Monkey see monkey do. It looks I am going to follow Charlotte’s footsteps by doing my own “All Time Favorite Posts”. Like her, I decided to arrange mine in chronological order, starting from Spring 2015, ending in the Fall of 2016. I am going to be very, very frank with you all, this is super hard for me to see these old posts. That’s because there once was a time when my life looked and felt very different from what it does now. I am no longer the same, carefree girl that I used to be. Even now my heart is still processing the hurt. But, ever so slowly, I am healing from the breakup. For those of you who have never gone through one, this is no small matter. A breakup will affect you and everyone around you, leaving a fair amount of destruction in its wake.
This will sound odd, but I am laughing right now because we used to get critiques from people who complained that we looked at life through rose-tinted glasses. They said we needed to break out of the safeguards our parents put in place for us and discover who we really were as young women. That was some of the worst advice I’ve ever heard! On the flip side, God knew that we needed to do a little growing up. However, we didn’t have to break rules and go outside of our God-given boundaries to find it. He brought it to us.
This post, Delft-ly, marks the time when things began to stir in our lives. I am thankful to look back and remember the peace still was with us at this point. I also remember blooming under the warm sunshine of Spring. My work had just ended at a greenhouse, which meant I was ready to tackle anything. Sometimes I wonder what would have happened if I was told what was coming on the other side of 2015…
In Everyday Jessica, I wrote of how pleasant it is to wear modern clothes. Yes, there is no denying how much fun I have dressed up in vintage clothes, enjoying the nostalgia of history. However, there are times even now when I still love to pull out some modern pieces and wear them around the house from time to time. Clothes, no matter what the era (the 80s and 90s excluded, personal opinion 😉 ), can make you look beautiful and showcase the person you are inside.
I still love to take an Evening Stroll when the sun is setting and the birds are singing their final goodnights. Now, more than ever, walking through God’s creation is a balm to my soul. I love to feel the grass under my feet, and fill my lungs with fresh clean air! All my senses are awakened when I go outside, and no matter what the season, God feels closer somehow when I am standing in the midst of His handiwork.
Oh! I only have to look at this picture and the words You’re a Grand Old Flag go zipping through my head! You all know how patriotic the girls and I are, especially after years of singing tunes of the 1940s. It’s no wonder I have an instant recall to the days when we were in the thick of showbiz. Chills still run up and down my spine when I hear the sound of those old favorites. I miss singing with the girls, but we had our season, and a completely new one is just around the corner… Wait and see!
Summer Polka has got to be one of my favorite posts. EVER. Not only does it showcase a super retro outfit, it also displayed the work my Mom and I did in the garden to create an oasis of color and beauty. I just loved being surrounded by my favorite flowers! It seems the joy of standing in so much radiance was reflected in the smile on my face. And I won’t lie, I miss my garden. But I do love the place we live in now. In the summer, I live in a world of green, and I get to enjoy so much more wildlife around here than I used to at our old house.
Ah! Stop it with the flowers! Okay, maybe I have just a touch of Spring Fever, but seriously! We had the best garden in those days!!! My Verdant 1940s Formal was so much fun to wear at Remembering WWII, and as far as sewing accomplishments go, it was definitely a highlight of the year.
Fast forward to 2016, we are at our new house, enjoying a sweet summer day with our dear young friends. Fairy Houses will forever fill a special place in my heart. I am quite out of practice now, but when I have a family of my own, I envision many hours spent in teaching my kiddos how to build tiny, little homes out of nature’s craft supplies.
Farmer Girl is my all time favorite post from last year. I shed many emotions and spiritual pain during the time it was written. I will never forget how the Lord tenderly revealed Himself to me through a living metaphor. It took my breath away and still does when I think back on it. He keeps reminding me to work with Him and lean on Him through the toughest times. He truly is my strength! Those words hold a new weight with each passing day, becoming the rock upon which I stand. I have never loved, or known the Lord as intimately as I do now. He broke me down so that my desires would be flushed out and everything that I ever held onto would be removed to reveal the true beauty of Christ.
