There is something incredibly feminine and charming about a scarf, and I believe that is ground enough for scarves to have remained in the wardrobes of woman throughout the generations. There are many statements you can say by adding a scarf to an outfit (differing according the style of scarf you choose and the way you wear it, of course!). You can create a look that is classic, chic, trendy, or artsy.
Scarves come in such an array of colors and styles that can be beautifully inspiring and fun! So, break out a scarf and while you're at it, check out nearly 35 different ways to wear it!
Family and food. Simply put, they just go together. If I'm allowed to have but one earthly treasure, it would be a book I started compiling when I was about 15. I think the idea of a hope chest is what started the idea. I began to think of what I could possibly need as lady of my own home someday. Recipes were an obvious need, and since I loved scrapbooking and crafty things, I decided to make a recipe scrapbook.
I asked the ladies of my family (my sister, my mom, aunts, and grandmothers), and even friends for recipes (I like having them written on cards in their own handwriting). I even started collecting old photographs and purposefully taking pictures of cooking in the kitchen with my friends and family members. I had the best time putting it all together as a functioning cook book!
I love that my book is always growing as I continue to add new recipes and photographs. And I absolutely love cooking with it! It makes cooking all the more special as I see faces I love while cooking, and enjoy many recipes that I grew up on (not to mention new recipes that I have collected over the years). It's especially meaningful to me now since I've moved with my immediate to the island of Guam.
-3 ring binder -plastic sheet covers (so your scrapbook pages won't get food on them) -fancy/nice/cute printer or scrapbook paper (optional) -family photos and pictures with friends -recipes! either typed and printed out on special printer paper, or written on recipe cards -stickers, stamps, old notes, written quotes, or anything else you'd like to include- be creative!
Put it together and enjoy! Remember, this can be an ongoing project. You can use and enjoy it for many years, and who knows, maybe you can pass it on to your daughters one day. =)
There is much to learn from the older and wiser woman in our lives, as we read in Titus 2:4&5 (to be sober, discreet, chaste...), but how about something of a culinary sort? My friends, Michelle and Tabby, and I asked pastor's wife, "Auntie Gwen", to share with us some of her skills in the kitchen. She is said to be one of the best cooks on our island. Being the dear lady she is, she agreed, and a date to cook dinner at her house was set!
That night welearned some useful tips like how to cut an onion like a pro, and how one can recycle a bottle used for dish washing soap for olive oil, which makes for easier use when cooking because of it's nifty squirt lid.
I'd encourage you to grab some friends (or some siblings) and plan a dinner date with an older, more kitchen-savvy lady (could be a mom, grandma, lady from church, or family friend), and ask her to teach you some of her tricks. She would probably be delighted to help. You can plan a meal, maybe including some of her recipes you'd like to learn, offer to help pay for ingredients, and have a blast!
I believe it's because of writings like these, which make us laugh to ourselves because we find that we totally relate (guess woman haven't changed much since 1818):
"Dress is at all times a frivolous distinction, and excessive solicitude about it often destroys its own aim. Catherine knew all this very well; her great aunt had read her a lecture on the subject only the Christmas before; and yet she lay awake ten miniutes on Wednesday night debating between her spotted and her tamboured muslin, and nothing but shortness of the time prevented her buying a new one for the evening."
Austen goes on to write, "It would be mortifying to the feelings of many ladies, could they be made to understand how little the heart of man in affected by what is costly or new in her attire...Woman is fine for her own satisfaction alone. No man will admire her more, no woman will like her better for it. Neatness and fashion are enough for the former, and something of shabbiness or impropriety will be most endearing to the latter..."
Why not try something new with those tresses? This week join me in taking the féminin tresses défi , a one week challenge to try a new a feminine hairstyle each day.
Here are 17 styles that take 10 mins. or less to create from toalbeauty.com: check it out! Also 19 more styles to try.
If your hair is shorter than mid-length, there are few great styles here.
Have fun, and if you'd like to share how the challenge is coming, e-mail your comments and photos to abby1211@gmail.com or comment with a link to your own blog.
I'll be posting my progress, so if you'd like to see you can check back throughout the week . :)
With Love,
Abigail
DAY 5 (last day!): Fab Friday
I know this is another ponytail, but in my defense, it's not just any pony, this is the "high volume" pony (or as high as I could get it, anyway!). What could be better for "Fab Friday"?
Here at authbeau, I've been posting a lot on how to make ourselves more outwardly lovely (this is always a fun topic for us girls!); however, I'd like to tell you what I've observed about beauty, and what creates an authentic and radiant beauty that cannot be copied or falsified.
I've done a good bit of traveling in my 20 yrs. of life across the States, from the beaches of FL to coast of OR (even to the U.S. territory of Guam!), and I've seen many a pretty girls. In our day and age, it's not hard to make yourself attractive, as we have every beautifying resource available to us (make-up, fitness programs, salons, and even plastic surgery). Just about anyone can be made to look good according to our pop-cultural standards. Is this all there is? What makes you stand out from every other pretty girl out there?
There is a girl who smiles with no hint of pain or regret in her eyes. She shines with a pure radiance. Kindess, strength, and dignity are her clothing. She is caring and rarely thinks of herself, yet her appearance and demeanor is worthy of a palace. She does not stoop to putting on false heirs, but is genuine (real) and carries herself with a graceful humility. She is always ready with a strengthened hand to help, and offers it freely, expecting nothing in return. Her ear is ready to listen, and she is slow to speak; though when she does, expect not empty flattery or false sympathy. For out of sincerity she speaks in wisdom, truth, and love. She is not afraid to give a rebuke, though her rebuke is not to destroy, but is spoken with tender love and good faith; it is to strengthen. She serves her loved ones with joy, even if unrecognized for her deeds.
