14 Days of Love: Day Three

 So today’s item was planned specifically for today because it is a show, and this particular one airs on Tuesday’s. Today is a Tuesday, so I thought it was fitting. The show I am writing of is one that I fell in love with the minute I saw it, and I usually don’t like these types of shows. It is called Fixer Upper, and it is on HGTV.

Fixer Upper is a show featuring a couple, Chip and Joanna Gaines, and the houses they remodel. They show families the worst looking houses in the best neighborhoods, but with good reason. After the families buy the house they pick, Chip and Joanna remodel it into the homeowners’ dream home. Sounds great, right?

The best part about the show is, well, actually, there is two things. The first is that Chip and Joanna are always cracking me up. Especially Chip. Fixer Upper displays just enough about their personal lives that it keeps you interested; it isn’t your regular home improvement show. The other thing I love about it is the fact that Joanna works best when she is decorating with rustic style. I want to decorate my whole house with rustic flair, so I love absolutely everything she does.

The show really is wonderfully entertaining, and it gives me ideas for my own house. There is always something to laugh about, mostly Chip’s antics, and it is just an all-around great thing to watch. I would have to say it is one of my favorites! But I say that a lot, don’t I? Anyway, it’s worth watching, so check it out! Tuesday’s at 9 (eastern time) on HGTV! Wouldn’t miss it!

Don’t forget to check out Sarah and Allie's posts!

Creds for the photo go to HGTV and Fixer Upper.

14 Days of Love: Day Two

                I am so sorry this is late (I know day two was yesterday), but, better late than never. Today’s item I love is an amazing book I call one of my absolute favorites. When I say favorite, in this instance, I mean favorite. I have only read a handful of books that I can say I loved as much as this one.

                I know, I know, what is it called, you ask? Whispers from the Shadows. Amazing title, right? It is by a wonderful author named Roseanna M. White, who has impressed me with every one of her books. The ones I have read, that is. And I have read most of them.

                Anyway, Whispers from the Shadows is a book based during the war of 1812 about a young man named Thad and his family, who run a spy ring, for the US, of course. His parents, Bennet and Winter Lane, were spies for the Revolution when they met, and their story is told in Ring of Secrets. They formed an unlikely friendship with Colonel Fairchild, a colonel for the British army, in that novel, and they continued their friendship through the years in-between the two stories.

                Because of circumstances I cannot tell you without spoiling the book, Colonel Fairchild, who had moved back to England, sends his daughter, Gwyneth, into the care of Bennet, Winter, and Thad at the beginning of Whispers from the Shadows. Through war scares, a mystery, and the pain of the separation from her father, Gwyn struggles to adapt to life in the US. Eventually, though, she finds her place, in Maryland, and in the Lane family. I don’t want to give anything away, but I will say the book is full of comical scenes, suspenseful chapters, and sweet moments that will keep you hooked until the last page. It is absolutely worth the read! Go check it out!!

{ Below is the synopsis, and yes, that is my copy of the book above (: }

I love her... can I trust her?

I love him... is he safe?

          1814—England and America are again at war. Sudden and implacable treachery causes Gwyneth Fairchild's world to crumble in a moment's time. The daughter of a British general, she barely saves her life by fleeing London aboard a ship bound for America. Her goal is to find refuge with the Lane family in Maryland. Yet after meeting the Lanes' son, Thaddeus, Gwyn wonders how safe she is. For she discovers that this family trades in a dangerous commodity—espionage. 

Thad Lane is a prominent citizen in the city of Baltimore. He has the ear of everyone, and he is in a unique position to pass on to leaders of government exactly what he hears. Not long after the beautiful and British Gwyneth Fairchild finds safe haven in his community, he experiences the tug of love, though he fears it may blur lines of loyalty. With family playing the part of enemies and enemies proving themselves friends, a future with Gwyn is more than uncertain—it could be life threatening. 

          In the end, with the British advancing relentlessly on Baltimore, Thad and Gwyn have to trust in their shared faith in God to be a shield about them. To give them a future and a hope.[1]

          Don't forget to check out the blogs my sisters, Sarah and Allie, have as they do 14 Days of Love along with me!

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[1] All credit for the above synopsis and for the wonderful book go to Roseanna M. White and her publishers. No copyright intended.

