Casa Greer

Preparing For Adoption Photo Shoot

2012-05-23T08:43:00.001-05:00

Next Tuesday J and I have a photo shoot with a very talented photographer to get some adoption related pictures for us and to capture this time in our lives. We plan to use the pictures in our profile book (shown to the birth family), so I've been on Pinterest gathering some inspiration for some of the non-candid shots.

I found Ryan, our talented photographer while Googling "adoption pictures" one random day and was so excited to see that he lived just an hour or so away and was so happy to see that he offered a FREE photo shoot to adopting families. Yay!

Here are some pictures I'm using as inspiration:

{Forever By Grace}

{Powers Adoption Story}

{slsmoker.wordpress.com}

I'm so excited and can't wait to see how they turn out. I've been working on collecting some props to use and hopefully everything will come together!

Love Does

2012-05-21T09:57:00.000-05:00

On Mother's Day our church hosted an incredible guest speaker, Bob Goff. Bob is the author of Love Does Discover A Secretly Incredible Life In An Ordinary World. Bob delivered one of the most inspiring speeches/sermons I've ever heard! He is an incredible, amazing, genuine soul. When I grow up, I'm pretty sure I want to be like him. I encourage you to listen to the podcast, really--give it at least a couple of minutes and you will be hooked.

I first heard about Bob while reading Donald Miller's A Million Miles In A Thousand Years (another incredible book!). Something about him taking his kids around the world--yes, around the world--to eat ice cream with heads of state. I remember having to re-read that...and thought to myself...this guy is AWESOME! Who does that?! Meeting Bob in person confirmed that yes, he is indeed super awesome, full of whimsy, and is filled with an incredible amount of love. The guy has included his phone number in the back of the book...really! Again, I was left thinking...who does that?! Bob Goff does. Love does.

The book is a collection of personal stories filled with so much wisdom. I laughed and cried through most of the book. By the end of the book and the sermon, I felt SO inspired and certain that Bob has changed my life. No doubt about it. The way I look at my life and my faith will never be the same. It's time to stop thinking and talking about things and it's time to start DOING THEM. Because LOVE DOES. Donald Miller wrote the foreword in the book and this pretty much sums Bob and his book up for me:

I don't know how to explain Bob's love except to say it is utterly and delightfully devastating. You simply cannot live the same once you know him. He will wreck your American dream and help you find your actual dream. He will wreck your crappy marriage and help you find a love story. To know Bob is to have a facade you've spent your life maintaining beautifully strewn to ruins while, like a friend, he comes alongside you as you rebuild.

I could spend hours talking about this amazing book and Bob Goff. Bob is the founder of Restore International which is a non-profit helping fight injustices committed against children in Uganda and India. All of the proceeds from his book are going to help build schools in Uganda. You read that right, ALL OF THE PROCEEDS ARE GOING TO HELP BUILD SCHOOLS IN UGANDA! Last time I checked there were a handful of schools being built already!

Whether you're a Christian or not, I'm pretty sure this book and podcast will wreck your life (in a good way!) if you're looking for some inspiration and open your heart. Go buy it and listen to the podcast! And, because I love to pass on good books to others, ~~I'd love to give away two copies. Just send me an email at elsa@casagreer.com (first come, first serve) and I'll get your details and send a copy your way.~~ All copies gone!

Finally, some nursery planning!

2012-05-21T07:00:00.000-05:00

On Mother's Day we found out some very awesome news...our home study was approved, which makes us an official waiting family! Woohoo! It was a very sweet day around here.

With that HUGE part of our adoption process out of the way, I've slowly started to really give the nursery some thought. We've got some plans in the works and hopefully we will be narrowing down some paint colors in the following days. We won't know the sex of our baby, so we're trying to keep things as gender neutral as possible.

Here's where we are with plans so far:

We've got this sweet Jenny Lind style crib from Land of Nod.

We're pretty sure we would like to do some stenciling on one of the walls. We've been debating on doing something geometric similar to this:

{Source}

Or doing some birch tree stenciling similar to what Jen did in her amazing playroom! I've always loved the birch tree wallpaper, but I wouldn't be able to commit to wallpaper so I'm loving this stencil.

{IHeart Organizing}

We're working on choosing a color. Originally I just figured with go with some gray with pops of teal and orange. However, J mentioned that he really liked the idea of a pretty sage green color. That totally threw me for a loop. I think we're making some progress and found a color that is like greenish grayish shade at Restoration Hardware that might work. The color is Sycamore Green and it looks like a very calm and soothing color. The color sample on our wall looks a little darker than this.

Restoration Hardware: Sycamore Green

I think I'm going to swing by and pick up this other shade--which is a tad darker.

Restoration Hardware: Bay Laurel

Anyone else have pretty sage grayish colors to recommend? I think we both like the idea of a soft greyish mint shade or something light green with some grays...but I'm having a difficult time finding it. The bedroom that will be the nursery doesn't get a ton of light. There's one small window, so I'm hoping to keep things light, airy and soothing.

I guess I've officially got nursery planning on my mind! I hope to do things little by little, we've been told our adoption process will most likely take about a year, so there's no big rush. We are so thrilled to finally get started on it! Let the nesting begin :-)

How Did We Get Here: Our Choice To Adopt

2012-04-30T22:34:00.000-05:00

Lately, one of the most frequently asked questions I come across is: "How did you decide to adopt?" It's usually attached to a comment about how they or someone they know were interested in adoption but had no idea where to even start. After some thinking and suggestions, I thought I'd share bits of our story up to where we are now.

