Blogs I Follow and Why I Follow Them

Hello and happy Thursday, friends! How are you all? 
Recently I was inspired to do a post featuring the blogs I follow . . . as well as further explain why I follow them. 
I'm super excited about this. Sometimes it's good to assess your reading list and dig deeper into your reasons behind following a blog.
Let's begin!

THOSE USING A BLOGGER ACOUNT

Little Birdie Blessings

Mrs. Hickey from Little Birdie Blessings does amazing graphic design and writes encouraging posts . . . all for the glory of our Savior! I love her work and have written a series of stories based on some sweet graphics she's made. (She's also the one who designed my "Ellen's Musings" header. :D)


The Enchanting Rose

Stephanie Dudson @ The Enchanting Rose has been my mom's friend for as long as I can remember. She truly has a heart for Christ and her blog is BEAUTIFUL. Quite a few years back she hosted a tea cup exchange that my mom and I participated in. :-)


Dappled Sunshine

Sweet Izzy West is an awesome blogger and a fantastic writer. I love reading her posts and emailing with her. :-)


Andi Carter's Blog

This one's easy: Mrs. Marlow is my favorite author, and we've been corresponding via email for three years now. (I have yet to meet her in person, however . . .)

Qadash - Set Apart, for Him

Book reviews for clean, wholesome Christian reads!! Who doesn't love those?

Lilly's Tidbit

Lilly is an AMAZING blogger. Her views are very conservative and I find myself looking forward to her posts. Currently she's doing a series on modesty for girls, so be sure to check that out!

Five Shekels

Blogger Brooklyn K. simply shines. Her love for Jesus overflows into her posts. I love the pictures she shares, her writing style, and her ardent adoration for our Savior. <3

Flowers In My Basket

I first started following Laura when she was about to release her book, Leaning on the Everlasting Arms, to the world. I was so excited to meet another young, self-publishing author, and I soon found that we had bunches in common, from number of siblings to certain foods we both tended to avoid.

Showers of Blessings

I've been following Brooklyne ever since our exchange of emails over our beliefs last year. We enjoyed a very detailed discussion, and we both found that we were plunging more into God's Word during that time.

Ellen's Musings

Yes, I follow myself. ;-) I like knowing what all my viewers are seeing in their Reading Lists and/or Inbox. :-)

THOSE USING A WORDPRESS ACCOUNT

Seven Billion Smiles

Well, first off, the blogger, Emma Starr, is a personal friend of mine. Secondly, her posts are SO sweet and uplifting. I love both her art and her poetry. Her posts drift into my Inbox about once every week, and my very heart smiles at her talent. :D

From the Notebook

Again, Sandrina is a personal friend. She lives in the UK and I live in the US. We've never met, but we've emailed/written to each other since early 2018. Oh, and we've had opportunites to Skype together as well. :D I sooooooooooo want to visit this girl someday!!! Anyways, her blog is wonderful. She shares tags, story snippets, and some other fun tidbits.

Annie Writes

Annie is a deeply-rooted Christian and I love, love, love the posts she does. I always feel refreshed after reading something she's written. :-)

In His Service and Loving It

Lydia shares some delicious-looking recipes, tags, Bible verses, devotionals, and more on her blog. I'm currently living dairy-free, so it was an encouragement to find someone else who has belly issues like I do and is working hard to feel better.

Rosy's Writings

Loves music? Has a bunch of siblings? Is a missionary in Mexico? Definitely following!

Did you enjoy reading this post? What are some blogs that you follow?
Let's talk in the comments below!

Book Buddy Collab Tag with Sandrina

Hey guys! I have to say, I'm super excited about today's post. Kaitlyn @ Kaitlyn Krispense, Author did this tag over on her blog, and I thought, Oh, my! That looks like a lot of fun. So, when my sweet friend, Sandrina, offered to "collab" with me, I immediately agreed. 
Sandrina and I have been email/pen-pals since 2018, and we've had multiple opportunities to Skype together. I feel like I know her reading preferences pretty well, but there are some questions in this tag that I'm not altogether certain I'll get right. The only ones I'm sure about are #1 and #10 (maybe). 
Well, only one way to find out . . . and that's to begin! (and please be warned that there may be a large use of asterisks in this post. Oh, and my first-ever time using GIFs, all from a favorite TV series of mine, The Andy Griffith Show. *smiles*)

THE RULES

- Thank the blogger that tagged you. Link back to the creator.
- Pick a bookish friend to do the tag with you and contact them.
- Coordinate so that your bookish buddy posts their part of the tag on the same day as you. Be sure to link their post/blog to yours!
- Answer the questions given. Comment on your buddy's post to let them know how well they answered!
- Tag five other bookish bloggers and give them a set of 10 new questions. 

