So, This is Random...

I am in the middle making the Christmas list that my mom has been begging me to give her. She likes to shop early and get everyone's presents out of the way. (Well, it's not THAT early, actually...)
Anyways, I have a couple of books on the list already but I thought it would be a good idea to hear YOUR GUY'S recommendations.
I really like all kinds of books, except for maybe Sci-fi and horror.

So here's what you do: Comment your five favorite books of all time (or just a few that you like really well), and I'll take a look at them online and maybe add some to the list.
Thank you for your help! :)

p.s. I will keep this post open on the blog for anyone who wants to recommend a book at any time, even if it's five years from now. :) I don't mind comments on old post, and by all means, tell me your favorite books!

The Q&A Tag And The Blogger Recognition Award

 I have received two very nice reasons to post from Abby P and Cordy. :) Thank you, dears! 

Cordy tagged me with the Q and A Tag, and I'm going to answer her questions first. :)

1.When you're worried and you can't sleep, what do you do?

*steps onto soapbox* LET ME TELL YOU ABOUT SLEEPING, OK. I'm the kind of person who lives inside their head, and that means that I'm always thinking, always dreaming, always wondering about things. It's especially bad at night. So unless I'm super tired from the day, It's hard for me to get to sleep. Worrying doesn't usually keep me awake. About a year ago I asked God to help me not to worry about things, and since then I've just decided to not let things bother me. (And how did this turn into a testimony...?) Anyways, when I can't sleep, I read whatever book I'm working on, or I imagine made-up scenarios in my head for stories (or just for fun). 

 2.What is your favorite spice associated with Autumn?

I'm actually not an "Autumn spice" sort of person. Everyone's going crazy with pumpkin spice this and pumpkin spice that, but I really don't like spices, to eat or smell. I don't even like cinnamon. *guilty face* Sorry! XD

 3. Do you know any great Thanksgiving songs?

Just at the moment I can't think of any. People really need to write more Thanksgiving songs. Sometimes I feel like Thanksgiving is a grossly overlooked holiday. 

  

4. What was the last book you read and liked?

 The last book I read was The Blue Castle, by L.M. Montgomery. I did like it, although it struck me as unusual. You can read my (very short) Goodreads review here.

 5. Have you ever given yourself a theme song/s? Share one.

 What a very unique and interesting question! I was never into 'Theme songs' growing up, but if I would have to pick a song that I appreciate for the truth in the words being apart of my life, I would pick the old hymn (I absolutely love old hymns. I get ridiculously excited whenever my church sings one amid all the modern day worship songs) Because He Lives. 

The chorus goes: 

Because He lives, I can face tomorrow

Because He lives, all fear is gone;

Because I know He holds the future,

And life is worth the living just because He lives.

*sniff*

All these people running around trying to find a purpose in life and all the YOLO stuff and I'm over here like, "Yeaaahhhh Jesus!" XD  

6. If you could be costumed appropriately as anyone you wanted, who would you be?

Probably a random person from historical times. I think it would be really neat to dress in a Civil War gown, but I also love the 1950s era for clothes too. 

If you mean a character from a movie, I would dress up as Galadriel from the Lord of the Rings. Everyone says I look like her (well not everyone, but several people, including strangers) and I think it would be cool to actually dress up as her and get a wig for the blond hair.

7. What's a hobby you excel at? (Yup, give yourself a compliment, my friends.)

I don't know about excelling, but I do have a lot of hobbies that I enjoy. 

I've been told that I'm good at jewelry, writing, nail art, and just making random crafts. :) 

That's a picture from a craft I made that never got published. :) Notice the Downton Abbey embellishments.

8. What is your favorite holiday decoration that is a staple in your house?

I'm not a huge fan of decorating. I leave that stuff to my mom, who enjoys it. I tell her, "Have fun, but leave me out of it! I don't want any part in all of this." And she's just fine with that. I really enjoy the Christmas tree every year. We get ours fresh, so it's nice and smelly and REAL. We like to use colorful lights. 

9. Do you sing out-loud, or hum? (You know, when you're housecleaning and the like.)

I do like to sing out loud, when I know I'm not bothering anybody. :) 

I find myself doing it a lot when I sweep and dust. I really like to sing old hymns to God when I clean. Cleaning helps me think, and it's just a great time to reflect on the beauty of old songs written for God. I often find myself humming Adam Young Scores, too. :)

10. Do you have a favorite word? What is it?

 There are many words that I enjoy as a writer. Some of them include:

Charisma

 Zenith

Ecstasy 

Charm

Cosmo-

Bliss

Psychologically

Celestial
Void

Endure

Redeem

Opia

Surreal

Venus

Absinthe (don't ask)

Talisman

 As you can see, my choice of 'Favorite Words' are quite random.