{Source}

There are many different ways that people come to the decision to adopt. I always knew I wanted to adopt, way before there were any infertility issues. It was a dream of mine when I was little girl. When we decided to start a family we discussed adoption and thought that it would be a great thing for us to do in the future once we had a couple of biological kiddos. Once we started to discover some of the major issues going on with my fertility, the talk about adoption started to get a bit more serious. I quietly began doing some research and quickly learned that adoption is not an easy road and that there are SO many things involved with it that I would have never imagined.

After several more failed fertility treatments we took some time to see what we really felt was best for us and what we felt we were called to do. We prayed. A lot. We mostly talked about our dreams and future...and what that looked like. At the end of the day we both knew that we wanted most was a family. It didn't matter to us if at the end of the day we had biological kids or not, we just wanted a family...and "family" looks different to everyone.

Our research continued and we slowly started to contact agencies to gather more information (I'll be doing a follow up post with more specifics we learned). I was a bit overwhelmed by everything. The choice to adopt domestically, internationally or to foster to adopt. An open, semi-open or closed adoption? Did we want an older child? A baby? Special needs? Twins? THERE WERE SO MANY THINGS! My biggest surprise in this process was the idea of an open adoption...I remember thinking...NO WAY! My baby won't love me and they'll just want their birth mother! Looking back, I can't even believe I ever said that...it was such a selfish thought but not a very unusual thought to many people new to the adoption world. For the record, we are in the process of a domestic adoption and we are totally open to a fully open adoption. I've come a long way and learned A LOT!

In December we came to the conclusion that adoption was the right thing for us. I don't exactly remember the moment when it happened, but it just did. I remember looking at J filled with joy and a bit of fear...thinking...we will be parents one day...we are going to have a family...our own little ones. We narrowed down our agencies and a few weeks later settled on a local agency. A few days before Christmas we announced our decision to our families, who have been incredibly supportive of our journey.

Weeks later we dove right in to this whole adoption thing. Filling out what I thought would be endless mountains of paperwork and finally, on February 14, we submitted our first big stack of paperwork that made things "official." The sweetest Valentine's yet. We have recently completed another big step...our home study and are so relieved that we can check that off and are one step closer to bringing home our baby.

Knowing what we know today and thinking back on everything that we have learned so far about adoption, I can't imagine not doing this. We really can't. If it were up to me, I'm sure I'd adopt every single child I could possibly fit in my home, but I'm pretty sure the government and J would have a problem with that. However, I don't believe adoption is for everyone...it really is a calling. I think you just know when it's the right thing for your family. We don't consider adoption to be our second choice or our plan B. It was always in our plans, we're just getting there a little quicker than we thought we would.

Insensitivity and Infertility: 10 Things Not To Say

2012-04-25T21:17:00.000-05:00

I promise to one day write about our home again...but I received many questions about what is the right thing to say or not say to someone struggling with infertility and since it is Infertility Awareness Week...I thought what the heck...I'll share some things. By the way, I am still trying to make my way through my inbox..life has just been crazy, as usual!

Personally, I think that on some days when I share our journey with someone...I don't really want to hear more unsolicited advice. Sometimes, I just need to hear "THAT SUCKS!" or "I'm SO sorry!" and get a hug. Really. You don't always have to say something, especially if you don't know what the appropriate thing to say might be or if you haven't been there before.

I should preface this by saying that this is my own personal collection of insensitive comments related to infertility struggles. I know many others in the same boat have been bothered by similar or worse comments.

1. You are so young! You are totally going to get pregnant! I'm 26, so I get this comment A LOT. This isn't about my age at all. I have a medical condition. Infertility IS a medical condition. Not to mention the list of diagnosis that contribute to infertility and affect me in many other ways.

2. RELAX! You are so stressed, take a vacation! Have a glass of wine! Enjoy life! Again, infertility is a medical condition. Stress is not causing my infertility, my emotions and feelings dealing with infertility have led to added stress in my life. While reducing the stress in my life would be a great thing overall, it will not solve my fertility issues.

3. You are TOTALLY going to get pregnant after you adopt! Or Why don't you just adopt? Then you'll get pregnant! I've been getting this comment SO much...I almost want to punch someone when they tell me this (just being honest). Here's the thing...adoption is NOT a solution to infertility. It's not a means to an end. It is not some second choice. You don't bring a child into your life so that it can fix your problems. Studies have shown over the years that while yes, some couples do become pregnant after adopting, the percentages are NOT any higher that couples who do not adopt.

4. Would you like to throw me a baby shower? Would you like to come to my baby shower? Nope. This has been hard for me to accept and deal with because I don't want my family/friends to feel like I don't love them or appreciate them or that I'm not happy for them. I am SO happy for all of them, but at the end of the day I am grieving...and it's HARD. A friend of mine recently said, "Someone wouldn't ask you to throw a birthday party for their husband or attend a birthday party for their husband if your husband had just died, right?" When she said that...it suddenly clicked and I stopped feeling guilty about it...grief is a hard thing and for me...it comes and goes...and a baby shower isn't going to help me.

5. Why can't you just be happy with the life God has given you? I'm not even going to go there.

6. Pregnancy is so hard! It sucks! I'm miserable! You're so lucky you're just adopting and don't have to go through any of this terrible physical stuff! Again, not going to go there.

7. Why did you decide to adopt instead of pursuing IVF? Pursuing one or the other is a VERY intimate decision...and not necessarily mutually exclusive.