THE QUESTIONS

1. Who's your buddy's favorite author? Hm, I'm going with John J. Horn. :-)

2. What's their favorite trope? Uhhhhhh . . . *mind draws a complete blank* I actually have no idea. Maybe . . . the main character getting injured and searching for healing? 

3. What's (one of) their all-time favorite books? Fawkes by Nadine Brandes.

4. When is their favorite time of day to read? I'm gonna say nighttime.

5. What is their favorite book-to-move adaption? Um. *eyes grow wide* I don't think we've ever discussed that before. Oh, oh, wait! *claps hands* On our most recent Skype call, she mentioned liking the new Little Women movie. Let's use that.

6. What is their favorite nonfiction book? I have absolutely no clue. *groans* Okay, I already feel like I'm blundering, and we still have four questions left to go! I know she really liked Seeking Allah, Finding Jesus, and . . . another book by Chad Williams, I think his name was. But (unlike me) Sandrina reads a bunch of nonfiction. How can I know the one book she liked best? *scurries to Goodreads* *finds nothing helpful* *inserts the second GIF*

7. What are three of their favorite book covers? Beloved by Kaitlyn Krispense, Fawkes by Nadine Brandes, and . . . (can I change the question to two favorite book covers?? XD) . . . ah! got it! A book from the Eagle of the Ninth series.

8. Do they prefer series or standalones? Series.

9. What movie or TV show reminds them of their favorite series? AGH! You're kidding! *buries face in hands* *drums fingers on keyboard* *stares at the wall* I'm about to take a sheer guess, but could it possibly be . . . a How To Train Your Dragon movie?

10. Are they a stay-up-until-morning-to-finish-the-book person, or a sleep-is-too-important person? Definitely the former, stay-up-until-morning-to-finish-the-book person. :D

Welp, there you have it! Be sure to check out Sandrina's blog to read her answers. :D (Eeks, can't wait to see how well either one of us did on this!)

Now, I tag: Brooklyn, Emma, and the first three commenters on this post who have a bookish buddy and want to do this!! :-)

The questions:

1. Who's your buddy's favorite main character?
2. What's their least favorite genre?
3. Do they prefer contemporary or historical fiction?
4. Can your buddy listen to music while they read?
5. Is your buddy a read-the-book-in-one-sitting person, or a I'll-read-this-later person?
6. What is your buddy's favorite villain?
7. What is one of their least favorite books?
8. Where is your buddy's favorite place to read?
9. Is your buddy someone who can pick at all the faults in a book, or just read it, enjoy, and ignore the faults?
10. What's the thing that annoys them most in books?

Blessings,

Ellen S.

Harriet

M'friends, we have a new member of the family. Her name is Harriet. She's warm, and fuzzy, and so, so small. Can you guess what she is? *all the smiles* 

Yep, a teddy bear hamster! For a (belated) birthday present for one of my sisters, our parents bought this new little pet. :-) My sister named her Harriet after Mrs. Oleson from Little House on the Prairie.

Welcome to the family, Harriet!

Is this exciting news or what?! Comment below and tell me if you have any tips or tricks for taking care of hamsters. :D

Blessings,

Ellen S.

AND THE WINNER IS . . .

Hi friends!!! How are you all this fine February morning? Did you get to enjoy some chocolate yesterday? :D (And for anyone who's curious . . . I'm not the biggest fan of chocolate, so Mom bought me some strawberry hard candies instead. :D)
I know you're anxious to find out who won the giveaway (and if you're skipping the intro to get to that part of the post, I don't blame you *wink*), so let's dive right in! 
The winner of the Valentine's Day giveaway is  . . . 

Happy Valentine's Day! + More Pics of Our Valentine Baby

Happy Valentine's Day, friends!! *showers you all in chocolate and pink and red confetti hearts* 💕💕
Ruby Jane is our precious Valentine's Day baby, as her due date, believe it or not, is Feb. 14th, 2020. Although God brought her out of the womb and into this world a couple weeks early, she'll forever be our sweet little Valentine. :-)

Holding this cuddly bundle of joy in my arms, feeling her warm breath on my neck and her soft skin beneath my cheek, is amazing. There's nothing in the whole world that could quite compare with it. 💕

 

Last day to enter the Valentine's Day giveaway! Winner announced tomorrow, February 15th.

