferably with vanilla ice cream. 

9. An animal that creeps you out 

The capybara....not that I've ever come across one or anything. My reason is summed up in two words: GIANT RODENT. :-P 

10. A great lesson you have learned over the years  

To trust God with *everything*. <3 

11. Something you can't live without.

Sunshine. And no, I did not say that because of the award name. :-D Seriously, sunny days are one of the best things in life. :-) 

As a thankful to some new followers (I'm so glad you're here!! :-) ), my nominees are:

Livia Rachelle, from Rose Petals and Faerie Dust

and

Jessie, from So Much More Than They've Got Planned

As those were fun questions to answer, it would be cool to see the nominees' responses to them too! :-) Here are they are:

The Questions  

1. Where would you like to live someday?

2. Is there any  music or songs that ever gives you the chills from hearing it?

3. How will your ideal dream house look like? 

4. Would you prefer to live in a city or out in the country?

5. Something that inspires you is...

6. Where you afraid of an specific horror movie as a child? 

7. Did you ever sleep with a nightlight ? 

8. What is your favorite dessert? 

9. An animal that creeps you out 
10. A great lesson you have learned over the years  
11. Something you can't live without.

Hope you all, sweet readers, have a *fantastic* day!

Sometimes You Just Need To...

.....browse mindless, hilarious pictures. 

No joke. 

There has been many a day in which in the middle of stress, work, studies, and so forth, a funny picture or comic strip has caused all of us to stop and plain ol' belly laugh. ;-) 

So, just in case you have been having a particularly hard day and need a good laugh, here are some of my recent favorites from my "funnies" board on Pinterest. :-)

 Jimmy Fallon's Thank You Notes.
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Martin Freeman's reaction to Sherlock losing to Downton Abbey. I love his wife's reaction to his reaction. ;-) 

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No words....
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Make a Retro Half Apron!

Every month, I contribute to Amazing Graze Farm, sharing a homemaking tutorial. Being close friends with my trusty sewing machine and an avid historical fashion fanatic ;-) , last month's post was definitely something I love: 

Making Retro Half Aprons. 

There are two key words in that sentence that make me especially happy:

Retro

and

Aprons.

;-) 

Now, even if you have hardly touched a sewing machine in your life, this tutorial is quick and easy enough for anyone to give it a go. Here is the link:

http://amazinggrazefarm.com/retro-half-apron/

I hope you love it! 

I am off to go get moving with my day - I'm currently on a week break before my next course starts with Liberty University Online, but I am keeping busy with my CLEP prep studies...still aiming toward taking three tests (Spanish, American History, and History of Western Civilization) by the end of Spring/early Summer! 

*crossing fingers* 

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I hope you have a fabulous day!

Hugs,

Shannon 

The Literary Heroine Blog Party!

Kellie from the lovely blog, Accordion to Kellie, is hosting her annual Literary Heroine Blog Party, and I am thrilled to join along once again! 

If you would like to join in on the fun, enter some pretty fabulous giveaway, and meet new people, click on the picture below. =) 

Introduce yourself!  Divulge your life's vision, likes, dislikes, aspirations, or something completely random!

My name is Shannon. =) I am a 21 year old, head in the clouds gal living in North Carolina with my wonderful family. I am a freshman Elementary Education major at Liberty University Online, a lover of all things sunshiny and happy, a recently budding Sherlock fan (and there are many in my life who will be thrilled to find that out - haha ;-), a tea and coffee enthusiast, and a creator of Jane Austen era dresses for Gabby Marie Boutique. 

What, to you, forms the essence of a true heroine? 

Selflessness and courage. 

Share (up to) four heroines of literature that you most admire and relate to. 

• Anne Shirley
• Jane Eyre 
• Christy Huddleston

Five of your favorite historical novels? 

Oh boy, this will be a hard one! :-D Narrowing it down drastically:

1. The Witch of Blackbird Pond, by Elizabeth George Speare
2. Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Bronte
3. Anne of Green Gables, by L.M.Montgomery
4. Emma, by Jane Austen
5. Christy, by Catherine Marshall

Out of those five books who is your favorite major character and why? 

While it was a hard decision, I would definitely have to say Anne Shirley is my favorite major character. Her optimism, whimsy and kindness are contagious, and I never tire of reading those books. =)

Out of those five books who is your favorite secondary character and why? 

Fairlight Spencer, from Christy...a picture of true friendship. 

If you were to plan out your dream vacation, where would you travel to - and what would you plan to do there? 

Ireland bound! I would love to travel across the country, drinking in the gorgeous scenery, visiting the places my family was from, and trying as many different foods as I can. =)

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What is your favorite time period and culture to read about?

