The United State Marine Corps birthday is November 10th and nearly every year since his enlistment my husband and I have attended the Corps' Birthday Ball. This is one of my favorite events because I get to get dressed up in a fancy formal outfit, do something fancy schmancy with my hair, and hold on to the arm of a sharp dressed, very handsome Marine all night.

One thing I don't like is the cost of buying a formal dress and I always look for sales, or trade my dresses for new-to-me dresses. I've also given dresses away to younger wives, too, because I remember how hard it was to find a nice formal for little cost when my husband was lower in rank and we weren't making much money either. These giveaways or trade-offs have always worked great in the past! This year we weren't sure we were going because we are also going to DC in November and really need to save money for that BUT this event has really become something special for my husband and I so we decided this week finally to attend. I like the dresses hanging in my closet but sometimes they need tailoring on them from year to year and I wasn't sure if I had enough time to do that or not. I figured I'd just probably tailor and wear one of those if need be but also keep an eye out for a great deal, too. Well, hello, let me tell ya the deal I got and introduce you to my attire for this years Ball :-)

The full length black opera skirt has been hanging in my closet for several years and I love it every time I wear it. It fits great, has a nice fullness to the bottom, and leaves a great silhouette. It was free from a friend like I said years ago so my skirt cost me nothing. The beaded lace blouse was found at a local thrift/consignment store for 99 cents. Yep, you read that right... 99 cents!! The shoes (not pictured) are some silvery strappy low healed shoes of my daughters that she was given 5 or 6 years ago. The most expensive part of this whole outfit is the faux fur wrap. I found it at the same store for $9 and the only reason I got it is because it has a built in mitt to keep my hands and arms warm on these chilly North Carolina nights :-) So, drum roll, please... the whole cost of this years Birthday Ball outfit is $9.99 plus tax. Is that great or what?! I love a great deal AND silvery gray with black is always a classic combination. I personally think you just can't go wrong with it!

Here is a shot I tried to get of the detailing on the blouse. The lace and beading are perfect... not one flaw. Definitely not what you'd expect for a 99 cent find. Don't you love the scalloped edge? The sleeves are detailed with the extra beading and scallops as well. Perfect!!

Do you ever get dressed up and go to fancy balls or dinners? What are some of the best deals you've found on your dresses?

Sallie

This week I received several emails saying I had been DIGG'd, and I know my sweet friend Jacque both twittered and facebooked my giveaway but I use social networks so rarely that I forgot I had accounts in most :-)

I do like social networks, though. If it hadn't been for our yahoo messenger group on 9/11 we wouldn't have known anything was happening because we were in Okinawa and just about to go to bed at 10:00 at night. Mike's high school "social" group was who informed us quickly something was happening!

Anyway, I figured I had got enough emails and notices this week that I should "get with the program" and I dug up my account info for all of them and put "my homepages" in a list under SOCIAL NETWORKS over in my right sidebar. The one we do the most is probably facebook and that is because our daughter has lots of friends on there from her trip this past summer... we have to spy on her, right?! ROFL... Plus, most all our family, including even OPA is on there :-) Occasionally we'll check out the others... I definitely don't do the post a minute thing on twitter.. actually, it doesn't look like I've done one the whole time I've been on twitter...lol. So, anyway, if you want to add me to your followers or anything, feel free to click away on those links...

Sallie

These are the blogs I like and visit a lot and wanted to nominate. Remember, though, each blog has to have at least 3 nominations SO, if you haven't nominted anyone yet, feel free to copy and past this list into this nomination form over at HSBA if you want :-)

Thanks! Oh, yes, and nominations close Friday the 24th so hurry up.. I mean, I procrastinated long enough for all of us...ROFL...

1. Best Homeschool Mom Blog http://kellishouse.blogspot.com/

2. Best Homeschool Dad Blog http://www.visionforum.com/hottopics/blogs/dwp/

3. Best Blog Design http://www.inpursuitofproverbs31.com/

4. Best Artistic Content Blog http://www.allyouhavetogive.com/

5. Best Crafts, Plans & Projects Blog http://handmadehomeschool.wordpress.com/

6. Best Family or Group Blog http://www.inashoe.com/

7. Best Encourager http://hskubes.blogspot.com/

8. ‘Live-What-You-Believe’ Homeschool Blog http://servenclan.blogspot.com/

9. Best Unschooling or Eclectic Homeschooling Blog http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/eclecticeducation/

10. Best Geographical Blog (Canada)http://littlehomeschoolonthehill.com/

11. Best Current Events, Opinions or Politics Blog  http://principleddiscovery.com/

12. Best Homemaking or Recipes Blog http://pleasantviewschoolhouse.blogspot.com/

13. Best Teen Girl Blog http://hskubesgal.blogspot.com/

14. Teen Guy Blog ??? I haven't got a clue....if you know of someone good, let me know and I'll go back and send him in...

