What Fern Wore : Plaza Festival

Once a year our favorite little neighborhood in town shuts down their streets and invites small business owners and artists to set up tents and sell their sweet creations to the public. There are food trucks, and music, and a kids corner. It's devine. We didn't get to spend much time there this year, and sadly because we're on a bit of a budget until my new job starts- we opted for eating before we left home, and  I wasn't able to snag a pair of the new lovewell leggings in my favorite design from their new fall line (oh- but I will.)

here are a few photos from our day <3

love|well tee by lovewell handmade || red gingham bloomers by missainsleymae || cat ears from Target || braided sandals from Old Navy || sweet little monster friend handmade by our sweet friend Tommie.

Fernversations: summer edition

I wanted to officially wrap up this little hiatus with a fun little "Fernversations" post. She's talking so much, now, you guys. Actual CONVERSATIONS. It's nuts. and she's saying the FUNNIEST most ridiculous things. Here are a few things she threw at me this summer.

Photo by Hibben Photography

::While playing hide and seek::

Fern: "momma! hide too!"

me (crawling under the covers with Fern & Tristan) "okay! but who's going to find us if we're all hiding??"

Fern: (whispers in a super creepy voice) "chhhiiiicken pot pieeeeee"


::popcorn popping in the mircorwave::
me: "mmmmmm. what's that smell!?"
Fern: "choooooooocolate" (Frozen reference)
me: "nooooo.... not chocolate! guess again!"
Fern: "pooooooooooop".
::face palm::

After painting her toenails earlier that day:
Fern lays on her belly in the living room floor cupping my toes (in desperate need of a pedicure) and says "WOOOOOOOOOOW. BEAAAUUTIFUL MOMMA!"

In my room putting on my makeup
Fern: "tum on mama. Play Fern!" (everything is in 3rd person these days)
Me: "oh, baby.. in a minute. I'm putting my makeup on. would you like some of your lip gloss?
Fern: "fern's turn"
--fern puts on her chapstick, turns to the mirror smacking her lips--
Fern: "FANTASTIC!"

Lately Fern likes to come up and put me in choke holds when I'm sitting on the floor.
Me: ack! Fern! Please don't do that baby, that really hurts my neck.
Fern: sorry buddy. sorry dude.


Fern's favorites: (quotations = as answered by Fern)

Favorite food: "Fern eats chicken pot pie".. it's true. she does.
Favorite toy: "... ummm.. chicken pot pie. "
Favorite word: (do I even have to ask? ) Lately it's been, you guessed it, "chicken pot pie" or "fantastic"
Favorite item of clothing: a dress. any dress, every dress. She also loves tying her blanket around her shoulders and referring to herself as "Princess Elsa Fern".
Favorite movie/show: Dora anything, "stickey mouse", and Charlottes Web. (which I'm so so tired of)
Favorite place to visit: The "libary".
Best Friend: "pay Lila" - translation: "play with Lila". It's true. Lila is a sweet little girl in her class. I dont know if she actually plays with Lila that much, but I always ask her what she did at school that day, and she always answers "Pay Lila". Unless Lila is some kind of MDO scam artist conning my child out of her piggy bank pennies.. You never know. It's the sweet ones you gotta watch out for.
Favorite book: "chick-boom-boom". Which translates to "Chicka-chicka-boom-boom" Which is the only book so far that we've received from our book swap- but it was so worth it because she LOVES it.
Favorite game: "hide and seek". She's the worst at hiding and we get such a kick out of it. But then when it's her turn to seek, she totally fake seeks like we do.. looking in laundry baskets saying "momma in here?... nooooooooo" until she finds us. Hilarious.


Noteable moments:

My most favorite thing that I hope nobody ever corrects her on ever, is the way she calls Mickey Mouse "Stickey Mouse".

Fern's MDO teacher has been teaching her salsa, and she's pretty good at it. note: yet another thing she does not get from her mother: coordination.

Anytime she can segway into talking about her "elbone" (elbow), she does. You'd be surprised at how well she makes it work.

The Poppy Press

You guys! I couldn't be more excited to share with you the most lovely print shop! My sweet friend Tillie just opened up shop at The Poppy Press TODAY with 15 different inspirational quotes or the option to create your own! I'd love for you to pop over and take a gander! There are some really lovely gems in stock. This one is about "The secret to change" is one of my favorites!

For the next week Tillie is offering 20% off on any order when you use the code  OPENINGPARTY at checkout!

...but wait.. there's more! If you head on over to Tillie's blog, you'll find a lovely little giveaway! Head on over now to enter! A winner will be chosen next week.


What's your favorite inspirational quote? (in the shop, or otherwise?)

Fall is here!

I have... so much on my mind that I want to spill my guts to you guys about, but I haven't even thought through it all, so it would just come out as a huge barf of words. (gross) So... rather than do that, I'm just going to say Hi! It's fall! It feels like fall! I was hibernating for the summer, and now I'm back. (there was a little more to it than that, but we'll leave it at hibernation.) Anyhow. We're getting internet at our home next week- and I just got our fall photos in from Hibben Photography today, the stars have aligned and I think... I THINK... that means.. We're back! at least to semi-regular posts. 

HAPPY FALL!

Oikos Handmade: Giveaway!

YOU GUYS! Kimberly and I have been organizing this giveaway for you for MONTHS and I could barely keep it a secret from you because I LOVE OIKOS HANDMADE!  There. I said it! Kimberly is a crochet goddess. She has items in her shop that are not only incredibly trendy, but so so so well made. Look at what she sent me! A clutch AND a mason jar cozy. and they match each other AND MY LIPSTICK! are you getting how excited I am about this?!

Last Week(s): In Review

captured:

- my little bathing beauty <3 summer = endless pool days

- Vegetarian Portobello pizza bianco via the fresh 20

- Tulsa, Oklahoma 

- Impromptu road trip because we are not too old for spontaneity.

you may have missed:

+ call off the search party!

