Courage, Merry.

Courage- n.; a word that can alternately inspire, and scare the heck out of a person

When I think of courage, I most often think of the stories of epic tales. Heroes, valiant men and women, unlikely princessess, and paupers-turned-kings. I think of Bilbo sneaking into Smaug's lair. I think of Frodo casting the ring into Mount Doom. I think of High King Peter and his brother and sisters. I think of Rebecca in Ivanhoe, and the monumental part she plays in saving England from Prince John. I think of Jane Eyre and her stalwart moral-courage. I think of the Scarlet Pimpernel, and of Jean Valjean, and of the dozens--even hundreds--of heroes and heroines who loom large in my mind when I think of the word "courage."

Seldom...oh how seldom do I think of what these folk were before the end.

I seldom think of Bilbo as the fat little hobbit who so hated the idea of leaving the Shire that he almost missed his chance for a grand adventure. I seldom think of Frodo as another fat hobbit who never meant to take the ring any farther than the borders of Rivendell--indeed, if that far! I seldom think of the Pevensies as frightened, war-torn children who are sent to live in a country manor-house because their old home is being bombed by Germans. I seldom think of Jean Valjean as the lost, confused, and ill-bred young man who stole a loaf of bread so his sister's children mightn't starve to death.

I seldom think of any of these things, and yet when I do, the stories expand like Pandora's box. Before, the characters' heights of courage and valour seem positively unattainable. But when I start to take their story--their lives--like I am forced to take my own { that is, one moment at a time}, I start to see a trend.

Courage is not a long measure.

Courage is the shreds of determination, madness, great-hearts, and grit pieced together end-to-end till, at the last few pages of the story when you're finally looking back, you see that it was courage after all that brought you this far.

See, God has given us a love for these stories as mirror-shadows of His story, so that we might manage to begin to comprehend just "what sort of tale we've fallen into, Mr. Frodo." That's the premise of the devotional, Epic by John Eldridge, and something I firmly believe. And, you know...I start taking these stories in little tiny pieces and I start looking at Bilbo burrowing his head in a comfy pillow at Bag End to stop out the sound of the dwarf-song, and I start watching Frodo take a last walk through the Shire, and I start looking at Rebeccas as an unloved Jewess and suddenly I realize:

They're no different than me.

They had no more courage to start with than I do. They were afraid, they were wretched, they were confused and bewildered and sometimes wanted nothing more than to cling to their own familiar doorstep with the morning glories and nasturtiums growing close to the little round windows. But they simply didn't. They set out on the road, and they kept going no matter what happened. Because the authors who wrote their stories (imitating the Author Who wrote mine) understood one key thing about courage: Sometimes a valiant spirit is not the courage needed. Sometimes the courage needed is a chin lifted into the face of the wind, a boot dug into the ground, and a heart that says, 'No matter. I will go forward. You cannot make me go back.'

These characters weren't courageous because they sat in Hobbiton or London or Ashby or Paris thinking, "I will be brave. I will have courage." More, it was just a blind clinging to what was right before their very faces when the path got narrow and foggy and beset with perils of every sort. More, it was a faith that everything that should happen would, and their responsibility was not to guess what the end ought to be, but to put one more foot on the twisting stairway because "Up" was the only way, or to go one more league on the moor because it was right when all their heart was longing for the love they'd left behind at Thornfield Hall. 

In short, it's the words Eowyn whispers in Merry's ear as they ready for battle:

"Courage, Merry. Courage for our friends."

I know it's hard to see sometimes--I know it's hard to fathom the idea that you could be living a story as large as those you love, but it's true. And the courage you need is ready for the taking. A sweeping end-vision is, of course, a beautiful gift, but perhaps we should stop asking God for courage for the whole way. Perhaps we should start asking Him for just enough to take that step forward. You never know when that step might take you to the Happily Ever After you've always dreamed of.

eShakti: a wonderful deal just for my readers. :)

Do you girls remember when I did a review of a custom-made dress for eShakti.com? That was back in Autumn, and I chose a black-and-blue semi-formal dress that fit perfectly because of the awesome custom-sizing eShakti allows you to concoct. The past couple of weeks I have been sighing over their Spring Line of clothes, and in particular the dresses. There is just something about the dresses on this site and that you stand up and pay attention. One of my favorite things about the company is the fact that so many of their dresses are vintage-inspired.

You could feel delightfully "Ginger Rogers" in this dress:

Or pretty and chic in this one:

Or preppy and perfect in this!

