3 Little Things...

Star Wars Training Academy

2012-03-05T13:36:00.000-08:00

Well we survived birthday season! Cash loved his party and I finally have the chance to post the photos. Check it out...

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If you need printables you definitely need to check out A Party Studio. She has amazing products and the best customer service ever!

Light Saber Pretzels

(Please ignore my ugly food labels. I misplaced my cute custom printables the night before the party so I had to scramble to get these done at the last minute. The others were way cuter, but these did the job.)

Desserts, Appetizers & Guest Book

My birthday boy!

We did an obstacle course and made a Yoda & R2D2 craft from felt.

Here are a few of the finished crafts. I had all of the pieces cut out and placed in envelopes. The kids glued the pieces on to a sparkly foam board and took them home.

These robes were made from pillow cases! A pack of 2 cost $3 at Big Lots. It's a NO SEW project too! Just cut up the front for an opening and cut arm holes on the sides. Tear some muslin for the belt and you've got a Jedi robe for $1.50 - ish!

This is my attempt at Princess Leia hair.

My little one.

The kids went nuts with their light sabers! We also played a game where they had to keep balloons in the air by hitting them with the light sabers.

The kids took the whole thing very seriously.

My son actually participated in the Jedi Training Academy at Disneyland. Since I have it on video I was able to teach the kids the same choreography. We played the theme song to Star Wars while they practiced their sequence.

It was a simple sequence of about 6 moves. Strike the left arm, then the right arm, left leg, duck, left leg again. Then finish with a strike to the head. We practiced over and over while the music played.

Then the music changed to The Imperial March

(thank goodness for itunes!) and Darth Vader appeared!

Here he is making his entrance.

The kids didn't care that he was wearing the same clothes as Cash's dad, or that he had on a graduation robe. To them...he was the REAL Darth Vader!

Every Padawan fought Darth Vader. I stood nearby help the kids remember the sequence. It was beyond adorable watching each kiddo fight him.

I did have to plan ahead and ask my friends to use my camera and video camera to capture this part of the party since my husband and I were both involved in this part.

They ducked at the right time.

Did I mention it was adorable?

Each kid seriously believed he or she was a REAL Jedi.

In the end, the kids finished him off. The kids earned a certificate stating that they completed the Jedi Training Academy and that they are official Jedi Knights. Some of the grown ups might have had a go at Darth Vader too.

After the festivities outside went in the house and sang Happy Birthday. Then we enjoyed cake, ice cream and presents.

This party was a lot of fun and it was really inexpensive. It took time and energy, but the best parties (the ones made with love) always do. My son absolutely thinks he had the best party in the whole world. I think that's pretty awesome. After all... I think I have the best kids in the whole wide world and this is my way of showing them.

Dark Princess

2012-02-17T07:57:00.000-08:00

Even my sweet princess is ready for this party!

Star Wars Cake

2012-02-16T17:03:00.000-08:00

As you know my son is having a Star Wars party (...in just 2 days)! He requested an R2D2 cake, so this is my attempt at it. This cake was not difficult to make but it was REALLY time consuming. I broke it up into a couple of days; one for baking, one for assembling, and one for the details. If I did it again, I'd make two attempts at the details. My hand was really sore after all of the piping.

So here's what I did...I made one cake in a glass bowl for the top of his head. I also made 4 eight inch round cakes. I stacked the rounds with frosting in between the layers and I added several dowels for support. Then I placed the head on top. I did a quick crumb coat and put it back in the fridge. After about twenty minutes I put a smooth layer of white icing all around the cake. I did this before I added the legs so I could get it as smooth as possible.

Next I used store bought Rice Crispy Treats for the legs. I used 2 on each side for the height. I rounded the tops and then added little triangles to the bottom to give his legs the right shape. I attached the legs with frosting and put a layer of frosting on the outside of them too. Then I put R2 back in the refrigerator until the next day.

Decorating time ~ I frosted his head in gray and then used a toothpick to draw on the details. I used some of our own R2D2 toys as a guide. Then I piped over the lines. It took forever and my hand was killing me.

But...that didn't matter once I saw my son's face. He loved it. And he never cares if it's perfect or not. My gift to him is my best effort at making something special. When I look at it, I see the flaws. When he looks at it, he sees a really "good" cake. And that's good enough for me!

Super G Officially Turned 3...Part 2!

2012-02-09T13:43:00.000-08:00

Here are the photos from my little one's superhero party!

A quick shot before the guests arrived.

My three super kids.

All of the kids decorated their own masks and made superhero ID cards showing their chosen powers.

Cosmic Keely's finished mask.

Green Dragon Gage

After mask and ID card making we played a game of Duck, Duck, Goose...superhero style. We called it "Superhero, Superhero, Villain".

Next the kids completed a superhero training course. They had to balance, crawl over and under saw horses, punch the punching bag, weave through the cones and crawl through a tunnel.

They loved the training course and did it over and over.

Super G knocked the bag over!

Serious balance and concentration...Captain Courageous Cash took this seriously!

Ripclaw Reese soared...

Condor Casey had excellent balance too.

After the course the kids were presented with their very own capes and certificates with their new superhero names.

Cosmic Keely

We took a couple of shots in front of the photobooth...

and the superheroes showed off their best poses.

We told them that the villains were on attack so we armed each superhero with silly string.

They went after the villains...

and saved the day!

Super G was ready to fire away.

Super brothers united!