+ Oklahoma Originals: Roxy's Ice Cream

+ Lyft: Hometown Diaries

+ Home Sweet Home

+ Happy Words

links lately:

* flower crowns + beards

* best makeup tutorial i've ever seen. EVER. 

* Frozen meets Orange is the new Black parody 

* Lighthearted talk about feminine maintenance  

* 18 notes made hilariously inappropriate by children. <- I laughed tears.  

* anxiety survival tips I learned from my cat

* "your penis won't fall off" and other things little boys should know-- for those of you raising boys 

pinspiration:

from pinterest board: home sweet home

Call off the search party!

naptime diaries: fail.

Hey-o, everyone! I know. My second post this month apologizing for my MIA behavior. I just wanted to do a little check in post (again) and explain what's been going on, where we've been, and what our plans are for the future.

Oklahoma Originals: Roxy's Ice Cream

If this is your first time to see an Oklahoma Originals post, let me fill you in on what it is! For the past couple months, I take a day to pass on some REALLY awesome videos that Keep It Local OK has put together about some local businesses here. Here in OK, we L O V E our local businesses. My hope is that you'll see these videos, and if you're a local: you'll either come across a new place that you've never been to, or you'll fall even more in love with a place that you've already known about by getting to know the owners and their hearts a little more. I love this series, you guys. I LOVE IT. We have so many talented folks in this city with such huge hearts!

This week I'm highlighting Roxy's! An ice cream food truck made with fresh ingredients, and OH MY GOODNESS. So delicious.



I hear that Roxy's is opening a brick and mortar in the Plaza District! Who's excited for that? This girl.

:: Little Brave is not affiliated with the Keep It Local program or "Oklahoma Originals" series. This post is not a sponsored post. There was no exchange for money or gifts for the promotion of this series. All opinions are my own. ::

Lyft: Hometown Diaries

This week I got the opportunity to visit our Lyft HQ in San Francisco with over 20 other ladies and gents from all around our country! We were brought out so that we could get some extra training and be immersed in authentic lyft culture with the idea of bringing it back to our own cities. I'm SO excited about the people I got to meet, and the awesome training I got to be part of. It was truly the best few days I've had in so long. I feel like I grew in every aspect of my life: from social growth to just being totally inspired about the work Tristan and I do and the vision behind it. I'm SO lucky to be part of such a great company.

Before we went we were instructed to make a little video about ourselves, our lyft, and the city we were from. The "hometown diaries" series will be used in a complete video lyft hq is putting together and will be released later along with interviews and moments from our trip, so I'll share that when it comes. In the mean time, I thought I'd share my complete video. Of course my film school hubby couldn't let me get away with a simple point and shoot video, so he kind of blew it out of the water with the editing. I'm kiiiind of super proud of it and his hard work on even the tiniest project. <3 

Home sweet home

Hello hello! Gosh, I've missed you guys. We've spent the past week moving in to our humble little home- and I've been without internet. So I took the opportunity for a little break, and really took advantage of the time we had together to make our house a home.

This is not my usual Monday recap post, as you can see! I just wanted to pop in quickly to share a few photos from the past week while I was away- check in to make sure everything is peachy keen- and leave you with a few things to look forward to, that will be coming up soon on le blog. :) 

Last week's moments: 

1. All of my babies are sprouting babies, and I'm running out of things to plant them in

2. A little hide & seek with Aunt Morgan this weekend had us laughing tears. 

3. Love notes for no reason. (Pretty card by "Gold House Paper" 

4. I won an Instagram giveaway!! This never happens! 

5. Family photo for Father's Day 

6. Tying in my pretty "Gold House Paper" print with our wedding photos & dried bouquet. 

7. My little "cookin boss" (that's what her apron says) 

8. I finally got to make Joy the baker's "browned butter strawberry banana bread". Which is my favorite. Ever. 

9. Soaking up Naptime in a new bed, in a new house. Victory. 

Things to look forward to: 

- a fun giveaway from Gold House Paper

- I've been collecting thoughts for my new skincare series! The first intro video is due to drop next month. 

- tons of new DIY's as we re-vamp Fern's new room, including: rugs, planters, even a fun Montessori friendly "big girl bed!" 

June Meet & Greet

Happy FRIDAY! AAAAH! WE'RE MOVING INTO OUR NEW HOUSE TODAY!

I'm a tad excited. yaya! While I'm working my tush off to make our hew house a home, I want you to get to know the lovely ladies of the sidebar with this month's group Meet & Greet! 

Every month, I like to do a little Meet & Greet with the sweet ladies to the left so that you guys can get to know them a little better. (That's the meet part!) THEN. It's your turn! reply to any of the answers and then follow up with an answer of your own. (That's the greet part) This particular post is very much focused on making new friends and acquaintances, so chat it up! Meet a new friend! Fall in love with some new blogs! 

This month all of the fun summer events are starting in our city, and it got me wondering what other people do in their cities for the summer! Vacations are one thing, but most of us spend the majority of the time right at home with the kids (if you've got 'em).  I ask our ladies: 

Megan | Gold House Paper : "I am from Ocala, FL, a smaller town an hour outside of Orlando. In the summer there is a lot to do here! One of my favorite things is to goto Disney (In the evenings into the night time). A less expensive option is to go to drive in theatres, or make  homemade popsicles!"

Tillie | Hello Tillie : "Originally I am from Wellington, New Zealand. A beautiful little city close to the beach and the mountains full of cafes and artists. But right now, I am living in Melbourne, Australia. It's a huge exciting, creative city and I am having a blast exploring.
This summer past (it's winter over here at the moment!) we went to the outdoor cinema in the Royal Botanic Gardens. It was full of warm evening summer air, and community. There were bean bags and wine, and popcorn and it was awesome. A close second would have been getting fro-yo in St. Kilda, hiring a bicycle and cycling along he foreshore, playing in the sand, and dipping our toes in the ocean. Bliss.

