My Top Ten Favorite Books – Collab with Lizzie Marr

Hey friends!

My sister Lizzie got a blog very recently, and we decided it would be fun to do a collab together! If you haven’t seen her blog yet, it’s called Life with Liz. Go check it out!

In these posts Lizzie and I are going to be sharing our top 10 favorite books, not an easy task. I try to be very sparing with which books I put into my official favorites list, but still, it’s more than ten. 😂 You can see my entire favorites shelf on Goodreads HERE. 🙂

But for now, I’m going to work on choosing my ten absolute favorite, out of all of my favorites. XD

1. Hiding in the Light by Rifqa Bary

Christian, Non-fiction, Biography

I read this book very recently, and loved it SO much! I love reading stories of muslims who come to know Christ. The writing style of this autobiography was amazing, reading more like a fascinating novel than a true story. I almost couldn’t put it down! Rifqa’s testimony is so incredible and encouraging. ❤

2. Volition by Chautona Havig

Christian, Sci-fi, Dystopian

A very different style of book from the last one, but also so good. This one just fascinated me sooo much, and the ending was so sweet. I don’t read much in the way of sci-fi, but this one is really good. Even if you don’t like that genre, try reading this book, and you just may find you like it! I don’t even know how to explain what this book is about, lol. XD You can read more about it here.

3. The Hidden Hand by E.D.E.N. Southworth

Classic, fiction, mystery

My friend Kyra gave me this one a couple of years ago, and I’m so glad, because I and my entire family absolutely love it! I’ve read it at least 3 times, once aloud to my sisters. And now my sister Lizzie is reading it to the rest of my siblings who haven’t yet heard it. So yeah, it’s been loved. 😄

4. The Lost Art of True Beauty – The Set Apart Girl’s Guide to Feminine Grace by Leslie Ludy

Christian life, non-fiction

I would recommend this to every Christian teen girl, as well as anything else by Leslie and Eric Ludy. This book has been very helpful to me in the past years, and I still frequently go back and read it for the reminder. (Also check out Set Apart Femininity by the same author.)

5. Evidence not Seen by Darlene Deibler Rose

Christian, Autobiography

This book is awesome for anyone who loves WWII or missionary stories, like me. Darlene’s story is so amazing and encouraging!

6. Kate’s Innocence by Sarah Holman

Mystery, contemporary fiction, Christian

This book was an awesome start to an awesome series. So far I’ve read the first four, and can’t wait to read the rest very soon. The first book is my favorite of the series so far, but the whole thing is definitely recommended if you like mystery and stories having to do with spies and the FBI. So much fun!

7. The Minstrel by Malachi Cyr

Historical fiction, adventure

Another book that has been well loved by my entire family. The plot, the character development, the length, and everything about it is awesome! XD 😀 Plus, historical fiction is one of my top favorite genres, so. 😀

8. The Star Under the City by Maggie Joy

Historical fiction, WWII

Another historical fiction, and WWII book. As I said, I really love stories set during and around WWII. The characters in this book are so love-able, and *cries* there are some super good and sad scenes in here. Also… isn’t that cover to beautiful…?

(I’m currently lost about which books to include as my last two favorites… Ugh, this is so hard!!! Ok, let’s see….)

9. A Gown of Spanish Lace by Jannette Oke

Christian, historical fiction, romance

Ugh, this one really made me cry!!!! It’s so sad and really good. I’m actually currently in the middle of reading it to my sisters! They’ve been really enjoying it as well. 😀

10. The Lost Clue by Mrs. O.F. Walton

Christian, mystery, fiction

I enjoyed this book more than I thought I would getting into it. It’s very whole-some, easy to read, and entertaining. I loved the mystery aspect of it. I’d like to read this one aloud to my siblings sometime. 🙂

Bonus – The Lamplighter by Maria Susan Cummins

Christian, fiction, classics

Sorry, I just had to add one more… XD I haven’t read this one in quite a while. In fact, I never read it, since we don’t own it, but listened to the audio book on librivox. I’d love to actually own a copy sometime!

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Whew, that was so hard!! I feel like there are so many books I’m missing… I did my best to pick out my favorites though, and if you’d like to see more, you can check them out here. 🙂

Thank you to Lizzie for doing this fun collab with me!! I can’t wait to see your answers. 😀 Go check them out by clicking the button below!!

Lizzie’s Top 10 Favorite Books

Love,

Rosy ❤️

Apple Blossom Photoshoot 🌸

Hey friends! ❤️

One of my favorite times of the year is Spring, when it’s getting warmer and the flowers start to bloom. The world gets greener as new life springs up everywhere around me, and I just want to praise God for His beautiful Creation.

