Stylish Award and 4 giveaways!

 I have a few things I want to post about but since I don't want this post to be a novel I'm going to break them up into 2 or 3 different posts ;)

first of all,
Kinsey French awarded me the Stylish award. thanks :)

here are the rules:

one. Thank and link back to the person who awarded you this award.
two. Share 7 things about yourself.
three. Award 10 recently discovered great bloggers.

seven things about me:

one.
I love that I can request items on my library website and I can go to the library and they are right there waiting for. seriously. i.love.it.

two. 
 I cannot stand heavy metal music. really any hard rock for that matter. Skillet is as heavy rock as i get.
three.
I've gotten into this show called Larkrise to Candleford.

go ahead and call me old fashioned or a weirdo but I love shows and movies set around that time period(like Cranford, Emma etc.) Most of today's shows are just so messed up and I'd much rather watch something like this.There a 4 seasons and I'm borrowing them from the library. its a perfect show for the winter ;)

four.
I really love photography. I'm saving up my money and I can't wait to get my hands on a camera like this:

I would love to travel, especially to New Zealand, Canada and England and photograph it. 
five. 
 I really hate the abbreviation Xmas. I can hardly type it. I can't it out loud, literally I can't make myself say it. I love the word Christmas. it has so much meaning and specialness. Xmas just doesn't make me feel the same way. So you are warned. please please don't say Xmas on my blog. please do not.
six.
There are some really fabulous giveaways going on! I will tell you more about them in a minute.

seven. 
I honestly and seriously don't like swimming or really getting in water. I'm not afraid or anything. it just doesn't interest me. even during the summer I'd take sitting in the 95 degree and dipping my feet in the pool than actually getting in. I know I'm weird like that.

For the awarding part, as I look through the blogs I follow, most of them have already been awarded. but you haven't yet and you follow my blog, you are officially awarded the Stylist Award by Yours Truly ;) 

Ok about the giveaways!! there are 4 giveaways going on right now (that i know of) and you should enter in all of them! :D

Arianna at There are a few of my favorite things is giving away a blog makeover made by Blizzard Blog Desgins. Go here and enter!! :)

 You could win a 11x14 frame of any style from Organic Bloom! They are beautiful and I would love one!

Go to Hannah's blog, Aspire  and enter! It ends tomorrow (friday) so hurry!

Lucia at From Under my Little Umbrella  is having a huge giveaway over at her blog! There are 25 prizes. yes 25!! Here are some of my favorites ;)

Aren't they gorgeous?! so go over to Lucia's blog and enter here!

Last but definitely not least,
In celebration of having 300 followers, Polka Dot at life is too short not to read shoes is giving away a bunch of cute things! 26 cute necklaces, earrings and rings to be exactly. and 26 different people will win something. the prizes are so darling! take a look:

I mean seriously it doesn't get much cuter than that! Oreo earrings?! that's awesome!! :) so hurry up and enter because you would be one of the 26 winners!!

I hope you have entered into these neat and fun giveaways! 

thank you for reading and following dear blogger friends :) 

with love,

Samarah

Catch up sunday : )

Michelle's Summer Bash Party ended a few days ago but I'm a little behind so here's my last few days!

Day 25 — Your day, in great detail- well this morning I woke up ( unwillingly ;) and got ready for church and my family and I managed to get into a seat a few minutes before the service began! we usually are really late! Then we went to a restaurant and go some food to go, came home, ate our lunch, my little brother and sister got in the pool and I watched some tv, took a little nap :D, got some dinner and here I am now! :)

Day 26 — Your week, in great detail- hmm.. this week, we babysat kids everyday except for Wednesday because on Wednesday my dad was off and we went to an amusement park! it was pretty fun but i discovered that roller coasters make me feel very very sick! :( On Tuesday I had a soccer game ( we won :) and on Thursday I had soccer practice. Saturday I wasn't feeling well at all so I just rested and watched Dr. Quinn and then I cleaned my room later that day. I think that's it!


