Joy to the World!

Joy to the World! 

By: Isaac Watts

Joy the world! the Lord is come; Let earth receive her King;

Let ev'ry heart prepare him room, and heav'n and nature sing, 

And heav'n and nature sing, and heav'n and heav'n and nature sing. 

Joy to the earth! the Savior reigns; Let men their songs employ; 

While fields and floods, rocks, hills, and plains repeat the sounding joy,

Repeat the sounding joy, repeat, repeat the sounding joy. 

No more let sins and sorrows grow, nor thorns infest the ground;

He comes to make his blessings flow far as the curse is found, far as the curse is found;

Far as the curse is found, far as, far as the curse is found. 

He rules the world with truth and grace, and makes the nations prove

The glories of his righteousness, and wonders of his love, and wonders of his love,

And wonders, wonders of his love.

While you're reading, you may want to listen to this beautiful hymn. 

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This wonderful Christmas carol was first published in a collection of hymns by the English poet and hymn writer Isaac Watts. The collection, Psalms of David Imitated in the Language of the New Testament was published in 1719 and contained 132 of the 150 psalms from the Bible, interpreted by Isaac Watts. "Joy to the World" comes from Psalm 98, verses 4-9. 
Make a joyful noise unto the Lord, all the earth: make a loud noise, and rejoice, and sing praise. Sing unto the Lord with the harp; with the harp, and the voice of psalm. With trumpets and sound of cornet make a joyful noise before the Lord, the King. Let the sea roar, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein. Let the floods clap their hands: let the hills be joyful together. Before the Lord; for he cometh to judge the earth: with righteousness shall he judge the world, and the people with equity.

Before the age of nine, Isaac Watts learned Latin and Greek, and by the time he was thirteen, was close to mastering French and Hebrew. God gave him a brilliant mind; he authored several books on religion and philosophy that had a major impact upon English thought during the late seventeenth and early eighteenth centuries. Isaac had a desire to promote singing in English congregations. He wanted to make the Scriptures relevant to lay (common) people and saw hymns as a perfect vehicle for this. At the age of eighteen, Isaac began to compose hymns for his own church at the rate of one per week. In 1707 he published 210 of these original hymns in a book entitled, Hymns and Spiritual Songs. In addition to his theological books, Isaac Watts published over 600 hymns in his lifetime. "Joy to the World" would not have become popular, though, without the contribution of two other important men. 

The first man, George Frederick Handel, was a German-born prodigy who had mastered the violin, oboe, harpsichord, and organ while studying law at the university. And all by the age of twelve! One year later, he decided to give up his legal studies to pursue music. In 1712, after he made his second trip to England, he decided to become an English citizen. 

The second composer was the American choir director and educator, Lowell Mason. It was a custom of his to search through previously published hymn texts to find material for his original melodies. Perhaps this is how he came upon Isaac Watt's interpretation of the ninety-eighth Psalm. In an effort to find a melody that conveyed the joyous message of the words, Mason turned to Handel's "Messiah." By taking musical phrases from different sections of the oratorio, Mason arranged them into a tune he called "Antioch." Matched to the words of Isaac Watts, Mason's uplifting melody was published for the first time in 1836. 

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To all you blog readers, I wish you and your families a very merry Christmas!  

With much joy, love, and peace as we rejoice in our great Savior,

Ashley

Silent Night, Holy Night

Silent Night, Holy Night

By: Joseph Mohr

Silent night, holy night, all is calm, all is bright. Round yon virgin mother and child! 

Holy infant so tender and mild, sleep in heavenly peace, sleep in heavenly peace. 

Silent night, holy night, darkness flies, all is light; Shepherds hear the angels sing,

"Alleluia! hail the King! Christ the Savior is born, Christ the Savior is born." 

Silent night, holy night, Son of God, love's pure light. Radiant beams from thy holy face,

With the dawn of redeeming grace, Jesus, Lord, at thy birth, Jesus, Lord at thy birth.

Silent night, holy night, wondrous star, lend thy light; With the angels let us sing

Alleluia to our King; Christ the Savior is born, Christ the Savior is born. 

