Go Greeno

8 months

2012-02-28T18:12:00.003-08:00

Sweetest baby is 8 months old already!! Where oh where has the time gone?

This month Lil started pulling up to things... coffee tables, couches, stairs, mama's legs :)

Look out world, next she'll be running!

She has also decided that she LOVES food!

Among her faves:

bananas, Mum Mum wafers, blueberry puffs, tofu & rice

(anything she can feed herself)

Things I never want to forget about right now:

How soft those squishy little cheeks are when I smooch them.

The little "monster" noises she makes when she eats. mmm mmm mmmm

The laugh that uncle Tyler swears could soften evil dictators :)

It is truly the sweetest sound I've ever heard.

Lily isn't much of a snuggler.

She's way too busy exploring & finding things to climb.

But those rare sweet moments when her eyes get heavy and her head drops to my shoulder are some of my very favorite.

We finally won the good fight and have a baby that sleeps!

A little Rainbow Connection or Amazing Grace & a smooch and we can put her down without a fight :) It usually takes a few minutes of jabbering to herself and she's down for the count (12 hours at night & a 2 hour a.m. nap!)

Favorite things: peek-a-boo, standing, Milo's food bowl, bath time

Un-favorites: headbands & hats, having her face wiped

7 months

2012-01-27T13:18:00.000-08:00

So I'm finally getting around to a 7 month update.

Miss Lily,

You are getting to be SO much fun!
You're developing quite a little attitude.

And the sweetest smile :)

You are most definitely mobile!

You do a funny army crawl/scootch & you roll all around.

Biggest milestone this month:

Your SLEEP!

Unfortunately this one has been a long time coming,

But we finally figured out a schedule that works and life is good!

3 naps a day & you only wake up once at night (if that).

Oh. I almost forgot...

You're STANDING!!!! What!?!

I keep telling you you're not old enough, but it doesn't slow you down.

You can pull yourself up if you have a ledge to hang onto and you love to stand and play with you toys now.

So crazy!

You are amazing, my little love.

I'm loving the constant mamamamama and dadadadada babble.

Can't wait to see what the next month brings.

At this rate I'm afraid you'll be reading me books by March ;)

Lil's Second First Christmas

2012-01-18T20:10:00.000-08:00

We finally got to have Christmas in Missouri! Actually it was a week and a half ago but I'm finally blogging about it :) And to be honest I don't have a whole lot of Christmasy pictures. But I do have some cute travel shots of baby girl. Lookin' like a big girl sitting next to daddy on the plane.

NOT enjoying the road trip portion but finally giving in to a little nap.

Hanging out with grandpa Brad. They're already buds :)

The main event of this trip was actually Brooke's wedding. We grew up with Brooke and Shea. It was so fun to see her so so happy. Her wedding was absolutely gorgeous and perfect!

LOVE the thrifted vases and silver branches. The whole thing was beautiful.

Brooke & Wojtek looked like they were straight out of a magazine. Look how glamorous!

Here's a great shot of Lily being the boss of Uncle Trey ;)

And we caught grandma loving on Lily... even with a BRONCOS outfit on. My Grandma & Pa babysat during the reception. Lil was kind of a punk, but we still got to bust a few moves. It was such a fun night!

There we go. I'm officially done with holiday posts and can move on with my life. Thank you.

Lil's First Christmas

2012-01-04T07:41:00.000-08:00

Christmas 2011 has been an interesting one... and a practice in patience. Brooke's wedding is Jan 7 so we don't get to go home until tomorrow. Hayley's gone so we won't do Christmas with Hunter's fam until we get back. But we did have our own sweet little restful Christmas.

(I know it's probably mean... but what a cute picture :)

(I call this one "Christmas Feast". This baby LOVES her peas and carrots!)

(Loving her new toy from grandma & grandpa Greeno)

(Patiently waiting for dad to assemble his first Christmas toy.)

(Apparently she wishes she got doggie breath mints instead? :) Milo's loving his too!)

(Hunter's gift from me. Also notice my most recent Goodwill treasure... the $4 headboard!! Crazy right? Can't wait to paint it!)

I don't have a picture of my gift because Hunter is taking me out for a night on the town... An all-nighter downtown actually! Our first night w/o a baby since June 26th!!

New plan.

2012-01-01T21:41:00.000-08:00

When I started blogging a year and a half ago it was to #1) document our life and #2) keep family and friends updated and in the loop.

Recently I've kind of blurred my blog with my biz, which was cool except then I started feeling pressure to post about interesting things and to post regularly and to try and get followers etc...

SO I'm changing things up a bit for 2012. I have a beautiful new blog design over at Sugar Mama Bakeshop and I've set some goals to try and be a better blogger over there. I hope to post lots of yummy gluten free & vegan recipes, occasional shop discounts and specials, and even some giveaways!

Meanwhile here at gogreeno I'll be posting a LOT of Lily pictures and day to day stories. The kinds of stuff grandmas will really love :) Just thought I would give ya a heads up! Happy 2012!

Happy Happy New Year!

2011-12-31T16:23:00.000-08:00

Source: youtube.com via Courtney on Pinterest

6 months

2011-12-27T20:20:00.001-08:00

Happy 6 months Lily Belle!

16 lb 5 oz (58%)

27 3/4 inches (98%)

You love to smile, eat (peas, carrots & rice cereal!), roll and giggle.

You have 2 bottom teeth and more on the way!

You're so close to crawling already. It seems so soon, but girl when you set your mind to something, you get it done. I hope you stay that way forever :)

You are by far the most beautiful thing I have ever had a part in creating.

The past 6 months have been challenging, stressful, precious, amazing and FAST.

I can't wait for the rest of this incredible first year!

I love you more than I ever thought possible.

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-24T22:10:00.001-08:00

So our Christmas card just didn't happen this year. I thought about it. Then I got stressed out thinking about gathering everyone's addresses again because I didn't keep good track of them last time. I thought about addressing and stamping and licking envelopes (so sick). Then I decided to play the "I'm a new mom" card :) I don't believe it's a season for stress, so I'm just making a Christmas blog post instead... at 11:30 on Christmas eve... while my husband sleeps and my baby eats. See, I am a new mom.

So a very Merry Christmas to you & yours.

From me & mine.

I hope it's full of shortbread cookies,

precious family,

gingerbread cupcakes,

and wonderful memories .

Love, Ashley

Baby Dedication

2011-12-22T14:16:00.001-08:00

Sunday December 11, 2011

We dedicated miss Lily Belle at church a couple weeks ago. It was such a sweet reminder that we are committed to raising our blessing to know and love Jesus.

You can be my new best friend.

2011-12-20T10:33:00.000-08:00

So I entered a recipe contest!!! I decided to share my very favorite cookie recipe. It's the first gluten free & vegan recipe I created, it inspired me to start a business and it's even the Sugar Mama namesake :) PLEASE go to the the Gluten-Free Cookie Swap and "like" my recipe. I could win a kitchen aid mixer! Oh, and you'll be my new best friend. Thanks!

Field Trip Friday {Canvas & Cupcakes)

2011-12-17T13:51:00.000-08:00

Ok so it's Saturday, but I didn't get this posted yesterday. LAST Friday I had a Canvas & Cupcakes birthday party for Hunter's sister, Hayley. It was SO fun!

Nichole and Nina were my co hosts :) Nichole actually taught the painting part and brought tons of supplies so that was a life saver. Nina did snacks and last minute setup when Lil decided to have a meltdown (and I was still hot gluing party favors) with a half hour til party time!

The party favors were teeny little canvasses that I made into ornaments. Plus, they doubled as place settings when hung from the easels!

And the pinterest inspired paint palette cupcake display that I'm super proud of :)

This party was such a fun way to get to know new people because it's so interactive! I loved getting to know Hayley's friends.

And here are a couple finished projects. Beautiful!

Happy Birthday Hayley :)

CRAFTS!!!!!!!!

2011-12-14T14:32:00.000-08:00

Hello!! So who's ready to get their craft on!?! Jamie is so sweet and has a super cute blog. She is here to inspire us all to DIY some perfect gifts :)

Hi friends of Ashley! I'm Jamie from Snow In December, and I'm here today to share with you some inexpensive, DIY ideas for your all Christmas gift-giving needs! To me, hand-made gifts always leave a lasting impression.

Most of the pins I've chosen to share today take no special skills. I encourage you to dust off your craft supplies and get to work, putting a little love (and glue) into each hand-made gift! Your friends and family will thank you for it.

**Each of these ideas came from my pin-boards. There's lots more inspiration where that came from if you want to check me out on Pinterest. I'm kind of a big deal. (Nooooooo, Not really!) ;0)
For Your Artsy Friend:

Source: westermanfam.blogspot.com via Jamaymay on Pinterest

For Your Fashion-Savvy Friend:

Source: iammommahearmeroar.blogspot.com via Jamaymay on Pinterest

For Your Bestie:

Source: u-createcrafts.com via Jamaymay on Pinterest

For Your Hubs:

Source: thedatingdivas.com via Jamaymay on Pinterest

For Your Little Man:

Source: followinginmyshoes.com via Jamaymay on Pinterest

Source: mineforthemaking.blogspot.com via Jamaymay on Pinterest

And Your Little Woman:

Source: etsy.com via Jamaymay on Pinterest

Source: jamieespo.blogspot.com via Jamaymay on Pinterest

For the Couple You Double Date With:

Source: google.com via Jamaymay on Pinterest

For the Grandparents:

Source: lilluna.com via Jamaymay on Pinterest

Source: somewhatsimple.com via Jamaymay on Pinterest

For the cute baby in your life:

Source: meggyolks.tumblr.com via Jamaymay on Pinterest

HAPPY Crafting!