They took care of that villain!

Attacking the villains was by far the best part of the whole party!

We sang happy birthday and ate cake & ice cream.

Then the superheroes watched Super G open his gifts.

Super G loved his party. It was affordable, fun and special. I hope he felt loved and will have happy memories of his homemade birthday parties. He's was exactly who we needed to make our family complete and we feel so lucky that God picked us to be his family. We're pretty sure that out of all the little ones in the world...we got the best 3!

Getting Ready for Jedi Training!

2012-02-07T19:19:00.000-08:00

I am SO far behind. I haven't posted superhero party pictures yet because I am frantically trying to get everything for my other son's Star Wars party and I only have 11 days to finish! Ahhh!

Here's a sneaky peaky of what I've been working on. There is still so much to do...

Light Sabers made from pool noodles. Our little Padawans need their very own weapons if they are going to go up against The Dark Lord himself!

I was stressing over a "craft" for the kids to make so this is what I came up with. I drew a quick picture of R2D2 and Yoda to use as a template. I spent $5 on felt, then cut out all of the pieces. The kids will glue them on a sparkly foam sheet and take them home.

Tomorrow I'll be making 16 Jedi robes from pillow cases...wish me luck!

Super G is Officially 3! (Part 1)

2012-01-31T13:11:00.000-08:00

We survived another birthday party! Yay! Super G officially turned 3 and he loved his little party. I'm showing photos of the decor in this post and will show shots of the activities in another. I tried to go as cheap as possible but still have it look nice. Thankfully A Party Studio (www.etsy.com/shop/APartyStudio) made awesome printables for me which made everything look adorable!

We served appetizers and desserts. The guest book was purchased on Amazon.com.

We had lots of finger foods and candy.

And we served cotton candy from the dollar store. Total cost $3 & I could have gotten away with only two packs.

I had extra frosting from the cake so I made some brownies and piped on superhero sayings. The whole thing took just a few minutes and cost less than 3 bucks!

I had Otter Pops left over from the Rainbow Unicorn Party. The slushies were such a big hit there, I decided to do them again. I think it turned out looking like multicolored Kryptonite. And yes...it was all eaten, by the adults!

A Party Studio did such a wonderful job on the printables and they were super affordable.

The cake wasn't exactly how I pictured it but it turned out ok.

One of my favorite things were the villain balloons (which I saw on CatchMyParty.com). Super G loves green so this was the perfect way for me to add his favorite color. They acted as decor and were used for a game later in the day.

Each little superhero had a personalized headline hanging up. They got to take them home too. Kids love personalized things, especially if it has their picture on it.

My own kiddos made "villain eyes" and hung them all around the house. My daughter also made a picture of a superhero to hang. I love including them in the party design and set up. It wouldn't be any fun for them if I did it all myself!

We always display a photo for every year...it's tradition.

At first I wasn't sure the party was coming together very well. After it was all said and done, I think it turned out pretty cute. My little one loved it so that's really all that matters. I am so thankful that I found Tali at A Party Studio though. Her designs are really what made the whole event tie together. I also really appreciate sites like Catch My Party and Pinterest. Almost every idea I use at my kids' parties are "borrowed" (and tweaked) from these two sites. I totally appreciate other moms who share their ideas...which is why I'm sharing my own here. Hopefully they will inspire you to do something special for your own little one!

Awesome Printables!

2012-01-22T13:57:00.000-08:00

Check out the printables I ordered from A Party Studio (www.etsy.com/shop/APartyStudio). The owner Tali is a dream to work with! These printables make the whole party come together!

This is a sample certificate each child will be presented with after completing the Superhero Training Academy. They will also receive their capes. Shortly after this "graduation ceremony" the new superheroes will come face to face with villains they will have to battle...think silly string and balloons with masks. Should be fun! I'll post pictures later!

A Party Studio created several of these signs for me. They are printed on 8 1/2 by 11 card stock and then mounted on black card stock to frame them. I am planning to hang them around the walls as my decor. It's a cheap way to add a lot of decoration to the room.

I'm considering hanging some from the ceiling too!

Hanging these with the kids "Superhero Headlines" (previous post) should make the room feel super festive and fun! Everything is starting to come together...Just a few more days until party time!

Finishing Touches

2012-01-22T08:35:00.000-08:00

I'm just putting the finishing touches on the superhero capes! Each kiddo is going to complete a Superhero Training Academy then be presented with a cape and certificate. The weather is supposed to be 73 and sunny so it looks like it's all going to work out! I'm getting closer to being finished with everything...but there is still much to do.

More Almost Free Decor!

2012-01-19T10:26:00.000-08:00

I've been a little stumped on decor for this superhero party but my kids are totally excited about their "headlines" for the photo booth backdrop (see previous posts). They keep asking me what their headline is and they're telling everybody how they "saved the day". I decided to go ahead and print another copy of the same headline to hang up as decor for the party. Here are examples of my own kids. There are a total of 13 kiddos coming to the party so it didn't take too much time to make these. I just used regular typing paper and a basic word program. I think you could do some really cool things if you are good on the computer.

I've also done this same thing with "wanted posters" for my son's cowboy party, complete with a cowboy name for each child and I've done pirate posters with pirate names too. The kids love taking home something personalized and it really is a cheap way to decorate. I hope you can run with this idea and come up with even more personalized decor for your own party!

Wear Your Decor!