Whatever your body-type and style, eShakti has options for you. I seriously haven't seen a dress I hated on their site, and their prices are very very decent. But sometimes decent wants a break too, so I am very very pleased to announce that Jennifer Mayer of eShakti has created a special coupon code just for this blog and my readers! :)

Here is the deal, and I quote:

Code has to be entered in the 'Promotional Code' box. No Minimum Order Value. The discount code is not case sensitive. The code can be used any number of times until the validity period. This code can be clubbed with any other gift coupon or gift card in the same order. This discount code is not applicable on our Overstock category. Not applicable on previous purchases. 

And here, my dears, is the code itself! It is valid from 2/26/13 to 3/10/13, so there is plenty of time to squeeze in an order! The dresses truly are very reasonably priced (especially considering the quality!) and the 20% off coupon will make the prices even spanglier! 

LSSFLLTRDE

"Oooooh," "ahhhhh," and admire all you want. It's yours for the taking. And the especially wonderful thing about it all? I was requested to do another product review for this splendid company. I got to choose three dresses and they would send whichever one of them the company chose for my review. I got my dress yesterday and....wow. It's gorgeous. Matthew and I will be working on a photo-shoot this week, and you'll get to see all about it!

I am really excited!

The Shrinkage Diaries: My Version of Working-Out

Dear Figure,

       You have the right to remain silent during this post, because today I'm not talking to you at all (we're not speaking, 'member?) but to the other girls who have been lurking about asking just with what am I battering you into being? In short, what sorts of exercises have I been doing?

Well, there's several levels to this. First off, I'm a firm believer (and have discovered this by trial and error...mostly error.) that fresh air is an important part of feeling fit and fabulous. You can treadmill all day, you can do a Pilates workout, but till you are out in the sunshine and fresh air, you're not gonna feel very energized. So, one of my most common things to do is to take a long, brisk walk outside. Nothing fancy, but I try to keep my buttom tucked and my stomach in. The usual loop I do is about 4 miles. It takes me about an hour...maybe a tidge longer, depending on if my shins are hurting or not. No, don't freak out. I don't have anything wrong with my shins (that I know of) it's just that one of them has been hurting rather a lot and makes it uncomfortable to walk quickly for long distances. (I do it anyway.) One trick I've found to the whole "long walk" thing is this:

When you think you are finished, go a little further.

Passing your house? Take one more quick loop around the neighborhood. I live way out in the country, but there are a few roads that make a triangle, and are each about a quarter of a mile in length. Often I'll add an extra loop around the triangle, adding nearly a mile to my walk just with that little effort. So walking is great for overall health and fitness, but I have major issues with several areas on my body that walking just isn't fixing fast enough for my preference. ;) My bum has shrunk, yes, but other areas I wanted to focus on. (i.e. my non-existant abs and my jiggly arms.)

For a while I was doing some Marine Corps arm exercises that Abigail taught me from her brother's Good ol' days at boot-camp. I couldn't find any instructables for these, so I can't share them here, but they are called "Sungods" and "Chain-breakers" so ask your closest Marine if he knows how to do them. ;) But I was soon rather tired of the monotony of just sitting there, and then my dear friend Julia showed me a series of Youtube videos that I am now a sworn fan of. They are part of a series called "Blogilates" done by a woman named Cassey Ho who is just so peppy and encouraging that you feel as skinny as she is before the workout has even begun. The workouts are balanced, healthy, and fairly easy in a ouch-that-hurts-but-golly-it's-good-for-me kind of way. Some of them are even done to music. :D You can find printouts for lots of her workouts here.

I did some of this one this morning..... Ouch. :D 

My favorite videos (that I've tried) are:

The Official Prom-Dress Workout

(Fairly easy, but watch out for the leg circles. Ouch.)

Call Me Maybe Squat Challenge

(Trying this is just a couple minutes)

That's What Makes You Bootyful workout. 

(Following it up with this if I'm not dead. ;)

I will warn you and say that she wears work-out clothes and some of her outfits (as in the Bootyful workout) are not guy-friendly. I personally don't have a problem working out with these videos as I'm totally dying there on the floor and not even paying attention. But I would advise against doing these while brothers are around. :D  Still, I have found these workouts to be fun, quick, and effective.