Field trip Friday {parade of lights}

2011-12-09T01:19:00.000-08:00

Last Friday night (12.2.11) we ventured downtown in the snow and cold for the Parade of Lights! Hunter got grand stand tickets for free at work so we got to sit in the bleachers right at the start of the parade. So fun! I've never had actual seats to a parade and the news anchor was only a few seats away. We definitely felt VIP :)

(Oh, and Lily came because this is what she looks like when we try and give her a bottle... so we can't leave her with anyone for longer than about 3 hours.)

Dang it, we really dropped the ball on the bottle thing. I swore my baby would get used to a bottle so that Hunter and I could always have enough alone time... but we gave her one a couple time when she was brand new and she didn't even bat an eye so I thought we were good to go... turns out she forgot. Also turns out she's real picky and perhaps even a bit stubborn. But that's neither here not there.

Look how sleepy she is. This is right before the parade started and she fell asleep all snuggle up to daddy :) What a cutie.

Our attempt at a family photo. Dang, it was cold.

Or seats were right in front of the City and County building and we got to go inside to warm up and eat free cookies whenever we wanted. See, VIP. Here is what it looked like when we got there.

And this is it after the official lighting that kicked off the parade. So pretty!

This is the CSU drumline. I just always take pictures of the drummers because they remind me of Travi :) Again, Lil just slept right on through.

Even though it was stinkin' cold, and we had to keep our baby out way past bedtime like bad parents, we had such a fun (and much needed) date night! (Don't worry, Lily forgave us and only cried a little on the way home.) We're even getting somewhat of a nap schedule figure out. It's a Christmas miracle!

Sweet Baby

2011-12-07T20:11:00.000-08:00

My sweet baby is 5 1/2 months old already. It is so fun watching her grow and learn more every single day, but it's killing me how fast she is changing! My brother's gf Beth took these amazing pictures the other day. I'm in love :) Beth has her own photography business, Yellow Feather Photography. She is so talented! Thank you Beth :)

Sweet baby has a tooth already!

As you can see, she's also sitting up like a pro!

Love this sweet booty :)

This one is my very favorite. I bought this getup on after-Christmas clearance last year when I was pregnant! I was SO excited to snuggle a little baby in this year and holy cow, here she is! I could have never imagined how perfect my little reindeer would be :)

Another DIY Christmas gift {Happy Find}

2011-12-05T07:00:00.000-08:00

Hello there. I'm back with more Christmas gift ideas! Happy Find is one of the first blogs I fell in love with. Venus is so sweet and fun and her crafts are always so bright and cheerful! Today she is here to share a great DIY gift idea... but if you're not in the mood to make it yourself then definitely check out her shop. She has the most adorable aprons and pincushions. I treated myself to a sweet little mini pincushion that I LOVE and I bought an apron as a gift and had a REALLY hard time letting it go :)

Hello sweets!

My name is Venus and I'm the happy craftin' gal from Happy Find. Crafting is my drug. When the babes are tended to and the chores are done, you'll find me in my little craft space making pretty things. And speaking of pretty things... boy do I have a tutorial for you!

Ashley has invited me to share with you a tutorial that I actually posted several years back, but this time, it's with a twist. I had this vision in my head. I wanted to make a little wooden doll, reminiscent of a Matroyshka if you will, but I didn't want to paint a face on it. I wanted to have Lala (my wee one's) face instead.

I have been tinkering with several different transfer techniques, (HERE, HERE and HERE) none came close to the clarity and quality of what I was envisioning, especially when you're working with a curved surface. So after a few tries - a few failures, I came up with this:

Cute, right?

So let's take it to another level...

Let's make a greeting spool!

A perfect little gift for the special peeps in your life. A treasure to keep forever!

So enough of my jibba-jabba and let's get craftin'!

***

SUPPLIES:

As shown above:

-hot glue gun.

-iron on sheets.

-fabric (preferably lightweight white cotton).

-mod podge.

-scissors.

-acrylic paint and paint brushes.

-wooden thread spool.

-wooden ball with a flat bottom (or a wooden bead or wooden doll head will work).

NOT shown ( I just plum forgot to add in the pic):

-varnish.

-an iron & ironing board.

-ribbon, felt, paper and/or fabric to use for your actual greeting.

***

First, measure your wooden ball to determine the size of face to print out.

***I printed out several different sizes on a piece of paper first to figure out the right size.***

Once you figure that out, then print the picture onto your iron on transfer sheet. Don't forget to "mirror" your image if you want your image to face in a certain direction.

Next, follow manufacturer's directions and transfer the photo onto your fabric. I highly recommend lightweight cotton fabric in white. It's easier to work with.

Cut out your child's face.

Place photo on wooden ball for placement and decoupage using Mod Podge.

Once you decoupaged (such a fancy word), it should look something like this.

Now paint around the face. I painted a little bit on the photo along the edge.

Once you're done painting and the paint is all nice and dry, it's going to look a little "rough" or dull.

Paint a thin coat of varnish and set aside to dry. It's going to look all shiny and prrretty!

While that's drying, you can start dressing up your spool. For ideas, tips and just plain know how, hop over to my ol' tutorial (click on the photos below to take you there).

Go on... I'll be here waiting.

Okie-dokie...

Once you have your spool all done and pretty, your doll head should be dry and ready. Using your hot glue gun, attach the head to the spool and...

drum roll, please...

You're done! Now all you have to do is admire your handy-dandy work and wrap it up. Easy, right?

Now if making little greeting spools isn't your cup o'tea, than how about making an awesome chess set using photos of friends and family? How's that for a cool handmade gift for Christmas?! Or how about making one into a necklace? Or even a set of dolls of the family for a special little girl to play house with? Or for boys, making them into mini super heroes? AH! The possibilities!

The wooden balls and spools I got from Michaels and JoAnn's. I'm thinking of buying some of these next time:

Photo via: I Used To Be A Tree

photo via: Goose Grease Undone

***

Oh my dear friends, it's time I mosey on outta here. Thank you, Ashley for having me over! It was fun.

Have a blessed magical holiday season

Keep craftin'!!!

Thanksgiving in Pratt, KS

2011-11-29T07:36:00.000-08:00

I have this problem. Sometimes when I'm having a really great time (and usually at special occasions) I just completely forget to take out my camera at all. Which is because I'm totally enjoying the moment and that's awesome. But then I'm always sad later because I don't have any pictures. Thanksgiving was no exception. I did get a few shots of Lil with some of her main men :)

Snuggling with daddy.

Admiring the Christmas lights at Lemon Park with Uncle Travis.

Kicking off the Christmas Light walk with Uncle Trey.

I'm pretty sure Uncle Tyler may have been trying to get her to nap with him in this one... Looks like she's winning :)

The last one is Hunter and I enjoying the walk together while my brothers wore the baby! It was really sweet... until we were joined by 3 cut little cousins who needed to "share" the blanket! haha So fun! I don't have any road trip pictures either but we made the 7 1/2 hour trip with Tyler and Beth (and Lily did great!) Happy first Grimes Thanksgiving Lily and Beth!!!!

PS I have a winner! Email me Beth! You lucky dance queen :)

Black Friday Dance Party GIVEAWAY Extravaganza!!!!!!

2011-11-25T01:00:00.000-08:00

Yeah I'm pretty excited about it.

Hope you all had an amazing, relaxing, Thanksgiving... and I hope you're ready to win some awesome free stuff :)

Here's the deets:

*Visit each shop and tell me your fave item (4 entries total).

*Tweet about this giveaway with a link!

*Like each of the shops on facebook or follow on twitter (4 entries total).

*Follow gogreeno (so I can get in touch with you when you win!)

Moxie Mandie

Mug Rug's are the coolest! Mandie is giving away one of her hand sewn, one-of-a-kind, oversized coasters! Isn't it beautiful :)

shop . blog . twitter . facebook

Toaster's Transformations

How sweet is this Christmasy hair clip? It is an upcycled beauty and Amanda is giving it away!

shop . blog . twitter . facebook

Grace for Grace

Tiffany's art is so pretty and encouraging! She is giving away a print of your choice!

shop . twitter . facebook

Sugar Mama Bakeshop

The final item is from yours truly :) I'm giving a mix of your choice!

shop . twittter . facebook

**Please leave a comment for each entry :)

** ALSO the first commenter gets a FREE extra entry... Just because. But only if you comment with "I'm the queen of the black friday dance party"! For real. If you don't say it you don't get the free entry :) Do it if you're cool.

Anyway that's a ton of entries. You're bound to win. Seriously, do the math.

Giveaway is open until midnight Cyber Monday and the winners will be announced Tuesday. Hurray!

Black Friday Coupon Codes!

2011-11-22T21:00:00.000-08:00

It's Black Friday SNEAK PEAK time :)

By now you've had plenty of time to peruse my sidebar. But in case you haven't pulled the trigger yet and done any real shopping... I've got crazy coupon codes. Hurray!