Blessings,

Ellen S.

GIVEAWAY!

It's time for a fun giveaway!! 
Tales from Memory Creek Ranch was published in February of 2019. Soon after its release, Mrs. Marlow hosted a Valentine's Day giveaway for the book (and yes, I stole the above graphic from her post). 
Now, nearly a whole year later, I'm hosting a giveaway of my own . . . but this time for a Memory Creek keychain. 
A few pics of the prize:

You guys excited yet?? I know I am. These keychains are the CUTEST, and I look forward to sharing one of my "literary treasures" with a certain blessed winner.

Right, time for the rules. 

This giveaway runs from Monday, February 10th, to Friday, February 14th, 2020, and it is open to USA residents only. To enter, you can:

❤Follow me (via either blogger or email)

❤Comment below and tell me what your favorite story is from Tales from Memory Creek Ranch

One final note: be sure to let me know how many entries I should credit you for. If you follow me but don't clarify that you did so for the giveaway, you won't be entered in the drawing.

And . . . that's it! Have fun, and good luck! 

Blessings,

Ellen S.

Where Are We Turning?

Mom slips Ruby Jane into her bouncy seat and securely locks both buckles. 

I stand off to the side, watching. My littlest sister's eyelids begin to unfold, and I see the deep blue in her irises. She waves her hands in the air and grunts. The front of her too-big sleeper comes up into her face, and she opens her mouth, thinking she's been offered something to eat. When all that touches her lips is fabric and not milk, she raises a fist. First one, then two fingers into her mouth . . . Still nothing, and by now she's frustrated. Her face scrunches up, and she wails. Her belly craves something more, but she's unable to find what her body really needs. 
Sleepers and hands might work for a moment, but nothing can ever truly replace the warm, nourishing deliciousness of Mommy's milk. 
As I gaze upon this spectacle, and see Mom lift Ruby from her bouncy to feed her, my heart thrums. Aren't we all like this? Storms rise up in our lives, questions, doubts, fears . . . and we turn to the wrong things to fill us. We turn to people, books, money, on and on and on, any one thing we think might has the answers. 
We bury ourselves into substitutes, things that may work for a while but will never truly fill us. 
Jesus says He is the Well, the only One Who can heal us, restore us, and give us peace. Yet we grab our shovels and beat at the ground, digging our own wells . . . which quickly dry up, so that we draw only dust. 
We're never going to find peace this way. Our hearts will never be full. Our mouths will only get drier, our hearts emptier.
Friends, I urge you, whatever you may be dealing with today, take it to God. He knows you. He MADE you. He understands what you're going through, and He wants to help carry your burden. 

And if you're someone who has not yet asked Jesus into your heart, do so. Right now. You're never too far gone for Him. Ask Him in. Confess the wrong you've done and ask Him to make you new, and He will do it. Not only that, but He will flood you with indescribable joy and true fulfillment. 








Trust in Him at all times, O people; pour out your heart before Him; God is a refuge for us. PSALM 62:8

But for You, O LORD, do I wait; it is You, O LORD my God, Who will answer. PSALM 38:15

New Keychains!

Last week, I received the sweetest bookmail from Etsy seller Aleigha C. Israel. (She makes some amazing bookworm goodies, so be sure to check out her shop, Literary Treasures Co., ASAP.) I obtained Mrs. Marlow's permission to use the cover flat for Tales from Memory Creek Ranch, then asked Aleigha if she wouldn't mind doing a custom order for two Memory Creek keychains. She agreed, and so now I'm able to hold my very most favorite book . . . right in my palm!

A keychain in the hands of my two-year-old sister. 

Notice how sweet and tiny that little book is!

Have you read Tales from Memory Creek Ranch? If so, what's your favorite story from the book? 
(BTW, just sayin', but I have an extra keychain, so there might be a giveaway in store for later . . .)

She's Here!!

Everyone, meet Ruby Jane, our precious little gem who was born yesterday at 8:14 A.M. 

The first visit!!!!!!!!!!

Right after delivery. :-)

Thank you all SO VERY MUCH for the prayers!! Mom and Baby are doing wonderfully. Ruby Jane entered the world weighing 7 lbs. 15 oz. (A big, beautiful baby!) Dad took my sibs and me to see her and Mom in the hospital yesterday evening. 😍 Again and again we see God's hand in our lives, and we are beyond grateful!  

Happy (belated) birthday, Ruby Jane!! I am so proud to be your sister! 💕