Though my arms are still very jiggly, I am already seeing definition between the Marine workouts and these videos. Hurrah! I am adding sit-ups to my routine as well, because I realized yesterday that I honestly have no stomach muscles. Really. It's pitiful. So I am on a roll to change that,  because I consider stomach muscles essential to life as a Mama. (someday)

Another thing Mama does (and that I do rather often as well) are a series by Teresa Tapp called T-Tapp. They are workouts that focus on no-impact strength and core-training, and are really healthy and balanced as well. I love the fact that Teresa Tapp was a physical therapist so she knows what's what and how to align the body correctly and all that. These videos are such stress-relievers, and relatively quick. (Basic Plus takes 15 minutes.)

Basic Plus to Tempo

Step Away

Hit the Floor 

(synonymous with killer pain ;)

You can read up all about T-Tapp at the website....

Anyway, these are some of the things I have been doing and enjoying. We have an elliptical machine as well, but in a lot of cases I'd just rather go on a walk, but it is a great thing to have for rainy days, or the days you don't have enough time to go for an hour walk and have to get it done quickly.

My target-areas to work on in the next while are:

Abs
Arms
Legs

What are yours, and what sorts of exercises do you like to do? Plus, have any of you tried Zumba, and does it actually work besides being fun to do? :D

                     With Definitely Aching Abs and Thighs,

                                                                         Rachel

The Shrinkage Diaries: When the Wallet's Shrinking but you're not

Dear Figure,
       Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee
^ Do you hear that? It might look the wail of a small mosquito, but actually, it's the sound I made all this past week as our pantry emptied, we waited for checks in the mail to be able to stock back up, and the choices for healthy eating dwindled. I mean, really. Okay. So I know I haven't been religious in my NOTHING FLOUR and NOTHING SUGAR this past week, but I have been exercising and I have been eating mostly none and none. Yeah. Valentine's day threw me off.
        But anyway, I was sitting on my bed yesterday around lunchtime reading up on Alexsander Solzhenitsyn and generally lost in Communist Russia when Mama poked her head through the door and informed me that she was working on school with the younger ones, and would I be so kind as to fix something alive for lunch because she couldn't eat any more "dead food" if she was a POW in Stalag 13. Or maybe it was "I would throw up if I had to eat any more popcorn." (I've heard it both ways.) I was just stuck in Russia, remember.

"We have...cucumbers, cabbage...some onions...oh! and chick peas."

And then she went downstairs, and Figure? I felt you dancing in high glee because you thought I would have to make something wretched like cabbage soup. I mean anyone who has seen Charlie and the Chocolate Factory will remember...

"Oh. Well....nothing goes better with cabbage than cabbage!"

But if I made something wretched like cabbage soup, it would appear that your bet was winning, Figure, and you were convincing me that eating healthy tasted like...dishwater. Perhaps it was the influence of Communist Russia that sent me to Google, but I sat down at the computer and typed in "raw salad cucumbers cabbage" not expecting anything to come up. But something did. Something from a Russian cooking website (the sterling truth) and I decided to try it...and what came out was absolutely delicious.

But to feed eleven or twelve people off of a cabbage salad while all right for Charlie Bucket & Co. is a little weak and wimpy and giving-uppish. In all my digging I found that we did have some carrots so I thought to myself, I thought: "Aha. Let us make hummus  out of the chick peas. Oh...but we don't have lemon juice, do we?"

No lemons. Not a juice anywhere. Not even lime juice, which works in a pinch. But I wanted hummus. I really wanted it, and I sat there for a moment, thinking rather harder than usual. Then the proverbial lightbulb came one and I decided I'd outwit our pantry.

No lemon juice?

No problem.

Instead I used red wine vinegar and a generous sprinkling of lemon-pepper seasoning. The result was Mediterranean in the extreme, and an awesome coupling for the Russian Cabbage Salad. Lunch was delicious, healthy, and unique and what's even better--built off a pantry and fridge as emaciated as Alexsander Solzhenitsyn after leaving his Gulag Archipelago. Below I've posted the Salad Recipe for you readers who are also standing victorious over your Figures! :) (I would have posted the hummus recipe too, but that'll have to wait for another post because I deleted the picture I took, and I hate "blind" recipes.)

Russian Cabbage Cucumber Salad

• 1 head cabbage
• 2 cucumbers
• 1 onion
• 1 tsp. salt
• 2 tbs. vinegar
• 2 tbs. olive oil

1. Slice the cabbage in thin slices, then sprinkle with salt and knead (like bread dough) till the cabbage begins to look a little juicy.