And I believe that was the last one!

Thank you, Cordy! I'm going to go ahead and keep her questions because I like them so well, and I want to see what your guy's answers are! For this one I'm not tagging anybody, but do please answer the questions if you like to!

Questions:

1.When you're worried and you can't sleep, what do you do?

2.What is your favorite spice associated with Autumn?

3. Do you know any great Thanksgiving songs?

4. What was the last book you read and liked?

5. Have you ever given yourself a theme song/s? Share one.
6. If you could be costumed appropriately as anyone you wanted, who would you be?
7. What's a hobby you excel at? (Yup, give yourself a compliment, my friends.)
8. What is your favorite holiday decoration that is a staple in your house?
9. Do you sing out-loud, or hum? (You know, when you're housecleaning and the like.)
10. Do you have a favorite word? What is it?

 Blogger Recognition Award

Abby P from Lavender Spring tagged me for the Blogger Recognition Reward. Thank you so much!

Here are the Rules:

Thank the blogger who nominated you.

Tell a little bit about how you started blogging.

Give two pieces of advice for new bloggers.

Nominate 15 other bloggers.

Thank you, Abby! (Her blog is linked at the top of this post if you wanna go read it.) :)

Why/How I started blogging:

I started blogging for much the same reason as everyone else. I wanted to be apart of the lovely blogging world. I don't talk much, but that does not mean that I don't have a lot to say. I don't tend to share my opinion until I am absolutely sure of myself and my thoughts. When blogging, I can take as much time as I want to write WHAT I want, or I can choose not to do so. 

It gives me, as an introvert, the opportunity to let my ideas GO somewhere to affect people, instead of just bouncing around the inside of my head. And you, as the reader, can choose to read my opinions or not. 

That's the beauty of blogging. If you don't like something, you can unfollow.

My Pieces of Advice:

Number One: Don't talk about stuff you PLAN on posting before you post it. Because then you might decide you don't want to post that, and if you go around promising posts to people, you'll feel bad for not posting it after you said you were going to, and the readers will get confused and disappointed.

 There's no need to put pressure on yourself to post. If you don't want to post for five weeks, then don't! Just don't tell your readers how often you plan on posting.It makes things mixed up.

Number Two: Lol what do you think I am, a blogging expert?! 

Well, maybe I could say this: don't be shy to post. I mean, when I first started blogging, I was so self conscious about what I wrote that it was ridiculous.

Just don't worry about what people think. Who are you writing this for, anyways? Have fun! Post about anything and everything you want. There's no need to be shy and go around apologizing in every post and every comment you make because "I'm new to blogging". Being a new blogger is a really fun thing, and if you have a good time, your readers will have a good time too.

For this Award I am only tagging ONE BLOGGER (15? Really?) and that would be Abbie C.

Anyways.

I suppose I am done heaping my majestic opinions on you for today. I hope you're having a nice Fall!

-Amaris

A {Small} Antique Collection

Well now.
I can imagine your excitement at finally seeing another post from the Storybook Journal. I have taken a break from the internet, and I know it has been TOO LONG this time. The only thing I've had time for was a random Pin here or there. :)
Anyways, I'm back. About a week ago, while still Not Online, I went on a road trip. The place I went had a lot of antique stores in and around the area, so being a collector of people's old junk (a.k.a. "antiques") I was able to pick up a few articles for my collection.
For those of you who enjoy looking at old things as much as I do, read on. :)

~*~*~
First of all, I gotta say. The places I visited were really nicely decorated. I mean, there were whole corners and sections with frilly bed jackets and pretty lamps and hats and all SORTS of neat things.

Like, wow people.

Anyways, this FANCY place is only one of the places that we went to.
The articles I'm going to show you are in no particular order.

Typewriter Pencil Sharpener
The first one is the coolest and the best, in my opinion.
My heart skipped a beat when I saw this (you know how I love typewriters), and I loved it even MORE when I turned it over and saw that THIS THING WAS A PENCIL SHARPENER. Of all the RANDOM purposes for this tiny typewriter! At least, it was random to me. 
It was 10 dollars, but worth every penny.

