Deeper Commandments

Okey Dokey...

So as i'm sitting here enjoying my powdered donut holes, I had a thought!

...actually more like several thoughts that keep rolling around in my brain. I'm going to let you in on the excitement by telling you the biggest one...  

How much wood could a woodchuck chuck, if a woodchuck could chuck wood?

 Ha. Just kidding! My real thought is about something a little less...well...woodsy. ;)

Why is Christianity so hard? Why does it seem SO easy to sink into the same black hole that everyone else is in? How come the temptation of being normal is always in the back of my head?...and really, what is normal? Is normal using profanities just to sound cool? Is it wearing low cut shirts and short skirts? Is it being obnoxious and selfish? Is it being so against God and so against faith that you close yourself off into your own little box? Honestly, i think i could go on all day, but my reaction would still be the same. 

I   d  o  n  '  t   w  a  n  t   t  o   b  e   n  o  r  m  a  l   !  !  !

I just want to be me. I want to live inside the Lord and lean on Him. It's so easy to get distracted from Him...I'm ashamed to say that I am struggling with that...When I'm wholeheartedly leaning on God I am faithful and strong....but if one curve ball gets thrown into my court, i pretend to be a hero and fix it by myself, which takes my eyes off of God. If you are familiar with the ten commandments, then this will sound quite familiar...  
“You shall have not other gods before Me”  

I've been doing some thinking about this recently, and I've come to this conclusion. Yes, there are cultures with fake gods and different beliefs, but I think it goes farther than that. Typically for that commandment I would just make a note to self: "Don't ever worship fake gods. Got it!...now lets move on to a commandment i can actually apply in my life, since i don't ever want to worship anyone but my God."

This thought isn't true. It's number 1 for a reason, folks. We may not worship false gods, but we make everyday problems take the form of false gods by dwelling on them and taking them on by ourselves. 

Example :  

Sarah found out that someone at school was spreading lies about her. Instead of praying to God to give her strength and to help her to make the right decisions, she goes to school and calmly seeks out the people who started the rumors. When she tries to ask them why they started them and if they could stop and tell everyone they were lies, the other girls just laugh at her, roll their eyes, make a few nasty comments, then walk away. Sarah is left all alone to dwell on the words that were said. Once again, instead of praying, she let her mind wander to places she never thought it would go. Soon, the already bad situation had gotten worse in her head because Satan put ideas in her mind that weren't true. The farthest thing from her mind was God. She would forget about Him until the whole ordeal was over.

That is how everyday problems are turned into false idols. Anything that you obsess over that takes your mind off of God. Whether it's a friend, boyfriend, girlfriend, hobby, situation, place, thought, action, etc. ANYTHING that takes your focus away from the true, Almighty.

Oh, and heres another thought that just popped into my brain.

This is commandment number 3. It's number placement is pretty close to 1, so i would have to say it's pretty important...not that all ten aren't.

“You Shall not Take The name of the LORD your God in vain.”

If this is a commandment, then why do i hear SO many Christians take His name in vain daily? It erks me so very much! I've been to a youth group where a lot, if not most of the kids said the "omg" line (pronounced full out) every couple sentences. I'm sorry, but if you are a Christian you can't say things like that...It goes back to what i said above. Wanting to be normal so we copy the actions an words of others. Maybe you never say curse words...maybe an inappropriate word never leaves your lips....but the second you put God's name down...all of that crashes down. Next time you have the temptation to say it...or even say "omg" in a text, remember that people are always watching you. If you sink down to the level of unbelievers, how will they notice the difference in you? Curiousity comes from uniqueness...which leads to turning people over to Christ.

Have a great day, girls!

Brittany Lou<3

Mall Adventures

Hey Darlings!

Today i'm having one of those lacking energy days. I think i could lay in bed and sleep until morning. My eyes feel heavy and i can hardly move my body...which is awesome because i have dance today. A few more hours and i'll be off for two whole days! :)

Here are some pictures from our mall adventure yesturday...

 

Toodles,

Brittany Lou<3

Shopping, Spring, and Shoes, Oh My!