14 Days of Love: Day One

                This February, my sisters and I decided we would all post one thing we love a day for the next fourteen days until Valentine’s Day. We thought it would be a nice way to share the things we enjoy and spread the love as we get closer to Valentine’s.

Today I wanted to write about one of my favorite movies—Sleepless in Seattle. Although that may not be a very recent film, it is one of my top movies of all time. Sleepless in Seattle is such a sweet, funny movie that I consider a classic. It is about a boy named Jonah and his dad, Sam, as well as a woman named Annie and her fiancé Walter. The gist of the story is that Annie isn’t completely happy with her serious fiancé, and Sam is still grieving from the death of his wife, which makes Jonah sad enough to do something to help. I don’t want to spoil the movie for anyone, but I will say it has a very happy ending. I would recommend it to anyone looking for a sweet, sappy movie that will touch your heart.
Now, I know I am only supposed to share ONE favorite thing a day, but I had to mention, since it is February first and the movie is based in Seattle, GO SEATTLE SEAHAWKS!!!!!!!!!!!! I happen to absolutely LOVE football, and the professional team I cheer for is playing in the Super Bowl today so I had to give them a shout out. So, once again, GOOOOOOOOO SEAHAWKS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Don't forget to check out my sisters' blogs over the next few days as they do 14 Days of Love with me!

Bows and Clothes
Spreading My Joy

My Thankfulness Jar

The New Year is quickly approaching and there is one thing I am so excited to do. I cannot wait to open my Thankfulness jar! I started doing a Thankfulness jar two years ago, and I am absolutely certain I will continue to do one each year for the rest of my life. It has helped me to put things into perspective in ways I never could have imagined, and for that, I am grateful.
A Thankfulness jar is really simple to do, and it is a great way to remember to count your blessings. The best thing is, you don't have to start at the beginning of the year, so no pressure, and it is okay if you forget it for a few weeks. You see, a Thankfulness jar is just a container that you fill with slips of paper that have things you're thankful for or good things that have happened to you written on them. All through the year you put in papers that say things like 'I got an A on my paper', 'I had a great time on vacation', or 'I'm so thankful for my best friend'. Things that remind you of the good things you are thankful for. Then, on New Year's Eve, after you have hopefully filled your jar, you pull out all of your papers and read them, which will remind you what a wonderful year you have had, even if there have been struggles or pain.
I love doing my Thankfulness jar because it helps me to send out the old year and bring in the new on a high note. It tells me just how much I have to be thankful for, and I always determine I will have more papers with each passing year. I like to try to beat my record, so to speak. It most certainly keeps me writing papers!

Book-Lovers Day

              Today is the first official Book-Lovers Day! Book-Lovers Day, every Tuesday, is the day where I will share sneak peeks of my upcoming books, short stories I have written, book reviews for some of my recent reads, and everything else that has anything to do with books. Books are one of my passions, so it seems fitting to have a specific day when I share that passion with you.

On this first Book-Lovers Day I thought I would do something special, start it off with a bang so to speak. So, I am debuting for the first time ever the book description for my new novel Without You, which will hopefully be out sometime in the spring! I hope you enjoy!

Without You

By: Mackenzie Carol

“…I don’t know what I would do without you.” I said affectionately.

“Me either.” Chandler responded.

            I, Miranda Baker, was fairly content when I spoke those words, not for the first time, to my boyfriend Chandler Anderson that early fall day. I was a senior in college, I had been with Chandler for over four years, and he and I were starting to plan out our future together. I thought life could not get any better, and that I could handle anything. Little did I know, however, that I was about to encounter the hardest trial I could ever imagine.

            Faced with the challenge of my life, I left the familiar for the unknown, trying to accomplish that which may have been impossible. With each passing day, I confronted my fears head-on, just trying to avoid the one horror I could not stop thinking about. The fact that there was a chance I would have to move forward with the rest of my life, without him.

Mid-Week Pick-Me-Ups

              Happy Wednesday! Guess what, you are halfway through the week! Is that not something that will brighten your day? On this beautiful, sunny day, I thought I would share a few of my favorite pick-me-ups.