In 1818, Joseph Mohr arrived in Oberndorf, Austria to take the position of assistant priest at the newly-erected Church of St. Nicholas. He soon made many friends among the local villagers. Franz Gruber, who was the village schoolmaster and church organist, was one of Joseph's favorite acquaintances. They spent much time together, discussing matters of mutual interest, such as education, music, and theology. As Christmas approached that year, the two men realized that no one had yet been able to compose the "perfect Christmas hymn."  Just before Christmas, a group of traveling players arrived in Oberndorf to present a nativity play in the local Catholic church. Since the organ at the Church of St. Nicholas was being repaired and the church could not be used for their performance, a local shop owner graciously opened his home to the players. On the evening of December twenty-third, Joseph Mohr attended the nativity play. As he traveled home after the performance, he stopped at his favorite spot that overlooked the small village of Oberndorf. Moved by the beauty of the night and inspired by the Christmas story, Joseph hurried home and wrote the words of "Silent Night, Holy Night." The next morning, Joseph took his stanzas to Franz Gruber and said, "See if you can wed these words to a melody." After reading the simple verses, Franz replied, "Friend Mohr, you have found it-the right song-God be praised." Since the organ was not going to be repaired in time for Christmas, Franz wrote the music for guitar. In the Christmas Eve service, Franz Gruber sang the bass and played the accompaniment on his guitar, Joseph Mohr sang the tenor part, and a choir of young ladies from the village sang the last two lines of each stanza in four-part harmony. Joseph and Franz had never intended for their Christmas carol to become famous. When Franz Gruber returned to his home in Zillertal, about eight miles away from Oberndorf, he took with him a copy of the song. Soon, it was being included in concerts through Austria and Germany, and was known as a Tyrolean Folk Song of unknown origin. 

"Silent Night" was first published for congregation singing in 1838 in the German hymnbook, Katholisches Gesang-und Gebetbuch für den offentlichen und häuslichen Gottesdienst zunächst zum Gebrauche der katholischen Gereinden im Königreiche Sachsen. (Catholic chant and prayer book for the public and domestic worship initially for the use of the Catholic gereinden the kingdoms of Saxony)

In 1839, "Silent Night, Holy Night" was first performed in the United States by a visiting group of Austrian singers. Before long, it was translated not only into English, but into several other languages as well.  It was used in America by German-speaking congregations, then appeared in its current English form in a book of Sunday school songs in 1863. "Silent Night, Holy Night" has become one of the best-loved Christmas carols of all time. 

I hope each one of you has a very merry Christmas!

Luke 2:10-14

And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men. 

Thankful Tuesday

Good morning, dear friends! 

Today is thankful Tuesday. Some things I'm thankful for today include:

 

*Cranberry Fluff

*the cold weather we've been blessed with

 

*the sister date Lauren, Deborah, and I took on Saturday night, looking at Christmas lights.

*a picnic with the family on Sunday afternoon after church 

 *a homemade shell candle

Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name. ~Psalm 100:4

What are you thankful for? 
Have you had cold weather at your house?

It Is Good to Give Thanks

Just recently, as I was reading the Psalms, a question popped into my head. Why is it good to give thanks or why should we give thanks? I think it can be easy to get into a habit of thanking God when we pray for meals. We thank Him for the food, for family, for the day, etc. And these are things I think we should be thankful for. But as I read more and started searching, I found many reasons for why we should be thankful.

We could be full of thanksgiving and praising God because:

• He is worthy. 
• He is good.
• His mercy endureth for ever and ever.
• He made the waters, heaven, light, and earth. John 1:3      Psalm. 136:5-9
• His name alone is excellent. Psalm. 148:13
• God is near to all those that call upon him. Psalm. 145:18
• Jesus is Immanuel. He is with us every single minute, of every single hour, of every single day, no matter where we are in the world. 
• He is wonderful! 
• He is the Prince of Peace
• The Lord Jehovah has done excellent things
• Jesus has broken down the middle wall of perdition between the Jews and the Gentiles
• God sent his son Jesus to be the propitiation for the whole world 
• We have been justified by faith and now have peace with God through Jesus.  Romans 5:1
• God loved us first, while we were still sinners. Romans 5:8
• We don't live under the law anymore.
• We live under grace!
• We are no longer condemned. Christ has freed us from being servants to sin, and now are instead, servants of righteousness and God. Romans 6:20
• Nothing can ever separate Christians from the love of God. Romans 8:39
• God had mercy upon us all. Romans 11:32
• Jesus is the same yesterday, today, and forever.
• Jesus is our mediator.
• Christ suffered once for the sins of all men.
• Christ was cursed for us. Galatians 3:13
• God has blessed us so much more abundantly than we deserve.
• Jesus reigns!
• Christ is King of Kings and Lord of Lords!

