I made a sale just for you! %15 off

Hey all in the blogger world. I just made my first coupon at Marie's Miracles, my etsy shop. I was inspired by wanting to make a coupon specifically for my Vintage Ethnic earring necklace combo listing. But, lucky you, it's a coupon for any order. 

It's my first time making a coupon.  I'm not sure how it works. I believe it's for one coupon per person.  I believe it's for anyone that uses this coupon, as long as I keep it active.  I'm learning too!  I will keep this active until I return home from Texas, Saturday or Sunday! Enjoy!


When checking out use this coupon code (I know it's spelled wrong, which totally cracks me up): 182010JOURNEYGIRL4GO 


On your mark! Get set! SHOP! 

the green eyed girl

I wore this yesterday to the young adults Bible study. Every week that we go the family that hosts it cooks dinner.  Last night was breakfast for dinner, and boy was it good!  It was one of my favorite meals they've cooked so far.  We had grits and shrimp (my first time ever!), biscuits and gravy and some sort of French toast bread pudding with blueberries.  Some good eatin'!

 I think certain colors work on me better than others. I really like coral, in many different shades and I like green and sage green. I haven't been so sure about this sweater, thinking maybe to get rid of. But I've rediscovered it and I do like it.  I wore it in my first post,  (which wasn't my favorite look.)  I've really been getting into the fashion world more lately.  Looking at fashion blogs a lot. Doing my own fashion blogging. I even read a lot of Tim Gunn's book "A Guide to Quality, Taste and Style" .  

I want to be more deliberate about getting nicer pieces.  I do a lot of thrifting but that can give me many things instead of fewer nice things.  Don't worry I'm not going to give thrifting up completely.  I've gotten some nice shoes and boots thrifting.  

Big news!  I am going to Texas. My parents paid for a last minute ticket for me to go. My sister needs someone to ride with her as she drives her home from school in Texas. She graduates the 10th. Since my mom has some physical issues it's better for me to be on a road trip for 2 days instead of my parents.  So I get to see my baby sister (7 years younger than me) graduate from Bible School! I'm happy I get to go. Thanks God :) Yeah!  Ohhh I get to see my nephews, my brother and my sister in law.  

I had fun editing the pics and making some of the pictures more Artsy Fartsy!  Ohh and I added my two "funnies" of me (truly singing) and then pretending to play the piano.  I can play but I don't much.

J. Jill army green corduroys:  thrifted in Michigan

Ann Taylor coral long sleeved shirt: Gabriel Brothers

Ann Taylor lime green sweater: thrifted

Brazilian leather booties: $1 thrifted

vintage necklaces: Grammie

pearl bracelet: reused vintage beads handmade by me

rough cute emerald ring: $13 Thai/Burma border

fresh water pearl earrings: made by me for a friends wedding

Vintage Ethnic earring and necklace set

I found this lovely maybe a year ago.  I knew it was special.  I finally took it to an antiques dealer in town.  She deals with a lot of furniture, glassware and jewelery. She'd never seen a set like this.  

This is how she labeled it:

" Bronzed Necklace and Earrings

Bone Inserts

Possibly Middle Eastern"

She said it is vintage.

I finally finished photographing it today and posted it in my etsy shop.  It would be a great gift for a lady who loves unique ethnic vintage pieces. Or if you like it enough you could even get yourself a Christmas present. I won't tell anyone, except maybe Santa.  

"I won! I won!"

Wow!! Guess what!??? I won a contest in the bloggers world.  It was exciting and when I read that it was Moi! I grinned like a kid in a candy shop.  I even blushed.  (blink blink)


Here's the contest I entered: http://www.dimestorediamondblog.com/2010/12/best-caption-contest.html


And I wrote this to be the caption with the pic of the freaky delivery man:


 "... and under where you wrote your name there's a spot for your phone number. The line rubbed off or something..."


It's so fun to win things. I won a coloring contest once and got this ginormous can full of crayola crayons. That was amazing. I just got a flash of memory, I believe it was an Easter bunny I had to color.  


Thanks Maggie at "Dimestore Diamond!"  You can follow her blog, just go to her blog and click "follow" in the column. She has great pics and a fun fashion sense.  http://www.dimestorediamondblog.com/

thank you, Daddy O'!