Melissa | Fawn Over Baby: "We currently live in Valdosta, Georgia (courtesy of the US Air Force). We are fairly new to town, however, we have found that we love living just a few hours away from beach towns! So far this year, we visited St. George Island and are madly in love with "The Forgotten Island". We also enjoy spending a Saturday at Wild Adventures Water Park - just a 15 minute drive from us. If we're not venturing out of the house, we usually like to kick back in our back yard, throw a few burgers on the grill and watch our little 1.5 year old run around and explore. We lived in Alaska for 4.5 years so I guess you could say anything outdoors, we love! :D"

Samantha | Elah Tree : " I'm from Missouri! I love the Midwest! But I currently reside in Southern California. Summers look completely different in both of those places. One of our favorite things to do in the summer is to travel to Fresno and visit family. We go to Fresno all throughout he year but in the summer we get to go out on the boat which is my favorite thing ever. I just love being on the water! I also love getting ice cream.

Meg | Rivers and Roads : "I was born and raised in Chattanooga, Tennessee and love this city so much. I have several favorie things about Chattanooga in the summertime, but I'll give you just two. :) Every year for the 4th of July, Chattanooga does an event called "Pops on the River". Everyone can come gather in beautiful Coolidge Park by the Tennessee river and listen to the Chattanooga Symphony play for a couple hours before we have a huge fireworks show!! Its one of my favorite things! It was rained out last year, so I'm hoping for good weather this year!

A business in Chattanooga always puts on "movies in the park" for each weekend in July and they play differnt family friendly movies each week. I found out they're playing Frozen on one of the weekends so I will TOTES be there. Watching Frozen outside under the stars?? Yes, please. The sky's awake, so I'm awake! ;) "

Christina | Sweet Lavender Bake Shoppe : "I was born and raised in Los Angeles, California (you must say "Cal-EEE-forn-Ya" like our previous governor, Arnold Schwarzenegger did) More specifically, I am from and reside in a city in Los Angeles about 10 blocks from the Pacific Ocean. That being said, come summer time, our little beach town is the perfect place for late night bonfires on the beach, bbqs, walks around our downtown art district, and so on. LOVE a good bonfire with ample s'more gorging. One of my favorite things to do though, is attend our Concert in the Park and Shakespeare in the Park nights, which our town puts on a few weeks every summer. Can't wait for this to begin.


As for me:  (I live in Oklahoma City for those of you who didn't know) Every Sunday night in the summer, we have what's called "twilight concert series". It's an outdoor concert at twilight and everyone brings their lawn chairs and picnic blankets and all of the kids go up to the front to dance. There are hundreds of people who get together for this, but it all just feels so communal. I look forward to this time all year round!


Now it's your turn! - 
We all want to know: What do you do in the summer where YOU live?

happy words

I NEED to post about happy words.

I have to admit to you, that sometimes somebody will send me an inspirational quote, and I'll want to spit on it. That's how bad my attitude is sometimes.
I also have to admit to you, that I have a real bad habit of getting down in the dumps and not making my life what I want it to be. I know we've had these conversations before.

By all rights of the phrase, I AM a "Negative Nancy".
I do not want to be, and I know I didn't use to be, and I also know that I'm the only who can give myself permission to be negative, as well as the only one who can turn my attitude around.

Making a decision EVERY DAY to have a positive attitude and be inspired. It's absolutely a mission. But I am totally up for the job. So, on the subject, I'd like to share with you some really great inspiration I've been finding in the form of prints, that I could just paste all over my walls at home to be constant reminders to me.

1. 2. 3.

4. 5. 6. 

7. 8. 9. 

also, sidenote: I want to point something out to you guys. Those ladies on my sidebar to the left. There are 8 of them, all the same size at the bottom. Those ladies are there continuously because those are ladies that constantly (without even knowing) fuel my fire for a positive and beautiful life. Just by doing what they do. I love reading their blogs because they radiate a kindness through any content they post that I sincerely want to possess. They're my inspiration and I really look up to them, not only as fantastic bloggers, but as AMAZING women in general. Thank you Tillie, Christina, Samantha, Beth, Meg, Melissa, and Kenzie



also, some of the credits don't link back to the specific maker of the poster- so if you know who made  it, let me know so I can properly link. :)

Last week: In review

photos via instagram

captured:
* new favorite tinted lip balm from the MKatplay collection! yay summer colors!
* T has been teaching Fern to skateboard. panic attacks commence!
* My friend Allison makes and sells the most BEAUTIFUL succulent wreaths.
* This is the worst picture I could possibly take of the BEST snow cone I've ever had. strawberry snowcone with cream, ice cream, whipped cream, strawberries, and a little slice of CHEESECAKE. (totally worth the $4.00 I paid. )

it's the little things:
- finding out MONDAY that I've been selected through Lyft to go on an all expenses paid trip to San Francisco as a leader of our mentor team! SO THRILLED!
- seeing the news on TUESDAY that a sweet friend and amazing lady I've admired for so long is engaged to the man of her dreams.
- I took a roadtrip WEDNESDAY with a sweet friend specifically to get snow cones we'd heard rumors about. They were amazing. it was so worth driving to the middle of nowhere for.
- I shaved my legs THURSDAY. And sometimes that's really just all it takes for the day to be a success. (the title of this section IS "the little things".)
- sister time on FRIDAY was so good. one of my little sisters just graduated High School, and is about to be WAY too busy and cool for me, so we got together Friday for dinner and spent some quality time together. <3
- SATURDAY afternoon porch sitting (with snow-cones of course) with my family. Those are my favorite times with them. You really don't need a lot of money to have something to do.
- GoT SUNDAY, as usual- but this week with a cheesecake mix I bought at the dollar store. (I know, right?- but it actually didn't turn out too bad)

you may have missed:
> Fern's 2nd birthday party
> Oklahoma Originals: Plenty Mercantile
> Meg's favorite things: A giveaway

links lately:
+ my husband is NOT my soulmate: things I want to tell my daughter about love.
+ 39 (totally spot on) things every fair skinned girl can relate to.
+ oh, and this guinea pig interview had me chuckling for a stupid amount of time.
+ which reminds me of Marcel the Shell with shoes on. remember that video? It's totally time to revisit it. <3
+ in celebration of "Orange is the New Black: season 2" this week: Tabby is the new Cat : a parody.
+ a REALLY awesome presentation bringing to light scientific proof of how people (men in particular) react to how modest a woman dresses, with a focus on bikinis. Love it, guys.