8. Have you tried Crossfit? Have you changed your diet? Did you eliminate gluten? Have you tried Primal? Did you do yoga? Did you see a good acupuncturist? Did you or have you tried {BLANK}? I have tried a ridiculous amount of stuff that I honestly don't care to admit anymore...and while something may work for someone else it doesn't mean it will work for me.

9. You're so lucky you don't have any kids! You should take my kid home with you! No comment.

10. Just get over it and move on! If I could, I would. But...I can't. It's not that easy for me. For me, personally, I have ALWAYS wanted to be a mother. Many people have many different dreams about their futures growing up. I did too. I dreamed of being an astronaut, a lawyer, a judge, a librarian, a teacher...but most of all...all I ever wanted to be someday was a wife and a mom. Call me ol' school. It's always been a dream of mine and when I met my husband that burning desire to become a mother became even stronger because I knew he'd be a great daddy someday. It's not easy to give up on such a big dream.

At the end of the day just remember that everyone has a different journey. There isn't some sort of universal rule about what is the right thing to say or what isn't. Remember that it's a sensitive topic and not an easy thing.

Compassion

2012-04-16T04:00:00.001-05:00

I'd like to say thanks to all of you who emailed me after reading my last post. I'm still making my way through my inbox, but soon enough you'll hear back from. Thank you for all of your encouraging words and for sharing your personal stories with me.

Things have been a bit insane around our casa. We have spent a lot of time getting ready for a big step in the adoption process- the home study. We have spent many weeks gathering A LOT of paper work, answering what seemed like an endless amount of questions and finally meeting with a social worker who took a grand tour of our home to make sure it was a safe place for a baby and to make sure we weren't too insane :-) Thankfully everything went well! We should have our report ready to go in a couple of weeks. I'm so glad that this big step is done!

To keep me busy the last few days and to stop reorganizing everything in our house (talk about nesting!), I have been working on small packages to send two beautiful kids we sponsor through Compassion International. Compassion is truly one amazing organization! I've been learning about how things work and the effort and work that has to happen every single day to keep things going and reach out to children all over the world is amazing.

The first child we started sponsoring is a precious girl in Ethiopia who will be turning 5 in July. When trying to decide which child to sponsor we spent days looking through many, many, many pictures...wanting to sponsor every single beautiful child...and then randomly one night there she was...ELSA! Thrilled that we shared the same name we signed up to be her sponsors.

There are SO many children out there in need of help and I wish I could help them all...it's so heartbreaking. A few days ago after some talking and praying, we decided to sponsor an additional child. We really wanted to sponsor a child from El Salvador--where my family is from but didn't know which precious child to choose. We let Compassion know we wanted to sponsor a child in El Salvador and to let us know which child was in the greatest need at the moment. A few days later we were matched with a cute boy from a small village only a few miles away from the village where my father was born (how cool is that?!). His name is Selvin and he just turned 9.

I love coming home on random days and opening my mailbox to find a cream colored Compassion envelope...which usually means a letter! Elsa loves telling me about her favorite things and her favorite bible stories. Her last letter melted my heart...when she included the most simple and beautiful drawing of her standing outside of her house...never in a million years did I think that a simple drawing with stick figures could bring tears to my eyes, but it happened.

I've been working on putting together some small gits to send our kiddos. Compassion only allows for paper goods to be sent. Everything goes to Compassion first and you don't mail anything directly to the child. I've been trying to be creative with the things we send...there are only so many stickers in this world you can mail!

These are the items I included in the first packet I sent Elsa. A few stickers, a cool coloring book about the story of Jesus in her language...I hope the translation is accurate, construction paper and some random coloring pages.

Elsa's 5th birthday is coming up in July and most packages/letters take about 3 months to arrive...so today I'm mailing this birthday package out. We're sending her a ton of happy birthday related coloring pages for her to share with friends and family, stickers, paper flower cut outs for her to do neat things with, a little book I laminated about Jeff and I with a few of our favorite things and some super cool bookmarks I made with her name on them. I really enjoy putting these little packages together! It gives me an excuse to use my laminator (yes, I'm a dork).

I decided to send Selvin a package as well, although we haven't received a letter from him yet--since we were just matched. I did read though that he loves cars, marbles and soccer...so I went hunting for boy things that I thought he would enjoy. I put together a small book about our family and shared some of our favorite things as well. I also included the same coloring book about the story of Jesus that I sent Elsa earlier, except that I sent his in Spanish. I included some car and soccer coloring pages and stickers...do 9 year old boys like stickers?! I hope so!

Do any of you sponsor any kiddos through any organization? Have any creative tips/ideas on packages I could send Elsa or Selvin? If you are interested in Compassion and sponsoring a child, please visit their website. For $38 a month and a letter (at least a few times a year, if not more) you could make a big difference in a child's life.

Are you there God? It's me, Elsa.

2012-04-11T21:16:00.001-05:00

On Tuesday a post I wrote while in a bit of a funk...about some of my struggles went live. I believe it was up only a few hours and then my post mysteriously disappeared. The internet ate it. I received many beautiful emails and was very touched by what so many of you had to say. I've decided to re-post the text--I had originally written it for myself...but you never know who else may need to hear what I had to get off of my mind. Thanks for listening!

Are you there God? It's me, Elsa. I'm just here trying to figure things out, again. In need of some reassurance. Some guidance. A reminder of some sort.

