G'day, Szia, & Magandang Hapon Po!

Okay, I totally hope I did not just offend anyone! I got these phrases off the Internet (well, the last 2 at least=). Just the other day I got this fun new little gadget called "Flag Counter." It keeps a count of the countries (& their flags, of course) that visit your site (for free, to boot=)! So, I just discovered Bess' Bag has been visited by Australia, Hungary, & the Philippines! So exciting to think about! =)

A BIG welcome to all my readers, but especially those outside the U.S. - I'm just SO glad you chose to stop by - hope this blog is a blessing to you! Feel free to leave a comment sharing the country where you live & what it's like to live there! I love learning about new & different places & cultures! =)

To get your own Flag Counter for your site or blog click here: http://flagcounter.com/

Aren't you glad He's got the whole world in His hands? It's amazing to try & think about how God created this amazing planet with all its animals, plants, seas, & people!

Equestrian Gear

May 1st is the day for big fantastic chapeaus (hats!=) & lovely, fast horses... That's right it's Kentucky Derby time! Okay, so I don't go to the races (or even live near the big event), & honestly I don't always catch it on TV, either - but I do love the fashion-y statements made on race day! One of my fav Audrey Hepburn films - My Fair Lady - has a simply marvelous horse race scene. It's mostly "marvelous" because it features Audrey wearing a stunning black & white ensemble. So, taking a cue (& a clip=) from My Fair Lady, I've got some fun black & white fashion inspiration...suitable for more than just a day at the races!

-My Derby Picks-

Sterling Silver Horse Charm Necklace - www.target.com - $14.99
Big White Floppy Hat - www.target.com - $12.99



Tunic + Leggings Set - www.walmart.com - $14


Black & White Stripe Ribbon - www.hobbylobby.com - $1.99

Statement Flower Ring - Rue21 - $7.99

Faded Glory Black Shirt Dress - www.walmart.com - $14

Lacey Cropped Leggings - www.target.com - $5


-My Fair Lady Polyvore Fun-

Lady by P.Guedes



My Fair Lady by Kimbo ♥ ♥ ♥




AUDREY HEPBURN - MY FAIR LADY by Mim Jersey

The Ascot opening day.. by jetblac

-My Derby Look-

What I've Donned:

big black hat - my mother's

black beads paired with white bow

white tunic (paired with a black sash) - Tara Jarmon for Target - Target

white skirt - Isaac Mizrahi for Target - Target

black button leggings - Miley Cyrus/Max Azria - Walmart

open-toed black & clear flats - Candie's - Kohl's

-Accessory Tip-

If you have a string of white beads or pearls, cut a length of black ribbon & tie to side of necklace in a bow. Use a white ribbon (& do the same) if you have a string of black beads (see my look above).

"Some trust in chariots & some in horses,
but we trust in the name of the LORD our God." -Psalm 20:7

Lots of Love,

-Bess-

Tuesday Tip: Kid Lit & Kid Flicks (Pick Some=)

Who says kids' books & kids' movies are only for little ones? Not me! =) Some days I just like to sit down with a good Dr. Seuss, Madeline, or Berenstain bear tale in my lap - or flip on an old animated feature, complete with talking bunnies & magic! Why not, I say! The following are some of my favorite kid lit & flick picks:

-Books-

Miss Rumphius by Barbara Cooney


The Betsy-Tacy Series by Maud Hart Lovelace
(I've only recently read Betsy-Tacy (the 1st book), but I loved it & am eager to read the others.) (chapter books)

The Little House Series by Laura Ingalls Wilder
(chapter books)




The Penderwicks by Jeanne Birdsall
(I highly recommend this great book for summer! It's one of my new-er favs!=)
(chapter book)




Tea for Ruby
by Sarah Ferguson, The Duchess of York (Wow!=)



The Princess & the Three Knights
by Karen Kingsbury
(This is a Christian fairytale about finding a real Prince Charming, a man who is kind, gentle, & above all, loves God.)



