On A Little Bit of Everything

  What an amazing, fast-paced 2 weeks it's been. That's all I can say. :)

  First off, we went through the house and did a total makeover~ painting, decorating, and taking care of the spring cleaning & all that jazz while we were at it. I did so enjoy working long hours with one of my very best friends (Mom!) making our home beautiful and clean. It's one of the things we can tackle together and have fun doing! Me and her, we make a good team.♥♥♥ Anyhow, we had some wonderful friends coming to visit from out of town, so we made that our deadline and set out to see how much we could accomplish before then. Everything came together so remarkably! Now, my bedroom is next... *triumphant look*
We ended up having such a nice visit with our friends~ we'll definitely have to do it again soon!!! :D

  So last night we went to a viewing of the documentary 'IndoctriNation'. Very educational and profound I might add (and VERY well done!). If you want to know more about the public school system and how it works, this is def. the thing for you! All you ever cared to know about the whole deal. And then you wonder, "why do we really homeschool? Just because our parents want us to be different, or...?" This will fuel your resolve to stay true to homeschooling!!! Posting the trailer...

IndoctriNation Trailer from IndoctriNation on Vimeo.

IndoctriNation (Official Site)

  Believe me, you want to see this! :D We even got to meet Colin Gunn, (who produced the whole thing) and got a signed copy of the doc. Yup, we is special hehehe.

***Heh, now the fun part! ***

  

  A few weeks back, my beautiful blogger-friend Lauren released a wonderful ebook that she wrote called 'A Beginner's Guide To Portrait Photography'. She is currently having a giveaway on her blog, and as an extra entry in entering the giveaway, I am posting about it here on my blog. Ok, so I REALLY want this book! If Lauren wrote it, it's sure to be spectacular!! Which is precisely why I am entering another giveaway of the same book on this lovely photography blog~ posting about that giveaway as an extra entry also. I very much encourage you to join in the fun if you would like to learn more about how to capture beautiful portraits. I really enjoy Lauren's style too, so that's a bonus for me.  I'm pretty excited!! :D Go join these giveaways!

  So that's how these last crazy weeks have been. Photography classes, violin lessons, painting everything in sight, cleaning, playing and the usual stuff. It's been fun! *winks*

Next up: 'The Assignments of A Photography Class'

Have a beautiful afternoon lovelies!!

~ Danielle Marie

Inspiring Words

I've been coming upon quotes lately that strike me as very delicious // thought provoking. I think I'll be making a 'favorite quotes' book sometime soon, just as a fun project-keepsake. Anyhow, I wanted to share these with you, knowing you'd appreciate them as much as I do.  :)

“You may choose to look the other way but you can never say again that you did not know.” ― William Wilberforce

via Pinterest

via Pinterest

 

“Choices will continually be necessary and -- let us not forget -- possible. Obedience to God is always possible. It is a deadly error to fall into the notion that when feelings are extremely strong we can do nothing but act on them.”
― Elisabeth Elliot

Photo Source

Pseudo faith always arranges a way out to serve in case God fails it. Real faith knows only one way and gladly allows itself to be stripped of any second way or makeshift substitutes. For true faith, it is either God or total collapse.” A.W. Tozer

"The thing you treasure will control your heart, and what controls your heart will control your words and behavior." Paul Tripp

via Pinterest

 

♥ "If I could reach up and hold a star for every time you've made me smile, the entire evening sky would be in the palm of my hand." ♥
-Unknown

"Get close to GOD first before getting close to anyone else. GOD without a man is still GOD. But a man without GOD is...
NOTHING."

via Pinterest

The Bible calls debt a curse and children a blessing, but in our culture we apply for a curse and reject blessings. Something is wrong with this picture. ~Doug Phillips

“If Jesus had preached the same message that ministers preach today, He would never have been crucified.”

~Leonard Ravenhill

via Pinterest

 

 “God pity us that after years of writing, using mountains of paper and rivers of ink, exhausting flashy terminology about the biggest revival meetings in history, we are still faced with gross corruption in every nation, as well as with the most prayerless church age since Pentecost.” ~Leonard Ravenhill

Sing unto the LORD, O ye saints of his, and give thanks at the remembrance of his holiness. For his anger endureth but a moment; in his favour is life: weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning. 

Psalm 30:4-5

Thou art my hiding place; thou shalt preserve me from trouble; thou shalt compass me about with songs of deliverance. Selah.

Psalm 32:7

Do you have any favorite quotes? ~Dani :)

 

Ich Liebe Dich

Valentine's Day is a special occasion~ an especially special day to say "I Love You". Of course, every day is a day to love, but 'love day' is special. And I do so enjoy spending it close to those I adore~ thinking of the small things in life that we often take for granted, but that spread our road with posies, and make the sun shine. Never forget to thank God for all the blessing He has given us!!!

Roses to sweeten your way *Photo Source*

 Sweet baby hands, the sunshine of my life! *Photo Source*

The beautiful, simple hearts little brothers and sisters give to show their love

*Photo Source*

Tea and cookies of course! *Photo Source*

Sunshine that warms the soul *Photo Source*

Goofy sisters...

And their beautiful faces~ Ich Liebe Dich!

True Love

Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal. And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing. And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing. Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil; Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth; Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things. Charity never faileth.....
1Corinthians 13:1-8 

~Danielle

Ramblings // Another Wonderful Photo Challenge

Ramblings~
How have the days gone for you? I certainly have no shortage of things to do, and things to be done! I've been excelling in those photography workshops I'm taking, and having way to much fun planning small photo shoots as part of my class projects. I'm so thankful to God for not only giving me a wonderful camera (a much loved dream of mine), but also the opportunity to learn to use it! All glory to His name......!!

