MUST-HAVE BABY REGISTRY ITEMS!

Don’t mind the upside down ultrasound. Pregnancy brain is strong in me.

A few weeks ago, I decided to start building our registry. I immediately knew that we should get clothes, diapers, wipes, a car seat, a stroller, and…well…that was about the extent of my knowledge of what I knew to put on our registry. I was pretty frustrated and overwhelmed because I started to feel like I did not know how to provide for my baby. But one of my weaknesses is not asking for help. I like to be in control, strong, and do things on my own (Enneagram 8 problems). What I know about motherhood, though, from watching so many amazing friends become momma’s, is that it takes a tribe, and asking for help is not weakness, but WISDOM.

So, I did the best thing I could think of, and I reached out to my tribe on Instagram and Facebook to ask them this question: “Tell me your favorite, life-saving products that you wish you knew about sooner as a new mom, or that you found can CANNOT live without.”

There were comments after comments of real moms showing up to share their wisdom with me, and it was so inspiring.

WHAT THIS LIST IS

These are recommendations from REAL moms who I know. I broke down all of the recommendations by category to make it a bit more digestible. Inside each category, you might find the SAME item, but a variance of brands/companies that sell this item. I personally love having multiple options so Josh and I can research them on our own, and make the BEST informed decision for ourselves, our aesthetic, and our budget, from these recommendations for our little family. This list is simply a starting point for the overwhelmed new momma like me who just needs a place to start for some of the must-haves that we would have NEVER ever thought about…because we simply haven’t been there yet, and we just want to know! No one has time to waste money on products that aren’t even important or won’t be used.

WHAT THIS LIST IS NOT

I have never been a mom, so I have never personally used or tried any of these items. This is simply a compilation of all of the suggestions I received. I want to remind you that this list will look different for every mom. Some mommas are more minimal and will only want a few things off this list. Others are world-is-going-to-end preparers (no pun intended right now during COVID-19) and they will want every single suggestion. Let’s celebrate each mom for how they decide to raise their little, and the various resources they choose to use.

“Every mom needs an escape - not from motherhood, but the world’s definition of it.”

— ValMarie Paper Products

HEALTH

• Nosefrieda

• Lotions and Soaps the mom likes the smell of.

• Electric Baby Nail Filer (Not clippers)

• Anything made by Frieda Baby

• Tubby Todd All Over Ointment

• Gripe Water

• Gas Drops

• Burtsbees diaper cream

• Baby probiotics

• Saline

• Itzy Ritzy Teething Toys

• Calmoseptine (Diaper cream)

• Puracy Laundry Detergent for baby clothes

  • Don’t wash the clothes until you use them.

  • Every baby grows different, so if you get too many of a size of clothes, and your baby never wears them, you can return them, or re-gift them. If you wash them all beforehand, you can’t do this!

• Updated First Aid kit

• Punkin Butt Teething Oil

• Freezer Teethers

• Windi by Freida

• A freezer teething ring

• Baby brush

• Thermometer

BABY CARRIERS

• Wrap and Carriers were something used everyday for the first 6 months

• Figure out if you like a wrap or a carrier

• Konny Baby

• Solly Baby

• Wild Bird Sling

• Nesting Days Carrier

• Ring Sling

• Moby Wrap

• Ergo Baby 360 (Husband recommendation)

• Baby K'tan carrier (Husbands can wear it too)

• Baby Bjorn carrier

• Structured baby carrier

• Lille Baby Carrier, Solly Baby Carrier, and Ring Sling

  • This mom used all three for different reasons and times.

  • You might consider multiple carriers.

BREAST FEEDING/EATING/FEEDING

• Hakka Breast Pump

• Boppy Nursing Pillow

• Nursing Cover

• Baby Banana Teether

• Spectra Baby USA S1 Plus Breast Pump

• Baby Breeza (If formula feeding)

• Burp cloths (You can never have too many)

• A Good Pump:

  • Medela from insurance

  • Unimom pup

  • This momma had both

• Bibs

• Dr Browns bottles with premie nipple

• Vitamin D drops (Essential if you are breast feeding)

• Get a sleek pump if you are pumping at work with an insulated carrier

• Lightweight nursing cover (Boppy brand)

• Lightweight nursing cover (Little Miss Dessa brand)

• Breastfeeding pillow in general

• Hands free pumping bra

• Willow Pump

• My Breast Friend nursing pillow

  • Boppy pillow was a COMPLETE waste.

  • This one has lumbar support…your back will thank you for this.

• Milk savers

• Reusable breast pads

• Silicone teething toys

• Silicon bibs

• Silicon suction plates

• A high chair with NO fabric

  • This makes it way easier to clean.

