The Girlhood Gazette

I just found out today that Jasmine Baucham’s new book, Joyfully At Home is now available from Vision Forum! If you are not familiar with Jasmine, she has a blog with the same title as the book, where she writes encouraging articles for young women. If you have not visited her blog before, I highly recommend that you hop over there and read the archives!

At any rate, I have not yet read the book, but if it is anything like her other writings it promises to be a great blessing! Lord willing, I will post a review of the book at a later date after I have read it. For now, grab a copy for yourself!

Doesn’t this look divine? This was the recipe we made for Cross Country Bakers last month. It’s a French dessert made with apple custard-like filling. Mmmmm… I thought it was about time I posted a recipe for you all, so try this one out for your next dessert (or have it for breakfast like we did!). Enjoy!

Apple Cinnamon Clafoutis

Ingredients:

* About 3 or 4 apples
* 2 large eggs + 1 yolk
* 1/2 cup blond cane sugar
* 3 Tbsp. cornstarch
* 3 Tbsp. all purpose flour
* 1 cup whole milk, cold
* 1 vanilla, seeds removed (I didn’t have vanilla seeds so I used 1 tsp. vanilla)
* 1/2 cup heavy cream
* ground cinnamon

Steps:

* Preheat your oven at 350ºF.
* Peel the apples and cut into cubes or slices whatever you feel is best for the oven dish you are using (I used ramekins)
* Beat the eggs and yolk with the sugar.
* Add the vanilla seeds and mix.
* Dilute the cornstarch in the cold milk.
* Add the flour and cornstarch to the previous preparation, with the cream. Mix well until homogeneous. Add ground cinnamon to your liking.
* Grease small ramekins (or a larger dish) and sprinkle with sugar. Remove the excess.
* Divide the apples  between them and pour the cream over.
* Sprinkle with ground cinnamon and place in the oven for 40 to 45 min, until golden. Remove. Eat warm or cold.

Original recipe from Jungle Frog Cooking.

I am thrilled that we have a new prize added to our photography contest, generously donated by our new sponsor, Fracture! If you haven’t heard of Fracture before, you need to check it out. It’s a neat new way to “frame” your photos. You upload your photo, choose a frame (or no frame) and Fracture actually prints your photo ON GLASS. My mom got one of my sister and me and the quality is amazing. The colors are so vivid, it looks as vibrant as when you view the picture on your computer!

Fracture is awarding a free photo print in the size of your choice to the winner of the photography contest! How exciting is that? Start entering now!

I know, you all just *love* my reminder posts. But, it’s been a while since I have mentioned the photography contest I have going on at the main Maidens of Virtue site! It is hard to believe that what started out as “all year left” is now only just over 3 months left in the contest!

We’ve also finally announced the beginnings of our prize list! In addition to your photo being featured on Maidens of Virtue, the first place winner will be receiving a full Blogger site design from PrairieRoseDesigns.com!

I’ll continue to post updates as we go along… but time is quickly running out. Remember, you can enter as many photos as you want, at any time. And it’s FREE to enter, so what do you have to lose?

I just found out about this… Vision Forum has a brand new look for their website and until the 18th, they are having daily $1 deals on select products, free gifts with certain orders and free shipping! Click the banner below for details:

I had the pleasure of getting to know Joy, a lovely young lady who has recently started up her own jewelry business called The Joy of Jewelry. Her products are just *beautiful* and I am so pleased to be able to interview her! Enjoy the interview and when you’re done, hop on over to her website and check out all the scrumptious gems she has to offer!

Kathryn: Can you tell my readers a little about yourself?

Joy: I am going to be turning 21 this year, I am a homeschool graduate and a pastor’s daughter. I have done several years of independent studies on Nutrition, and am now attempting to learn to speak (and understand!) Irish Gaelige.

Kathryn: When did you start designing jewelry and why?

Joy: My sister and I always loved making dress-up jewelry when we were younger, and as I got older I began to buy some beads that were a little more ‘grown up’ than the plastic O’s we used to string on thick, stretchy white string. I also read ‘The American Girl’s Handybook’ that was in publication during the early 1900s, and became fascinated with the ‘language’ of flowers and colors. When I found a list of different colors and their significance in the Bible, that clinched my interest! I love the idea that we can be reminded of different truths, revealed to us through Scripture, by our jewelry.

Kathryn: How did you get the idea to start a business making jewelry?

Joy: When I was 16, one of the ladies we knew payed me to make two necklaces for her daughter’s birthday and left the design up to me. Since then I have had many people tell me that I should sell my jewelry, and as I got older and saw the lack of really beautiful and sturdy (affordable) jewelry, I began to think that perhaps I might be able to do it after all. But it wasn’t until a mutual friend introduced me to you – who offered to design a template for me in exchange for some jewelry – that I actually believed that it would ever happen.