pinspiration:

Father's Day is quickly approaching. Although I'm still on the hunt for the perfect Father's Day present for my husband- this is for sure something I'm sticking in my back pocket (aka: Pinterest) for future years when Fern is old enough to write sweet things on it. Love this free printable.

You guys have any good ideas for Father's Day this year?? I'm getting desperate. It's coming up so quickly!

Meg's favorite things : June giveaway

Hi friends! Have you met my friend Meg of Rivers and Roads? Every month this sweet lady has a great giveaway where she collects some of her favorite things to give to one lucky reader! so fun, cause this lady has such great taste!  This month she's giving away a sweet little zip pouch like the one you may have seen in one of my anniversary giveaways from Elah Tree! So if you didn't get it then, you've got another chance at it! AWESOME!

Enter below via the Rafflecopter and a winner will be chosen at random next week! Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Oklahoma Originals : Plenty Mercantile

Hi brave readers! Last month I posted a little video by Keep It Local, introducing a local coffee roaster and shop. I'm so loving this series Keep it Local has started, titled "Oklahoma Originals", that I decided to pass along the goodness once a month on Little Brave! If you're a local, I hope you find a new place to love, or get to know a place you already love a little better! If you're not a local- then this is just to brag about how awesome our local businesses are, and maybe if you're in town sometime you can visit a few!

Today I'm passing along Plenty Mercantile. Plenty is one of my FAVORITE places to shop for goodies to make my home a little prettier. Think: a rustic, and local anthropologie, in the middle of our historic automobile alley. You've got to visit if you haven't yet. Check out the video to learn more and get a little glimpse of the whimsy inside of Plenty. <3

:: Little Brave is not affiliated with the Keep It Local program or "Oklahoma Originals" series. This post is not a sponsored post. There was no exchange for money or gifts for the promotion of this series. All opinions are my own. ::

Fern's second birthday

This post, is not over the top. It's not something you'll see as inspiration on anyone elses blog. It certainly won't be pinned... This is just a little post about Fern's average birthday party. I didn't spend a lot of money on decorations, to be honest, I was running around like a chicken with my head cut off 20 minutes before because I forgot to get plates to eat on. I'm talking.. minimal planning. We didn't even do the watermelon ice cream covers because our printer was out of ink. ha! And actually, we did get a watermelon for eating, and then TOTALLY forgot to cut it up and eat it!

It was the best day. An intimate gathering with our family. Fern opened her presents, and we ate the most delicious angel food cake with fresh strawberries made by my grandma (at my request.. cause it's my favorite).. Then we just hung out for a while. That's it, and I've gotta tell you- it was perfect.  Here are some fun pictures from the day. Thank goodness my best friend, Hillary, was there to take photos. I abandoned the camera pretty early on. ;)

Days like this make you 10x more aware of how awesome your family is. Just the fact that they all took times to come eat cake and give Fern presents and just celebrate her life with us for a couple hours out of the day. Most of them traveled more than 30 minutes just to be with us. Fern's a really lucky little lady to have so many people who care so much, and I know we all missed the couple of family members who weren't able to be with us that day.

Last Week: In Review

Hi brave hearts. Admittedly, I didn't even make an effort with the blog this past week- but I have to tell you that it's because a certain little girl and I were partying hard ALL WEEK celebrating her second birthday! So maybe I neglected the blog, but we have lots to catch up on! (including her birthday party pics from this weekend!) Here are some shots from instagram!

images from instagram

captured:
* First snow cone of the summer!!
* Sweet little thing is such a great helper. She loves watering those flowers.
* Daddy/daughter shot at the summer's first OKC Twilight Concert Series.
* Grandmas angel food cake with fresh strawberries. Until Fern is old enough to decide on her favorite cake, I get to pick mine for her birthdays. (and get it again next month for MY birthday! #momperks)

it's the little things:
- spending time MONDAY with all 6 of my moms foster kids while she was away. <3 Those kids are such a blessing.
- Fern turned 2 TUESDAY! We celebrated with a birthday cupcake at our beloved Cuppies & Joe
- first snow cone of the year on WEDNESDAY! (at the best snow cone joint in OKC)
- a cup of tea on THURSDAY morning. I dont do that often enough. So still and quiet.
- date night with my man FRIDAY. We spent way too much and I got champagne just because. A+
- Obviously Fern's birthday party was a huge highlight- but in addition, SATURDAY night ended with a hilarious facebook thread between friends that had me crying from giggling so much.
- first Twilight Concert Series of the year! SUNDAYs will from here on out be my favorite day of the week.

links lately:
+ 25 worst (best) spelling mistakes on twitter (these are real people, ya'll)
+ have you heard of solar powered roadways?
+ this handy (and cute) printout of which foods might be more important to buy organic than others
+ a campaign titled #yesmencan organized by a group of men standing up for women everywhere in the wake of the terrible CA shooting over memorial weekend.
+ hysterical (and I do mean HYSTERICAL) photobombs by animals.

pinspiration

found via pinterest: backyard

How great are these homemade Floating candles with citronella oil?? I'm seeing backyard bbq's this summer with NO harassment of bugs and even less eye sore citronella candle buckets (you know the ones), no bug spray, and lots of these cuties. I'M EXCITED!

