Peace Out 2012

To be honest with you, 2012 held a lot of difficult change, failures & just plain sadness.
It's been a difficult year that challenged my faith, marriage & confidence.

BUT I did a little recapping, & it has also held it's fair share of fabulous :)

Here's to a new year!

But first... here's to last year!

January- I did my first/only outfit post :) I picked this because my hair was super long & looks really pretty on this particular day. I've decided to grow it out again & Lord help me, it's going to be a process... Anyway these pictures give me motivation!

February- Oh my goodness gracious, I just love these peanut butter cookies. That's all :)

March- I shared another fabulous recipe. This is my go-to scone recipe & I've baked it over & over. YUM!

April- We took a roadtrip to Kansas to celebrate my great-grandad's 100th birthday!

May- Celebrated my baby bro's high school graduation! Way to go Travi ;) Also, I shared a highly embarrassing Cupcake Wars audition vid. You're welcome.

June- Oh June's a great month. I talked about my thoughts on diets & body image and waxed poetic about my baby turning one. Then I shared a bit about my pregnancy... which made me realize I haven't ever documents Lil's birth story on here & I would really like to. Sorry if you're not into that kind of thing :) But I would like to have it here, so look for that in 2013.

July- I came to the (obvious) conclusion that I, in fact, can't do it all & threw Lily a fabulous circus birthday party.

August- Lily walked!

September- We got a couch!  Also, I shared one of my favorite posts about Beauty.

October- I became friends with fall... and made amazing pumpkin molasses cookies. Oh yeah, and Bow+Arrow Art made it's debut!

November- Some friends & I started Together in the Kitchen (a new recipe link party). I attended my first local blogger meetup!

December- Made a chalkboard fireplace that I LOVE, took a much needed & lovely over-night trip with my hubby, won a giveaway AND hosted my own little sparkle party!

See ya next year!

I'm out!
We flew to good ol' Missouri Christmas day & we'll be basking in together-ness, probably eating a gross amount of delicious food, & just soaking up some much needed time away.



In the meantime I've got a winner & a collection of some of my favorite things from some of my favorite ladies.

First things first: SARA you're the winner!! Woo :)

And now for your reading pleasure:

• This sweet story about Carina's darling boy & his view :)
• Erika's fabulous and tough outfit.
• Heather's thoughts on living your dreams & loving what you do.
• The unbelievably darling dress-up clothes suitcase Heidi made.  
• Hannah's cutie hand-made countdown calendar.

Don't miss me too much :)

A Very Merry Christmas to you!

Happy Christmas!

If we had sent a Christmas card this year, we were going to use this picture from South Caronlina in July.

Unfortunately, sending Christmas cards fell off the priority list.

Not to worry, gingerbread house making+devouring made the list :)

As did shortbread cookies.

See the pattern?

 sugar > addressing envelopes 

Sorry friends & family. I really am!



 

I love getting all of your cards &

I know this cheeseball would have made a fabulous addition to your refrigerators.

Forgive me?

Very very Merry Christmas to you & yours.

Love, The Greenos

Shortbread Cookies (gluten free+vegan)

Merry Christmas Eve!
I know it's a little late for a holiday cookie recipe... but if you're like me you have some time off & you'll still be baking up a storm this week :)
And if not?
Well, these are good all year long in all shapes & sizes so just hang on to the recipe for later.
These are my favorite, go-to gluten free and vegan cookie cutter cookies.



My fabulous shortbread recipe strongly resembles this one here.
She did a wonderful job & I barely edited a thing.
I just swapped the butter for Earth Balance vegan butter & the egg for vegan cream cheese and voila!
Holiday cookie perfection :)
Ok, ready to bake!?