Kathryn: What are your goals for your business?

Joy: My goals for my business are to glorify God as I create and sell jewelry, and to bless ladies across the country with beautiful reminders of purity and other truth.

Kathryn: You design each piece intentionally with certain colors or beads to represent things. How do you get your ideas?

Joy: I was fascinated when I discovered that there was an official ‘language’ to colors and flowers, and when I discovered a website that had a list of colors and their significance in the Bible, I couldn’t resist incorporating different color combinations into my jewelry.
I get inspired by period films, nature, and modern fashion, and my jewelry is an attempt to combine the finer styles with purity and beauty.
As far as the truths that are represented by my jewelry, they are convictions and conclusions that I have come to as I read the Bible and learn more about Jesus. I try to give a little glimpse into my inspiration for each jewelry collection on my website.

Kathryn: What are your most popular pieces?

Joy: It would be difficult to pick the most popular piece because different ones appeal to different people. The Purity for Life pieces have been very popular – with many people commenting particularly on the delicacy of the chain that I use for the Exquisite Chain and Crystal Necklace and Bracelet – but probably the most popular piece is the Heart and Key Bracelet.

Kathryn: Thank you so much for allowing me to interview you, Joy! Keep up the good work!

As she mentioned in the interview, I designed her website template in exchange for some jewelry. I received the Purity for Eternity Sapphire Crystal Necklace and the Purity for Life Double Stranded Bracelet. I am VERY pleased with both! The quality is excellent and they both fit beautifully. Joy’s service was wonderful as well! I am a big Swarovski crystal fan so I love my two pieces! Below are some photos of the pieces I received (click on the picture to go to Joy’s website and buy one for yourself!).

Miss Jocelyn over at Feelin’ Feminine is hosting a fun Jane Austen blog “tour” and giving away some great prizes! As you’ll see from that button there, it ends today… so I’m participating rather last minute. Ah well, better late than never, right?! (Click the button to see more details).

The premise of the “tour” is to create a Jane Austen related post(s) on your blog and enter them into one of the several categories listed on Feelin’ Feminine. I decided to go with the Digital Art category since that was the easiest for me, being that I am a graphic designer. I created a wallpaper for your desktop, featuring Jane and Elizabeth Bennett (from Pride & Prejudice of course!).

One reason I went with Jane & Lizzy is because everyone seems to focus so much on Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy, and everything revolves around them in most graphics, pictures, etc. But one of the things our family most enjoys about Pride & Prejudice is the relationship between the two sisters. They are obviously very close and they are each other’s confidantes and – gasp – they actually…. like each other! Which is something of a foreign concept in today’s society.

You are welcome to download the wallpaper for your own personal use; I just ask that you respect my copyright of the design and do not sell or distribute it (if you want your friends to have one too, just send them the link to this post). Please comment and let me know if you use it! Unfortunately those were the largest images I could find and so they are a little pixelated – my apologies for that!

How to download: Click on the image. It will open up in a larger size. Right click on it again (Mac users hold Control while clicking) and select “Save Image As…” Save it to your computer and apply as you would any other desktop wallpaper.

(Credit for photos: Eras of Elegance. In addition, images in this graphic are displayed in good faith as a fair use under 17 U.S.C. 107. Any copyright infringement is unintentional, and will be remedied immediately.)

Designed by www.PrairieRoseDesigns.com

I apologize for not getting the results of the essay contest up here! I’ve been busy and haven’t had time yet. Below are the winners, runners up and excerpts from their essays (links included to continue reading the complete essay). Congratulations to all the winners and runners up!

9-13 Age Group Winner: Miss Johanna W.

9-13 Age Group 1st Runner Up: Miss Carrie A.
9-13 Age Group 2nd Runner Up: Miss Robyn G.

14-25 Age Group Winner: Miss Rachel D.

14-25 Age Group 1st Runner Up: Miss Ginelle V.
14-25 Age Group 2nd Runner Up: Miss Kayla H.

Representing Christ – 9-13 Category Winner

By Johanna W.

True Modesty is not found in a man made set of rules, regulations or guidelines, but springs forth in a heart living for Christ. 1 Peter 3:3-4 says~ “Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as braided hair and the wearing of gold jewelry and fine clothes. Instead, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight.”

In the absence of biblical convictions, most people find them selves going the way of culture. This is true even in the realm of modesty. Most young woman these days think that beauty is found in the most revealing outfit, or the latest fashion—the way of culture. But the bible says that true beauty is found in a gentle, quiet, or in other words; a modest spirit. Modesty is like a tree, rooted in purity, branching forth in many aspects of our lives. A few of these branches include the way we dress and the way we act.

Our Dress represents our heart. If we dress ourselves in immodest clothes, we are displaying an impure heart. But if we dress in modest apparel then we reveal a virtuous heart.