  • It also looks newer longer because it is easier to clean.

• Wooden high chair

• Bottles with premie/slow flow nipple

• Bottle brush

• Lansinoh Breastfeeding products

DIAPERING

• Wipes Warmer

• Cloth Diapers

  • Mommaq Koala

  • Ava Baby

• Ubbi Steel diaper Pail

• Backpack Diaper Bags

• Book bag diaper bag

• Diaper Cady

• Get.Dyer

  • Diapers

  • Wipes

• Try doing a diaper raffle at your shower

• Wipeable Changing Noads

• Diaper Genie

• Bum Genius reusable diapers

• Baby Bumco

NURSERY

• Hatch Baby Sound Machine

• Baby Shusher

• Black out curtains for the nursery

• Hatch White noise sound machine

• Homedics Sound machine

• Mist humidifier

• Newton Mattress

  • If you have a fear about SIDS, this is a breathable mattress.

  • It also cleans so easily for accidents.

• Keekaroo Changing Pad

  • So easy to clean after diaper changes (No one has time to launder changing pad covers every day)

• Gathre changing pad for on the go

• Comfy Rocking Chair/Recliner/Glider/Swivel

• Dohm Sound Machine

• Mirror above the changing table (So baby can look at themselves while they get changed)

TRAVEL

• Two sound machines

  • One for home, One for travel.

  • This just makes packing and unpacking simpler.

• Pack-N-Play

MOMMA

• Exercise Ball

  • This Is great for the momma to sit on and bounce the baby easier

• Stock up on easy, healthy snacks for YOU as the momma

  • Don’t forget to care for YOU well.

• Ice or hot pads for breasts

  • Earth Mama Booby Tubes (Gel-Free breast packs for breastfeeding)

  • Philips Avent 2-pack Thermal Gel-Pads

• Baby Memory Book or Journal

  • Promptly journals

  • ValMarie Paper Products

• Nipple cream

SLEEP

• Snuggle Me Organic (Newborn and Lounger)

• Dock-a-tot

• Jersey Knit Swaddlers

• Owlet Care Smart Sock

  • This is expensive, but it can help give the parents peace of mind and sleep better at night.

• Halo Bassinet Swivel Sleeper

• White Noise Sound Machine (That doesn’t turn off)

• Swaddle Me Velcro Swaddles

• Lots of swaddles

• A good bassinet that pulls up to your bed

• Hushh Sound Machine

• Love to Dream Sleep Sack

• Halo sleep swaddles

• Little Miss Dessa Swaddle Blankets

• SNOO Bassinet from Happiest Baby

• Lou Lou Swaddles

• Ollie World Swaddle

• Swaddles:

  • Velcro ones

  • Wearable sack

  • Copper pearl swaddle

• Little Unicorn Official - has the cutest muslin sheets and swaddles

• Sleepsack for when they outgrow or don’t like to be swaddled anymore

• Muslin Swaddle blankets

• SwaddleMe Swaddles

• Merlins Magic Sleep suit

• Wombie sleep sack

• Happiest Baby Swaddles

• Moses blanket

• Zip pods for newborns

• Swaddle Me after they grow out of Zip Pods

TOYS/ENTERTAINMENT

• Play Gym

• Bouncer Chair

• Baby Swing

• Sit-Me-Up Chair

• Kick N Play Piano Studio

• Regular Swing

• Leachco Podster (Newborn Lounger)

• Love Very Playgym

• Gathre Play Mat

• Angel Dear Lovey

• Baby books

• Rock and Play

• MamaRoo swing

• Bouncer Seat

  • One that you can move easily from room to room.

  • You will want to move this from the kitchen while you cook, to the bathroom while you get ready, and everywhere in between.

• Swings that swing side to side

  • A lot of kids don’t like front to back ones

• Jolly jumper

• Infant lounger

• Baby Einstein toys

• Activity center for when they are 5+ months or so

RESOURCES

• Sleep Wise Consulting

• Follow Mommy.LaborNurse on Instagram

• Taking Cara Babies 0-12 week class

• Little Z Sleep

• Make/ Find a baby playlist made with lullabies and hymns

• Wonder Weeks App

  • Track growth and learn about your baby as they grow.

  • This will help you know what to expect each step of the way as you heal and your baby grows.

PACIFIERS

• Purchase JUST a few different styles/types of pacifiers before the baby is born (

  • There will be a learning curve for you in regards to what type of pacifier your baby takes well t o.

  • If you buy a bunch of one kind, and your baby doesn’t take to it, it will be a waste.