Okaaaay. So...
Nothing exciting has really happened to me since the last time I posted, so i think today i'm just going to ramble....Lets start with my plans for today, shall we?
Today i'm most likely going to the mall with my friend, Joelle. I'm excited, because honestly, i really dont go to the mall that much. I think i'm going to stop by Charlotte Russe and try really hard not to buy anything. HA!
When talking on the phone last night, we were trying to figure out if the mall we're going to has a Forever 21. I've never been in there, but EVERYBODY always raves about it. I'm not one for liking things a million other people like, but i figured i would check it out.
 Another store i'm super excited about is Claire's! Yes, i'm 18, and yes i still love that place! I mean where else has a sale "10 things for $5"? Last time i was there (which was a century ago) I bought Effle Tower earrings!

In all honesty though, i'm really not planning on spending that much. I'm extremely frugal, so when i buy something spontaneously, i get super excited, but when i bring it home i feel guilty for buying and i'm tempted to return it. Yes, this is an example of what goes on in my head. :P
However, I would kind of like to visit payless shoe source...because all my winter shoes, besides my sneakers and my snow shoveling shoes, have fallen or are falling apart. Considering how spring is just around the corner(or at least i hope) i don't wanna drop too much money on shoes. Just something to last me a few months, then i'll buy some better ones next year.

Speaking of spring being just around the corner...at least the ground hog didn't see his shadow! Although, i was listening to the radio and the host said she had read someone's post on the internet who had said the ground hog didnt see it because his eyes were frozen shut! HA! it would figure...not that i believe in that anyways.
We did see that in a few weeks the temperature is supposed to rise to...drum roll pleeeeease...40 degrees!
It may not be enough to get the flowers bursting open, but if it stays slightly warmer for a few days, all the ice will finally melt and i'll be able to go take my drivers license test! Can I get a woot woot!!?

Anywhoooo. i'm going to go try to beautify myself.


Toodles,
Brittany Lou :)

Twisty Hair Tutorial

Good morning ladies!

At the current moment, im sitting by a window admiring the sunshine which is pouring through the window. Winter is so dreary all the time...I'm very thankful to see some sunshine at last. It warms my soul.
Unfortunately, my soul is the only warm thing around here. It's freezing! The ground has a solid sheet of ice thats about 1 inch think.
I'm sure you all can relate. I heard Texan's received...or were going to receive snow. -put long dramatic sigh here- winter never seems to end! I think i may have spring fever.
Seriously though, i need to stop complaining because January went super fast, and for me, thats the worst month. Now i just have to survive February.


Anywhoooo...today i have a hair tutorial! Being a dance teacher, i'm always trying to invent some quick hairstyles to keep my hair out of my face. this one takes under 5 minutes!! I hope you guys enjoy it!

Toodles,
Brittany Lou<3

Crochet Time!

Hey Girls!

Okay, so i've been wanting to post these pictures for a couple weeks now, but i was too lazy. since today i was being super accomplished, i decided it's now or never.

these are the most recent projects i've completed.

First off is the painted ruffle scarf! I'm super into ruffles and anything curly, so this is perfect for me!! i used some variegated yarn from yarn bee, which i believe is a hobby lobby brand. I'm not a fan of variegated, but in this case, i couldn't be happier. This pattern was from lion brand's freebies, which you can find here. It's supposed to be made with lion brand's homespun yarn, but i really wanted to try something different, so i did. My only problem was the thickness of my yarn. It wasn't thick enough so when i went to finish it, it wasn't the thickness i wanted. What i did to solve this, was i kept adding rows until it was my desired width. Just increase an extra stitch with every extra row. Easy peasy right? :)

 

Up next is my granny square hat with braids. This pattern came from my positively crochet book, which i have a link for in my entry entitled "positively crochet". This isn't my favorite thing i've ever made...in fact i've only worn it once...but i think it's cute. I think half the problem was my yarn. I used Vanna's Choice yarn in chocolate, light pink, and linen. The colors are beautiful and i love the sheen it has, but because the pattern called for a slightly smaller hook, i had a problem with my yarn splitting. not fun. I know most if not all acrylic yarn splits easily, but this was driving me insane! Sadly, i think it visually affected the outcome of the hat, which makes me a little upset. Another thing i didn't like about it was when i attached the braids, it made a strange bump...actually more like a mountain, on both sides of my head. I did as the pattern said, but it wasn't super specific so i kind of felt like i was guessing. You can't really tell in the picture, but it was pretty bad. I ended up having to tear it apart and take out one of the granny squares, and i actually wish i would have taken out two. If you make this, just be careful that you don't have too many granny squares. it calls for 6, but i ended up using 5, wishing i had used 4. overall, i'm pleased how it turned out, but i wont be making it again.