“O LORD, how manifold are your works! In wisdom have you made them all; the earth is full of your creatures.” Psalm 104:24

I especially love to photograph flowers when they begin to bloom. I’ve done of lot of peach blossom photography, but I haven’t taken many photos of apple blossoms. This is strange, since our house is literally surrounded on all sides by several different apple orchards. (We live in the biggest apple producing area in Mexico.) So this Spring it was one of my goals to photograph some apple blossoms, so one morning in early April I drove to a nearby orchard for a photoshoot. I went at around 8:00 in the morning, so that the sun would be low in the sky for the perfect lighting. It wasn’t quite as low as I would have liked, but still good. 😀

Anyways, on to the photos! (I took about 250 in total, but of course, I will only be posting a few of my favorites.) XD

So many flowers!!!

The colors of some of the flowers were so vibrant!

Some were bright pink, while others were almost white.

Look at those details! ❤

The flowers look so pretty against the blue sky.

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I had so much fun with this, especially since I hadn’t really done a full-out photoshoot in quite a while. I’m so glad I had this opportunity. 😄 Thank you so much for reading this post, and I hope you enjoyed these pictures! ❤️

Love,

Rosy 🌸

“Ah, Lord God! Behold, You have made the heavens and the earth by Your great power and outstretched arm. There is nothing too hard for You.” Jeremiah 32:17

May, 2022 Review

Hey friends! ❤️

I realize that, yet again, I have skipped a reviewing a month… I didn’t post a recap of April, because I had very few photos, and wasn’t really feeling motivated to do it. So yeah. Sorry about that. XD

Whatever the case, I’m back with a recap of the month of May! 😀

Near the beginning of this month, the Oduber family, who was moving across Mexico to a town a few hours from us, stayed at our house for a few days. It was really fun to get to know their family!

A couple of weeks later, one of the churches my dad frequently preaches at held a conference. The Oduber family was able to come again, and stayed at our house during the duration of the conference. It was fun, and the conference was really good! Quite a few people came. 😀

The men visiting

Lizzie and I went on a short walk/hike with some of the women. We climbed to the top of a hill, and the view from up there was amazing!!! Sadly, I didn’t have a camera, so I don’t have pictures of the view. But it was really fun!

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Lizzie, me and Grace

James and Me

A painting I did

Another painting

The kids doing a science experiment with their friend, one of our neighbors.

Philip, Susy and James

My sister Lizzie, turned 15 near the end of May. 😀 The first two pictures of of her birthday, and the last one is from a photoshoot I did of her bit later.

Memes I saved in May

I’m thinking about making this a regular section in these recap posts because who doesn’t love good memes? 😂 Here are a few of my favorites that I saved last month. 🙂

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Books I read in May

1. Having a Mary Spirit by Joanna Weaver (5 stars)
2. Kilmeny of the Orchard by L.M. Montgomery (5 stars)
3. Kate’s Capitol by Sarah Holman (4 stars)
4. Phantom Write by Jerry Jenkins (4 stars)
5. Double Fault by Jerry Jenkins (3 stars)
6. Authentic Beauty by Leslie Ludy (5 stars)
7. Volition by Chautona Havig (5 stars)
8. The Last Gasp by Chautona Havig (4.5 stars)
9. Imprisoned with ISIS by Petr Jasek (4.5 stars)

I read a lot of good books in May! I bolded my favorites, and linked to the reviews of the ones I reviewed on Goodreads. 🙂

Blog Posts and Youtube Videos

Blog:

1. May Bullet Journal Set Up
2. 5 Things I would tell my Younger Self
3. Yet Another Thriftbooks Haul

Youtube:

1. Blue Butterfly Painting

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May was a such a great month for us here! How did your month go?

Love,

Rosy 💕

June 2022 Bullet Journal Set Up 🍉

Hey everyone! 😀

Gracious, we’re almost halfway through this year!! 😲 The month of May seemed to fly by particularly fast. It was a good month, and hopefully I’ll remember to post a recap later!

My bujo theme for June is….

🍉 Watermelon!! 🍉

I wanted to do something summer-y, even though it’s not quite summer yet. 😀

I managed to fit what I usually have in 3 pages, on 1. I actually really like how it turned out! It’s much more compact, and saves space. Besides, why do I really need an entire page to write 30 things I’m thankful for? 😂

If you’re confused about how my mood tracker is supposed to work-each day I will draw seeds on them, and the more seeds I draw, the better the day was. 😂 Although I just can’t keep from thinking of the blank watermelons as tiny, red and pink pizzas… Haha!!!