1 Corinthians 6:19-20 says~ “Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body…”

Honor God with your body! We need to glorify God in every thing we do, including the way we dress. Dressing modestly not only represents Christ, but~ you, your family, your parents and your Christian community.

Continue reading this essay.

A Remedy – 14-25 Category Winner

By Rachel D.

During the 20th century there was a wide spread plague. Few people were left unaffected by this infection and the consequences have been devastating. This epidemic caused society as a whole to exchange the old-fashioned practice of modesty for the stylish concept that revealing your body is glamorous. Our generation’s loss of modesty is only an outward symptom of this gruesome disease, which is a grievous lack of purity, chastity, humility, and self-control, to name a few. As people have rejected the biblical standard accepted by our fore-fathers, they have lost all the blessings and rewards of the righteous. With lust, immorality, and selfishness having long been planted in the hearts of a nation, the harvest is to continue bringing dissatisfied hearts, broken lives, and ruined relationships. Long have we been reaping these consequences already. “Be not deceived, God is not mocked. Whatsoever a man sows that shall he also reap.”

Famously, the Good Samaritan once undertook an immense challenge to reach a wounded man. He “bound up his wounds, pouring in oil and wine.” In the same way, young women today have the enviable opportunity to reach a wounded world. By recapturing God’s sacred design for us as young women, we can have a resonating impact on the degenerating lives around us. Knowingly, God designed ladies to guard their bodies and heart, to be elegant and dignified, and to showcase femininity. Modesty of spirit and expression are oil and wine that the dying can little afford to be without.

Summer is staring at the side walk time. As soon as June rolls around, it seems as though skimpiness is the new dress code. Not to say that there aren’t ample representatives of this popular style all through the year. Today, ladies treat their bodies with little respect, all the while claiming to have won themselves honor by breaking free from societies “sexist restrictions”. Showing parts of the body intended to be kept private and sacred sadly demeans an individual. Why trade mystery and dignity for cheap, momentary attention from dishonorable men?

Continue reading this essay.

The Value of Modesty – 14-25 Category Runner Up

By Ginelle V.

What is modesty? According to the Merriam-Webster Online dictionary, modesty is, among other things, “propriety in dress, speech or conduct.” Nowadays when we discuss modesty, it is usually in relation to what one wears. In fact, the only time we discuss modesty at all is in relation to how immodest our society has become. Does anyone even really know what modesty looks like anymore? How can we possibly know true modesty in our ever changing world?

The only way we can truly know the right standard of modesty is by looking at the place where the standard never changes: God’s word. There are a few verses that show exactly what God thinks of modesty and of those who are immodest. For example, Proverbs 11:22 says, “As a jewel of gold in a swine’s snout, so is a fair woman which is without discression.” As unflattering as this verse is, it presents an undeniable truth: no matter how beautiful a woman is, she loses the respect of those around her when she dresses herself immodestly.

Continue reading this essay.

A State of Being – 14-25 Category Runner Up

By Kayla H.

Click. Eye contact. (I smile.) Eyes go down. And back up again. She walks away. Such is the scenario which plays over and over again in my day-to-day life – at the grocery store, at the fairground, at the post office. Yes, I am wearing a long skirt and a loosely-fitting shirt. It’s an outfit which I consider cute, but definitely not “normal” by worldly standards. I stick out – almost as much as a sore thumb – but I wouldn’t have it any other way.

Nearly every individual on planet Earth makes an important decision each morning. No, it’s not what to eat for breakfast. The decision I’m referring to is what to wear. Most individuals do not realize the weight this decision holds. They conclude within the recesses of their hearts and minds, “It simply depends on my preferences. At the end of the day, no one else cares; what I wear only affects me.” However, the Bible sings a different tune.

Continue reading this essay.

The Service of Modesty – 9-13 Category Runner Up

By Carrie A.

What is modesty?

It’s many things. It’s why we don’t walk around without clothes on. We all have jobs and duties in this world, a loyalty to others and to the Father.

The same way that we should keep the world clean and the water pure we should keep our souls clean and our body’s pure.

Have you ever gone by a park, small road or town that has trash lying around and looks like no one cares about its appearance? When you walk out of the house in an outfit that EVERYONE at school is wearing but your dad would freak if he saw you in, you are demonstrating that you don’t care how others feel. Immodesty is a selfish act.

Continue reading this essay.

What is Modesty? – 9-13 Category Runner Up

By Robyn G.

What Is Modesty?

The Greek word for modesty is “adios” that literary means bashfulness, reverence and shamefacedness. Today in this day and age many woman are not shamefaced about their modesty. They do not cover themselves like the bible commands us to in 1 Timothy 2:9 says, “In like manner also, that women adorn themselves in modest apparel, with shamefacedness and sobriety; not with broided hair, or gold, or pearls, or costly array.” KJV There you have it! God commands us to be modest and not to think about the way we look unless we are making sure we are modest.