The Ordinary Princess
by M.M. Kaye
(A sweet little romantic story about being yourself.) (chapter book)

-MORE-

Cinderella illustrated by K.Y. Craft (Simply gorgeous artwork!)

Chrysanthemum by Kevin Henkes

The Oak Inside the Acorn by Max Lucado (Wonderful story for any age! I think this book would make for a perfect graduation gift (elementary, middle, high, or even college).)

-Flicks-


Disney's The Little Mermaid


Disney's The Gnome-Mobile


-MORE-

Pretty much any Disney princess flick!

Pretty much any Disney G rated flick! =)

Disney's Pollyanna

Kristen's Fairy House

BBC/Masterpiece Theater's The Railroad Children

Anastasia

Head over to your local library to find these kiddie picks & more! Yes, I guess I'm just a kid at heart! =)

And The Winner Is...Shaynie!

Shaynie, you are the winner of Bess' Bag's 1st ever giveaway!

Using www.random.org number 4 was chosen...& commenter #4 is Shaynie from "The Book Blog." Congrats, Shaynie! =)

(Sorry, I can't figure out how to post the number generator on my blog to verify - but I promise that #4 was the number chosen.=)

I wish I could give everyone who entered & reads my blog on a regular basis a treat! =) Well, you'll be glad to know I hope to host more giveaways in the future!

Love For All My Sisters in Christ,

-Bess-

P.S.: Free samples galore (that change frequently - so be fast) can be found at these following sites:

http://startsampling.com/retail/kroger/

http://instoresnow.walmart.com/In-Stores-Now-free-samples.aspx

2 Sweet Awards!

Happy Saturday, girls! =)

I've received 2 sweet awards this week!

The 1st is from the lovely Jane over at "Novel Pretender!" If you haven't you should definitely go on over & visit her fun blog - she's got an adorable t-shirt shrug (+ the tutorial she used to make it) on her blog right now!

LINK: http://novelpretender.blogspot.com/

I'm passing this oh-so-beautiful award on to 3 beautiful bloggers!

Faithngracegirl (AKA: Moe=) - "Helping At Home"

Ashley Nicole - "Bramblewood Fashion"

Grace - "Grace's Garden Walk" & "From the Desk Drawer of a Young Writer"

(I think the rules for this one are pass it on to 3. That's what Jane did.=)

***

The 2nd award is from the wonderfully bookish Shaynie over at "The Book Blog!" She is one major reading machine! =) Looking for a good read? Head on over to Shaynie's blog to read all her reviews (& yes, she's read ALL those books=)!

LINK: http://bookreviewsbymyself.blogspot.com/

If you are tagged:
1. Post about the tag.
2. Pick 10 bloggers who deserve this award. (I'm with Shaynie on this, I think I'll pick 5, so those I tag/award can pick some folks, too. Hope that's okay! If I tag/award you, feel free to pick 5 or so, too.=)
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. (Omit questions you don't want to answer - I'm all for simplicity!)

1: Apples, Oranges or Bananas? Oh, I’ll say bananas.

2: How many siblings do you have? I have 2 older sisters.

3: How old are you? What kind of a question is that to ask a lady? =) Just kidding! I’m in my early 20s.

4: Do you live on a prairie, woodland, swamp, city or other? I’m a city girl…who loves nature (just in case you wanted to know=).

5: Scissors or glue? Um, slightly strange question, but I’ll say scissors. I love to cut pics out for collages!

6: Describe your dream house. A cute little crafty cottage featuring a window seat, Dutch door, mini balcony, loft, spiral staircase, library, garden – okay, maybe it’s not that “little” of an abode - & tree house in the backyard.

7: Is your room clean? No. Um, mmm…no. You just don’t want to go there! I’m sorry to say it’s quite bad right now.

8: If you could be a movie character for a day, who would you be? I’d say, Ariel of “Little Mermaid” fame. Yes, I’d love to be “under the sea!”