2012-01-16T15:38:00.000-08:00

JoAnn's had t-shirts on sale, 3 for $10. I had a 40% coupon and purchased a pack of glitter glue (red, gold, silver) for $6. I drew a crest on paper for each of my kids and traced them on the shirts. Then I filled in my tracing with the glitter glue. So for $16 and about an hour of my time, my little superheroes have extra special shirts to wear to the party! And they become part of the decor too!

Not bad for about $5 a shirt!

Super Gage

Super Cash

Super Keely

A for Effort???

2012-01-13T10:50:00.000-08:00

My husband's friend requested a Storm Trooper cake for his son's party. His wife found a youtube video showing how one mom made it so I thought I'd give it a try. Next month my oldest son is having a Star Wars party so this was going to be good practice. Most of the examples on the internet are made with fondant, which I don't use. Unfortunately, the cake was WAY harder than it looked and didn't turn out that great. However, I thought the technique was pretty cool and could be tweaked to make lots of different of cakes. So, here's how I did it...not my best work, but definitely my best effort.

I made simple syrup for the first time, with equal parts sugar and water that I boiled in a pot. I added a whole lemon to it as well. Then I used buttercream frosting and my Kitchen Aid mixing bowl as a mold.

I lined my Kitchen Aid bowl. Plastic wrap would work but I usually end up annoyed with it so I went with good old wax paper instead.

I made 3 cakes and sliced them in half.

I placed one half of a cake in the bottom of the bowl and pushed it down. I drizzled simple syrup over it and then added a layer of frosting.

I continued layering cake with simple syrup and frosting until I reached the top of the bowl.

I placed the entire thing in the refrigerator for a couple of hours.

I set the bowl upside down and removed the cake, which to my surprise, came out really easily.

I used one of the left over cakes to make the details on the top, front and sides. I also did some cut outs on the cheek area.

I did a basic crumb coat all over the entire thing and placed it back in the refrigerator.

The entire time I was making it my kids kept reminding me that it didn't look like a Storm Trooper at all and it looked more like an igloo. I had to agree with them. Luckily the details brought it together in the end.

The last part was adding the details which were pretty simple to do. The hardest part was trying to get the buttercream smooth. Obviously I gave up on that! It was getting messier and messier the more I fussed with it so I decided that it was as smooth as it was going to get.

So here it is...

I think if the bowl was taller the proportions would have been better.

Since I'm not a baker I didn't realize you could put an already baked cake into a mold. This could definitely lead to other possibilities down the road.

Hopefully I can tweak it a bit for my son's party. Or maybe I'll do something completely different. At least I learned something new regardless of the end result. It was a first attempt and something I can work to improve on.

Photo Booth Backdrop

2012-01-12T16:29:00.000-08:00

I'm planning to have a photo booth set up at Super G's party so the kids can pose in their capes and masks. I wasn't sure what to use for a backdrop so I decided to get creative. I used a leftover box from Christmas and opened it up. Then I used Mod Podge and newspaper to cover the entire thing. I also made "headlines" for each of the kids using their superhero names. Hopefully it will make for some cute photos!

I'm not super in love with it, but it should do the trick. It could have been better if I'd used a different color paper for the headlines. The white really sticks out. However, on a positive note, the whole project was basically free. Maybe it can get your wheels turning for some other ways to set up your own photo booth backdrop!

Masked Crusaders

2012-01-09T14:39:00.000-08:00

Here's another peek at one of the activities we have planned for the little one's party.

Decorate your own superhero mask! Less than a dollar per kid! Not too bad!

I found a template on line and used it for the shape. I cut the masks out of foam and punched holes in the sides. I tied on thin elastic and bought super cool stickers for the kids to decorate with.

Can't wait to post photos later!

Did I Mention We're Having a Party?

2012-01-05T11:02:00.000-08:00

Here's a peek at my little one's superhero party!

Custom printables made by A Party Studio.

www.etsy.com/shop/APartyStudio

A 25 Cent Party Favor? Yes, Please!

2012-01-04T17:02:00.000-08:00

We've got a superhero party in the making. Check out these favors!

Head over to your local dollar store and pick up some Super Gum Pops or Tootsie Pops. I purchased a pack of 4 for $1.00. Then I used some card stock that I had leftover from other projects and I made little capes and masks.

Ta-dah! A totally cute, super cheap party favor that the kids will love!

All Abord...

2011-12-18T18:16:00.000-08:00

My daughter's homework assignment was to make a Polar Express train car to be used in the school's annual Polar Express Ride. I wanted my daughter to be the one supplying the ideas and doing as much of the work as she could. When I was a teacher I always enjoyed seeing projects that the parents had a hand in but overall were made by the student. I think we accomplished that. I stuck on boxes and used the hot glue gun. She handed me the pieces and helped me decide where we should place things. I found a sample photo on line and we looked at it while we assembled her train.

This is the basic shape all hot glued and taped together.

I made the front of the train by taping two pieces of card stock together. Then I rolled them up and taped them into a cylinder. I clipped the end so I could attach it to the main box. This wasn't something my daughter could do by herself.

We hot glued a left over paper plate on the front and it was complete.

We decided it would be easier for her to carry if we added handles to the sides. We were planning to add straps later. I just had to figure out how to accomplish that.

All three kids got in on the priming. They loved this part.

I sprayed the entire thing gold and my daughter drew the wheels on paper plates. She also painted stripes inside the lines that I taped for her. She wanted to add princess wrapping paper and the number 4 to it as well. Since our last name is Thomas she decided this would be a "girl Thomas train".

