Beautiful Royal Wedding Gowns and More

Visions In Lace

Love the Juliet Cap on this vintage bride's veil. Public Domain Image

How about some wedding gown splendor today?  I love to look at wedding gowns and even have a Pinterest board dedicated to beautiful weddings. I also will occasionally pick up a Bridal Magazine just so I can look at all the pretty pictures over and over again. It fascinates me how wedding gown style changes over the years. The beautiful fabrics for gowns and veils are a delight for the eyes! And, of course, I was glued to the television two weeks ago for the Royal Wedding of Harry and Meghan. And that wedding gown did not disappoint. She was radiantly beautiful! So with all of my interest in pretty wedding gowns,  I did a little research looking for Public Domain Images of Royal Wedding gowns as well as other vintage wedding gowns and I thought I would share some of those pics with you today. I'm putting my tiara on so I can get into a Royal mood to write this! Not every bride you'll see today is Royal, but many are!

Image from Public Domain

I have to begin by showing Princess Diana's beautiful gown.  Remember the ruffles and puffy sleeves of wedding gowns in the 1980's? I never get tired of looking at Diana's wedding photos. I was a bride in the 80's and wanted to feel like a princess in my gown, as well!

My lacy wedding gown. debbiethisandthat.blogspot.com

Had I chosen my own gown, I might have gone in for those puffy sleeves myself! But, we were economizing and so I wore my older sister's wedding gown which she kindly offered to me.  I loved the feel of the lace against my skin and the way the skirt "swished" when I walked. The train was really long and lacy, as was the dress. I love my wedding gown and get it out from storage every once in awhile to look at it. Too bad I can't zip it up anymore. It must have "shrunk" in the storage container! (😉) I wasn't a Royal Bride, but I sure felt like one! I chose not to wear a veil. Silk flowers were just coming into vogue for weddings, so I wore a silk flower wreath with ribbons streaming down my back for a headpiece. My bouquet and all the other attendant's  flowers were also silk. When I saw Meghan's loooong veil a couple weeks ago I was jealous. How I would have loved to have a cathedral veil streaming down the aisle behind me! Gorgeous! Reminded me of when I was a little girl and would play bride. I would put a sheet over my head, wear my mother's high heels and march up and down the hallway. I must have been a sight!

Public Domain Image

This is the wedding photo of Queen Elizabeth's parents. The gowns of that era were more loose fitting and the veils appeared to wrap over the head. I wonder how they stayed on? Perhaps the part of the veil that fitted over the head was more of a cap. Anyone know? I'm also always amazed in these old photos how young women always appear to look older. Perhaps, it was the hairstyles worn at the time. I feel the same looking at photos of women in my mother's generation. Fifty year old women of today do not look like fifty year old women used to look IMO! 

Public Domain Image

Here we have Queen Elizabeth (then Princess Elizabeth) and Prince Philip. They make a handsome couple, don't they? I can't believe that Prince Philip is about to have his 97th birthday! He was determined to walk into the church on his own for Harry and Meghan's wedding and he did so, even after having hip surgery very recently. I wonder if Meghan had Queen Elizabeth's veil in mind as she was designing hers? 

Wasn't Princess Grace a lovely bride? Her gown was more streamlined than Princess Diana's for sure.  I think Duchess Kate might have used a few ideas from Princess Grace's gown when she designed her wedding gown. There are some similarities, don't you think? 

What do you think?  The tops of Kate and Grace's gowns are similar but not totally the same. I also have to admit that I am biased against the strapless wedding gowns most brides go for today. I think having sleeves and a full top looks much more princess like.  Guess I'm not on trend when it comes to wedding gowns!

They did make a lovely couple on their wedding day!

I do notice that bouquet size seems to be much smaller with today's Royal Brides. Diana's bouquet was huge! The vintage bride in the above picture also has a large flower arrangement to carry. Does anyone remember the time when brides used to carry just one rose? Also, carrying long stems was popular for awhile. Many brides also chose to carry a Bible, sometimes with small flowers arranged on top. As I've already mentioned, silk flowers for weddings was popular when I married in the 80's. That was nice because you could keep your bouquet forever. I still have mine. Today, using real flowers is all the rage. Styles certainly come and go with bouquet size and type. 

And, it's certainly rare to see a bride with long white gloves at today's weddings! This vintage bride looks elegant with long gloves and that beautiful lacy dress! I love that bouquet, also. 

Do you enjoy looking at wedding gowns? Which gown is your favorite in today's post? Do you have a favorite bouquet? Hope you'll take time to leave a comment! And, remember, to sign up to follow me by email so you never miss a post!