• All things Ryan and Rose

• Glow in the dark pacifiers

• Frieda Pacifier that you can give medication through

• Maam pacifiers

• Bibs USA Pacifiers

• Bib pacifier clips

• Pacifier clips

CLOTHES

• GoumiKids stay on baby bootie sleepers

  • They velcro

• Long sleeve onesies with built in gloves that pull over hands

  • If you can’t keep up with clipping their nails, they will scratch themselves bad.

• Velcro socks/booties

• GoumiKids mittens

  • They velcro

• Katie Quinn bamboo onesies

• Night gowns

  • Makes changing diapers at night super easy.

  • Do not buy sleeper clothes with buttons. They are so hard to button in the middle of the night.

  • Try to find clothes that zip up from the bottom to make changing easier, especially in the middle of the night.

• Newborn socks

STROLLERS/CAR SEATS

• Chicco Bravo Travel System

• Bob stroller with infant seat adapter

• Evenflo lightweight

• Bugaboo Chameleon 3 Stroller

• Doonausa

  • This one is just a little on the heavier side.

• City Select by Baby Jogger

  • Fits any brand pumpkin seat

  • Can have a boogie board attachment

  • Can have 2 seats

  • If you plan on having more kids soon, this is a great option.

• Maxi Cosi stroller

• Jogging Stroller

• Nuna USA Infant car seat

• Bob stroller

  • They make infant car seat adapters to make the stroller compatible.

  • If you are a runner, this Is a must!

• City Mini Stroller

• Car Seat

  • Peg Perego

• Milk Snob carseat

• Convertible carseat because infant grows out of the first super fast

BATHTIME

• Blooming Bath Lotus

• Baby Bath tub with sling for a newborn

• Baby Flower Bath Collapsible baby bath (To save space)

• Tubby Todd Bath products

If you are a new momma like me, I want to encourage you after looking at this list. The Lord knows us. And he knows that huge life changes, like having a baby for the first time or second or third time, take time to adjust to. In His goodness, he GAVE US a season of waiting and preparing for our baby; 9 months of them growing in our bellies! During that time, we have been given the space to mentally prepare, emotionally prepare, physically prepare, practically prepare, spiritually prepare, financially prepare, and all the in between prepare. He built in pregnancy to be a season for us to prepare for this new life to come into the world that you will care for.

So stop right now.

Take a deep breath as you read this list. I want to encourage you to sit with your spouse, and do research together. I highly recommend also taking the time to figure out what your budget is for what you can afford to purchase. Take time to soak in all the last moments with your husband of time with JUST the two of you. Take time to think about what you will name this child and the meaning behind that name. Take TIME in this season, because that is what this season is for. Don’t rush this season of pregnancy past, but take this season to prepare your heart, and everything in between, for this next adventure.

I have a feeling it is going to be the wildest adventure of my life, and of yours too!

I pray this must-have baby registry items list is helpful as you begin your baby registry as well!

Sincerely-

…Josh, and Baby Craft!

2018 IN REVIEW

I- JANUARY: Every year, Joshua and I always start off the year with a date to Starbucks to dream about the upcoming year, and set our goals for the year. In January, I left my job at TEKsystems due to character misconduct from a coworker, and from there, we really started to look at our debt free journey and made some hard decisions to sell a lot of what we had. We sold our Honda CR-V, and instantly became a one-car family. I finally took classes at Maker13, a local maker shop in hopes to expand my service offerings.

II- FEBRUARY: In February, I calligraphed my FIRST wedding vows for a client, and I was honestly scared to death. It was 1200 words, and I lost sleep because I kept telling myself I couldn’t do it, and that I would fail. Well, I didn’t fail, and I fell in love with hand calligraphing wedding vows and large calligraphy keepsakes. February was the month that I hosted my largest workshop to date of 21 students at Seed and Harvest in Lexington, KY, and had a blast. I also created my first large calligraphy wood cut-out. It was a lot of trial and error, but they were such a unique service offering.

III- MARCH: In March, Joshua and I made the decision to sell our first home together. He bought this home when he was only 19, and we had a decent amount of equity in it that we put towards our debt. We took a fun trip to Lynchburg, VA for a sweet gal that I mentor for her engagement. We surprised her, and it was such a sweet trip showing Joshua around my college town. I started and launched my #celebratelifecollection in March of hand drawn and laser etched custom ultrasound keepsakes. The response I received to them was overwhelming in the best way.