On most days I can talk about my struggles with infertility with no problem. In fact, I enjoy talking with other women who are facing the same struggles or who have faced the same issues...it's very healing for me. On most days I try to be graceful when someone makes yet another insensitive comment. Have you tried to change your diet? Have you tried Crossfit? Did you try a low carb and all organic diet? Have you gone to see a "hippy" doctor? Have you seen a doctor? Maybe you just need to relax? Have you seen Dr. So and So? Have you tried yoga? Have you prayed about it? How about a vacation and a little too much wine? Oh, you're so young Elsa...you will get pregnant! I just know it! Most of the time I breathe in and breathe out...and remember that not everyone has struggled through this and honestly most do not know what the appropriate thing to say is. Most of the time though...I want to hit people across the face. Sorry, God. But it's true.

On most days I love to talk about adoption. Especially as we learn more and more about this process and live through it each day...I want to tell everyone I know about everything I am learning. There is SO much more to it than I could have ever imagined. I enjoy and love meeting adoptive families...finally someone who gets this whole crazy, wonderful, exhausting and joyful experience. Thank you, Lord for each and every single one of those families you have put in our lives over the last few months. I can't imagine going through this process without them. Some days though...I become exhausted with the millions of questions that come along with adoption...and don't get me started on some of the insensitive comments. My patience starts to wear off. Bit by bit. You are totally going to get pregnant after you adopt! I know someone who got pregnant the minute they adopted! Do they expect you to raise this child like it's biologically yours? How much will this baby cost you? You aren't going to tell them they are adopted, right? I can't ever imagine giving away one of my babies to a total stranger! So, you're basically shopping for an infant, right? Why can't you just be happy with the life God has already given you? Adoption is NOT our second choice. And so many people get that wrong. It makes me so angry inside. It wasn't how we first planned on starting a family, but I have learned over the years, that Your plans are always different (and better!).

It's just hard sometimes. I know things could be worse. But, I struggle sometimes...God...just trying to understand why You would give me this burning desire to be a mother, to love children, to want children...and yet, here I am, still childless, still waiting, still wondering and searching for joy in the middle of all of this heartbreaking chaos. It SUCKS. I hate it. I try to understand. I try to remember that You have a plan for us all. I've started dreading unexpected phone calls or emails from friends sharing the news that they're pregnant...because while I am SO thrilled for them and SO happy...a part of me begins to hurt. And it's like an old friend who isn't very nice is visiting again. And before I know it...I am reminded again about this journey. And I begin to sob. And I begin to breakdown. Wondering. Asking. WHY? IT'S NOT FAIR. It's not fair to me. It's not fair to the many other women on this earth facing the same heartbreak. IT'S NOT FAIR. And today as I was down on my knees sobbing, I began to feel angry for the first time in a long time. Angry at You...for this heartbreak, for the pain, for the many negative pregnancy tests month after month, for the insensitive comments from strangers, friends and family, for the wait, for the struggles we may have to face in adoption, for this burning desire to be a mother, for my lack of patience, for the many days I have spent sobbing and grieving, for my friends who are in the same boat and struggling...I just don't get it and probably never will.

The thing is, I can't stay mad at you for too long. Because I love YOU. Because You somehow remind me of the lowest and darkest days of my life...and how You have always been there. And how You saved me. How You love us so and gave up your only Son. You don't let me give up on my faith or my hope. And I remember how You have blessed me over and over again. With food, clean water, a roof over my head, a loving family and an amazing husband. And while some days I hate the pain and chaos I've had to go through in my lifetime--I also thank You. Because without some of those heartbreaking experiences I wouldn't be who I am today. While I am nowhere near perfect or where I planned to be in life, I like to think You've placed me right where I'm supposed to be.

Some days I just don't get it, God. I don't think I ever will. I hope to someday look back and finally understand and have it all make sense. I trust You, Lord. It's just hard sometimes. I trust that You're the author of my life. I trust that You and only You know me best of all.

Give me patience, hope, love, guidance...grace...and more patience...and more patience...and grace....did I mention I need more patience...and grace? My heart just feels like it's getting weary and tired of being broken, of the chaos and the pain...of the waiting and anticipation.

Are you still there God? It's me, Elsa. I know you're there God. I know You wouldn't leave me in the middle of this pain and wait. Thank you God. Thanks an awful lot.

Do not forget to rejoice, for hope is always just around the corner. Hold up through the hard times that are coming, and devote yourselves to prayer. -Romans 12:12

The Diaries of Adoptive Parents In The Making: Goodreads--Adoption Edition

2012-03-20T09:56:00.000-05:00

When adoption talks started to get serious around here, I did what I do best...read a bunch of books about it. Since making things official, so official we just completed our home study (yay!), I can't stop reading adoption related books...I'm afraid I'll never have the time to read them once Baby Greer comes home.

So, here's what I've been reading:

Adopted For Life The Priority of Adoption for Christian Families & Churches by Russell Moore

This was one of the very first adoption related book I read. It includes bits and pieces from his personal life and their adoption story, theology and a guide (sort of) on adopting. While, I didn't agree with all of his points/views, I do believe that it was a great read and very inspirational.

Kisses from Katie by Katie Davis

Katie Davis is an absolutely inspiring, beautiful, young woman. I think it's easy for me to say that this book changed my life. She is now in her twenties and raising 13 adopted little girls in Uganda. I could go on and on about this book, but I think my favorite line sums this book up for me: "Jesus wrecked my life, shattered it to pieces, and put it back together more beautifully."

