sponsor me?

hey lovely readers.
i am offering sponsorship for November.

can you believe its almost November?!
neither can i, but i am offering a KILLER deal for the month of thanks!

sponsorship slots will start at $3.00 for the month.
(basically, a dime a day!)
uber cheap, right?!  i thought so too.

are you interested in being a sponsor?!

i'd be honored to have you

email me: ashley.warner88@gmail.com

new job

guess what?
i don't blog much because i got a big girl job.
yup, i did.

my company, Crate Paper, was sold to American Crafts

we announced the merger on Tuesday earlier this week.

and i am so excited about it all.

i now work at the crack of dawn (7 am)

and i am in the accounting department.

yup, big girl job.

i crunch numbers all day long, write checks, i even have a cool desk.

yup, i feel so official.

also, crate paper is getting ready to release a valentine's day line:

ready for a little sneak peak?!

i love the color pallet and color schemes.

oh and guess what?

i had a great lunch break today with

some of the warehouse dudes (who are all cuties, like Roy from The Office)

all in all i can say that i absolutely LOVE my new job.

love it all - even the 7 am start time, which means i get to have a fun night.

speaking of which, i gotsta get my buns to the gym.

"i be up in da gym juss workin on mah fitness, he's mah witness" (thanks Roy)

why i blog by {gentri lee}

One of my favorite bloggers is being so generous to be a guest blogger today: GENTRI LEE
holla girl! i love this lady! she is so inspiring, creative, goregous, takes amazing photos, spiritual, sweet, caring, kind, etc, etc. 
i echo her when i say we are BBFF's (best blogging friends forever) i have come to love this girl!  she's so inspiring!  so if you don't, head on over to her blog right now, well after you read this post of course!

. . .

Hello Ashley's wonderful readers! I am so excited to be here today! I love Ashley and am honored to have this opportunity to guest post on her blog. I would consider Ashley one of my BBFF's (Best Blogging Friends Forever). I can't wait for the opportunity to meet her in real life!


My name is Gentri and I blog over at Gentri Lee. Today I'm going to talk about what I have gained from being a blogger. This is such a wonderful world that we are all so lucky to be a part of. I have definitely grown in many ways just since I started blogging.

Before I became a serious blogger I was going through a really hard time. A while ago I had my heart broken and had a really hard time recovering. I eventually got over it, but I was left with a shrivel of a human being. I had completely let myself go. I didn't have a job, I didn't have many friends, I had become so unhealthy in every way possible.

I needed somewhere to gain inspiration from and I just happened to stumble upon some wonderful blogs. I kept clicking and found out there was an entire world of bloggers who post about all the things I love... Or had loved. I started following them and reading and loving. Soon I had decided to take my little ol' blog that maybe two people read and join in this magical world.

I learned about photography- something I never really thought I'd get into, cooking skills, fashion tips and tricks, home decor, and so much more. Just tapping into my creative side made me feel alive again. I have grown and expanded my horizons. I have direction in my life again. I've explored and become adventurous once again. Blogging has opened up so many windows and I've learned so much.

Not only was I able to gain personally, but I was able to reach out to others. To make friends from all over the world. People I would never have ever known otherwise. We're friends! We email and send each other presents! We help with words of encouragement when one of us is having a rough day. I know there are people I can count on to make me smile. I even took it so far as to meet a bunch of bloggers from my area!

Just from blogging I've learned that it's the little things that really matter. It's that sunset that makes your breath catch, that thank you note you received in the mail, the hat you bought that had been on your wishlist for so long, the cake that didn't quite turn out, the way the blueberries burst in your mouth, the taste of garden fresh vegetables, the bright colors of balloons. I could go on forever.