All of the codes are good Black Friday through Cyber Monday and I made a new page up top so you can keep track of them as you're shopping :)

**There is still a giveaway on Friday too!

Blaze Bratcher: TURKEYDAY for free shipping

Naptime Diaries: BLACK FRIDAY for 35%

Happy Find: SUGARMAMA30 for 30%

My Sister's Hope Chest: BLCKFRI25 for 25%

Jillicious Charms: BLACKFRIDAY for free shipping

(when you order 3 or more items)

Mimi Baby Boutique: BLACKFRIDAY for 15%

Lovely Little Whimsy: BLACKFRIDAY for 20%

Toaster's Transformations: BLACKFRIFREESHIP free shipping

Moxie Mandie: GREENO10 for 10%

Blue Leaf Boutique: BLCKFRI30 for 30%

Tara Dara: TURKEY20 for 20%

Thumbprint Designs: XMASFREESHIP for free shiping

Grace for Grace: BLACKFRIDAY15 for 15%

The Pickled Poppy: BLACKFRIDAY40 for 40%

Sugar Mama Bakeshop: MERRYCHRISTMAS for 25%

Happy shopping!!!

Blue Leaf Boutique

2011-11-22T11:00:00.000-08:00

Hi I'm Annie, the lady behind Blue Leaf Boutique! I'm a mom to an adorable and intensely serious four year old boy and an equally adorable and slightly hilarious 20 month old girl. They keep me constantly inspired and dedicated to being the best person I can be. Luckily I have a great husband who helps me keep everything running smoothly.

I love making things and Blue Leaf Boutique has been an amazing outlet for me to create things for other people. I love getting orders from all over the world and knowing my little pillow or clutch is leaving for its own journey somewhere with someone who will love it.

My mother was a professional seamstress and was always up late at her sewing machine. Falling asleep to the hum of her machine was totally normal. As a child and teen, I NEVER wanted to sew. Fast forward 20 years and now I'm the mommy up late at my sewing machine! Funny how things change and that God really does have a wonderful plan for all of us

Grace for grace

2011-11-21T07:00:00.000-08:00

My name is Tiffany and I'm the artist behind Grace for Grace. I've only been painting for about 8 months and my etsy shop has been open for almost 5. When the Lord put it on my heart to start painting, I could've ignored Him and could have tried seeking something else....but I'm so thankful I didn't!! It's brought more joy to my life than I could've ever expected. I hope that my art brings a little joy to your day too:)

Happy Thanksgiving Week.

2011-11-20T16:43:00.001-08:00

I just wanted to pop in quick and say happy Thanksgiving week!

I'll be unplugged all week working on baking, catching up with my (recently back in the country) brother, smooching the cutest cheeks in the world, packing and chilling with the fam :)

In the meantime I've got more lovely shops and ladies to share!

Also don't forget the BLACK FRIDAY GIVEAWAY EXTRAVAGANZA!!! I've got giveaways galore and I'll have these beauties at Sugar Mama Bakeshop:

Jilicious Charms

2011-11-19T05:04:00.000-08:00

Happy Saturday!! Today I'm featuring Janina. My aunt introduced me to her cute little accessory shop Jillicious Charms and she is just as sweet as can be! I'll let her tell you a little more about herself, her fam and her biz!

I've always loved accessories (hair clips, earrings, rings.. and the list goes on..) Before my baby, I could afford to splurge on that stuff, having a full time job and all that..
I really believe that being a mom is "life changing" literally. My views in life have changed in a good way. It's all about my Jilliene now. She is my world. I decided to be a full time mom since we just moved to Hawaii (hubby got stationed here).

I just can't entrust my newborn to anybody, she was 6 weeks back then, even though my in laws are here they have full time jobs. Being a person who is independent and used to working my butt off (I used to be a nursing aide), IT WAS A HUGE adjustment for me having to stay home.. I am so torn. Part of me wants that income, but I have a baby to take care of. Finally, I went online and found a work at home job (with Ashley's wonderful aunt... love her!!). Oh boy, time flies and my baby turned 1 last September. I just feel that maybe somehow I can do something that I really have passion for... and that's when I decided to open my shop at etsy. I've never felt this accomplished. I am loving each and every day that I get to pick up my glue gun and make some clips and accessories.

Please like my facebook page for a chance to win several giveways for the holidays and you can score coupon codes too!! yay!!

The Nov contest will be for 2 decoden containers that i have personally made (so there will be 2 winners! yey!).I'll be announcing winners on Dec 1st. Then those who have already entered will automatically be entered for a December giveaway.=)

Field Trip Friday:The ZOO

2011-11-17T20:19:00.000-08:00

Hunter has been working, and studying, and leading the worship at church, and going to night class, and going to early morning class before work... I just haven't seen a whole lot of him lately that's all. So last weekend when he had Friday off we were all over it! Our day start off with some sleeping in and snuggling- my FAVORITE :)

This picture is our lucky moment shot: 11.11.11 @ 11:11 Lily was getting a new diaper. It's a glamorous life we live.

Next up, lunch at Las Delicias our very favorite Mexican restaurant. So so good. So so cheap. Good as it gets. You like that action shot of Hunter munchin' on some amazing chips? :)

Now for the main attraction: the zoo! I can't even tell you the last time I went to the zoo. For some reason having a baby made us feel like we should go to the zoo... even though she's really not old enough to enjoy it at all. Look how excited we are... and how Lily is not nearly as thrilled. ha!

These next two are nice and awkward... Enjoy!

Our favorite part was definitely the BIG FISH. For some reason it really gave Hunter and I the giggles comparing Lily to the giant fish. She even put on a little show for us.

Clearly no perfect day is complete without froyo. I loooooooove Pinkberry. But to make it even better, they now have peppermint for the holidays! YUM!

11.11.11= best day ever. I <3 Field Trip Friday!

My Sister's Hope Chest & a DIY

2011-11-17T07:00:00.000-08:00

Happy Thursday! Today I'm super excited to introduce you to Liz! She has a cute shop with scrapbook goodness and sweet handmade cards. She also blogs about crafting... which I love. duh :) So of course you'll be shopping BUT in case you want to MAKE a gift you're in luck too! Liz has a DIY tutorial. Woo! Enjoy.

Hello All! I’m so excited to be guest posting today here on Go Greeno, and to have my shop included in Ashley’s Christmas Bazaar. In my Etsy shop, My Sister’s Hope Chest, you will find mini scrapbooks, cards, accessories and a few other odds and ends. I love scrapbooks and paper crafts, and am very open to custom orders as well!

I love that Ashley is encouraging handmade gifts for Christmas! Aside from the projects in my shop, I try to be creative in other ways too. On my blog, Here’s to Handy Andy, I share projects that I’ve tried in hopes that I can show others how easy it is to create fun projects on your own. This year, just like Ashley, I’m going to try to buy or make most of my Christmas gifts. I got started early this year (well, early for me) and already completed the names blocks I planned to make for my adorable nephew’s room. And, just in case you know someone who would love something like this, here’s a tutorial:

Nursery Name Blocks

Here are the supplies I used:

1. Wood blocks (varied sizes, lightly sanded and cleaned) – mine were cut from a 3x3 post
2. Cricut Personal Cutting Machine and font cartridge
3. Coordinating scrapbook paper
4. Mod Podge and brush
5. Paper Cutter
6. Other embellishments (ribbons, buttons, etc)

First I used my Cricut to cut out my nephew’s name in red paper – you can also use the adhesive backed vinyl, but I couldn’t find red so I went with paper. I chose red, black and football-themed paper to match my nephew’s nursery. Then I cut out paper to cover the faces of the blocks. I arranged the paper and letters the way I liked and glued them on and brushed Mod Podge all over the layers. After that, I decided where to use the ribbon and buttons.

Once the Mod Podge dried, I hot glued the ribbon and buttons where I liked and then it was done!

So cute, personal and easy! And you could also make this as a gift for a newly married couple or family, using their last name instead. I bet this would be a cute decoration to give to someone on YOUR Christmas list!

Thanks Ashley for hosting me today!

Real Life Love.

2011-11-15T07:57:00.000-08:00

This morning I found the sweetest song: Giving Up by Ingrid Michaelson. It's such a lovely, honest song about our insecurities and general "human-ness" and what it looks like to be in relationship with another flawed person. About choosing to share your flaws and figure out life together.

Such a great reminder that this life of mine is perfect. And by perfect I mean not perfect at all... but exactly right for me. Exactly what I've chosen and what I need and what I want. I just LOVE love songs that are real. Plus Ingrid Michaelson has a beautiful voice.

What if we stop having a ball?
What if the paint chips from the wall?

What if there's always cups in the sink?
What if I'm not what you think I am?

What if I fall further than you?

What if you dream of somebody new?

What if I never let you win, chase you with a rolling pin?

Well what if I do?

I am giving up on making passes and

I am giving up on half empty glasses and

I am giving up on greener grasses

I am giving up

What if our baby comes home after nine?

What it your eyes close before mine?

What if you lose yourself sometimes?

Then I'll be the one to find you

Safe in my heart

I am giving up on making passes and

I am giving up on half empty glasses and

I am giving up on greener grasses

I am giving up for you

Toaster's Transformations

2011-11-14T05:34:00.000-08:00

I hope you all are enjoying the Christmas Bazaar. I am so inspired by all of these lovely shops. Today I have another shop owner to introduce you to. Amanda from Toaster's Transformations. Amanda is a sweet mama-to-be who makes the cutest flowers and pretties from UPCYLCED fabric... Go GREEN(O) girl. I love it!

Hello there Go Greeno Readers! My name is Amanda, but when I got to college I received the nickname Toaster. I hated it at first and fought it with my very being however, it stuck. Then I learned to embrace it. And that's why my Etsy Shop is Toaster's Transformations.

I'm a 25 year old disciple of Jesus, wife, and soon to be momma. (Is it January yet? Can't wait to snuggle our little one.) I opened up my shop Toaster's Transformations in June and it's been quite the adventure! My inspiration comes often from the thrift store. Yup, the thrift store. I love going to Salvation Army and looking at all the beautiful sweaters just waiting to be turned into new items!

