"You are Too Smart to Be Bored"

As I was laying in bed, lamenting the recent extraction of my wisdom teeth and nursing the bruises on my cheeks, I fell prey to boredom. The words of my Grandmama reminded me that "I am too smart to be bored." Maybe I was bored because I had lost my wisdom teeth. All that was left of my "smart" was four holes in my gums and an achy jaw. Throwing off the fear that I would forever be dumb and bored, I grabbed a piece of paper and a pencil and began to draw. I drew a few sketches of some dresses I wanted to make. The day before, I had found (and much to my delight) some lovely fabric on sale at Walmart for 49 cents a yard! That, my friends, is a steal. So, I began making plans for the bright futures of these fabrics. After a few hours of measuring, cutting, trimming, pinning, hemming, cutting again, re-measuring, re-fitting, and ruffling....

Ta-da! A sweet little sundress that is perfect for the beach! All I need to make this outfit complete is a trip to the beach...

And, if I so choose, I can add this sash with the cute little ribbon! And so, despite the loss of my wisdom via the extraction of my wisdom teeth, I proved to my Grandmama that I am still too smart to be bored!

Patience is a Virtue... or So I Hear

Ironically, whenever I pray for patience God never automatically deems me "patient." Instead, and much to my displeasure, he gives me opportunities to be patient. And in my case, my impatience only grows with every single one of these opportunities. Is it too much to ask for patience and never actually have to use it? Why can't I just have the virtue of patience tucked away in my repertoire, and have everything just go my way when I want it to go my way? I guess that then defeats the purpose of actually being patient, doesn't it? I mean, I can tell you I'm a runner, that I can run a 6 minute mile, but if I have never done it in my life, then the title "runner" does not apply to me. And I can't wake up tomorrow and decide to run a mile in 6 minutes flat when the truth is I can only walk it in 14 (yeah, it's that bad). I have to train for it. And God has taught me that when I pray for patience, I better be ready because there's a lot of red lights coming my way.
"Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; And patience, experience; and experience, hope: And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us." Romans 5:1-5

My patience was thus tested as I was sewing the other day. The skirt actually turned out quite nicely, but the road this skirt and I traveled on was filled with many meetings with the infamous (I always think of the Three Amigos when I use that word) seam ripper. Or as I like to call it, "the Picker." The waistband had to be redone twice, and as I don't have a serger and was forced to use the zigzag stitch, I had some complications with the waist. With each stitch I ripped, I just told myself that this is going to be the cutest skirt ever and everyone is going to be jealous. I don't know if wishing jealousy into the hearts of others is very Christ-like, but it got me through to my finished product. All in all, patience the virtue won out. And I live to sew another day!

A Little "Me" Time

Before I really get started with this whole new blogging adventure, I figured (and, yes, I did use the word "figured" because I am happily southern) I would take a moment to tell you a little more about me. I call two different states home, Kentucky and North Carolina. I was born in Kentucky, and that is where I'm at now for college, but if I really had to put my finger on it, North Carolina is where I say I'm from.
I like to think I'm a creative adventurer. I love to write stories (I'm a creative writing major), I love to sew, I love to bake, and I try to cook. I equate reading to breathing, and my favorite mode of transportation is my bicycle. I also love pink. Sister can't get enough.

And last, I am going to share a few of my favorite verses. Just because:

"Strength and dignity are her clothing, and she smiles at the future." Proverbs 31:25. This is the woman I am embarking on a journey to become. 

"Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort; Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God." 1 Corinthians 1:3-4. I've just always loved this verse because it really gives meaning to the trials I go through. It brings me peace in knowing that one day I may be able to comfort someone and encourage them to be strong because I've been in their shoes before. 

"I charge you, O you daughters of Jerusalem, by the gazelles or by the hinds of the field, that you stir not up, nor awaken love, till it pleases." Song of Solomon 2:7. Man knows what he's talking about. God has the perfect timing for your future, and as a Christian woman I find it extremely pressing for other young women to simply wait on God's timing. More often than not, young women cheat themselves out of a Godly relationship by trying to rush in to what they think is love. They just don't see that God is the perfect matchmaker. He knows what he's doing!

Alright, so I have some sewing projects that I've done and am working on that I will be posting soon. Stay tuned!

The best place to start is at the beginning!

Well, here goes nothing! I've been wanting to start blogging for a while (by the way, what kind of word is "blogging"? It sounds like some kind of Irish folk dance), but could never really muster up the motivation, or was it just courage? The point is, here I go!
This is the part of the story where I tell you straight up what kind of blog this is, but the fact is that I can't. Not really. It's a mix of everything. For months I have been relentlessly "pinning" and "re-pinning" on Pinterest (if you don't know what I'm talking about, ignorance is complete bliss. But, really, you're missing out). And I figured it was time to put it all into action. No more making a list of all the cute outfits I wanted to sew and all the DIY projects I wanted to do. No more, I say! I am going to become crafty this summer. That is goal one.
Goal two. Become a proficient cook, and by "cook" I also mean "baker." I have too many recipes that I've forgotten I ever wanted to make in the first place. If you're hungry anytime this summer, the Johnson house will be the place to be! I'm not making any promises as to how good the food will be, though...
Goal three. Become a sophisticated reader of the classics. "Emma" by Jane Austen is the first on my list. "Sense and Sensibility" is runner-up. They're classics for a reason, and I want to find out.
And most importantly, Goal four. Become more like a Proverbs 31 woman. It may take all summer for me just to learn to be patient, but that gets me one step closer to my goal and makes me a little bit better of a daughter, sister, and friend.
Here goes nothing!