I took these pics on Friday.  I did get "blog burnout".  I am an extremist at times, also I have tendencies toward perfectionist and over achiever. If I'm into something I can put hours into it at a time. Balance and moderation are a bit healthier. :)  

I had this look in my head, I wanted to use my dad's flannel shirt with skinnies.  I found this one, and liked it because of the bright red.  Definitely a POP of color!  ( I actually forgot how to spell color for a second!)  

skinny jeans: Ross $15

flannel shirt: from my Daddy O's closet

sweater: department store sale

socks: Gabriel brothers

boots: Salvation Army, $1

Old navy leather belt, men's: yard sale $1

vintage locket: with pics of my grammie and grampy when they were young, from my Grammie

I could have also called this blog something about a Lumberjack. This is definitely a lumberjack's shirt. Like stereotypically Lumberjack.  "Man of the woods, and cutter of trees!" Yeah that's me ;)  I did learn how to make a fire today in our wood stove!  I'm keeping it alive too!! (does that mean I have a red thumb?)

My parents are going to TX for my sister's graduation from Bible school on Wed. My dad wanted me to learn how to build a fire. Keeping the furnace on costs a lot of money.  We are thrifty country folk!

I went and filled out an application at a nursing home here in the country and left my resume. I'm willing to start part time. The owner said they'd call me! Hope so!!!

Ohh, last night I finally got the "groove" on to decorate the Christmas tree. Mom and Dad helped a little bit. I'm the family  "decorator." If it wasn't for me, who knows when it would have gotten done. (Maybe when my sister moves back home.)  I even put evergreen branches on the piano with our nativity scene with red glass balls and pine cones.  Maybe just maybe I'll posts some pics sometime.   

It's official, Christmas has come to our house.

Ode to the Creator

I'm going to take a break today from posting "what I wore." I did take pics and may post tomorrow. I feel like I've been fashion blogging way too much, you know looking at blogs and posting.  


Today I'm going to post something I wrote the other day while journaling. It was raining. I was sitting at our dining room table looking out the back porch door at the trees.

Ode to the Creator

I see beads of water on the tapered branches of the bare bones of the trees.  They sway and wave their arms in joyous fluid motion. The Bible says, "The trees clap their hands..." and they do.  


I wonder what sound they make as the wind embraces them in his arms and dances with them.  Just a sway, a sway... a simple dance but shows so much affection, even mischievousness.  The wind flexes his muscle and leads the lady trees in a waltz of the wind.  


The trees soak up the life giving tears the sky releases.  The sky gently weeps with quiet relief, speaking of a Creator God that intertwines each facet of nature to give to another.  The sky gives to the trees and the grass, to the earth.  The trees reach up to the sky-touching the sky, arms open wide exclaiming and clapping their hands, applauding the creator. 


The wind, the breath, laughs and plays, singing a tonal song, a simple song that crescendos and decrescendos as he speaks of the wonders of the Creator and of Creation.  The Breath breathes like the tide of the ocean, moving in and out. He goes where he pleases, whispering in my ear and at times gently caressing me or wrapping me passionately in a glorious and smooth embrace.


The earth kisses me with it's raindrops. Embraces me with it's wind.  Celebrates with me as the arms of the trees sway, outstretched in worship, openness and joy.  


Creation exclaims the glory, the ultimate beauty of our Creator.   

the princess and the pea

leather boots: vintage? thrifted
leggings: ?
dress: old navy summer dress
sweater: free
snakeskin belt: thrifted
scarf: walmart $5
necklaces: (probably vintage) 2 chains & pendant 
from Grammie, one pendant thrifted
brooch on headband: vintage Grammie

I added these pics for humor's sake. I think the one on the left, I look like I'm growing out of the woodpile.  It cracks me up! It's like a bad fairy tale. Like babies growing in a cabbage patch? maybe.  The one on the right was when I was trying to stand on the wood pile in boots that don't have much traction.  

I think this was one of my favorite outfits and photo shoots.  Me use the term "Photo shoot"? I know I'm not a model, so what should I call it?? It was rather cold outside while taking pics.  I'm totally layered today so that kept me warmer.  This outfit is really comfy too!  

I went into town because my dad did a show.  I have a confession to make. (Some of you already know.) My dad is an (drum roll please)....... ELVIS IMPERSONATOR! For real. No joke, no I'm not pulling your leg. And I didn't write gullible on the ceiling.  Yup my dad is Elvis! (OK he pretends to be Elvis.)  He actually kinda looks like him. We were recently watching Blue Hawaii and they had a shot of Elvis at the end kinda blurryish and for a second I could have pretended he was my dad, he looked like him. Or should I saw my dad looked like Elvis.  