Day 27 — This month, in great detail- not really sure how to answer this but I'll just tell you the big things that have started this month :) Soccer started this month so that was a pretty big thing and we are slowly getting ready for school and we started babysitting kids more often.

Day 28 — This year, in great detail- I got my itouch!! I've made some new friends, went to my first fair, went to visit one of my dearest friends to celebrate her birthday and went to an amazingly awesome Switchfoot concert!! (that's all the big things I can think of)

Day 29 — Hopes, dreams and plans for the next 365 days- Grow in my walk with Christ, continue to learn to give my life over to him, become closer to my friends and family, play hard and be a better player at soccer, and be a testimony of Christ to my teammates, be diligent and do well in school and do my best and be able to earn the money for a camera and purchase it! :)

Day 30 — Whatever tickles your fancy- this quote :)

For beautiful eyes, look for the good in others; for beautiful lips, speak only words of kindness; and for poise, walk with the knowledge that you are never alone.
-- Audrey Hepburn

Thanks Michelle for letting me participate in your Summer Bash :) it was fun :D

Shaynie awarded me! thanks :)



Here are the Rules:

1.) Get really excited that you got the coolest award EVER!! (Excited!)
2.) Choose ONE of the following options of accepting the OMB Award:

• Write about your most embarrassing moment.
• Write a "Soundtrack of your childhood" post.
• Make your next blog a "vlog" (video blog). Basically, you're talking to the camera about whatever.
• Take a picture of yourself first thing in the morning, before you do anything else (hair, make-up, etc.) and post it.

3.) Pass the award on to at least three, but preferably more, awesome bloggers. Don't forget to tell them.

I'm doing an embarrassing moment:

Ok it was my first Sunday in the 6th grade youth group at my Church and at the end while the leader was praying and it was really quiet of course and my throat made this really weird and loud sound and I'm sure everybody heard it and a older girl in the class looked at me and laugh, yeah it was kinda embarrassing and for my first day in the 6th grade class ;) and to this day the other girl and I kinda stay out of each others way ;)

Last but defintly not least, I want to tell you about this very special girl Emily

If you haven't read her blog I strongly encourage you to! She is 16, lives in England ( which I think is so cool!) and has leukemia. Her spirit is so sweet and her faith and love for Christ is beautiful! Please pray for her and go over to her blog, drop her a comment to let her know she has family in Christ praying for her :)

Hope you are having a great weekend!

Love in Christ,
Samarah

P.S. I have 54 followers! wow! thanks girls :D

Fun Stuff ( yeah I couldn't think of a better post title than that ;)

I joined Michelle's Summer Bash 2010!! You you haven't joined up to do it you should :) it looks like fun! So I've missed a couple days so I'm going to start at the beginning :)

Day 01 — Your favorite song- oh my that's a really hard one! I love so many different songs! ;) well right now I'm really enjoying Sugarland's Stand Back Up, Something More and It Happens!

Day 02 — Your favorite movie- I'm so not good at answering these "favorite" questions!! well I watched The Fellowship of the Ring last night so I'll just say that's my favorite movie :)

Day 03 — Your favorite television program- ahh.. I have a lot! ;P We don't have cable so we don't have a lot of channels at all so I don't watch a lot on the actual TV but I watch a lot of old shows on DVDs. Right now I'm watching the Waltons :)

Day 04 — Your favorite book- Lord of the Rings (im reading them right now :)

Day 05 — Your favorite quote- "You can't live for God until you learn how to live because of God. And you can't go and make good choices for God until you understand the gospel that says the choices you make don't make you who are, what Christ has done for you makes you who you are." Mike Donehey

Day 06 — Whatever tickles your fancy-

this picture!! Isn't it just gorgeous?! Its New Zealand :)




Day 07 — A photo that makes you happy


This one because I'm saving up for it! :) I'm really interested in photography and love capturing God's beauty and life! I just love looking at this picture :D

Day 08 (today) — A photo that makes you angry/sad
I can't really think of picture that makes me angry or sad, so I'm posting this one because...