As you can see, the letter keys are in no order at all, which is quite amusing, but would be very confusing if I had to type on it. :)

I really like how it just looks so OLD and it is surprisingly detailed in the smallest places. 
The best thing about it is not that it's a sharpener. It's that the little paper roll-y thing actually ROLLS and it HOLDS A TINY PIECE OF PAPER. 

Looks like a full sized typewriter, no?
But it isn't. It's teeny tiny.  Less than 3 inches across. 

Ring Holder
This is holder is really too tiny to hold all of MY rings, but I thought it was cute just the same.

   
This one is about an inch and a half. You can see, I usually like to collect smaller antiques as opposed to big ones. This way I can keep my collection up and going without spending a ton of money. :) This ring holder, for instance, was like two dollars.

Postcards 
I really like all the designs that people used to put on postcards, and I like to pick up a pretty one when I can. Especially since they are so cheap. Each of these cost me a dollar.

The one with the palm trees is actually not a postcard, but it's just an old picture that I really like. I might even use it in a scrapbook sometime. :) 

Oh, and here's the back of the Tremonton, UTAH one. I don't know who this guy is, but his spelling and his cursive is really, really bad. XD  Also, notice the date is from 1946. That's the cool thing about postcards. You get to see exactly what year they're from without having to see an antique specialist. :)

 
 Cameo Heart Box
 

 This one I thought was really elegant and pretty looking. I do like cameos, but usually I don't collect them too much because why would I care about some random women on various decorative objects? I don't know, they're vintage and all, but they're just not my favorite thing. I do love this little box though. I keep all of my hanging earrings in it.

Egg Locket Necklace

This little egg necklace really caught my eye out of nowhere. I asked them to take it out of the locked shelf especially for me, so I could take a closer look at it. It's actually pretty heavy, and I feel like it wasn't made cheaply at all. Best of all, none of the rhinestones are missing!
:)

  
And yes, the egg opens for whatever reason. I know, I know. It's perfect for Easter Sunday. I already thought of that! :D

Teacup Saucer
I like to collect teacup saucers because 1). They're easy to find in most antique stores, and 2). they make really pretty jewelry dishes. :) 

I think it was the gold filigree that made me want this one. Doesn't it look like something straight outta Pemberley?!

Envelopes With Stamps
Let me tell you something. I've been collecting stamps for nine years (wow... am I that old...?) and I have always had a fascination with old envelopes and old postcards and things. I have wanted some of those blue-and-red-stripey envelopes for a long time, but I wasn't able to find them! Fortunately, I found these four tied together at a store on my road trip. :) They are only a little bit dog-eared on the edges, and they smell deliciously old. Like an old chapter book. 

 I really like how they're not even used. Like, who puts stamps on their envelopes ahead of time? *shrug* I certainly don't do that.

 Small Jewelry Pouch (or coin pouch or whatever)
This one I actually didn't buy anywhere, but some friends gave it to me. I'm throwing it in here with this post since I'm talking about antiques and all. 
 

 I really like the little ribbon flower. And the embroidery is simple, yet very pretty! I never use it for actual coins though. I just let it sit for decoration. 

Flower Trinket Box

Ok, this is the last one. I really like how this one is smooth and pretty with the flowers, even though the purple one is missing a petal or two. I hardly even notice it unless I'm looking for it. I like to keep my stud earrings in this one because it's so small.

Well, that is all! I apologize for my absence, but do not fear. I am always around, even if I'm not on the internet!
Have a good day, peeps! :)

My Observations of a Very Interesting Word

For a long time, I was confused about 'irony'.
No one seemed to be able to explain to me what it meant, and when I finally consulted a dictionary, hoping to understand 'irony' once and for all, the definition was absolutely ZERO help. I mean, look at this:

Irony: n. a situation that is strange or funny because

things happen in a way that seems to be

opposite of what you expect.

Uhm... Come again?

If you understand that, congratulations. You are a lot smarter than I was when I first read that definition. It was such a frustration for me when I realized that some words cannot best be explained in a dictionary. They just have to HAPPEN and then you sort of see what it means (eventually!).

I did eventually figure out what the word meant, just by living and seeing ironic things. Since irony can be a pretty neat tool in writing, I'm just going to do a little explaining about what it is, so hopefully you can grasp the meaning way sooner than I did. XD

I find Irony to be kind of like sarcasm, which is basically when you pretend to say something you don't mean in a cocky way. 

You get the idea. 

Irony is a lot like sarcasm, except it's usually more about things that HAPPEN, rather than what is said by people. Irony is like when LIFE says something it doesn't really mean, and people notice. 

