Ok, all you lovebirds out there . . . it's that time of year again and I couldn't resist . . . it's time for . . .
A Valentine's Giveaway! 💗
Valentine's Day has always been one of my favorite holidays. I think that this is because of the memories that it holds for me. My Mom made Valentine's Day so special for me and my sisters when we were growing up. We would always make a homemade heart-shaped pizza and have a fizzy pink soda-drink that we usually didn't have. She decorated the table with special Valentine's Day things and prepared everything with such detail and love. She and my Dad always gave us a Russell Stover heart-shaped box of candy wrapped in that delightful red cellophane. My favorite chocolate was the caramel filled one. It meant so much to me as a little girl and it still holds such a strong remembrance in my heart. And thankfully, my husband now buys me the Russell Stover heart; it was part of our marriage agreement . . . haha; just joking. 😉 Anyway, I wanted to put together a giveaway for this special time of year. I pray that it brightens someone's day and brings joy to each one of you in some way. And may we always cherish and hold dear the greatest Love of our hearts . . . our precious Lord and Savior Jesus Christ who first loved us . . . 💗 What this giveaway includes:
Lindt truffles~~Because I strongly believe in nutritional STAPLES and am a great advocate for healthy foods 😉
Exquisitely lovely Lauren Conrad earrings to wear for a special date or while watching Old Fashioned . . . ;-) Wonderful for promoting the ideal of a "rose-leaf complexion."-haha!
I hope that this giveaway is enjoyable and fun! Please enter below using the Rafflecopter form. And Happy Valentine's Day to each one of you! a Rafflecopter giveaway *This giveaway is only open to residents of the continental United States for shipping reasons.
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With the enormous popularity of the Fifty Shades of Grey films, I thought that I would recommend an alternative that Christians can watch this Valentine's season. I've watched this film numerous times; I love it so dearly. And it speaks depth and grace to the heart. The film? :-) ~~
Oh, how I love this film! It is beautiful, poignant, romantic without being overly sappy, deeply engaging and fun to watch. Old Fashioned is refreshing and real and sweet. And it is a film that touches the soul rather than just the emotions, which I believe is so important. Instead of drowning our souls in the filth that Hollywood tries to feed us, why not watch things that edify and encourage us in our faith~to walk closer to the Lord Jesus Christ in our relationships and to honor His name in all that we do? So don't slink into a dark cinema this February and pour pollution into your mind and heart~~ curl up on the couch with a cozy bowl of popcorn and some Reeses peanut butter cups (haha--my preference :-)), give your husband or wife a tender kiss, and feed your eternal soul with something good. Description of the film: Clay Walsh is a "former frat boy" (from the back cover of the film) who has turned to Christ and forsaken his formerly-sinful lifestyle. He lives in a small midwestern town in the state of Ohio where he works in an antique shop restoring "old-fashioned" odds and ends. He holds high ideals for a flawless courtship, one in which he has pledged not to be alone in a room with a woman who is not his wife. As the film unfolds, the viewer learns that Clay still struggles with severe guilt over his past sins and is trying in his own strength to keep his high standards. Later, he embraces the grace of Christ over his past regrets and a beautiful transformation occurs in Clay's life. The main female character, Amber, is a fun-loving unbeliever who goes wherever the wind takes her, who has been hurt in past relationships, and who providentially ends up in Ohio, renting the small apartment above the building where Clay restores furniture. She is mystified by Clay's gentlemanly behavior, sincerity, and high ideals, although she thinks him a "little odd." Clay and Amber slowly and sweetly, though sometimes painfully, fall in love with one another. Clay ultimately sheds his legalistic mindset toward romantic love while at the same time still maintaining his high standards and respect towards women. Amber, in my understanding, embraces Christ as her Savior toward the end of the film, realizing that "all things have been made new," (referencing her past sinful life of mistakes and broken relationships), and Clay and Amber become engaged in a very tender love scene (enter box of tissues and replay button ;-)). Read my Review of Old Fashioned Watch the Trailer
I want to share with you a film that has deeply touched my heart over the past several weeks ~ Old Fashioned.