I wish the release date of The Voyage of the Dawn Treader was closer but its definitely something to look forward to :)

So I'll do one again tomorrow :)

Sierra at Mission Cool awarded me the Beyond Your Imagination Award! thanks Sierra :)

So I'm supposed to name 8 books I would like to live in for 2 weeks and then award 8 other bloggers.
I'm just going to name them and not tell you guys why, because that would take way too long.

1. The Lord of the Rings
2. Love Comes Softly
3. Little House on the Prairie
4. Anne of Green Gables
5. Kit ( one of the American Girls) I think the Great Depression and the time around it is an interesting time in history, even though it is kinda sad.
(ok I'm totally just choosing random books now!)
6. Mandie
7. My side of the Mountain
8. Pride and Prejudice

Well that's it until tomorrow :)

Have a great night!
Love in Christ,
Samarah

Award

Hope over at Just{a little bit of} hope awarded me! thanks Hope :)




So I'm supposed to say where I think I'll be in 10 years and then award some other bloggers.

Hmm... I don't really know. I'll be in my 20s ( thats all I'm going to say about my age ;), I maybe a wife and maybe mother or I might be traveling the world and photographing it. Both of these things I desire to be but I'm letting God lead me where He wants me to go :)

( i forgot to award some people so i'm going back and doing it... its been a long day! :)

I'm just going to award anyone who hasn't gotten this award who follows my blog! Just comment and let me know that you're taking it :)

Hope you are having a wonderful Monday!
Love in Christ,
Samarah

10 days....

10 days. Thats how long since my last blog post.... oops! :/ oh well... on to my post :)

On June 5th Frodo ( my animal ;P) turned 1!! I can't believe it! My mom said it feels like we've had him for longer than a year. I'm not sure if that's a good or bad thing! ;)
Here are some pics :)



Isn't he cute?! I think he is ;)



Sorry this one is blurry




I been awarded the Pure in Heart award by Abigail!



The Rules:

1. Post about the tag

2. Pick 10 bloggers who deserve this award

3. Leave a comment on the blogs of the people you tagged letting them know they were awarded

4. Answer the questions along with your post


1: Apples, Oranges or Bananas? Apples




2: How many siblings do you have? 2



3: How old are you? thats for me to know and you guys to not find out ;)



4: Do you live on/in a prairie, woodland, swamp, city or other? not in the city but kinda in the suburbs :)



5: Scissors or glue? Scissors



6: Describe your dream house. We have some friends that have a beautiful big big house thats in the country and its surrounded by wide open space and when you look off into the distance you can see mountains. I love it! :)



7: Is your room clean? eh kinda.





8: If you could be a movie character for a day, who would you be? Susan from Narnia probably.


9: Italy, Greece, France, Spain or England? England



10: What denomination are you? Baptist



11: Do you sleep with a stuffed toy (BE HONEST!!!!) No I don't.



12: Gum, chocolate, or jelly beans? I'd probably choose gum or jelly beans.



13: What is your favorite book? I really can't answer that unless you want me to list all the books on my book shelf ( which are a lot!!)! ;) I a lot!!


14: Favorite ice cream flavour?Strawberry Cheesecake and Cookie Dough!!



15: If you had to eat one type of food for two weeks, what would that food be? probably fruit.



16: What is your favorite Olympic sport? ahhhh.... for winter Short Track Speed Skating and for winter gymnastics and swimming.




17: If you woke up and discovered that you had turned into Miley Cyrus for the day, what would you do? (note: I'm not a fan) I pray I will never turn into Miley Cyrus.



18: Describe yourself in three words. funny, quiet, and curious.


19: What chore do you hate? Cleaning the bathroom


20: If Elmo came into your room with a gun, what would you do? umm... scream and then probably laugh... I don't know! thats a very weird question!

I award:

Emily at Emily of Jones Creek
Maggie at Bliss
Grace at Grace Place
Josie at Hillbilly Chronicles
Hope at Just a little bit of hope
Lydia at Something Beautiful
Samantha at Simply Samantha

and anyone who hasn't gotten this award yet... just comment and let me know :)

What do you think of my new blog look?? I know I know I keep changing it! I just can't help it! I think I'll keep it 2 column but just change the background. I want a simple but colorful and interesting look :) oh just fyi I do not like the new design feature on blogger!! after a long time of trying to find something I liked I was so glad to find out that you can still choose from the old templates. I think the new templates make my blog look to much like a website and way too"professional". What do you guys think of the new design feature?