In the movie "Escape From Alcatraz," when a prisoner is first brought to the Island, they are brought across the cold waters of the San Francisco Bay in chains, then they are forced to remove all their clothes, being humiliated in front of the other prisoners, and then they are locked behind a clanging cell door and cordially told, "Welcome to Alcatraz". 

THAT is irony. It is a way of being almost funny, when there really isn't anything funny at all. 

It's when Mrs. Lovejoy is the grumpiest person you've ever met. It's when you go to the drugstore to buy yourself heaps and heaps of candy, along with one solitary toothbrush. 

In The Book Thief by Markus Zusak, Liesel is taken to Himmel Street. If you've read the book, you know that "Himmel", means "Heaven". But if you know anything about Nazi Germany, you know that Himmel Street was no "Heaven Street". It's definitely 'ironic'.

Basically, the dictionary is very right in its description of irony. But I feel it takes more than just that to understand this complex term. 

You can use irony in your writing, just like Zusak did. Irony adds a certain depth and interest to stories and characters. 

In your story, maybe 'Honeysuckle Village' is actually one of the dumpiest towns around. Maybe Pamella Q. Hammerbotham is actually a very intellectual and dangerous spy. 

You choose.

You don't have to be THAT extreme, but you get what I'm sayin'.

So, that is my observation, and I'm hoping this post doesn't sound like a collage paper. XD

Hopefully I have interested you, if only in the remotest way. :)

-Phoebe

We R Memory Keepers Typewriter // Review

So, I had like five posts lined up, but then I realized that they aren't FUN posts, they are just my opinions on things. I really don't want to sound like some 'collage person' who throws heaps and heaps of majestic opinions on you guys, so I thought this typewriter review would shake things up a bit. :)

* * * * *

I've been looking for a good typewriter for about five years now. My friend gave me an electric one a couple years ago, but it ran out of ribbon really quickly, and {alas} I couldn't find the right kind of ribbon on Amazon. :( So I wrapped it up and put it in my basement.

It was just about two months ago (I believe) that I heard that Michael's stores was carrying a new product: Typewriters from We R Memory Keepers, in pink and black!

Lately I've been especially frugal with my little bit of money so that I can buy a few CERTAIN NECESSARY ITEMS (*cough* a car), but I told my mom: "There is one last 'big' purchase I wish to make."
This typewriter was 200 bucks. And they wouldn't let you use a coupon.

Anyways. When I first brought it home and unboxed it, I was scared to death that I was going to break it on the same day. XD I mean, I expected it to be super fragile, and all it would take to break it to pieces and waste my two hundred dollars would be for me to put my little mitts on it.

Thankfully, this thing is really good quality. Heavy duty, and NOT cheap. Not cheap in price, nor in quality. In fact it's quite strong. I DID buy this thing brand new after all, not used at a thrift store.

I started typing right away.
It has all the standard symbols, letters and numbers, and the letter keys are in all the same places as a regular computer keyboard. The only exception would be a few of the symbols being in different spots. But it's not really hard to get used to.

There are no markers (or 'feelers') of any sort on the 'J' key or the 'F' key, as you would find on a standard keyboard, but I don't really have a problem without those. I suppose if a person REALLY needed the little markers to tell where the 'F' and 'J' are, then they could probably stick a tiny little sticker or something there to help them.
I kept mine the way it is.

Another noted difference that some might have to get used to is the pressure needed to type on these keys. If you can see those metal bars towards the top part of the typewriter, those are the letters that come up and hit the paper whenever you press a key. If you don't use a good amount of pressure (not TOO much, mind you), then you're letters will end up looking really light on the paper, or otherwise they just won't show up at all.

So that does take some getting used to, but honestly it's not super annoying. Your fingers just kind of get stronger as you type, and before you know it, you don't even notice the that you're doing it.
This is what it looks like with the right amount of pressure. 

When you first buy the typewriter, it comes with a few little plastic thingies that you need to remove before you start typing. Included in the box will be a piece of paper that tells you what you need to remove. The plastic things have been placed so that certain parts of the typewriter will stay in place while the box is being shipped to the store, to your house, or wherever.
Also, you get a typewriter manual that explains all of the keys and functions of the typewriter, as well as how to change the ribbon.

The typewriter also comes with a black and red ribbon already installed, so that you can start typing pretty soon after you unbox it.
Michael's and Michaels.com sells replacement ribbon in black as well as other colors. The typewriter has a switch that allows you to type with black or colored ribbon, as each ribbon comes with black as well as another color.
The replacement ribbons are $9.99, but you can use a coupon on them, thankfully!