9: Italy, Greece, France, Spain or England? England! A couple or so years ago I went to Scotland for a week by myself (the lovely area right above England)! I had never been on a plane, I didn’t know a soul, & wasn’t with a tour group. Crazy, right? But I loved it! Sadly, I didn’t make it down to England, though, so I’d love to go back & see the jolly old land of the Queen Mum!

10: What denomination are you? (independent) Christian Church (non-denominational)

11: Do you sleep with a stuffed toy (BE HONEST!)? When I was little, yes. It would be very rare if I did today, though.

12: Gum, chocolate, or jelly beans? Chocolate, most definitely! =)

13: What is your favorite book? I hate questions like these, cause I hate to choose! Well, of course, the Bible is the most important book ever & a great gift from God – so I’d have to go with that! My favorite book in the Bible is Romans.

14: Favorite ice cream flavor? Do I really have to choose (this is another one of those questions I hate)? I say it depends somewhat on my mood, but I love cookies & cream!

15: If you had to eat one type of food for two weeks, what would that food be? Pasta! Mmmm! =)

16: What is your favorite Olympic sport? Figure Skating

17: If you woke up and discovered that you had turned into Miley Cyrus for the day, what would you do? Another curious question! Well, I know some of you are going to be like “What?” – but I’d help myself to some of her (excuse me, my=) Miley Cyrus/Max Azria clothing samples (you know, the line she does for Walmart). I know, I know…but some of those clothes are darn right cute. Yes, I said it! =) Then, I’d go to DisneyWorld…ride some rides & sign some autographs! =)

18: Describe yourself in three words. Christian, Creative, Thoughtful

19: What chore do you hate? Cleaning the above said disaster zone which is my bedroom.

20: If Elmo came into your room with a gun, what would you do? What? Okay, thinking fast, I’d jump on him from behind & tickle him till he surrendered his weapon. Then, I’d escort him to Sesame Street Maximum Security Prison…& wait for a call from my lawyer (Mr. O. Grouch) – because you know, there’s a law against tickling monsters…something about them being an endangered species, or something.

I present this award to these 5 "pure in heart" gals!

Jenna - "Where the Heart Remains"

Ileigh Jean - "A Certain Slant of Light"

Heather - "A Hopeful Romantic"

Bridget - "Gonna Take a Ride Across the Moon"

Josie - "Hillbilly Chronicles"

Lots of Love From Your Sis in Christ,

-Bess-

Think Green!

Happy Earth Day 2010!

"The earth & everything in it belong to the Lord."
-Psalm 24:1

Green chic has become the "it" thing as of late. With terms like "eco-friendly," "organic," & "fair trade" becoming commonplace. The great thing about going green (besides the saving the planet thing=) is that your wardrobe doesn't have to be head-to-toe green (talking color here=)!

-My Green Picks-

Norma Kamali Organic Tees, 2 Pack - www.walmart.com - $8

Cute paired with a higher necked camisole!
Faded Glory Organic Cotton Chambray Keyhole Top - www.walmart.com - $10

The Little "Green" Black Dress

Faded Glory Organic Cotton Dress - www.walmart.com - $8

Strawberry Reusable Bag - www.modcloth.com - $6.99

-Some Truly Green Polyvore Fun-

go for a hike by nancyreo

go eco chic contest entry by ryegurl35

-Bess' Green Tips-

Shop with a reusable bag in hand.

Recycle - from papers, plastics, to fashion! Get some new use out of an old garment. Re-fashion it!

If you're not in the room don't leave the light on. =)

Don't leave chargers plugged in when not in use.

Run water only when you need it - not as background music while you brush your teeth! =)

Try to take 5 minute (or less=) showers.

Lots of Green Love to Ya,
-Bess-

Think Pink!

I've heard it said that there is a complimentary shade of pink for every woman - a certain unique rosy tint that simply looks sublime on the girl (there are lots of pinkish hues to choose from), & now that you've witnessed the pink folly from the 1957 Audrey Hepburn & Fred Astaire "fashion"able musical Funny Face, don't you agree? Shame that neither Audrey or Fred was a part of that number!

