Post No. 500

I miss blogging.

I miss bloggers!!!

The new-look blogger is fabulous.

I need a bit of mental stimulation. I can feel my brains turning to muuuussssh inside of me. Well, not quite, but the discipline of forcing my randoms thoughts onto the page (err - post) is good for me.

I miss you all!!! Wait, I mentioned that already.

Apparently, I have written 499 posts on this blog. This post will bring that number up to a nice, even 500.
All excellent reasons why I should start blogging on here again!! You've all been very patient! Thank you to everyone who hasn't unfollowed me.

Now, where to start?? Maybe I could revive one of those series I started (you know, those series that I PROMISED I would complete and not let die). Maybe I could finish that review of Tangled. Maybe I could write a review of one of the many books I've read this year. (But not Anna Karenina. That would be beyond my powers of reviewing. I don't want to do another "Villette" review.)

What would you like my next post to be about?

And can I just give you all a big hug? *HUGS*.

A New Direction

I have published only one or two blog posts in the last month or so. And in that time, I have enjoyed doing - other things!

I've been doing a lot of reading, for one thing. There have been times during my blogging journey over the last 3 years (has it really been that long??) when I have read very little. I spent much of my spare time in blogging or other online pursuits. Over the past 6 months or so, however, I have developed a more disciplined - no, disciplined isn't the right word - but certainly a more active reading habit.

Something else has happened, too. I've discovered the joy and satisfaction that is to be found in savouring the small things in life. In the garden, in the house, in watching my siblings grow. I wake up every morning excited by the possibilities the day might bring - doing this or that in the garden, trying a new recipe, reading a new book to my little sisters.

Blogging is often a very time-consuming activity for me. It usually takes me several hours to put together one of my longer posts. The fact that I can be easily distracted and diverted when I'm gathering material online for my posts doesn't help! (Perhaps I should try writing posts with notepad and pen, so that I am less likely to be distracted by all the distractions the internet offers. It could be a more time-efficient way for me to blog.)

All this to say: I enjoy blogging - ESPECIALLY having the opportunity to "meet" so many kindred spirits from all over the world - but at the same time. . . I've got books to read and life to live!

I am not giving up blogging altogether. Hopefully I will be able to find a balance, wherein I will have time for blogging AND reading and other things. (Mummy suggested that I might aim to publish one post per week, which could be a realistic goal.) In the meantime, I can't guarantee that there will be many new posts on here. Or if there are, they might be of a different nature to what you're used to. . .

In the early days of this blog, I shared more tidbits from real life - recipes, humorous or memorable incidents from my life. . . that sort of thing. I think there will be still be the occasional book or movie review in future, but there might be more pieces from everyday life as well. I hope this is okay. People change, and blogs change! As my interests change, it's reasonable to expect that my blog will evolve with them. I never set out with the intention that this blog should be a period drama blog, or a book blog, or any genre of blog. It's always been bit of a hodge-podge of different things.

I repeat, I definitely won't be giving up blogging altogether. My reason for starting this blog was to use it as a way to develop my English skills. I might have finished [home]school, but I haven't finished learning or developing. It's good for me to write. It challenges me, and it provides an outlet for thoughts and ideas that I may want to share.

Summing up:

-I apologise for the lack of recent posts.

-I apologise for the possible lack of posts in the present/future.

-I wanted to give you a word of warning in case my blog heads in a slightly different direction in the future.

Well. God bless you all!
~Elise

My Mummy has a blog!!!

And what a beautiful blog it promises to be. Please check it out here:

~Pieces of Contentment~

Recently, Mum's been sharing some of our holiday photos from our big road trip last year (yep, those photos that I promised to share and never got round to posting. . . *blushes*).

Anway - I am so glad my mother has joined the blogosphere. :-)

100,000 hits!!

Wow. . . Thank you, everyone.

Hey, you! Yes, you!

Feeling starved of beauty in an ugly, postmodernist world?



Sick of being force-fed images of stick-thin celebrities by the media?



Tired of a fashion industry that upholds hideous emaciation as something we women should aspire to? (Not to mention trying to pass off bizarre and repulsive creations as "clothes" and "art".)



Fed up with ugly, abstract, modernist art? Ever wondered if the emperor is indeed naked?


Introducing. . .

My Other Blog. For your daily dose of timeless beauty.

Nerissa, by JW Godward

~Elise's Gallery~

Merry Christmas!

One of the more apocalyptic Nativities I've seen! But a very powerful one. Detail from Concert of Angels and Nativity by Grunewald.

It's just occurred to me that I'd better write my "Happy Christmas" post now! Tomorrow is Christmas Eve here, and we're going to be busy all day!

May every one of you have a HAPPY and BLESSED Christmas, surrounded by family.

And remember the reason why we celebrate this holiday.

This is probably goodbye until next year! Until then -

"God bless us, every one!"

~Elise

Blog makeover!

Check out the new look! I'm still fine-tuning it, but let me know what you think. I'm open to suggestions. Everything's much less cluttered and more streamlined - far less image-heavy, too, so it shouldn't take as long to load. The only thing I miss is Waterhouse's "The Tempest"! (formally my blog header), but I don't know how to incorporate it into the new layout. . . I mean I know how, but I think it would clash with the background and so forth. 

Whew! I haven't had this big a makeover since this blog began! It does feel good to de-clutter.

Thoughts?