15. Teen Group Blog    http://www.growingingraceonline.com/

16. Funniest Homeschool Blog  http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/crazyhouse/

17. Best Cyber-Buddy Blogger http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/Angelheart/

18. Best Curriculum or Business Blog http://www.theoldschoolhousestore.com/ --- or for blog I guess it would be the one below but I didn't know which to put but they are the same place -- http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/hsbcompanyblog/

19. Best Variety http://www.heartofthematteronline.com/

20. Best Thrifty Homeschooler http://thefrugaleducator.blogspot.com/

21. Best SUPER-HOMESCHOOLER http://homeschoolcreations.blogspot.com/

22. Best Nitty-Gritty Homeschool Blog http://humblemusings.com/

23. Best NEW Homeschool Blog http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/brite00eyes/

24. *new!* Best Homeschooling Methods Blog  http://heartofwisdom.com/blog/

Sallie

Several years ago, Rev. Billy Graham did a sit down interview before one of his sermons. Out of everything he said, the one thing I most remember was “I wish I’d prayed more.” I was in awe that he would humbly admit that and I wrote the quote and the date on a piece of paper and stuck it on my fridge. Two moves later, I’m not quite sure where that paper went. Perhaps it isn’t hanging on my fridge anymore but it has been permenantly etched on my heart nonetheless.

Click here to read the rest of my article today over at SBCVoices....

Sallie

Train Up A Child Thursday is based off of Proverbs 22:6 which says "Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it."  

We have four beautiful, sometime mischievous, children that we are blessed with on earth but we have multiple in heaven as well. We don't typically do special remembrances of them but we talk about them  in our normal everyday life whenever questions arise, or just the subject in general comes up.

The loss we talk about the most is Arin... the name is a combo of Aaron and Erin because we didn't know if we had a boy or girl but we wanted to name our child, nonetheless. This past Sunday my husband was thinking on Arin quiet a bit and was very tearful and sad. My heart ached for him because I know he quite often buries his hurts deep. Arin would have been about 15 years old and was a near mid term miscarriage. I was 16 weeks when our babies heartbeat just stopped. We don't know the reason. But God knows and we rest in that!

Our children know about each of our losses and mourn their siblings as well. Age appropriateness is important, of course, but though they may have been too young when some of the losses occurred, they aren't too young now to understand. We don't tiptoe around the subject but joyfully speak of each child that God now has with Him.  I have to tell ya, as a mom who has suffered loss and hurt, it is one thing to console an adult friend who is going through that loss. It is entirely something else when you see your child sitting with a young friend with their arm thrown around their shoulder saying "I know.. I been there.. you can cry and I'll hold you." At once your heart breaks that your child DOES understand that pain but at the same time your heart wells with joy that they have learned to turn it into comfort for others. What a blessing!!

2 Corinthians 1:3-4 says "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of sympathy (pity and mercy) and the God [Who is the Source] of every comfort (consolation and encouragement), Who comforts (consoles and encourages) us in every trouble (calamity and affliction), so that we may also be able to comfort (console and encourage) those who are in any kind of trouble or distress, with the comfort (consolation and encouragement) with which we ourselves are comforted (consoled and encouraged) by God."

Do you have losses within your family due to miscarriage or stillbirths? Have you kept it hidden from siblings or just don't talk about it within your family? I encourage you to open up and share. Our children learn so much when we live our faith out in front of them! They in turn learn to live their faith out as well..

What are you teaching your children today? Feel free to leave a comment and a link to share with others! 

Would you like to join in on Train Up A Child Thursday and be added to the list in my sidebar? Just send me an email with train up a child in the subject line and a link to a devotion you have written on your blog about training your children in the way of the Lord.

Sallie