-My Pink Picks-

Liberty of London Pink Bucket Hat - www.target.com - $12

Xhilaration Pink Capri Tights/Leggings - www.target.com - $5

Bon Giorno Scarf in Verona - www.modcloth.com - $11.99

Pink Canvas Sliders - www.walmart.com - $6

-Some Pink Polyvore Fun-

Pretty in Pink by Bramblewood Fashion

This set was created by the wonderful Ashley Nicole over at "Bramblewood Fashion." Be sure to check out her blog if you haven't - so fun & fashion-y!

-My Think Pink Look-

What I've donned:

Pink Silk Blouse - Sag Harbour - Thrift Store

Navy Ribbon Belt - Thrift Store

Skinny Jeans - Mix It - JCPenney

Pink Croc Style Flats - Payless? - Yard Sale

So, are you a fan of pink? Do you have a favorite shade? If you love pink, check out my giveaway for a dreamy pink beaded handbag + more! Click on the button in my sidebar! Remember there is one way to enter & then 3 extra ways (for a total of 4 if you do it all=). Yep, you could have your name in the pot 4 times! The giveaway ends this Saturday!

Remember inner beauty is the most beautiful of all! Make sure your actions are beautiful & glorify our Heavenly Father! =)

Lots of Love From Your Sis In Christ,

-Bess-

Tuesday Tutorial: Bedecked Bumbershoot

Bess' Handy Dictionary Definition
Bumbershoot: umbrella (circa 1896)

As April is an often rainy month + Kid Stuff month here at Bess’ Bag, I’ve combined the two for a fun & youthful tutorial you can do with your younger sibs or any other kids you can round up. =) So, go find a bumbershoot (Love that, don’t you?) or two, & frills & flowers & get busy! Today’s tutorial is from Disney’s Family Fun Magazine (click the link below). Yes, I know I’m a big cheater! =) This does not have to be a mere kiddie pursuit – get going & bedeck your own umbrella! Who says a bumbershoot can’t be tres chic?

TUTORIAL LINK:
http://familyfun.go.com/spring/spring-crafts/all-spring-crafts/dressed-up-rain-gear-848226/

GREAT SITE FOR A RAINY DAY WITH THE KIDS:

http://www.highlightskids.com/GamesandGiggles/gamesArchive/hpTopArchive.asp

“Everybody talks about the weather, but nobody does anything about it.”

–Mark Twain

P.S.: Be sure to enter my giveaway if you're interested in winning! =)

Enter My Giveaway Here

This is where you need to enter for the giveaway!

Have no idea what I'm talking about? Visit the post below for guidelines/instructions!

-PLEASE ONLY ENTRY COMMENTS HERE-

-SEPERATE COMMENT FOR EACH ENTRY-

Giveaway is open to girls worldwide!

Giveaway closes on Sat. April 24th (10 PM EST)

Bess' Bag 50th Post Extravaganza (+ Giveaway)

Bess’ Bag turns 50! Well, this is my 50th post, that is! It’s exciting to think that this very post you are reading is number 50 – half way to 100! Thank you BIG TIME to all my sweet sisses in Christ who drop by for lots of visits here & leave your dear comments that make my day! You girls are great! A big HUG to all my Gal Pals, whom I just L-O-V-E! This special post should be one full of fun & surprises…so, let’s get started!

..Fun 50s Trivia..

Traditional 50th Anniversary Gift: something gold

Fav “50” Verse: Mark 9:50 “Salt is good, but if the salt loses its salty taste, you cannot make it salty again. So, be full of salt, & have peace with each other.” (I have a little salt packet (one of those you get from a fast food place) tacked on my bulletin board to remind me of this.)

Fav 1950 Flick: Walt Disney’s Cinderella (Hard to believe “Bibbity-Bobbity-Boo” is that old.=) Be sure to click off my main music Mixpod (at bottom of Bess' Bag) first!