 Revolutionary War (Georgian) Era. 

You have been invited to perform at the local charity concert. Singing, comedy, recitation - what is your act comprised of? 

Piano solo. 

If you were to attend a party where each guest was to portray a heroine of literature, who would you select to represent? 

Elizabeth Bennet. =)

What are your sentiments on the subject of chocolate? 

Pure love. ;-)

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Favorite author(s)? 

L.M. Montgomery

Madeline L'Engle

Elizabeth George Speare.

Janette Oke

Chautona Havig

Charlotte Bronte

Besides essentials, what would you take on a visiting voyage to a foreign land?

A camera (wait, that's an essential ;-) ), my Kindle, laptop, and a travel journal. 

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

That's pretty hard to pinpoint, as I love historical fiction in general - not just books based in one particular century. =)

In your opinion, the ultimate hero in literature is… 

Mr. Knightley. 

Describe your ideal dwelling place. 

Out in the country, fields stretching as far as the eye can see.... a cottage, with roses trailing up the sides, and flowers lining up the walk to the gate of a picket fence. Behind the house is a culinary and medicinal herb garden, and then a yard positively perfect for playing in. Past the tree with the swing is a large vegetable garden... 

Inside, sunshine and colors prevail, and each room is sprinkled with the sweet touches of family and life - pictures of loved ones past and present... book shelves filled with adventures to be explored...coloring pages on the fridge...cookies cooling on the kitchen counter...laughter filling the air. 

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Sum up your fashion style in a short sentence. 

Practical meets vintage meets girly meets indi. ;-) 

Have you ever wanted to change a character’s name? 

Yes, I'm not a giant fan of Elinor Dashwood's name..<:-)

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In your opinion, the most dastardly villain of all literature is... 

Mr. Wickham. 

Three favorite Non-fiction books? 

• The Bible
• The Handmade Marketplace, by Kari Chapin
• Pie, by Angela Boggiano

Your duties met for the day, how would you choose to spend a carefree summer afternoon? 

Hiking! 

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Create a verbal sketch of your dream hat - in such a way as will best portray your true character. 

A floppy brimmed straw hat...in a shade of creamy yellow, very retro and feminine. 

Share the most significant event(s) that have marked your life in the past year. 

I started college! 

Share the Bible passage(s) that have been most inspiring to you recently.

"Gracious is the Lord, and righteous; our God is merciful. The Lord preserves the simple; when I was brought low, he saved me. Return, O my soul, to your rest; for the Lord has dealt bountifully with you. For you have delivered my soul from death, my eyes from tears, my feet from stumbling."

~Psalms 116:5-8

An anglophile baker's book review...

One word:

Pie. 

This past Christmas, my parents gave me one of the coolest cookbooks ever!

A *British* pie cookbook!!

(If you know anything about me at all... 

- even just what I post on Pinterest - 

E x h i b i t   A

E x h i b i t    B

...you know that I am pretty accurately described as an anglophile. ;-) )

Filled with English wonderfulness (like Cornish Pasties and Noble Pies), great pictures, easy instructions, and History lessons sprinkled throughout, this book will definitely be keeping this 

butter and sugar enthusiast busy baking

 this history junkie satisfied

and this anglophile extremely happy. 

After all, there is no such thing as too much pie. ;-)

I've tried three recipes so far, and all have been fabulous! My recent pie endeavor was a Sausage, Apple, and Sage Plate Pie. 

Please excuse the less-than-pretty crust - explanation below. =) 

The basic recipe was sooo yummy, but also super versatile. As per suggestion of my Mom, I will definitely be making this again, but giving it an Indian twist...a little curry, plenty of potato, pure yumminess. 

Also, let me just say a quick thing about the basic crust recipe from this book.

 It is amazing. 

I have made it twice so far, and it never fails. Seriously, even after messing up this last time and putting it in the oven thinking it was FOR SURE going to be tough and awful, it came out flaky and tender...buttery...yummy... This recipe is foolproof, which only makes me love the cookbook even more. 

Long story short: this book is 

awesome, 

completely original,

 fun, 

and I would *completely* recommend it!

♡ℋɑ℘℘ƴ Ѵɑℓℯɳʈɩɳℯ's Ɗɑƴ ♡

Happy Valentine's Day, dear readers!

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I hope today is filled with spending time with those you love, and lots of chocolate. :-)

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More than that though, I hope this day is a sweet reminder of 

God's unfailing, 

unchanging, 

unfathomable 

love for you. 

He loves you more than words could ever say. ♥

"but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us."

~Romans 5:8

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