May you all have a godly and Christ-filled week.

Every day will I bless thee; and I will praise thy name for ever. Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised; and his greatness is unsearchable. ~Psalm 145:2-3

Mrs. Oswald Chambers ~ Book Review

Mrs. Oswald Chambers

By: Michelle Ule

About the Book:

Among Christian devotional works, My Utmost for His Highest stands head and shoulders above the rest, with more than 13 million copies sold. But most readers have no idea that Oswald Chambers' most famous work was not published until ten years after his death. The remarkable person behind its compilation and publication was his wife, Biddy.

Bestselling novelist Michelle Ule brings Biddy's story to life as she traces her from her upbringing in Victorian England to her experiences in a WWI YMCA camp in Egypt to her return to post-war Britain, a destitute widow with a toddler in tow. Refusing personal payment, Biddy published thirty books with her husband's name on the covers, all while raising a child alone, providing hospitality to a never-ending stream of visitors and missionaries, and nearly losing everything in the London Blitz during WWII.

This inspiring story of a devoted woman ahead of her time will quickly become a favorite of anyone who loves true stories of overcoming incredible odds, making a life out of nothing, and serving God's kingdom.

My Review:

Before reading this book, I didn't know anything about Oswald or his wife, Gertrude. She was always called "Biddy", which was the nickname Oswald gave to her. (The nickname was first "Beloved Disciple", then it was shortened to "B.D.", then became "Biddy.") I felt like the author did a very thorough job of researching and providing facts in a somewhat story-like manner. I learned so much about the Chambers-they were a family who had given themselves wholly to God and were devoted to living a life to the extreme for the King. Biddy was an expert in shorthand and each time her husband spoke, she would write down everything he said in shorthand. She filled countless notebooks with his sermons and teachings. From those, she compiled many books, including My Utmost for His Highest. Something interesting I learned about the Oswalds is that they lived in Egypt for many years, ministering and sharing the gospel to soldiers and the natives. They also became close friends of Samuel and Amy Zwemer, missionaries to the Muslims. This was an excellent book, one I'd recommend to most anyone.

I received this book from Baker Books in exchange for an honest review. You can purchase the book here. 

Rare Flowers In the Garden....

Good morning friends! I hope you all had a fabulous Thanksgiving weekend.

I have something very exciting to share with you...on November 18th, I spied a couple of purple flowers on my sweet potato plants. I knew they weren't the potatoes because they grow underground, so I immediately started researching. Turns out, these purple flowers are somewhat rare. :) How cool is that?!

 

 

 Scientists have discovered that these flowers bloom best when there is high humidity combined with damp soil. Trimming the vines back seem to help stimulate bud and flower growth as well. We did receive a ton of rain two weeks ago, and I have been trimming back the potato vines. There are little hairs every few inches on the vine that will implant themselves in the ground and start growing new potatoes. If I didn't trim them, they would just keep growing and overtake everything.

This is the very first sweet potato, picked on November 20th.

These two sweet potatoes were picked on November 22nd. The potato on the left was very large! I couldn't believe how big it was. They tasted pretty good too. There are still quite a few plants in the garden, so I suspect I'll be picking more sweet potatoes in the next couple months. :)

 

 

Have you ever grown sweet potatoes? If so, did they sprout flowers? 

