Make Beaded Victoria Bookmarks

"The only gift is a portion of thyself." ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

This has been a special year for Victoria magazine, as we have marked our 10th anniversary with Hoffman Media. To celebrate this milestone, I wanted to craft a special keepsake for each member of our staff.

I count it a privilege to work with such a talented team of creative women and thought it would be special to commemorate our shared success with a handmade bookmark.

This idea dawned when I found pretty brass and silver shepherd's hook bookmarks at Christmas Village, an annual holiday-shopping festival in Birmingham. Each one had a ring on the end for affixing a charm. Find a similar selection of styles here. Above, a completed bookmark rests on a Sasha Nicholas plate custom-made for the occasion of our 10th anniversary. See more of the celebratory festivities in our November/December issue!

I cut the miniature magazine covers from subscription insert cards and found perfectly sized frames in the jewelry section at Michaels. You could, of course, frame other ephemera or use another type of charm for the focal point. Other supplies for this project include jewelry wire and cutting pliers, crimping beads and crimping pliers, and assorted Swarovski crystal and pearl beads.

To make the bookmark, slip a magazine cover or other ephemera into the frame and adjust the positioning, if needed. Using cutting pliers, cut a length of jewelry wire a couple of inches longer than needed for the strand of beads. Bend the wire at about 1/2 inch, and loop the wire through the ring of the frame. Slide a crimping bead onto the long piece of wire, also catching the loose end; pull taut and crimp the bead. String approximately five decorative beads onto the wire, careful to cover the loose end of wire, and end with a second crimping bead. Loop the wire through the ring on the shepherd's hook, and thread the wire back through the crimping bead and two or three decorative beads. Pull the wire taut, and use cutting pliers to carefully clip remaining wire.

Making these sweet little bookmarks not only offered a delightful evening of crafting but also served as a reminder of how blessed I am to work with talented people to produce a magazine that I have loved for so many years. Here's to the next decade of bliss!

"But I'm always dreaming, even when I'm awake; it is never finished." ~ Peter S. Beagle

Teatime Parties Book Giveaway

"Whatever the occasion that finds you gathering with family and friends, we offer inspiration to make the milestone more meaningful by celebrating it with a tea party." ~ Teatime Parties

One of the benefits of working with Victoria magazine is getting to enjoy the beautiful and inspiring works produced by our sister publications at Hoffman Media. A longtime reader of TeaTime, I am always especially eager to collect the latest book in the magazine's library of tea-themed offerings. The newest volume is especially exciting to me, as one of the parties was photographed at our house earlier this year. Would you like to take a peek? 

The "First Tea Party" menu and tablescape were shot at our kitchen table. When I shared the book with my family last night, 13-year-old Mary Ashley was particularly proud to note that her chair is now "famous." I am also pretty pleased that some of my favorite china (shown with the Caroline place card) added a fitting complement to the many pretties brought by the TeaTime stylist. Test-kitchen chef Elizabeth Stringer left several treats for us to enjoy, so I can heartily recommend the recipes in this chapter.

Preview more delightful tea-party themes here, and order your copy of the book here!

For your opportunity to win a copy of this lovely new volume, leave a comment below detailing your favorite occasion to celebrate over tea.

Spring Book Club Selection & Giveaway

A Lasting Impression
by Tamera Alexander


 "Better than sweet tea on a veranda, A Lasting Impression is a winner. I want to live at Belmont!"
~ Francine Rivers, New York Times bestselling author of Redeeming Love

To create something that will last is Claire Laurent's most fervent desire as an artist. It's also her greatest weakness. When her fraud of a father deals her an unexpected hand, Claire is forced to flee from New Orleans to Nashville, only a year after the War Between the States has ended. Claire's path collides with that of Sutton Monroe, and she considers him a godsend for not turning her in to the authorities. But when they meet again and he refuses to come to her aid, she realizes she's sorely misjudged the man. Trading an unwanted destiny for an unknown future, Claire finds herself in the middle of Nashville's elite society and believes her dream of creating a lasting impression in the world of art may finally be within reach.

All that Sutton Monroe holds dear lies in ruin. He's determined to reclaim his heritage and to make the men who murdered his father pay. But what he discovers on his quest for vengeance reveals a truth that may cost him more than he ever imagined.

