Saying "No"

Nancy Wilson on saying "no" and internalizing standards:

So, what kind of standards do women need to live by? You need standards about what you think.What you say.What you listen to.What you will read and watch.What you will laugh at. How you dress. What makeup and jewelry you wear. How you drive. How you walk down the street. What you will post on myspace. Who you will receive phone calls, email, or instant messages from.The kind of people you will befriend. The kind of parties you will attend. The kind of gifts you will receive.The kind of men you will spend time with and where you will spend that time.

I strongly encourage all of my female readers (especially if you're single!) to take the time to read this post in it's entirety.

America's Reading Habits

I found this statement interesting:

People from the South read a bit more than those from other regions, mostly religious books and romance novels. Whites read more than blacks and Hispanics, and those who said they never attend religious services read nearly twice as many as those who attend frequently.

And yet...

The Bible and religious works were read by two-thirds in the survey, more than all other categories. Popular fiction, histories, biographies and mysteries were all cited by about half, while one in five read romance novels. Every other genre -- including politics, poetry and classical literature -- were named by fewer than five percent of readers.

(emphasis mine)

Where You Fall in Poll of US Reading Habits

Wow

A really imaginative, artistic person creates art on an old wooden dresser with...

Blue tape!!!

I Don't Normally Laugh Out Loud When Reading Something

But I was laughing a lot over this Ebay description.

HT: BaylyBlog

Birds at My Local Park

Photos by LTS

Right-Wing Anthropologie?

A store that I love to shop in but can rarely afford (unless it's on sale) is Anthropologie. They offer beautiful, feminine clothing and lovely home decor items. The last time I was in the store, I was mesmerized by all of the cute, retro, and just plain pretty kitchen aprons they had. I have to say that when I go shopping, I just shop in stores that I like, the ones who offer the kind of products that I am interested in finding. I don't think about the political views the store's owners have and promote, and that may or may not be a good thing for me to just ignore. Come to think of it, it probably isn't. But I do. When I shop in a store that is owned by a major corporation, I naturally assume that I just don't want to know the politcal views of the people in charge, or the causes their money goes to support. So it was with a lot of surprise that I discovered this information from a disgruntled group of liberals who were discussing online their conflict over shopping at Anthropologie while protesting/disagreeing with the founder's politics. (Interestingly enough, they don't seem to have as much of a problem with some of the products that have been for sale at Anthropologie and it's parent company, Urban Outfitters, which I have seen and thought were over the edge in terms of racial or cultural insensitivity) I had to laugh over the whole discussion, as I'm just not sure that a few thousand dollars donated from the pocket of a millionaire to a conservative Republican senator makes that millionaire's corporation a right-wing one (actually, if you have ever shopped Anthropolgie or Urban O., you would really think the opposite!).

But, having said all that, I shall feel a little bit better about shopping Anthropologie from now on. :)

Making New Out of Old

Clip on earrings as money clips.

Primates

Humans studying primates.

Human waving to camera man.

Photos by LTS.

Going to The Zoo...

Flowers

Primates

Yes, It Can Happen:

Girl overdoses on espresso coffee

SNUFFY

1994 - 2007

Faithful companion, great escape artist, adventurous, loving and loved.
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There will never be another like you.
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We love you and miss you, old man

A Contest!

To be eligible for a $150 shopping spree at Christa Taylor, just follow these easy steps from the website:

To enter the contest (1) simply choose anything your heart desires up to a value of $150. Each individual product page contains an "Add to Wishlist" option. (2) Click this button for each item you choose. If you do not already have an account you will be prompted to (3) sign up for one. When you're finished making your selections you will be provided with a link to your wish list. You will find this on your personal wish list page. (4) Post this link as a comment at Lessons From the Scrapbook page, the event's sponsoring blog, and you're finished! The winner will be randomly chosen and announced September 1, 2007. No purchase is necessary to enter.

Christa Taylor was born out of one woman's desire to provide a shopping resource of modest, yet modern clothing for girls and women. I, for one, am glad that someone is stepping up to meet the need for modest clothing. The clothing is at affordable prices, and definitely worth a look if you are interested in promoting "modish"(a word coined by Christa Taylor, meaning "chic" and "modest") modesty with young women.

Here is an interview with Christa Taylor if you want to learn more about what the company stands for, and how it all began.

Flight Aware

I just discovered this website and will definitely use it in future visits to the airport. I wish I had known about it a month ago when we went to pick up my cousin form the airport and we ended up waiting over two hours to get her because her flight had been re-routed to another airport, but the airline refused to keep everyone updated on the flight status, so we waited, and waited, and waited...

Another great feature is an amazing map they have of all airplanes in flight right now.

Nancy Wilson on Controlling Emotions:

Emotions are nice but unreliable. Women in particular need to wield control over their own feelings rather than letting the feelings control them. They can really work us over good if we let them. Self-control has the wisdom to see what is going on. I think it is as equally unwise to get really excited and buoyant as it is to get down in the dumps. Mood swings are not fun for anyone in the room. Self-control is like a thermostat, setting the temperature, and keeping things at an even keel. Emotions are like the thermometer, affected by the surrounding climate or conditions, and given to great fluctuation.

Read the post in it's entirety here.

John Piper on the Minneapolis Tragedy

From the Desiring God blog:

At about 6 PM tonight the bridge of Interstate 35W over the Mississippi River in Minneapolis collapsed. I am writing this about three hours after the bridge fell. The bridge is located within sight of Bethlehem Baptist Church. Most of us who minister at the church cross this bridge several times a week. At this point I don’t know if any staff was on the bridge. Desiring God offices are about a mile from the bridge.

...Tonight for our family devotions our appointed reading was Luke 13:1-9. It was not my choice. This is surely no coincidence. O that all of the Twin Cities, in shock at this major calamity, would hear what Jesus has to say about it from Luke 13:1-5. People came to Jesus with heart-wrenching news about the slaughter of worshipers by Pilate. Here is what he said.
Read On...