Girl Thomas needed a face of course.

It was totally her idea to add the "smoke". Clever, if I do say so myself.

I added straps with scrap fabric. I just stapled them on and taped them down to really hold them in place. The day of the Polar Express ride all of the kids wore their P.J.s.

She walked all the way to school wearing her train.

Her teacher let her have a bell to ring. I think she was more excited about the bell than the train.

There were lots of trains and no two were alike! One of them even lit up!

There she goes, ringing her bell.

There were six Kindergarten classes with 23 kids per class. All of the other grades came outside and watched as the cute little Kinders paraded around the entire school.

As a mom I was really glad she was able to do something so fun at school. As a former teacher I appreciate that the teachers at her school value this kind of activity. It makes for a long and wild school day but it is so important for our little ones to experience good old fashioned fun like this.

When I go back to teaching I think I'll add this to my own lesson plans!

And just think, next year we get to do this all over again for my son!

Holiday Window Decor

2011-12-02T12:05:00.000-08:00

In order for my oldest son to attend preschool, I volunteer my time at his school in exchange for tuition. One of the things I began in September is decorating the front windows for each season. This could be an inexpensive and fun thing to do at home as well. All you need is acrylic paint and a brush. I even painted my back sliding door for my daughter's birthday party!

For the winter scene I decided to do winter animals, Birch trees and snowflakes. This can easily last through February. Who knows, I may even add some hearts for Valentine's Day.

I'm a planner so I first draw my idea out on a regular sheet of paper. Then I lay butcher paper on my floor and draw out my design life sized. I tape the butcher paper to the outside of the window and paint from the inside. The hardest part for me is painting backwards! Because you are layering the paint from front to back, you have to think and paint the opposite of how you normally would. For example. I actually started with the whites of the eyes, then after they dried I added the black for the eyes, as well as the nose and mouth. Once that was dry I painted the rest of the face over the facial features. I added the trees and snow last. I probably should have done this over two days instead of one. I ended up rushing the snow so I'm not completely happy with that part of it. This was a big job but a simple design like snowflakes or a Christmas tree on your front window could be really cute.

Here is the finished product. Sorry about the glare.

The birds were rushed at the end. This is actually the second attempt at the little red bird. My accident prone son mistakenly wiped the first bird off with his rear end.

Back in September I did my first attempt at window painting but never posted it. Here are the pumpkins I did for the school. I washed them off with soap and water before putting up the winter window. It was a big job to wash off so much. My husband thinks that if I take a scraper the next time I have to wash off the paint, it will go a lot faster. Cross your fingers on that!

Obviously nobody is going to do anything this huge on their own windows, but I still think it could be tweaked for your own holiday decor. I know my kids absolutely love it. Hopefully it can inspire you to try something new and different! Happy window painting!

The Stockings Were Hung by the Chimney With Care...

2011-11-27T17:06:00.000-08:00

One of my favorite things to do each year is make Christmas stockings. I usually pick a family I love and make a set for them. Besides a Christmas gift, they are also a perfect gift for a new baby or even a wedding. After all, they are something the family will keep for years to come. And everybody loves to have something made (and personalized) just for them. Depending on the type of fabric you choose, you can make a traditional stocking or you can pick a funky fabric to change it up. Here are a few samples of the many stockings I've made over the years.

These stockings were made for one of my favorite families. I made them all out of corduroy but in different colors (dark green & burgundy for the parents, red for their daughter, tan for one of their sons & blue for their other son). The cuff, toe & heel are all made with the same fabric. My favorite part is the lining. I always choose a special lining that reminds me of the person...toy soldiers for boys, pink & red snowmen for girls, etc. I like how the cuff fabric is very traditional but the corduroy and the colors are nontraditional.

This is a close up of one of the stockings. Each one gets a monogram to make it even more personal.

This is my mantel with our family stockings. I made the stockings over several years, which means they don't match at all. They are all different styles and fabrics but since they were made from the same pattern they all work together.

This is the stocking I made for my husband before we were ever married. I used very traditional fabrics. We've had it for nine years and it's still in great shape.

This is the stocking I made for myself (the same year I made my husband's). I used a satin with an overlay. I decided against the toe and heel since I had the overlay and I wanted it to show.

I made this stocking for my daughter right after she was born. I went with pink tweed and faux fur. I love this stocking because it's fun and sassy just like my girl. The lining has pink snowmen with hearts.

This is my first son's stocking. I think it fits his personality perfectly. It's rugged and classy and all boy. Before he was born, I originally made him a light blue velvet stocking with snowflakes and a faux fur cuff. After having him and watching him develop into this boisterous personality, the first stocking just didn't seem right. I like all of the stockings I make to represent the person it is for.

This stocking is for my little one. It's perfect for him. I also used corduroy for this one, but it's a different style. Instead of having wide stripes, it has thin stripes.

I made this stocking a few days ago for my cousin's new baby. It is made out of cotton and felt. I actually stood in the fabric store texting my cousin photos of different fabrics so she could have the exact one she wanted. I'm glad I did too. This is not what I was planning do for her baby at all! But it ended up turning out very cute. She knows her baby better than anyone and this is the fabric choice that reminded her of him the most.