I made a highlights page, where I will just write down some of the things that particularly stood out to me in the month, and on the next page and did a social and workout tracker. I had a little bit of extra space on the bottom of the page, so I used that to include a Bible verse. 😄

My book tracking page. The blank spot on the top of the second page is because I always end up reading more books than I originally wrote down, and I want to have some space to add those in. I’m excited for this month’s books!!

Lastly, I did my daily log, where I usually put todo lists and the like. I think the watermelon font I used is so fun!

Happy June everyone! I hope you have an amazing month!! ❤️

Love,

Rosy 🍉

Yet Another Thrift Books Haul!📚

Hey friends! ❤

If you all haven’t noticed, I love books and I love getting “new” books. Getting new (at least to you) books is one of the best things ever! My favorite and most cost efficient way I have found to buy books online is Thriftbooks. The second best way is thrift stores, but since I don’t get to one often, I use Thriftbooks quite a lot. 😄

For this order, I spent $20 on 7 books. That’s less than an average of 3 dollars per book!!🤩 I got a couple of them free with a coupon and free book credit that I had. Shipping was also free, since I spent more than $10. My book budget is just about empty, but my book loving self is very happy. 🙌

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The first two books I got are Hiding in the Light by Rifqa Bary, and Answering Jihad by Nabeel Qureshi. Both of these are on the topic of Islam and Christianity, a subject that really fascinates me. The first one is the autobiography of a Muslim girl who converted to Christianity and was rejected by her family. The second book is by the author of another book that I love, Seeking Allah, Finding Jesus. I’m excited to read more from him!

There was a deal at the time to get one children’s book free with your order, so I picked out The Mystery of the Clockwork Sparrow by Katherine Woodfine. This middle grade book looks so adorable, and it has some really cute illustrations. I can’t wait to read this one, and maybe read it to my siblings if it’s good. (Also, it’s set in London!)

I did get one other middle grade book, The Candymakers and the Great Chocolate Chase by Wendy Mass. We have the first book in this series, and it’s really cute. Since this one isn’t by a Christian author and I haven’t read it yet, I can’t fully recommend it for sure, but I’m thinking it’s going to be really sweet! (In more ways that one!) This came in a beautiful hardback copy. The first book we have is a beat up paper book, so now I’m desperately wanting it in a matching hardcover copy. 😆

This book looks super sweet! It’s Paper Roses by Amanda Cabot, a Christian author I haven’t read yet. The cover is really pretty!

I’m slowly collecting each of Jane Austen’s novels, usually ordering one with every order. This time I got Sense and Sensibility. I took the dust cover off, because I think it looks prettier without it, hehe. 😅 😁

The last book I got is a biography that I’ve been interesting in reading for quite a while, The Cross and the Switchblade by David Wilkerson. I’m excited about this one!

And that’s it! I’m sooo excited about each of these books, and cannot wait to read them. ❤️

Bookishly,

Rosy 📚 💖

P.s. If you sign up for Thriftbooks, join ReadingRewards, and spend $30 dollars using this link, we will both get a free book credit. 😁

5 Things I would tell my Younger Self

Do you ever wish that you could go back in time and give your younger, more immature self some advice? That’s not possible of course, but if it was, I would definitely have a few things to say to lil’ ol’ younger me. 🤣 Since I haven’t gotten my hands on a time machine yet, I’ll settle for you guys. XD There are so many things that I would want to say, but here are 5 of the biggest ones that I think my younger self needed to hear.

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1. Stop worrying so much about what people think of you. I PROMISE you that, people are not constantly thinking about you half as much as you think they are!! Okay? Okay. Truly, they literally don’t care if your hair is a bit messy or if your clothes are a tad wrinkly. You’re most likely the only one who is obsessing over it, so get over yourself and stop being so self-conscious. (Sounds kind of harsh, I know, but… I really did need to hear it.)

2. School is more important than you think it is. This is shocking, I know, but your education is actually pretty important. Even more so than the book you’re reading, the letter you’re writing, or the project you’re currently working on. Be smart, work diligently, and your future self will thank you for it later. Trust me.

3. It’s often not as bad as you think it is. Whatever feels like the end of the world to you right now, might feel like nothing later. Honestly, you’ll probably forget all about it next month. Or next week.

4. Enjoy being young. I know that you’re excited to grow up, but in your anxiousness to get older, you’re missing out on your life in the moment. You’ll regret that when you’re older. (And you will eventually get older, believe it or not. Just wait patiently.) Although there are great things about being older, there are also a lot of responsibilities included in the deal that you’re just not ready for, nor do you want. So enjoy your carefree life while you have it.