Set at Nashville's historical Belmont Mansion, a stunning antebellum manor built by Mrs. Adelicia Acklen, the richest woman in America in the 1860s, A Lasting Impression  showcases the deep, poignant, unforgettable characters that set Tamera's stories apart and provides an inspiring love story that will capture readers' hearts and leave them eager for more.

Guests voted on this quarter's book club selection, and our choice for spring is A Lasting Impression by Tamera Alexander. The first in the Belmont Mansion Series, A Lasting Impression promises suspense, romance and drama. I hope you will plan to read along with us. Click the book title anywhere in this post to order.

U.S. readers, leave a comment below for your chance to win a copy of the book. I will announce the winner soon!

 

Cajun Moon Book Club

One of the highlights of last week was co-hosting our congregation's ladies book club. My friend Missy Jones and I wanted to transport guests to New Orleans for an evening at fictional Ledet's fine French Quarter restaurant. 



 

Under the Cajun Moon
by Mindy Starns Clark


Our book club was eager for a mystery, and Under the Cajun Moon by Mindy Starns Clark delivered with suspense and fast-paced action. Click the title above to learn more about this book. One attendee said this is her favorite book club selection thus far. Since reading Under the Cajun Moon, she has read and recommends all of the author's other works.



 

In the book, well-known etiquette expert Chloe Ledet is summoned home when her father, a famous New Orleans chef, is shot. His French Quarter restaurant, Ledet's, made the perfect setting for our book club dinner.



 

My chalk board platter served as a welcome sign for book club guests dining at Ledet's.



 

A Ledet's menu topped each place setting and served as the evening's program.



 

In keeping with our vision of a fine New Orleans restaurant, Missy and I topped tables with white tablecloths and fine china, crystal and silver. We save money on paper goods each meeting by collaborating on decorations and bringing what we have from home.



 

Missy and I provided appetizers, bread, dessert and drinks and asked guests to bring a favorite Cajun or restaurant-inspired dish. Missy had a pot of gumbo simmering on the stove when guests arrived, and the spicy aroma welcomed diners to the French Quarter. Find her recipe here. A highlight of each book club meeting is the reveal of the new book selection, kept as a tightly-guarded secret until the end of the evening. We mixed things up for this meeting, though, and gave the ladies three selections to choose from. Discover the chef's specials below.



 

Tonight's Specials

Which book would you choose for our next read: the Low-Country Boil, the Southern Feast or the English Tea? I will share our winning dish, along with a book giveaway, later this week. Learn more about these three books by clicking on the titles.



Veil of Pearls
by MaryLu Tyndall

Show more

Show less

Lasting Impression
by Tamera Alexander


The Maid of Fairbourne Hall
by Julie Klassen


 

We concluded our dinner with an authentic New Orleans treat: cafe au lait and beignets.


 

I experimented with a homemade beignet recipe the night before our meeting, but opted for an easier option for the party. Find traditional French Quarter favorite Cafe du Monde products here. We prepared decaffeinated cafe au lait and served steaming cups alongside freshly-prepared beignets. I had plenty of coffee and beignet mix leftover after the meeting, so treated my family to a delicious New Orleans breakfast Saturday. Beignets and cafe au lait make a perfect combination on a chilly winter day.



 

 

 

Raspberry sauce was delicious for dipping and drizzling. I shared the leftovers with the children Saturday, and Emma begged me to let her eat the last drops with a spoon. ... She said it was delicious.

 

 

 

Raspberry Sauce

 

Adapted from Sandra Lee's beignets with raspberry sauce recipe, found here.

 

1 (12-ounce) package frozen raspberries, thawed

1 cup powdered sugar

2 teaspoons lemon juice

 

Add raspberries, powdered sugar and lemon juice to blender, and puree until smooth. Serve with beignets or drizzle over cake or ice cream. Store leftovers in the refrigerator.



 

 

 

We enjoyed a lively discussion of the book during dessert, and then it was time to reveal the new book. Usually we give away a copy of the new selection as a door prize, but since the choice was a surprise to us, I brought a half-dozen review copies of Christian fiction books to share.