Last Week: in review

Images via Instagram

captured:
* fun moments with my girl captured by Katie Begley on a trip to the Library.
* judge if you must, but this is the only way to keep a 15 minute shopping trip from turning into a potentially hour long shopping trip. There is no shame here.
* Started a new book of short stories this week! (and learned what "allegory for assimilation" means- remember, I'm a college dropout)
* sweet reminders on a hard day.

it's the little things:
- getting to see my baby sister graduate MONDAY!! I'm so proud of her!
- getting to see a friend TUESDAY & chat with her about a potential career in Mary Kay.
-Trying Totally rocking a new easy recipe for lunch WEDNESDAY.
- Getting some alone time with an old acquaintance THURSDAY to talk about life, family, makup and air plants, and watch our new friendship blossom.
- A free spa treatment on FRIDAY, and a new mask.
- Sleeping in on SATURDAY. Thankful for a sweet husband who will let me.
- Spending time with a sweet couple SUNDAY celebrating their upcoming marriage, with beers, swans, infinity pools and baked brie. yum.

you may have missed: 
> May Giveaway: Stationary goodies!
> Currently: A peek into what's been going on with me currently
> Oklahoma Originals by Keep it Local ft. Hoboken Coffee Roasters 

links lately:
+ Miss Ainsley Mae has launched her new clothing website for little girls and it is to DIE for.
+ Making me feel all the feelings: A man in Saudi Arabia installs a fridge outside to put food in for hungry children to spare them the shame of begging. break. my. heart.
+ This foreshadowing of Tristan & Fern 10 years from now lip syncing Iggy Azalea's "fancy"
+ A Spontaneous Jam session between three strangers, which I'm pretty positive would solve all the worlds problems. more of this.


find me elsewhere: 
* talking with some other sweet girls on Sweet Lavender Bake Shoppe : Why do you blog?
* Sharing about being an unwed mother in a Christian community on Katie Begley's "Strong Mom" blog series.

pinspiration:

found via pinterest: birthday party planning

Fern's birthday party is just around the corner- and I have to admit, I have been so slack at party planning. Luckily there is pinterest, where I found these SUPER cute FREE printable ice cream cone wraps. UM. adorable. Fern's birthday party has suddenly turned into a watermelon theme. Has anyone seen that crazy watermelon cake floating around the web? I wonder if that's good? hmm...

Oklahoma Originals : Hoboken Coffee

If you've lived in or near any given city in the state of Oklahoma, it's probably pretty likely that you've heard of our Keep it Local program. If you haven't heard of it, either you've been living under a rock and totally mission out, OR you don't live in the state of Oklahoma- let me explain the program to you!

Image borrowed from Keep It Local blog

Keep it Local is a card program that supports participating local businesses. (and boy, do we LOVE our local businesses) For a mere $10 you can purchase a Keep It Local card. Tristan and I have had one for at least 3 years.. maybe 4? I can't recall. They expire at the end of every calendar year, so they always end up as the perfect stocking stuffer. 

When you present your keep it local card to any of the participating businesses- you receive a discount. Maybe it's 10% off your purchase, 15%, a free cup of coffee, etc. just for supporting local businesses. By choosing to support local businesses, you not only get a great personal service and value, you also help strengthen our local community and economy.

Keep It Local has started doing a video series titled "Oklahoma Originals" which highlights some of our participating local businesses! I really have no personal ties to this program or video series, other than most of them are people I have met, know well, or even consider friends because of supporting their businesses. I'm so lucky to be part of this community, even as a consumer alone. To have so many options for quality product from local businesses. I LOVE IT!

I'd like to start relaying a video per week of these great businesses and the people behind them, so if you do live in OKlahoma, maybe you'll see somewhere new you'd like to visit, or get some history behind an already favorite spot of yours. IF you don't live in OKlahoma, I'd still like to share the hearts behind our community with you and what a blessing these people are to us. 

To start us off, Meet Trey & Mallory of Hoboken Coffee. A true treasure in the heart of Guthrie, Oklahoma.

Visit Keep It Local website to learn more and find out where you can buy your own keep it local card.
+ keep an eye out on Thursdays for more "Oklahoma Originals"

:: Little Brave is not affiliated with the Keep It Local program or "Oklahoma Originals" series. This post is not a sponsored post. There was no exchange for money or gifts for the promotion of this series. All opinions are my own. ::

Currently:

photo by: Katie Begley Photography

So these are fun little "get to know you" posts. I spotted one a bit ago over at Hello Tillie & decided that I'd adopt the tradition. They're kind of fun to post since [a.] it's a type of list and I'm obsessed with lists- and [b.] it's a totally laid back post that hopefully inspires some conversation in the comments section so we can get to know each other a little better.

So here's what's going on with me currently:

Reading: I JUST (finally) finished a book called "The School of Essential Ingredients", and now I'm debating on starting "Lost Lake", by my very favorite author Sarah Addison Allen- or start a book of short stories titled "St. Lucy's home for girls raised by wolves" by Karen Russell. I can't choose. Has anyone read either of those? Also Eleanor & Park is on the list- I just don't have it in my possession yet.

Feeling: Stuck? A little. but not overwhelmed by it. Just in more of a waiting place, really. Some of you know that my husband, daughter, and I have been living with my mother-in-law for quite some time now. We're FINALLY getting our own space mid-June and I couldn't be more excited! Only a couple of weeks! However, somehow it's caused me to sink into this rut of having so much inspiration, but not being able to picture pursuing any of it until we're in our space. Everything we own except for a few photos, books and clothes have been in storage for almost 2 years. I honestly don't even know what I have anymore. I'm so exciiiiiiited!