Worth It All ~ Book Review

Worth It All

By: Isabella Morganthal

About the Book:

We are all running a race.
A race that will change our lives…
This is the personal race--the journey—to know Jesus more deeply than we could even imagine, and live completely dedicated to Him. It’s the race of a lifetime. In her third book, Worth it All, National Bible Bee Alumnus Isabella Morganthal shares about her journey as a Bible Bee contestant for five years. Comparing her time as a contestant to a race, she encourages readers to run their own race of knowing Jesus well.
Worth it All is meant to inspire you to live for Jesus radically in a way that shows the world He is worth more to you than anything or anyone else.
So if you’re willing to step onto the racetrack for the race of your life, begin reading.
Ready? Set…
Go.

My Thoughts:

Isabella did a very nice job of writing this book. I found it interesting to read what she saw and felt as she competed in the Bible Bee. I watched the Bible Bee competition two years ago online, and I remember seeing Isabella recite her verses up there on the stage. She certainly grew in the Lord and learned much from memorizing such large portions of Scripture. Isabella shares the tips she used to memorize her verses, and throughout the book, gives glory to God for everything that happened during her years as a Bible Bee contestant. She also kept encouraging the reader that Jesus is worth everything. I thought she could have talked a little more about the Christian's race, but overall, I really enjoyed it. It was an amazing, inspiring, and encouraging book!  I'd say that those ages 12 and up would enjoy this book.

 

Thank you, Isabella, for allowing me to read your book. (I liked how large the print was too. :) ) You are very inspiring and encouraging...keep writing and giving God all the glory!

Click on this link to view Isabella's website and to see other books she has written.

For the Beauty of the Earth

For the Beauty of the Earth

By: Folliott S. Pierpoint  

For the beauty of the earth, for the glory of the skies,
For the love which from our birth, over and around us lies:

Lord of all, to Thee we raise, this our hymn of grateful praise.

 For the wonder of each hour of the day and of the night,

Hill and vale, and tree and flow'r, sun and moon, and stars of light:

Lord of all, to Thee we raise, this our hymn of grateful praise. 

 For the joy of human love, brother, sister, parent, child,

Friends on earth, and friends above, for all gentle thoughts and mild:

Lord of all, to Thee we raise, this our hymn of grateful praise. 

 For Thyself, best gift divine! To our race so freely giv'n;

For that great, great love of Thine, peace on earth and joy in heav'n:

Lord of all, to Thee we raise, this our hymn of grateful praise.

Folliot Sandford Pierpoint is the author of this hymn. He was born on October 7, 1835, in Bath, England. After graduating from Cambridge, he taught at Somersetshire College in his hometown of Bath. One Spring day when he was 29, Folliot was walking in the countryside. He saw the ocean of green, the blue dome of heaven, and the winding Avon River cutting through the flowery landscape. Overwhelmed with God's creation, he wrote this poem. Originally, he intended it primarily for Communion services in the Anglican Church, but soon it became associated with the American Thanksgiving holiday. In Folliot's original version, each verse ended with: "Christ, our God, to Thee we raise, this our sacrifice of praise." Little else is known about Folliot Sandford Pierpoint. He resigned from his position at Somersetshire and apparently moved from place to place, teaching, writing hymns, and publishing his poetry. He died in 1917. 

*Friends, I wish you all a very happy Thanksgiving. Let us remember to be thankful for not just the extraordinary things, but also for the ordinary ones. HAPPY THANKSGIVING!*

2 Samuel 7:22

Wherefore thou art great, O Lord, God: for there is none like thee, neither is there any God beside thee, according to all that we have heard with our ears. 

All Creatures of our God and King

All Creatures of Our God and King

By: St. Francis of Assisi

 

 All creatures of our God and King, lift up your voice and with us sing, Alleluia! Alleluia!

Thou burning sun with golden beam, thou silver moon with softer gleam, O praise Him!

O praise Him! Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia! 

Thou rushing wind that art so strong, ye clouds that sail in Heaven along, O praise Him! Alleluia! Thou rising moon, in praise rejoice, ye lights of evening, find a voice! 

O praise Him! Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia! 

 Thou flowing water, pure and clear, make music for thy Lord to hear, O praise Him!

Alleluia! Thou fire so masterful and bright, that givest man both warmth and light.

O praise Him! Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!

And all ye men of tender heart, forgiving others, take your part, O sing ye! Alleluia! 

Ye who long pain and sorrow bear, praise God and on Him cast your care! 

O praise Him! Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!

