Life: Beautiful ~ A Faith Based Magazine

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I must admit that I am a christian. I know that is not popular but it is the truth. That has been my faith all my life. I usually keep it to myself and just try to let my life speak for itself.



I am always trying to find wholesome books or magazines to read. I discovered Life Beautiful Magazine sometime last year. My family and I went to visit Barnes & Nobles one evening after dinner. I scanned the magazine shelves for beautiful reads and stumbled on this magazine.


I picked it up and opened it. I was pleasantly surprised at the layout and the articles. In every issue, there is an article from Joyce Meyer, Dave Ramsey, & Marriage 911. There are always recipes, articles about decorating & parenting. You name it the magazine has it. 


One of the greatest assets about the magazine is their mission statement. Below is a list of what the company believes in:

Belief Statement:
Life:Beautiful is published on a foundation of the following beliefs:
1.      We believe the scriptures of the Old and New Testaments are inspired by God and inerrant in the original writings, and that they are the supreme and final authority in faith and life.
2.      We believe in one God, the Creator who eternally exists in three persons: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. We believe that Jesus Christ was begotten by the Holy Spirit and born of a virgin, Mary, and that He was and remains both God and man.
3.      We believe that God created Adam and Eve in His own divine image; that they sinned and incurred physical and spiritual death, which is separation from God; and, as a result of Adam’s sin, all humans are now born with a sinful nature and stand guilty before God.
4.      We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ died on the cross for our sins and that all who believe in Him and receive Him as personal Lord and Savior are born again of the Holy Spirit and become children of God.
5.      We believe in the resurrection of the crucified body of our Lord, in His ascension into Heaven, and in His present life there for us as High Priest and Advocate.
6.      We believe in the blessed hope of the personal and imminent return of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. We believe that the Holy Spirit indwells and gives spiritual life to all believers, enables them to understand biblical truth, empowers them to live godly lives, and equips them for service and witness.
7.      We believe in the bodily resurrection of the just and the unjust, the everlasting blessedness of the saved, and the everlasting punishment of the unsaved.

I think this is a wonderful magazine to purchase. I believe they only send out publications four times a year. I have purchased a few and they have been a joy to read. So check out their website and add Life Beautiful Magazine to your choice of reading!

Photo by Monika Grabkowska on Unsplash





Book Review: Tips on Posing for Pictures

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As some of you may have read from my recent blog entries, I am reading a book called A Guide to Elegance. I only have a few chapters left and I am very disappointed. I have really enjoyed reading this book.

It will be a book that I will revisit over and over. A few weeks ago I read the chapter called” Photography” and in this chapter Genevieve discussed how to pose for pictures and to always look your best. Here are some of her tips for great photos. I found them very interesting:

– You should stand straight with your toes turned outward, with one leg placed a little ahead of the other, and with your body turned slightly sideways, so that the camera will capture a three-quarters view.

– Unless you are very young, you should always smile at the photographer; otherwise, the expression lines around the mouth are apt to make you look disagreeable and tired.

– You should always remove your dark glasses for an outdoor snapshot, but never look directly into the sun.

– If you are being photographed stretched out on a beach or the deck of a boat, it is more flattering to prop yourself up on one hip and an elbow and present your body in profile, instead of lying spread out flat like a fried egg.

– The most frequently recommended position for the hands- lightly crossed on your lap- always seems terrible stiff; if you don’t know what to do with them, you can place them behind your back, but never on your hips.

– Lastly, it is better for the camera to be angled at you from a low position rather than from above; which always has a foreshortening effect.

Also, just in case you missed it, please take a look at my post called 100 Ways to be Elegant. I simply love reading this list. It is so much fun! Enjoy!

Photo by Mihai Stefan on Unsplash

(all photos are from of Pinterest)

April Cornell~ Vintage Inspired

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I stumbled on this company April Cornell a few weeks ago while reading some of my favorite blogs. April sells vintage clothing, home decor and linens. Her company seems to be inspired by the 1940’s which is one of my favorite decades!

The fashion and home decor was so simple and functional back then. The women dressed nice everyday and so did the children. It was a time when people took honor in the way they looked and families had sense of love and devotion for one another.

Please visit her site and let it take you back in time with a little kick to it! There is so much that her company offers. They have nightwear, skirts, pants, bridal dresses, dresses and plus sizes! There is a girls section, baby, linens & kitchen, home decor, accessories, and the Ladies Attic.

Now in the Ladies Attic section every thing is half off! Also, there is the April’s Attic Sale where more treasures have been discounted for everyone! I really enjoyed visiting her site and I intend on buying some of the kitchen linens, one of the aprons and who knows what else! There are so many goodies in her store!

Lastly, April has a channel  on Youtube. Go and watch some of her videos about her products. Enjoy!