I feel like I could write a book on the transformational work the Lord has been done in my life! Butterfly Days was yet another post in which marked the beginnings of my struggle to let go and let God. I had it all figured out, but the practice part was yet to come. I wish I could tell you that it has been a fun ride, but it hasn’t. When we are filled with junk that needs to go, we are only going to see junk come out. It’s not pretty! A release must happen, and God will make it happen whether you and I like it or not.
If you are reading this, and find truth in what I just said about your own life, then rejoice! God is doing a good work in you! Don’t give up, because the fruit and bounty are just around the corner. I am so excited to see what the Lord is going to do in my life this year, and I cannot wait to share it with you! So here is to transformations and renewal of our spirits! Here’s to the good God we serve! And here’s to the life He blesses us with every day!
Blessings, love, and thankfulness for you all,
Jessica B.
“This will sound odd, but I am laughing right now because we used to get critiques from people who complained that we looked at life through rose-tinted glasses. They said we needed to break out of the safeguards our parents put in place for us and discover who we really were as young women. That was some of the worst advice I’ve ever heard! On the flip side, God knew that we needed to do a little growing up. However, we didn’t have to break rules and go outside of our God-given boundaries to find it. He brought it to us.”
Ain’t this ever the truth! It’s like the Disney-mantra “Follow your heart.” What? Guess what? If I followed my heart irrespective of what my good Father has outlined for me in His law, I would be one very miserable person because there would be no reason for self-control, no place for seeking the good of others, etc. God gives us boundaries for our own good as well as for a foundation for our relationships with other people.
Love you, Jess!!
He confounds the wisdom of this world with His amazing care and provisions! We serve a great God! I am honored to be one of His sheep. 🙂
Love you, too, Racheal!
Jessica B.
Jessica, I admire all three of you, but you especially. I take comfort in your goodness and your strength more than I can express. Thank you for being so full of faith. Your trust in the Lord strengthens mine. You are precious to Him, and I believe without reservation that He is and has been preparing you for an exquisite future. Life is not perfect, nor will it ever be. But the Lord “looketh on the heart,” and yours is daily becoming more pure and more beautiful.
Isaiah 64:4. 🙂
Kate, you have no idea how thankful I am for what you said. There have been so many times when I have looked at myself and wondered, why me? Why is God putting me through all of this? It is hard to see the progress, but after reading what you wrote, I know He is making progress in me! Thank you for helping me see that, and for blessing me with hope and joy! 😀
Love and blessings,
Jessica B.
What a beautifully written post! I enjoyed seeing your precious photos. You are so beautiful inside and out. The Lord has amazing plans for you!
Thank you for taking a moment to read my thoughts, Laura. I so appreciate your interest, care, and friendship. With you in my life, I will always be smiling. And that is a compliment. 🙂
Warmly,
Jessica B.
I love this, Jessica!! Thank you for sharing. <3 And I love your green 1940s formal dress!
Love, Elizabeth
AWW! Of course my fav was the fairy houses we did together, but I do love all the other posts!! Especially your polka-dotted dress one. Aren’t flowers just soooo beautiful? <3
Hadassah
http://dassahphotography.blogspot.com/
That makes two of us! 😊
Love always,
Jessica B.
Life can be pretty hard, but It’s nice to know that God’s there through all of it!
Love all these outfits! Thank you for your openness over the last year and a bit, in sharing your journey with us. Even though in very different circumstances, I had a very difficult year last year, and it was so encouraging reading your reflections on working through the hard times. May God bless you with whatever lies ahead for you this year.
I am so saddened to hear that you, too, went through a hard year in 2016, Kaitlyn. I hope it wasn’t anything near what I went through, but if it was, you have my deepest sympathy. For those who are strong enough, God gives the hard things to tackle sometimes, but we can take comfort because He will never give us more than we can handle. 🙂 And that is such a beautiful promise.
Same to you! I will be praying for you, Kaitlyn.
Love and blessings,
Jessica B.
Awww Jessica, these are sooooo adorable!!! Thanks for sharing!