Let all things their Creator bless, and worship Him in humbleness, O praise Him! Alleluia!

Praise, praise the Father, praise the Son, and praise the Spirit, Three in One!
O praise Him, Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!

Psalm 146:2

While I live will I praise the Lord: I will sing praises unto my God while I have any being.

~~~~~

Hebrews 13:15

By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name.

~~~~~

Revelation 19:4-6

And the four and twenty elders and the four beasts that fell down and worshipped God that sat on the throne, saying, Amen; Alleluia. And a voice came out of the throne, saying, Praise our God, all ye his servants, and ye that fear him, both small and great. And I heard as it were the voice of a great multitude, and as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of mighty thunderings, saying, Alleluia: for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth. 

~~~~~

Bound Book Review and Blog Tour

A cheery hello to you all! Happy Tuesday! 

Today is the first day of Victoria's blog tour for her second brand new book, Bound. 

About the Book:

  Two souls don’t find each other by simple accident. ~Jorge Luis Borges~

Levi thought he was making this journey alone. But when he meets an eight-year-old girl at the train station, that plan is turned on its head.

Casey is running away and finds out that Levi is too. They decide to journey together and their lives are suddenly bound together in a journey they will not soon forget.

Both children come from abusive situations and are running from the dangers of their previous life. Levi is confident he can handle this on his own, but when Casey is injured on the journey, he must seek help from the first person that comes into his path, or rather people. Mr. and Mrs. Bellworth are simple farm folk with a heart for kids and a passion for serving God. When their unconditional love and gentle care surrounds Levi and Casey, the troubles of their previous lives melt away and they start to flourish. But when Casey is dragged back into the abusive world she came from, the emotional trauma, pain and distrust resurfaces. Will they be forever bound by their past? Or will God answer their prayers?

My Thoughts:

 I first read Bound last year when Victoria posted weekly snippets on her blog. (You may remember she released her first book, London In the Dark, earlier this year.) I love her writing style, and she did a great job of creating this whole, somewhat mysterious story.The beginning has a fantastic attention grabber and this is one of those books that will keep you turning the page. It's a well-written book with a great message. You won't want to put it down! I will warn you, though, Bound is a sad (and real) book; you might even shed a tear or two while reading. It's about a little boy and girl who come from two abusive backgrounds. There are a few places where physical beatings are mentioned, but Victoria did a great job of writing those scenes and didn't go into too much detail.

 The main characters find they aren't only bound by their hurtful backgrounds, but end up also being bound by the saving power of Christ. And they find forgiveness, hope, and peace, which can only be found in Jesus.  Bound is a book that I really enjoyed reading (and will re-read), and would recommend to ages 13+. 

*Victoria, congratulations on publishing your second book, and thank you for allowing me to read, review, and be a part of your tour! Keep writing for the Lord, girl!*

Giveaway! 

 Victoria is having a giveaway to celebrate Bound being published. Just type in your name and email into the widget below to enter. (She's also giving away a couple e-books.) Click here, on this link, to view more details about the giveaway.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

You can find Bound on Amazon, or you can contact Victoria to purchase a signed copy. 

Click here to purchase on Amazon. (It's available in both kindle and paperback forms.)  

About the author:

 Victoria Lynn is in her 20s and if she's not writing, she is probably sewing, singing, playing the piano, washing dishes, creating something with her hands, or learning something new. She has a passion for serving her Creator, encouraging others and being creative. She blogs at www.rufflesandgrace.com about writing, fashion, modesty, her walk with God and life. She lives in Michigan with her parents and 8 siblings. 

All Hail the Power of Jesus' Name

All Hail the Power of Jesus' Name

By: Edward Perronet 

All hail the pow'r of Jesus' name! Let angels prostrate fall;

Bring forth the royal diadem, and crown him Lord of all;

Bring forth the royal diadem, and crown him Lord of all. 

Ye chosen seed of Israel's race, ye ransomed from the fall. 

Hail him who saves you by his grace, and crown him Lord of all;

Hail him who saves you by his grace, and crown him Lord of all. 

Let ev'ry kindred, ev'ry tribe on this terrestrial ball,

To him all majesty ascribe, and crown him Lord of all;