Thinking: Recently I started my own business as a Mary Kay independent beauty consultant. Mary Kay has this awesome resource for it's consultants online to do all sorts of training. There's just so much information! I'm trying to take it one lesson at a time and really soak in all of the knowledge. After all.. I am NOT a make-up guru- in any way, although I'd LOVE to be knowledgeable in skin care and how to do my makeup properly and teach other ladies to as well. So I'm really excited. I just want to lay my head on the laptop an absorb it all!

Eating: oh! this is fun. 2 things, and I totally want your opinion on the latter. 1st- I just tried this awesome recipe for homemade crispy chicken bites from Weelicious. It's SO easy. minimal ingredients. minimal prep time. and totally delicious! I made some Wednesday for lunch and then prepped and froze the rest for the rest of the week. genius!

also. my sister-in-law was telling me about this meal planning website called fresh20.  This is what I want your opinion on. Has anyone heard of it or tried it? So, you sign up- and it's only like $18ish dollars for a 3 month plan (or you can do an annual plan for just over $50) Fesh20 sends you downloadable meal plans for 5 meals per week, including all items you can prep ahead of time, your shopping list (including what they estimate for the cost of each item- love). It's a list of 20 ingredients, all of which you'll use throughout the week, and the recipes for each day. It's genius. It also sounds like it includes about 5-6 servings per dish, so you could either make less, or as I plan to do- save leftovers for lunch! The even have vegetarian and gluten free meal plan options. I downloaded the free mini-plan of 3 meals to test out before I totally commit. (you can find it at the bottom of the page on the website) Let me know if you've tried it- or what your thoughts are on it, though! I'm so interested in this!

Watching: Okay. Game of Thrones- obviously. and also- I just watched the season finale of The Mentalist! Which was amazing! Patrick Jane, I love you! Also, we started watching that Resurrection show- but totally lost track. anybody else following it? is it aliens? I don't even think I want to proceed if it's aliens.

Working on: Ideas for the shoppe! It's not anywhere near ready to re-open, but I am just brimming with ideas for it. Also- once we get into our new space I have a bazillion DIYs I want to document and share with you guys. I can't wait I can't wait!

Wanting:

• everything in the home wares section at Target right now, especially if it's made by Threshold
• more plants. I'm doing PRETTY good with my succulents- and trust me- the low maintenance is obviously what I need to stick with. I just want more, though! All the succulents! Give me all the succulents! 
• Ghirardelli dark chocolate with sea salt caramel chocolates. You can get them at Target by the bag. I've eaten like.. no kidding.. 3 bags this month. each within a few days of buying the bag. They're soooo delicious! More more!

also:
 an herb garden, a white picket fence, some cute gardening boots, everything from Miss Ainsley Mae's new shop for Fern & a little playhouse outside (an upcoming 'honey-do' for T)... shall I go on? I won't, but I could.

If anyone else ever does a "currently" post like this- let me know! I'd love to read what's going on with you lately!

May Stationary Giveaway!

Remember last week, when we asked all the ladies on the sidebar to tell us about their favorite letters? And then we found out about some of yours too? So fun!
To follow up with that, Morgan of Truelife of KMK and i are giving away some great goodies to inspire that letter writing of yours!

We've gone in together and collected some really sweet things on our own, as well as teamed up with  Fina of Handwritten in Love to giveaway some of her oh so sweet handmade cards! Are you excited?!

There will be 2 winners for this giveaway! One lucky winner will win a package of stationary goodness from Morgan, and another lucky winner will win the one from me! Here's the loot!

Set 1 includes:

•  (3) "You are the Best" + (1) little bird card by Handwritten in Love 
• "Metallic appeel" set of 6 metallic crayons 
• "Little Gator" paperclips
• floral + silver gem washi tapes 

I found all of the extra stationary goodies at my favorite local paper goods shoppe, Chirps and Cheers, in Edmond! 

Set 2 includes:

• (3) "You are the Best" + (1) little bird card by Handwritten in Love
• Card Trim
• Sticker Pads
• SMASH goody bag
• note pads
• gift tags

I love giveaways that have multiple prizes for multiple winners! And I'm so excited to hear about some of your fun letter writing inspiration and ideas. :) Enter via the rafflecopter below, and next week, we'll pick TWO winners! hooray!


a Rafflecopter giveaway



a huge thanks to Morgan for co-hosting this month's giveaway with me! So fun! It's been such a great time getting to know her through email and text. She's such a gem. You really should head over and check out her blog & say hello! you won't regret it!

Last Week : In review

Just popping in quickly with some highlights from last week in case you missed anything!

images via instagram

captured:
* The roses this spring have got my heart pitter pattering.
* Party animal at my cousins weekend wedding <3 love the flower crown.
* Tristan found this little guy in a swimming pool. We put him in our garden, but he escaped before we found out he's a water turtle. womp womp.
* Fern's last day of MDO party! (until mid-June) bittersweet- I won't be getting anything done, but I sure love spending time with my little lady.

it's the little things:
- Celebrating my grandpas birthday MONDAY.
- meeting new people TUESDAY at the Mary Kay meeting. I'm shy. this is a big step.
- on WEDNESDAY Tristan found a cute little Turtle in a swimming pool!
- End of the year party THURSDAY for Fern's last day of school.
- Friends, family, beers & patio sitting on a warm FRIDAY night. Totally casual, last minute & amazing.
- We saw Godzilla SATURDAY!! It was SO AMAZING!
-SUNDAY brunch at our favorite little hole in the wall family owned diner. Tristan has been going since he was in middle school. I love having a place where everybody knows your order.

you may have missed
> Get the sillies out: out takes from Fern's photo shoot.
> May Meet + Greet

links lately
+ Canned Hammed Photos has launched and is ready to take their vintage camper turned photobooth on the road for events and weddings! So fun!
+ A fantastic breakdown of artificial sweeteners. What's in them, and what they're doing to our bodies.
+17 things people born in the late 80s are currently experiencing. TRUTH. all of them. so much.
+ Box of lies | Jennifer Lawrence vs. Jimmy Fallon.
+ probably the biggest snapping turtle you've ever seen IN YOUR LIFE. caught in a local lake by some local fishermen.

pinspiration 

found via pinterest: permanence 

I've been craving new tattoos since.... oh well.. it's pretty consistent. I have ideas, but I just don't know for sure what I want. I always thought I wanted lots of color, but I've been finding some beautiful black and grey pieces lately that are broadening my interests. Oh gosh. Either way, I hope I look like the lady pictured above when I'm her age. She's so beautiful.