I'm also inspired by God's creation. He is the best artist EVER. I love all of the colors he's created and my plumeria line is inspired by those beautiful tropical flowers. And that's part of how my shop got it's name Toaster (because that's me) and Transformations because I love to transform old things and make them new again!

Mimi's Baby Boutique

2011-11-12T11:30:00.000-08:00

Happy Saturday! Yesterday was so fabulous! I can't wait to post my zoo pictures :) But today I want you to meet Cat, the owner of Mimi Baby Boutique. I LOVE that she gives 50% of her profits to different causes. SO COOL! So you can get some great gifts and support a great non-profit too :)

Hi everyone! My name is Cat and I'm with Mimi Baby Boutique. I'm a mother to three small kids, and in my 'spare' time, I work on filling up my shop with handmade crafts - jewelry, appliquéd items, and decor. Right now I have a collection of earrings, bracelets and necklaces, as well as some recently added Thanksgiving wall art, Christmas ornaments, and Christmas gift tags.

A few months back, I felt a calling to be more charitable in my life. I had just started this little shop and I thought it would be a good use of my resources to donate 50% of my profits to charity. Every three months I choose a new charity to receive this money. I'm always open to suggestions of causes to consider. This quarter, the profits from my sales will be going to The Shine Project - a great charity that is working to send needy students to college.

Many of my items can be customized to colors or patterns of your choice, and I take from-scratch custom orders within the realm of my ability. If you ever have any questions or requests, just drop me a line! Thanks for checking out my shop!

FIELD TRIP FRIIIIIIIDAY!

2011-11-10T15:55:00.000-08:00

I plan on spending the day unplugged today! They're forecasting sunshine and my honey has the day off! Woo! We'll be partying all day long... and by partying I mean sleeping in, photobooth, going out to lunch, maybe even the zoo. Yep craaaaaaazy :)

So happy 11.11.11 folks. Make a wish!

Thumbprint Designs

2011-11-10T07:00:00.000-08:00

How's your Christmas shopping going? Are you checking gifts off left and right like me?... And by that I mean have you bought one present :) Anyway, I hope you're enjoying these sweet shops on the left as much as I am. Today I'm excited for you to meet Skye. She has a beautiful blog, a really sweet shop and she amazes me with her organizational skillz. No joke. I'm asking her to life coach me. Ok enough of that here she is:
hi there! my name is skye, but over at my blog, neathering our fest, i am pretty much known as rindercella.

i hail from the great state of texas but i currently reside in louisiana with my husband (chris) and our two furbabies (rebel & sadie). i work a normal day job during the day (which thankfully allows me to blog on the side!) and paint for my shop at night. my husband is a youth director and i work closely alongside him, hopefully inspiring youth and helping them grow in their walk with the Lord, but it is usually them who inspire me. i love sticky things. my mom gave me tape as a baby to keep me busy on long car rides and while she cooked and to this day i am usually to be found with some sort of sticker in, on, around, or about my person. It keeps me from going insane.

in my etsy shop, thumbprint designs, you will find handmade signs upcycled from trash salvaged in roadside heaps and wooden pallets. i have a few ready to ship items but i mostly do custom work for nurseries, weddings, and personalized signs! i am also venturing out into the world of subway art! i have recently listed college subway art for lsu, osu and a&m! these are really popular and i really enjoy doing them!

this one is one of my favorites! i love the chevron stripes and curly letters. this would make a great sign for a nursery! the best part is this sign is customizable down to the last letter. the chevron colors, the name, the color of the letters, even the size can be catered to your specifications.

i am working hard to keep up with orders for the holidays and enjoying every second of it! i would love to make a sign for your home or for someone that you love. a personalized gift works for everyone, even that person who has everything! please contact me via etsy or through email if you have any questions or want to place an order. the last day to order a custom sign is december 1, so hurry fast! :)

also, now through december 12, i am offering ashley's readers a sweet free shipping coupon (XMASFREESHIP) so take advantage of it while it lasts!

i hope to meet you all (did i mention i love to meet people? it's my jam.) here is where you can find me!

blog | shop | twitter | facebook | pinterest

Felt Lovelies

2011-11-08T19:14:00.000-08:00

Baby's asleep, hubby's on his way home from class, and I'm being super productive... scratch that- I'm watching The Biggest Loser and drooling over gorgeous felt creations on pinterest. I'm smitten. Enjoy :)

Source: mysocalledgreenlife.com via Diane on Pinterest

Source: prettylittlethings.typepad.com via Tracy on Pinterest

Source: smallbirdblog.wordpress.com via Megan on Pinterest

Source: 2.bp.blogspot.com via D on Pinterest

Source: transformingtownhouse.blogspot.com via Nicole on Pinterest

Source: smallbirdblog.wordpress.com via Megan on Pinterest

Source: blog.dlshdesign.com via Brandi on Pinterest

The Ragamuffin Gospel

2011-11-08T08:39:00.000-08:00

Have you read The Ragamuffin Gospel by Brennan Manning?

If you have not please do. If you have... read it again!

I can't stop being blessed by this book.

I recommend Brennan Manning in general. He is very smart (honestly, a little over my head at times) but he writes about grace, and the gospel with a genuine passion that I've truly never experienced before. Something about the way he words things just hit me so hard.

When I read I tend to stop and journal the quotes or passages that really get to me. I'm a kinesthetic learner- I learn by doing so the act of writing helps me remember things and also lets them soak in better. But when I'm reading The Ragamuffin Gospel I just want to write it all.

His wording is perfect and he balances ugly honest truth with pure grace beautifully.

This morning I was going to write about how yesterday I had this great, productive day. I was so proud because I got my laundry done, cooked dinner (ok it was a 4 ingredient crock pot soup but it's Hunter's fave so it counts), worked on a Sugar Mama order, vacuumed and worked out. All in one day! I was feeling like I've finally arrived. Like I've figured it out and I now know how to be awesome at being a mama, business owner, wife, healthy, fulfilled woman.

Yep, that's what I was going to write. Well, along those lines anyway.

And then I read this:

The tilted halo of the save sinner is worn loosely and with easy grace. We have discovered that the cross accomplished far more than revealing the love of God. The blood of the Lamb points to the truth of grace: what we cannot do for ourselves, God has done for us.

So... I guess I can't take a whole lot of credit for my awesome day yesterday.

BUT I can give thanks and praise for it! And even better, I can ease up when I think of almost every day before that wasn't nearly as awesome.

You know, the days that I wore the same sweats I slept in... ALL day. The days that we ate peanut butter toast for dinner and I welcomed Hunter home from work in tears because "I'm an idiot for thinking I could ever have a business" and "our daughter deserves better than me, I don't even know what I'm doing".

The point is God gave us grace because He knows we need it.

So who are we to refuse it and try to do better on our own?

Lovely Little Whimsy (+ a DIY)

2011-11-06T14:18:00.000-08:00

Ok first of all the market was amazing! I had such a fun time and I even checked a Christmas present off my list... what's up ORGANIZATION! I know it's probably not that crazy for anyone else, but for me having a Christmas present wrapped and ready to go in the first week of November is an accomplishment.

I also found a sweet little headband for Lil that I couldn't live without.(Surprise!)

Speaking of sweet little headbands... I've got about 4 Lovely Little Whimsys favorited on etsy, I just haven't decided which one we need yet :) Remember my friend Carina? Well, her little shop is the sweetest thing you've seen. Luckily they are adopting a baby girl because her boys are as precious as it gets but her baby girl accessories are fabulous!!!

Um, yes please. Anyway, I'll let Carina tell you a bit more about herself before you get to shopping.

Hello, I'm Carina!

I spend my days loving the three little men in my life, my husband, and all things creative.

I watch too much Real Housewives, have a slight disdain for laundry, and love being in the kitchen.

I am newly in love with thrifting, try to sneak in quiet moments for crafting, and spend way too much time daydreaming about redecorating. I started my shop, lovely little whimsy, to help bring in a little extra cash for our next baby - we're in the process of adopting a baby girl!

My blog, a punk, a pumpkin and a peanut, chronicles daily life, faith, adoption, and pretty things.

My hope is that in all things, I will show how grateful I am for all the goodness in our lives.

Since my challenge this year is to buy handmade OR MAKE my gifts I asked Carina to share an awesome DIY post too! Check out her post on doily stenciling and a cheap/beautiful wreath idea! Really cute gift idea... or really cute for your living room. You decide :)

Mompreneur Market

2011-11-04T06:00:00.000-07:00

Last year I did this way cool Mompreneur Market. I was contacted by the coordinator and asked to bring baked goods to sell at this elementary school fundraiser.

My sweet mama came into town (I made it through the whole weekend w/o even telling her I was pregnant) and she helped me bake and set up. She also brought the fabulous Sugar Mama signage!

We sold cookies, cupcakes and muffins and did a little shopping around. It was such a fun and beautiful day! I was asked to come back this year and I'm super excited! The market is tomorrow... and unfortunately it looks like we won't be having such a beautiful day. But not too worry. People need pumpkin muffins and banana bread more than ever when it's blizzarding right?

If you're in Denver I would LOVE for you to come visit me and University Park Elementary tomorrow. You can do a little holiday shopping (tons of cute handmade!) and support this sweet little school :) OK see you then!

Happy weekend!

Blaze Bratcher

2011-11-03T05:00:00.000-07:00

So... what do you all think of the shops? Have you had a chance to browse the Christmas Bazaar yet!? If not hop on over to the left side bar and check it out!