That's all for now! I hope you all are having a great Sunday! :)

Love in Christ,
Samarah

another award :)

Antonia at Outside Into Life gave me this award! Thanks :)

Rules: For the award, answer the 10 questions your tagger has made up, make up 10 of your own, and award 6 other bloggers!

Here are Antonia's questions to me :)

1. Vegetables or fruits? fruits!

2. What is you favourite book genre? ohh... thats a hard one! I love historical fiction and non fiction, Christian romance, and adventure/mystery books! I really like anything that is clean and has a good theme or story line :)

3. Which caracter of a book would you like to meet in real? Anne of Green Gables or Laura Ingalls Wilder

4. If someone offers you a role in a movie, would you choose the bad or the good character? well it depends what the bad person would have to do ;)  probably the good one :)
5. Do you like Maths? no!!

6. Book store or library? I love both but I love the library because you take the books and things back home for free and enjoy them!! only you do have to return them ;)

7. Ocean or mountains? mountains!!

8. How many languages can you speak? 1... english.... I'm learning Latin but people don't speak it anymore.

9. What's the best thing of blogging? meeting new people!

10. How many grammatical errors can you find in the questions? (I guess that there are some :P)  like 3 or 4?? ;)

Here are my questions: ( I'm really bad at making up questions just so you guys know!)

1. Favorite board game?
2. Favorite Female singer?
3. Have you ever wanted to have a twin?
4. Do you have anything really exciting planned for this summer?
5. How long have you been blogging?
6. What do you want to do " when you grow up"?
7. What is your favorite subject in school?
8.Would you say that you are the kind of person that likes to stick to the rules and stay safe or the kind of person who likes to stray away from the rules and have adventures ;)?
9. Favorite dessert?
10. Favorite month of the year? 


I award:
Bess at Bess Bag
Sarahlynn at Just Hangin' Out
Emily of Jones Creek
Faith at Something Fun
Emily at Thoughts of a Small Town Girl 
and 
Haley at Haley's Happenings 

Hope you are having a great weekend!
In Christ,
Samarah

Awards!

Sorry its taken me so long to get the awards posted! Here they are! :)

I got the Beautiful Blogger Award again from Kristin!! thanks :)

The Rules:
1. Thank the person who nominated you and link to their blog.
2. Copy the award and paste it to your blog.
3. Tell us seven interesting facts about yourself.
4. Pass this award on to 15 fantastic bloggers you have discovered. (Only I'm going to change this to 5 bloggers.)
5. Contact your nominations and let them know they’ve won.

Ok so 7 interesting facts, I'm not very good at doing these kinds of things! oh well.. here I go ;) I'm going to add images just to make it more fun :)

1. I'm a huge night owl!!

( heehee! ;)

2. I strongly dislike cats.

3.I love chinese checkers... its such a unique game! :)

4. I'm reading The Fellowship of the Ring right now.... I've been reading it for like a year ( no kidding!) now and I can't seem to finish it!

5. I've never ever had Mountain Dew. Yep you heard me right, I don't even know what Mountain Dew tastes like because its never touched my lips! It's my choice its basically just sugary syrup and sugary water anyway ;)

6. I recently got a cute new pink case for my itouch :)

you can kinda see it in these pictures... I'll take a better picture of it later but this will have to do for now :)

7. I want to visit Canada!

Isn't this gorgeous??!!

I now award:

Kailyn at A New Rebel

Anna Gray at Anna Cabana

Grace at Grace Place

Bess and Ellie both awarded me this one... isn't it cool?! thanks girls :)

About this Award:

A prolific blogger is one who is intellectually productive, keeping up an active blog with enjoyable content. After accepting this award, recipients are asked to pass it forward to 7 other deserving blogs.