I also made this stocking a few days ago. Several years ago I made a family set of stockings for one of my mommy friends. They were all made with different colored corduroy and had matching cuffs, toes & heels. My friend's home is very country so this star fabric was perfect. At the time I made the original stockings there were only 3 members in her family. Now there are four. Surprisingly I had extra star fabric! I got very lucky. So, if you are planning to make these for a family who may expand in the future, be sure to save some of the fabric! I have another stocking to make for a family who is also growing. Again, I am lucky that I have the cuff fabric on hand.

I hope these will inspire you to get out your sewing machine and be creative. I look forward to making these every year and I know the people who I've given them to think they are very special.

Pink Dinos

2011-11-21T07:35:00.000-08:00

My daughter's friend wanted a pink dinosaur cake for her birthday. I didn't have much time and I wasn't sure what to do. I took inspiration from her party invitation and came up with this. Thankfully the birthday girl liked it!

Rainbow Cake How To...

2011-11-13T08:14:00.000-08:00

Rainbow Cake How To...

My original plan was to have the inside of the cake rainbow colored and have it iced in all white. That's really the only way I've seen it done, and as you know by now, almost all of my ideas are borrowed from somewhere and tweaked to fit my needs. I was telling my mom my plan and she said she thought the cake would be prettier if I made the outside rainbow colored too. I didn't want to hear it. I didn't want to think about how I was going to do it. And I really didn't want to make 6 different colors of frosting. But I did...and I'm really happy about it. It turned out prettier than plain white and everyone was still super surprised when we cut into it!

Here's how I did it.

I made 3 white cakes, splitting each in half to give me 6 layers. Each half was tinted with Wilton gel food coloring and baked. Then I froze them. After the cakes were frozen I sliced about 1/3 off the top so that my cake wouldn't be too tall. I put them in the freezer until I was ready to frost them another day. Next I put a white buttercream crumb coat on top and in between the layers. And then I added several dowels to hold my cake together.

I mixed 6 colors of frosting and used disposable piping bags since there were so many colors. I used Wilton tip 12. It's just a big open circle. I squeezed a dollop of frosting and then squished it and swept my tip through it. I began with the purple and worked my way up the side of the cake.

I did the same thing for the top except I began with the red and worked my way in toward the center. Unfortunately I didn't quite get my proportions correct on the top and I was barely able to squeeze in some purple. Hey, it's homemade....what can I say?

The big moment....seeing the inside!

As I stated before, everyone was very surprised about the rainbow colors inside. The kids loved it and they all had their "favorite tasting color".

This cake is a new favorite because it had a big impact but it was really simple to do. There were a few extra steps but nothing that was difficult. Just break it up into a few sections and do a little bit at a time. It will be worth it when you see the kids' faces light up!

Rainbows and Unicorns Part 2

2011-11-12T09:56:00.000-08:00

The last post mainly showed the decor at my daughter's rainbow, unicorn party. This post shows some candid shots from the party.

All of the kids were very busy crafting at the different stations.

The crayon melt required some adult supervision from Papa.

My little one loved using power tools with his Papa.

After crafting, we moved on to unicorn races. We made paper cones and tied them on to our stick ponies which we already owned (another almost free activity). The kids took turns racing around the yard on them.

Next the kids followed clues to find hidden treasures. This was the first clue.

Each kiddo found a bag with his or her name on it. They had rainbow hats inside. The boy's hats came from Oriental Trading Company.

The girl's hats came from Halo Heaven.

One of our tween friends read the clues. She also helped the kids at the craft stations earlier. She was a huge help. In this photo the kids are listening to clue number 2.

Clue #2

Here are the kids hunting for treasure #2.

This is what they found...Unicorn Magic! They stuck it in their bags and went on to hear clue #3.

The final clue. The best treasure!

The final clue led the kids to the backyard where real golden horse shoes had been hidden.

My husband's BFF, Mister Mike (www.blottoparts.blogspot.com), was able to get his hands on some real horse shoes for us. My husband (www.throttlelust.blogspot.com) soaked the shoes in vinegar for 4 days, rinsed them off and polished them up. Then I sprayed them gold. They were perfect!

We sang Happy Birthday to my sweet girl and she opened her gifts.

The cake had a surprise inside...rainbow of course!

It was a perfectly magical day for my precious little girl.

Out of all the little girls in the world....I do believe I got the very best one!

Rainbows and Unicorns Part 1

2011-11-10T11:46:00.000-08:00

We had the big Rainbow, Unicorn party for my daughter's 6th birthday. It was a success! It took a lot of prep and hard work but not a lot of money. Everything was homemade and nothing was difficult to do. Here are a ton of photos of the decor. I'll post more showing the actual party in a separate post.

The main table filled with homemade appetizers and desserts.

Fruity Pebble Treats & layered Jello

Oranges filled with Jello & chocolate covered pretzels.

Otter Pop Slushies... the biggest hit of all.

Make them just like Rice Crispy Treats

Sweet Rainbow Popcorn

Slice an orange in half. Hollow it out. Fill with Jello and slice after set. Ta-dah!

Water bottle labels made from free clipart.

Rainbow Sherbet ready to serve in cupcake liners. Total time saver!

Silverware holders made from paint chip samples.

99 Cent Store crazy straws.

Candy buffet!

Candy was left over from the 60th surprise party...so it was FREE for me!

Use the same labels as the water bottles.

Found these at Oriental Trading! They were the inspiration for the whole party.

The guest book. Guests sign the inside cover so we can remember who came to the party each time we read the book. It's a great keepsake and helps us remember the theme of the party while enjoying special messages from all of your family and friends. We have one from each party.