 

Next up is the one i'm super duper excited about! this one i actually came up with on my own. I made a granny square stitch hat, and kept going until it was right at my ear lobes. Then, i took 3 different shades of purple, and made little flowers. I believe i made 9 total-so three for each color. I stitched them onto random places with yarn and a yarn needle. Then, just to add some extra sparkle, i added a crystal bead to the center of each flower with a regular needle and thread. I'm so happy with how it turned out and it was SO fun to make. My mom told me the shape of the hat reminded her of a flapper hat. It's so adorable.

This last little number is a individual square that will eventually be combined with another type of square to make a summery tote bag.(you can see i'm ready for some warm summer conditions) It's named Edwardian Fancy  Once the bag's finished, i will post a picture, but for now here's the finished square. I got the pattern out of the 200 crochet blocks book, which i also have listed on the "positively crochet" entry.

 

 

So yeah! those are my projects! I have one other thing, but i have yet to take a picture...i told you i've been lazy ;)

see ya on the flip side!

Brittany Lou<3

Golden Glow

Good Morning Ladies!

Today I have a lovely makeup tutorial for you all. I'm super excited about the way it came out.

Golden Glow is a beautiful glistening eye, with a touch of drama. The beautiful golden tones are sparkly, without being overwhelming. It's perfect for daytime, or evening. The best part of the whole look, is the affordability. These products are mostly under $5 each! I hope you enjoy! :)

Toodles!
Brittany Lou

Positively Crochet!

Alllllllrighy. So, today I have an exciting new post about crocheting!
Now, if you're my age and you're thinking that crocheting is some sort of "granny craft", fear not! I am here to change your mind.
I started crocheting when I was about 12, but I honestly didn't have enough patience to continue. Basically, I gave up and eventually picked it back up a few years later. Now, I love it so very much! It's awesome to be able to create something new and unique that nobody else has. If you think about it, a good number of scarves and hats that are in the stores are either crocheted or knitted-by a machine no less. Why spend $14 on something everyone else will probably have? For less than that (unless you buy some rare designer yarn) you can make something different and change it up a bit.

If you're thinking "Gee, you convinced me. Maybe I should try it!" let me give you some tips that I've concocted in my brain...don't look so surprised! I can come up with a good point if I want to! ;)

1. don't attempt to follow a pattern until you've mastered the basic, most common stitches. (single crochet, double crochet, chain 1) To even start learning how to do the stitches, you need to learn how to start, and how to chain. (google it!)
2. Start by just crocheting a square or some sort of scrap piece.
3. Youtube is your friend! I can't tell you how much I've used it with crocheting. If you're in the stages of a pattern and come across a stitch you don't know, please, please, please, don't try to guess. Just put the name of the stitch in the little youtube search bar and watch 2-3 videos on it.
4. Don't let the foreign language that is a crochet pattern, scare you. I wouldn't do a pattern for the longest time because of the crazy abbreviations. If you've ever looked at a crochet or knit pattern, you know what i'm talking about. If you have questions or any doubts about anything, don't guess. Instead, google it!
5. Be patient. I'm telling you right now, if your starting a pattern you're probably going to have to rip it out and start over a few times before it looks like anything but a wadded up chunk of yarn. I hate pulling my stitches out and restarting more than anything else, but I would rather tear them out and fix them, then have a boo boo spot on the project I have worked so hard on.
6. If you've been crocheting for a while and have made some things from patterns, you're probably getting sick of the same old, same old free patterns that are floating around out there. I was too. Here's the solution: Buy pattern books! Now, I'm not talking the pattern books in craft stores, not that those are bad, but if you're searching to make something that looks like it came straight from a boutique, then you'll want to browse the internet. My mom, aka my partner in crime, ordered us some books online. She got them from amazon in a bundle for about $30. I love amazon, because their fast and you get what you order sometimes in 2-3 days (depending on what it is and where it's being ordered from) I'll put an amazon link for those books down at the bottom of this post.
7. Enjoy yourself! pick out your favorite colors of yarn, find patterns that make you excited, and be proud that you have the coordination to make your own stuff!

 Okay so now for some book, yarn, and free pattern sites that you might want to look into:

Books:

 

Free Online Patterns:

crochetme.com

lionbrand.com

dailycrocheter.com

Online Yarn Companies:

knitpicks.com

yarn.com

If you have any questions just holler at me. I'm going to make some stitch tutorial videos here pretty soon, so check back frequently.

Toodles,

Brittany Lou :)