(lovely orange blossoms in our backyard! Wish y’all could smell them, they are so wonderful!)

We hope y’all have been having a great year so far, and if not, we pray that the Lord would strengthen you and draw you ever closer to Himself during your struggles.

Our family has been having a very rough year, but the Lord has been so faithful and we (as a family) are learning so much during this time of trial and “adventures” in our lives and cannot wait to see what the Lord has in store for us and how we apply what we are learning in the future!  As some of our dear readers know, we are helping our grandparents, mainly grandma who has severe dementia.   Caring for someone you love who has great trouble caring for herself and cannot think properly anymore is heartbreaking at times.  This is taking most of our time……..till this last week that is!

We are now finding we will be moving much sooner than expected, as we received a letter from the owner of our home, giving us a 60 day notice to vacate.  This was a HUGE surprise, but after living in our home for 11+ years, we are ready for change and look forward to seeing where the Lord will guide us in the next couple months.  Our desire is to move out of state, but we are keeping an open mind, not knowing where the Lord would want us to be.  We have been trying to sell our grandparent’s mobile home so we could all move into a home big enough for all 7 of us, but due to the market, prices are so low and no one is interested at this time.  So we make due, knowing it is the Lord’s will and make the best of it, and enjoy it no matter how crazy it gets!

The Lord uses these circumstances not only to teach us and grow us ever closer to Himself, but ultimately for His glory!  With this in mind, we strive to serve our grandparents and do all we can to help knowing the Lord sees and (we pray) is pleased, and because of this we are all the more joyful to serve with our whole hearts into it, and keep on packing away!

I shared this with some of you, but this hymn below has been so encouraging to me during this season of our lives that I pray would be of encouragement to you as well!

Whate’er My God Ordains is Right

Original Trinity Hymnal, #94

Whate’er my God ordains is right:
Holy his will abideth;
I will be still whate’er he doth;
And follow where he guideth:
He is my God: though dark my road,
He holds me that I shall not fall:
Wherefore to him I leave it all.

Whate’er my God ordains is right:
He never will deceive me;
He leads me by the proper path;
I know he will not leave me:
I take, content, what he hath sent;
His hand can turn my griefs away,
And patiently I wait his day.

Whate’er my God ordains is right:
Though now this cup, in drinking,
May bitter seem to my faint heart,
I take it, all unshrinking:
My God is true; each morn anew
Sweet comfort yet shall fill my heart,
And pain and sorrow shall depart.

Whate’er my God ordains is right:
Here shall my stand be taken;
Though sorrow, need, or death be mine,
Yet am I not forsaken;
My Father’s care is round me there;
He holds me that I shall not fall:
And so to him I leave it all.

Due to the craziness that just does not seem to slow down here in the Konvalin household, Within two weeks time, I will be putting our shop on vacation mode till it slows down and I and my mother can take the time that is necessary to get it going again. Right now, our priorities are focused elsewhere for the time being that is far more important.

I am sorry to be giving this notice, but for the next two weeks you can still purchase anything in our shop, so hurry before it is too late and you are stuck waiting till who knows when! Plus we have a few new items in our shop!

Practical Simplicity “Simply Practical Products”

I am so sorry our poor blog has been neglected for so long, but Lord willing once life slows down a bit we will be able to share more yummy recipes, sewing projects, and other goings on in the Konvalin home!

Resting in Him,

PS. Hopefully I will be able to update our photo as well shortly!

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!

I have some very exciting news to share!

I know we still owe y’all an update blog post, but life ceases to stop at this point and just have not gotten around to it just yet, but we pray it will be up soon so hang in there!

one of the things I (miss Antoinette) have been working on is new items for my Etsy shop which will be available soon, and…………… drum roll please…..

“Practical Simplicity Newsletter”!!!!

That’s right, I am working on my first of (Lord willing) many seasonal (4 issues a year) newsletters for my business and here are some of the things you will find in this up and coming fall issue:

1. Recipes

2. New items/updates

3. Business highlight (highlighting another family business)

4. Scripture/encouragement

and much more!

I am soooooooo excited about this and I know those of you who I have told already are too!  But, for those who had no clue you are now invited to request your very own copy of this newsletter!  Simply leave me a comment telling me if you would like it mailed to you by snail mail or e-mail and I will add you to that particular list!   If you are not specific, I will automatically add you the the e-mail list! (for those of you who request it by snail mail, I will e-mail you for your address)

Because this is my very first time creating a newsletter, your feedback is most important to me so that I can best serve y’all so once you receive your newsletter (when it comes out that is) please if at all possible send me an e-mail through my web-site with what you liked or disliked about the newsletter or what you think should be added to it to make it better!

As of right now I am not charging for this newsletter (for snail mail) but if you or your family wished to support the newsletter and my business, donations are always welcome and greatly appreciated but not mandatory, only if the Lord places it on your heart!

Feel free to let others know about this newsletter and feel free to post about it too if you wish!

I pray that this newsletter will help give you a better understanding of my business, and get a behind the seines look at it too!  That it would encourage you in your walk with the Lord and make you feel at home, as if we were sitting in the room together enjoying one another’s company!

I pray this newsletter would be a blessing to you and your family, and I cannot wait to see how many sign up!  May this newsletter be honoring and glorifying to our Lord and Savior among everything else!

*1 Corinthians 10:31*

Blessings in Christ,

PS. I have added a page titled “Newsletter Info.” on the side of our blog for newcomers to our site to learn about our newsletter!!!

Here are a couple samples of my work

( you can also see more photos HERE and HERE!):

I am selling these lovely hankies for $20 and I make sure lots of love and care goes into each one!

So head on over to my Etsy Shop (which is also located on the side of our blog) and look around! if you have any questions, feel free to leave a comment and I would be happy to answer!

Have a blessed Lord’s Day tomorrow!

Love in Christ,

(click the button to enter my blog!)

called my “365 Day Snap Shot Challenge” where I take a photo a day for a whole year!

Anyone is able to join in on the fun, and even if you cannot, still come and stop by to take a peek, I enjoy reading my readers comments!

I am also now selling note cards (I am not selling on Etsy yet) with the photos featured on my blog (meaning any photo you see on my blog), so if you are interested, send me an e-mail for more info. !  You can also contact me through my photography blog by scrolling to the bottom of the page to send me an e-mail!

Have a blessed weekend everyone!

Love in Christ,

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!

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