The ribbon itself lasts {almost} forever. I've had this typewriter for about three weeks (and believe me, I've typed a LOT in that time), and I'm still using the ribbon it came with, even though I have already bought two replacement ribbons for whenever it runs out.
This is the kind of ribbon they used to use in all the retro typewriters. It's reusable fabric ribbon, so all you have to do when you get to the end of your ribbon is just put it on again, and it's good as new. You can see the words I have typed here. It's the same ribbon used 3 or 4 times, and it still types fine.
It's really quite economical. You get to save money on ribbon by reusing the same one over and over again.
I have yet to change the original ribbon even once.

The typewriter is a retro design, and I'm quite happy with mine. It types comfortably, it's SUPER CUTE, the ribbon lasts a really long time, it is NOT fragile. It's very well made, it's heavy, and it fits up to 12X12 inch paper (which is great news for scrapbookers).
Also, before I forget, I must tell you that when you come to the end of the line on your paper and it's time to return, there is an adorable little 'ding' that will go off wherever you have set the paper margin. :)
It was a punch right in the wallet to get it, but it is completely 100% worth the two weeks pay. :) I love it, I can't stay away from it, I can hardly pull my little fingers off the keys long enough to get anything productive done. My mom has had to come into my room at night before bed and tell me to 'stop typing because other family members are sleeping'. XD Sorry bout that, Mom.

If you have any questions, feel free to ask in the comments. :)
See you in the next post!

The Circle // Ted Dekker // Review

 So, I'm pretty new on Goodreads, and one of my recent reviews was on The Circle Series by Ted Dekker. I shared it with my best friend, and she suggested that I share it on my blog, so that my other blog-reading-friends could hear my opinions. :) So, being the kind of person who takes people up on their good advice, I have henceforth posted the review here. Also, if you would like to follow me on Goodreads, I am now ON IT. 
Which reminds me: I have a couple of different names throughout the internet. Sometimes it's Amaris, sometimes it's Phoebe, sometimes it will be Amy. I'm just letting you know, it's all ME. 
Now that THAT'S cleared up, onto the review!

It's actually WAY thicker than it looks here. :P

                                                        *    *    *    *    *    *    *    *    *    *  

*takes deep breath* FINALLY. I AM FINALLY FINISHED WITH THIS SERIES. It took me forever. I got this huge book with all four books in it for Christmas, and I just now finished it.
It would be absolutely impossible to share all of my opinions on the series as a whole. I'm just going to give the highlights. It's the kind of book that should be read by people. I feel like the book has a lot to say for itself in spite of a few things that I didn't like about it.

First, I feel like this series would be better/more enjoyable if it WASN'T a series. I mean, who wants to read a book for 5 months straight? I got other books I want to read, too! It's not like I can STOP reading this book for awhile and go on to read something else, and then come back to it, because if I do that, I will completely forget what's going on, and who is where doing WHAT. It's that kind of book. You really need to stay with it, or else it won't make sense every time you randomly pick it up. I wish maybe it could be shaved down into ONE, really good, fantastic book. I would buy that.

Secondly, It's kind of hard for me to talk about characters and events, because it would be very easy to spoil it if I did. I do have my list of favorites, however. I loved Thomas. He's the main character (no spoiler there!), and he is SPECIAL. I mean, really. He's a hero, he's a naive kid from Denver, he's a man, he's a world-changer, he's a dreamer. No bullet can stop him (literally). No sword. I love the way he handles just about every situation. He knows where the love is. He's loyal. If I met someone like that in real life, he would be my hero, the one I admire, and I just might marry him! I loved watching him grow up, from his first adventure in Denver as a trouble-making teenager, to the End of the World in the last chapter, as a mighty warrior who fights for good. Yes, good job with the main character.

Third, I can't help but mention that there were TIMES. Times in this book, where there was weirdness. The good thing about this is, the whole book was NOT like that. There were just parts. Parts in the evil queen's lair, parts when Thomas was transitioning into his dreams, parts where a character sells himself to evil, parts where I wondered what in the world I was reading this for. But the thing is, those parts always ended. And they weren't TERRIBLE. They added to the story. And if you think about it in terms of real-life, those parts were absolutely, terribly real.

