Field Trip Friday #5 {Ode to Milo}

So last Friday we had big plans. Hunter was getting off work early and we were headed to the mountains! Not really BIG plans I guess... but we were still really excited to enjoy a drive through the mountains and a fun dinner.

Then Milo ESCAPED!! Which he never does.

Instead of fun Friday date night we spent the entire evening walking/ driving around the neighborhood yelling for this guy.

By the time it got dark I was a wreck! Hunter actually went to FedEx to print missing dog posters... and then he came home with sweet Milo in his arms :)

Some wonderful neighbors had picked him up and showed him some hospitality in the form of a backyard and a bite of dinner.

Not exactly a field trip but quite the adventure none the less!

And we've rescheduled the mountain drive for tonight. Woo! I can't wait :)

LOVE this dog! So glad you're back Milo.

The Sing Off?

Seriously, does anyone else LOVE The Sing Off? Please someone say yes. I really love it so much.

Mostly because Ben Folds is a judge I think... I really like Ben Folds. Especially when he sings The Luckiest. Go ahead and listen. I would listen with you, but it makes me cry. Every single time. I waited in the back of the church with my daddy while my bridesmaids walked down the aisle to this song more than 3 years ago.

Anyway... The Singoff. So good right?! If you haven't seen it yet, it's an all a cappella singing contest and it blows me away. People are so amazingly talented! The winners from last season are a group called Committed. They are seriously unbelievable. But what I think was so cool about them is that they were confident in their gifts and they used them for the glory of God. Even though they were on tv and it was risky for their popularity. Also cool to me was how much everyone respected them for it. They definitely made an impact for Jesus by fearlessly using the talents He has given them.

Today I pray that I would...

#1 be able to decipher what it is God is calling me to do for him.

#2 do it well!

#3 give him the glory. Fearlessly.

"In his grace, God has given us different gifts for doing certain things well. So if God has given you the ability to prophesy, speak out with as much faith as God has given you. If your gift is serving others, serve them well. If you are a teacher, teach well. If your gift is to encourage others, be encouraging. If it is giving, give generously. If God has given you leadership ability, take the responsibility seriously. And if you have a gift for showing kindness to others, do it gladly."

{Romans 12:6-8}

And if he gave you an incredible voice, try out for season 4 of The Sing Off. Do it.

Heartsy

So have you all heard of Heartsy?! Click here. Seriously, you will not regret it. I may be way behind, but I just learned about this amazing website. It's basically Groupon for Etsy. SO FUN.

Anyway, I would love to run a Sugar Mama deal to kick off my new store. The more votes I get, the more likely I am to be accepted and get to run a 60% off deal! If you have a second, just click here. It takes about a minute to vote... Unless you find a couple other deals you want while you're there :)

Giveaway

Check out this amazing picture of sweet Lily in her cupcake hat :)

And her cupcake dress... She's my best marketing!

Also check out this great big group giveaway Sugar Mama Bakeshop is participating in this weekend! If you're interested you can win a free cupcake mix plus a TON of other awesome stuff! Ok I'm out. Happy weekend!

{Field Trip Friday} #4 Canvas & Cocktails

Last Friday I got to go out with my beautiful sister-in-law while Hunter & Lily hung out at home. So fun!!

Have you heard of canvas and cocktails? It's wonderful! You get instructions so no painting experience is necessary... and it's amazing how "creative" 2 glasses of wine will make you when you haven't drank in almost a year :)

This was actually our Christmas present to Hayley... yeah that's how we roll. Luckily she's patient.

I highly recommend this place. It was such a great girls' night! AND I can check off #23 on my list because I'm hanging this baby up!

Whoa. It's FALL?!

Yesterday morning I sat here sipping my hot coffee and eating oatmeal with cinnamon in jeans and a sweater while I played with my THREE MONTH old. What?! It's fall?

It's crazy to me that summer is gone, but I'm actually more excited than normal. Summer is my very favorite and I usually go through a semi-depressed funk this time of year. Yep, a funk. Not because fall in Colorado isn't gorgeous, just because it's short and it means cold is coming. Plus fall is the greatest time to live in Missouri so I get really homesick. (Are you reading this mom? I know that made you smile... and cry :) I love you!)

Anyway this year it's different. I didn't have a tan all summer because I spent way too much time in our air conditioner deprived home either being huge and miserable or taking care of a wee little baby. So this cool breeze and the ability to turn the oven back on and bake again is pretty comforting.