Fav 1950 Tune: Sisters sung by Rosemary & Betty Clooney (real life sisters=) (Later used in the great holiday film “White Christmas.” It's a funny little song!)




As you can see, I’ve been hard at work re-vamping here & there. I kinda like to think of my blog as a sort of online scrapbook, so I’ve added lots of fresh, what I call “blog stickers” – just for fun little ditties - to my sidebar. I created all of them through a great new site you just have to check out if you have a blog, scrapbook, or family album! The site is www.picnik.com & is a free place (you don’t even have to register (though if you want more of the services you can + there is a fee for “premium” services, but you don’t have to use those=)). What you do is go to the site, upload a picture or image from your computer & then get creative with funky & sweet text, stickers, picture effects, etc. I am SO glad to find this site! My new header, the pic in this post, & my new “blog stickers” were all created there. I just did the simple no-registration method & am happy as a clam about it!

I’ve got some new pages (right under my jazzed-up Bess' Bag sign). I hope you’ll take the grand opening tour & explore a bit! I’m especially excited about the “Girl Talk” page! Let me tell you about it. Each month there will be a new topic & post featured on my Girl Talk page. I’m working at picking relevant topics we can all sound off on. After you read my post, lend your own voice to the conversation by leaving a comment in response to the topic or another gal’s two cents. Our Girl Talk sessions will be a special time to share, encourage, & be real with each other – please keep that in mind (as I know you girls will=). Each topic will last for a month, so head on over & let the girl chatter begin!

Drum Roll… In honor of my 50th post I’m hosting my 1st giveaway!

One blessed gal will win:

-(because this is Bess’ Bag, after all) a sweet little fancy pink beaded handbag (Old Navy) – I hope you guys don’t think this is terrible (or tacky), but this little bag used to belong to me. I took great care of it, & now I want to pass it on to one of my sisses in Christ. It looks new! =)
-Emma bookmark – This isn’t anything fancy, just a cardstock bookmark, but it does feature the new Masterpiece Classic flick on the front.
-a custom-made blog sticker that can be used as a blog button or sticker

Guidelines (READ CAREFULLY=):

To enter simply leave a comment on my Giveaway Post, which should be up above this one, telling me the type of posts you’ve enjoyed most or the type of post you want to see here at Bess’ Bag. New to Bess’ Bag? Visit the archive in my sidebar to see what you’ve missed, then leave your comment.

EXTRA WAYS TO ENTER (PLEASE LEAVE A SEPARATE COMMENT ON THE GIVEAWAY POST FOR EACH ENTRY=):

-Become a gal pal. Already one? Even better! Just let me know!
-Put one of my NEW blog buttons (or calling card) on your blog. Let me know + give me a link!
-Visit the brand-spanking new Girl Talk page (at top of blog) & chime in on the topic of the month by reading the current post & leaving your own thoughts in a comment on that page – then come back to the Giveaway post & tell me you did so!

You could have your name in the pot a total of 4 times!
This giveaway ends on Sat. April 24th, 2010. Hurry & enter!

A Treat For All:
Click my cassette in my sidebar to see all the free Christian music you can get on Amazon.com. My fav is “Time In Between” by Francesca Battistelli – get as many free songs as you like!

Here's to the next 50!

Lots of Love From Your Sis in Christ,
-Bess-

10 Ideas For The Young At Heart

Happily =) continuing with the April ‘Kid Stuff’ series…

10 Kiddie Activities That Are Fun At Any Age

1. Fly a kite.

2. Host a tea party.

3. Play dress-up. (You know you’re dying for an excuse to wear that boa!=)

4. Go see an animated feature at the movies (or pop one in the VCR/DVD).

5. Finger paint!

6. Go to the park & play.

7. Visit the children’s section of your local library & choose a few good titles to take home. (I’ll be posting some of my top kiddie lit & flick choices in the near future=).