Today I hope to do some cleaning in my room, give a writing lesson, have another photography session with my sisters, and start working on the living room. Walls need patching, floors need mopping, and all of it needs to be repainted. :) And I can't wait to read further in 'The Swiss Courier'. I'm quite fond of WWII Christian historical fiction!

Photography Challenge~
Lucia is hosting another super-fun photo challenge this month, and as always, I love linking up. Because February is the 'Love Month', the theme is 'Black and White Love'. The challenge is to capture love~ a mother and daughter hugging, two friends walking down a road hand in hand, etc. I wanted a photo that was unique, so after thinking about it for some time, this is what I came up with:

We had such fun! I absolutely love the way this one turned out! Head on over to Lucia, etc. to view the other link ups, and please join in the fun!!!





I Love Black and White~
Shooting in black and white is very fun! I can't say I like it more than shooting in color, but it comes pretty close!! I <3 b&w! Here's a few more photos I took that I adore~

Beautiful Sue~

Beautiful Jenna~ 

I decided to throw this one in too :)

Have a beautiful day lovelies! 

~Danielle

This Olde Barn n' House

I have a busy few days ahead of me! So many things I want to do and say~ how will I ever find time for it all lol? Anyway, I had such fun snapping and editing these photos! They're pictures of our house and barn, with an olde-fashioned slant. I pretty much just did this for fun, though I do think my subjects in these photos have somewhat of an antique-ness about them. :) I've been having a blast with that editing program! 

Brass Knocker 

Rickety olde barn door~ I really like the different textures in this photo...

The ol' barn...

I love these windows~

   Another olde window <3

This one is my absolute fave!

The surrounding foliage (isn't that just gorgeous?)

{Which ones do you like?}

~Danielle 

Beautiful Snow

Yesterday it was snowing big, beautiful, fluffy flakes, so I ran out to snap some photos. I didn't think many of them turned out, but when I downloaded them to my computer and started editing, I definitely have some favorites!! :) Enjoy!

I love this one!

I'm pleased with the bokeh! :)

I love those red berries~ merry and bright!

And this is one of my favorites!

~Winters' leftovers~

It could almost be the beach with white sand~ :)

<3 <3 <3

~Mossy wall~

So now that I'm starting to build up a collection of photos taken with my new camera, I think it's time I had a name for my photography~ signing my photos with my name is just fine, but maybe ya'll have some suggestions. :) I was considering 'Wandering Brooke Photography'.....

~Dani

These Happy Golden Days

(This post is a whole day late; but better late than never right?)

I remember thinking ahead to all those far away years~ 2010, 2012. I couldn't imagine what it would be like and how my life would change. And yet, here we are already and I can't believe it!!! Looking back through the years, I can see all of the many times God rained down His blessings on me and my family~ of how His hand of protection was on us, and how much closer I've grown to Him. Yes, and even the hard times of trial, when all seemed dim and discouraging~ God was still with us and for us. But for now, the sun hangs high and shines bright in the crystal blue sky of my life. All is good....and there's a sense of anticipation and excitement in the air~ for this coming year.

my blessings in 2011 

All in all, my biggest blessings have been that I have and cherish my family, and that God has taken such good care of us, even granting us some of our wants along with our needs. One of my growing desires was to have a nice camera with which to start my journey in photography, and I was so blessed to receive one for my birthday. I already have a few photo shoots lined up for this spring, which I am really looking forward to. So, my camera~ definitely a want, but God was so gracious to give me one!
Another thing I count a blessing was my opportunity to spend the summer at Peniel Ranch. I grew in knowledge of many things, and generally had an excellent time! So wonderful a time in fact, that with the Lords' help, I will be spending next summer there also. *sighz happily*
One of my favorite highlights of the year is that I am building wonderful relationships with my little friends (brothers and sisters), while I impart to them the knowledge of writing. That has been one of my greatest joys!
And some random little blessings from '11:
My new sugar scrubs
Lotion and body mist that smells heavenly :D
My laptop
All the scrumptious new cloths I've been blessed with
Good books
Yankee candles
The new scarves that I got for Christmas (oh I love scarves!)
This blog! (which I started in April)
And our new Keurig one cup coffee maker. *very snazzy*

 
my aspirations for 2012

 I'm not making any new year resolutions~ period. (it never works lol) But I do have a few goals that I'll be consistently working towards and will hopefully accomplish! I want to~
Become a better photographer~ I do know that this will happen :D
Master 'Beau Soir' (Beautiful Evening) on the violin~ kind of a complicated piece as far as the intonation.
Redecorate and repaint my bedroom, and do more interior decor around the house
Make some significant progress in art projects that I have pending
Buy my own car (eeeehh, I don't know about that one....)
Grow my very own herb garden, and preserve the herbs for later use
Keep up on my study of midwifery
Drink lots of coffee (Hahaha, that won't be hard!)
Post a lot here, especially through the summer
Throw a big party for my 20th birthday (Maybe ya'll would like to plan a surprise party~ *hintz*)
Gain at least 50 followers! (Now that would be amazing!!!)
And most of all, spend tons of time with my family and friends, growing closer to God all the time!

So, these are my thoughts for the New Year. What are yours?