IV- APRIL: In April, we finally closed on selling our first home and moved into a rental home we LOVE in the Saint Matthews area of Louisville, and this home was been such a blessing to us. one of our FAVORITE Louisville events is Thunder Over Louisville, the largest firework show in North America, and my parents came up from Maryville, TN to spend the weekend with us at Thunder. I also pulled the trigger and decided to invest in my business a little and I attended Christy Wright Business Boutique one-day event. I went with a few creative small business owner from Lexington, and it was such an inspiring and educational day that spurred on growth in my business in 2018. Joshua and I also FINALLY got to see Dave Ramsey speak and teach live at his Smart Money tour at Southeast Christian Church, and he was just as wonderful in person as he is on his podcast.

V- MAY: In May, I finally visited Joshuas hometown with him and got to attend the church he grew up in and that his dad pastored for years. Also, this was a MAJOR milestone month because Josh FINALLY graduated from college with his Bachelors in Business Administration with a Project Management specialization. He got really sick in undergrad years ago, and he FINALLY got to walk across the stage to receive his diploma. Both of our families went down to VA with us to watch him, and it was a sweet weekend.

VI- JUNE: In June, I hosted my first out of state calligraphy workshop at 618 Ewing in Nashville, TN, and honestly, it was so much harder than I expected to host an out of state workshop. This month, I got to design for a bride who was looking to create a love story banner, and I created three hand drawn illustrations for her that re-sparked my love for illustration drawings. I went back to Corporate America in this month at Robert Half Technology to continue to pay off debt aggressively for out debt free journey. It was a hard transition, but it helped us make some massive progress on our debt.

VII- JULY: In July, Joshua and I celebrated 2 years of marriage. We traveled to Virginia to be with a friend who just received some really hard news and love on her. It was a very unexpected trip, but such an encouraging weekend. This was the month that I pulled off the greatest surprise party of all time for Josh’s graduation party, and it was the first time in his life he has ever been truly surprised! Our whole families came up for the party, and it was such a fun day celebrating his accomplishment!

VIII-AUGUST: In August, I had the honor of hosting a baby shower for a dear friend in our home. I finally hand calligraphed my own wedding vows, and got to hang those in our home after wanting to do them for myself for a very long time. It was in August that Joshua and I hosted our 2nd Financial Peace University class, and we had a wonderful 9 weeks with our FPU students.

VIIII-SEPTEMBER: In September, I hosted my first in-home calligraphy workshop, and it went so smooth! I had always rented out event spaces in the past, and this was so fun to do in our own home. I got to have Joshua as one of my students, and if I can be honest, he was not great at calligraphy…I think I will stay as the C.C.O (Chief Calligraphy Officer). This was also the month where I decided to discontinue my large calligraphy wood cut-outs. It was a really good decision business wise, and as fun as they were to make, it was what my business needed.

X- OCTOBER: In October, I started my 3-month journey of being sick…all the time. I think I had walking pneumonia and bronchitis, but it was just really, really awful and I missed so much work this month. This was the month we also had a blast redoing our guest room, and I shared with you tips for hosting well. It turned out better than we imagined.

XI- NOVEMBER: In November, my dad fell off of a retaining wall, and shattered his entire hip socket. That was hard news to get, as he is a carpenter and this would mean him being out of work for a long time. Joshua and I hosted Thanksgiving this month, and I had my best ever month in business to close out the year. I also had a dream come true, and I had my first ever written piece published in a magazine. I have a desire to write in the future, and this was a small, but faithful step towards that life-long dream.

XII- DECEMBER: In December, I turned 29 years old. To celebrate, I got a very bad sinus infection, and ended up sick for 3 weeks over Christmas. it was a really hard end to 2019 with how bad my sinus infection was. Before I got sick, I hosted my second annual Christmas calligraphy workshop, and it was full of all things Christmas, just the way I like it! In December, I decided that my word for 2019 would be ‘healthy’. To kick off healthy, I decided to go back to my original hair color, and become a dark brunette again after being blonde for so long. For a combined Christmas and birthday gift, Joshua surprised me with the best gift ever of FIVE vintage wooden flat files, and my heart is still in love. We also sent out our first ever Christmas cards, and that was so fun for me, as I designed them all and hand calligraphed them. Lastly, I announced in mid-December that I would be rebranding my entire business and changing my business name, and as I look back, it was the start of something so wonderful, and I didn’t even know it yet.

As wonderful as 2018, was, Joshua and I are beyond expectant for all that 2019 will hold. 2019 is the year we can FINALLY say we will be debt free, and we cannot wait to celebrate this huge milestone in our life that had kept us chained for far too long.

The best is today AND to come!

Sweet blessings,

WHAT WOULD YOUR FAMILY MISSION STATEMENT SAY?