Gluten Free & Vegan Shortbread Cookies

• 1 cup (2 sticks) Earth Balance vegan butter (room temp)
• 1/2 cup powdered sugar
• 1 TBSP vegan cream cheese (Tofutti is great)
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 2 1/4 cups gluten free flour (this one works very well for me)
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 tsp xanthan gum

• Beat the butter & sugar until smooth & creamy (about 1 minute, do not over mix).
• Beat in the cream cheese & vanilla (just a quick spin until incorporated).
• Gently hand stir in the flour, salt and gum (mix until just incorporated).
• Flatten the dough into a disk shape, wrap in plastic and chill for at least an hour...or about 20 minutes in the freezer because you will not find me waiting an hour ;) 

(once chilled)

• On a lightly floured surface or between 2 sheets of wax paper, roll out dough into a 1/2 inch thick circle.
• Cut out into desired shape using a cookie cutter dipped in flour.
• Place onto parchment lined baking sheet and place into refrigerator for 15 to 20 minutes.
• Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.
• Take out of refrigerator and place into preheated oven.
• Bake for 15 minutes (cookies will not brown).
• Cool completely on wire wrack.
• Top with frosting or Royal Icing.
• Enjoy!

There you have it.
"The best shortbread cookies ever." According to my #1 fan/husband (who happens to have no problems with regular cookies but prefers these just the same.)
PS if you're having trouble finding a good vegan Royal Icing recipe, try this one.
It's my fave :)
Happy Happy Christmas to you & yours from me & mine.

Together in the Kitchen #4 (Marshmallow Crispy Wreaths)

Welcome back to Together in the Kitchen -- our twice monthly encouragement for you to spend quality time in the kitchen making, creating & baking with someone other than yourself! With Christmas fast approaching & cookie exchanges commencing..

 

What is one of your favorite Christmas traditions or what is something NEW you’ve added this year?

Today's Together in the Kitchen is proudly presented with awful pictures and beautiful memories.
I like to think we've got out priorities straight. ;)
What's really important is I got Hunter in the kitchen! Glory hallelujah!
These were his project start to finish.
It's not an original by any means, so I'll let you check out the recipe -----> here.
mallows+butter+cornflakes+vanilla=mmmmmmmmm
Very fun to make, festive & tasty tasty.
(We subbed vegan butter for my dairy sensitive self & corn flakes are gluten free anyway so win-win.)



And there's my sweetie kitchen sidekicks.
Today's lesson: It doesn't matter what you make.
It's all about who you're making it with :)
Go make something fun & easy with someone you love!

<a href="http://www.bowandarrowart.com"><img title="TITLE-OF-YOUR-IMAGE" src="http://smallanchors.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/150Together.png" alt="DESCRIPTIVE-TEXT-OF-YOUR-LINK" target="_blank" /></a>

1: link up a recipe. any recipe. as many recipes as you want to share.. then add our button or text link to your post!!
2: visit at least the two links before you and either comment and/or pin their recipe to Pinterest
3. if you want to share our little get together, please tweet: “share a recipe with @evystree @bowandarrowart @byAimeeSki today at http://wp.me/p2PzO1-5F”
4. leave a comment below sharing your favorite cookie to indulge in during the Christmas season & be sure to leave a link, if you can!!

*we encourage you to subscribe by email to one {or all 3!} of our blog posts so you never miss a link up!

Thank you for stopping by!!

 Aimee & her kids decorated cookies HERE!

Amy is on a little holiday vacation. But you can find her HERE!

Grandma Adams

"So we are always of good courage. We know that while we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord, for we walk by faith, not by sight." (2 Corinthians 5:6-7) 

When it comes to saying good-bye to the ones we love, apparently there's no amount of time that can keep it from being difficult.
97 years definitely isn't enough.
On Monday we lost my great-grandma, Melva Belle.
And though we're all praising Jesus that she gets to celebrate Christmas with Him this year, free from the pain of her physical body, letting her go is hurting a lot of hearts.
Although blizzards+highway closures came between my road trip to be with family to celebrate her life today, that's exactly where my heart is.
Grandma Adams touched a lot of lives & I'm so so thankful for the 27 years I got to know her & especially glad that she got to meet her first great-great-grandbaby.
This picture is from my grandad's 100th birthday last spring.
I think she looks so happy surrounded by all of her great-grand kids+a great-great!
I loved her reaction to seeing Lily that day.
She just reached out & took her into her arms, completely comfortable with a babe even at 97 :)
I reminded her that Lily's middle name was Belle, and she just smiled & said, "well, that's my middle name."
Yeah, grandma, it wasn't a coincidence ;)
It was just beautiful to see lives connected in that way.
My heart & prayers are with all of my family+her friends that mourn her today.
Praise Jesus for the hope & promise of a better life beyond this one.

