6/29/15

10 Most Useful Pins on Pinterest


So, Pinterest.

I have a mixed relationship with Pinterest. I've been pinning for around three years, and over those years I've wasted hours and hours mildly entertaining myself, pretending to research things, and sometimes actually finding helpful information. This totals up to over 7,000 pins onto 32 boards and I-don't-want-to-know-how-much time spent on this site.

Please don't misunderstand me, I really like Pinterest. I think that it is a useful site to gather lots of ideas on projects. For example, Pinterest helped me research and plan my graduation party and actually made me more productive. Pinterest also provides a refuge for when I don't want to think. It makes me laugh. It prompts me to cook. It inspires me to create. But sometimes, I spend too much time on Pinterest. Do you understand? It's a blessing or a curse, depending on how you use it.

With all of that said, I want to help you to use your time wisely but still get the most out of Pinterest, so I've compiled my top ten useful Pinterest pins I've ever pinned. Ever. And as I said earlier, I've pinned quite a few things.

I'm what I like to call a versatile pinner, meaning I pin lots of different things. Verses. Dresses. Make up. Recipes. Room decor. Ballet. Humorous things. Cats. Quotes. And more. So narrowing my almost 7,000 pins to the top ten useful pins made things challenged me. But I did remember, without much searching of my boards, my ten most used pins on Pinterest.

Get your mouse ready to click that pin-it button.


1. Cardio Workout by PopSugar Fitness


I go back to this workout again and again when I need a quick cardio burn. It only lasts ten minutes, but it kills you! When I first started doing this video, I needed to pause it at least twice to catch my breath, but now I can do it and PopSugar Fitness's ten minute jump rope workout in a row! This testifies to how much stamina this little beast can give you! (Also, check out the other PopSugar Fitness videos. Most of them are around ten minutes and I find them to challenge me and still build me up!)

2. Social Media Timing by JCSM

Mejores horas para publicar en las redes sociales. Infografía en inglés. Título original: Best Times to Post on Social Media
Found here   
This chart assists me more than I care to tell you. I don't know when the best times to post are, and so I often times refer to this chart to make sure I use my social media wisely. As a blogger, this helps me to spread my content efficiently and effectively.

3. How to Pose for Pictures by Kate Pease

here
Found here
Whenever I pose for pictures, I always remind myself of these tips, and they work wonders too! Multiple pictures and examples accompany each tip, and she makes posing clear and fun! Supermodel status, here we come!

4. Combat Words by Unknown

                                 Combat description... I NEED THIS

For a writer of a fantasy trilogy, this pin helped me to better write battle scenes without repeating thrust and defended over and over again. Also, I benefitted from reading this post on eight things writers forget about when writing fight scenes.

5. Oatmeal Banana Pancakes by Inside Bru Crew Life

Skinny Banana Oatmeal Pancakes - light pancakes made from bananas, eggs, and oatmeal
Found here
I don't make many of the recipes that I pin (I won't lie). But this one I have made many times, and I even developed my own take on the recipe, coming soon to the blog!

6. How to Contour by The Beauty Department

How to contour
Found here
Contouring. It's a mystery. But this illustration breaks it all down, and so I bring it out every now and then when I want to sculpt my face. The Beauty Department gives many useful and simple pins that clarify so many beauty hacks and tutorials!

7. 42 Stock Photo Websites by International Bloggers Association

47 Awesome Websites where you can download FREE STOCK PHOTOS! This is the perfect resources for bloggers and website owners.
Found here
Sometimes, when blogging, I just need a good picture of a desk because I don't feel like cleaning mine, taking the picture, editing the picture, and then uploading the picture. That's where stock photos come in, but finding good stock photos can prove challenging. This website gives so many options that I always find what I'm looking for!

8. How to Half Tuck Your Shirts by Babble

I've never really known how to do the half tuck, but after reading this article, I think I'll half tuck everything!
Found here
Half-tucking shirts baffled me for a while, but this girl shows you clearly how to effortlessly pull off the half-tuck. As a side note, this pin gets repinned constantly from my clothing board. Almost every day someone else will repin it.