Libby and Isaac Wendland are two of the most inspirational people I have had the honor of knowing. I went to college at in Lynchburg, VA at Liberty University with them, and I knew Isaac through my time running Cross Country and track there my freshman year. He and Libby were school grade crushes, and they married right out of college. Their love for each other and for the Lord is fierce, strong, deep, passionate, humble, and always seeking to bring glory to the Lord, not themselves. Isaac is now the Assistant Track and Field Coach at Liberty University, and Libby is a teacher in the surrounding area.

After a few years of being married, they started trying to have their own child. Month after month, and year after year, that sweet baby never came and they never got that positive test. They finally sought out a doctor to understand why it was not happening for them, and they were told it would be very difficult for them to have their own children naturally. It had always been their dream to be parents, and they were just broken when they found out that news. One day, traveling back from a trip, they were sitting in the airport. They were in a deep valley season on this hard road to parenthood, and they sat together in the airport to just cry out to the Lord. Right after they prayed, a little girl came running up to them, and she just brought them so much joy. Little did they know that they would be seated right next to this little family on the airplane. During the plane ride, Libby looked over at the mom of that little girl, and simply asked ‘Where did she get her big brown eyes from?’ The mom answered that she was not biologically theirs, but that their daughter was actually adopted.

After that conversation, Libby and Isaac began to have their hearts softened towards adoption. They began to do research on different ways to adopt around the world, and ultimately, the Thailand program tugged at their hearts, and made the most sense for their season of life with all of the Thai rules and regulations. They finally got their acceptance letter into the Thailand program, and it was the best day of their lives. They started a campaign called ‘Miles to Eden’, and after 2.5 years, they finally brought their daughter, Eden Hazel Wendland, HOME.

As their family grew, they knew they wanted to have a strong family mission statement to have as the center of their home to always be able to come back to when life got hard, or they were faced with challenges. When Libby reached out to me, I was honored, as this piece is truly a keepsake that will be passed down for generations to come of the legacy they hope to leave to their family, and to their daughter Eden, of what their family mission statement is. Friends, words MATTER. The words we hang in our home are important and the words we see everyday have the power to CHANGE our everyday.

To hear their sweet hearts, and learn more about their story, please watch the video below from their ‘Miles to Eden’ journey, and how they were finally able to bring home this little girl with the help of the body of Christ.

Click the Photo to watch the Wendland’s ‘Miles to Eden’ story.

“The Lord will surely comfort Zion and will look with compassion on all her ruins; he will make her deserts like Eden, her wastelands like the garden of the Lord. Joy and gladness will be found in her, thanksgiving and the sound of singing.”

— Isaiah 51:3 (NIV)

Read their full mission statement and see an up close of the hand calligraphed keepsake below:

WENDLAND FAMILY MISSION STATEMENT

VI XXVII MMIX

Seek His Kingdom

Love God, Love people

Experiences over things

When they go low, we go high

Be in the world, but not of it

Kindness changes everything

We can do hard things

We go to the ends of the earth for each other

CHALLENGE: What would YOUR family mission statement say if you hung one in your home? I would be honored to calligraph this keepsake piece for you to hang intentionally in your home so that every single person who walks through your doors knows exactly what your family’s mission is.

Sweet blessings,

THE GUEST SUITE REVEAL: FROM YELLOW SCHOOL BUS TO BNB

“Decor sets the stage for any party, and it also gives a great indication to your guests as to how much effort you’ve put into hosting them within your home.”

— RACHEL HOLLIS

As most of you know, Joshua and I are following Dave Ramsey to aggressively pay off debt. We have been on Baby Step 2 in the debt snowball for the past 20 months, and this guest suite was one of our splurge projects. One of our unified values is to host people well in our home, and invest in that area of our lives. We moved into this rental home in April of 2018, and the first time I saw this basement, I instantly had visions for it. However, now that we rent, we knew it would take some time to get our landlord on board. I couldn’t stand the school bus yellow walls that made the floor look orange, the holes in the ceiling along the tops of the windows, the holes along the walls of the fireplace, and the fact that this space was completely unusable. Josh told me at the beginning of this project that he had zero expectations that this room could be turned around, but I told him to just trust me. I am so glad he did!

Because we rent, we had to get the colors approved by our landlord, and we had multiple limitations with the walls, what we could hang on the walls, etc. It was a fun challenge to work with the accent wall color she picked out. We used to get a TON of cricket spiders in this basement, and it made this space dreadful to go down into. To combat the cricket spiders, we purchased a dehumidifier to eliminate the muggy and damp air that was always down there, Josh sealed up the holes in the ceiling above the windows, he sealed up the holes along the sides of the fireplace, he sealed up the hole in the wall above the air vent in the ceiling, and we put a large piece of acrylic at the fireplace entrance behind the wire mesh to keep the cricket spiders from coming in from the fireplace. And you know what, we have not had ONE cricket spider since! Praise the Lord!