"See the works of her hands," says the onlooker. But she does not these deeds for her own righteousness' sake, for she knows that even her best is but as filthy rags before He that is truly righteous. So she does these things out of her love and her gratitude, for it is but by being washed in the very blood of He that she is counted as pure. Her heart beats wildly for Him, in whom she meets in a secret place, where He shares with her the plans that He has for her. She prays, "Take delight in me, Beloved, and behold the maidservant of the Lord. Be it unto me according to thy Word."
There is nothing more attractive in a girl than one who is radiating with God'slove and truth. This comes not merely by being redeemed, but by spending time Him. Henry Drummond wrote,
"Put a piece of iron in the presence of an electrified body, and that piece of iron for a time becomes electrified. It is charged into a temporary magnet in the mere presence of a permanent magnet, and as long as you leave the two side by side, they are both magnets alike. Remain side by side with Him... and you, too, will become a permanent magnet... and like Him you will draw all men to you."
"Contemplate the love of Christ, and you will love. Stand before that mirror, reflect Christ's character and you will be changed into the same image... There is no other way... you can only look at that lovely object, and fall in love with it and grow into likeness to it."
Colormebeautiful.com has this really useful booklet of fabric swatches for each season which you can buy and carry with you when you go clothing shopping. I don't personally have one of these booklets (perhaps I'll splurge on one one day!), but I think it's very neat! Take a look at these season palettes and tips in order to find the colors that are most flattering for your season!
Don't know your season (your ideal color palette)? Take the Quiz!
For Autumn
"When choosing a suit, you should pick warm, olives, golden browns and rich warm grays. You will glow in these harmonious environmental colors. Avoid clear bright shades, pure white and black which will make you look tired and faded. Also, avoid true pastel colors which will look cold against your complexion, giving you a pale and sickly appearance. Your blouses, in particular, should never be true white for this reason. Choose oyster and ecru (eggshell) instead..."
Celebrity autumns: Julia Roberts, Angelina Jolie, Eva Mendez, Jennifer Lopez, and Marcia Cross.
For Spring "When choosing tops, look for bright cheerful tones like salmon, turquoise, and teal. Your coloring will be enhanced by clothing with a bit of "sunshine" in their colors. You should never dress stark white or black, for they will make you look washed out. Your neutrals should have a hint of warmth like stone, khaki, warm white. Think warm and bright when selecting a wardrobe for SPRING..."
Celebrity springs: Jodie Foster, Nicole Kidman, Meg Ryan, Cameron Diaz, and Kate Hudson.
For Summer "When choosing a suit, look for toned-down colors like subdued navy blue, a grey green or blue-grays, charcoals, and rose browns. Your image will be complimented by these dusty colors. You should never dress in vivid or saturated colors, for they will disrupt the serenity that the summer needs in her look. Your shirt colors should be soft somewhat soft like powder blue, dusty pink or soft white. Think serene when selecting a wardrobe for SUMMER or shop with a Color Me Beautiful SUMMER..."
Celebrity summers: Reese Witherspoon, Michelle Pfeiffer, Jennifer Aniston, Princess Grace of Monaco (Grace Kelly), and Gwyneth Paltrow.
"Because you have a lot of visual contrast you can pull off deep, rich colors accented with jewel tones, and even wear bright white or icy pastels. A dark suit with cool undertones like dark navy, charcoal or black will complement your dynamic coloring. Avoid earth tones which can make you look sallow, and muted or powdery colors which can make you look shadowed. Remember, accents should be vibrant, and intense jewel tones..."
Celebrity winters: Penelope Cruz, Catherine Zeta Jones, Courtney Cox, Eva Longoria, and Elizabeth Taylor.
I am amazed at the unique make-up of each individual, for not only does every one of us ladies have unique figures (as we discussed earlier), but we have a unique undertone to our skin of which certain colors are most flattering to.
I bought a red sweater once, in which I loved the fit; however, the shade of red seemed to wash me out and had an overpowering effect. This same sweater I gave to a friend and it looked great on her! How is that? It was after I readColor Me Beautiful did I begin to understand more fully how this could be.
In this book, an idea was presented that each woman as her own color palette which best complements her and may be described in the way of a season: summer (cool colors), spring (warm colors), winter (cool colors), and autumn (warm colors).
There are certain physical attributes which determine your season (eye color, hair color, skin undertone, etc.). According to the the season determining tests, I am a spring. I have golden undertones to my skin, so I look best in warm, bright and sunny colors. The red sweater I bought was bold with a blue undertone, so of course it would look better on my winter friend who looks best in cool bold colors and jewel tones.
Knowing my colors has helped me a whole lot! It's great to know what colors suit you best, and to build your wardrobe with only those colors as your guide, so that every shade in your closet is flattering to you.
An elephant, an owl, and a hedgehog.
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They’re here! These brand new board books arrived filled with delightful
stories by Amy Parker and darling illustrations by my sister Breezy
Brookshire! Th...
Say Goodbye....
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Just a few more days and this blog will be going away forever. BUT, I will
be moving lots of the posts over to my new site, Grace Full Mama.
So, if you ha...
