Which is why I would like to share with y’all a lovely giveaway over at one of my dear friend’s blogs!

Miss Miriam at “Maidens of Virtue” is celebrating her one year anniversary of her blog and giving away two adorable prizes to two special winners!

This ring is what I am hoping to win as it is so sweet!

SO hop on over and enter HERE for your chance at winning these lovely prizes!

Blessings,

Now, we knew we had to save the best giveaway for last, and….. so we have!!!  We knew this giveaway would not be complete if we did not put together a little something (well, actually some things!) made by us to make this an extra special treat!

We have put together a little gift basket with all of our favorite things…made just for the providential winner who we pray will be blessed by it!

In this lovely basket are two lip balms (Chocolate and Maple Nut)

A set of our lovely fall dish cloths…

with a fun denim tissue cover,

some lovely hand made lavender, cinnamon body cream made by Mom (Mrs. Donna K.)….

and to top it all off, a great book we have read and would highly recommend (that was graciously donated by the Chalcedon Foundation)

“A Word in Season” by R.J. Rushdoony!!!!!

You have till this Saturday (Feb 5th) till 10:00PM to enter! Check out how to enter HERE and come back to this post to enter please!

(Sorry, no international attendance please!)

*Question #4:  What is your favorite item you have seen/and or/ purchased, or won  from our shop or blog?

Blessings in Christ,

We apologize for the delay in posting the next giveaway, and hope all are excited as we are to share with you what it is!!!

As we have told y’all before, we LOVE to read, so this next giveaway is one magazine both of us enjoy reading and I (Miss Antoinette) am greatly encouraged by in keeping my focus on my Savior and my duties in the home and being content till the day (Lord willing) I have a family of my own!

The Kings Blooming Rose Magazine is WONDERFUL!!!!  We recently subscribed to it and has quickly become our favorite!  Miss Sarah B. (the very sweet young lady behind KBR) has graciously donated a free year subscription to give away and we were so excited to add it to our Anniversary Blog Party!!!

Miss Sarah B. has also graciously invested some of her time in answering a few questions,  so you can get to know her and her ministry better and know what kind of a lovely magazine this is! A BIG thank you to Miss Sarah for doing this for our blog! *hugs*

Interview With Miss Sarah Bryant of Kings Blooming Rose Ministry

1.   Konvalin Ladies~ How did KBR get started?

Sarah~ Hello! My name is Sarah Bryant. The King’s Blooming Rose Magazine began in 2005, when I was inspired by another publication to begin a magazine for girls. KBR has grown much in the past 6 years and I am so grateful for all that the Lord has done through its publication. I continue to learn so much as my family and I compile, edit, and mail each quarterly issue. One of my favorite aspects of publishing it is hearing from young ladies with a similar vision for girlhood from across the country.

2. Konvalin Ladies~ Does your ministry have a key verse that you share?

Sarah~ We want to encourage young ladies to prepare to be the “Proverbs 31″ woman and to be ready to fulfill the role given in Titus 2:4-5:

“That they may teach the young women to be sober, to love their husbands, to love their children, to be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed.”

Since this womanly calling will not be obtained overnight, it is our desire to encourage girls to prepare to be godly keepers at home and help-meets.

3. Konvalin Ladies~ What other products do you sell?

Sarah~ Along with publishing The King’s Blooming Rose, we have a color 2011 Calendar which has a Scripture Memory theme, Scripture Verse Stationery Sets, “The Young Maid Compilation” (question and answer column featuring homemaking-related topics), and a book that I wrote this year, “The Family Daughter.” Right now we have a sale on the calendars – buy two and receive a free back issue of KBR Magazine.

4. Konvalin Ladies~ What inspired you to write “The Family Daughter”?

Sarah~ In 2008, the Lord prompted me to write a book to encourage Christian girls to love their families, and to serve them as a daughter a home, in preparation for someday becoming a keeper at home, Lord willing. As I embarked on this project, it turned into a bigger task than I had imagined. After a two-year journey of rewriting, researching, and editing, The Family Daughter: Becoming Pillars of Strength In Our Father’s House rolled off the press this summer. To God be the glory for bringing this book to completion! My prayer for it is that young girls will be encouraged to treasure their family and to use their maiden days wisely.