I'm not saying that blogging is the ONLY reason that I've become what I am today. Because that would be a lie. But blogging is what made me feel alive again, and I believe that it wasn't just coincidence. I know that I've met people through blogging for a reason, that I am gaining skills to use in the future, etc. By exploring the blogging world- my normal everyday life has become more beautiful.
So basicallllyyyy I love blogging. I'm a blogging nerd and I don't care who knows it!! I love being "surrounded" by others who love the same things I do and who can inspire me every single day. So thank YOU for taking the time to blog and for saving someone like me. :)

Thank you Ashley for letting me express my gratitued for the blogging world by guest posting on her blog. And thank you to all who read this. I'd love to "meet" you sometime! So stop by my blog and say hello! :)


Love,

Gentri

favor {ites}

 

why i blog: Becca

today i have a guest blogger - one of my friends Becca.
I actually met becca a few years back when i was living at a nasty ghetto apartment complex
in provo.  she and her roomie were friends with my roomie (brooke) and we'd go swimming a lot at night.  love this girl.
she's amazing, gorgeous, funny, smart, talented, caring, etc.
without further ado, here's Becca explaining why she blogs:



 

I have a love/hate relationships with a couple blogs out there in the online blogging world. I love the cute outfit ideas, but hate the perfect, thin, and gorgeous girls wearing the clothes. I love getting cute ideas for home decor, but hate the beautiful, lush, and perfect homes. I love laughing at ridiculous blog posts, but hate the braggy-brag-brag ladies who's days consists of perfect shopping trips, children, and girl night outs. Do we see a word trend here? Yes, perfect.


My wonderful friend Stephanie just posted the most wonderful post on her blog. Check it out. Not only did she share her wonderful Birthday weekend with us, she shared the reason why she began blogging. Her post really got me thinking and inspired me. I loved how she brought up the reason she blogged was for herself.


The good days.


The bad days.


The everyday simple pleasures in life.


I realized that I loved blogging for those reasons as well. I enjoy sharing our life, adventures, and even the hard times with those who read my blog. I like to think of it as my journal. I have never been one to write, because when I do, I start to doo-doo-doodle away. So, let's ask ourselves the question... Why do I blog?


I blog for me,


because my life isn't perfect.

winners

hello dearest bloglies.
i have been sick with the stomach flu (still am)
i feel just like mr. skeleton here...yucky!

i wanted to announce my winners for the crate paper giveaway
in no particular order, here are the winners:

 Gentri said...

Ah!! I can't pick! I love the farmhouse and random and emmas shoppe and portrait collections!!

 megan danielle said...

oh my gosh i love scrapbooking!!!!! you may have just had me make the hardest decision of my life...but i think id go with the restoration collection. man that was hard! thanks for the giveaway!! by far my favorite!

 Janee Lookerse said...

Hi Ashley! Thanks for stopping by my blog today, I'm so happy to have you! I came by to check out your giveaway, SO FUN! I'm totally obsessed with the "Neighborhood Collection {http://www.cratepaper.com/neighborhood_collection.html}

!!! Amazing :)
 Thanks!

xoxo
Janee
www.yellowbirdyellowbeard.blogspot.com

(winners were selected using random.org)

Congrats to Janee, Gentri, and Megan!

please email me today with your shipping address so i can get your gifts out the door to you!
ashley.warner88@gmail.com


Happy Friday bloglies!


(wish me luck to feel better...because if i don't, i cannot make it to the blogger meet up tonight...eeek.  i will be depressed if i miss this!)

i am going to go lay back down and snuggle up in my electric blanket...

obsession.

