Awarded and tagged

Thanks so much to Emelie for awarding me this! She has a great horsey blog that I know a few of my readers will want to check out. Click here.

Now I need to post ten random things about myself (I'm almost running out of random things to say.)

1. It is wet and cold and wet outside here. Envy to you Americans whose summers are on the way.

2. I have been living on hot Milo and honey toast for the last few days. : )

3. The A.D. Chronicles series by Bodie and Brock Thoene is amazing! A little slow-moving in some spots, but very well researched.

4. The next two weeks are school holidays for us!!! Yay!!!

5. I am learning to speak Spanish.

6. I am running out of random things to say. Well, I warned you.

7. True Christians always support the Saints. (Unless you watch AFL, you will have no idea what that means. Not that I do much anyway. : )

8. My sister Jemimah and I are currently wading through the 1920's film 'Napoleon'. It not only is four hours long, we are needing to split it up into small instalments lest the music drive us mad. Mind you, it is a ground-breaking film for it's time, and is still very good - in instalments. : ) We started it last night, watched for a hour, looked at one another and said 'Do you want to stop now?' and then cuddled down with 'The King's Speech.' Wow, big difference. : ) 

9. I love to wear flannelette shirts. They are just so warm and comfortable, not to mention cheap. And you won't look like a complete frump if you wear them the right way.

10. I've got a heap of new products coming up for sale on my blog, including a lot of bracelets and  some hand-made wire rings. Oooh, can't wait...

I award - Lauren, Hannah, Jess, and Caitlin. Answer and award to others accordingly.

I was also tagged by Amanda (Mrs. A.) to do this very fun 'book spine poem'! Mum did one as well that I've posted below.

Mine:

The Fight

Held hostage

Battling unbelief

Why won't they listen?

What of

The cost of commitment

The pursuit of God

The cross centered life?

Whoever you are,

Let my people go!

Battle before time

The chosen

Heading for heaven

Chosen by God

Victory over the darkness!

(Yes, I know that the 'whoever you are' is bad theology, but it looked good in there.) : )

Mum's:

The Free Range Cook

Down to earth, 

organic,

Cheap eats,

Fast, fresh and simple.

The people I tag to do this are

Holly

India

Emelie

Eloise

Brianna 

Emma

Cathy

Kate W

Leah

Have fun, and be creative!

BookSneeze Review - He Chose the Nails

(Taken from book backing)


Linger on the hill of Calvary.

Rub a finger on the timber and press the nail into your hand.


Taste the tinge of cheap wine and feel the scrape of a thorn on your brow.

Touch the velvet dirt, moist with the blood of God.

Allow the tools of torture to tell their story.

Listen as they tell you what God did to win your heart.

Before I begin, let me say that this is undoubtedly the best book that I've ever gotten from BookSneeze - it was just the right style of writing, and very well put together.


Ok, to the review.
I must admit, this book was different to I thought it would be, by reading the back I thought it would lean more to an emotional look at what Jesus did for us, but Lucado's writing style is very humorous and easy without making a mockery of cross. Rather he unpacks the love behind it in a 'big brotherly' way. Every chapter begins with a page of relevant scripture verses and quotes, and there is a large study guide at the end. The writing is so well put together that you can be laughing your head off one minute at his account of trying to convince a mouse not to worry "...the poor guy was scared to the tip of his whiskers. And who wouldn't be? Imagine being caged in a plastic container and looking up only to see the large (albeit handsome) face of a human. Would be enough to make you chuck up you cheese..." to the sober truth of the cross "...run your hand over the tip of the spear. Balance a spike in the palm of your hand. Read the wooden sign written in your language. And as you do, touch the velvet dirt, moist with the blood of God."
However, Lucado doesn't seem to mention the fact that Jesus died on the cross for the glory of God. Yes, He died to save us. But He did it so that God might be glorified. The Trinity is God in one, working together like one massive triangle, like one God. By not mentioning this fact, the book can ever so slightly seem selfish at times, as though the only reason that God died was to look like an benevolent father for our good. Let me know if you've read it better than I did!
This book is very quotable with some great word play, and the chapters are short so you can easily grab a quiet moment to read them.
Let me finish by quoting one of my favourite paragraphs- (Chapter 13, page 119)