Fourthly, I must mention the extraordinarily written endings. The ending of Black (Number One) was AMAZING. I can't imagine what it must have been like for people to read the ending of that book and have to WAIT for the next book to come out. It must have been absolute MURDER for them! Black literally ended with a riveting scene cut off right in the middle. I seriously jumped straight into Red (Number Two) because I KNOW that I would not have been able to wait to see how it turned out. It was THAT good.
However.
I really must mention the end of the entire SERIES.
It.
Was.
Amazing.
Also sad. But using a word as common and trivial as "sad" seems a tremendous understatement to say the least. The end of this book was literally the end of the world. Where the faithful member's of Elyon's Circle are finally taken up into eternal Paradise, and those left behind are literally devoured by the remnants of Evil. There is a battle. It seems Evil will WIN. But does evil win in the end? No, dear friend, it does NOT. This book, the entire thing, from the beginning of time when man turns away in disobedience, to the middle where Elyon's faithful few are beginning to doubt His very existence, to the very, VERY end, when Evil is conquered in a great and terrible battle Once and For All. It's a picture of our own earth. We, as Christians, are His Circle. His faithful few.
There will be deception, there will be tragedy, there will be doubt, there will be deception. But we must never doubt! Never doubt His promise, dear friend!
Ahem.
Are you seeing what this series did to me?!
Anyways, let me get back to the ending! Not only was it a terrible and beautiful picture of the ending of the world, it was A WONDERFUL ENDING FOR A BOOK, just in general terms! It was written well. There are shocking deaths, devastating betrayals, and hope given for the very last chance to dive deep.

At the back of my version, there is a couple of pages of an interview written with Ted Dekker, in which he explains his reason behind the idea of the characters Diving into Elyon's Lake to let themselves be washed and renewed by His goodness.
I quote:

"I was once in a time of meditation and I imagined God as a lake. And I knew immediately that I had to write a novel in which one could dive into God as if He were a physical reality. To do so I had to write a story in which all that we see as spiritual was recast as physical. The colored forest was born. As was the forbidden circle and the lake. I then took the idea further and imagined retelling all of redemptive history within the context of this world."

The best thing about his representation of God's "redemptive history" in the story is that, it's not done in a boring or cliched manner. It is done so that you are so engrossed into the lives of the characters, so taken in by his storytelling of the events and situations in the book, that you can hardly tell that you are reading that 'retelling of history', as he describes, yet in the end, you are touched in an emotional way because of what you read about love, and the Blood.
It is not boring. I have read books where they add scriptural parallels within their story to exemplify points in there story, to give it a redeeming quality. Those books are well intentioned, but I find they are often cliched, boring, and even disappointing. Write your own story! If I want to read about the Bible, I'll read my ACTUAL Bible. I'm not saying I don't I like it when a person gets saved in a book, I'm saying that it's easy to just copy God's redemptive story, write it into your book, giving it a couple of twists and turns to 'refashion' it and 'move' non Christians.
I'm saying that you COULD do that, but it must be done WELL. I must NOT feel, as a reader, that I am being preached to. I open your book to read a story.
Give me a story, not a sermon!
Ted Dekker does his story VERY. WELL. When I read his book, I embraced the pure and simple truth displayed as Elyon loves his people, and I did NOT feel preached to. I felt connected to God's love in a real and personal way. I did not feel like Dekker thrust the gospel onto me.
I felt... well, I felt like I was reading one of the greatest books ever written.

Overall, I still have a huge wealth of mixed feelings on how I feel about this series. I guess I would have to divide it into parts. There were some parts that were my FAVORITE of all books that I've ever read. Then there were OTHER PARTS when I questioned why I even picked up the book to read it in the first place. It was like that the entire way through the book. In my head, constantly: "I hate this book... wow, I LOVE this book... Why am I even reading this?... Wow this is SO GOOD... I don't have time for this book, I have better things I could be doing... Wow I'm really glad I got this book for Christmas... and etc.! On and on and on.

But you know, I think it's the kind of book that SHOULD be read by people. It's a beautiful picture of Christ's love for His bride, and the Fall of Man, and the importance of the Blood, but without the preaching, and as much adventure and thrill as you can wrap your head around. The book is really a big mouthful to chew on, but I think that people ought to give it a try, because it is a tremendously good book. Maybe even a GREAT one. 



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-Phoebe

Quote {#3}

Here is the last day of the quote tag! Sorry I forgot to post this yesterday. XD

I really appreciate this quote. Sometimes I feel like people don't build each other up enough. Who knows, a person at your church, or your drama class, or your book club might look fine and dandy on the outside. After all, it's EASY to put on a face and pretend to be fine. 

But maybe on the inside, they really wish someone would care. Or take a moment to say, "How are you doing?!" 