Continue reading this essay.

Click HERE to view complete contest results

Congrats, everyone! See you next year!

Well, we have less than a week left until our Essay Contest is closed to entries! I’d encourage you to check it out and write an essay (and enter it of course!). It’s always good to push yourself to write and you never know – you just might win and receive a really wonderful bundle of goodies!

I thought I’d detail the prize list here with descriptions and pictures (where I have them!).

The first person to contribute to our prize was Amelia’s Aprons. Amelia’s Aprons has supported our contests in the past and was so kind to do so again! The 9-13 year old category winner will be receiving the Amish Apron Pattern, which is an adorable pinafore style apron – very cute and very practical! Perfect for using to be a “prairie girl” or just for wearing around the house to keep your clothes tidy. The 14-25 age group winner will receive the Ruffles & Curves Apron Pattern; another super cute style with a curved hem and ruffles! (surprise!). Both patterns come with a child’s size, adult size and a doll size, so you can make some for all the ladies in your family!

Next up is a Sense & Sensibility ePattern! I have the Afternoon Dress pictured here, but you will receive the ePattern of your choice. Sense & Sensibility is a widely recognized and respected pattern company for historical gowns. If you visit their website, you can see dozens of beautiful gowns made from the patterns (and get ideas for making your own dress!). The ePatterns are printable PDF versions of the pattern that you print and then tape together. It is perhaps more work than a regular pattern, but you have the advantage of being able to download it instantly (no waiting for it to ship!) and you will have it on your computer if you lose a piece or need to make it again in a different size.

Our third contributor is Roses and Teacups, one of my favorite online stores! And guess what they have given to our prize… yep, a lovely china teacup for each category!

Seasons at Home is a lovely magazine for keepers at home, filled with tasty recipes, craft projects and encouraging articles. They have graciously donated one issue to each winner! The subjects covered in this issue are: Flowers of Virtue, Stitching Old Fashioned Flowers, Summer Rag Quilting, Little Ladies Victorian Tea, Make a Hope Chest (Father project), Whole Grain Flat Breads, Ice Cream Cones and Pasta! This is a beautiful magazine and after you get this sampling you just might want to subscribe.

***Here’s where it gets different. I have two completely different prizes for the different categories:***

The younger group will get a knitting kit for making mittens! It includes yarn in a fun variegated purple and green yarn, knitting needles, and of course, instructions. Knitting is such a fun and practical skill to learn – you can easily make gifts, things for around the home or to put in your hope chest! (photo to come!)

The older category will be receiving a beautiful pair of earrings from The Joy of Jewelry. The Joy of Jewelry is a new business that creates gorgeous handmade Swarovski crystal jewelry (I admit I have a weakness for Swarovski crystals!). I have a necklace and bracelet from them and they are both high quality and look great! These lovely little droplets are from their “Passionate Purity” collection and are hand crafted from gold-plated surgical steel, deep red Swarovski crystals, and Grade A Swarovski pearls. You’ll love them. The winner will have a choice of pierced or clip-on earrings.

So now… doesn’t it make you want to enter?! It makes me want to… but it would hardly do to enter my own contest. So head on over to read the rules and get writing! You have till June 30, 2010, to enter!

Last Wordless Wednesday I posted this photo:

I meant to post my Tell Me Thursday about it on Thursday like I was supposed to, but didn’t have time. So it’s coming late… on Monday.

Those of you who have read my blog for a while know I play the harp and I have been saving for my own bigger harp. Well, a little over a week ago I had a wonderful surprise. Back in March, I was able to order the harp, but the company was backed up on orders and told me it would be 6 months before it would be done. So I was prepared to wait till September to get my harp, and I was praying hard for patience (and at the same time praying that somehow it could be finished earlier – say, August).

Well, the Lord loves to answer prayers and He answered that one far beyond my hopes. A week or so ago I was working on a sewing project in the basement, and I heard a lot of screwing, banging around, and general racket going on upstairs. I, however, was deeply engrossed in making a ribbon flower, and absently thought my mom and sister must be hanging pictures (which would be very odd and besides, there was far too much noise to be only picture-hanging. But you must understand, ribbon flowers take a lot of focus).

Well, my mom called me to come up and “let the cat in.” When I came up, Mom had a video camera in her hand. That meant something was up! I still was clueless and had no idea… I walked into the family room and there… was… I’m sure you can never guess. Yep, my harp!!

Isn’t she a beauty? It sounds beautiful and I LOVE the deep, full bass notes. It’s been so much fun playing through all my old songs and hearing how much fuller they sound! Once again, a huge thank you to my friend, Raeanne, who let me play her little harp for nearly two years while I waited for this one… it was an immense blessing.

The Lord is good!