“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!

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…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,

Even though my dear mother does not sew, she knows when she finds some fabric that would make a lovely skirt or blouse that I (miss Antoinette) will be happy to make it for her!

We found a lovely giveaway through our dear friend’s blog “Country Hearts At Home” that “Warehouse Fabrics Inc.”

is having a giveaway!!!!

This lovely store is giving away a $50 shopping spree to the providential winner of this lovely giveaway, so head on over and make sure to enter this giveaway!  They have such lovely fabrics, it will be hard to spend only $50 if we win!

I was catching up with one of my dear friend’s blogs “An Old-Fashioned Girl” And came across the cutest tutorial she did on making these sweet headbands that you can see HERE!!!!!

Aren’t they sooooo cute!?

As soon as I saw it, I had to share it with y’all  I hope you enjoy making them!  I have a few young ladies I will be making these for!

Have a blessed Lord’s Day tomorrow everyone!

Love in Christ,

What hope chest would be complete without adding a quilt (or two)?!

Quilts have been around for many centuries, and have brought much comfort, love and protection to all who have made and/or own them!  Every handmade quilt has a story and wonderful memories behind every one!   Any time my mom and I (and yes, sometimes my brothers too) are in an antique store and we find an old quilt, I stare intentively at it, wondering: “if you could talk, what stories could you tell, what memories are hidden in your past?” I absolutely LOVE quilts, and who does not!?  My grandmother has made me quilts since I was born and all of them are so very special as I know she poured all her love into each and every one!  My brothers even have what they call “cool” quilts she made them as well and she is so creative with them too, whether it was adding a piece of fabric from a dress I wore as a little girl, or “car tracks” on my brother’s quilts so they could play with their toy cars on them! Each and every one is different and unique to that particular person!  I made my first little patch work “quilt” (it was actually a place mat) when I was 5 ½, and made my first big quilt (a Full sized quilt) at the age of 13, and have made a few since then (and am working on one now!).  My favorite part of making a quilt is putting on the binding!  Knowing that the quilt is almost complete and adding those finishing touches and stitches are so exciting! Of course my least favorite is (like almost anyone else) ripping out seams if I messed up! ARGH!!

Quilts remind me of our relationship with Christ and how he has made each and every one of us so different and unique from each other, like the patches in a quilt!  Each and every one of them is so special to our Creator and He loves each and every one of those “chosen patches” and His love “binds” the quilt together to make it complete!

Colossians 3:1-17

“If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.  Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth.  For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.  When Christ who is your  life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.

Put to death therefore what is earthly in you:  sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. On account of these the wrath of God is coming.  In these you too once walked, when you were living in them.  But now you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth.  Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self  with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator.   Here there is not Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave,  free; but Christ is all, and in all.

Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience,  bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive.  And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony.   And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful.   Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God.   And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.“

There are many different kinds of quilts you can make such as: wedding quilts, scrap quilts, baby quilts (especially with flannel), Good Bye quilts (for a dear family or friend moving away), memory quilts, special color themed quilts, and many more that make a quilt so very special to add to any hope chest or give away to friends /and or/ family!

Even if you are not very good at quilting, I would encourage you to try your hand at it, or to have a close friend make one for you who would be willing to do so (you supply the essentials of course).     Here are a few pictures of some quilts I own!

Here is a picture of a special quilt my grandmother made when I was 6 years old!  It is in wonderful condition, just a bit of color fade from it being on my bed often!

Here is my second quilt that I made with a sewing group a few years back!  We joke around at home saying that the quilt is so bright, you need sunglasses to see it!  LOL! J  This quilt is a sampler quilt from Debbie Mum’s web-site! She hosts a new sampler quilt every year giving away a block pattern a month so you finish your quilt in a year!

I made a few months ago a cute boy’s baby quilt with trains galore on it!   It has not been spoken for yet, but is waiting to be given to a baby boy to cuddle up with it in the future for someone special!

A hope chest without a quilt is like tea without honey, it is ok without it, but not quite the same without its sweetness!  Quilts can make many memories that will bring much comfort to a young lady when she is married and getting used to new home, and surroundings, or someone who is sick would love a quilt to cuddle with or keep them warm.   Having a quilt is such a WONDERFUL thing to have!

Here are some good book recommendations on quilts and patterns for them:

The Farmer’s Wife Sampler Quilt by Laurie Aaron Hird

Block by Block to Beautiful Quilts by Thimbleberries

Quilt in a Day Underground Railroad Sampler Quilt by Elanor Burns

I would highly recommend buying this magazine, though you can only find it in your local craft/fabric store:

Quilts and More by Better Homes and Gardens

Well, I hope this has been another wonderful inspiring article to you!  I would LOVE to hear if you have any ideas on future articles, as I would love to write more of them and have a couple ideas! I have gotten so many sweet comments from all of you and feel led to share more of what I know about hope chests!  What would you like to see in future hope chest articles!?

