Movie Monday

Happy Monday everyone. Hope your week started off well?!

Yesterday I went to see Brooklyn

It was such a beautiful movie. The hair, make-up and costume design was amazing and I honestly wanted to change my wardrobe afterwards.
The movie has a peaceful, quiet beauty about it which just pulls you right in so you feel everything that's going on.
I don't want to say much more about it but you should go and watch it yourself.

xoxo
Ramona
 

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Movie Monday

Another Monday another Movie or well it is the movie my flatmate and I watched on Valentine's Day. Ever since I decided to let Valentine's Day be a fun #treatyoself kind of a day where I celebrate family and friends it's just become a pretty great day which this year was finished off with cheese and popcorn and chocolate cake and Leap Year.

It is just one of those rare and really sweet romantic comedies which make you laugh, swoon, cry and happy. Let's call it a fell good movie and we all need those every once in a while, right?

xoxo
Ramona

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Movie Monday

We just finished our 21 Days of prayer at my church and what better way to end it than with the movie War Room.

 This is such an amazing movie about prayer and how it changes your perspective, your priorities and your life!
It's such a great combination of being funny, sad, heart breaking and it has some amazing teaching in it. I don't want to say much else about it but really recommend you watch it!

xoxo
Ramona

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Movie Monday

Aloha and Happy New Year. May 2016 be the year of fulfillment and harvest and the best year yet.
You might have already guessed the movie I am recommending today: Aloha.

I know this movie received tons and tons of criticism and I get where it is coming from, but I have to say I enjoyed this movie. I find if extremely difficult these days to find a romantic comedy which is fun, clean, entertaining and not full of curse words. So this movie actually was quite refreshing and entertaining and quirky and weird but in a good way.

xoxo

Ramona





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Merry Christmas

"Shine! Keep open house; be generous with your lives. By opening up to others, you’ll prompt people to open up with God, this generous Father in heaven." (Matthew 5:16)

With these words I am wishing you all a reflective, refreshing and wonderful Christmas. Remember that Jesus is the Light of the World!
May 2016 be a year of generosity, fulfillment and love.

xoxo

Ramona

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Slowing down, Christmas gifts and giving back

Every Christmas season I come to this point where I start planning my gifts and parties and decorations where I just stop hold up for a moment and ask myself where I want to go with it all meaning "am I going to allow the season and its business or the commercialization of the season to take over? Or am I going to put things in place and give gifts in such a way that it is meaningful, reflective and points to Jesus?"
Because it is quite easy to fall into it all. I don't think that giving gifts is wrong. I just think by having another attitude and by having moments which slow me down I counter the culture of commercialization. I know this is personal and I am not changing a whole culture with it, but I don't mean to. I am changing my culture and the way I perceive the season.

This year slowing down the season meant taking two afternoons to be creative. My neighbors came up and we made wreaths together, drank tea and talked about creativity and Christmas and the other time they came up and we baked Christmas cookies together. We had community together, we talked, we lit candles we celebrated Advent and nothing slows you down like having to wait for baked goods to come out of the oven. Later that afternoon we met the rest of the neighbors out on the street and made a fire. We sat there together as the it flickered and talked about food and life. We talked about Jesus and the beautiful gift he gave us. Because that is what it is all about and everything we do should always point to him!
This year the verse I chose for my Christmas cards was all about being light and shining and being generous with our lives. I still feel so very blessed about where I live and the apartment I have and I don't take it for granted. On the other hand I want to give it back to God by being generous with my life and keeping open house. That is why my flatmate and I have people over all the time. We host parties and gatherings and Connect groups and movie nights. That for me is giving back from what I have been given.
So it was a given that Melina and I hosted our annual Open House Adventsparty. And again it was so cozy and fun and loud and felt like Christmas was in the house. There is nothing like community and being together with friends.

But now for the presents. I think giving presents on Christmas is another way to show and give back what Jesus has given us. His ultimate gift of forgiveness and reconciliation with the father.
So yes I do buy gifts but I try to make them meaningful or they are gifts of time or gifts of dates. And I also make a lot of gifts like the banana breads I make every year for my friends. This year I also made bath salts and granola for stocking stuffers.

At the end of the day it is all about your attitude. Be reflective of this Holiday, take time apart to meditate on this time and be a blessing for others.

xoxo
Ramona

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Thursday Tunes

I love Christmas and I also love Christmas music. Come December 1 I turn on the Christmas music. I always try to find new interpretations of old song or ways to incorporate non Christmas songs into the season to bring a nice diversity to the music.
So I thought I should share this playlist with you with my current favorite Christmas songs. And since I am a big Elvis fan you will find not only one but two Elvis Christmas songs. I called the playlist "rustic romance Christmas" because it features some truly romantic acoustic versions of well known songs as well as some good vintage pieces you wouldn't want to miss.
I strongly suggest not hitting the Shuffle button but listening from start to finish (it makes the most sense).
As always you can listen here or listen and follow directly on spotify.




xoxo
Ramona

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