But first I was you to meet a friend of mind. I met Blaze when she and her brand new hubby moved to Denver. They started coming to our church and I got to know this sweet girl. She is so much fun to hang out with, an awesome encourager and an extremely talented artist. Blaze & Jameson moved back to Seattle this summer but I LOVE following along with their lives on her lovely blog. I'm so excited to share her artwork with you! Here is a little more about Blaze and her newest pieces:

I graduated from Seattle Pacific University with an Illustration degree and decided early on that I

wanted to jump in with both feet! I have an amazing supportive husband, and he wants me to paint to

my heart's content! I love helping our family financially with my artwork, and look forward to illustrating

children's books, stationary, calendars, and all the other ideas I have budding inside. :)

When I was brainstorming for this year's calendar, I felt strongly called to do something a little different than

last year. After speaking with a good friend about teaching young children the scriptures(Heather H!), I was

convicted to create something more substantial than my normal pieces. I decided to share my favorite Bible

verses and bring truth and blessing into peoples homes. Last year I was fortunate enough to see my 2011

calendar in many of my friend's homes, so it was easy to imagine a monthly verse hanging from their fridges

and walls!

It is my hope to keep my online store filled with new verses, and paint personal favorite verses for new and

old friends. I felt immensely blessed and at peace while creating these newest peaces, and I hope it comes

through my work. Jesus has truly made my life worth living, and my joy comes from Him!

Go on, check out her amazing blog and shop! Thanks so much Blaze. Love you girl :)

It's here!

2011-11-01T22:03:00.000-07:00

Happy November! And Happy CHRISTMAS SHOPPING!

Today is the kick off of Sugar Mama's Christmas Bazaar.

I am SO excited to share all of these amazing ladies and their fabulous shops with you!!

We've got everything: beautiful pillows, encouraging prints, gorgeous paintings, sweet accessories and so much more!! Definitely something for everyone on you list... but if you still need more shopping you can click on over to The Vanilla Tulip for her Holiday Craft Fair. She was my inspiration to get this going! I loved her idea so I stole it :) But she has even more beautiful shops plus you will LOVE her blog. It's seriously wonderful. AND she went to school in Bolivar, MO right down the road from Springfield and we have a mutual friend. So fun!

And there are even more great shops at on the Gussy Sew's Holiday Gift Guide. NO excuse not to shop handmade this year!

So get to shopping and tell your friends. All the shops are along the left side and you can grab the button to help spread the word. I'll be doing individual features so you can get to know the awesome ladies behind the shops AND I'm having a BLACK FRIDAY PARTY! Yep. Discounts, giveaways, and dancing. Well, I will be dancing. I would love for you to join.

Our Halloween was OUT OF THIS WORLD...

2011-10-31T23:40:00.001-07:00

Ha! You'll get it in a second... I hope everyone had a wonderful Halloween! We LOVE Halloween :)

Friday night Hunter and I had a date night: pumpkin carving, cookies, hot chocolate and Hocus Pocus? YES PLEASE!

The babies clearly had a great time too.

Unfortunately, Saturday we didn't make it to our Halloween party :( Baby girl was NOT in the mood and it didn't even start until after bedtime... We're learning to pick our battles! Maybe she was mad at her dad for putting her in a straight jacket... and a witch hat? I know it's mean but I still love this picture.

Now bring on the trick-or-treaters! How cute is the alien costume? Sorry to toot my own horn but I really love how it turned out :) Plus so cheap and easy. Love that.

**Sidenote: Hunter and I were planning on going to our party as Men in Black. Lily was the alien and Milo... well Frank, of course. We were so proud of our clever little plan, but oh well.

She's still the cutest little alien I ever saw. She didn't even fight the ridiculous headband. But she did try to eat the tutu. Ya win some, ya lose some right?

There you have it. Halloween 2011 Greeno style. Get excited for the Christmas Bazaar kick off tomorrow!!

Bad News/ Good News

2011-10-27T21:20:00.000-07:00

I'm taking a little break from Field Trip Friday this week because we were moving all last weekend... which is pretty much the opposite of a fun field trip. I'll be giving my self an attitude check instead :)

Bad News- My baby has developed a new habit of screaming every time she's in the car seat. So lame.

Good News- She's super chill most of the rest of the time... um and really cute :)

Bad News- I still haven't started on Lily's Halloween costume.

Good News- Even if I'm up all night tomorrow, it's going to be SO GREAT!

Bad News- Moving into the in-laws basement.

Good News- The in -laws are incredibly supportive and amazingly generous... and in 18 months we get to buy our very own home... in our dream neighborhood... also no more dealing with the jerk of a duplex neighbor who lived downstairs.

I was way super sad about leaving Lily's sweet room and my lovely kitchen. BUT I do know that this is a the right place for us right now. It will be so worth it when we get to buy our own little home on Pearl Street :)

To get myself more excited, I'm going to blog about transforming the basement into our cozy little temporary HOME... on a tiny budget (the whole point is to save for a down payment remember?). So I'll be reducing, reusing and gettin' real creative up in here!!

Happy dance

2011-10-26T07:34:00.000-07:00

My heartsy deal is being featured today!!! Yay! So exciting :)

(Can I be honest with you? It makes me feel super legit when I see my cupcakes pictured on other websites. That's my very favorite part.)

So anyway, there's that. Also when I get to 300 facebook fans I'm doing a giveaway so go LIKE Sugar Mama!

Psalm 81:1-7

2011-10-25T08:53:00.000-07:00

Today sucks. Sorry for the negativity but I'm kind of in this mood where I just want to wallow in self pity... and bake. (It's my therapy.) But Lil just won't sleep. So I'm forced to put on my big girl panties and be a good mama. Fold clothes. Play with my baby and her babydoll. Smile instead of cry (ok maybe a little of both).

Sing praises to God,

our strength.

Sing to the God of Jacob.

Sing! Beat the tambourine.

Play the sweet lyre and the harp.

Blow the ram’s horn at new moon,

and again at full moon to call a festival!

For this is required by the decrees of Israel;

it is a regulation of the God of Jacob.

He made it a law for Israel when he attacked Egypt

to set us free.

I heard an unknown voice say,

“Now I will take the load from your shoulders;

I will free your hands from their heavy tasks.

You cried to me in trouble,

and I saved you;

I answered out of the thundercloud and tested your faith when there was no water at Meribah."

Sugar Mama's Christmas Bazaar

2011-10-23T14:15:00.000-07:00

Remember how I said I want to be a better steward of our money by being more intentional and responsible with my spending? Well, step one went well. Sugar Mama just made a bulk order from Sweet Earth Chocolates that is 100% gluten free, vegan, organic AND fair trade!!

Ready for Step 2? Buy more handmade of course!! I do love handmade but I'm guilty of waiting to buy gifts until the last minute and then finding something quick & cheap at Target... VERY guilty. You might see a pattern forming here but again I just need to be more intentional.

So this Christmas I set a goal to either make or buy handmade for every single gift. And I'm encouraging you to do the same!! My friend Ashley asked me to be a part of her Holiday Craft Fair and I was inspired to create something similar here at go greeno.

Starting Novemeber 2nd and running through December 24 you can do all of your holiday shopping here! I will showcase my favorite shops so that they are just a click away. Easy as that :) So fun huh!?

PS: Do you have a shop that you think would be a good fit? I would love to have you join the fun! Email me: sugarmamabakeshop@gmail.com

{I'm linking up with Life Made Lovely because handmade crafty Christmas gifts are oh so lovely!!}

Field Trip Friday {Home}

2011-10-21T13:52:00.001-07:00

We got to go home to PCMO last weekend!!!!!

Field trip indeed. We all needed it so bad.

Grandpa Brad hadn't seen this sweet girl since she was 4 weeks old... She's almost 4 months already! We've already made a pact not to go that long again.

My baby brother Travi (yep he still lets me call him Travi) ;) anyway he's a b.a. drummer on the drum line in the band. He's the section leader and it was so so fun watching him again this year as a senior. This picture is from the competition we watched. He's in the middle.

Here's a close up of Trav with Lil. What a couple of cuties :) Unfortunately this is pretty much all I got for pictures. I get so excited about hanging out I totally forget to take pictures sometimes. I have none with Gigi or Trey dang it.

I do, however, have another of Lily in her new pumpkin jammies Grandma got her. Gigi and Grandpa Brad were in a spoiling kind of mood... imagine that ;) I got a late birthday present: first facial of my life, pedicure with mama AND a crazy awesome massage from the pro herself.

ah.MAZING! Hunter got in lots of golf with dad and Trey!

Kandy Grimes you are my inspiration right now. Just wanted to let you know. The way you are making your dream business happen is beyond amazing. I'm so so proud of you for doing what you love and doing it so well!! I pray Sugar Mama can follow in your footsteps :)

How great is this shot my dad got of bathing beauty in the kitchen sink?! Man I am just so so thankful for amazing family. I am so blessed with two families now that are beyond incredible. Last weekend was so relaxing, life-giving, and just really wonderful. (Ty, only you could have made it better!)

Speaking of Fair Trade Chocolate...

2011-10-20T16:43:00.000-07:00

I made truffles... Halloween truffles!!!

For some reason I always used to think that truffles would be really hard to make. I mean they seem so fancy shmancy. But then a friend some fabulous truffles and swore they were easy.

So I found this recipe... and it was easy!