The Connected Child by Dr. Karyn Purvis & Dr. David Cross

I've mentioned Dr. Purvis before, J and I recently were able to hear her at a conference in Dallas. This is an exceptional book. I really believe that any and every parent should read this book whether they've got biological, adopted or foster children...or even if you work with kiddos--this is such an amazing read! The book does focus more on children who come from hard backgrounds, adoption, foster and trauma...but I believe the parenting techniques and ideas in this book can be applied to any child.

The Whole Life Adoption Book by Jayne Schooler & Thomas Atwood

I believe this is a great "starter" book for anyone who is considering adoption or someone who has friends/family in the adoption/foster world. I personally didn't really learn anything new after reading it, but I could see how it could be helpful to share with some friends/family.

20 Things Adopted Kids Wish Their Adoptive Parents Knew & 20 Things Adoptive Parents Need To Succeed by Sherrie Eldridge

When I first started to read these books I became terrified and began skimming through them. I think both books focus more on negative things and don't really balance out with positives. I also feel it's important to keep in mind that Sherrie was adopted in the 40s, when adoptions were closed and confidential, parents were told to never talk about adoption and things have come such a long way since those years. Overall, I do believe both books do have some bits and pieces of great information to take away. I know that after reading them I really learned about the importance of talking about adoption to our child and to share as much as possible with them.

Dear Birthmother, Thank You For Our Baby by Kathleen Silber & Phylis Speedlin

This book is considered an "adoption classic" and it is quite outdated. It was written in the 80s when open adoptions were starting to slowly happen more often. The book consists of letters written between birthmothers, adoptees and adoptive parents. They do a great job discussing myths around open adoption--it definitely made me feel better and I learned so much more. I think it's certainly one of the best adoption books I've read because I ended the book feeling like I had a better understanding of open adoption from three different views.

So, that's what I've been up to on my free time. Reading everything I can and filling out paperwork. I'm praying and hoping that all goes well with our home study and that soon enough I can get back to getting our nursery put together :-) and preparing our little casa for our little baby.

The Diaries of Adoptive Parents In The Making: Things Start To Get Real

2012-02-29T07:00:00.000-06:00

Our lives have been consumed with adoption related stuff the last few months. I can't remember the last Saturday where we didn't have something adoption related to finish up or attend. While I do miss my weekends and sleep--I have been SO thankful for the resources, families and new friends we've made along this journey. As we continue to live in the middle of paperwork (my scanner, pens and I have become very close friends) this whole adoption thing is starting to get very real...and it fills our hearts with joy and anticipation every single day.

A couple of weeks ago we traveled up to Dallas for a two day conference (Empowered to Connect) being led by Dr. Karyn Purvis. We signed up thinking that maybe we'd learn a thing or two. HA! Little did I know that Dr. Purvis and this conference were going to be a life changing experience. Dr. Purvis has 30 years of experience in adoption and foster care, she is also the author of an amazing book (which I suggest ANY parent read whether they have biological/adopted/foster children) called The Connected Child. She mainly focuses on parenting a child that comes from "hard places" or has suffered through neglect, trauma or abuse. I think about two minutes after her opening session J and I looked at each other with big ol' tears coming down our cheeks. I want to take everything I learned and heard that weekend and shout it out from every single rooftop and to anyone who will listen to me. IT WAS SO, SO, SO GOOD.

Dr. Purvis, my new hero!

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I was really not expecting to learn or hear the things Dr. Purvis shared...but then again, I have no idea what I was really expecting. I guess up until that point I was in denial about some of the hard things that we might have to face with our child along this life long journey. I actually remember reading about some of these hard things in adoption resources and just skimming them over because I was so sure that wasn't going to be us or our child one day. My denial ended very quickly, but my hope for our future is bigger than ever.

This past weekend we attended a different local conference which was filled with great resources as well. We made new friends, heard some amazing and inspirational stories and learned about how important it is to establish a support group and group of friends who "get this" new part of our lives. Finding other people who are in the same boat as us or who have been there before has been so awesome...the encouragement, hope and understanding from them is always very reassuring.

While my heart has been broken so many times while listening to some of the struggles and learning about the millions of orphans in this world, it has also been filled with hope and excitement as we wait for our baby to come home.

{Source}

The Sweetest Valentine's Day...EVER

2012-02-20T09:57:00.001-06:00

I know Valentine's was last week :-) and although I'm not a big Valentine's Day person, this past February 14th was a big day for us.

We officially completed and sent off our first set of adoption related documents. Best Valentine's Day EVER!

And to make the day even sweeter, my sweet husband sent me a dozen cupcakes from my favorite place--Sprinkles! Can we say sugar coma?! They were SO DELICIOUS!!!

I can't wait until we get to bring our sweet Baby Greer home someday.

Brain Dump

2012-01-25T06:00:00.000-06:00

Life has been busy (as always)! Here are a few things going on in our world:

J and I have become OBSESSED with Downton Abbey! LOVE this show. Sunday night we stayed up until 3am streaming the first season on our Roku. We are now just about caught up to the current season. I still can't believe that it's a PBS show.

I'm turning 26 on Saturday! I still remember when I was in 2nd grade and thinking to myself that I would just never get to turn 25...it was too far away. HA! One of my big personal goals this year is to read the Bible from cover to cover. I'm anxiously waiting for The Voice Bible to be released in full (YAY!) this April to start this project (I plan to play catch up, in hopes to finish in a year). Has anyone else read the Bible cover to cover before? Does anyone have any reading plans to recommend for a first timer?