Ladies Coral Dress (one of my favorites)
Girls

Roxanne Ladies Dress

Bernadette Max Ladies Dress

Ophelia Ladies Dressing Gown

Romance Ladies Slip

Tapestry Long Ladies Leggings

Jacinda Girls Dress

Baby

Home Decor

Bouquet Tea Towel

Lemon Twist Teapot Cover

Bedding

Bridal Collection
Market bag
Aprons
(photos via April Cornell.com)

Elegant Baby Shower Ideas & Checklist

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I love throwing baby showers! It’s another fun way to celebrate with friends and family. Last year my brother had his first baby and I was so thrilled to host the shower. There are so many ideas out there. Martha Stewart has a great baby shower website and so does Style Me Pretty. Below is the checklist I use when planning a baby shower.

*  Set the Date
*  Pick a Host
*  Send invitations
*  Pick a theme
*  Choose a menu
*  Pick a drink (if you choose)
*  Pick out games
*  Get gift list together (make sure the soon to be mom is registered)
*  Get a baby memory book (I love these!)
*  Encourage everyone to get a book for the nursery library (if you choose to do so)
*  Pick up party favors for guests

Baby shower games are always a fun way to get people to communicate and have fun. Below is one example. These are so easy to find on the internet. I found this game on Baby Shower Savvy.


Here are some more baby shower ideas and inspiration. I hope it inspires you to throw a simple elegant shower for your loved you. Enjoy!

The “Girl” Baby Shower that I hosted for my brother. 




More pictures from the “girl” baby shower. 







Shower favors I gave to each guest. I saw this idea on Pinterest.
Pink polish, easy and fantastic!







This is from the “Boy” shower that I hosted for my cousin. 






More photos from the “Boy”shower. 






Also, please click on the link below and watch the Youtube video from Vera Bradley. The shower was hosted by The Tomkat Studio. It has great ideas also!

Vera Bradley Baby Shower by The TomKat Studio – YouTube




(photos via Mrs. Shockley)



Crate & Barrel- Store Tour

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Crate & Barrel has some of the best home decor and accessories. I love going and looking inside the store. It is always decorated beautifully and the prices are affordable.

Crate & Barrel offers a variety of “upmarket” housewares, furniture and related merchandise. Items are displayed in the “vignette” style which means items are grouped together as they might appear in a home. Crate & Barrel has two sister stores. CB2 is a home furnishings division geared toward young adults and The Land of Nod sells home furnishings and gifts for children.

It is a great place to shop for items to update your home. So take a look at my photos from our store at the Keystone at the Crossing mall. Enjoy!

This was the entry. So gorgeous! I purchased some of the
blue hydrangeas. 

Elegant glasses for $2.95 each!

Dining decor

The silverware was great too. I purchased some forks. 

Bright bedding 

More decor and the stairs to the second level. 

I really liked this chair. 

Office furniture 

Outdoor furniture, I would love to have this for our backyard!

Panko Crusted Chicken

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 A few weeks ago I went to pick up my daughter from my mother-in -laws. She is always cooking fantastic dishes. On this day she was cooking Panko crusted chicken with rice-a-roni. It looked and smelled delicious! So when I got home I was inspired to try it. It turned out great. The recipe is below. Enjoy!

* 2 Tbsp flour
* 1/2 Tsp salt
* 1/4 Tsp pepper
* 1 egg, beaten
* 1 cup Progresso plain panko bread crumbs
* 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
* 2 Tbsp oil or butter

Directions:
1. Place flour, egg and bread crumbs on separate plates.

2. Mix salt and pepper into flour.

3. Coat chicken with flour mixture, dip in egg, coat well with bread crumbs.

4. In 12-inch nonstick skillet, heat oil over medium heat.

5. Cook chicken in oil 8-10 minutes, turning once, until thickest part is 165F and coating is golden brown.

Baking option: (for fish, chicken or pork)


Heat oven to 375F. Spray baking dish. Follow steps 1-3 above. Bake chicken or pork 20-30 minutes, until thickest part of chicken is 165F and  is no longer pink in center.

My crusted chicken

Jo Malone Perfume~ Timeless & Elegant

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Jo Malone  is an international perfume and cosmetics brand owed by Estee Lauder Companies. They are known for layering their scents. When I visited our Saks Fifth Avenue store last weekend I decided to visit the Jo Malone booth.

I must say I was pleasantly surprised. I immediately fell in love with most of the perfumes. My favorites are the Peony Blush & Suede, Orange Blossom and Nectarine Blossom & Honey. There were so many scents I didn’t have time to smell them all.

I love the idea of layering these scents for a more personal and signature scent. Everyone’s scent can be different with these colognes. They also sell body wash, shampoo & conditioner,  lotions, soaps, vitamin E, bath oils and body cremes. For the home they sell candles, room sprays, linen sprays, diffusers and soaps.

I encourage you to visit their beautiful website and take a look at all the products. Also, when reviewing new perfumes always ask for samples. That way you can test it before you buy the whole bottle. The sales rep. gave me two samples and I have enjoyed them. Also, watch the Youtube video from Bride de Force. They had a wedding fragrance consultation at the Jo Malone store in London. It was gorgeous!

These are samples that the sales rep gave me.  It’s the
Peony Blush & Suede sample and both bottles spray!



The table full of Jo Malone scents and candles




Wedding Fragrance Consultation at Jo Malone – YouTube

(photos via Mrs. Shockley)