 

I prepared "checks" for each guest, and six of the bills held a message urging its recipient to choose a book to take home. This was a nice surprise for the ladies, so we talked about incorporating a book swap into our next meeting.



 

I was so busy making beignets in the kitchen, I did not make it to the front of the house to photograph our restaurant. Missy photographed the tables with her phone; see her photos in the collage above.



 

Thankfully for Missy and me, there were no critics in the house when we hosted our private party at Ledet's -- just 22 sweet Christian women who love to be together. Be sure to stop in later to find out our new book club selection -- and to register to win a copy of the book. I close our book club dinner post with a sweet review from an even sweeter friend.



"Friends, food, and fellowship make a perfect combination. Discussing a great book is just powdered sugar on the beignet!" ~ Sharon Lyle
 

Our New Book Club Selection and Giveaway

Under the Cajun Moon by Mindy Starns Clark

What Secrets Can Be Found by the Light of the Cajun Moon?

New Orleans may be the "Big Easy," but nothing about it was ever easy for international business etiquette expert Chloe Ledet. She moved away years ago, leaving her parents and their famous French Quarter restaurant behind. But when she hears that her father has been shot, she races home to be by his side and to handle his affairs--only to learn a long-hidden secret that changes everything she knew to be true about herself and her family.

Framed for murder, Chloe and a handsome Cajun stranger must search for a priceless treasure, one whose roots weave through the very history of Louisiana itself. But can Chloe depend on the mysterious man leading her on this cat-and-mouse chase into the heart of Cajun country? Or by trusting him, has she gone from the frying pan into the fire?

Following up on her bestselling Gothic thriller, Whispers of the Bayou, and Amish romantic suspense, Shadows of Lancaster County, Mindy Starns Clark offers another exciting standalone novel, one full of Cajun mystery, hidden dangers, and the glow of God's unending grace.

Leave a comment below for your chance to win a copy of Under the Cajun Moon by Mindy Starns Clark, compliments of Harvest House Publishers. I will announce the winner next week.

Reflections with Author Sandi Rog

How did the story of The Master's Wall come to be?


I wanted to write a story that I wanted to read. I also thought it would be interesting to find out what it would be like for a child during those turbulent times of the church’s beginning.

I loved learning about Jewish boys. They were required to memorize scriptures from beginning to end. The expectations were amazing.





Just as you experienced the mountaintop of the release of The Master's Wall, you entered the valley of a cancer diagnosis. Can you share a bit of this journey with us?


The very day my book released I was diagnosed with cancer. I think I may have been in shock with my diagnosis, so I wasn’t really “knocked down.” It’s very difficult to describe my emotion. I’d had a few days to digest the information because on a Friday they called me saying they found a “mass,” and on Monday it was confirmed, and I went to have a biopsy done. At the same time (because this all occurred on the same day), I was also so excited about my book releasing, I was passing out bookmarks at the hospital. Crazy.




How is your health now?

My health now is wonderful! I was just released from my oncologist because my cancer is gone! Only, it’s not gone because of any of their treatments. I used B17 (a concentrated form of apricot kernels). After doing a lot of research (thanks to my husband), and my picking up where he left off, I learned that B17 kills all cancers. You can read more about this on my blog: www.sandirog.blogspot.com.




What is next on the horizon for fans of your Iron and the Stone series?

I still have to write the third book, The Father’s Rock. This book comes after Yahshua’s Bridge, which is the second book in the series. Here’s the book jacket blurb of The Father’s Rock:

As a thief, all Ander knows is the master who rescued him after his parents were murdered. Ander's criminal behavior becomes an art and his passion.

During a drunken stupor, his master reveals an uncut amethyst stone shaped like a star. Ander recognizes the unique jewel that once belonged to his father—a stone passed down from generation to generation. Is it possible that the man who rescued him murdered his parents?

Disillusioned, Ander escapes his master and goes in search of his past. Little does he know, the past is waiting for him.

Thank you, Sandi! We eagerly await your next book.

Visit the link below to find books by Sandi Rog.

Iron and the Stone Series

The Master's Wall Book Club Menu & Recipes

I am always amazed at the wonderful variety of recipes and balance of flavors we sample at our quarterly book club meetings. Last week's meeting was no exception.