A photo for every year.

Acrylic paint!

It washes right off with soap and water.

Homemade poms made from tissue.

Unicorn horn suckers. One of the favors.

Homemade chocolate bar wrappers made from clip art.

Paper tablets made from paint chip samples.

Pipe Cleaner Art station.

Rainbow Science!

Pour some milk in a bowl. Add drops of red, blue & yellow food color. Pour in a drop of Dawn dish soap and watch the colors swirl together to make a rainbow of colors.

Coloring Station! Free coloring pages from the internet.

A finished piece of art.

Rainbow Art Station!

The finished product.

Crayon Rainbow Art!

Canvases came from Michaels (using 50% coupons they were $1 a piece). Crayons were bought during back to school sales (40 cents a piece). I glued the crayons to the canvas with hot glue. This was something I did way in advance.

Adult Supervision Required!

The men were so excited that we had power tools at this party.

Heat the crayons and watch them melt into a beautiful rainbow. The kids loved this part and got to take all of their goodies home.

All in all it was a big success. My daughter loved it and that's what is most important. Many of these ideas were found on Pinterest. If you haven't checked it out yet, you should! Stay tuned for more party photos!

Sparkles & Cats for a Surprise 60th?

2011-11-09T14:43:00.000-08:00

My mom's BFF Jann was turning 60 so Jann's husband decided he wanted to throw her a surprise party and he needed help from my mom and me. I was all set to help. I was even pretty excited! My mom and I figured we could come up with a great plan and throw a fabulous party for Jann. To our surprise Jann's husband told us there were two things the party had to be themed around...sparkles and cats! My first reaction was that it can't be done. Those things just don't go together. Luckily I contacted Tali from A Party Studio (www.etsy.com/people/APartyStudio) and she made us some amazing printables. They set the tone for the whole party and it really did turn out to be quite beautiful (even if it was a slightly strange theme to work around). Check out the photos and see for yourself.

There was a candy buffet for guests. This was the party favor.

Rock candy is sparkly!

Homemade poms were hung outside.

Simple and inexpensive floral arrangements for each table. Runner is made out of wrapping paper.

Little Debbie treats unwrapped and placed on a tray look divine.

Homemade cake pops and chocolate covered Oreos were a hit. Plates and napkins were purchased at Target.

More Little Debbie treats.

Homemade cake

Labels from A Party Studio

Appetizers were purchased at Albertsons for a very reasonable price.

It was sparkly. It had cats. And it was beautiful!

Rainbow Party Favor

2011-09-18T08:04:00.000-07:00

Here is another great find from Pinterest! Mini paper tablets that my daughter and her friends will love! These were originally posted on dawnypoo.blogspot.com. There are only a few weeks until my daughter's big Rainbow/Unicorn party so I made a bunch of these adorable little favors for the kiddos. It was simple, quick & almost completely free to make!

All you'll need are paint chips, a paper slicer (or scissors), some computer paper and a stapler. If you have a "fold" blade on your paper slicer I recommend using it so you can get a really crisp fold.

Using the fold blade crease the bottom of a paint chip (about an inch from the bottom). Paint chips come in different sizes so I recommend playing with your first one until to get it looking like you want. Then use the measurements from it to do the rest.

Flip the paint chip around and make another fold. You will want the top (lighter color) to fold into the previous fold like a matchbook.

Switch to a straight blade.

Cut computer paper the proper size to fit inside your "matchbook" tablet.

Place some paper inside the small fold at the bottom and staple them in place. Then fold the top of the paint chip over and tuck it inside the bottom fold.

There you have it! A rainbow of tiny tablets!

The kiddos will love them. Heck, I may even keep one handy in my own purse!

Chocolate Cream Cheese Cookie Sandwiches

2011-09-15T16:51:00.000-07:00

Nothing says thank you like home baked goodness!

1 box of chocolate fudge cake mix.

1/2 Cup Brown Sugar

1 stick melted butter (1/2 cup)

Mix cake mix, brown sugar & butter together.

Add eggs, one at a time.

1 teaspoon vanilla.

1/3 to 1/2 brick of room temperature cream cheese.

Add vanilla and softened cream cheese. Mix well.

Add 1 1/2 Cups semisweet chocolate chips.

Stir them in.

Bake at 350 degrees for about 15 minutes. Let cool.

1 can of chocolate frosting, any brand.

Frost one cookie with canned frosting.

Place another on top.

Roll edges in sprinkles, covering all of the frosted edges.

Enjoy them for yourself...

Or give them as a thank you gift like I did.

Paint Chip Project

2011-09-15T16:35:00.000-07:00

While checking out one of my favorite sites, Pinterest, I came across a cute way to display forks & spoons at my next party! We've got a "rainbow/unicorn" party coming up so I gave it a go.

The original posting was from sewmanyways.blogspot.com but I had to try it myself and post too.

Grab some large paint samples.

Sew three sides together (staples or glue could work too).

Have a variety of colors to get the rainbow effect.

Place napkin, fork & spoon in pouch.

Ta-dah! Simple, cute and free!

Chocolate Buttercream...Who knew?

2011-08-18T16:47:00.000-07:00

My cousin's son was having a construction themed party so it was time to revamp a cake I made for my son at his own digger party a year and a half ago.

The cake was yellow and this was my first attempt at CHOCOLATE buttercream! Yum!