Stay At Home Daughters Fellowship

I am very excited to share this with you all! Not long after I wrote this post, Meggie (Avonlea Dreamer) created this blog:
*drumroll*

~Stay At Home Daughters Fellowship~
sahdf.blogspot.com

Please click here to read Meggie explain her vision for the blog.
I think this will be a wonderful way for SAHDs to fellowship and encourage each other. If you are: a girl of 15-30 who is living at home, learning and preparing to be a helpmeet and mother, let me encourage you to follow/comment/post/get involved. Generally, I strongly dislike the expression "get involved". It's always what people (especially at church) say when they want you to join in with something that is difficult, uncomfortable and inconvenient. Well, rest assured "getting involved" with Meggie's blog won't be any of those things! :-)

Elise is re-entering the blogosphere!

And boy, is it good to be back! It's been good to have this little break, but I've missed blogs and blogging just the same.

I want to say thank you to everyone who commented on my last post. I read and appreciated every one of your comments. Thank you all so much for taking to the time to share your thoughts, encouragement, and personal testimonies. I was very blessed by all of your comments.

And now a question for you all: what would you like me to post about over these few weeks? Book reviews? Movies/period drama? Art? Music? Any suggestions? (And no, I haven't read that great big book yet, so I can't write the next "Top 15" posts just yet!)

This is late in coming. . .

. . . but the final Caption Contest winner was Grace! Congrats! :-)

Caption contest, and An Announcement.

Only a few caption entries this week. I think I picked a photo that didn't lend itself well to this kind of thing. . . too many faces, too much stuff going on, I guess. 

And I am going to give this contest a break for a while. . . Janette, you were 100% right. ;-) This series is getting tired. It was fun for a little while, but the novelty has now worn off. . . And besides, it makes me feel guilty when there's only "caption contest" stuff, and no substantial posts. Even if I don't get the time to publish "epic", high quality posts regularly, that doesn't mean that I'm going to clutter up this space with relatively inconsequential offerings. All or nothing. Quality, not quantity, and all that.

And I am working on the next post in my literary adaptations series. . . it'll be up later this week, I promise. :-) In fact, it's all written out, I just need to type it up and get some photos together. . . tomorrow afternoon.

~~~~~

1. Miss Browning: "Now, I think we should form a 'Red Hat Society' here in Hollingford."

2. Miss Browning (whispered to Hyacinth): "You really must get Molly some more fashionable clothing. She's the only one without a cloak or an elaborately ribboned hat - I'm afraid she rather sticks out like a sore thumb."

3. Molly (to herself): "Humph. Maybe I should invite Hyacinth's brother-in-law Onslow over for tea with the Miss Brownings. That would take my 'dear mama' down a peg or two!"

4. Miss Browning: "Did I mention that I am purchasing a cow from a local farmer, I always thought it was a very elegant sort of animal." Molly Gibson (low voice) "Very elegant." Miss Phoebe: "You didn't tell me that you were purchasing a cow."

Wow!

We have reached 150 followers! Thank you so much, guys! :-)

Follow me on facebook!

That's right, I've created a facebook page for Ribbons of Light! 

Please "like" if you're on facebook, and "suggest" to any of your FB friends who might be interested.

Regency World Awards

I guess I'm a bit out of the loop right now, when it comes to all things Austen, because I hadn't released that voting was now open for the Jane Austen's Regency World Awards! There's still time if you haven't voted yet (I hadn't until five minutes ago!) - voting closes on June 30th.

Click HERE to vote.

Raising Homemakers

I am excited to share with you the new website, RaisingHomemakers.com! This looks like it will be a wonderful resource for anyone passionate about homemaking - not just wives and mothers, but daughters and younger women, too. They're hosting a giveaway to celebrate the launch of the site (which is partly why I'm posting this, hehe!), so head on over and have a look. There are several ways you can enter the giveaway. 

My sisters' blogs

My 12-year-old twin sisters, Grace and Naomi, have been blogging away for a while now, with their blogs set to private. But now our parents have given them permission to make their blogs public! So please, head on over and have a look. The girls would be thrilled if you left a comment or two, or even became a follower. :-)

Grace's blog: Imagination & Creation

Naomi's blog: One out of 8

A quick update. . .

Just a quick post, which I should have written and published long ago. . . 

We are home, safe and sound! We arrived home a couple of weeks ago, after our month-long odyssey. Had a great time, etc. etc. . . no, really, we had a wonderful time. I'll try to post a few pictures on here sometime (I took an obscene number of photos. The joys of digital cameras! ;-).

And I sincerely apologise for these post-less couple of months. It's taken a little while to settle back into home life - I feel like I'm still trying to get on top of "internet stuff" - blogging and forums. I really do have the most patient readers - rather than abandoning me, my number of followers has actually grown over these last few weeks! So, thank you everyone. :-)

I hope you're all well. . . I've missed "talking" with all of you.

Blessings,

Elise

P.S. - for those of you who are curious, we did/saw:

Sydney
NSW South Coast
Canberra
Snowy Mountains
Phillip Island
Melbourne (Sort of.)
Great Ocean Road 
Ballarat
Dubbo

And loads more in-between. . . altogether, I think we covered some 4000 kilometres.

I must apologise. . .

. . .for the drought of posts! And unfortunately I can't airily assure you that there will be loads more posts in the next few weeks. We'll be going away for about a month in a few days, and I probably won't get much blogging done during our trip. Maybe the occasional update here and there, but that will probably be all. :-(

There might time be a post or two before we leave - we'll see.

Hope you're all well! 

Blessings,
Elise