We have been working on clearing out the room that will be the nursery someday. Every time we load up the car with stuff to donate I can't help but think to myself, how in the world did I accumulate SO MUCH STUFF??!!! It is RIDICULOUS. I'm almost done clearing out majority of the room, but we have still have some large pieces of furniture to get out of there that will be going to my parents.

Speaking of nurseries, I loved this little sweet nursery from Jen Loves Kev. The room is full of love and so many fun things...including a teepee--how cool is that?!

I've got about a million books on hold at the library at the moment. I just don't seem to ever have enough time to get through the books. Agh! I recently read Is Everyone Hanging Out With Me? by Mindy Kaling. It was such a fun read and not what I expected. If you're looking for something fun and light, I definitely recommend it.

I'm halfway though The Marriage Plot by Jeffrey Eugenides...I have been carrying this very large book around with me (it's starting to get annoying) but there was a shorter wait for the large print edition of the book....which is 700 something pages. I heart large print wait lists...they're usually very, very short.

And, while I am not a big fan of Josh Kelley, I came across his latest song and music video dedicated to his and Katherine Heigl's adopted daughter, Naleigh Moon and I couldn't help but just cry as I listened to the beautiful lyrics.

Halfway around my little world

You had no idea you were my girl

You found my arms not a moment too soon

I couldn't see past me 'til I saw you

Naleigh Moon

I hope everyone is having a great week!

2012 Home Goals

2012-01-11T09:35:00.001-06:00

2012 will be one heck of a busy year! I'm sure there are one hundred million things I could think about wanting to get done around our house (cause I'm crazy like that), but this year I want to simplify a bit and start to get ready to welcome a baby home.

On the top of my list:

1. Nursery: There's so much to do here, I don't even want to think about it! But, I'm SUPER excited and can't wait to get things cleaned up so we can finally start doing somethings. I'm using Pinterest (of course) to gather some inspiration and I'm slowly making some decisions.

{Project Nursery}

{Elements of Style}

{Creative Baby Nurseries}

2. Finish painting the rest of our living room and kitchen area. We painted our entry and dining room months ago with plans to continue with the living room and kitchen...and life got in the way.

3. Finish decking out the rest of our attic. We need every inch of space we can get!

4. Add shelves to a couple of closets and the laundry room.

{I need more shelves to store some more laundry detergent! Ha!}

5. SIMPLIFY! Continue to get rid of ALL junk and things we no longer need or use! This is always a work in progress. Maybe have a garage sale as a way to raise some money for our adoption.

6. Work on our backyard--clean things up and get ready for some gardening.

{Our sad little herb and tomato garden last year}

7. Bookcases! I desperately need them. All of our current bookcases are FILLED with books and I'm out of room. J says I need to just get rid of books...but, that will never happen. Sorry, I can't part with my books no matter how good or terrible they are.

8. Learn to sew! So, it's technically not a "home" goal, but I can only imagine how many awesome things I could make for our house if I finally took the time to learn how to sew. I. Will. Do. It. This. Year.

I think most of my goals are pretty realistic this year. There are plenty of other little things to check off our list of things to do...I'm sure. But, my big theme for this year is to simplify, organize (I can't help it, I'm a total type A person) and most of all...to enjoy our lovely (at least in my eyes) home.

So, what are your goals for your home this year?

Linking up with the Nester's 2012 Home Goals Party.

Big News!

2012-01-09T08:00:00.001-06:00

Happy belated new year! I still can't believe 2012 is finally here, the last half of 2011 feels like a big ol' blur...I was incredibly busy and was so thankful to get two whole weeks of freedom in December to lay around and finally rest even though I was a bit sick.

2012 will hopefully be a big year for us. J and I have decided to adopt a baby! :-) After months of research, reading, thinking, praying, discussing, and more praying...we decided to adopt domestically and are so excited to bring a baby home (soon)!

We have just started tackling the mountain of paperwork to get the process going...and once that gets turned in, I'll be able to finally start working on a nursery(!!!). We have LOTS of work ahead of us, but we can't wait for the day we can finally bring Baby Greer home. If you've got any advice for us, please let me know! I've been amazed by the number of people who have reached out to us and shared their stories.

So, that's the big update on what's going on in our world. It looks like we've got quite a year ahead of us :-) and lots of work. I hope to keep everyone updated on our progress and our new nursery project!

{Source}

Linking to Serenity Now.

Shabby Apple Giveaway!

2011-11-28T08:00:00.000-06:00

I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving! I'm dreading that Monday is finally here after a five day weekend, but looking forward to getting the next two weeks out of the way to finally get another much needed break :-)

I'm very excited about today's giveaway from Shabby Apple! They have such a great selection of women's dresses, maternity wear, accessories and so much more. Today they are offering a beautiful black dress that is perfect for the holiday season. It's called the "Boogie Woogie" and it's such a gorgeous vintage inspired little black dress, perfect for those upcoming holiday parties.

Here's how you can win:

1. Be a follower of Casa Greer and leave a comment letting me know.

2. "Like" Shabby Apple on Facebook and then come back here and leave a comment letting me know that you have "liked" their page.

Shabby Apple would like to offer all of you a discount code for the next 30 days! Just go to their site and when placing an order enter CASAGREER10OFF to save 10%.

(Please Note: Winner must have a U.S. shipping address and there will be no exchanges for the winning dress.)

The giveaway will end Sunday, December 4th and the winner will be announced Monday, December 5th. Good luck!