Now, if you'll excuse me, I think I'll put on a hoodie and have another pumpkin spice muffin and a cup of coffee. Have a happy Thursday!

PS-> Sugar Mama got some press!! So exciting! (VegNews)

Get your craft on: 10 minute onesie

Yesterday I was in super productive mode. I took an internet vacation and it was good! My house is clean, laundry is done AND I did a craft :) So here it is. The 10 minute onesie (and a headband too).

*Quick side note before we get started. I seriously glue gunned this bad boy together & I have some doubts about it surviving the wash. I think I'll add a few stitches for reinforcement so I may have to call it a 15 minute project. If you're real fancy you could even use your sewing machine.

Let's start with the headband. I cut some cute ribbon that I already had and glued it to a little but of elastic. Ta-dah! A headband :) Then I added a rosette of course. (They're so easy! Just cut a strip of fabric. Tie a knot in one end. Twist and glue!) For those of you who like nice & neat projects, I'm sure there is a much nicer way to make a headband, but for those of you who want to take cute pictures of your baby girl in a new headband in a minute and a half-do this!

Now for the onesie. First I did this cute ruffle on the butt! It was so simple and I really would recommend gluing it first even if you're going to add stitching because it seems like it would make life easier that way. You just find a cute ribbon and basically loop and glue all the way across.

Next I made a larger rosette (by twisting a longer strip of fabric) and glued it to the front of the onseie with a ribbon stem. It's a little heavy and the part I'm most worried about falling off. Anyway, that's it. Pretty cute huh!? And now, my lovely model.

{Field Trip Friday} #3: Airplane Park

Last week was the most beautiful Field Trip Friday!!! The weather could not have been more perfect for an afternoon in the park with Auntie Hayley :)

We got to sit in the shade and talk, go on a walk and take LOTS of Lily pictures (luckily Hayley has a great camera and is a WAY better photographer than yours truly)! I love these so much!

I asked her to take these when Lily fell asleep on our walk and they are so precious to me. She falls asleep like this several times a day and every time I stare at her and wish I could capture the moment. No, my baby can't self soothe yet. And yes, that means I could be getting more sleep/ more done if she did. But she loves to snuggle in here mama's arms and I know that won't last forever. So I sing and sway and walk around the (messy) house and stare at this perfect face. Sometimes I tear up. What of it? :)

Thanks for the amazing pictures Hayley! I can guarantee someday I will be sad that my little baby is all grown up and I'll look at these pictures and thank you again... Then I'll make her snuggle with me. Even if she's 15 and hates my guts. I'll tell her she has to snuggle or she can't go out. That will go over well I'm sure :)

Field Trip Friday is the greatest! Who else did something wonderful/ has fun plans?!

Get you craft on: Leg warmers!

Baby leg warmers might just be the greatest craft.

The other day fall decided to make itself at home in Denver. It has been nice and cool (I would even say chilly today) and I realized Lily doesn't have any warm clothes. Sun dresses? Sure. Probably enough for 8 baby girls. But, no pants. So she wore her Baby Legs that my sweet friend Julie gave her. They are wonderful and we need more! But why buy leg warmers when you've got a perfectly good pair of scissors and some $3 socks from Target?

I just chopped the feet off of some $3 knee high socks and hemmed them up. (Actually Bekah and I both did while our husbands played war video games.) We whipped up three pairs of these babies in about half an hour. That's a good craft... quick. easy. cute.

Honestly, what's not to love? SO much easier than taking off pants every time you change a diaper too! Hurray leg warmers!

Sugar Mama Bakeshop

I have something to share with you that is really special to me. Most of you already know about my little baking business, but if you don't I bake gluten free & vegan cupcakes, muffins and cookies. They're my own recipes and I bake everything from scratch. I'm selling in the cutest little flower shop and working on getting into a few coffee shops around town. I pray that God will use it as a way to bless our family financially so that I can continue staying at home with Lil AND Hunter can go back to school full-time and finish his environmental biology degree way faster!

Anyway, I have been getting a lot of cupcake requests from out-of-towners but unfortunately I just can't find a great way to ship. Sooooo I created Sugar Mama Cupcakes Mixes! Yay! I'm super excited about them :)

If you click the button on my right side bar it will take you to my new etsy shop where you can buy the mixes. They are perfect for gifts- especially if you know someone with gluten or dairy allergies and even if you don't have allergies they are made with high quality ingredients like organic fair trade cane sugar. If you're like my husband and scared to try something because it's "gluten free", then I dare you to try these cupcakes. I've made a serious believer out of him :) Plus if you don't love them I'll give you your money back. No joke! I swear they're that good.