Until Next Time,
Debbie

*Royal and Vintage wedding photos are from Public Domain sources. 

Weekend Wisdom Finding Contentment With Small Things

The Significance of Small

Public Domain Image

"Love from the center of who you are; don't fake it." Romans 12:9

"The smallness you feel comes from within you. Your lives aren't small, but you're living them in a small way. I'm speaking as plainly as I can and with great affection. Open up your lives. Live openly and expansively!" 2 Corinthians 6:12

Do you ever feel as if your life and the things you do each day are insignificant? Our world moves at such a fast pace and people are always on the go, hooked up to numerous tech devices at all times. Information comes at us 24/7 and there are constant images thrust at us encouraging us to live a life full of adventure and meaning and zest. The messages, often as part of commercials designed to sell us something, tell us that if we will just wear the right clothes or choose the right makeup or beauty products, go on the right trips, drink the right beverages and have the right technology, our lives will be fuller, more exciting and beautiful. But, even with all of these products purported to make us "live large" available at our fingertips, life can often still feel like we are never "quite there" with contentment. And, it can be disappointing to realize that the things we possess are never going to be enough to make us feel worthwhile and like our lives truly have meaning. It's easy to fall into the negative thought that our life is small and that we are truly just a "drop in the bucket" among the 7.6 billion people currently inhabiting earth and that those billions of others are leading more exciting and/or worthwhile lives while ours is insignificant and small. If you have ever felt this way (and in all honesty, probably most of us have felt this way at one time or other), try asking yourself  the following questions: "Is this really true that my life is so small?"  and "Does small have to mean insignificant?"  Consider the following. 

If you want to talk small, let's look at a water molecule. According to nasa.gov,  a cube of water, one inch on a side, contains about 600,000,000,000,000,000,000 molecules! That means there are 120 times more water molecules in the cubic inch of water than there are stars in the observable universe!! And yet, if just one of those water molecules was missing, the cube of water wouldn't be a cube. So, I think we can safely say that being  1/600,000,000,000,000,000,000 of the cubic inch of water is pretty important! Small is not insignificant! Not by a long shot! Just ask those other 599,999,999,999,999,999,999 water molecules who are waiting for that "one" to show up so they can form a cube! 

The scriptures I'm sharing today also speak to the idea of small not being insignificant. If we feel like our lives are small and that what we do with them is of little importance, perhaps we need to reframe our thinking. For me, personally, these scriptures are eye openers. So much of what I do on a daily basis seems "small." The little routines and groups I participate in are happy parts of my life but, do they really make a difference to anyone in particular or to the world as a whole? And yet, I know that God leads my life and places me in places that I need to be at certain times. Just like that "one" water molecule is necessary to complete the cube, I am necessary in God's plan. And if I'm missing, something won't be complete. That's neither small nor insignificant. It's pretty great actually! 

My "small" life is really not small, nor is it insignificant in God's plan. And neither is yours. 

So tell me, what does your "molecule" need to do for God's kingdom today?

Blessings, 
Debbie

Satin Mini Pleats-A Magical Top!

What's Not To Love?

Hey friends! Guess who's excited about sharing a top with you today? It's me! If you read my recent post about my amazing trip to Folly Beach and Charleston, SC then you heard me mention that I might have done some shopping at the Charleston City Market. Today, I'm sharing one of two tops I bought at the Market and the brand is called "Magic It Fits" which is a division of The Magic Scarf Company. This is not a gifted or sponsored post. I paid my own hard earned money for these tops. And, I had not previously heard of The Magic Scarf Company. But, I gotta tell you, I'm pretty impressed with this top!

The sales lady at the booth I visited was selling lots of different styles of Magic It Fits clothing, including dresses. In addition to this mini pleat top with 3/4 length sleeves, I also bought a mini-pleat blouse with collar which I will share on another post. I took photos from all angles so you could see the slimming affect of this top. I LOVE that!

The first thing that caught my eye with this top was the pretty fabric. My friend Sharon and I strolled by the booth, I saw this top and I had to give it a second look! The sales lady explained that this clothing is "one size fits all" from 0-20. I can't vouch for anyone else's size, but she allowed me to pull it on over the top I was wearing and I was amazed how it molded right to me and looked good immediately even over my other top. 