The Master's Wall by Sandi Rog

Co-coordinator Missy Jones and I planned appetizers, desserts and decor inspired by our book selection, The Master's Wall by Sandi Rog. We set our tables with foods common to Bible times: grapes, olives, herbed cheese and crackers, pistachios, crusty bread and Parmesan olive oil. We asked guests to bring a favorite soup, salad or stew, and Missy treated us to baklava for dessert.

Two of our ladies brought white bean chicken chili. This crave-worthy soup was creamy and comforting with just enough spice to keep it interesting.



White Bean Chicken Chili

This is a great soup to serve to a crowd on a fall evening. Adjust the amount of Rotel according to your preference.

1 (32-ounce block) Velveeta cheese, cut into cubes

2 cans cream of mushroom or cream of chicken soup

3 cups chicken broth

4 chicken breasts boiled and cut into pieces or 3 (12-ounce) cans of white meat chicken, drained

4 cans white navy beans

2 (10-ounce cans) Rotel

1 loaf white mountain or sourdough bread, sliced for dipping

Place the cubed Velveeta in the crock pot on low and stir until melted (or you can melt it on the stove with a little of the broth and transfer it to the crock pot when it is melted). Add the remainder of the ingredients to the crock pot and stir until mixed. Cook on low for about two hours. Serve with the sliced bread, which is delicious dipped in the soup.

 

Sipping a steaming cup of coffee while we nibble our baklava and chat by phone with author Sandi Rog -- an excellent Tuesday night in my book.

Baklava

Missy baked our baklava hours before our book club and kept it uncovered to prevent the flaky Phyllo layers from drying out.

1 (16-ounce) package Phyllo dough

3/4 pound finely chopped nuts

3 sticks butter

1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

1 cup water

1 cup white sugar

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1/2 cup honey

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F(175 degrees C). Butter the bottom and sides of a 9×13 pan. Chop nuts and toss with cinnamon. Set aside. Unroll phyllo dough. Cut whole stack in half to fit pan. Cover phyllo with a dampened cloth to keep from drying out as you work. Place two sheets of dough in pan, butter thoroughly. Repeat until you have 8 sheets layered. Sprinkle 2–3 tablespoons of nut mixture on top. Top with two sheets of dough, butter, nuts, layering as you go. The top layer should be about 6–8 sheets deep. Using a sharp knife, cut into diamond or square shapes all the way to the bottom of the pan. You may cut into 4 long rows to make diagonal cuts. Bake for about 50 minutes until baklava is golden and crisp.

 

Still to come, an interview with author Sandi Rog and the announcement of our next book!

Walls

At last week's quarterly ladies book club meeting, Margie Austin delivered the devotional below. Along with her words of wisdom, Margie brought several artifacts gathered during her husband's archaeological digs in the Holy Lands. I appreciate Margie for sharing her words of wisdom with us.

 

Walls

by Margie Austin

In ancient times, walls were a distinction between a city and a town. Cities had walls; towns were un-walled villages. Walls were strategically placed protection for the cities. They were used to keep people safe inside and to keep enemies out.

 

The Bible references walls many times. The first use is in Genesis 49. In verse 22, Joseph is said to be a “fruitful bough whose branches run over a wall.” Walls are not always stone or brick. In Exodus 14:21-22, God created a “wall of water” for the Israelites to be able to cross the Red Sea.

 

Israelites encountered many walled cities — probably the most famous would be those at Jericho that fell when the Israelites obeyed God and Joshua. You can read about this in Joshua 6.

 

Upon the return of the Israelites from Babylonian captivity in the time of Nehemiah, their first priority was to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem (Nehemiah 2:17). The task was accomplished in 52 days because Nehemiah 6:15 tells us they had a “mind to work.”

 

Then there was King Belshazzar who saw fingers of a man’s hand writing on a wall. Daniel, of course, was the only one who could interpret its meaning (Daniel 5).

 

Even the sacrifice of Christ involved a wall. It is said that He broke down the “middle wall of partition” between the Israelites and the Gentiles (Ephesians 2:14).

 

But what about walls that we face?

 

The Wall of Injustice. Our world has injustices — some real, some imagined. David in the book The Master’s Wall by Sandi Rog should not have been a slave. Alethea should not have had to see her father dragged to his death for becoming a Christian.