9. Brown Sugar Garlic Chicken by Food.com

Baked Garlic Brown Sugar Chicken    Ingredients  4 boneless skinless chicken breasts  4 garlic cloves, minced  4 tablespoons brown sugar  3 teaspoons olive oil  Directions  Preheat oven to 500°F and lightly grease a casserole dish.  In small sauté pan, sauté garlic with the oil until tender.  Remove from heat and stir in brown sugar.  Place chic
Found here
So, technically, my mom pinned this recipe forever ago, but it all counts. (I did go and pin it recently.)

This recipe rocks! We make this simple dinner at least once a month because my whole (rather picky) family eats it (except for one who eats plain meat with no sauce). It tastes delicious and goes well with brown rice and corn. I will add that when we make this recipe, we use chicken thighs instead of breasts because thighs taste better. We've also made this recipe with pork chops instead of chicken. So next time you need an easy dinner, check this pin out!                                                      

10. Blemish Covering Makeup by Lisa Eldridge


This video revolutionised the way that I looked at foundation and concealer. Lisa Eldridge explains things with great clarity (and a lovely British accent) and thinks of makeup with simplicity, emphasising natural beauty. Please go and binge watch her videos, because they will (a) enable you to look extra beautiful and (b) make you want to go to the makeup store and buy everything.

I hope that you enjoyed these top ten useful pins that I've pinned on Pinterest. Now, of course, I love so many other pins on Pinterest, but these have stuck with me and actually benefited my life. To see more of my Pinterest account, please click here. Feel free to follow me and pin away! Also, don't forget to repin my pins from the blog! It means so much to me when someone pins or repins one of the images from the blog!

Enjoy the beauty and laughter in the world, good gifts that come from a better Father!

Princess Hannah

(p.s.- I'm in New York right now, starting my first week at American Academy of Ballet! I appreciate prayers, especially because my back is still healing. Thank you guys so much for all of the support!)
Hannah
10 Comments

6/26/15

But God Overcomes


Life sometimes seems to move in fast forward.

Take this past week for example: I didn't anticipate this week to hold so many things (especially because my sisters all left for camp), but my days filled with preparations for my trip to New York. Ordering things. Shopping. Filling out forms. And (of course) watching New York movies! (Breakfast at Tiffany's anyone?) I visited with friends, went to ballet, prepared blog posts for six weeks (the posts are ready and very exciting and new!), and went to the chiropractor (I injured my back at church camp and it never got better. Prayers appreciated).

With all of these activities going on and worries in the back of my head, I felt like life slipped through my fingers and left my with an empty shell. I sat down on my bed Wednesday night (late, as always), finally setting aside time to read God's Word, feeling tired and fearsome. I feared not getting everything done. I feared not liking New York. I feared homesickness. I feared injury. I feared the mess of a life that I got myself into, where I didn't even read God's Word until after midnight! These burdens weighed upon me as I read Psalm 3, but then something happened.

But God happened.



I started reading Psalm 3 weighed down from the idea that I missed out on life because I couldn't do it, but I finished reading Psalm 3 with tears of joy streaming down my face (I always cry more past midnight). The worries of this week threatened to overcome me, but God reminded me right then that He had overcome the world!

So let's discover the wonders of Psalm 3.

Before we read this Psalm, though, let me give you some context. David (the author of this psalm) too felt the weight of the world on his shoulders, but he feared not a sore back or a stressed week but for his life. And worse yet, he feared that his son (who turned against David) will kill him.

And David had a right to fear.

So he fled from his son and gathered up those still loyal to him to prepare for what comes next, and everyone knew that it won't look pretty. But sometime in this turmoil and doubt David sat down and wrote these words:

1 Lord, how many are my foes!
    How many rise up against me!
2 Many are saying of me,
    “God will not deliver him."
3 But you, Lord, are a shield around me,
    my glory, the One who lifts my head high.
4 I call out to the Lord,
    and he answers me from his holy mountain.
5 I lie down and sleep;
    I wake again, because the Lord sustains me.
6 I will not fear though tens of thousands
    assail me on every side.
7 Arise, Lord!
    Deliver me, my God!
Strike all my enemies on the jaw;
    break the teeth of the wicked.
8 From the Lord comes deliverance.
    May your blessing be on your people.