"What do you say we have a chat about graveclothes? Sound like fun? Sound like a cheery topic? Hardly. Make a list of depressing subjects, and burial garments is somewhere between IRS audits and long-term dental care.
No one likes graveclothes. No one discusses graveclothes. Have you ever spiced up dinner-table chat with the question 'What are you planning to wear in your casket?'. Have you ever seen a store specializing in burial garments? (If there is one, I have an advertising slogan to suggest: 'Clothes to die for.')
Most folks don't discuss graveclothes.
The apostle John, however, was an exception. Ask him, and he'll tell you how he came to see burial garments as a symbol of triumph."


I would give this book nine out of ten stars.
All opinions stated are my own. I was not required to write a positive review.  

Jane Austen - in watercolour.

A few days ago, I sat down and tried to watercolour persons, as I'd never tried it before. However, I attempted to paint some of my favourite Jane Austen characters, as they keep still, don't talk at all, and don't have to look like the pictures. : ) I started of with Mr. Darcy (you'll never believe it, I just wrote that Dacey!), and Elizabeth, then a picture of the Dashwood sisters. It was rather fun, but I'm expecting my next ones to be better, due to all I learnt. : )

No prizes for guessing who's who.

I painted Elizabeth in a light, natural grown of green and yellow and gave her a letter to hold. Her hair was actually shorter than that but due to a spill, I had to make it longer, which I think suits her quite well!

Darcy - well, dark hair is a must, of course. And then I gave him riding boots-they just seem to suit him and Mr. Knightly much better than silken stockings.

I then did a quicker painting/sketch of the two older Dashwood sisters, which I wasn't as happy with, but hey, I'll just have to do it again!

Elinor has a darker dress of deep red/orange in a simple cut to show her practical side, and she has her brown hair all up in a tight bun. She also carries the household keys to show that she's obviously the only one who has the level head to do the shopping!

Marrianne's dress is in contrast very flowing and of an almost medieval cut with sheer little sleeves. She has a little book of verse to hold, and her hair is arranged in long golden curls.
All these paintings are rather small, so the detail isn't too much, and that's why it's slightly messy.

Anyway, thanks for looking, what are your thoughts?

Awarded ze award...

...by the lovely Leah! This is one award that I really like-the 'Super Sweet' award or something else doesn't really fit my blog, but having a versatile blog is what I try to do. So, I was really happy to be awarded!

(BTW-this post has been sitting in my drafts for ages, let me know if my writing style is dated.)

(Ahem!) Rules time:

 Rule #1 Thank the awarder and link back.

Thank you Leah! It was really kind of you to award me. : )

Make sure that you check out Leah's great blog, Optimistic Worldview, it's a lot of fun.

Rule #2 Share seven things (random or not!) about yourself.

1. I love to sing. Like, all day long, every day. Everything from hymns to pop to jazz to 'Waltzing Matilda', however I can't stand nursery rhymes. Particularly 'Down by the Station', yuck. My family knows this too well and sings it too often.

2. I am hopeless with cricket. Seriously. A little better with a football, but not by much. : )

3. State of Origin rugby league is the best. And so was the outcome of this year's first game. (Go Queensland!!!!!)


4. I am super ticklish. Super-super. (Can you get Marvel contracts for that? It sure would make a change from the usual fare.)


5. Life is best lived when eating a massive plate of gelato in the warm sunshine with a good book.

6. I've started drawing then water colouring pictures of Austen characters. (Post to come!)

7. I believe that dressing modestly gives great glory to God, and makes us look a whole lot less cheap! (Being modest doesn't mean looking like a complete frump-just careful that what you wear doesn't make you look like you want to send the wrong messages to guys, i.e. heavy make-up, lots of leg.)