Maybe it's a stranger at a store who just needs a smile.

We have this tremendous love on the inside of us, guys. We ought to share it. Even if we don't sit down with them and tell them all about God, we can at least show them we care, because God cares. So, as I wrap up my quotes, I'll challenge you (for some, it won't be a challenge) to say something nice for someone today. It doesn't matter who. You don't even have to SAY anything. Just smile at them. You never know how it might help them through their day. 

That is all for my quotes! Thanks for tagging me, Abbie! I'm not a huge quote person, but *holds head up high* I think I did JUST FINE. :) 

And today (the last day of the quotes!) I tag: Morgan LuAnn from The Day the Lord Has Made!!!
Thanks Abbie C. for tagging me! I had splendid fun sharing my favorite quotes. :)

Quote {#2}

Ok, here is the second quote of my three quotes:

I feel like it says almost the same thing as yesterday's quote. But, it still speaks to me on a personal level, because a lot of times I feel like people don't trust in God because "If God loves us/if I can Trust God, why is there so much pain/chaos/evil in the world? 

Seriously, do you think God sits back and lets the world go crazy just for His enjoyment? If so, what are you thinking?! 

In all my 47 years of being a theologian (eheh, just kidding), I have given a lot of thought to the answer of that question. And I have concluded this: If the world was happy and perfect and wonderful, why trust God? How are we supposed to grow in the Lord if we don't NEED Him? 

If the world was a perfect place, we would NOT need God. We wouldn't EVER come to know and trust Him as the perfect Creator of the universe. 

Pain is hard. 

Chaos is hard. 

The world is a hard place.

But I would rather go through a hard and cruel world while trusting in God, than a perfect world with no God at all. That's what this quote means to me.

-Phoebe

Today I tag: Maribeth from Formidable Courage!!!

Quote {#1}

Abbie C. over at Chronicles in Bloom has tagged me with the delightful 'Quote Tag'.
These are the rules:

1. Thank the person who tagged you: THANKS ABBIEEEE! *hugs Abbie*.
2. Nominate 3 new bloggers everyday: How 'bout if I just tag one blogger a day? I haven't been keeping up with all my favorite blogs lately (because I'm SICK), so I don't know who's done it and who hasn't.
3. Post a new quote every day for three consecutive days.

Ok! Here's my first quote!
Actually it kind of breaks the rules, because there's other stuff 'mixed in' with the quote that isn't exactly part of the quote... but yeah. Here you go.

My eyes teared up a little bit when I read this. Because... it's so true. 

Just because we are followers of Christ doesn't mean that we have it all together, that we never wonder what God is doing, that we never worry about how things may turn out. 

But what looks like a threaded mess to us, is actually a gorgeous and beautiful tapestry in the eyes of God, even though it might be awhile before we can see what it is He's doing. 

 God has your entire life all planned out, from your first breath to your last. Nothing that happens is going to be unexpected to Him. 

John 16:33 says (and this is Jesus talking to His disciples): " These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation (see messy side of the embroidery), but take courage (flips to good side), I have overcome the world."

In short, we don't need to be worrying about anything. 

And that's what this quote spoke to me.

Alright! The person I tag for today is: Eva at Coffee, Classics, and Craziness!

See you tomorrow!

The Liebster Tag

Abbie C. at Chronicles in Bloom tagged me for this cute tag! How very nice! I do love tags.

So here we go.
Rules:

1. Link back to the person who tagged you (which I did... up there).
2. Answer the eleven questions.
3. Tag eleven bloggers, let them know you've done so.
4. Ask your tagged bloggers eleven questions.

Here are Abbie's questions.

1. Is there any story as to why you were given your name?
Why yes! You see, before I was born, my mom lost a baby. It was very hard. However, soon afterwards, she was reading in her Bible and she knew that God was telling her that she was going to have another baby, to replace the lost one.
Not long after that she got pregnant. She was reading in a baby name book, and the very first name she read meant "Promised of God". So she thought, "Well. If it's a girl, that's what I'll name her".
And it turned out to be me.

2. Are you a night owl or an early bird?
Actually, I'm mostly a night-owl. I could stay up all night to finish a project if I didn't have better sense. That isn't to say that I don't like mornings, because I do. I just don't get up early as often as I stay up late.

3. What is your favorite breakfast?
SECOND BREAKFAST.
No, just kidding.
I'm glad you asked this question. I am the type of person who does NOT like donuts, pancakes, waffles, or cereal for breakfast. It doesn't make any sense to start off my day with that much sugar. I would much rather prefer protein. Bacon, eggs, sausage, ham, and a biscuit, thank you!