Oh yeah, and if you use the coupon code GRANDOPEN you can have free shipping too. Your welcome :) I hope you LOVE the cupcakes and have a happy Wednesday!

{PS if you would be interested in doing a Sugar Mama feature post or giveaway I would be so excited! I have been praying very specifically about the shop & I feel that the Lord will provide ways for me to get the word out so that I can get kick-started. If you feel so called just shoot me an email: sugarmamabakeshop@gmail.com}

Beauty

The other day I was reading a daily devotion from Reflections for Ragamuffins by Brennan Manning. {By the way, have you ever read Ragamuffin Gospel? I think you should. Brennan Manning is so in LOVE with our Jesus and it's absolutely beautiful the way he writes about grace.} Anyway, I read this:

The narcissistic obsession with weight watching in North America

is a formidable ploy of the impostor. Despite the valid and

important health factor, the amount of time and energy devoted to

acquiring and maintaining a slender figure is staggering. No snack is

unforeseen, no nibble spontaneous, no calorie uncharted, no

strawberry left uncounted... To paraphrase Cardinal Wolsey, "Would

that I had served my God the way I have watched my waistline!"

All of a sudden it hit me. It is going to be hard raising a woman of God in this society of ours! My sweet daughter will be bombarded with image after image of an unattainable, airbrushed, worldly "beauty". How am I going to help her desire to be "clothed with strength and dignity (prov 31:25)" instead of expensive designer labels? How will I teach her to truly believe that she is "fearfully and wonderfully made (psalm 139:14)"?

I prayed about it a lot. And do you know what? It's my responsibility to SHOW her! Do I desire God more than the opinions of others? Do I genuinely believe that God creates beauty and that He created me exactly the way I am. On purpose. To be honest, not always. But I'm definitely working on it.

I've made a rule not to ever speak negatively about myself in front of my daughter. No weight comments, or unaccepted compliments. Don't get me wrong, I think it's very important to teach her to eat healthy and be active, but she needs to grow up seeing that I believe this body is wonderful. Without this body I wouldn't even have my precious Lily Belle, so I forgive it for not being a perfectly toned size 2. I pray that she will grow up so focused on Jesus and loving others that she doesn't even notice all of the unrealistic images telling her what she "should" look like.

And I pray that you will consider making yourself a similar rule. Thank God today for beautiful body he has given you. Show your kids what it looks like to pursue Jesus instead of an unattainable body image.

"Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting;

but a woman who loves the Lord is to be praised."

Proverbs 31:30

Grandparents Day

Happy grandparents day!! I had no idea it was today until I looked at my planner and sure enough. Since we've got a lot of brand new grandparents in our lives I thought they should be celebrated.

So happy day to you Gigi & Grandpa Brad, Mor mor & Grandpa Gary! You are fabulous parents and Lily is a lucky lucky little lady to have you as grandmas and grandpas. Thank you for EVERYTHING!! We love you so so much.

And a happy grandparents day to you Grandma Ree & Pa! Thanks for being wonderful grandparents and now GREAT grandparents :)

We love you all!

{Field Trip Friday} #2

Good moooooooorning! (I just sang that out loud by the way.) I have never been the kind of girl who sings about mornings being good. BUT this one is SO good. I'm sitting here with my coffee, reading lovely blogs after 8 whole hours of sleep. In a row. Call me a morning person :)

Now let's talk about how it's Friday! I have an entire field trip weekend to fill you in on.

Last Friday started with birthday dinner at PF Chang's, where I was thrilled to find a flourless gluten-free chocolate cake. Yes please! It was rich and delicious... and I ordered it with a cup of black coffee. Yep. I'm officially 26 going on 52.

Lily was the only one we ended up with a picture of at PF Chang's. I love how she stares at her daddy!

Two of my favorite friends came from Missouri on Saturday and it was lovely!

I met Melanie and Megan freshman year of college in the dorms and we all ended up living together again senior year. It's so crazy to think this trip actually celebrated SEVEN years of friendship. Sorry to age you ladies but it's true :)

The weather was gorgeous for their visit! We hung out on South Pearl Street (where Hunter & I dream of living some day), had coffee at Stella's (my very fave) & made my Saturday Sugar Mama cupcake delivery to The Ruffly Rose.