Blessings in Christ,

These blogs the whole family, (especially the men in the house) will enjoy and be encouraged in their walk with the Lord!

For His Glory ~ This is Tony’s (father/husband’s) blog  that is very encouraging and uplifting that also has book/movie/product reviews every now and again!  May you enjoy his blog and be encouraged in the faith!

Made For Work~ This is Nik’s (eldest son/brother’s) blog that is about his many projects whether it be wood working or gardening!  He adds heart and passion to his work, and shares why he started a blog  about work and how brother’s in Christ are “Made For Work”.

4 His Glory Photography & Design~ I (miss Antoinette) am not the only photographer in the family! Andrew (Youngest son/brother) started before I did and got me hooked!  This is his blog where he posts his photographs and the creations he has made thanks to Gimp and a couple other programs!

What They Said~ This blog (done by my dad mostly, Antoinette, Nik and Andrew) is where we post quotes (a quote a day)  from men of the past, and present (mainly past).

May y’all enjoy these blogs, and have a wonderful Lord’s Day tomorrow!

Blessings in Christ,

This is the lovely hankie that was sent to our winner Miss Lindsay over at Content in Christ!   The colors she picked out are so lovely, it turned out beautifully!

I also have some wonderful news!  I will be changing some things around in my shop and will be selling some of these lovely hankies and even some pillow cases soon!  My love and passion is sewing and so I will no longer be making the scrubs and focusing more on doing what I love…..sewing!   I hope to start selling skirts in the near future too!  You can still buy my lip balm though, that will still be in my shop!

Leave a comment letting me know what you think about the hankie and the up and coming changes to my shop, I just LOVE comments from my dear readers!

Have a blessed week everyone!

Congratulations dear for being the blessed winner of our lovely giveaway!  I (Miss Antoinette) sent you an e-mail, so please respond when you have the time!

Thank you everyone who did enter, it was so neat to see some new bloggers and even a lurker come out of hiding to participate! lol

You other dear ladies would also be very encouraged and absolutely love Miss Lindsay’s blog Content in Christ and she is having a giveaway of her own too, but hurry as it ends the 16th (Friday) of this month! You can enter her giveaway HERE!  She is giving away 2 items she has mad a bag and an apron, and I (Miss Antoinette) absolutely LOVE the apron that is pictured below! Too cute!

Again thank y’all for entering our giveaway and have a blessed week!

God Bless,

Some of you know we are in the process of moving to TN and it has (and still is) a long road as many things keep us here in CA for the time being, so we are packing and getting rid of lots of things and trying to wait as patiently as we can until the Lord opens the doors to TN!

Now about our anniversary……….

To celebrate we are having a giveaway, but not your ordinary giveaway……… Miss Antoinette will be giving away one of her lovely hand embroidered hankies with the winner’s personalized monogram on it!   She will use the lovely font like the one she made that she posted about HERE (and pictured above) and the winner can pick the colors for their monogram!

To Enter~ Leave one comment for each entry please, thank you!

1 entry~ leave us a comment saying you wish to enter!

2 entries~ post about it on your blog! Please spread the word about our giveaway!

3 entries~ follow our blog

The last day of entering our giveaway is this coming Saturday (April 10th) and the winner will be announced on Monday the 12th!  So spread the word!!!!

We hope you have a wonderful day and that all is well with all our readers!  Let us know what you have been up to as of late!

Many Blessings,

That said, a couple months ago as usual being pressed for time I threw some ingredients into a large pot for a quick soup. My whole family raved about it and said it was a “keeper” recipe. Oh dear did I begin to panic while trying to remember everything I had just thrown into the pot! I quickly jotted down the ingredients. A few days later I followed my “recipe” again and nervously waited for the responses. To my relief I was able to actually repeat one of my whims accurately and have made it several times since just to make sure. So my friends, I can confidently share my special culinary whim with you so you may enjoy and I do not have to panic whether or not I got it down right.

Chicken Kale Soup

~makes 6 hearty portions~

In a large pot place:

5 cups water

2 large potatoes, diced

diced 1 cup carrots, diced

Boil gently until almost tender, then add:

1 Tbl. Sea salt

1 Tbl. Minced dry onion

1 Tbl. Garlic powder

½ tsp. fresh ground black pepper

4 cups cooked chicken, cubed

4 cups kale, chopped

1 can (15 oz) garbanzo beans with liquid

1 can (15 oz) diced tomatoes

Simmer for 10 minutes.

Great served with homemade rolls and a big tossed salad.

Enjoy!

Now for another special treat. Our dear friend Christa from Country Hearts at Home is celebrating her blogs first anniversary by having a special giveaway. These items are handmade by her from start to finish and I have to tell you from firsthand experience her work is exquisite….precise….almost perfect! (I say almost because only God is perfect in what He creates) You can spring on over to Christa’s blog (HERE). Tell her the ladies at Practical Simplicity sent you and enter to win her special creations. Read through her post as there are several ways to earn extra entries!