5. Konvalin Ladies~ Any encouraging words you wish to share to other stay-at-home daughters or to others

thinking about it?

Sarah~ Our God-given calling as daughters is such a high and noble calling, though when we choose to make this decision to stay at home with our family, we will face a certain amount of persecution from the world. My encouragement to you would be to not grow weary in well doing! We daughters may be overlooked or scorned by the world, and it can be easy to fall for the mindset that we need to do something bigger to be “important.” Do not be deceived by this worldly idea! Your service for the Lord at home is not in vain; He sees your heart and the sacrifices you make in serving your family. I want to encourage you to delight in the ministry of blessing those around you—treasure the opportunity and pour your heart into it, for it is Christ’s calling for you. May the Lord be glorified through our lives of complete and humble obedience to His will. God bless you each.

So, from today till Saturday January 22 is when you can enter, and be sure to read the entry info. HERE and PLEASE come back to this post to leave your entry comments!

(sorry, no international entries please!)

Question #3 ~ Do you have a favorite magazine you would highly recommend?

May all our dear readers have a blessed week resting in our Savior!

Our lovely Chocolate and Vanilla lip balms are only $1.00!!!!  Lip Flops are a stunning $0.50!!!

This elegant modest skirt made with love by miss Antoinette for $29.99!

So we hope you will stop by our shop and see what else we have for sale this week!  Oh, and if you wish to purchase more than you see in our shop, please contact us as we tend to have more than we add to our shop at a time so we just might have more of something you might enjoy!

*Also, don’t forget to enter our 2nd giveaway this week!!!

Blessings in Christ,

Enjoy the savings and stock up on early gifts for 2011 or just to enjoy yourself!

So come take a peek HERE at our shop and see the great prices you won’t want to miss!!!!

We will be having a few new items throughout the coming new year and we hope you will enjoy them as they come!

We pray everyone has had a blessed Christmas and will have a blessed new year!

Much love in Him,

PS. Also, don’t forget about our Anniversary Blog Party starting next week!!!!

We pray all our dear readers have a most blessed Thanksgiving today!  May you continualy thank the Lord for his many blessings and trials in your life that He has gratiously given to strangthen, and encourage you, to lift up His glorious name on this day of thanksgiving! There is so much to be thankful for!

What better way to celebrate than by our first president’s Thanksgiving deceleration! :

A Thanksgiving Declaration from George Washington

Whereas it is the duty of all nations to acknowledge the providence
of Almighty God, to obey His will, to be grateful for His benefits, and
humbly to implore His protection and favor; and Whereas both Houses of
Congress have, by their joint committee, requested me to “recommend to
the people of the United States a day of public thanksgiving and prayer,
to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many and
signal favors of Almighty God, especially by affording them an
opportunity peaceably to establish a form of government for their safety
and happiness:”

Now, therefore, I do recommend and assign Thursday, the 26th day of
November next, to be devoted by the people of these States to the
service of that great and glorious Being who is the beneficent author of
all the good that was, that is, or that will be; that we may then all
unite in rendering unto Him our sincere and humble thanks for His kind
care and protection of the people of this country previous to their
becoming a nation; for the signal and manifold mercies and the favorable
interpositions of His providence in the course and conclusion of the
late war; for the great degree of tranquility, union, and plenty which
we have since enjoyed; for the peaceable and rational manner in which we
have been enable to establish constitutions of government for our
safety and happiness, and particularly the national one now lately
instituted for the civil and religious liberty with which we are
blessed, and the means we have of acquiring and diffusing useful
knowledge; and, in general, for all the great and various favors which
He has been pleased to confer upon us.