May Meet & Greet!

Hey readers! Every month I like to do a little "meet & greet" with the lovely ladies (and sometimes gents) who have ad space on the sidebar, so that you can get a little personality behind those fancy ads.
-That's the meet part! The greet part is when you guys comment saying hello and/or responding to the same question these ladies have been asked! It's all about community here guys, and we want to hear all about you too!

This month, I'm teaming up with Morgan of "The Truelife of KMK" to bring you a sweet little stationary giveaway. If you're anything like us, you can NEVER have too many things to decorate your snail mail with, am I right?! To follow along with the theme of letter writing + to hopefully inspire a little snail mail sending this month, I asked these ladies:

Morgan | The Truelife of KMK - "I think the most special letter I have ever gotten was from my mom and dad when I was about to leave for college. Even though it wasn't a literal piece of "snail mail" that was sent to me, it was a sweet reminder that they were praying for me and that they would always be there for me no matter what. They have stayed true to that letter ever since then and I'm so thankful for their love for me and for that sweet card they got me three years ago." (facebook + instagram)

Lorraine | The Pilgrim's Progress - "Since God called me out of England to help plant a church in a dinky town in Canada, I've been so far from all my friends back home. My most memorable piece of mail was actually a wedding invite and order of service from my friend back in England. It meant a lot to me, because I couldn't make the wedding and really appreciated having that little something that represented how she wanted to start a Jesus centered relationship with the man she was going to marry". (instagram + bloglovin)

Beth | Oak + Oats - "Mail is one of my favorite things of all time. I have received so many letters that I cherish! One of my favorite pieces of mail was from a dear friend (already married) who wrote me the sweetest note when I got engaged. It was so encouraging and inspiring and written on this beautiful Cinderella card. It was so classy and lovely" (facebook + instagram)

Ashley | Bright and Gutsy - "The most memorable piece of mail I have received was an invitation to a spring party at the Prime Minister of Canada's house. " (twitter + instagram)


I have to tell on Ashley for a second. Before her answer to the question she wrote me: "I have had trouble answering this question! Haha. I feel like I haven't received that many memorable pieces of mail!"  (I mean.. the Prime Minister is no chopped liver or anything, but somebody write this girl a letter! She's doing some awesome things over at Bright and Gutsy & deserves some quality snail mail!)


Now it's your turn! We all want to know what your most memorable piece of snail mail has been + why?
Doesn't it give you the urge to write somebody a letter without occasion? I hope so! If so, who are you going to write? You can write me if you want. I'm always up for a new pen pal!

 Don't forget to stay tuned for the giveaway that will give your letters that little bit of extra fun!

get the sillies out : out takes from Fern's 2 year photo shoot

As promised, I've gone through the gallery and put together a little post of some silly photos from the photo shoot with Hibben Photography.

Last Week: in review

Happy Monday again! Can you believe how quickly this week went by? Here are a few highlights from last week, in case you missed out!

images via instagram

captured:
* Wedding wear
* The roses in front of our house have bloomed!
* These two after the worst week can still make me feel the flutteries. <3 so thankful for them.
* An early Mother's Day! IN LOVE with this beautiful terrarium my husband bought, and that picture. gah.

it's the little things:
- house sitting on MONDAY and getting a little taste of what our own space will be like
-finding out on TUESDAY that we'll be moving into our new home in June instead of the end of July!
- watering the plants with Fern on WEDNESDAY. I love how sincere she is with each plant making sure they each get a good "dink". melt me.
- after a pretty terrible THURSDAY, ending with fro-yo for the fam & an early mother's day gift was spot on what I needed. <3
- Celebrating with other moms on FRIDAY at Collected Thread for Mother's Day.
- sleeping in on SATURDAY
- celebrating our mothers on SUNDAY! We're so thankful both of our families live close and we were able to SEE and celebrate with each side.

you may have missed:
> Respecting the culture of others: Native American inspired trends
> Fern's 2 year old photo shoot


links lately:
+Drawing eyebrows on babies will not disappoint you.
+A series of the best cat photos EVER. 100 of them.
+This Mother's Day picnic inspiration with the most beautiful family (inside and out) I've ever had the pleasure of knowing & one of my favorite OKC photographers.


inspiration:

found via pinterest: garden spells

Lately all of my inspiration involves our new home we're preparing to move into. We found out last week that instead of the end of July, we'll be moving at the beginning of June! WE'RE SO EXCITED! And now I'm obsessed with daydreaming about things to fill our new space with. On the list: my very own herb garden! We're renting, so I've been exploring great ways to create gardens for small rented spaces. There's so much out there. eeeeep! fresh basil! yes please!

Fern's 2 year photo shoot with Hibben Photography

It's been pretty serious over here for the past couple of days, I REALLY appreciate all of the feedback  and questions from my last post. I was talking to Tesia yesterday and we were both SO encouraged by the number of page views, and great response. Usually it's a pretty heated conversation, and we're so proud of NOBODY for being negative on the subject. You guys are so impressive.
but now- let's lighten the mood a little shall we?