4. How would you describe your style?
As in clothing style? Romantic, vintage, neutral colors, creams and pinks. Also, smoky-blue. No dark colors whatsoever. Type 2, if you're into the Dressing Your Truth stuff. If your talking personality-wise, I would be INFJ-A. Mysterious, tenderhearted, caring about people. Also introverted. "What's your style" is a very broad question, but it's fun to answer.

5. What is your dream occupation?
A labor and delivery nurse. Or just a nurse. Wherever God leads me. I would also like to write.

6. 3 Favorite boy names?
(of course these have changed and will continue to change through the years)
Thomas
Jerome
Philip

7. 3 Favorite girl names?

Celeste
Ellie
Monica

8. Where would you like to travel?
Hawaii. Switzerland. Perhaps Paris. Definitely the different States in America.

9. Favorite part of your daily routine?
Uhm... breakfast?

10. What song gives you the most feels and why?
Hmm. *ponders as I suddenly forget every song I've ever heard* Probably one of Owl City's songs. One of his that has touched me most recently has been Come Thou Fount. It's one of my favorite hymns, it just lifts me up every time. Though if I could give this one more thought, I would probably name several songs.

11. If you could learn to do one (creative) thing perfectly, what would it be?
I would love to learn to paint watercolors. I just think watercolor is completely beautiful, and someday I'm going to teach myself how to do it.

There you go! Those are my answers!

Here are the bloggers I am tagging. If any of you have already done this tag, you don't have to do it again unless you want to. :) I have not been reading up on blogs lately, so I don't really know which bloggers have done this tag, and which one's haven't. :P Also, I'm only posting  six bloggers, instead of eleven.

Morgan:
The Day the Lord has Made

Hayden:
A Singular and Whimsical Problem

Emily:
Forget-Me-Nots

Maribeth:
Formidable Courage

Ashley:
Inklings Press

Naomi:
Wonderland Creek

 Here are my questions! Anyone is welcome to answer in the comments or on your own blog. :) I'd love to know your answers.

1. Do you usually cry over the deaths or misfortunes of fictional characters in books and movies? Or are you "not a crier"?
2. Is there a popular TV show or a movie that you just CAN'T bring yourself to like, in spite of everyone's good opinions of it?
3. Do you have a garden? If so, what sort of things do you grow in it? Is it a vegetable or flower garden?
4. With the approach of oncoming Winter, do you find yourself excited for the change of season, or is your mindset closer to: " *sigh* Oh boy. Here it comes. Winter. AGAIN."?
5. What is the last book you read? How would you rate it out of five stars?
6. Do you collect anything? How many/much do you own?
7. If you could invite one (and ONLY ONE) fictional character to dinner, who would it be?
8. What book is nearest to you at this very moment?
9. Since Halloween is coming up soon, do you usually participate in the celebrations? If so, what did you dress up as last year?
10. How would you describe your fashion style?
11. Have you ever met a famous person? Who was it?

Thanks for stopping by!
-{Phoebe}

A Few Favorite Things in a Day

You know something? When was going through recovery after my tonsillectomy, I thought that having two whole weeks to have nothing to do would be a great time to catch up on some of the books that I have been neglecting to finish. Surprisingly, however, I didn't feel like reading. I felt like doing... nothing. So that's what I did.

So, I'm quite behind on my books. :P I am only now beginning to read books for the first time in maybe 4 weeks.
Trust me, friends. IT HURTS NOT HAVING TIME TO READ.
But anyways, I have been enjoying quite a few random things lately, being happy, staying positive, and all that. So here it is, just a small list of things that have been making me happy lately.

~A Few of My Favorite Things~

(as of late)

Call the Midwife

~*~ 

Novelty make-up items

~*~

Happy Planners

~*~

Returning to my job after being sick

~*~

Typewriters

~*~

Seven unread (soon to be read) books on my shelf

~*~

My (adult) coloring books

~*~

Vintage jewelry

~*~

Hebrews 11:6

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Clear, golden, late afternoon skies

~*~

Benedict Cumberbatch

~*~

Monthly Adam Young Scores

~*~

French pastries (don't ask... :D)

~*~

Reading all of your lovely blogs!

~*~

 

There you go! What sort of things would you put on YOUR happy list? I hope you have a good day, and I got a couple tags to catch up within this next week, so until then, BYEE!!

-Phoebe