2. Slice cucumbers into quarters, then slice quarters. Slice onion into thin slices. Mix into cabbage.

3. Drizzle with olive oil and vinegar (adding more to taste if desired) and mix 'er up.

Makes rather a lot 

Things like cabbage and cucumbers are really cheap in the scheme of things. The other day Mama and I were discussing the fact that Hispanic food and potatoes are always really cheap (though not particularly good for you) because the Irish and the Mexican cultures aren't known for having an overabundance of extra money. But you don't have to have a diet based entirely off of cheap corn and potatoes--there are vegetables that aren't exotic (like carrots, cabbage, cucumbers...even some peppers) that will be fairly easy on the budget, and very easy on your waist, so try buying those instead of more potatoes. :P

                

          With a temporarily stocked pantry at last,

                                                                 Rachel

Knotty and Nice: 7 easy hairstyle tutorials

This post is for Livia Rachelle, and for any of the rest of you girls who wonder about new and interesting ways to do your hair, or the way I do mine. More often than not, people will look at the way I do my hair and sigh and say:

"I could never get my hair to do that!"

And ladies, I'm a firm believer in the fact that such groanings and moanings are a lie. You can do what I do with my hair, because face it: I'm a busy girl with little time and never-enough-hairpins who can't stand to use hairspray or straighten or curl her hair. Which means that the rest of you can do exactly what I do with my hair--and more. 

My #1 secret to gorgeous hairstyles?

The Knot. 

I use either of two knots:

The one-strand knot: (i.e. loop it around your fingers and pull the end through)

The two-strand knot. (i.e. like the start of tying your shoe-laces.)

I don't have exceptionally long hair. It's about to the middle of my back or a little higher.

I would say my hair is completely average: average texture, thickness, length, and all. So keep the faith up! 

In the rest of this post I'm showing you 7 different hairstyles built entirely off of either of those two simple knots. All you will need are some bobby pins and occasionally a hair-band.

Okay! Let's start!

#1: The Knotted Pony-Tail.

I brought both sides of my hair back and tied a two-strand double-knot. Like what you do when you're tying your shoes extra tight. Then I fastened the bottom with a pony-tail holder and voila! It's finished. Very cute, and a great way to take up length in your hair during the summer!

#2: Half-Up Knot

I took one strand from either side of my head and tied a two-strand knot, then pinned it against my head, leaving the rest of my hair down. This is a really pretty, really simple style.

#3: Sweet Vintage Knot

I did this one very quickly and without enough hairpins so the bottom is slumping. But as you can see I did the exact same thing as the half-up knot, I just used all my hair and tucked the ends beneath the bun as I pinned. :)

#4: The College-Knot

For this perky, preppy style just gather your hair into a really high ponytail on the  crown of your head with a hair-band. Take the hair and twist it into a long rope, then tie the rope in that one-strand knot, tucking the ends under the rest and pinning in place! 

#5: Double-Knots

Divide your hair in half, and tie each half into a single-strand knot. Pin the knot in place, and the let the ends stay down. This is a very cute style I just invented today, and rather like. ^.^ It makes me feel sporty, which is about the rarest feeling for this girl to have.

 #6: Romantic Knots

For those of you who love Downton Abbey, listen up, because this is a style that could easily go for a Downton-esque outfit. This seemingly complicated (and rather formless style, since I was in a rush) is made up entirely of one-strand knots. Literally that's all you do. Tie a bunch of knots all over your head and coil the ends around, and pin them in place so they don't die and flop and unravel. Just knots. I think I made about six. Easy as ABC.

#7: Low-Slung Knot

This is just a single strand knot incorporating all my hair. I gathered the hair into a my hand, twisted it, tied it, and tucked the ends before pinning. I like this. It's casual, cozy, and cute all at once. :)

Simplicity.

So, girls, these seven styles are just a couple of the ideas I came up with in the half-hour or so I spent messing with my hair this afternoon to formulate this post. The Knot is one of the most versatile hair-styling techniques, as it can be styled tight and preppy or loose and romantic. 

Try these, or styles of your own, and let me know how they work out for you!

Snowday!

One day it was 70+ degrees...

....the next day we had snow.

What?

We live in Virginia--it's typical.

Snow-birds....

This species eats snow as a couple...part of the courtship ritual, perhaps?

...snow in my hair...

Due to cancelled mall-plans, we all went on a walk in the snow, and I brought my lady-bug umbrella to keep the snow off my face so my makeup wouldn't run. (Yeah, I'd gotten ready to go out and didn't wish to have to wash off eyeliner and everything because it smeared.) Anyway, I rather lost my head out there and pretended to be a mad postman and...yeah...don't ask. But it was hilarious. 

