What I Wore

(Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. Thank you for your kindness!)

Hello friends! I'm sharing a few favourite looks and fashion pieces I've found in the past week.

We have had so much rain and I realised this week when I was wearing flats out in a rain shower (which was pretty much like walking around without any shoes at all), that I really need a pair of these:

 Dubloon Rain Boots

Dolman Style Top with Side Pockets

Boyfriend Jeans

Key Hole Blouse 

Skinny Jeans

Floral Wooden Top Bag

 I put this outfit together and pinned it on my Fashion Board. I LOVE these colours.

And these three items I found on Zulily. I think they would make such a fun outfit!

And look at these cute shoes! Also from Zulily.

Have you found any new, fun, fashion pieces lately?

Blessings and love. xo

I'm linking up with lovely Lindsey at The Pleated Poppy.

Weekly Menu Plan {28 April}

Hi all! Bob and I were in DC for much of the afternoon and evening, so I am running late with my menu plan post. We had a brief but fun time exploring the National Gallery of Art, which may have become my favourite spot in the city. I could have stayed for hours, and I plan to go back soon. Then we went over to the U.S. Capitol Visitor Center for a film which was shown in commemoration of Holocaust Remembrance Day. I will share more on this important film soon.

Now on to the menu plan . . .

Monday - The kids had leftovers. Bob and I enjoyed dinner out at a DC pub!

Tuesday - Spaghetti Squash Caprese Bake, Caesar salad

Wednesday - Mexican Chicken Soup with chips, cheddar cheese, sour cream, avocado slices

Thursday - Leftovers

Friday - Shauna Niequist's Enchiladas, rice, beans

Saturday - Chili, cornbread

Sunday - Snacky-supper

I hope your week is starting out well. I am praying for all who have been impacted by the devastating tornadoes the past two days. 

Blessings and love. xo

I'm linking up with the Menu Plan Monday girls!

Art At The Mill

Northern Virginia friends, or any of you who may be visiting the DC area between now and May 11, I do not want you to miss Art At The Mill at the Burwell-Morgan Mill in Millwood, Virginia! This is a delightful event and venue that our family discovered in the autumn of 2011 when we were staying in a vacation home in the area. It's almost like finding a diamond in the rough. Most folks I have talked to in NOVA do not know where Millwood is or that this art show takes place there, normally twice a year (there is only a spring show for 2014). Don't miss out on this treasure!

This event is sponsored by the Clarke County Historical Association. 28% of each purchase supports the Association and the preservation of the Burwell-Morgan Mill. 2% goes to a scholarship fund in memory of Sarah P. Trumbower. The mill is quite unique in that it has an interior waterwheel. It is still a working mill, with grinding taking place on Saturdays. The kids and I want to go one Saturday to see how it all works and buy some freshly ground flour.

There are more than 1500 works of fine art by 300+ artists displayed in the mill. You can view oils, watercolors, pastels, drawings, sculpture, pottery, stained glass and woodworking. Here is an idea of what you can enjoy. (Disclaimer: Since these items are for sale, they may have been sold since I was at the mill today.) 

The Burwell-Morgan Mill is not only a unique, historic, working mill, but it also has beautifully landscaped grounds that are the perfect picnic spot for one of our lovely Northern Virginia spring days. You can take your own picnic or pick one up from the charming Locke Store just across the street. 

April 26 - May 11, 2014

Burwell-Morgan Mill

15 Tannery Lane, Millwood, Virginia 22646

Hours:

Sundays - Fridays 12-5pm

Saturdays 10-6

Admission prices: 

$5 for adults

$3 for seniors

Free for students

Information:

540-955-2600

clarkehistory.org

Blessings and love. xo

Linking up with Virginia Bloggers!

Disclaimer: I was not compensated in any way for this post. All opinions are my very own. 

Impact: Great Leadership Changes Everything {Review and Giveaway}

Do you consider yourself a leader? Whenever I was given the opportunity to review Dr. Tim Irwin's new book Impact: Great Leadership Changes Everything, I was immediately drawn to it. At the same time, though, I wondered how it could possibly apply to me? I mean, I'm a stay-at-home-mom. I educate my children at home. I am not a business tycoon. I am not really a business anything. What kind of leadership roles do I fulfill, if any? 

Even though I do not own a business, per se (although I am thinking of The Scarlett Thread as more of a business than I did in the past), I am thankful to have had the opportunity to read Impact: Great Leadership Changes Everything. I believe we all have a place of influence. It can be our home, our children, our extended family, our neighbourhood, our local coffee shop, our Bible study, our book club, our PTA, our child's soccer/baseball/football/lacrosse team, not to mention whatever job we have or business we run. 