Books! Books are the best pick-me-ups for rainy days, bad days, or any day. I may be a little biased, but no one needs to know that. I typically like to stick to Christian fiction or classics, so I do not really have something for everyone, but the books I like are good, I can tell you that. A few books I have been crazy about lately are Dear Mr. Knightly by Katherine Reay- a book about a troubled graduate school student who is infatuated by Jane Austen, Persuasion by Jane Austen- a classic young love lost because one wasn’t as rich as the other tale, Jo’s Boys by Louisa May Alcott- a continuation of her beloved Little Women, Save the Date by Jenny B. Jones- a wonderful fake-engagement story that will certainly keep you laughing, and She Walks in Beauty by Siri Mitchell- a historical novel about a girl pressured to marry up, and The Headmistress of Rosemere by Sarah E. Ladd, a book about the headmistress of a girls school. I practically devoured these books, as I do most any book I read, so they come highly recommended.

I have found in my daily walk of trying to be closer to my Savior, that the verse that helps me the most is 2 Timothy 4:17- “But the Lord stood with me and strengthened me.” It never fails to remind me that God is always right there to pick me up when I fall and to strengthen me when I fail.

And last but not least, two songs that I constantly have on repeat are Scandal of Grace by Hillsong United and Something in the Water by Carrie Underwood. Scandal of Grace has been one of my favorite songs since I first heard it sometime around the beginning of the year, and I have had it as the song for my alarm since it is the best way to wake up in the morning. Singing the words about how Jesus willingly died for us even though he did nothing wrong, and how much we want to be like him always picks me up as I go about starting my day. I had heard how amazing Something in the Water was before I actually heard the song, but I was not fully expecting how great it really was. I tear up nearly every time I hear the song, because it is true. I am changed, thanks to God meeting me where I am, and thanks to the ‘something in the water’.

               My last pick me up, which is not a regular pick me up but rather one fitting for the day, is the fact that there are only 49 days until Christmas! I cannot wait! So here is a picture of snow!

Mackenzie Carol

Fall!!!

                I am coming back from my hiatus to say, it’s fall, it’s fall, it’s fall!! My favorite season is finally here and that is a reason to celebrate! So in honor of that, and the fact that my birthday is in only seventeen days, and the fact that I hope to have my first book finished and ready to publish by the end of the year, I am posting a short story! Since I wrote it for my homework for the writing class I am taking, and I got an A on it, I thought you would like to read it. Enjoy!

                                                       Her Wayward Uncle                                                          

                                                         By. Mackenzie Carol

                From her chair in the middle of the library, Amelia clutched the book in her hands, her eyes searching the room. She had been engrossed in the story before her when a sound had jerked her back to the present. Noticing nothing out of the ordinary, the nineteen year old turned back to her book, but she continued to listen for noises. Since she was alone in the large house, the strange and unknown noises scared her more than they usually would. She shook her head. Clearly the book she was reading, a thrilling mystery, was making her imagine things that were not there. She knew there was an old, ornate object cleverly hidden in the room, and that was not helping matters either, but she tried to focus on her story. When she had just reached the scariest part, Amelia heard and detected a person in the room. Hugging her book to her chest, she slipped out of her chair, her jaw dropping at what she beheld.

                Her uncle was swinging on the chandelier! With a gasp, Amelia dropped her book, frightened and wondering what her uncle was doing there. As if reading her mind, her uncle called down, “I was looking for a book on one of the top shelves when I saw a mouse.” Calmly he continued to tell her his absurd story, claiming his ladder, which he was using to grab a book from the top of the shelf, got toppled in his fright, so he jumped to the chandelier to keep from falling. Amelia knew better. A smart girl, she was sure he was looking for the valuable and mysterious object that was somewhere in the room. Her great-great grandmother had cleverly hidden it in the house, and had admonished her children never to search it out, not for the next hundred years. Since it was a story the whole family knew, there was no doubt someone would not follow her wishes. Apparently her uncle, still hanging from the chandelier, had decided he was not going to wait the five years left before the youngest member of the family was given the go ahead to find it.

                Lowering herself back into her chair, Amelia retrieved her book, still on the floor, and placed it back on her lap, never taking her eyes from her uncle. He must have realized she knew why he was really there as he looked like a child caught with his hand in the cookie jar. Quietly he asked Amelia if she would help and put the ladder back against the wall. For a moment, she considered leaving him there, but her good sense won out, and she replaced the fallen ladder. He quickly scrambled down. When Amelia shot him an angry and reproving look, he cowardly sped from the room, slamming the door behind him. Amelia smiled from her chair, wondering if that would finally teach her wayward uncle to follow the rules.