And also that we may then unite in most humbly offering our prayers
and supplications to the great Lord and Ruler of Nations and beseech Him
to pardon our national and other transgressions; to enable us all,
whether in public or private stations, to perform our several and
relative duties properly and punctually; to render our National
Government a blessing to all the people by constantly being a Government
of wise, just, and constitutional laws, discreetly and faithfully
executed and obeyed; to protect and guide all sovereigns and nations
(especially such as have shown kindness to us), and to bless them with
good governments, peace, and concord; to promote the knowledge and
practice of true religion and virtue, and the increase of science among
them and us; and, generally to grant unto all mankind such a degree of
temporal prosperity as He alone knows to be best.

Given under my hand, at the city of New York, the 3d day of October, A.D. 1789.

“Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; for His steadfast love endures forever!”~1 Chronicles 16: 34~

Many blessings this Thanksgiving day,

Mrs. Donna & Miss Antoinette

PS. We are having a BIG sale over at our Etsy shop!  Enter the code: THANKSGIVINGDAY at the checkout and receive 20% off your entire order!

I am SUPER happy to announce that “Practical Simplicity Newsletter” is FINISHED!!!

You can view, save, and/or print this lovely fall issue by following this link:

♥HERE♥

I pray this newsletter will bless many and that y’all would come better acquainted with my little business (and myself) with some encouragement, and fun little things in the process.

So sit back, have a cup of tea (or another warm beverage you prefer) and pray you will enjoy this newsletter!

Much love and blessings,

PS. This newsletter and (Lord willing) as other issues are done, I will be putting the links to them on my side bar in a page called “Newsletter Issues” so you can view newer or older issues as they come about!

“If you were born female, you may as well embrace it with all your heart and live your femaleness to the full. To do anything less is to shortchange the destiny of your life!

________________________________________

…As you catch the vision to be the Enricher of your home, you will also be an…

Enabler – enabling your children to reach their full destiny.

Encourager – daily encouraging your husband and each one of your children for who they are and for the little things they do for you.

Endearer – endearing your family to one another.

Enhancer – enhancing the atmosphere of love and joy in your home, making it richer day by day.

Enlarger – enlarging your heart to embrace the poor and needy.

Enlightener – giving understanding and enlightenment of the ways of God to your children.

Enlivener – seeking to make your home alive with the presence of God.

Ennobler – making your children honorable and noble in all things.

Enthraller – enthralling your children with new ideas, creativity and the wonders of God’s creation.

Enthuser – enthusing your children to be ardent for God.

Entertainer – keeping your little children happy.

Enticer – enticing your children into the joy of prayer and reading God’s living Word.

Enveloper – wrapping your children around with protection and love.

Envisioner – giving vision and hope to each member of the family.

Energizer – releasing the spirit of work and creativity in the home.

Engraver – engraving the names of your children upon your heart in prayer. (Exodus 28:29-30)

Entreater – entreating your children to keep a straight course in the ways of God.”

-Nancy Campbell Quoted from AboveRubies.org

This, and more, is the calling of a Keeper of the Home.

This high calling cannot be accomplished by half-hearted women –

This calling takes total commitment and thoroughness. It cannot be accomplished through our own human strength –

This calling takes tenacity and resolve. It cannot be accomplished through our human knowledge –

This calling takes a thorough study of Scripture.  This calling takes women of faith, ladies of purpose, and daughters of vision.

Obsessed? Possibly.

Passionate? Absolutely!!

We need ladies that are passionate about their roles as women in the home.  Biblical Womanhood is not about cleaning bathrooms, feeding ten (or 20) kids and weeding our gardens and baking cookies (which is really not a bad thing to make! lol). Biblical Womanhood is a mindset, and the Scriptures have been given for our instruction on this subject.  As daughters and future Homemakers we must be committed to the study of the Scriptures. Our teenage and single years are only as productive and eternal as we make them, and unfortunately, most of us live these single years as though it were a curse to be rid of.  No, but sadly the truth, if we think this way then we know not the Scriptures.

“And his (or her) interests are divided. And the unmarried or betrothed woman is anxious about the things of the Lord, how to be holy in body and spirit. But the married woman is anxious about worldly things, how to please her husband.”