I made a few adjustments & came up with a gluten/dairy free, vegan version:

1 (8 ounce) package Tofutti soy cream cheese, softened
3 cups Fair Trade Organic powdered sugar, sifted
3 cups Fair Trade Organic vegan chocolate chips, melted
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla, mint extract, espresso

Beat cream cheese until smooth and add powdered sugar gradually.

Stir in melted chocolate and vanilla (or espresso or mint) until there are no more streaks.

Scoop onto cookie sheet with a small cookie scoop and chill for 1 hour in fridge.

Shape them with your hands and roll in fun decorations! (powdered sugar, cocoa, sprinkles, coconut, etc)

See?! Super easy. Gluten free. Vegan. Organic. FAIR TRADE. Plus you'll probably impress everyone at your Halloween party. Definitely tell them they were really hard ;)

Fair Trade

2011-10-19T05:00:00.000-07:00

I don't tend to be outspoken about much.

Actually I'm usually pretty go-with-the-flow.

But I'm working on taking a stronger stance on the things that really matter.

Lately, I have really been convicted about the way we spend our money.

We try to be good stewards, but I'm realizing that doesn't just mean being cheap.

The cheapest thing isn't always the healthiest or in alignment with my beliefs and priorities.

So what to do?

Well I'm praying. I'm figuring it out slowly.

I'm sharing it here because I would love to work through it with some input.

I have a bad tendency to jump into things I can't stay committed to so...

I'm taking it one step at a time :)

(picture from the Fair Trade website: http://fairtradeusa.org)

First up: Fair Trade.

I've known about fair trade coffee & I usually try to choose it but haven't made it a big priority.

Then I read this. And this.

Please find a couple minutes to read these blog posts.

They are so eye-opening & it's impossible for me to learn about kids being treated like slaves...

So I can have cheap candy bars and coffee.

I pray that your heart will be broken along with mine and that we can commit together.

I've been researching the best place to find fair trade coffee, sugar and chocolate.

The official website has tons of information and resources.

October is even Fair Trade month!

"We believe the rise of the Conscious Consumer will cause a fundamental shift in the way companies do business and create a historic opportunity to reward companies that embrace sustainability."

This quote is from the Fair Trade USA website and is so motivating to me.

It's so easy to go on not knowing better.

But the damage is still being done. We need to be conscious consumers!

Being a good steward of our money means being fair and just in the way we spend it.

Sugar Mama Bakeshop baked goods and mixes are already made with fair trade cane sugar.

I'm working on switching over to only using fair trade cocoa and powdered sugar as well.

I would like this to become part of my business plan and mission statement.

Do you do fair trade? Any tips? Anyone interested in committing to this with me?

The Holiday Gift Guide with Gussy Sews!

2011-10-15T07:00:00.000-07:00

Sugar Mama Bakeshop is a part of THE Holiday Gift Guide with Gussy Sews!! Check it out:

YAY! Have a fab weekend.

Field Trip Friday & the devil drives a bus?

2011-10-14T06:30:00.000-07:00

First things first. We're driving on Saturday and this huge bus cuts right in front of Hunter. He's pretty ticked and calls the driver an idiot (or something to that effect).

So I'm all:

"Better be careful. The devil drives that bus."

And he's like: "Um... what?"

Yeah, wait for it..........

Creepy huh? I swear we thought it said 666 DIE but now I'm pretty sure that's an O. Still though...

Alright moving on. I've been talking for awhile about getting to the mountains for some fall beauty. Surprise! Hunter got the day off Monday (and I don't care what you say about Columbus, I'll take a free paid day off with my man thankyouverymuch).

Golden Gate National Park was gorgeous and it was so great to just spend a day without an agenda. We even (barely) survived the temptation to eat out on the way home. Gotta love those leftovers :)

Lil & Milo weren't thrilled about our "cute family photo" idea. Whatev.

And now for those of you who were hoping to see way too many pictures of my sweet baby laughing...

You're welcome :)

I just really love Halloween

2011-10-12T14:26:00.000-07:00

I honestly just love a good excuse to dress up so Halloween, of course I love you! Unfortunately I was looking through my older posts and I haven't posted about a single Halloween costume so here we go with a flash back recap.

This first lovely photo is from 2006. Haha TMNT with some of my best buds. So fun :)

Halloween 2007 I dressed up with my friend Zach as Shrek & Donkey. Does anyone else LOVE Shrek? Cause I sure do. Plus I look goooood.

2009 our first Halloween married we were Fred & Wilma. Cute huh? This was one of my favorites... but I could only find a tiny phone picture. Bummer.

Halloween 2o10 I we were an IPOD commercial. He was the cutest IPOD you ever saw & I was this... You remember those commercials, yeah?

Last year my love and I were "game night". I was totally pregnant but no one knew yet so I took jello shot... of just jello and walked around all night with a fake margarita :) Don't you worry though I can bust a move 100% sober.

Can't wait to show you all this year's costume! It's a big ol' family affair.

{I'm also linked up at Jamie's cute blog. Go enter your own Halloween post!!}

Giving

2011-10-11T13:43:00.000-07:00

Happy Tuesday! Yesterday Hunter got an unexpected (and much needed) day off and we went romping around in the mountains. SO wonderful! Fun pictures coming soon :) Colorado really is such a wonderful place to live and I am feeling refreshed and full of energy today!

I'm also really really excited to share some fun news with you! A few months ago I came across this sweet blog and I fell in love. Carina is so genuine and I just love reading about her 3 precious boys. She also writes about adoption which is always on my heart. I know that now isn't the time for Hunter and I, but I still have such a desire to support adoption in some way.

In the past few weeks I've been putting a lot of time and work into building my Sugar Mama online business, but I've had some stress about it. The more I pray about it the more I feel like God is telling me to be generous. I have such a desire to help our family financially, but I can hear Him telling me to trust Him with our money and give.

So... long story short: I made a new Sugar Mama cupcake kit to support Nick and Carina's adoption! Carina does this awesome thing with her kids twice a month and she calls it Bakin' it to the Streets. Basically they make something delicious and then use it to brighten someone's day. They GIVE it away! So I've added a Bakin' it to the Streets Cupcake Kit to my etsy shop. For $18 you get a gluten free/vegan cupcake mix, a frosting mix, pink cupcake wrappers (new baby is a girl :) and sprinkles. Plus is all comes in a box that will fit 12 finished cupcakes so you can give them away if you're so inclined. Best part is that every sale puts Nick & Carina $8 closer to bringing home their baby girl!

**Even better: if you buy 2 the second one ships FREE so you might as well get one for yourself and one as a gift!

Please consider buying one of these cupcake kits to support Carina and her family as they follow God's will for them to add to their family by adoption.

"Light shines in the darkness for the godly.

They are generous, compassionate, and righteous."

Psalm 112:4

Sleep

2011-10-09T07:40:00.000-07:00

I'm thankful for a baby that sleeps. Honestly, the girl really is a champ.

One of my biggest fears when i was pregnant was that I would never sleep again. Silly, I know, but I really like sleep. I mean it's not that I just want to sleep all the time, but 8 hours a night is good, thank you.

Don't get me wrong, I haven't seen a straight 8 hours of sleep in a while. Fortunately, the Lord has changed my priorities a bit and shown me how I can in fact still function without it :)

But I know that I get more sleep than many new moms and I'm very thankful...

Yes I'm thankful Lily sleeps. I'm also thankful that she doesn't quite sleep all night yet. I don't know if I'm ready. I really really love bringing her back to our bed at 3:3o to snuggle for the rest of the night.

I like that she still can't quite make it a whole night without her mama :)

Field Trip Friday {Dreaming}

2011-10-07T06:00:00.000-07:00

So last Friday Hunter & I had big plans to drive up to the mountains after work... again. Traffic was stupid and Lil was a mess so we settled for dinner at our fave Mexican restaurant instead :) Wonderful evening, but alas, I have no pictures. So...... for this week's field trip Friday I'll be dreaming about the field trip I really wish i was taking.

I'm going to the beach. Join me, won't you? This is my all time favorite picture of me and Hunter. It's from our honeymoon in Mexico. When I'm super stressed out and need to get away, this is where I go. The sun is shining, the water sparkles, my husband looks like a model and my legs look GOOD. I'm sorry but they do. Don't worry, that's not how they're looking 3 years and a baby later :) It's cool.

Here we are celebrating anniversary #2 last year in Seattle. PS I've been noticing how all of the bloggers I follow seem to be so fashionable... Enjoy some Greeno fashion at its finest. On Ashley: Navy hoodie with black workout shorts. Cute. And on Hunter: his very favorite Heavyweights t-shirt. I love him so much!

Now rewind almost 5 1/2 years to Long Beach, CA where Hunter and I met. Here we are out to sushi on our first date. A couple a youngsters :) Today I'm extra thankful he's in my life. Yep, I'm more thankful for Hunter than for peanut butter cookies! He's just really wonderful and the past 5 1/2 years have been really amazing.

I keep reading everyone's blog posts and facebook updates about how happy they are for fall... and don't get me wrong, I can find things to enjoy about this season (chocolate chip pumpkin bread, an extra snuggly pug and hazelnut coffee to name a few) but if I could be anywhere today I would be soaking up some sunshine on the beach in southern California.

I can't wait to take Lily to the beach for the first time. It's so awe inspiring, peaceful and calming. Being at the ocean puts everything into perspective for me. I just can't help but remember how BIG and powerful God is, and yet so creative.

So, where are you going today?

Get your craft on: dry erase board

2011-10-06T06:09:00.000-07:00

Wahoo!! I'm so excited about this craft!!!!! I found this amazing big frame at Goodwill a few weeks ago and I was pumped to do something really great with it.