Wow.

Let's break it down right now. The first two verses grabbed me, because I felt the same way, although my "foes" didn't wear armor or carry a sword. They just prodded into my thoughts and led me into worry. They surrounded me and tried to suck the life out of me, convinced that God wasn't enough. For these fears that I gave into convinced me (whether I realized it or not) that God wasn't enough.

But God.

But God is my shield and He is enough!

Verse three. Oh, verse three. Here we find that God isn't scared of the world. He doesn't change with the world. He is constant, and even more inconceivable (and yes, I do know what that word means) He protects us. He comes to us and gives us hope. He lifts our heads up so that we can see Him, and when we look upon Him, then the foes in this world fade away. For who can come against the LORD?

David proclaims God as his shield and glory, putting his eyes on God, and then he takes it a step further: he depends upon God. Belief always leads to action, and so David, once he put his eyes on God put his trust in God. He called out for help, because he realized that he couldn't do this life by himself.

And, inconceivably enough (yes, I keep using that word), God answers. He calls down from heaven to answer David, just like He answers you and I. This doesn't mean that He answers the way that we want Him to answer, but it does mean that God answers! He is dependable, not only in idea but in action.

Now what?

David waited.

No, correction, David rested. David rested in God's protection and answer. He trusted that, even though his son marched out to kill him, God would be enough. And then he fell asleep. He fell asleep in the midst of a fast-forward-life kind of day. He fell asleep even though he could have stayed awake in fear of the thousands that came out to take his life. Verse six doesn't talk lightheartedly of tens of thousands on every side, for David did face a big problem.

But David trusted a bigger God.

David trusted God to deliver him. He knew that God could overcome any situation, and that even if things didn't turn out like David anticipated, that God was still God and still protected those He loved.

And how did that trust play out? What happened to David?

God protected. God provided. It wasn't perfect or pretty, but God shielded David and continued to use David for His kingdom. David's trust didn't go to waste. Our trust in God never goes to waste.

So, the challenge presented in Psalm 3 goes as follows: do we trust that God is bigger than the foes that we face, and even more than trust, will we rest in the sufficiency of God's protection even when worry bangs on our minds to come in? Do we depend upon the Creator to sustain us? Do we call out in faith to the LORD who had never yet failed?

Let me tell you, when you do this, rest will come. The morning will follow, and then you can live. You can then live in God's glory and within the embrace of His arms. You can stay sure behind his shield of protection. You do not need to fear. The LORD is here. And "[f]rom the LORD comes deliverance." (Verse 8)

"I tell you this, so that you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world."

-Jesus recorded in John 16:33

My friends, these verses stilled my busy heart this week, and I pray that they bring truth into your life as well! I love how God spoke to me that night and told me exactly what I needed to hear, although I don't know why I'm surprised at that! Let's live. Let's live in this crazy world that moves too fast. Let's live in Jesus, who has given us life. Let's live in the But God moments that free us from ourselves.

For the world threatens to overcome us.

But God overcomers all.

Princess Hannah

(p.s. I fly out to New York Sunday, and so I won't be as active in the blogging world until August. I will keep y'all updated as much as possible!)
Hannah
2 Comments

6/19/15

These Are a Few of My Favorite Things


Raindrops on Roses





And whiskers on kittens





Bright copper kettles 




And warm woolen mittens



Brown paper packages tied up with strings



These are a few of my favorite things




When the dog bites




When the bees sting




When I'm feeling sad




     I simply remember my favorite things






And then I don't feel... 

...So bad




Roses can always cheer me up a bit, and my kitties can cheer me up even more! I pray that you live with greater joy in Christ today, the Creator of the best Favorite Things. Comment below a couple of your favorite things! 

Princess Hannah  
Hannah
16 Comments

6/15/15

Fantabulous: Summer Edition


Hey guys! In case you haven't noticed, it's summertime! And so, in celebration...