"Through rain and snow

The mail must go,

But NOT ON SATURDAYS!"

-and-

"MEN! The first sign of hypothermia is the growth of white fur on one's belly. MEN! Do you have white fur on your belly?" (brushing snow off my coat)

-and-

"CHARRRRRRGE!" (like Teddy from Arsenic and Old Lace) with my umbrella down the road when the snow blew starting blowing in our faces.

Think the Mad-Hatter plus the US Post Office, plus me with a red umbrella and you'll have a partial picture. It would probably scare some of you, and make the rest of you incapacitated with laughter.

 I promise you I'm a little more shrunk than the pictures show. I look short and dumpy because Abigail took these from the top steps so I resemble an oompa-loompa.

We repaired to Panera later on to warm up for a bit and buy a movie for family movie-night...

Yes, I chose some hot chocolate and a toasted bagel. Who cares when you're freezing in snow and slush and ice?

I ended up dictating to Sarah to use the money she owed me to buy Gregory Peck's version of To Kill a Mockingbird (which I'd never seen) and so we came home and loved it. Atticus Finch is a forever hero....and Mary Badham as Scout was too adorable....now I've also got a whole second disk of special features and documentaries and fun facts. Like, did you guys know that Gregory Peck delivered Atticus' entire 7-minute courtroom speech in one take? Mmmmhm. That's an awesome actor for you.

Fun times, folks. Fun times.

Did you get any snow?

This is a picture from one of my friends who got 6 1/2 inches at her house! <3

God's creation is just gorgeous!

Life is...

Life is....

Cuddles from a baby when you're barely awake...

Coffee in the mornin'....

Trying new recipes for new situations with new people...

Spontaneous bursting-in-to-Broadway with the girls when we're supposed to be cleaning, and lending out my lipstick to Anna and Emily so they can play "Eponine and Cossette." 

Drawing elephants on my hand just because hand-elephants are cute...

Stepping out on the porch in the middle of fixing dinner just to watch the sunset.

Dabbling in paints and paper and brushes...

Wearing lace in my hair...

And putting it up soft and gentle.

Crazy cousins...

And new leather travel journals....

and forgetting which way to hold the tablet when taking a selfie...

Life is beautiful. <3

I HAVE A SWEETHEART!!!!

{Actually, a whole box of them.}

Welllllll look! Two posts in one day. I wanted to do the first one since it was serious, and then I wanted to do a light-hearted one and since they didn't seem like they belonged in the same post, I thought I'd better do one this morning and one this evening. :D All right. Excuses, excuses. Maybe it's just because some rather interesting things happened after I got up from the couch and set the computer aside. :D

First off, Mama and I opted to do a Shrinkage-friendly breakfast rather than cinnamon rolls or something else, so we made Cherry-Triple-Berry-Banana-Oatmeal Sundaes which have the combined appeal of being raw as well as healthy. :) I loved them, so I hope they'll stay in our recipe box!

I was given chocolate, but most of it was *dark*chocolate and was followed up by my customary 3-ish mile walk so I didn't feel too bad. After breakfast, Abigail went out to check on the goats and came hurtling back in yelling that Emma was having her kid. (I forgot to mention it, but two days ago Nessa had twin boys....Benedict and Martin...both as stinkin' adorable as the actors. AHEM.)

I took the opportunity to take some pictures of Gracie, who was being her typical awesome little self in a black tutu, rubber boots, and pearls among the goat muck and mire. 

Benedict is the one with the coat, and his collar flipped up which--considering he is Sherlock--is very fitting.

Here he is: Benedict.

Benedict giving Abby some love.... :)

The new baby that was born was a little girl, and Anna named her "Juliet". :) She was still wet and hadn't even tried to stand up when we found her.

And then the most exciting part of my day happened. Actually, it happened last night late. I got this text from a really cute, really handsome, really great guy I have loved for a long time. His name is Matthew, and he sent me this message:

"Will you be my Valentine?"

In'n't he cute? ;)

Needless to say, I was ecstatic.

Then I heard that he'd also asked my younger sister, Sarah, to be his valentine. Talk about double-dipping. ;) So we decided to make it a triple date, and Matthew would divide himself between Sarah and I. We headed out to a Mexican restaurant to get the lunch special. Sarah and I couldn't decide who got to sit next to him, so we just both sat across from him.

Okay. Sorry to scare y'all. 

Matthew is our beloved cousin who lives across the field, and he took Sarah and I out to lunch since we're all single and didn't have other plans. :D 

Happy Valentine's Day, y'all! <3