   

               

1 - rain puddles outside the office

2 - magelby's fresh house salad

3 - vitamin water - zero "orange"

4 - pear/apple from papa's garden

i bought myself a very lovely gift the other night - the iphone4
i am obsessed.

obsessed with the HD camera, pinterest, music, instagram, face time, heytell, etc.
i love the camera most of all.
i don't take photos that often, but now, i'll be snappin away.

beware ya'll.
you've been warned.

giveaway

who likes paper?
scrapbooking?
making cards?

if you answered YES to any of these, then this giveaway is FOR YOU.
i work for Crate Paper, Inc. which is a successful scrapbooking company.

i love the gorgeous paper designs we have, but i don't make the time to scrapbook/make cards/etc.

so, i thought i'd share the wealth with 3 of my lucky readers.

all you have to do to enter this giveaway is leave me a comment - but i want to know what collection from CRATE PAPER you'd choose to win...

go to the Crate Paper website and tell me in your comment which collection you like the most... then you'll be entered into the giveaway


if you win, i'll send you the collection you've chosen. (papers and embellishments)
so what are you waiting for, go check the collections out and COMMENT AWAY

(this giveaway will close tomorrow evening at midnight)

Good luck to all!

blogger meet up

are you coming to the blogger meet up?
i sure hope so!
if not, i'm going to be very very very sad!

if you are planning on attending we need an OFFICIAL RSVP for the event.

We've made some changes for the time and place of the party.

time: 5-7 PM

date: 10-7-2011 (this FRIDAY)

place: a fabulous location (only known to those who rsvp)

So, if you're planning on coming, please please PLEASE email Gentri  with your RSVP  gentrileeblog@gmail.com

we also have LOTS of fun sponsors who will be providing giveaway prizes:

Yogurtland

Zephyr Graf-X Hats

Azalea Day Spa and Salon

Sebastian Design

Rhi's Designs

Rib City

Dear Lizzie Boutique and Bistro

Simply Splendid Boutique and Bistro

Creativity Art Studio

Spotted Umbrella on Etsy

Karma Boutique

Roxberry Juice Company

what are you waiting for?!  email gentri RIGHT NOW :)  you won't regret it.

the Lord doesn't give us

anything we cannot handle

without His help.

that's my motto for this week. 
i had an interesting beginning of my weekend...
i will spare the details, but sometimes you think you know someone

and turns out you really dont.

boy am i grateful it was conference weekend.
what is General Conference?
basically, the LDS church has a living prophet who receives revelation from God in our time.
we have the priviledge of listening to the living prophet and his apostles during the 5 sessions.
we are instructed, taught, and called to be better people.

"Although the world has changed, the laws of God remain constant. They have not changed; they will not change. The ten commandments are just that -- commandments. They are not suggestions. They are every bit as requisite today as they were when God gave them to the children of Israel." - Thomas S. Monson




there were some talks in the conference that were specifically meant for me. 
i know that God listens to my prayers and He answered them through His servants this weekend.
what a blessing it is to have my religion in my life.

the prophet also announced new TEMLPES and the newest one will be coming to Provo (so close to my house)  I cannot wait. (see the photo above)




i told my sweet brother (who is currently serving an LDS mission in the Baltics) about my horrible experience I had with a specimen from the male population and he wrote me this today,

"I feel the need to apologize for males and for all the dumb things we do to women. I, myself try very hard to not offend or mistreat females but I know that there are a lot of guys who are just plain jerks. Which, I know is un-changeable. I just wish they wouldn't hurt people I love. Meaning you dear sister. I hope this "man" didn't do any permenant damage. but I'm glad you know when to leave and when to stay. The Lord helps us with all those kinds of things."

I LOVE my brother and am so thankful for his encouragement and example to me.  Have I mentioned that he comes home in approx. 33 days?  It's been 2 years since I've seen him and I cannot wait for one of my best friends to come home.  He is amazing.

this weekend i also enjoyed going to a breakfast for my singles ward with my roommie and we got to see some of our friends from the ward.  i love the friendships and strength i get from my singles ward, they rock!  unfortunately, my roomie also had an interesting experience with a specimen from the male population this weekend.  sometimes i wish that we didn't have to date at all and that we could have arranged marriages (yeah, right)...i think i will be taking a break from the dating world for awhile....just kidding!

i can't give up on the male population just yet.  i like them too much!

how was YOUR weekend dearest reader?!