8. Order a Happy Meal. (You can always give the toy to a tot you know, or keep it as a memento. (I feel like the fabulous rhyming Dr. Seuss.=))

9. Host a slumber party for you & some of your Christian sisses.

10. Get out the old Candy Land, Shoots & Ladders, checkers, etc. & have a tournament.

ENJOY..LAUGH..PLAY..IMAGINE..CREATE..

EXPLORE..PRETEND

My next post is sure to be something very special...

(It's all in the numbers!

That's all I'm going to say!)

Keep your peepers open! =)

Love From,

-Bess-

Tuesday Tutorial: Tea Party Treat (+Grace’s Giveaway!)

Who says tea parties are only for kids? Today’s tutorial was inspired by a post on my lovely pal’s blog – Grace over @ “Grace’s Garden Walk” - & did you know she’s got a GREAT giveaway going on right now?… We’ll get to that in a bit. So, a few days ago Grace posted about a little outing she took with a friend to a charming English tea room. She posted positively catalogue/magazine worthy pics that made me want to polish the old silver tea pot for some high tea (well, technically, I have a china teapot, but silver sounded more “high tea-ish”=). So, unbeknownst to her, Grace became my muse for this tutorial. Thanks, Grace!

Tea Party Treats:
These little tokens (tea bags in custom-made envelopes) would make for the perfect tea party favors! You could also give them as a little thoughtful gesture to a friend or, I was thinking I’d give mine as a gift garnish for Mother’s Day!

What You Need: tea bags; paper (scrapbooking paper, printing paper – whatever you’ve got on hand=); adornments (silk petals, pretty paper scraps, etc.); string (optional); scissors; glue stick

First off, all tea bags were not created equal – such as, some have strings & come in paper packets & some don’t (mine didn’t come with either). So, since mine were just simple sachets of tea, I had to cut string & staple it to the edge of each tea bag. Cut two identical hearts from paper & glue to end of each string. Next, I chose paper that I wanted to use for the tea bag envelopes (rice paper & plain printing paper). I laid down one tea bag on the paper to eye where I needed to make the horizontal & vertical cut (keep in mind, you are going to have to leave some room on each side for the glue, & some at the top for it to fold over). Remember, measure – in this case “eye” – twice, cut once! =) After that, I folded the paper & put a line of glue on each side (using a glue stick), to form the envelope. Now for the creativity! Use what you’ve got in your stash & use your imagination. For one packet, I merely wrote: “You’re just my cup of tea!” with a little drawing of a teacup. On the rice paper envelope, I used two silk petals & a scrap of paper, which I wrote “Proverbs 31:30” on (great for Mother’s Day). Feel free to use my ideas or do whatever you fancy! =)

My mom's sweet teapot, featured in the pics, is a musical one! The music box mechanism is enclosed in the bottom (the porcelain pot was created with a small lump at the bottom - so the music box could fit underneath). It plays "Tea for Two" whenever it is picked up! I L-O-V-E it!

-Grace's Giveaway-

Now to what you’ve all been waiting for: Grace’s giveaway! Here’s all the goodies she’s giving to one lucky reader: a bar of rose petal soap, a lovely rosy tea rest & Victorian sticker, handmade lavender sachets (made by Grace), & a cute cross-stitched drawstring bag (made by Grace). If you haven’t already, you simply must stop by & feast your eyes upon the lovely prizes Grace has in store for one blessed maiden! Click the link below to visit Grace’s blog & see her giveaway post! There are a total of four ways to enter – so you could get your name in the mix 4 times! Hurry, this giveaway ends May 1st!

http://gracesgardenwalk.blogspot.com/2010/04/my-giveaway-is-here.html

Thanks, Grace, for being my muse this week, for hosting the giveaway, & simply being a great sis (& kindred spirit) in Christ! I so value your sistership! =)

Grace has generously allowed me to post some of her fabulous tea pictures here! Enjoy (& visit "Grace's Garden Walk" for even more pics)! Thanks Grace!