I present this award to...
Rose at Through Rose Colored Glass
Sarahlynn at Just Hangin' Out
Grace at Grace Place
Antonia at Outside into Life
Kristin at These are a few of my favorite things

This one has gone around to most everyone too but if you haven't been awarded with this one yet.... and you follow my blog- you're awarded! :)

I grabbed this one from Bleah's blog. I love it! :D

I awarded anyone who follows my blog and is homeschooled and loves it!!

I got these last 2 from Taylor's blog.

isn't this one just so adorable?! ;)

I award:
Sarahlynn
and
Rose

I award this one to:
Sarahlynn
and
Mylena

Hope you all enjoy your awards!
Love in Christ,
Samarah ♥

New Look, Award, and something VERY exciting!!

Hey All!! I hope you all are having a great week!! You probably noticed that my blog looks different... again :) I just thought my last template was too busy for my blog and my personality. Rose at Be Yourself is making me a header and a signature! :) She makes lovely things for blogs so check her out!

I got awarded the Stylish Blogger Award by Taylor! thanks :)

Here are the rules for receiving this award:

1. State 5 random facts about yourself.

2. Award 5 of your stylish blogging friends.

5 random facts about myself:

1. I love watching older shows like Dr. Quinn Medicine Woman, Little House on the Prairie, The Waltons, I Love Lucy and The Andy Griffith Show, I think they're much better than the movies (with the exception of a few) that are coming out now.
   
2. I have thick dark brown curly/wavy hair.
   
3. I love Francesca Battistelli!* I'm so happy for her and her husband because they are expecting a baby in the Fall :D

( I do not own these images)

4. I love storms!! ( as long as they don't turn into tornadoes!)
5. umm... I'm at a loss for this last one.... *taps head* I love reading other blogs! ;)

Now I will give this award to:

Sarahlynn at Just Hangin' Out

Rose at Through Rose Colored Glass

Bess at Bess Bag

Heather at A Hopeful Romantic

and

Elrania at Of Elven Elrania and Her Horse

*- I just thought it was cool that Meredith Andrews ( who is also one of my favorites! ;) is also expecting!

(I do not own these images)

She is having a boy! :) You can go and read more here! Francesca and Meredith both are first time mommies and I'm so excited for them! :D By the way I suggest you check out Meredith new song Can Anybody Can Hear me? It has such a special meaning to me... I've felt that God was far away but I just needed to have faith and believe that He is here and that nothing can separate me from His love! isn't that wonderful that God keeps loving up despite our sins and faults?! :)

I think it was Tuesday night that they were calling for this Severe Storm Warning, it was a pretty nice day until around 6 or a little later ( i can't exactly remember when it started to look bad ... its been a long week... ) anyway... I took these pictures:

ok you see the light blue at the top?? most of the sky was like that except for like 1/3 of it...

10-15 minutes later.....

And it wasn't even the time for it to be dark outside!! I just thought it was amazing that the sky could turn dark SO fast!! It actually didn't rain until like 2 hours later and it rained for liek 10 minutes!! Just a lot of lightning and thunder! :)

OK now onto the really really exciting news!! I'm going to visit Sarahlynn!! its her birthday tomorrow and my mom, my younger sister and I are going to see her and her family and celebrate her b-day!! :D Sarahlynn is one of my closest friends and I haven't seen her for a year and I'm sooo looking forward to seeing her and hanging out with her and another friend :) We are planning to watch some old shows and play UNO :) We are leaving Sunday/evening to come back home so we won't be there very long but I'm going to do my best to enjoy every minute of the time we have! :)

Well its 1:04 AM and I haven't done any packing!! so I better get going!
thanks for reading! :)

Love in Christ,
Samarah

Another Award!!

I got awarded by Rose! Here's the award...

1: Apples, Oranges or Bananas? Apples!


2: How many siblings do you have? 2- a younger brother and sister :)

3: How old are you? sorry can't tell ya! I can only say im a teenager!


4: Do you live on/in a prairie, woodland, swamp, city or other? other

5: Scissors or glue? scissors


6: Describe your dream house. don't really have one but somewhere in the city thats for sure!!