Old Fashioned was recommended by someone very close to me. Because I have two small children, I'm not able to watch many movies, but for some reason this one really piqued my interest. It is a beautiful, beautiful film. I'm so glad that someone recommended it to me. I'm so glad that I watched it. And I am so glad that I may share it with you!
My husband and I watched Old Fashioned together the first time on our somewhat-fuzzy TV. I watched it later on my laptop because it so deeply drew me in and I was able to better observe some of the beautiful imagery and symbolism in the film~ Rik Swartzwelder, the Producer/Director/Screenwriter of this film is extremely gifted in painting an exquisite canvas of the images/scenes that make up this movie. I think that a person has to watch it at least twice to fully appreciate his artistry and sensitivity in making this film. Old Fashioned is not your typical sweet love story served Hallmark-style. It is a gritty, sometimes-painful look into the lives of two flawed ~ but deeply-searching human beings who find, through the grace of Christ, deep love for one another. And yet at the same time, it is fun to watch, peppered with enough humor to lighten the heaviness of some of the themes. The storyline also just draws the viewer in; it was so excellently done.
Description of the movie: Clay Walsh is a "former frat boy" (from the back cover of the film) who has turned to Christ and forsaken his formerly-sinful lifestyle. He lives in a small midwestern town in the state of Ohio where he works in an antique shop restoring "old-fashioned" odds and ends. He holds high ideals for a flawless courtship, one in which he has pledged not to be alone in a room with a woman who is not his wife. As the film unfolds, the viewer learns that Clay still struggles with severe guilt over his past sins and is trying in his own strength to keep his high standards. Later, he embraces the grace of Christ over his past regrets and a beautiful transformation occurs in Clay's life. The main female character, Amber, is a fun-loving unbeliever who goes wherever the wind takes her, who has been hurt in past relationships, and who providentially ends up in Ohio, renting the small apartment above the building where Clay restores furniture. She is mystified by Clay's gentlemanly behavior, sincerity, and high ideals, although she thinks him a "little odd."
Clay and Amber slowly and sweetly, though sometimes painfully, fall in love with one another. Clay ultimately sheds his legalistic mindset toward romantic love while at the same time still maintaining his high standards and respect towards women. Amber, in my understanding, embraces Christ as her Savior toward the end of the film, realizing that "all things have been made new," (referencing her past sinful life of mistakes and broken relationships), and Clay and Amber become engaged in a very tender love scene (enter box of tissues and replay button ;-)). Some things (among others :-)) that I LOVED about this film:
Clay's sensitivity towards Amber and his genuine love and respect for her that is not "forced."
Amber's conversion and her very realistic portrayal of a woman who has been hurt in past relationships but who comes to know Christ and understand His forgiveness.
The artistic spin that Rik Swartzwelder gives to the film.
The beautiful biblical message of redemption and grace and true Christlike behavior from a man towards a woman.
The film writer's willingness to take on difficult issues with tact and grace in a realistic manner.
Some things to consider before viewing this film:
I highly, highly, recommend this film. However, it deals with some heavy topics ~ a scene with a "stripper" at a bachelor's party - which is very carefully done, (in my judgement); several nightclub scenes (also carefully done); and a scene in a bar. There are a few instances (very rare) of somewhat "crude" language - spoken by unbelieving characters (for example, the radio host uses the phrase "knocked-up" - which is probably the strongest language used - this is in order to show how degrading his behavior is, in contrast to Clay's). Someone may feel uncomfortable with these things; the film is Rated PG-13 for those reasons. I believe that the film was beautifully, tastefully done, but if you think that these issues would be offensive, I wanted to make sure that I let my readers know about them ahead of time.
I would recommend this film for anyone over the age of 16-18. I tend to stay on the conservative side of things, because I always believe that it is better to wait until a person is mature enough to handle the content that they view. So, even though this film is a sweet, sensitive, Christ-honoring love story, I wanted to be sure to give that heads-up. :-)
So go grab your husband, or a friend, or several friends and watch this movie! :-) It is a wonderful film for couples to watch together - it is a wonderful film to watch alone with a nice big slice of cake :-). I hope that it will bless you as much as it blessed my heart. We need more films like it.