5. It will get better. I know it feels like the tough times will never end, and things will never change, but they will. It just takes (a lot of) patience and perseverance. Pray for contentment and trust that God has a plan for your life. Honestly, I think that my present self needs to hear that just about as much as my past self. 😂

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Obviously, I’m not an expert in any of these things. I still struggle with most of these, but I’m learning a lot and God is teaching me so much as I’m getting older. 😄

What are some things that you would tell your younger self if you could?

Love,

Rosy💖

May, 2022 Bullet Journal Set Up

Hello friends!! 💕

I don’t know if anyone noticed, but I took a needed break from bullet journaling in April. I tried to put something together, but it just wasn’t working out and was getting stressful, so I just decided to skip a month. 🙂 But now I’m back, with my set up for May! The theme is…

🌸 Spring flowers!! 🌸

I didn’t feel up to doing anything super artistic on the cover page, so I decided to make a collage with some Spring-y photos and quotes I got printed recently. I think it turned out really pretty!

I did an activity tracker (which I probably should have called a workout tracker) and a sleep tracker, both of which I hadn’t done in a while. I decided that since I did nothing in April, I wanted to do extra in May, so. 😂 😁

There are several different trackers here, including a gratitude tracker, social tracker, and a little section for goals and rewards.

My favorite spread, the book tracker of course. I’m really excited about the books I’m reading this month. As you can see, I’ve already read quite a bit…. 😂 (And by the time I’m writing this I’ve already finished a couple of them….) XD

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I really like how this set up turned out. My favorite thing about it is probably all of the pretty colors! I’m really excited to be getting back into bullet journaling. 😀

If you guys have any themes that you’d like to see me do in the future, please let me know in the comments. I’d love to see your ideas!!

Happy May!!

Rosy 🌸 ❤️

What I’m doing for 12th Grade

Hey friends!! ❤️

I mentioned a few posts back that I started 12th grade a few weeks ago, and a few of you said that you would like to see what books I’m using.

I’ve been doing it for several weeks, and I’ve really been enjoying it. (Even though I’m very anxious to graduate, haha!) Here’s what I’ve been doing!

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1. Epoch from Generations

I really enjoy reading the book that goes with this. (Epoch by Kevin Swanson) It’s very interesting and enlightening.

2. Worldviews in Conflict from Generations

I’ve been wanting to read this book for years, so I’m excited about it!

3. Intro to Missions from ACE

I love this one because there are a bunch of really neat missionary biographies for me to read!! Currently I’m reading Peril by Choice about John and Elaine Beekman, missionaries in Mexico. 😀

4. Jenson’s Format Writing from MasterBooks

It’s quite possible that this is my least favorite subject…. I usually like writing, but I don’t really like this book. 😂

5. Survey of Science: History and Concepts from MasterBooks

This one is so interesting!! There are four textbooks to reading, Mathematics, Chemistry, Biology and Physics. I’m currently reading The World of Mathematics, which I’m enjoying much more than I thought I would. XD

6. Apologetics in Action from MasterBooks

This is one of my favorite subjects here, as I have already read a love several of these books. I’m currently reading Demolishing Supposed Bible Contradictions Vol. 1. 🙂

7. Algebra 1 and Geometry from CTC Math

As far as maths go, this program isn’t the worst. That’s all I’m going to say about it. 🤣

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And that’s pretty much it! There’s not a lot of subjects, but some of them are pretty in depth so it’s still a lot of work. I’ve been enjoying (most) of it though!!

Are you familiar with any of these books or programs? I’m interested in what curriculum you all are using!

Love,

Rosy

A Very Bookish Post (Book Mail, Spring Book Recommendations, Spell the Month in Books, and more…)

Hey everyone! How are you all? ❤️

*WARNING* Lots of books, and talking of books ahead. If you hate books, I’m truly sorry, and it may be in your best interest to stop reading this post while you can. Don’t say I didn’t warn you. However, if you are in your right mind, and you love books… I hope you enjoy this post!!

Anyway. 😂 Yes, we have a fairly long post today, dedicated completely to books, and all the bookish things that have been happening in my life lately. XD

Book Mail

My friend Kate, from Once Upon an Ordinary, generously offered to send me some her books that I didn’t yet own. She sent me Kiera, Sincerely, Jem and The Night Archers. I love them all so much, and can’t wait to read them!!!

I’ve been wanting to read Kiera ever since it was first published, and Sincerely, Jem will be so much fun to read during Christmas season. I already had The Twin Arrows, so I was excited to get The Night Archers to match. They look so cute together!! 😍

Thank you so much, Kate!!!