Most of you know this, but my husband is a Business Analyst for a software company, and he travels a lot for work. Wouldn’t you guess that the week that ALL of our furniture was delivered, he was on his LONGEST trip in Canada. When he left, the room was completely empty, and when he came back, the room was completely finished. It was a whirlwind of a week handling all the deliveries and furniture on my own, but isn’t that what women do? They just find a way?! I wish you could have seen me in my business clothes on my lunch breaks attaching furniture to our dolly, and hauling it downstairs! The surprise on his face though when he finally came home on that Saturday night was well worth the wait and the big reveal!

“Radically ordinary hospitality values the time it takes to invest in relationships, to build bridges, to repent of sins of the past, to reconcile. Bridge building and remaking friendships cannot be rushed. The word hospitality approximates the Greek word philoxenia, which mean ‘love of the stranger’.”

— ROSARIA BUTTERFIELD, THE GOSPEL COMES WITH A HOUSE KEY

So, drumroll please: I OFFICIALLY welcome you to our own Craft BNB (Bed ‘n Basement…unless you stay for a Saturday morning, then it will be a Bed ‘n Breakfast!). I hope that this transformation shocks you JUST as much as it did us, and our landlord. We pray that it is a blessing to us, and to the family, friends, neighbors, and strangers the Lord brings into our home. This blessing is not ours to keep to ourselves, but the Lords for us to steward well.

One of my favorite corners of this guest suite is probably the least exciting from the outside. My dad is a carpenter, and he is the man who taught me the joy of bringing beautiful things to life from my mind with my hands. These 1920’s antique book pages remind me of days when I was a little girl where I would watch my dad create beautiful homes in drawings and then bring them to life with his hands. From the title page starting point of a blueprint proposal, to the rough drawings, to the building and final product of a new home, the entire process is just beautiful. This corner tells a small part of my story that has made a huge impact on my life.

“I think when people have the freedom to tell their own story rather than trying to be specific to a certain design or style, there’s more freedom, and it ends up feeling more like home. Those spaces we see in magazines and on the internet are beautiful, but if there’s not that story there, then it’s going to lack that feeling of home.”

— JOANNA GAINES

“For Christians to maintain an authentic Christian witness to a world that mistrusts us (at the very least), we must be transparently hospitable. The Christian life is a cross-bearing life, and the Word of God calls and equips God’s people to holy living. All our neighbors must know that we live differently from the world, and they will know as we live visibly within the means of grace, placing ourselves under the authority of the church as members in good standing - and we must be UNMISTAKABLY hospitable.”

— ROSARIA BUTTERFIELD, 'THE GOSPEL COMES WITH A HOUSE KEY'

This banner is an Ashley Margaret original design, and hand calligraphed by yours truly. I hated this little shelf in our guest suite, so instead of making it work, I decided to cover this hole in the wall with a custom banner that shares core values of our life with those who stay in our home. If there is ONE thing I want people to know when they stay with us, and then leave, is simply Jesus. l want them to intimately know, and be intimately known, by Jesus.

So, I have to give Josh ALL the credit on the idea to hang LONG curtains in our tiny little windows. One, these windows are very weirdly shaped, and it would have been very expensive to get custom curtains. Two, it creates height in this space, and makes the room look taller, and not as short. Always work to create height in your spaces in the unexpected ways. Get out of the box and just try something new!

To the REAL MVP of this guest suite remodel, here is to YOU Joshua Steven Craft. I couldn’t bring my dreams to life without your brawn and problem solving mind, and I cannot wait to create many more home spaces together with you in all the days we are given together. I love you.

Lastly, thank you to the sweetest gal, Allie Thaxton, for these beautiful photos of our new guest suite so that I can share this reveal (and of course the next Cranberry Bog Post on ‘19 WAYS TO CREATE AN INTENTIONAL GUEST SUITE’) with you! It takes a village of creatives to bring to life beautiful things, and I am grateful for my growing tribe! She made a dark basement with two little windows of natural light look like a million dollars.

I hope you absolutely loved journeying this guest suite remodel with us, and don’t be afraid to let me know what you think. I hope this inspires you to tell your story well through the home you create. Make it yours, and make it count. All we get is this one life to live.

Sincerely-

P.S. Below, you will find all of the details on where we found all of the pieces for our guest suite. Some pieces are older, so I tried to go back and find them all! I hope this helps you host well over the holidays too, and get your own inspiration for your holiday hosting and remodels.

PAINT COLORS || ‘Garden Wall’ and ‘Roman Plaster’ by Behr Paint, Home Depot

MATTRESS || Nectar (Comes with two free memory foam pillows, and a one year money back guarantee.