1 Corinthians 7:34

We must care for the things of the Savior and as we dedicate our life to the Lord, we will be preparing ourselves to dedicate our life to our husband and children in the future. Our effectiveness to carry this out today will affect how we will respond in the future. The Christian life works like a beautiful circle – each phase of our life prepares for the next.

“You shall therefore lay up these words of mine in your heart and in your soul, and you shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes.  You shall teach them to your children, talking of them when you are sitting in your house, and when you are walking by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise.”

Deuteronomy 11:18, 19

We cannot teach until we have first laid up His words and bound them upon our hearts (Prov. 6:21). We must study to know the doctrines of Christ, how we are to live our lives, and defend our faith and we must be doing this now. Here is a quote from Jonathon Edwards from one of his sermons on the importance of redeeming your time (I really like this one!):

“…time is very precious, because when it is past, it cannot be recovered. There are many things which men possess, which if they part with, they can obtain them again. If a man have parted with something which he had, not knowing the worth of it, or the need he should have of it; he often can regain it, at least with pains and cost. If a man have been overseen in a bargain, and have bartered away or sold something, and afterwards repents of it, he may often obtain a release, and recover what he had parted with. —But it is not so with respect to time. When once that is gone, it is gone forever; no pains, no cost will recover it. Though we repent ever so much that we let it pass, and did not improve it while we had it, it will be to no purpose. Every part of it is successively offered to us, that we may choose whether we will make it our own, or not. But there is no delay. It will not wait upon us to see whether or no we will comply with the offer. But if we refuse, it is immediately taken away, and never offered more. As to that part of time which is gone, however we have neglected to improve it, it is out of our possession and out of our reach.”

Time is always ticking, never to be gained ever again. What are we doing that is worthwhile? Are we cherishing each moment Christ has given us here on earth, or do we desire to do something else instead?  Let’s quote Mrs. Campbell again in her blessed words:

“If you were born female, you may as well embrace it with all your heart and live your femaleness to the full. To do anything less is to shortchange the destiny of your life! We must passionately and without reserve give ourselves over to Christ and the study to know Him. We don’t need someone crazy.

But one step short of crazy, what do you get? Passionate!”

Love and blessings in Christ our Lord,

I always look forward to spring, especially after the winter we had this year (yes, California did have a winter this year! YAY)!  These changing in the seasons always remind me of the verse Ecclesiastes 3:1-8

“For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven:   A time to be born, and a time to die;

a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted;  a time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up;

a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to morn, and a time to dance;  a time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together;

a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;  a time to seek, and a time to loose;  a time to keep, and a time to cast away;

a time to tear, and a time to sew;  a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;  a time of love, and a time of hate;

a time of war, and a time for peace.”

It was also refreshing to hear Mrs. Botkin reading it aloud as well, while my mother and I where listening to the “Evenings with Victoria Botkin” as it started this Monday!  My mother and I cannot wait till next Monday to hear her speak, it has been so encouraging to both of us!

Also with the changing of the seasons, I will be slowly adding a few things to my web-site/etsy shop!  I have already added one new item:

The crocheted All-Puropse Wash Cloth!

These hand-made crocheted cloths (made by my myself, or my mother)are the perfect cloth for many uses from washing dishes, to cleaning your face and body! Now that I use them, I cannot live without them! I sell them in color-coordinated sets of two and each have a beautiful scalloped edge to give it a pretty look!

Here are a couple photos of them below!

Feel free to stop by my shop HERE or on the side of our blog!

If you do not wish to buy through my shop, or would like to be added to my mailing list, feel free to e-mail me at : mail(at)practicalsimplicity(dot)com!

Blessings in Christ,

That is right, only two days left of my Christmas sale at my etsy shop!  So head on over to my store at the right of the blog and see what suites your fancy or someone you love!!  Tomorrow is the last day, and then prices go up, so hurry before these amazing prices are gone, gone, gone!!!    From December 18-19!!

Blessings,

Miss. Antoinette

www.practicalsimplicity.com