To him all majesty ascribe, and crown him Lord of all.

O that with yonder sacred throng we at his feet may fall! 

We'll join the everlasting song, and crown him Lord of all;

We'll join the everlasting song, and crown him Lord of all.

 Edward Perronet was born in 1726 in the English town of Sundridge. He was the son of a well-known and respected vicar (priest) in the Church of England, so he grew up in the parish church. As the evangelical movement headed by John and Charles Wesley swept across the English countryside, the elder Perronet became a trusted counselor to the younger preachers. Often, John Wesley would ride up to the parish on horseback, anxious to discuss with the vicar some matter of doctrine or administration. It was during these visits that Edward developed an admiration for Wesley and his determined efforts to break from the traditional forms of the Anglican church. Edward Perronet broke with his traditionalist background and joined the Wesleys. If it was adventure he sought, he was no to be disappointed. Shortly after his association with John Wesley, Perronet was involved in incidents of persecution where, according to Wesley's diary: "he was thrown down and rolled in mud and mire. Stones were hurled and windows broken." Edward was inspired by his mentor to preach, but had determined never to do so in front of John Wesley. So Wesley surprised Edward. One Sunday morning, John Wesley announced to the congregation that the following day, they would hear a wonderful message from Edward Perronet. Edward was quite shocked and irritated that Wesley would put him in such an uncomfortable position. He did not wish to cause public embarrassment by refusing the evangelist's request, but neither did he feel prepared to present the new day's sermon. In the morning, Edward announced: "Although I have no sermon of my own to give to you, I promise you I shall deliver the finest one ever heard." He then opened his Bible and proceeded to read the sermon on the mount. When he completed the reading, he closed the book and sat down without comment. Several years later, Edward Perronet left the Wesleys and became the pastor of an independent church at Canterbury, England. As he pastored his little flock of country folk, Perronet saw the need for new hymns. He wrote three small volumes of hymns, published in 1756, 1782, and 1785. "All Hail the Power of Jesus' Name" was included in the second volume, having been previously published in a 1779 issue of Gospel Magazine. The hymn reflects Perronet's conviction that God ought always to be worshipped in great glory and honor, with an emphasis upon his holy kingship. Paired with a beautiful melody written by Edward Srubsole, the hymn became popular across England. However, when it was first introduced in America, a Massachusetts carpenter composed the tune, "Coronation," for the stirring words and it is to this tune that the hymn is best known in the United States. It has been said that whenever Queen Victoria had the hymn played, she would direct that her jeweled crown be removed in deference to the hymn's message that Jesus should be crowned Lord of all. 

Have a blessed week, friends.

Blessings in Christ,

Ashley

Psalm 95:1-6

O come, let us sing unto the Lord: let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation. Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving, and make a joyful noise unto him with psalms. For the Lord is a great God, and a great King above all gods. In his hand are the deep places of the earth: the strength of the hills is his also. The sea is his, and he made it: and his hands formed the dry land. O come, let us worship and bow down: let us kneel before the Lord our maker.

Thankful Tuesday

On this beautiful Tuesday afternoon, I am thankful for: 

*the new baby calves next door

*the cold weather we've had for the past couple days

 *my prayer notebook that I created last week

*Martin Luther and the Reformation

(By the way, today marks the 500th year since Martin Luther nailed his 95 Theses to the door of the Castle Church. Happy Reformation Day.)

 *educational/inspiring books

*the first pepper from my pepper plant :) 

What are you thankful for today, dear friend?

Psalm 69:30

I will praise the name of God with a song, and will magnify him with thanksgiving. 

A September Tea Cup Exchange

Hello,

In September, I participated in Stephanie's annual tea cup and mug exchange.

I sent Payton a tea package and Karina was the one who sent me a tea cup. She also included a couple other goodies. She did send me some coffee, but I forgot to add it in the picture.

Isn't this tea cup gorgeous? 

If you'd like to be notified next year about when the tea cup and mug exchange is happening, you can sign up here.  
Thank you again, Stephanie, for hosting such a delightful swap. 

And just to let you know, there are some new goodies in my etsy shop. Please stop by and take a peek. :) 

Enjoy your weekend, friends.