Sunday we hiked and went to Blue Bonnet (our favorite Mexican restaurant) for dinner. Such a wonderful weekend full of field trips! Love you sweet friends :) Thanks for coming to Denver!

I've got another fun Friday planned with my lovely sis and since I'm way more rested than I ever thought I would be again, it should be good :)

What did you do last Friday? What are your plans today? I would love to hear about your fun!

List update.

Last year I made myself a goal list to complete by my 26th birthday. Well, last August I still had no idea that I would be adding 9 (and 1/2) months of pregnancy & keep a baby alive for 2 months to the list. In light of that I've decided to give myself tons of grace on the rest of the list... especially climbing a 14er, get a tat and go snowboarding. Unfortunately I have NO excuse for failing to give up caffeine.

Anyhoo, here's where I'm at a year later. I think I'll revise a bit and keep working on it. Here's to another year!

25 things to do while I'm still 25:

1. Take a photography class Sad. This really needs to happen.
2. Grow my hair really long It's getting there very slowly.
3. Get a tatoo
4. Climb a 14er with Tyler We did actually hike a few weeks ago... No 14er though
5. Make or buy a headboard for our bed Not yet but I LOVE this idea!

Source: google.com via Ashley on Pinterest

6. Read a classic novel
7. Bake every recipe in The Flying Apron cook book I've done a few but I've got a ways to go.
8. Visit/meet Ruth CHECK! AND the Fieleke's have even met Lily :)
9. Wear a nose ring
10. Run a 10k Working on a 5k right now. Possibly a 10k to follow?
11. Snowboard again at least once
12. Send more cards to people I love I would say I've done a far better job!
13. Help Griselda get all As & Bs next semester
14. Read a new Rob Bell book
15. Watch a great indie movie no one has ever hear of I've tried but keep ending up with really weirdo movies... any suggestions?
16. San Diego
17. Take a bike ride downtown with my love CHECK!
18. Do a bike pub crawl CHECK!
19. Watch Trav in a band competition We got to see him in the homecoming parade.
20. Finish the last season of LOST CHECK! We're officially done :)
21. Read the old testament Anyone know of a good book/guide to help with this?
22. Journal every day for a whole month I'm improving for sure even if I haven't made it an entire month consecutively.
23. Make a piece of art to hang in our house
24.Give up caffeine for a whole month ONot even close and now that I'm sleeping a whole 5 hours a night I don't even want this one anymore :)
25. By this time next year I would LOVE to have replaced my current income and be baking full time! Hmm... Not exactly :) But it is my only source of income due to other circumstances :)

Creative force of love.

"Satan's desire is to turn me in on myself to the extent that I become enslaved and become a destructive force in community. The thrust from Jesus Christ is the opposite- to enhance my freedom so that I can become a creative force of love. It is the spirit of self-centeredness & selfishness versus the spirit of openness & self-sacrifice for the good of others."

-Dietrich Bonhoeffer

Source: google.com via Ashley on Pinterest

I want to be a creative force of love. Anybody else? I'm not sure what it's going to look like but I've been feeling really called to do some lovin' with my creativity. I think I just use it selfishly so many times, which is so sad. I make beauty for myself to enjoy, or I try to figure out how to make money with it, or I think of the process as an escape or relaxation. Not that these are bad things.

But it shouldn't stop there. Hunter and I have been talking a lot lately about finances and what it looks like to truly set aside our pride and trust God to provide for us. I've been struggling since I quit my job because I feel this need to help provide income and I get so caught up in it sometimes that I'm stressed which leads to me not being the best mom to Lily Belle. THAT IS LAME.

That is also why I think I'm feeling such a strong desire to give. I want to be truly generous with the blessings God is giving us. That doesn't mean that as soon as God starts providing us with ___ amount of money we will start donating a tiny portion of it. Unfortunately that's how I tend to think of it. It means that we have a comfortable place to sleep at night, clothing, way to many shoes, an amazing support system, a steady income, health insurance and so much more. It means that if God wants us to own a little house for our children to grow up in, he will provide a way and I don't need to lose any more sleep about it.

It means that I don't have a ton of money to spare but I have got to stop being so dang self-centered. I need to be giving my creativity & my love freely.

If any of you other creative lovers are feeling a similar desire please get in touch with me! Let's be one in heart and mind...let's share everything we have {Acts 4:32}.

"Free is not your right to choose,

It's answering what's asked of you

To give the love you find until it's gone."

-The Avett Brothers