Unfortunately, I'm way to impatient to photograph the whole crafting process so my DIYs are kind of lame. More of a before/after really. Anyway, all you do is spray paint a cool frame, put fun fabric behind the glass and voila. It's a gorgeous dry erase board that makes me inspired to write down goals... Inspired to accomplish them? We shall see.

I'm mostly excited about it because I stepped out of my aqua comfort zone and went with some pretty fall colors that did not disappoint. I love that fabric!

Oktoberfast

2011-10-05T06:49:00.000-07:00

I guess we not really fasting. I was just trying to be clever :) But we're not eating out.

We've been wasting way too much money and I needed a reason to get to cookin' so we're eating in for a month.

So far so good! I know it has only been 4 days, but still. I've made squash boats with quinoa, pulled pork & tofu stir fry is coming up tomorrow.

This gluten free, vegan macaroni and cheese is coming up too. Sooooooo good!

I've also agreed to put meat on the menu twice a week. It's a good compromise because Hunter likes it and I get that, but cooking it makes me gag... So I choose things like pulled pork because you put it straight in the crock pot and you never have to cut it or touch it raw. Hurray!

Anyway, we're hoping to save a little money and get back on the budget bandwagon.

I thought I'd announce it for accountability. If anyone has any delicious crock pot recipes, please share. I'm loving that thing lately!

Sashes to the Merchants

2011-10-04T05:29:00.000-07:00

Proverbs 31 has been on my heart constantly lately. How can I be more like this fabulous woman of God? Her husband and children adore her. She is hard-working, productive, wise and generous. She's crafty, arguably fashionable (v22), and it seems to me she doesn't sleep.

huh.

I just seem to fall very very short of this measure. Some days I get so bummed about it too. I am definitely trying to work hard at my business and I pray that it will be a blessing to my family and to others. I stay up late... early mornings though? Time-management. What?

Anyway, when Jessi emailed me about Sashes to the Merchants, which is name after Proverbs 31, I was so so excited! She and Ellen have created this space for a community of women to "gather". I can't wait to connect with other women and moms who are trying to figure this all out too. Today is the official kickoff. Head over and check it out!

Thankful

2011-10-02T20:35:00.000-07:00

We've been figuring some stuff out lately.

Some hard stuff. Some fun stuff. Some tricky stuff.

Sorry. I'm not feeling elaborate tonight.

But I am feeling thankful.

I just read this post and felt inspired to be more vocal with my thanksgiving.

So tonight I am thankful for cookies. Let's start simple shall we? I decided to be thankful every single day this month right along with Hannah and I'm thankful for a lot more important things, it's true. We'll get to those.

For now I just love this warm peanut butter chocolate chip cookie.

I'm thankful it's gluten free & vegan and I can enjoy every crumb of it without a stomach ache.

I'm thankful that creating it brings me so much joy.

I'm thankful that I may have an opportunity to share these cookies and support Love146, an organization that is doing amazing things to help end child sex slavery and exploitation!

What are you thankful for?

Field Trip Friday #5 {Ode to Milo}

2011-09-30T05:00:00.000-07:00

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?

2011-09-26T22:09:00.002-07:00

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

2011-09-25T14:42:00.000-07:00

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

2011-09-24T08:39:00.001-07:00

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

2011-09-23T08:02:00.000-07:00

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?!

2011-09-22T07:14:00.000-07:00

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

2011-09-18T20:18:00.000-07:00

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

2011-09-16T07:00:00.000-07:00

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!

2011-09-15T07:00:00.000-07:00

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

2011-09-14T06:00:00.000-07:00

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

2011-09-12T22:52:00.000-07:00

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

2011-09-11T18:52:00.001-07:00

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

2011-09-08T13:37:00.001-07:00

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.

2011-09-06T19:56:00.000-07:00

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.

2011-09-06T10:41:00.000-07:00

"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

{Field Trip Friday} #1

2011-09-02T09:46:00.000-07:00

TGIFF (see what I did there?) Woo! I have really fun friends coming to visit this weekend and oh do we have field trips planned, but since I won't have pictures of those adventures until next week I'm posting about a fun little afternoon Hunter, Lily & I had a couple weeks ago. Golfing.

It makes me laugh because I don't golf. In fact I have the world's most awkward swing because I always played softball growing up so I swing it like a softball bat. Anway, Hunter likes it so we went to this little par 3 course at the park by our house.

Clearly we won the award for World's Cutest Caddy... and made Grandpa Brad VERY proud.

So what fun shenanigans have you been up to? I'm dying to know!

Birthday Giveaway WINNER

2011-09-02T08:13:00.000-07:00

It's finally here! I've been so excited all week! It's Field Trip Friday AND I've got a Birthday Giveaway winner!

Congratulations to Lena!

You've won yourself a go greeno original! Hope you enjoy :) Shoot me an email {ashgreeno@gmail.com} and I'll send it to you asap. Thanks to everyone who celebrated with me!

Embrace it.

2011-09-01T07:40:00.000-07:00

This morning I was reading one of my new faves and she had this button on her post:

So I clicked it on over to Emily's blog and fell in love with that girl and her 5 babes (who share one room). Seriously read that post because it is good good stuff. It is so sweet that those kids get to grow up in such community. If Hunter lets me have 5 babies maybe we'll try it out!

Anyway, I decided I would take the challenge to embrace the camera... but then I got really tired thinking about getting dressed, putting on makeup AND doing my hair, and getting Lil dressed so we could take cute pictures.

I mean, I don't know how real you all were wanting to get this morning, but I am having some lactation issues and they're keeping me up at night. I have a 2 month old who has decided to bless us with 7 hours of sleep at night. Hallelujah! However, my body still wants to make enough milk to feed her every 2.5-3 hours around the clock. Soooooooo even when she's sleeping I have to get up and pump. Bummer. Plus they just hurt. BAD. I feel kind of weird writing about painful boobs and breast pumps (especially because I think my dad reads my blog sometimes... sorry dad) but such is life right now.

So then it hit me. This little blog of mine is for recording our life and our life is pretty messy sometimes. Sometimes it's up all night and no makeup the next day. Shoot, at least I showered. That's usually the sign of good things to come :) Sometimes it's an extra iced coffee and a prayer journal that says "Lord, please let Lily sleep a lot today so I can take a nap". No joke. I couldn't think of anything else to ask for.

So here we are in our unkempt glory. Enjoy the dark circles, wet hair and pjs, because tomorrow is field trip Friday and I'm planning on getting dressed for the occasion :) Also enjoy Lily's pouty face. She's clearly not as thrilled as I am about embracing.

I accidentally took this shot of the kitchen while I was messing with the camera timer that I couldn't even figure out how to use. True story! It's ridiculous how camera illiterate I am. We've got to do something about this. Anyway, I know it's weird but I really like this picture. The kitchen is my happy place, even if it is teeny and a mess. It's so bright and fun! I think I'll bake cupcakes and clean for my lovely friends that are visiting this weekend. Maybe this day is going to shape up after all.

PS It's the last day to enter the birthday giveaway. Winner tomorrow!!

Oooh this bandwagon is FUN

2011-08-30T19:49:00.000-07:00

I've stayed strong for awhile now. Everywhere I go it's all I hear about... Pinterest! But I was strong. Honestly, the very last thing I need is one more thing to waste time on. I really love pretty things and the idea of perusing the entire world wide web pinning together beauty was wonderful but dangerous.

But alas, I caved. Will power is really not my spiritual gift. Plus I justified that it would be my birthday present to myself (one of them). So here I am. Go ahead . Go on, show me your beautiful things. It's likely I'll never do laundry again so bring on the pins! I'm in desperate need of a billion new DIY ideas, more cupcake ideas than I'll ever have time to even consider attempting & enough room makeover ideas for a mansion (to decorate all 900 square feet of our rental house).

It is pretty awesome but I'm going to try and be a responsible pinner ok? I think it shall be my reward for grocery shopping. I can never seem to get to the grocery store. Seriously, pray for me. I hate grocery shopping. I need to grow up and get over that. My husband definitely loves dinner way more than clever idea boards and gorgeous party inspirations.

In other news I bought myself one more birthday present yesterday.

I realize it's backwards from the fancy mirror shot, but you read it right.

There it is. CRAFT PIMP. Amazing. I love this shirt.

It's thrifted from The Buffalo Exchange... who wouldn't buy my clothes back! I'm sorry your "customers actually prefer jeans and t-shirts". I actually do too. Why do you think I'm trying to sell you my blazers and dress pants? Anyway, this is perfect. Now instead of doing laundry I will just wear this shirt every single day while I'm on a pinning spree. Kidding! I think.

Oh and don't forget to enter the birthday giveaway before it's too late! Do it if you're cool.

Birthday Giveaway!

2011-08-30T05:00:00.000-07:00

I just LOVE birthdays so much. Some people don't think turning 26 is fun and I mean sure, it's no 16 or 21. But the way I see it, I've been blessed with another whole year. I'll definitely drink to that... and I'll have a cupcake too :)

To celebrate, I'm having my very first giveaway! Just because I always think it's so fun when other blogs have giveaways. Also because my sweet, patient husband can't handle any more crafty aqua picture frames in our house, but I can't seem to stop making them. So without further ado...

Ashley's 26th Birthday Giveaway Extravaganza!

(Too dramatic? Didn't think so.)

It's my newest favorite craft: a rescued picture frame painted aqua (what else) & complete with felt flowers! It even come with a handmade print of my current favorite quote! (If you're not into the quote or the amazing pink houndstooth, just add your favorite 8x10 picture.)