7: Is your room clean? no im going to be honest it isn't!


8: If you could be a movie character for a day, who would you be? oh wow this is a really hard one!! probably either Laura Ingalls Wilder in Little House on the Prairie ( like in the later seasons- 8 or 9) or like Rose, Anne of Green Gables :)

9: Italy, Greece, France, Spain or England? another hard one!! umm... probably any of them except Spain

10: What denomination are you? Christian - firm believer in Christ!

11: Do you sleep with a stuffed toy (BE HONEST!!!!) No ( yes im being honest! :)

12: Gum, chocolate, or jelly beans? gum

13: What is your favorite book? the Bible :)

14: Favorite ice cream flavour? Chocolate chip cookie dough or any homemade ice cream. Yum!! ( im just leaving Rose's answer because i love those!)

15: If you had to eat one type of food for two weeks, what would that food be? some sort of pasta probably

16: What is your favorite Olympic sport? Short track speed skating, gymnastics, and swimming!

17: If you woke up and discovered that you had turned into Miley Cyrus for the day, what would you do (note, I am NOT a fan)? I'm NOT a fan but I don't really know what I'd do!

18: Describe yourself in three words. loved by amazing grace ( ok that was 4 words but oh well... ;)

19: What chore do you hate? Unloading and loading the dishwasher. me too Rose! :)

20: If Elmo came into your room with a gun, what would you do? this a really weird question but okay... umm probbably scream and run!

well that was fun!! :D thanks Rose! I now award:

Sarahlynn @ Just Hangin' Out
Tessa @ Chase Your Dreams
Nana @ By The Way

I would award more bloggers but everyone I follow already has it! :)

I have 27 followers! :) thanks to my newest followers- Katherine, Amanda, Shaynie and Antonia!!

well thats it for now,
Samarah :)

ipod, music, award, and encouragement :)

Why all the smiley faces?? its because I got my itouch on Monday!! :D :D I love it!! its such a step up from a iPod classic ;)

I went from this..

to this!!

I'm not saying that I didn't like my iPod classic, I did! Its a great ipod but theres such a big different between that and an itouch! My dad will be getting the classic ( he's pretty excited about that :)

Oh, I thought I'd do a What I'm Listening To post now that I have a iPod :) Beware theres going to be a lot of songs! but they're all so good!

Live Like We're Dying - Kris Allen I heard this song on Air1 and I found myself singing it.. its very catchy!
Blink - Revive I also heard this song on Air1, it has such a good message and also very catchy!
There is a way- Newworldson yes another one I heard on Air1 and loved! :P
True Things- JJ Heller There's something about JJ Heller's songs that I just love!! I love reading her blog, She is very creative and has made some adorable outfits for her little girl! go check out her blog!
Hanging on by a Thread- The Letter Black OK, ok I heard this one on Air1 too!! I admit it!! ;) I love this song, it reminds me of the song Desperate by Fireflight( which is a song I also love!), just how much we need God and that he forgives us when we call out to Him :) I'm excited to learn more about this band and hear more of their songs! this song is a rock song so if you don't like heavier music this is probably not for you but if you're a Fireflight fan you probably will like this! ( I have the music video underneath my playlist at the bottom of this page :)
Salvation Day- Vicky Beeching - a simply wonderful song thanking God for giving us salvation and faith in Him and that we need to tell other people about this wonderful gift! :)

I encourage you to check out these songs!!

Also Shaynie @ the Book Blog awarded me the Beautiful Blogger Award!

thanks Shaynie! I love it!

I now award:
Rose at Through Rose- Colored Glass
Sarahlynn at Just Hangin' Out
& Lizzy at Tales of a Godly Maiden

Sarahlynn is taking a 2 week break from the computer so that she can just have a break and get refreshed. I was wondering if you could go over to her blog and leave an encouraging comment? just like you all did for me? if you can.. it would mean so much to her! :) thanks!

hope you enjoyed this post!

In Christ,
Samarah

( I do not own any of the pictures in this post)