Tom and Sam Hibben are a married team of photographers who make up "Hibben Photography" and never cease to rock my world. You might remember their wonderful photography from Fern's newborn photos, Fern's 1st birthday, our engagement shoot & our wedding. So of course, I didn't expect anything less than amazing. We've already seen it time and time again. Still, nothing could've prepared me for the heart melting images I've been getting sneak peeks of since last week. I finally got a look at the whole shabang- and I seriously had to take a moment to recover. I try not to be over-kill with the photos on my blog posts.. but... I make no promises this time around. How can I possibly choose?

Prepare to be in puddles by the end of the post. Enjoy!

Respecting the Cultures of others : Native American Trends

Politics do not get me excited. More than that, politics usually give me headaches. I don't do confrontation, and when I do, I don't handle it well. I like to be liked by everyone. I believe in keeping your opinions to yourself to avoid conflict. But I also believe in standing up for what's right. I believe in under-dogs and I believe in teaching my daughter to be brave and stand up for your beliefs as well as the beliefs of others. Defending what's right regardless of the things that make us different.

In this case, the latter wins out over the fear of confrontation & politics. 

I've drafted posts about cultural appropriation before, but in the end chose not to post them in hopes that it would all blow over, as most trends do. Recently something happened that made me realize I can't just sit around and wait for it to blow over. I realized that people will be totally ignorant to hurting others if they aren't educated on the situations at hand. 

As most of you know I closed the shoppe down several months ago. This was in part due to needing to study and the rebranding of everything, but also because several items in my shop represented native american culture, which I now feel is inappropriate and could be offensive to people of native american heritage. I'm currently re-vamping the shop & have discontinued the dreamcatchers and tipis. 

I'm well aware that "native trends" are on the rise. The majority of this trend seem to be hitting the music festivals and nurseries. I really have no platform for talking about music festivals, as the last concert I went to was New Found Glory about 4 years ago. Being a shoppe owner who specifically had native inspired wares for nurseries- and also having a daughter and being totally obsessed with anything involving toddler fashion: now... I can relate to that. (hastag momprobs hastag outoftouchwithanythingnotinvolvingchildren.) I can't deny that I find many of the native inspired accessories made for babies and kids to be completely adorable. But upon discovering how much these things personally affect and offend an entire race of people, I just can't justify it. The "cuteness" of it all seems to fade off quite a bit when you understand what these things represent to the culture they originate from.

The first time I encountered "native appropriations", I was actually a little bit on the defensive. I, after all, didn't mean ANY harm by my shoppe items and unfortunately, I was very uneducated on native cultures and cultural appropriation. AND I'M FROM OKLAHOMA. This is the whole purpose of this post. To educate in a respectful way. To put a more personal view on it for you, I've asked one of my oldest and best friends Tesia Zientek, to explain a little about WHY these trends are upsetting to her and her family history.

Last Week's Summary

Happy Monday, friends! Here's a little roundup of last week in case you missed anything!

photos from instagram

captured: clockwise
* Memories from farm life in New Zealand.
* Browned butter strawberry banana bread. It's a seasonal dish in our home!
* Memories from my last trip to Arkansas to see the bests. <3
* finally picked up this book again. I'm determined to finish it this week!


it's the little things:
-impromptu date night on a MONDAY & finding a new favorite nacho place (everybody needs a go-to when they're craving nachos)
-driving around incredible X FACTOR contestants on TUESDAY (via lyft)
-Spending all of WEDNESDAY playing outside in the dirt with Fern.
-Diving back into a book I had abandoned, on THURSDAY, only to discover the chapter I had picked up on would be my favorite yet.
-Fulfilling a curiosity on FRIDAY that I'm hoping to study more of and share with you eventually.
-Getting pampered during the day with the ladies in my family, followed by a  SATURDAY night out with my best friend.

you may have missed:
>Festival of the Arts: 2014
>Meg's favorite things Giveaway

Watch this:
+Watch this amazing 80 year old woman rock the judges world in a salsa dance on Britain's Got Talent.
+Watch Jimmy Fallon & Emma Stone in a lip sync battle. amaaaaazing.
+This tiny video..
+ Food is Free. A video on growing food instead of lawns.


inspiration:

found via pinterest: toddler space

We're moving soon and that means Fern's getting a big girl bed. How awesome is this montessori style floor bed? My husband could TOTALLY whip this together in no time!

Meg's favorite things giveaway

One of my favorite bloggers, Meg of Rivers & Roads,  has let me join in and help sponsor this fantastic giveaway with a lovely group of other fine and fancy bloggers. What a giveaway it is, too! <3  

To enter to win an 8x10 print of your choice from Naptime Diaries, simply enter as many times as you'd like via the rafflecopter below.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Festival of the Arts: 2014

Every year since I was a freshman in High School the Festival of the Arts has been one of my favorite things to do. It started with a passion for food and getting out school with my friends, and by the time I was 20 the thrill of being inspired by the many types of art displayed with like minded friends was what I looked forward to. Then, when T & I started dating it became a tradition of ours to go. I actually remember one year, he was working downtown where the festival is held, and we thought he wouldn't be able to go- so I went for him and walked the several blocks to share my festival food with him. We've gone every year together until this year. Two years ago I was 8 months pregnant and still waddled through the art determined to get my strawberry newport. Last year was Fern's first festival of the arts. Somewhere in the last couple of years it became less about the art (it's always about the food) and more about the tradition of going.

Tristan didn't make it with us this year due to our conflicting schedules and to be honest- we didn't plan very well for it this year. It sort of snuck up on us. So we actually met up during the day with an old High School friend of mine who has a daughter near Fern's age. We didn't even eat anything this year, we just chased the girls around, but my goodness. It was nice to be out at an event, watching those girls play together. They were so sweet. And even though we could've stuck our toes in the dirt anywhere, I'm glad I got to say we went to the Festival of the Arts, yet again. I do look forward to next year and the next, and hopefully one year we'll go and Fern will be just as inspired by the art as I once was, and equally as drawn to the tradition. As for now, I'm really craving Strawberry Newport.