 

But God never promised we would have an easy life. Proverbs 16:8 says, “Better is a little with righteousness than great revenues with injustice.” Life is not always fair, but we do serve a just God. Romans 9:14 says, “What shall we say then? Is there injustice on God’s part? By no means!”

 

Wall of Sacrifice. Alethea’s choices in The Master’s Wall caused real physical pain to David. Yet he was willing to take a beating for something he didn’t do. Later David shared his family’s treasured scrolls with others, and he ultimately gave them away to benefit more people. Finally, he gave up a chance for freedom to save Alethea.

 

As Christians, we are called to make sacrifices. Romans 12:1-2 instructs, “I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.”

 

But our sacrifices bring joy. Paul said in Philippians 2:17, “Even if I am to be poured out as a drink offering upon the sacrificial offering of your faith, I am glad and rejoice with you all.”

 

We can give because our Father has given to us. First John 4:10 tells us, “This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.” This passage shows us that the Christian life is not about self.

 

Wall of Forgiveness. David was ultimately able to forgive Alethea, but the greater challenge was for Alethea to forgive herself. Ephesians 1:7 tells us that God has given us a priceless gift: “In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace.” We are unworthy, yet God gives us His grace. In turn, He expects us to forgive others. Ephesians 4:32 urges, “Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.” Romans 4:7 reminds us, “Blessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven, and whose sins are covered.”

 

 

This brings us to The Master’s Wall.

As described in our book club selection, the master's wall represented freedom and imprisonment. David saw the wall as freedom from slavery; he longed to go back to the city and find his sister. Alethea saw the wall as freedom from her grandfather. She had convictions but was impulsive. She made mistakes that were costly to others — she caused real pain. Both characters felt imprisoned by the master’s wall.

 

Several biblical passages address freedom and imprisonment.

 

“For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another” (Galatians 5:13).

“They promise them freedom, but they themselves are slaves of corruption. For whatever overcomes a person, to that he is enslaved” (2 Peter 2:19).

“But take care that this liberty of yours does not somehow become a stumbling block to the weak” (1 Corinthians 8:9).

So does the master’s wall that you face represent freedom or imprisonment? It all depends on who your Master is.


Margie Austin is an elder's wife and active member of the University Church of Christ in Montgomery, Ala., where she is a beloved Bible class teacher. Margie is a mother and grandmother who is widely respected for her Bible knowledge and servant's heart.

Still to come, favorite recipes from this quarter's book club meeting.

 

Book Club Dinner for The Master's Wall by Sandi Rog

A highlight of last week was our quarterly ladies book club dinner and discussion.

The Master's Wall

by Sandi Rog

HE FIGHTS FOR HIS FREEDOM. SHE FIGHTS FOR HER LIFE. TOGETHER, THEY FIGHT FOR EACH OTHER.

After watching Roman soldiers drag his parents away to their death, David, a young Hebrew, is sold and enslaved to serve at a villa outside of Rome. As David trains to become a skilled fighter, he works hard to please his master and hopes to earn his freedom. However, an opportunity to escape tempts him with its whispering call. Freedom beckons, but invisible chains hold him captive to the master's granddaughter, an innocent girl with a fiery spirit. David vows to protect Alethea from his master, the murderous patriarch, and contrives a daring plan—sacrifice his own life to save hers.

 

 

The Master's Wall takes readers on a journey through ancient Rome, where young David is captured and forced into slavery under the wealthy Vibian Cornelius Aloysius. For our book club dinner, we wanted to transport guests to the palace of Aloysius. So co-coordinator Missy Jones and I abandoned our usual meeting room and cluster of round tables for banquet-style seating in the tiled foyer just inside our church building. We set rectangular tables end to end and covered them with tablecloths, which allowed all of us to sit together.

Gilded edges on china plates and goblets and gold-colored chargers, napkins and candle sticks gave our party a regal feel. We placed our appetizers on the table: herbed cheese and crackers, olives, red and green grapes, and crusty rounds of bread with parmesan olive oil for dipping.

 

The golden glow of candlelight -- and friendship -- lit the night as we went over The Master's Wall for a book club dinner to remember.

Still to come this week, more book club fun and the reveal of our latest selection!