My dad sang for his dinner (well, not quite) at a nursing home in town. I drove in with my mom. We got FREE dinner. It was yummy.  It was kinda funny because the young people waiting on us kept on forgetting to give us things. Like my mom and I got decaf coffee.  I had to ask for creamer and a stirrer.  We got our dinner, without silverware and napkins.  When they brought us the plates and forgot silver ware my mom and I looked at each other and laughed (after they had left the table).  We weren't upset but it was funny because they kept not giving us things. So I asked for the silverware and napkins, and water.  

I asked God if I could help someone tonight.  I went to the Library to hang out. (Got a ton of books, some on fashion, one on antique buttons, even some on dating, and an Elizabeth Goudge novel.)  I was walking out with a lady. Held the door open for her.  I walked to my car. She kept walking. I wondered in my car if maybe this was the answer to prayer I had prayed. So I drove out the driveway. I turned left, she was on the sidewalk. I stopped (no one was coming in either direction), and asked if she wanted a ride home. She got in.  I took her home. It was a ways from the library.  

Her name is Victoria. She doesn't have a job. She visits her mom in town. She likes town because it has things to do.  I think that night some men in a truck offered her a ride. I don't know if she rode with them. I'm glad I was able to give her a lift home.  It's a cold night too. I don't think Miss Victoria is totally right in her mind and she was soo trusting.  

I was a bit nervous as I was considering doing it and was nervous while doing it. I didn't know if she lived in a rough home. Was I putting myself in danger? But God kept me. I was fine. Believe me, I don't make a habit of picking up strangers, but I really like helping people.  I felt OK about this time.  If any young ladies are reading this, please be super careful about doing what I just did.   BE WISE.  It felt rather good to do it.  It was an answer to prayer.  I almost didn't stop. I'm glad I did since it was quite a ways for her to have had to walk at night.

So I named my blog. Anyone have any other suggestions for names?  I think my name is OK. But if there's any better names that'd be great!  

Inside the box, outside the lines

     Yesterday was an inside kind of day. Boy was it WINDY!  Windy, windy, windy, rainy ... and cold! 

From Winne the Pooh and the blustery day: narrator: 

     "Owl talked from page 41 to page 62, and on page 62, the blustery day turned into a blustery night. To Pooh, it was an anxious sort of night, filled with anxious sorts of noises. And one of the noises was a sound that had never been heard before."

     I set up my little tripod, aka stool and a stack of antique books and did my little shoot in our hallway.  It was fun :)

     I put the pants and the long sleeve shirt together then I was like that tunic might work, put it on and it was like a light bulb went off. It was nifty, I looked like an optical illusion. Well almost.


     In the next two pictures I was thinking about how to "emote." So I was like what does surprise look like, and I did it.... not sure what the other emotion was. Bewildered, or confused maybe? (She asked emoting a "quizzical" expression, as she sat typing away at a silly little blog at a ridiculously irresponsible hour.)


     Today I had an interview!!! It went well. They will get in touch with me eventually. I think it's a very good prospect.


     I didn't take any pics of my outfit today since I didn't feel like it 'cus I am/was sooo tired.  Had trouble sleeping last night.  Can anyone say "night before an interview?!!"  I was like, "did I have caffeine?"


     It's late. I AM TIRED. And this blog feels all over the place. Kinda outside the lines eh? ;)

     Some how I am able to write near my pictures. I don't know how I did that. Usually I post my pics on the top of the blog and the writing below.


     I didn't post this yesterday because the electricity went out. I wanted to post it but my dad needed to get to bed and he needed to shut the generator off.  So it was like "what the hey? I don't HAVE to post it tonight." (as in last night)

     I end up taking a lot of pictures usually.  I get "picture happy." There's more where these came from. I should start a blog to put the pics up that I don't post on this blog. (jk...)


skinny jeans: old Navy
pirate boots: thrift store
tank tunic: thrifted
long striped tshirt: old Navy
Grannie necklace: thrifted, vintage 
earrings: gift from sister
scarf: walmart
giant ring: from sister

Beauty Tip:

  I brushed a light brown shadow, then layered it with light blue. 

The blue wasn't as strong as I wanted it.  So I made paint with the eye shadow.

 I just added a bit of water and mixed it in with the brush. 

Then painted it onto my eyelids.  It made a bolder color.

 Fun stuff!  You can also use wet shadow as an 

eyeliner. Just use a lining brush/thin brush.