Five Fantabulous Favorites: Summer Edition. (In case you don't know what this means, I share five things that are A, fantastically fabulous, and B, current in my life but applicable to yours! To see my previous Five Fantabulous Favorites, click here and here.)

1. Movies 

What's summer without some (or maybe more than some) movies nights? So far, I've seen...

Tomorrowland- A visually gripping, fast-paced movie that followed the idea that we can shape our own futures. I enjoyed it, although I can't say that I will watch it again and again. The colorful characters and interesting setting really made this movie pop.


Thor: The Dark World- Here is a movie that I have watched again and again! I love the character friction between Thor and Loki in this movie, not to mention that gripping last scene. Visually epic and intellectually grabbing, this movie meets all of the qualifications for a perfect summer movie night film.

When in Rome- A typical chick flick, this movie follows the life of an ambitious woman who accidentally makes several men fall in love with her. Full of humor and cuteness, this is a perfect movie for girls night in.

Get Smart- A hilarious movie that follows not-so-spy like Steve Carrell and miss-perfect-spy Anne Hathaway as they embark on a bumpy road to save the world. My whole family laughed all of the way through this movie! Seriously, watch this movie and you will feel better about life. Or at least you will exercise your laughing muscles.

2. Polaroids

My parents gave me a mini Polaroid for my graduation gift, and I llooovvee it! It feels timeless, looks adorable, and makes memories seem like they will last forever! Just look at the following pictures for evidence:

Fujifilm Instax Mini 8 Instant Film Camera (Pink)

                            

                            

3. Flowy Pants

At first I thought that I left pants behind when the thermostat started reading 90 degrees (that's the South for you), but no, these comfortable, chic, and lightweight pants extend their reign far past February. I don't know why I only own two pairs, because they feel more soft and comfy than my pajama pants and yet I can wear them in public... Win-win for me.

GB Border-Print Palazzo Pants from Dillards (on sale for $17.15)

4. Rifle Paper Co.

Lauren from Musings of a Flower Child introduced me to this wonderful artist, and now I want to buy everything from her shop! She designs gorgeous floral prints as well as a host of other things like greeting cards, calendars, phone cases, and more. Only the price stops me from buying too many of her beautiful accents and paper goods. I thank God that He gave us the ability to create beautiful things, and Rifle Paper Co. is chopped full of beautiful things!

Everything Beautiful Illustrated Art Print
I did buy one set from them, and it didn't cost much. I bought these adorable notepads! I can't wait to fill them with thoughts, lists, and plans!

Botanicals Notebook Collection


5. Summer Jams

I never considered myself a music person. Sure, I listen to music, but I never spent the time to go out and find artists that I liked. But this summer I have listened to a few new songs and a few old songs that stick in my head in a good way. And so, in order to help everyone else reading this, I have compiled my three favorite songs of the summer:

1. Touch the Sky by Hillsong United.

Hillsong just came out with a new album, Empires. Go. Listen to it. Feel goosebumps shiver down your spine in wonder of God. Touch the Sky is my favorite so far, but I might need to listen to all of the other songs at least a few more times to properly decide my favorite.


2. Explosions by Ellie Goulding 

I've always loved Ellie's vibe, but I discovered this old one the other day, and I had to start dancing. Not the kind of dancing most people expect, though; I choreographed part of a ballet to the song, a perfect melody for those dramatic days. 


3. Forever by Melodie Malone

I sung there, at one of the Passions this year. Quite possibly, one of the many voices praising God in the background belongs to me! And it was as epic as it seems (don't get me started on all that God taught me in three days)!

This song holds so much power because it echoes the power of God! Listen to it, but do more than listen: live it out! Live out forever praise of the One Who cannot be overcome! Sing Hallelujah! 



And that completes today's Five Fantabulous Favorites! I hope that you go about the rest of your day with a new appreciation for floral patterns, good movies, and comfy pants, singing Forever all the day long! Comment below your favorite summer movies or tune! And also check out my newly redone Facebook page and About Me page. What do you think? Give the Facebook page a like right here:

Facebook: Grace in Everything

Stay fantabulous!

Princess Hannah 
Hannah
8 Comments

6/12/15

Beauty Outspoken


 Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as elaborate hairstyles and the wearing of gold jewelry or fine clothes. Rather, 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. 