Thankful

2011-11-23T09:59:00.000-06:00

Last Sunday at church we heard a great sermon on gratitude and the visiting Pastor shared this quote which I haven't been able to stop thinking about:

Just a quick little truism: gratitude gives birth to joy, and joy gives rise to generosity. And gratitude is a decision. But it's more than a single decision. It's a discipline, in the sense that training for an athletic event is a discipline. It is a single-minded focus that governs many other decisions. You don't become a grateful person by accident. It's the result of hundreds of seemingly inconsequential decisions to choose thankfulness over griping, complaining and bitterness. But the fruit of those decisions is really sweet: a rich source of joy within and a spirit of generosity that blesses others.

2011 has been quite a year for us, filled with many highs and many lows. There has been a lot of laughter, a lot of stress and struggles, a lot of tears and joy like no other. Today, tomorrow and every single day...I am most thankful for:

His love and His grace.

My husband.

Our family.

Our health.

Our Church.

Our jobs.

Our friends.

And our Friday night Chick-fil-a date nights.

Happy Thanksgiving, y'all!

Tiny Prints Holiday Cards

2011-11-17T06:00:00.001-06:00

Hello, friends! Just when life starts to slow down it always seems like something else comes up to keep me busy once again....and now I can't believe that Thanksgiving is next week (!!!) and Christmas will be right around the corner....which means it's time for Christmas/Holiday cards to be picked out!

This year I plan to use Tiny Prints for our holiday cards and can't believe the number of cute and stylish card designs that are available!

Here are some of my favorites:

Since we've got two crazy fur babies, I can't help it...I love this card.

The perfect card for all chevron stripe loving ladies!

I love the simplicity of this card and the detail of the striped ribbon adds the perfect texture. It may just have to be the one that ends up going out to our friends and family.

I'm also debating between these two lovely choices:

Option 1:

(That baby is SO cute!)

Option 2:

I'm feeling a bit more "traditional" this year, so I'm trying to find some simple and "traditional" cards...but who knows...I like to change my mind quite often :-) just ask my very patient husband.

During Thanksgiving break I'm hoping to FINALLY create a proper display for all of the cards we receive. I've had this image bookmarked for a while and would love to do something similar in our home.

{Country Living}

If you would like a chance to receive 50 free Tiny Prints holiday cards, enter here in order to be considered for their current campaign.

Anyone else feeling a bit behind with things this holiday season? I can't wait for Thanksgiving break to finally do some catching up!

This post is on behalf of Tiny Prints. By posting, I'm eligible to receive 50 free cards. All opinions are 100% my own.

Caitlin Wilson Textiles

2011-10-25T08:14:00.000-05:00

{I just took a peek at my blog and noticed a few things missing...like my background! So, please excuse the mess while everything gets fixed up.}

I've been a fan of Caitlin Wilson Design for a while. Caitlin is an incredibly talented designer and her new line of textiles is just as incredible!

I love this gorgeous headboard and this beautiful combination!

It's so hard to pick a favorite, I'm pretty sure I'd like them all to come live with me! But, if I had to pick just one, it may be this beautiful Mint Fleur Chinoise fabric.

Make sure to stop by and take a peek at her shop and be inspired by her beautiful work! Anyone else have any favorites?

Two Years

2011-10-03T08:48:00.000-05:00

Two years ago today I married the love of my life. And what a two years it has been! I have been so blessed and lucky to have such an amazing partner in life.

J, thank you for always being there for me and for the nights when you rub my shoulders until I can finally relax. For hanging up a million different things on the wall, for helping me paint stripes :-), for cooking my favorite foods, for always making me laugh and for holding me close on days when I need to cry. I'm so blessed to have you by my side each and everyday. I can't wait for the many more adventures we will share over the years. I love you!

Well....hello!

2011-09-28T20:34:00.000-05:00

Hi my name is Elsa and used to write on here regularly until I started a new gig and neglected my little ol' blog :-) SORRY!

What can I say, it's been a hectic month or two and everything that isn't urgent or work related has been put on hold, including my little ol' blog. But, I miss it. After being away for so long and even neglecting our little casa, I've become a bit antsy about just doing something related to decor. Hopefully, I'll find my groove back one of these days. In the mean time I've got some catching up to do, my Google Reader is out of control. I'm still working on finding a balance between life, home and work. It's been a lot harder than I anticipated it to be. Thanks to my cute Erin Condren planner though, I can at least keep track of the hundreds of things that run through my mind non-stop. If you also purchased the planner, how much do you love it?! There's something about that planner and colorful sharpies that just makes me giddy (nerd alert)! I'm not a huge fan of the tabs...mine are a big ol' ripped mess, but it sounds like hopefully Erin will be making some changes next year.

I've been working on a few projects which have been FREE (my favorite kind!) mostly involving organizing, re-organizing, and more organizing. My mister recently purchased a laminator (aren't we just super romantic?!) for me (I begged for one!) so I've been going NUTS looking for anything and everything I can laminate :-) So, I promise to be back and caught up very soon!

French Affair

2011-08-26T08:11:00.000-05:00

I have missed the world of blogging over the last couple of weeks! I've slowly been settling into a routine at my new gig, but still find myself passing out and going to sleep before 10...sometimes 9. I had hoped to finish up our dining room before a dinner party we hosted last weekend, but life happens and I never got around to wrapping things up...oops. But, of course that didn't stop us from having a good time!

We get together with a group of friends for a supper club once in a while and choose a different theme each time. This time around, J and I decided to host a French themed party and had a great time. I originally was supposed to help with the cooking (which was DELICIOUS!) but with it being my first week at work and the fact that I could barely move once I got home, J took care of all of the cooking and all I had to do was get the house ready to par-tay.