END TABLES || World Market

BED AND TWO DRESSERS || Trishley Sleigh Bed Set Originally found at Ashley Furniture, purchased at Louisville Overstock Warehouse. (I believe the sleigh bed has been discontinued.)

DUVET || Bed Bath and Beyond

BED SHAWL || Walmart

BEDDING INSERTS AND SHEETS || Walmart and Target

CHAIRS || Pier 1 Imports

BROWN JUTE RUG || World Market

WHITE WASHED JUTE RUG || World Market

THROW BLANKETS || Target

FRAMES || Hobby Lobby

CALLIGRAPHY ON PAPER || Ashley Margaret Calligraphy Keepsakes

CALLIGRAPHY FABRIC BANNER || Not for purchase. Handmade by Ashley.

WIFI STAND || World Market

BLACK AND WHITE PILLOW || World Market

TAN AND WHITE PILLOW || World Market

METAL SERVING TRAY || World Market

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FIVE REASONS YOU SHOULD INVEST IN HAND CALLIGRAPHED WEDDING VOWS

"I do" are the two most famous last words
The beginning of the end.
But to lose your life for another, I've heard
Is a good place to begin.

'Cause the only way to find your life
Is to lay your own life down.
And I believe it's an easy price
For the life that we have found.

And we're dancing in the minefields
We're sailing in the storms.
This is harder than we dreamed,
But I believe that's what the promise is for.
That's what the promise is for.

-Andrew Peterson, ‘Dancing in the Minefields’

Isn’t marriage one of the most wonderful, but crazy things this world has to offer? When you fall in love, you get engaged, and then, everyone starts telling you how hard marriage is and that you will need to be fighters for marriage every day. Isn’t that the TRUTH? I am here to break the ice: in a world of perfect instagram posts and perfectly posed marriages on social media, it is HARD. But it is a good, good gift given to us by the Lord himself that is worth fighting for.

As a woman who believes in the value and sanctity of marriage, given to humans as a picture of Christ and His bride, the church, I do not know if there are greater words that I could have the honor of preserving through calligraphy than your wedding vows. I do know that choosing to have them hand-calligraphed will be an investment, but one that will be well worth it. There are 5 reasons why I believe you should make the investment, and have your own vows hand-calligraphed:

I- YOUR WEDDING VOWS ARE THE MOST IMPORTANT WORDS YOU WILL EVER SPEAK TO ANOTHER HUMAN BEING. When God designed marriage, he designed it as a covenant that a man and a woman step into that will then be one of the greatest pictures of the Gospel as a husband seeks to love his wife as Christ loves, and gave himself up for His bride, the Church. There is a oneness that happens when two people say I do in front of God and witnesses, and I never want our culture to lose the meaning of the promises they speak, the covenant they step into, and the words they say. Your wedding vows are just that: promises, a covenant, and powerful words of oneness and commitment for life. Tell me: what greater words could you ever speak to another human being?

II- MARRIAGE IS HARD. I have said it once (ok, maybe twice!) and I will say it a third time: marriage is hard! There WILL be days where you want to throw in the towel and call it quits. There have been nights where Joshua and I have fought, and as I have walked (Ok, pouted and stomped) upstairs to our bedroom, I had to walk right by our vows hanging by our front door. Every single time, without fail, I am instantly convicted in those moments to go and reconcile with my husband, and remember that we are on the SAME team, fighting the SAME fight, and walking daily the SAME covenant of marriage together. If there is one thing that Satan wants to do in your marriage, it is create disunity, and he wants nothing more than to tear apart what God brought together as one. The stakes are too high, and marriage is too great a cost to not make the investment to have those covenant words calligraphed and hung in your home to daily be reminded of.

III- THEY WILL BE AN HEIRLOOM TO PASS DOWN FOR GENERATIONS. There are not many things nowadays that will stand the test of time to be able to be passed down from generation to generation as an heirloom. The classic and timeless style of Ashley Margaret bespoke calligraphy wedding vows allows them to be the perfect keepsake to pass down to your children, and their children, and so on that will not fade with time. One of the greatest gifts I hope to pass onto my children and my grandchildren is a marriage that is deep, wide, rich, weathered, tested, tried, proved, imperfect, Christ-centered, full of memories, joyful, and a testament to our covenant of marriage that will be a legacy for them to carry for generations to come.

IV- HANG ONE-OF-A-KIND, CUSTOM, INTIMATE ART IN YOUR HOME. In a world where everything is manufactured in mass quantity, and everyone saves images on Instagram to then go and purchase the exact same pieces…stand out! You don’t have to have a perfectly posed home that looks just like Joanna Gaines home. (Although her home is beautiful!) I believe that the art and pieces you choose to hang in your home should be a direct reflection of who you are, and they should create spaces in your home that not only give you life, but that remind you of your core values. Hand-calligraphed wedding vows are the perfect way to have custom art in your home that reminds you of your core values as a married couple.