Since I'm new at this we'll keep it simple:

#1 Just follow the blog (you don't have to have a gmail or a blog to be a follower... but you should think about getting a blog if you don't have one. Just sayin.)

#2 Leave me a comment about your FAVE birthday, or birthday present, or birthday party. You get the idea. I'm not strict.

#3 Also if you do have a blog & you share the love (aka my sweet button) you can leave me another comment and be in the drawing TWICE! (See. You need a blog.)

Check back Friday for the winner AND the first Field Trip Friday link party. Oh I'm excited about that!

Field Trip Fridays

2011-08-26T09:32:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I was on an organization mission. You might think that means my house/ life got super organized yesterday. Nope, not exactly. It means that when Hunter came home I started blabbing his head off about my organization plans. I also haven't napped with Lil all week and my current excessive creative state has been keeping me up at night... So there's my excuse. Basically, as we ate our bag salad kit from a shared plate (no dishwasher in this house) and drank wine straight from the bottle (so serious- the bottle was more than half empty anyway and again with the dishwasher :) I gave him the run down on my new game plan for becoming the world's best mom & wife. Ready for it?

Meal plan Mondays: Cut coups & plan the week's menu

Target Tuesday: Grocery shopping

Wednesday Work day: Do the admin side of the Sugar Mama biz

I can't even remember what brilliant alliteration I came up with for Thursday.

Field Trip Fridays: Go somewhere fun!

I know. I've figured it out right!? Go ahead and steal it if you want :) We enjoyed a good laugh, but the whole point in sharing is that I really do love the Field Trip Friday idea! I'm going for it. This week it will probably just be lunch with Hunter, but I'm counting it because it's #1 out of the house and #2 fun! (Grocery store doesn't count as a field trip.) I really want to make it one of those link up games, but I have to figure out how to host those... So look for it next week!

Since I don't have any fun field trip pictures to share this week, these pictures are from some of our past adventures: headed to Mexico for our honeymoon, Pike Place market & a picnic in a park by our apartment. What's your favorite field trip? Want to go somewhere fun with me next Friday!?

Aqua love

2011-08-25T14:11:00.001-07:00

Gussy Sews is a beautiful shop with all kinds of lovelies. I recently discovered her awesome blog too! She does a weekly inspiration workshop and this week's prompt is YOUR FAVORITE COLOR. Well, this one is a no brainer.

I. love. AQUA.

I love it! I can't get enough, but I just keep trying :) My husband oh-so-lovingly ~~forbid~~ begged me not to paint anymore aqua/ turquoise goodness for our house.

Unbelievable! Good thing I already snuck these bad boys in.

Aren't they pretty?

Aqua+grey felt flowers= YES PLEASE! My new favorite combo! (Beware- you may be gifted these if Hunter doesn't let me hang them in our house.)

I love aqua so very much because it reminds me of the fabulous ocean.

It gives me energy and peace at the same time... Which is probably why I've painted most of my home in some shade of it. It really might be turning into a problem. But it makes me oh so happy! If being obsessed with aqua is wrong, I don't want to be right.

What I love Wednesday

2011-08-24T10:51:00.000-07:00

More than anything in the whole world.

A Monday Miracle

2011-08-23T08:47:00.000-07:00

If you didn't get a chance to read yesterday's post, I was pretty excited about giving my time back to God and letting Him take care of it for me. So I took a craft fast (aka I cleaned my gross house instead of painting or baking). After a few loads of laundry and some sweeping in the living room I decided it was time to fix the long white curtains. They are hung too low and the extra fabric just lays on the ground and gets all filthy.

So I threw them all in the wash and tried to decide if it would be a better use of my time to hem the curtains or move all the hardware and curtain rods up higher. As I contemplated I worked on some other things and when it came time to "line dry" the curtains (by hanging them up wet) I realized one accidentally made it into the dryer with the other laundry.

Sure enough, the curtain had shrunk. The amazing thing is that it now fits per.fect.ly. I threw the others in the dryer so fast and cranked it up to high. An hour later I had a living room full of perfectly fitting white curtains AND extra time on my hands to love on my baby and work on my Sugar Mama blog and newsletter!

I know it seems like a silly small thing but I felt really blessed by my curtain miracle. Praise Jesus for not having to get out the sewing machine OR power tools! And Praise Jesus for being so much more powerful than all the things I fill up my time with.

Tithing my time.

2011-08-22T10:35:00.000-07:00

I recently came across this blog & it spoke so much truth to me! Hunter and I have experienced God's faithfulness and provision over and over again when we trust Him with our finances. So why do I think that the same God who provides us with enough money to somehow make the ends meet every month shouldn't be in charge of my time as well? Lately I've totally been resting in Matthew 6:25&26

Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns and yet your heavenly father feeds them Are you not much more valuable than they?

and Matthew 6:28&29

And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these.

But it's like I skipped right over verse 27, because instead of worrying about money I just started stressing about my time! There never seems to be enough to get everything done and to be a good mom, wife, friend, sister, daughter, runner, crafter, cupcake business owner, housekeeper, grocery shopper, etc...

Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?

Bam! There it is. I definitely hear a little sarcasm in Jesus' voice when I read it.

"Um... hello!? I'm what's important. Not crafts. Give your time to ME & just see what happens. I'll probably even make you a little extra time for crafts, because I'm awesome like that, but give me the first of your time. You suck at scheduling, so I'll take it from here."

I wonder what pastor Aaron would think if he saw my interpretation of that verse? ha! Probably ask me to be a guest speaker next week. Doesn't matter. That's how it makes sense to me and the whole point is that it does make sense to me now. I'm giving Him the first of my time in the morning so that He can be in control of the rest of my time all day. I feel great about it because I know He is going to do SO MUCH BETTER than me!

Thanks for the pep talk Katie. I'm excited to tithe my time with you!

The dresser

2011-08-18T11:24:00.000-07:00

The dresser is now officially an earth and budget friendly entertainment center!

A couple things:

#1 Yes, those are Guitar Hero guitars in the back corner. We Greenos LOVE Guitar Hero! Who's with us?!

#2 Do not be jealous of our sweet TV. It's sinful for you to covet my niiiiiiiice things.

You already know that the $10 treasure of a dresser started out in a nice shiny shade of Pepto-complete with a huge spot on the top, brass pulls and a loose baseboard. SO much potential!

I ran to Home Depot and bought myself a sander. It was only $30 and let's face it, this won't be the last piece of furniture I feel compelled to rescue (sorry Hunter).

Unfortunately, there were like 47 layers of old paint on this thing and the top layer just happened to be weird and rubbery. When the sander couldn't handle it, I went for the butter knife. Makes sense right? ha! Let's just say that the original plan to sand down to the wood and refinish this beauty got thrown out the window.

No worries! I just roughed the whole thing up a little with the sander. Painted it a lovely shade of Tropical Waters (Behr) and added a top coat of watered down brown acrylic paint ($0.27 on clearance) to make it look a little "weathered". I'm certain Hunter would have preferred a nice refinished wood tone to the turquoise but he did admit that it's cooler than he thought it would be :)

I even added a little pizazz to the drawers & painted the handles with brushed nickel spray paint. Now I just have to bust out the drill and make some holes in the back for that mess of cords.

I realize that a turquoise dresser as an entertainment center isn't for everyone... but it's definitely for me! It adds some much needed color to our grey living room. It's recycled and "green" which I'm always a fan of. It was only a whopping total of $14 which is fabulous! Best of all there is tons of storage space so I don't have a huge pile of dvds, cords, speakers, playstation etc. I'll call it a SUCCESS!

Motivational blogger

2011-08-15T09:51:00.000-07:00

Listen, if you woke up this morning ready to seize the day and then locked yourself out with your newborn & had to break into your own home, tried to pick up your photo order at Walgreens only to have the cashier stare blankly back at you and tell you she has "no clue" where your pictures are, and came back home to a massive poopy explosion diaper all before 10 am... you might be ready to crawl back into bed and call it day.

But don't give up! Grab yourself an extra ~~jug~~ cup of iced coffee and keep moving. You may get to Goodwill and find wonderful treasures just begging for some tender lovin' spray paint. Shoot, they might even have 50% off pink stickers and really turn your day around!

I hope these words of wisdom are applicable and encouraging to many of you today. No? Just me? Well, I really needed the pep talk so enjoy the picture of the treasures :) And yes, it's also a sneak peak of the dresser. It's almost done!

Curtains!

2011-08-11T09:10:00.000-07:00

This post is a bit late, but that's never stopped me before :) When my sweet mama was here in June she took care of my poor nekked windows. She had time to do that because she was supposed to be helping me with a newborn... but as you know the child took. her. time.

Anyway, we waddled (well, I waddled) through Denver Fabrics and perused all of the lovely textiles searching for a yellow chevron pattern. Yep, that's right I wanted sunshiney zig zag curtains in the dining room. I don't exactly have grown up taste when it comes to home decor. I'm fine with it.

This is what we found. No chevron but isn't it fabulous!? I really wish my photography skills could do them more justice because they are really awesome. They brighten the room a lot and make the little window nook really lovely. Especially when you consider the "before" look. Luckily, you can't even tell from this far away just how sick nasty those blinds are.

We also got fun new curtains in our bedroom and moved the long white ones to the living room. I'll work on taking better pictures and post about all of that someday. For now here's a sneak peek at the curtains with a sweet little babe snuck in :)

Thank you thank you Gigi (cool grandma name huh?). We LOVE the curtains... and we love that the neighbors don't know us quite so well anymore!