"But we look not to what is seen, but to what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal."

(2 Corinthians 4:18)   

Glitter Party!!

Helloooooo! I've got glitter fever girls.
So let's get this party started, ok?
First, go stock up on tons of sparkles.

You know it's going to be a great craft day when the check out lady at Michael's says to you, 

"Whoa. That's a lot of glitter."

Next, you'll need to take that old strand of lights that doesn't work anymore...
You know, the one you painstakingly hung and then found out didn't turn on?
Yeah, those.
Cover 2 of the bulbs in glitter, then think to yourself,
"This would be waaaay easier if the bulbs weren't still in the sockets."
No wait, I already did that, you can skip that step ;)
Just take all the bulbs out k?



Moving on, paint each bulb with mod podge* + glitter-fy it!



*Side note: If you're not rich enough to pay $7 for a tiny bottle of mod podge, do what I do.
Equal parts cheap glue & water is the way to go friends.



Oh yes, the finished product.
Beautiful & festive yeah?
I'll be hot gluing mine onto some twine.
But they'd be real cute in a glass vase too... or as fun little ornaments.



Please don't think I was going to stop at one glitter project.
No way, I'm on a roll.
Next up: tiny clothespins.
These will be showcasing out Christmas card collection.
(Keep 'em coming guys.)



Now for the really exciting part!!
I happen to be super proud of this sparkly craft post.
And since it might be the best DIY I'll ever have the time/energy/right lighting to post...
Let's pin it!



Here's what's up: Pin this post & leave me a comment telling me you did :)
Winner gets these cutie glitter chalkboard clothespins AND two Bow+Arrow Art thank you cards.
Best thing about it?
These will totally be fabulous for Valentine's Day as well.
Hooray!



Giveaway is open until midnight on the 23rd.
So you can have your thank you cards to send out for all those great gifts you get!
Thanks for reading Bow+Arrow.
You all are really great :)



(Linking up with Vanessa.)

Take heart!

Brennan Manning moves me with his words every single time I read them.
He inspires me to live & love better.
To have a deeper, more passionate faith.
But not to write :)
I never feel that I could say it any better than him, so let me just share what rocked my world yesterday.
I've talked a lot this season about not having much "Christmas spirit" & I think this has a lot to do with it.
I've been stuck.
Wallowing in my unworthiness.
Crippled with fear & plagued by disbelief.

"Hope says that I no longer need be dismayed over my personal dishonesty and self-centerdness and feeble life of faith. That I no longer need to feel defeated, insensitive, and superficial. Because the question no longer is: Can I do it?  Am I able? Can I overcome my moodiness, my laziness, my sensuality, my grudges, and resentments? The only question is: Is Jesus Christ able? Can my Savior, the Lord of my life, revive my drooping spirit and transform me at Christmas as he transformed the world through his birth in Bethlehem? " (Brennan Manning, The Ragamuffin Gospel)

Amen right?!
I prayed all day yesterday for hope+peace+inexplicable joy.
Today I pray the same for you.
This world can be such a difficult place to be & sometimes we are so bad at being how we're supposed to be.
But take heart friends!
He is so much bigger than this broken world, our troubles & our shortcomings.
That is something to celebrate.