The chocolate buttercream turned out to be the perfect color for mud. When I originally made this cake for my son's 3rd birthday I used regular buttercream and added brown food coloring. I wasn't completely happy with the color. This is much richer looking and tasting!

The yellow piping is out of regular buttercream. I just made a large batch of regular buttercream, scooped out what I needed to pipe the edges, then added the cocoa to the rest! Super easy!

The road is made of crushed Oreos and melted butter.

I can't believe it took me this long to discover chocolate buttercream! Now...what should I make next?

Sharing...

2011-08-18T16:28:00.000-07:00

My oldest just started Kindergarten and she was thrilled to discover that she gets to have "share day" every Friday! Her teacher sent home a note explaining that she needed a special bag to bring her share toy in each week. She said the bags could be as simple or elaborate as we wanted. We decided to make a simple bag that looks elaborate!

Since my daughter has always loved owls we decided an owl share bag would be perfect. I went through my scrap fabrics and knew I'd find an owl print.

I drew my design on a brown paper sack and cut it out to use as a pattern.

I used interfacing on all of my fabrics before I cut them out. Then I pinned the front pieces together.

I used a simple zig-zag stitch around all of the pieces, including the face.

The front was now complete and in one piece.

I made simple straps and pinned them on. Turning fabric is not my favorite thing so I made the straps wide to make it easier on myself.

I pinned the right side of my lining to the right side of my owl's front (making sure my straps were sandwiched between the right sides of my fabrics.) I stitched around the top and stopped about 3 inches down from the ears. Then I turned it right side out. I repeated this with the second piece of lining and the back of the owl. You can see that the top is finished but the bottom isn't. I didn't want it to be too bulky when sewing the front to the back so I went this route.

Now that the lining was secured on the top of the owl's front and back pieces I pinned the right sides of the owl together (finished face to finished back). I stitched around the edge beginning and ending at the points where my lining was already secured. However, I left a small opening at the bottom to turn it right side out. The photo shows the owl being turned. Next I flipped it inside out again and stitched the opening I had left for turning.

Ta-dah! One finished owl bag for share day!

Here is a shot of the lining.

I'd say she likes her new share bag. It's one of a kind, just like she is!

Cheap Therapy

2011-06-18T17:54:00.000-07:00

One of my kids' favorite preschool activities is playing with rainbow rice. Yes, you read correctly, rainbow colored rice. It may sound strange but I can assure you that most kids love playing in rice. There is just something about the texture of it, the way it slides through their little fingers and the way it pours and spills, that kids find fascinating...relaxing even.

Since school is out for the summer I thought I'd give it a try at home. This was my first attempt and I have to say it was surprisingly simple and inexpensive. You may already have everything you need around the house.

Here's what you need...

rice, rubbing alcohol & liquid food coloring

Now here's how you do it...

Scoop rice into a large Ziploc.

I used 3 oversized cups per Ziploc.

Pour about 1/4 cup of rubbing alcohol into an old plastic cup.

Your measurements don't need to be exact. You just don't want to get your rice too wet.

Add food coloring to the alcohol and stir them together.

Pour the mixture into the bag of rice and seal it.

Mix it with your hands until all of the rice is colored.

Pour the colored rice on a cookie sheet covered in foil.

Place the cookie sheet of colored rice somewhere to dry.

I carried mine outside and slid the foil off the cookie sheet. Then I placed it in the sunshine.

Let your rice dry completely.

It took about 15 minutes for each color to dry.

Mix the rice together in a bowl,

and place them in sealed Ziplocs or a tub with a lid.

A 20 pound bag of rice made 3 1/2 Ziplocs full of colored rice.

The kids loved playing with it!

They let it run through their fingers.

They scooped it and poured it.

And they made a huge mess.

My next craft will have to be some kind of cute drop cloth...

Proud!

2011-05-30T17:18:00.000-07:00

Thank you to all of the servicemen and women who gave all for our freedom.

And thank you for those who stand for us today.

Thank you to my "Grand-dad", whose old war medals I cherish.

Thank you to our family and friends who have fought and served,

Dad, Randy, Joe and B.J.

Thank you to those of you I do not know by name.

My family and I appreciate you, care about you and pray for you daily.

We are a proud American family!

It Goes Like This...

2011-05-28T14:31:00.000-07:00

"Mama, can we pleeeeaaaase ride our scooters today?"

I say, "Sure, but you have to promise to actually ride them."

Three sets of eyes staring up at me; "We promise!"

I say, "OK...let's get ready then."

1. Get out gear...

2. Elbow pads on...

3. Knee pads on...

4. Helmets on...

5. Carry 2 scooters, a tricycle, a camera and a 2 year old across a busy street while holding hands with a 4 and 5 year old...

Ride around for ten minutes...

Decide they are hungry and need to come home for lunch.

The Last of the Cake Files.

2011-05-22T11:37:00.000-07:00

I'm not a baker; just a mom who likes making special things for the people I love. 15 years ago my mom and I took a cake decorating class at our local Michaels store. It was a fun experience for us and here I am, years later, still using the basics I learned so long ago.

When my daughter turned two I began my obsession with themed cakes. I have my own little process that I use when I make a cake. I Google search cake images, visit party sites and baking sites, and of course I check out the cakes on Coolest Birthday Cakes.com which displays thousands of homemade cakes made by moms just like you and me.