-1 Peter 3:3-4


Playing dress up begins at age five and never truly ends. 

-Kate Spade


You mustn't be afraid to sparkle and a little brighter darling.

-Kirsten Kuehn


Sometimes me think, "What is a friend?" And then me say, "Friend is someone to share me last cookie with."

-Cookie Monster


Elegance is the only beauty that never fades. 

-Audrey Hepburn


Today you are You, 
that is truer than true. 
There is no one alive
who is Youer than you.

-Dr. Seuss 


A good father is one of the most unsung, unpraised, unnoticed, and yet one of the most valuable assets in our society.
-Billy Graham

As she guided me through these incredible 18 years,.. I don't know if she ever realized that the that the person I most wanted to be was her. 

-Rory from Gilmore Girls


Be Silly

Be Kind

Be Honest

-Ralph Waldo Emerson


Your dress should be tight enough to show that you're a woman and loose enough to show that you're a lady.

-Commonly attributed to Edith Head


For beautiful eyes, look for the good in others; for beautiful lips, speak only words of kindness; and for poise, walk with the knowledge that you are never alone.

-Audrey Hepburn


I would rather be what God chose to make me than the most glorious creature that I could think of; for to have been thought about, born in God's thought, and then made by God is the dearest, grandest, and most precious thing in all thinking.

-C.S. Lewis



Hello everyone! As you may wonder about the occasion for the dress-up, no, I did not just buy a 1920s inspired dress just for fun (but don't put it past me do so so in the future). I wore this dress to my Senior Prom and had a blast, although I must confess that the main reason I went to Prom was because I got to dress up... And I'm not ashamed of that! 

Sometime I wrestle with the idea that my beauty does not come from outward looks but from God. The struggle occurs in the fact that I really love dressing up! I love the make-up and hair, the swish of a dress and the uniqueness of my own personal style. Is it bad to enjoy looking nice? 

I think it comes down to two things: one, who God made me to be, and two, where my true identity lies. For if I dressed this way because everyone else dressed this way, that would not glorify God. But if I dress this way because God gave me a sense of me in how I dress, than I believe that enjoying who God made me to be actually glorifies God! 

Even with this freedom to express creativity in how I dress, I still must know that my real beauty and true identity comes from God. If all of my hair feel out and the world forced me to wear mom jeans and baggy T-shirt for the rest of my life, my true beauty should not shift because it roots itself in what God thinks of me, and God "does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart." (1 Samuel 16:7) I'm not going to lie; this hard! I often fail when it comes to how I think about outward appearances, but this gives me even more reason to remind both myself all all reading this of true beauty. So girls, let's have beautiful hearts and live beautiful lives not dependent upon outward adornment but complemented by how we present ourselves. Let's live beautifully inside and then let it show on the outside. Let's live Beauty Outspoken. 

I pray that you have a wonderful weekend and don't forget who God is, who you are, and how you live in your identity in Christ (see my previous post for more on that subject). May a little more laughter come your way today! 

Princess Hannah 

Hannah
19 Comments

6/8/15

Sola Scriptura


The last week consisted of long car rides, muddy adventures, late nights, and most importantly, Jesus. Yes, as I last posted about, I spent the last few days at Summer Church Camp. And as always when spending a great amount of time with Jesus and Jesus-followers, I learned so much and can't wait to share it with y'all! (That would be my Southern language showing through.)

This year, we focused on something of great power and yet great grace. We learned about something so accessible yet often overlooked. We dug into truths found long ago and built new foundations upon Jesus to stand upon. I talk about scripture, the Bible, God's Word. And I loved it! 

Sola Scriptura means "by scripture alone" in latin, and it provided the theme for this year's Church Camp. We learned of the Bible's authenticity and reliability, both in truth and in factual evidence. We reminded ourselves of God's overarching story of grace from Genesis to Revelation. We also humbled ourselves in recognizing Jesus as the central part of the story, the hero of every circumstance. 