"I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world." (John 16:33)

(linked up with Amanda for Desire to Inspire)

Felt Scrap Christmas Tree

I made a craft!
It's a Christmas miracle!
I haven't had a whole lot of time and/or energy for crafting lately & I've been struggling to get into the whole Christmas spirit. (Don't worry we got a tree... 2 days ago.)
Anyway, this baby took about 20 minutes to put together and I thought it turned out really cute.
I'm not going to try to pretend you need step by step instructions or patterns.
I just started cutting fun shapes from my felt scrap stash, hot glued the tree to a piece of cardboard wrapped in kraft paper & ta-da!
Lil gets to rearrange the ornaments as she wishes.
But mostly she just wishes to rearrange the sparkly ornaments on the real tree.
Still fun :)  
And thanks to the daylight being gone at oh, FOURish, I can't seem to get a decent picture of anything.
So you get this one... with the sock monkey and Milo.
While little miss thang rehydrates.



PS the countdown is ON!
T minus 3.5 days of work until I'm free for a whole week of fam time!
Happy Christmas indeed.

Joy That Transcends

The horrific tragedy that took place Friday was devastating &  heart-breaking beyond words.
But sadly it's not isolated.
People hurt every single day.
They lose loved ones, they mourn & suffer.
They are abandoned, outcast, ignored & abused.
I'm ashamed it took something so huge & so horrific to break my heart for the hurting, the broken-hearted, the grieving.
My prayer is that we would not quickly forget this tragedy.
That we would continue to pray without ceasing, to hurt for the hurting, to love love love.
I believe in my heart that it's the only way for this world to get any better.
There is no hope for humanity outside of Jesus Christ.
May he comfort the families that will spend this Christmas grieving the loss of loved ones; the loss of innocence.
May he give them joy that transcends circumstances & peace that surpasses understanding.

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,

and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade. This inheritance is kept in heaven for you,

who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time.

In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials.

These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.

Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy,

for you are receiving the end result of your faith, the salvation of your souls.

1 Peter 1:3-9

Found Fabrics

Happy Friday!
Can I just tell you about a fabulous shop I'm in love with?
Found Fabrics



I won a giveaway on sweet Hannah's blog a couple weeks ago.
A giveaway for fabric from the lovely Marie (owner of Found Fabrics).
I mean, a fabric shopping spree!?! So. FUN!



So I browsed & perused & favorited.
Then I finally ordered and a few days later?
All of these gorgeous fabrics showed up in my mailbox :)
The sweetheart even sent me a thoughtful little note + an extra fabric that I had favorited!



I'm dreaming of new couch pillows... and skirts for Lily.
And more shopping at Found Fabrics, because I'll definitely be back :)
Thanks again Marie!

Scarf+Ornament=Scarfament

This year I decided to do Danielle's Scarfament Swap.
I'm SO glad I did it :) I got to meet the lovely lovely Kelly.
 Plus I got a beautiful new coral scarf & an amazing handmade ornament.
 Check it out, she even has a tutorial so you can make your own.



Thank you thank you for the beautiful gifts, Kelly! I love them both :)

 

And so does Lily. She makes it look gooood huh?  ;)

I also took some pictures of the scarf I sent to Kelly.
...because I made it & I'm quite proud!



I think if I ever find the time/energy, I could write a tutorial on this one...
It's that easy.
I used some of my favorite vintage fabric, cut it in a straight line, sewed together and then sewed the ends together.
Oops. I guess there's your tutorial ;)

 

Also here's your out-take of the day.
Attractive I know.

Your welcome.

Company Christmas Par-tay!

Hunter & I went OUT on a whole night away! (Only our second such adventure in the 17 1/2 months of Lily's existence.)
And we had a BLAST!

(This would be our impatient faces as we wait in stand still traffic for 45 minutes.
We're ready to party!!)
 

This would be my extremely handsome date. 

Also, we're models. 

You knew that right? ha! 

I think we were just feeling extra fancy in our swanky hotel room ;) 

Anyway, the party was great.
I'm super thankful to have a great company to work for, a fun husband who loves to dance & an amazing sis-in-law who gave up her whole Saturday night so that we could enjoy a whole night out :)