In Impact, Dr. Irwin discusses the components that make up a great leader and conversely, what it is that causes leaders to fail. We see leaders fall from their pedestals all too regularly these days. Athletes, politicians, corporate giants, religious leaders. Those in the homeschool/parenting community may have just read about two such failures recently. And while I did not "follow" either of those two men, it still makes my heart break over the fact that they led people to follow them and now those poor folks are left confused, angry, disappointed and wondering how and where they went wrong. Dr. Irwin would say that something was faulty within the "core" of those two men. He uses "core" to label the person inside us. We must have a strong core in order to lead and lead well. When the core is not strong, stable and solid, failure is bound to occur.

Dr. Irwin covers topics which include: self-awareness, self-talk, arrogance, humility, power, replacing lies with truth and being accountable. This book is packed full of good information, illustrations of those who have succeeded at leadership - as well as those who have failed, charts, a "Go Deeper" section at the end of most chapters, humourous stories, challenging thoughts, inspirational quotes, and practical, doable suggestions for how to become a great leader and leave a lasting legacy. Because at the end of my life, it won't matter how much money I made or did not make, but it will matter what kind of life I lived and what my children gleaned from my example. 

Here are a few of Dr. Irwin's quotes that I enjoyed and am pondering:

We judge ourselves by our intentions, while others judge us by our behavior.

Those who are more likely to stay out of trouble constantly remind themselves of their own vulnerability.

If arrogance is the mother of all derailers, then humility is the mother of all safeguards.

Every belief must be interrogated and put on trial for its life. 

Effective self-regulation frees us from the tyranny of our impulses.

So I have much to think about after reading Impact: Great Leadership Changes Everything. I do see myself as a leader in several different venues. I can apply some of these ideas and principles to my life right away, especially in my mothering of the five amazing children God has given me. I am already replacing lies of some faulty beliefs with truth (which has been occurring for several years and is an ongoing process). And I do see my sphere of influence as something that I need to take more seriously, especially in regard to my little space on the Internet. I have a voice and a unique story and perspective, and God wants me to use that in a humble and powerful way.

About the author:
As a consultant for twenty years, Dr. Tim Irwin has assisted corporations in diverse industries including fiber optics, real estate, financial services, baby products, information technologies, news and entertainment, insurance, hotels, high-technology research, chemicals, floor covering, bottling, quick service restaurants, fibers and textiles, electronics, and pharmaceuticals. His work has taken Dr. Irwin to over twenty-five foreign countries in Europe, Latin American, Canada and the Far East and include companies such as SunTrust Banks, Chick-fil-A, Bank of America, Corning, Inc., IBM, Hoechst-Celanese, Gerber Products Company, The Ritz Carlton Hotel Company, The Coca-Cola Company, and Turner Broadcasting Systems. He is the author of two critically acclaimed books, Run with the Bulls without Getting Trampled and Derailed: Five Lessons Learned from Catastrophic Failures of Leadership.

Visit the official website:  http://www.drtimirwin.com

Take the personal assessment: http://drtimirwin.net/assessment/impact-assessment

Buy now: 

This giveaway is now closed. 

And the winner, chosen by random.org is #1:

Vicki Arnold

Congratulations, Vicki!!! Please send me an email: scarlettroyce(at)gmail(dot)com and I will work on getting your book to you!

Giveaway Time!

I have one copy of Impact: Great Leadership Changes Everything to give away to one of my readers! 

Mandatory entry: Leave a comment below telling me if and how you see yourself as a leader OR tell me if you've read either of Dr. Irwin's other two books. Leave your email address so that I have a way to contact you, should you win. 

Extra entries (leave a separate comment for each):

Follow Dr. Irwin on Facebook

Follow Dr. Irwin on Twitter

Follow The Scarlett Thread on Facebook

Follow me on Twitter

Follow me on Pinterest

This giveaway is open to anyone age 13 or over, in the US or CANADA. It ends May 8, 2014 at 11:59pm ET. Only one entrant per mailing address, per giveaway. If you have won the same prize on another blog, you are not eligible to win it again. Winner is subject to eligibility verification. Flyby Promotions is responsible for fulfillment.

Disclosure (in accordance with the FTC’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising): Many thanks to Propeller Consulting, LLC for providing this prize for the giveaway. Choice of winners and opinions are 100% my own and NOT influenced by monetary compensation. I did receive a sample of the product in exchange for this review and post.
Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. Thank you for your kindness!

For A Limited Time - The Ultimate Homemaking Bundle

By popular demand, 100+ homemaking bloggers are bringing back The Ultimate Homemaking Bundle, and it's better than ever!