How great will this top be for travel?! It doesn't wrinkle and the sales lady said it is quick to dry so that's another plus with travel. Wash it in cold water in the hotel sink and in just a bit it will be dry and ready to wear again. I notice the online prices are a bit more than I paid at The Charleston City Market but I may be back to have a look at some of their other choices online anyway. I did look at Amazon to see if they had Magic Fit clothing. I found Magic Scarves but not clothing. Someone let me know if you find this clothing elsewhere! The capri pants I'm wearing are by Rafaella and I got them at Sam's Club. They need a post all their own to explain the adventure of picking out a size so I'll save that story for another day! 

So tell me, what magic is happening in your life right now? Hope you will take a moment to share, leave a comment, let me know how you are doing. You know..talk to me, OK? I love your comments. And, remember, I'm rebuilding my "Follow Me By Email" so hope you will take a moment to follow me, as well. 

Until Next Time,
Debbie

Linking With:  https://www.foxysdomesticside.com/

Starting Fresh with Email Followers

Here We Go Again!

Public Domain Clipart

Ok, ..... Debbiethisandthat is starting "fresh" with followers by email. I am putting up a brand new "follow me by email" place to click on my sidebar and if you want to be alerted as to when I put up a new post, you will need to give your email address again. Just click on the "follow me by email"spot. My old feedburner has been deleted so if you received notifications of my posts before, you should not receive notifications now unless you sign up again. And, yes, I will be able to see what your email address is through the feedburner site that will be sending you the email when I post...BUT, I personally am not collecting your email addresses to do anything with them! I personally will not sell them or do anything else nefarious with them! Should you ever wish to stop following me you can certainly do that. Please see Google's updated privacy policy to learn more about their use/non-use of personal data. I do hope that this clears everything up with the new privacy rules. And, I really do hope that you will follow me by email so you never miss a post!

Link to Google Privacy Policy updated 2018 version

Until Next Time,
Debbie

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Visiting Folly Beach and Dowtown Charleston, SC

A Relaxing Trip To The Beach

I'm back after spending several relaxing days visiting Folly Beach and downtown Charleston, SC. I have lots of photos to share with you, so I hope you will indulge me! My friend, Sharon, and I had planned this trip months ago and we enjoyed ourselves so much!

Our time spent at the beach was both beautiful and relaxing. The overall weather on our trip was rainy and stormy but it seemed as if whenever we went out to do something, the rain stayed away until we returned to our condo. Grateful for this blessing!

We asked a lady on the beach to take a photo of us together. As you can see, it was quite windy. 

The beach wasn't crowded at all which was quite nice. There were lots of birds to photograph.... 

Birds flying in formation over the water...

And, swarming these folks who were feeding them!

The waves were mesmerizing to watch.

And the sky stayed a pretty blue for us while we lounged. 

We ended our beach day at a "locals" type restaurant which is not only historical, but very unique. This restaurant  has been serving folks since 1946. Click on the link if you want to read the history.

The structure both outside and in is rustic.

Folks continued to stream into the restaurant the whole time we were there. It is quite popular! I chose the crab cakes which was the least fried option I could find on the menu. This sign pretty much sums up the overall food experience. 

Another cute sign on the wall. Sorry for the blurriness.

We spent the next day enjoying downtown Charleston and I experienced my first horse drawn carriage ride through the city.

This is "Buddy" the horse who pulled our carriage. We were told that Buddy is 12 years old and weighs well over 2,000 pounds! In his earlier life, he was an Amish work horse working from sunup to sundown. Now, he works one week giving carriage tours and then gets two weeks off in which he is taken to a farm where he can run in open pasture. I think they wanted to make sure we were told that the horses are treated well. 

The carriage ride was a great way to see the beautiful architecture of Charleston. Shooting pics from the carriage made for some interesting angles, though!

The colors of these "Rainbow Row" houses are so pretty! I've been to Charleston several times before, but I never tire of seeing them.

And, I absolutely love the window boxes I saw there!

I loved seeing the ancient trees and it was interesting to hear, once more, about the history of the city.

We walked down to the Waterfront Park and enjoyed the views. There were also swings under the covered part of the walkway. 

We could see Fort Sumter where the first shots of the Civil War were fired. 

And we enjoyed resting and conversation close to the beautiful fountains at the Waterfront Park.  And, yes, I did dip my toes in the pineapple fountain. (You were allowed on the top two steps). 

And, no matter where we were, it seemed like the wind was whipping through our hair!

We also visited The City Market in downtown Charleston which was filled with many different vendors.

I found two really pretty tops there which I'll be sharing with you in future posts. You know I had to do a little shopping on this trip!

It just seemed there were great views no matter which way we looked on this trip. 