Rule #3 Award it to other people! (Up to 15 in all)


So here goes. I've only chosen a few bloggers who I think really blog about lots of different and interesting things-so please don't be offended if I haven't chosen you. I'm fairly fussy about what blogs I chose to follow, so if I'm following yours I like it!
Without further ado, I present the 'Versatile Blogger Award' to

Miss Dashwood at Yet Another Period Drama Blog

Alice at One Beloved

Danielle at Love Lifted Me

Bethany at The Moments in Time

Kelsey at A Ray of Sunshine

A wonderful giveaway!

It has some really good prizes available, so make sure you head over. Kelsey is a really sweet blogger with a nice blog. (And wants to visit Australia one day! A+, Kelsey!)

I've also been awarded by the lovely Leah, and a post is on it's way. : )

Guest post...

over here today! Have a look if you feel like it, and tell me what you think.
WARNING!!! Don't click that link if you can't stand too much horse talk.

A new blog header!

I sat down tonight to try and make a blog header that went well with my blog, as my old one was simply down-loaded from 'Shabby Blogs'. I had never been able to find an easy tutorial to explain how, but after hunting through a couple of programs I had a pretty good idea. Using the ever faithful Pic Monkey (You'd never guess that I'd never used it until a few weeks ago, would you?) I put together this new header. I think that it looks more like 'Isla', and it was so fun to make.

Have a look.

Before:

Sorry it's not bigger!

After:

Thoughts, anyone?

I'm so enjoying blogging. I can now make my own buttons and headers, and add a lot of gadgets that six months ago I had no idea how to do. It's amazing how much you can change things online. :)

Photo Challenge at Pink Lemonade

The Challenge:

Green

Yes, this is my eye, but that's not my natural eye colour! Make sure you check out Pic Monkey, it's a wonderful tool for doing weird things.

Also click this cool button to enter too!

Truth and a giveaway...

THIS is the truth...

(created by yours truly)

and HERE is the giveaway!

Enjoy!

Keep Calm and...

...make more posters!
I wanted to make some period drama related posters for an online contest, and these are the two I came up with! I love the 'Keep Calm' posters, and thought I'd share mine with you all.

I took this one from the BBC's adaption of Charles Dickens' 'Little Dorrit'. Edmund Sparkler is one of those wonderful 'comic relief' characters, and his wife is always telling him to be quiet (hence the above poster!)

Yay, the wonderful Elizabeth Bennet! She always comes to the rescue when you need good period drama quotes!

That's all that I've made now, but as it only took me ten minutes to whip up these two, would you hate it if I posted a few more when they're done?

A very happy un-birthday to me, to me...

(google images)

Ouch! I've missed my blogiversary. Yes, on the 4th of April last year, I wrote my very first post on Isla. Since then, I've met so many new people (who I still haven't seen), acquired a wonderfully cool new pen-pal, hosted several giveaways, written over eighty posts, started another blog (private), (email me here if you'd like an invite! I have invited most of you who's emails I know, but I'm sure there's more), and am so far loving the blogging world!

And, heaps of love to Alice for being the very first brave follower to dip her toes in the pond of Sarah's creative ideas. I'm really looking forward to meeting you one day!

I was wondering, if as a personal favour (as I'm aware that quite a few of my followers don't read, and plenty of others who don't have google accounts read), you could leave me a comment saying so if you do? Pretty please? Nuh, I'm not pushing at all. But please don't if you don't want to. : )

Thanks so much for reading, and stick with me another year-I'm not crazy yet.

Day Seven - Words

Psalm 16:11

¹¹You will show me the path of life; in Your presence is fullness of joy, at Your right hand there are pleasures forevermore.

Day Six - Christian

For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

Matthew 6:21

Day Five - Camera

Job 42:5
My ears had heard of You but now my eyes have seen You.

Day Four-Negative

This is the closest I could get to a negative!