V- THEY MAKE THE PERFECT ‘PAPER-VERSARY’ GIFT FOR YOUR SPOUSE. News flash! Did you know that paper is the first anniversary traditional gift that you are to give to your spouse? I cannot think of a better gift than the words that you both spoke on the day you stepped into covenant marriage.

…but after reading those 5 reasons, don’t JUST take my word for it! Below are the heartfelt words of 4 women who I had the honor of working with to bring to life their covenant words of marriage through Ashley Margaret bespoke calligraphy wedding vows. If you have been thinking about having yours calligraphed, listen to and hear the words of these precious women and what these vows mean to them, as well as their experience in working with me. I can share my 5 reasons I believe you should have them done all day long, but these are real clients, real women, and real marriages that I had the privilege of serving well.

“I invested in wedding vows because I saw the time and energy you spent into creating each piece! I knew I wanted to reference my vows in my house and having a special piece created just for our home is so special to remember the wedding and the words we promise each other every day!

My experience was just the best! From the moment I sent an inquiry to receiving my vows, you were so understanding and wanted to create the exact piece that I had dreamed about! You were professional as a business owner, but so genuine and became a friend and storyteller in the time before my wedding!

The vows have been THE best investment, and the most rewarding and treasured piece that I bought for my wedding! Not only did they serve as decoration, but now, they hang in my home as a testament of the words we promised not only on our wedding day but every day after too. I was hesitant to spend the chunk of money on just one piece, but I am so grateful for them and they have been the biggest blessing to reference on our wall!”

-KELSEY HOGUE

“My parents got divorced when I was seven, so my idea of family and home always strayed from wholeness. Over the last year and a half, Taylor and I have gotten engaged, married and moved into our first home. As milestones of life continue to pass, God deepens my understanding of what it means to be a member of the family of God and the ideals we should uphold and mission we should pursue. I chose to invest in hand-calligraphed wedding vows so they can serve as a main focus on the gallery wall in our living room. This wall will be comprised of those values that we feel represent our family. And next to the cross of Jesus being at the center, our vows and covenantal promise to each other will hang to the right.

Ashley finished our vows right before my husband and I left for our one-year anniversary trip. Remaining true to her priorities and character, a young woman whom Ashley mentors had an emergency situation a few states away. However, knowing how important this gift was to me, she had her husband meet me on my lunch break to ensure my gifting to Taylor was timely. Ashley provided the highest quality of customer service and companionship throughout the entire process.   

I highly recommend preserving a piece of your wedding day to remind yourselves of your commitment to each other often, and share that love you have with each other with everyone who enters your home.”

-CATHERINE LEIGH

“So in love with how these turned out, Ashley! Your perspective on marriage is spot on and some days remembering those words we vowed is vital. You are a dream to work with and made my ideas come to life perfectly. We have the vows hanging in a central spot in our home so we pass them every day, and it’s a beautiful reminder of our wedding day, the words we shared, and the commitment we made to each other and our family. Thank you. Thank you for putting our words to paper in such a beautiful way!”

-CORTNEY DAVIS PESKOE

“You were super helpful and asked so many questions to ensure that I got what I wanted. I wasn’t entirely sure on my vision so I also appreciated your artistic advice and guidance along the way. I was blown away by your attention to detail.

The reason I chose to have these done was that we weren’t newly weds anymore, and I wanted something that felt more like the weathered partners we were, something more raw. I saw you post someone else’s vows, and it made me think about my vows and the time I spent piecing them together. I stop in our home to re-read them often now that they are hanging in our living room, and it’s such a beautiful reminder of who we want to be, and where we started.”

-JESSICA BRANHAM

IN COSING: I truly believe that words have power, and that the words we choose to hang in our home have a deep impact on how we live and on our daily lives. Because of that, I finally took time away from client projects earlier this year to hand-calligraph my OWN wedding vows, and they now are one of the greatest pieces of artwork I have in my home that I will in fact pass down for generations to come. They hang by our front door, and every morning and evening I walk by them, and as I come and go into our home, and as people come and go into our home, they are the first and last words seen. Yes, marriage is worth it. Yes, having your vows hand calligraphed, framed, and hung in your home is worth the investment.

I hope I get the honor and privilege of serving you as well, sweet friend, whether through Ashley Margaret bespoke calligraphy wedding vows. Thank you for choosing me and trusting me with your most precious words spoken.

Sincerely-