(Note: That’s the old edition of Kiera, but Kate is working on a second edition, with a beautiful new cover. And it’s hardback!! Check it out here. )

Spring Books Recommendations

I love reading books that are associated with the season. It’s just such a great way to celebrate the time of year! I compiled this list of a few books that I think capture the idea of Spring, or I just associate with Spring. 🙂

The Secret Garden

What else is there to say, this book is about a garden. Very Spring-y! I’ve almost finished reading this one. 🙂 It’s such a cute story!

Any books by Jane Austen, or books that are set in the Regency Era

I’m really not sure why, but I strongly connect the regency era with Spring. That’s why I love reading Jane Austen during this time of year. My favorites are:

1. Emma
2. Pride and Prejudice
3. Sense and Sensibility

That’s all of them that I’ve yet read, but I’m planning on reading Mansfield Park very soon. 😀

Another more modernly written regency book I’m hoping to read soon is the Heart of Warwickshire Series by Chautona Havig, especially the first one. 🙂

Anne of Green Gables, Kilmeny of the Orchard, and pretty much everything else by L.M. Montgomery are also great for Spring!

Do you guys have any more Spring book recommendations for me? If so, I’d love to hear them in the comments!!

Spell the Month in Books

A- A Gown of Spanish Lace by Jannette Oke

Fiction, Romance, Western

I read this book last month, and… I cried…. 😭 ❤️

P – Presumption and Partiality by Rebekah Jones

Vintage, Romance, Book re-telling

This book is a retelling of Pride and Prejudice – but set in the 1930’s! And I love the cover. ❤

R – Roses for Mamma by Jannette Oke

Fiction, Romance

I apologize for adding another Jannette Oke book… This may well be my favorite book by this author!

I – Iron Scouts of the Confederacy by Lee McGriffen

Historical Fiction, Civil War

L – Little Women by Louisa May Alcott

Classic, Fiction

Book Organization

So, lately I’ve been keeping all my books in my cabinet, but 1) I hated that they were all closed up where I couldn’t look at them, haha! And 2) They eventually got way too full for my small cabinet and could no longer fit.

So for the past while I’ve been looking out for a better way to store them. I would like my own bookshelf, but they are crazy expensive, and we didn’t have the materials to build one. Probably a good thing, because otherwise I would have tried. 🤣 I finally decided to line them up along the piano, and I think that works really well! I’d still like a bookshelf someday, but this works perfectly for now. 😀

This isn’t all of my books, just the ones that look nice enough to display. Lol. 😂

It looks so nice!!

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If you guys are reading this, you have officially reached the end of this post, and you’re the best!! (And you probably either love to read, or if not, you’re a good friend of mine, hehe! Lol. XD)

Whatever the case, thanks so much for sticking around through the entire post, and comment below with what books you’re currently reading!

Love,

Rosy 🌸 📚

Pleasant Words Co. Shirt Review (Giveaway Winner!)

Hello everyone!! 😀

Today I have the pleasure to review for my friend, Leona. She is just starting her new business called Pleasant Words Co. She has some great products, with such beautiful and encouraging hand-lettered Bible verses.

Leona was very kind to send me one of her shirts to review for you all!

The shirt came packaged very nicely, and she included a label with instructions on how to best wash and care for you shirt, which I though was very thoughtful and helpful. 4

I want to note real quick, that Pleasant Words Co. does not offer shirts in ladies sizes. Normally I would wear a ladies small, so I purchased a youth large, hoping it would be around the same size. It was a little bit big on me, but I knotted it, and I think it looked cute. 🙂 A medium youth might be a better fit for lady’s small. So yeah, just a heads up on sizing!

The shirt itself was well made and pretty good quality, which I appreciated.

The font and design on the shirt is very beautiful! ❤️ The lettering is crisp and clear. There are a number of options to choose from.

Pleasant Words Company also has a few more products such as pillows and stickers, also with encouraging Bible verses on them. I especially love the stickers, and would love to purchase them sometime!

So please go check out Leona’s new business, and give her some support!

Pleasant Words Co.

Thank you so much for working with me, Leona!

Rosy

(FTC disclosure: I received this product for free, in exchange for my honest review.)

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I just wanted to real quickly announce the winner to my giveaway! I am giving away a faux leather Psalm 46:10 bookmark.

The winner is……

Alicia Marrentette!

YAY, congratulations, Alicia! I will be contacting you soon!! 😀

Thank you so much to everyone who entered the giveaway, and who subscribed to my new Youtube channel. I really appreciate it!!!

I hope everyone is having a great day!!

Love,

Rosy ❤️