I just found your blog in the last month or so and am loving it… I’m not a vintage-clothing-wearer but enjoy seeing your creativity and practical modesty. As a 21-year-old, I think I understand the pain of growing up and reflecting on the sometimes painful experiences that have changed you. I look back and think “How idealistic and carefree I was” and find myself mourning for that version of myself. Being 20+ changes your view of the world, your view of yourself, your relationships, your relationship with God… it’s a good thing because God uses it to season us, but can be hard… Blessings on you and your sisters and everyone else going through seasons of transition!
Welcome, Brittany! Thank you for commenting on here and introducing yourself! We’re so happy the Lord brought you to our blog! 🙂
I greatly value everything you said, especially your use of the word “season” to articulate the maturing process we go through as young adult Christians. You sound like a very optimistic gal. What a blessing you must be to those around you! Thank you for spreading your cheerful spirit here in the comments.
Hope to see you around!
Blessings,
Jessica B.
Jessica, thank you for this post. I know it could not have been easy to go over the past events. The hurt you felt I can only imagine. God has better and bigger plans for you. God Bless you and yours.
Marilyn
It’s such a joy to see these great photos! Each one tells a story; an inspiring story. Seeing your strength through the hard times and your willingness to share what you’ve learned by them gives me the encouragement needed when thinking about the future. If God can use your story to help others, then I will strive to use my life and whatever may lay ahead for Him. Thank you, Jessica for being such a good friend to us all!
– Megan Joy
Never give up on the things that stir your soul, Jessica.
You may or may not remember me commenting on your “Farmer Girl” post; I talked about each person having a way that God speaks to them, personally. The way He speaks to me is through nature, and always will be. Too often I find myself in the house for days at a time, and I need to get outside, or else suffocate! 🙁 Which wouldn’t be good, of course. . . .
Anyway, thank you for putting yourself out there. Of course, I don’t know all that you’ve been through, so I hope I don’t say anything wrong, but I find that, for me, there is usually something good after after a hard time—a rainbow after the storm, a time of clean simplicity—if you let God give it to you.
My prayer for you is that your rainbow lasts long, and touches many people.
Just found your blog. Love you fashion style. I have been shopping for new vintage clothing and shoes, but have been unable to find much. Would you please share where you shop for your clothing/shoes/etc??
Welcome to our blog, Fetema!
To answer your question, half the time we hand make a lot of our clothes from vintage and vintage re-pro patterns, the other half we find at thrift stores, including shoes. We are all about saving our pennies, so we don’t make a lot of extravagant purchases. One company that we would recommend for vintage re-pro clothes is Emmy Design. They are very well made, and will last you a long time. Because of this, they are a little on the pricey side, but you really do get what you pay for!
Two great vintage re-pro shoe companies we love are Aris Allen, and Miss L Fire. Miss L Fire shoes are very crazy-fun shoes, and a little more on the pricey side, and the Aris Allen are more for dancing, but that means they are durable and very comfortable. I have worn both kinds, and love both very much!
Hope this helps!
Jessica B.
Jessica, you are the sweetest woman. 🙂
Your outward beauty truly leaves me breathless, and your lovely soul is so precious.
When you share all your deep feelings and thoughts on your spiritual journey, I can see how strong a woman of faith you are.
Keep trusting him!
C.C. 🙂
To God be the gory!
Thankful,
Jessica B.
I love your style Jessica, it is so classy and beautiful! A delightful round-up of posts!
Please exclude the late sixties and seventies too, will you. That era did no go to anybody’s wardrobe. I remember all these lovely posts, and love the last outfit with the orange cardigan and the tartan yellow skirt. Simply fabulous. I wish all the love and luck in your future, and hope that everything will be much better for you now. I am sure you deserve it. 🙂
Haha! I actually agree with you on that one. It’s just that the 80s and 90s are so much more unbearable! 😉
Thank you, Sanne! We are very excited for what the Lord is about to do in our lives. 😀
Love,
Jessica B.
What is the name of those stunning purple/maroon flowers that resemble broccoli a tad? They are beautiful!!!
Aren’t they, though? They are called Celosia and have the nickname of Cockscomb. Probably some of my favorite flowers I’ve ever grown. 😍
Thanks for asking, Maddie! I love sharing my favorite flowers with people.
Blessings,
Jessica B.