Spring Blessings,

I was blessed to have come across the Long ladies wonderful web-site last year. The Lord surprised me by allowing me to meet them in person at the S.O.S. conference in December (read more about the conference HERE, and HERE)! Since then, I have wanted to interview these lovely ladies for this blog and they have graciously accepted my request! YAY, as you can tell I am quite excited! These ladies have a God given talent for sewing and pattern making as well! I hope you will be encouraged by this interview, and enjoy getting to know these lovely ladies as well! So without further adieu………

Miss Antoinette: First off, how long have ya’ll been sewing? Who taught you?

Long Ladies: Kristie~ I’ve been sewing actively since I made my first quilt top at age 18. I was taught by my mom, who is an excellent seamstress.

Apphia~ I sewed my first garment at age 10, but did lots of handwork when I was younger.

Achaia~ I sewed my first garment when I was 8 1/2, but loved doing little handwork before that!

Nanny (our maternal grandmother) helped us sew our first big projects. We were always doing something with our hands in our earlier years, wanting to do exactly what Mommy was doing!

Abigail~ I got my first sewing machine when I was 7. I basically taught myself by watching Mom, Nanny, and the older girls.

Abiah~ I learned most of my sewing from Mom and Apphia mainly. Apphia and I are a lot alike when we work, so it’s good when we can work together!

Miss Antoinette: For those who do not know about you or your business, could you give your story about how Marie Madeline Studio came about?

Long Ladies: “The idea for our family business was hatched in the winter of 2006, when we girls began sewing one-of-a-kind handbags for friends and family. We officially launched marie-madeline studio in December 2007.” (from our website) Everything has just built on that! We now have a growing line of sewing patterns for ladies and girls apparel, aprons, and bags.

Miss Antoinette: What has the Lord taught (or is teaching) you in your business?

Long Ladies: He’s teaching us to work together all the better and how to work with lots of different personalities! He’s also teaching us to wait– so many things we want to do take time and we have to be patient.

Miss Antoinette: Do each of you have a favorite item you are selling? How about a favorite fabric line?

Long Ladies: Kristie~ I love fabrics and trims– I always have (a trait I’ve passed on to the girls completely!). But, I do have a weakness for Tanya Whelan and Jennifer Paganelli fabrics (Darla, So St. Croix, Dance With Me). Oh, and Flower Sugar!

Apphia~ I love everything we carry, but I especially love the fabrics by Tanya Whelan and Jennifer Paganelli. Dolce and Darla! I also love the new Nashville cottons. Fabrics with a vintage feel really appeal to my style!

Achaia~ Anything by Anna Maria Horner— Good Folks, Garden Party, and Little Folks! Love, Nicey Jane, Darla, and So St. Croix too!

Abigail~ LOVE by Amy Butler– definitely!  I also love Jennifer Paganelli and Anna Maria Horner’s fabrics.

Abiah~ Jennifer Paganelli and Anna Maria Horner fabrics are probably my favorites.

We try only to buy lines or pieces of lines we really love!

Miss Antoinette: Would you have any recommendations for us avid sewers and beginners on a certain pattern you sell? Maybe a fabric line that works great with the pattern as well?

Long Ladies: For beginners our pleated cottage apron or girls emerson skirts patterns are probably the best place to start. Virtually any of the fabrics we sell are great for the patterns we’ve designed!

Miss Antoinette: Do any of you have other hobbies you enjoy?

Long Ladies: We all love sewing related things… collecting old fabric, etc!

Apphia~sketching, designing new patterns

Achaia~ making quilts, vintage fashion

Abigail~ making things up– whether it be baking or sewing!

Abiah~ photography

Miss Antoinette: Most businesses have a mission/vision statement, do you have one? Do you have a Bible verse that goes with it?

Long Ladies: Our mission is to encourage ladies in their God-given role as wives, mothers, and daughters. We want to encourage creativity in ladies and we love providing beautiful and feminine fabrics and clothing for ladies and girls! We love helping others. Proverbs 31:10-31

Miss Antoinette : If any of you are to marry in the future will the business still be around? Do ya’ll have assigned tasks that you would still be able to continue in the business?

Long Ladies: Only The Lord knows what He will call us to do, but we’d love to be able to continue with marie-madeline! Of course, things would change as any one of the girls moved away, but there would still be plenty of jobs we could do long distance (if need be). For instance, Apphia could still draft patterns for us if she moved away. The main base of operation would stay in the family home though. more questions below! J

Miss Antoinette: Would you like to share some encouraging words to someone who is considering taking on sewing?

Long Ladies: Don’t lose heart! It’s not as hard as it may seem. We’ve made plenty of mistakes in our years of sewing— don’t be afraid of failure at first. Sewing is very rewarding and it can be a tremendous blessing to so many.

Colossians 3:23 “And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to The Lord, and not unto men.”

Well, this was very neat to read myself and I hope you enjoyed it too!

Blessings and have a blessed weekend!