I immediately decided to go for a very simple table arrangement because I knew that the food was really going to be a hit. The day of the party I picked up some flowers, cut them low and placed them on the table.

I set out our white Pottery Barn dishes along with our white napkins and decided to call it done.

I got word that few extra friends would be joining us at the last minute, so I put together a small extra table on the side. I didn't realize how wrinkled the table cloth was at the time...oops.

J spent DAYS cooking away. I forgot to get pictures of all of his delicious hard work, but here are a couple.

Asparagus Terrine & Pâté

We had coq au vin as the main dish and creme brulee for dessert...yummy! We definitely had our share of cheese, bread, wine and champagne because I was slightly embarrassed by the amount of bottles sitting in our recycling bin Monday morning!

I think it's safe to say we all had a great time, but how could you not with delicious food and a great group of friends.

Guest Post on Keller-Creative

2011-08-15T08:47:00.000-05:00

I hope everyone is enjoying the last few days of summer! I'm headed back to work at a new job today and I'm a bit nervous/excited/anxious/scared/happy...I'm keeping my fingers crossed that it's a good day!

Today you can find me over on Kim's blog, Keller-Creative. She's tackled some great DIY projects that have definitely inspired me!

One of my favorites is her monogrammed bar cart!

And her chevron soap dispenser.

So, head on over there and take a peek at what my dream home would be like if I won the lottery one day :-)

Sneak Peek

2011-08-05T11:51:00.000-05:00

A little peek at the new light fixture in our dining room! I LOVE the texture on this pendant.

The mailbox was full of fun stuff for me yesterday! I plan to sit down this weekend and do some magazine reading. Oh, and try my best to "finish" up the dining room.

I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend!

Dining Room Art

2011-08-04T08:36:00.001-05:00

I spent months trying to figure out what to do with the big blank left wall in our dining room.

{The mess shortly after the room was painted.}

I purchased and returned a TON of mirrors and finally came to the conclusion that a mirror just wasn't the right fit for this wall. I then started to consider some art work, but wasn't very sure of what I wanted to do yet, so I let it sit for a while. BUT, yesterday, while at Home Goods I came across some hidden frames near bedding (someone had gone a long way trying to hide these!) and was pleasantly surprised when I looked at the artwork that came double matted. It reminded me of prints that you could purchase on Etsy (I swear I've seen them somewhere before!), so I snagged them right up and crossed my fingers the colors would work in the dining room.

I hung them up as soon as I got home and really love how they look. They're the perfect cross between vintage and contemporary. The colors are absolutely perfect for the room!

The New York print shows the quintessential New York image, with the NY skyline and Central Park trees. The colors are different shades of gray with pops of green.

The London print is very detailed, it includes little rain drops falling, a cute double-decker bus, brick buildings and a plaid scarf and hat. The coat detail is amazing, it looks like you could almost feel the tweed jacket.

{Oops, I didn't realize I cropped the frame a bit odd here!}

And last, but not least, Paris. Another great detailed print and I think my favorite of the three. I just love the colors of this print so much! The pop of yellow and red is perfect! I love the image of the Eiffel Tower in the background and the parisian man wearing a beret, bow tie, stripes and smoking the most delicate cigarette.

I feel like there's one print missing. I looked EVERYWHERE at Home Goods for it, but only these three were there. It just seems like it would be a series of "New York, London, Paris and Rome" but I could be wrong. I'm glad I snagged them up, although I was hesitant about putting them up because I feared they would look a bit "childish." I love 'em though! And the price was just right.

The mister helped me out in the dining room last night, so things are moving along pretty quickly! The new light fixture is up and I can finally see the room starting to come together. So, have any of you picked up any cool art lately? I'm very tempted to keep on hunting for what I think is the last print!

FINALLY (!) Getting Back In Gear: Finishing Up The Dining Room

2011-08-03T09:42:00.000-05:00

Many months ago I started working on getting our dining room put together...and then I stopped when summer arrived and it's been in limbo ever since. But, we're hosting some friends over for dinner in a few weeks, so I decided that maybe it's time to finish it up, considering that there is hardly anything really left to do.

Today I'm picking up this pretty light fixture from west elm. I'm trying to decide between the gray felt pendant, which appears to have great texture:

Or the same pendant in natural linen, which also appears to have lots of texture to it:

I also have a gift card to Restoration Hardware and have been debating what to do with it for a very long time. I came across a couple of shelves they carry which I think would be perfect for our dining room to create a little bar area. They appear to be pretty light and airy (which I love) and you can get them in several different finishes.

I am hoping to have most of the room finished over the weekend (did you hear that, dear husband?), so that I can finally "officially" move on and start working on our living room...since I did promise myself to not start on a new room until my current project was complete (it's been pretty difficult to keep that promise!).

So, there's my little current project update. What have some of you been working on?

Dwell Magazine Deal

2011-07-28T10:20:00.001-05:00

I love a good deal, it's no lie! Today Mamasource which Mamapedia runs, has an awesome deal on a one year subscription to Dwell Magazine. For $12 you can purchase a one year subscription, but if you are new to Mamasource and sign up today when you use the code "DWELL2" you get an extra $2 off your subscription, making it $10 for a full year. If you haven't signed up with Mamasource you can do right here and no, you don't have to be a mom :-) I take advantage of some awesome movie ticket deals they run every once in a while.

Happy shopping!

Linked up to Thrifty Thursdays.