But, my favorite view of all, is always the beautiful beach. I never tire of it!  We had a great condo on James Island which was my first experience with an Airbnb. I highly recommend Filipa's place on Airbnb if you want to stay near the Folly Beach side of Charleston! Now, it's back to the normal daily routine of home. And, I did miss the Mr. and Cassie Cat while I was away. But, I'm filled with wonderful memories of friendship and fun visiting Folly Beach and downtown Charleston! And, so grateful to Sharon for being my travel buddy!

I guess you can tell I loved this beach trip! So, tell me, what's new with you?  Hope you'll take a moment to share. 

Until Next Time,

Debbie

Monday Inspiration Ocean Bound

God's Voice  Rules Over Land and Sea

Do you not fear me? declares the Lord. Do you not tremble before me? I placed the sand as the boundary for the sea, a perpetual barrier that it cannot pass; though the waves toss, they cannot prevail; though they roar, they cannot pass over it. Jeremiah 5:22

Is there anything more beautiful than the ocean? The powerful waves rushing toward the beach always fill me with a sense of awe. Whenever I walk along the shore, feeling the ocean breezes in my hair and the warm sand beneath my feet I feel at peace. And, I marvel at the power of God who created such a powerful force of nature and rules over it. 

It has actually been many years since I have been to the beach. But that is going to change this week. My friend and I are going to travel from our mountain homes to the beach leaving our husbands and cats to hold down the fort while we are away. I can already smell the salty air and feel the ocean breezes! I most likely won't be posting this week, but will be back with you next weekend, to share highlights of our trip and to watch the Royal Wedding! Until then, have a wonderful week and remember that God's love for you is greater than the ocean!

Blessings, 

Debbie

Finding Joy in Simple Things

When Simple Brings Joy

Simple Beauty in Nature
debbiethisandthat.blogspot.com

So, after having a bit of a hissy fit earlier this week over my blog and changes it was going through, I have calmed down and am thinking of finding joy in simple things. Today, I'm sharing a variety of photos I have taken recently which represent simple things to me that can bring great joy to everyday living. 

debbiethisandthat.blogspot.com

About a week ago, Mr.thisandthat and I took a hike through the woods with our cameras. It amazes me how much beauty there is in small things. Like this fern close to the ground.

debbiethisandthat.blogspot.com

Or spotted leaves that have fallen from trees.

debbiethisandthat.blogspot.com

Or even moss on a rock. The simplicity of nature's beauty in small things makes my heart feel glad.

Mr.thisandthat pursuing his two favorite things: hiking and photography

And I love sharing the beauty with this guy.

Perfect stack of pancakes by debbiethisandthat.blogspot.com

Sometimes, simple joy finds me in my kitchen making the perfect stack of pancakes like I did earlier this week. There is something about making pancakes that I find therapeutic. Mixing the milk and eggs into the golden batter, adding fragrant vanilla for that something extra. Pouring batter onto the hot griddle, watching for the exact moment to flip the pancake. When the bubbles appear all over one side, I know it's time. I love seeing the golden brown color when I flip to the other side. Perfection.

debbiethisandthat.blogspot.com

And the first bite, dripping with butter and syrup is always the best bite. Simple things, simple pleasure.

Mama Bear and the Gang debbiethisandthat.blogspot.com

Today, I experienced the simple pleasure of watching Mrs. Bear and the cubs in our backyard. We watched these cubs last summer when they were teeny tiny. Now, as yearlings, they are almost as big as mama. 

Does she know it's almost Mother's Day? debbiethisandthat.blogspot.com

Mama seemed especially tired and heavy today, making me wonder if she is expecting yet another new set of cubs. She lumbered slowly about the yard, still keeping watch over her yearling cubs. If another set of babies is on the way, the yearlings will be encouraged to move out onto their own soon. But, for now, Mama is still watching over them carefully.

debbiethisandthat.blogspot.com

Little Bear seems to be saying, "I love you, Mama."

A Mother's work is never done. debbiethisandthat.blogspot.com

And Mama seems to be saying, "I told you to take a bath before we left the den!"

Itchy bear. debbiethisandthat.blogspot.com

Sometimes, you just gotta scratch!

Mama Bear nuzzling cub. debbiethisandthat.blogspot.com

Mama's kisses are the best!  Family love.  Simple joys.

debbiethisandthat.blogspot.com

What simple joys are in your life?  Hope you'll share!

Until Next Time,

Debbie

*Photography by Debbie Ross

*And special thanks to all the wonderful bloggers and readers who offered their support and advice with my blogging changes this past week.