But right now, I want to share with you a practical tool to understanding scripture and seeing Jesus more clearly. I want to refocus your time in God's Word with four simple but powerful questions that place our priorities in the right place. Even during the few days that I've been back, these questions have ushered in a new way of looking at scripture, and I pray that they aid you as much as they aided me!

(Disclaimer: I did not come up with these questions. The wonderful speaker for our camp enlightened me to this way of looking at scripture. Below are his concepts and my interpretations and applications for the questions he asked.)

1. Who is God? 

When reading a passage in the Bible, start with God. 

I know that this sounds simple, but think. How often do we like to start with us? How many times do we read the Bible in order to gain knowledge, pride ourselves on our spiritual understanding, or just to check off something on our to-do list? When I started thinking about this, I felt convicted that I can often start with me, when God should start everything!

But how do we start with God? Don't worry, it's not as hard as we might think. To start with God, read a passage of the Bible and find an attribute, characteristic, or movement of God in those words. Since God wrote inspired and dictated every word of the Bible (2 Timothy 3:16), we won't have to look long to find something divine. 

For example, take Leviticus 21:7-8: 

"Consecrate yourselves and be holy, because I am the LORD your God. Keep my decrees and follow them. I am the LORD, who makes you holy." 

In these two verses, set in the context of God giving His people the covenant of the Law, who is God? 

He is the LORD. 

He is God, holy and righteous. 

But He is also loving and caring, demonstrated in the very fact that He gives such a Law to sinful humans in the first place. 

This demonstrates how we search for God first when reading scripture. 


2. What had He done (in Christ)?

Just like the first question, we keep our focus on God here as well, but this time we look for how God moves and where He goes. We pay attention to His kingdom moving, especially His Redemption Story. Let's look at Leviticus again. 

"Consecrate yourselves and be holy, because I am the LORD your God. Keep my decrees and follow them. I am the LORD, who makes you holy." 

What is God doing here? 

He commands. 

He leads. 

He makes us holy, by His grace. 

Wow! 

But these actions only point to a greater covenant, a greater Law, and a holier Way. They all point to Jesus. The Bible surprises us again and again with how much of it points to Jesus, but this shouldn't surprise us at all because, duh, Jesus stands at the center of this story, the hero of it all. Man, thing get exciting now! 

3. Who am I? 

Now we can start to think about who we are. First, we established who God is and what He has done, but now we have to figure out where we fit in; who are we in the story? Where does our identity stand? 

"Consecrate yourselves and be holy, because I am the LORD your God. Keep my decrees and follow them. I am the LORD, who makes you holy." 

We are the ones who needed consecration, the ones who needed a Savior. We are the ones who couldn't live holy lives apart from God's grace, but we are also the ones whom God speaks to, the ones whom God cares about. 

We are the needy. 

We are the loved. 


4. What should I do

And now, at the last, we respond. We have found out who God is, what He is doing, and who we are in Him, but what does this change? What does this have to do with us? 

Let me tell you, the Bible, if you let it, can change everything! 

"Consecrate yourselves and be holy, because I am the LORD your God. Keep my decrees and follow them. I am the LORD, who makes you holy." 

What do we do? We live holy lives, and we obey God's commands. We know that we cannot live this life by ourselves, so we depend upon Jesus, who not only provided a way for us to travel to salvation but became the Way so that He may come to us and then bring us to Him. Mind-blowing! 

And in response to such holiness and grace, we live. And in this life, we serve the one who gives us breath. Inhale. Grace. Exhale. Worship. 

"Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience." (Colossians 3:12)

This expresses our response, our pathway of action following our belief. 

And then the real excitement happens. Then we can start to live and apply the truths discovered in God's Word, and Jesus make us look a bit more like Him. Small steps. Four questions. Ten minutes. Whispered prayers. Grace coming to us. Wonder among us. 

I pray that you begin to understand God's power and grace through scripture with greater clarity and joy, whether you use these questions or not. I pray that you recognize Jesus as the center of not only the Bible but the whole world and that this prompts you to live for His glory because of His grace! Please comment below how you approach studying God's Word. And feel free to ask questions and start discussions! God's grace be with you all, 

Princess Hannah
Hannah
6 Comments
No