The Ultimate Homemaking Bundle is a complete library of great eBooks on homemaking—a truly valuable knowledge base you’ll use for many years to come.

Unlike a library, though, you don’t have to spend years building it up. The Ultimate Bundles team has done the hard work for you, searching the web to find the very best eBooks from top homemaking authors and combining them into one essential collection that you can buy in one simple purchase.

Act now to get the ultimate eBook collection on homemaking at a once-in-a-lifetime price.

I'm confident you won’t find a more comprehensive set of homemaking resources anywhere -- and certainly not at this price. Bought separately, they’d cost a total of $698 (not including $200+ in bonuses!). But you can have all of them for just $29.97!

Or, for just an extra $10, you not only get the full set of PDF files, but also a bonus set of Kindle editions, perfectly formatted for easy Kindle reading. This has been a popular request over the years, and I'm excited to say it's now available!

I believe it’s the best deal on homemaking eBooks anywhere on the web. But it will only be available for six days. So grab yours before it's gone!

In this bundle, you will find 80+ eResources aimed to grow you in all aspects of homemaking, including:

• Homemaking
• Motherhood
• Marriage
• Food (recipes!)
• Self-care
• Faith (for you and for your kids)
• Work-from-home and blogging
• Pregnancy and babies
• Health and wellness
• Homeschooling
• Holidays and special events
• Financial stewardship

See the full list of 80+ eBooks, audio files, eCourses & printable packs included in the sale.

We've also included $200 of freebies from our 10 awesome partners!

In addition to all the amazing eResources, this bundle includes the best bonus offers it's ever had, including:

• A free 10-pack of greeting cards from Dayspring
• 3 free eye shadows from Redeeming Beauty Minerals
• Free art print plus $15 store credit to Hope Ink
• $15 store credit for fabric and patterns from Marie-Madeline Studio
• Sixty-four loads of eco-friendly laundry detergent from Dizolve

As well as five more incredible offers from:

• TriLight Health
• List Plan It
• Bulk Herb Store
• Once a Month Meals
• Fit2B Studio

These deals are worth over six times the price of the Ultimate Homemaking Bundle. So you’re up on the deal right away!

Learn more about the bonus offers.

This huge wealth of information and guidance will be right there on your laptop, tablet, smartphone, or Kindle, whenever you need it.

Here's what you need to know about the sale:

When? 8 a.m. EST Wednesday, April 23 until 11:59 p.m. EST Monday, April 28
What? 78 eBooks, 2 eCourses, 2 audio files, and 2 printable packs PLUS over $200 worth of bonus products you'll really use!
Where? Purchase the bundle here.
How much? Well now, that's the best part. The entire package is worth nearly $900, and it's selling for less than $30. Sweet deal, right?

Want to learn more? Read about what this amazing bundle offers—or just buy it now!





Remember, this bundle is available for 6 days only, from 8 a.m. (EST) on Wednesday, April 23 to 11:59 p.m. (EST) on Monday, April 28th.

Disclosure: I have included affiliate links in this post. Read the fine print about this bundle and read the answers to frequently asked questions about the bundle.

Going On Now! The Ultimate Homemaking Bundle

This is going on now, Ladies! 

Don't miss this bundle of eBooks and Bonus offers! The retail value of these products is over $900, but is being offered for this short time for only $29.97!

Want to learn more? Read about what this amazing bundle offers—or just buy it now!





Remember, this bundle is available for 6 days only, from 8 a.m. (EST) on Wednesday, April 23 to 11:59 p.m. (EST) on Monday, April 28th.

Disclosure: I have included affiliate links in this post. Read the fine print about this bundle and read the answers to frequently asked questions about the bundle.

The Ultimate Homemaking Bundle

It's time, friends! The Ultimate Homemaking Bundle is live and ready for you to order and download away! 

This bundle includes over 80 ebooks from authors such as Sally Clarkson, Stephanie Langford, Tammie Nelson, Erin Odom, Kelly Smith, Sheila Wray Gregoire, and many, many more covering topics which include parenting, marriage, health, menu planning, recipes, pregnancy, motherhood, and on and on! This is bundle is valued at over $850 but is being offered for the next six days for only $29.97!

If you are interested in the Bundle for your Kindle, go HERE.

And if you prefer the PDF, go HERE.

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. Thank you for your kindness and support!

Coming Tomorrow!

The Ultimate Homemaking Bundle will be available starting tomorrow at 8am ET!

Check this out:

What can I tell you about The Ultimate Homemaking Bundle? 

Sound too good to be true? 

Come back tomorrow (Wednesday) at 8am ET for the links to The Ultimate Homemaking Bundle!

See you then!

Blessings and love. xo

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. Thank you for your kindness and support!