The process goes like this...I bookmark several cakes and choose elements I want to incorporate into my own creation. I never copy a cake exactly, but I borrow ideas and mesh things together to come up with something a little different. Occasionally I have to come up with an idea on my own but I always find something on the internet that I use as a guide to help me with my creative confection.

Here's a peek at some of the buttercream concoctions I've come up with...

Keely's "Purple & Pink Kitty Party". This one was tough! Lots of carving and stacking layers to get the 3D look. I've learned to stick to more basic shapes. However, I will say, this cake was a big hit with my birthday girl.

My little one, Gage, had a "block party" for his first birthday. His name fit perfectly on the sides of the cake. The inside was 4 layers (yellow, chocolate, yellow, chocolate).

Cash really wanted a bulldozer...a bulldozer!!! I was lucky enough to find a tutorial on-line. I used two loaf pans for this. Thank goodness for Google!

The bulldozer cake was too small for the whole family so I used the same idea as the "Cars" cake (see last post) and changed it to look like a construction site. The kids went nuts for the Oreo road.

This one was a challenge! The kids' best friend wanted a superhero cake. As if that wasn't tough enough, he wanted ALL of his favorites represented! I went on-line and printed clipart logos for each superhero and traced them on the sides of the cake. Then I went back and filled them in with icing.

The hardest part was making so many different colors of frosting. I really had to make a lot in advance for this cake. Like the block cake, this was made out of 4 layers of 8 inch square cakes.

Ugh...my nephew requested a firetruck! Thankfully I found a tutorial on-line...did I say how much I love Google? It was not the most beautiful cake ever made, but come on; it's a firetruck!!! And red is such a hard color to get right!

This cake was made for my mom. You can see the plate I used as inspiration in the top left corner.

My niece wanted a flip flop cake, so she got one! I traced the flip flop shape on paper and cut it out of cake which I placed on top of a double layer cake. Then I used one of my favorite decorating tips for the grass, Wilton #233! This cake is another variation of the "Cars" cake. Be prepared for a very cramped hand after all of that grass making!

OK...Spongebob is NOT my favorite character and I don't let my kids watch him. However their best friend was having a Spongebob party. Let me tell you, this cake was EASY! I just printed a picture of SB that I found on (you know where) Google. I traced it into the crumb coat and filled it in with frosting; just like I was coloring in a book. I used a basic star tip on the entire thing. My hand was cramped by the end but it turned out pretty cute and the birthday boy was thrilled.

The Very Hungry Caterpillar cake. I made a basic double cake for the bottom and cut up a bundt cake to make the caterpillar. I used several shades of green on his body to make him look like the illustrations in the story. His feet are Hershey Kisses cut in half and his antenna is made from fruit snacks. I used Skittles for the borders and found Eric Carle clipart that I copied and pasted for the cake board cover.

Keely's cupcake party had to have a giant cupcake! I tried to come up with a way to carve the cupcake myself but finally gave in and bought the Wilton pan. It was trickier to frost than I anticipated. I learned the hard way to use dowels in the bottom cake. This is actually cake #2...enough said about that.

Gage's dino cake was tough. I searched on-line but couldn't find what I wanted. I ended up printing off a couple of clipart T-Rexes. Then I drew them on paper to fit the scale of the cake. Next I set my drawing on the cake and carved around it with a toothpick. I looked at the original picture I printed and filled in the dino with yellow and green.

The old pirate cake! I love making this cake. I've actually made it 3 times for different kiddos. It's easy to do and has a big impact on the party. I've said it before and I'll say it again...Thank goodness for piping gel!

Clearly this is not a show stopper. I did my best though. It was for a Star Wars, Lego themed party. A big Lego sounds easy...but let me tell you, making a perfect rectangle is tough. Getting the buttercream perfectly smooth and having perfect edges was impossible for me. Hey, I made it with love and luckily for me, the 5 and 6 year olds didn't care about my edges one bit.

The Fancy Nancy Rose Cake. This was fun and way easy too. I followed the tutorial on i am baker. This is one of those cakes that everyone loves and it really is simple to make.

All of this reminiscing about cakes makes me want to get in the kitchen and start baking! Maybe I'll have a new cake post soon...

The Cake Files...

2011-05-20T16:47:00.000-07:00

To piggyback off of my last post, here are some cakes that were made after the original owl cake.

My son Cash's first birthday cake. Hey...I tried and remember, it was made with love.

My daughter Keely's Pinkalicious cake for her 3rd birthday.

Cash's second birthday cake. Can you guess the theme?

Yee-Haw!

My nephew's cake for his Army themed party.

My niece's Army cake complete with princess.

Cars theme for our kids' best friend.

Gotta love piping gel for water!

Aloha!

An Expression of My Love....

2011-05-20T15:35:00.000-07:00

My daughter Keely was in love, (make that obsessed) with owls from the time she learned to walk. When thinking of a theme for her second birthday party the only logical decision was to have an owl party. This was back in 2006 and I had never heard of these over the top, crazy expensive, themed parties that are now being thrown. But I took the owl idea and ran with it. We had owl pizzas, owl cookies and of course we had to have an owl cake!

I had never made any kind of cake except your standard 8 inch round...usually with canned frosting. This was a challenge for me!

Here it is. My first attempt at a themed cake!

Even though this certainly is not the most beautiful cake ever made, it was made lovingly from my heart. The best part of all is it inspired me to want to make more! This cake started a tradition! My kids all know that Mommy will do my best to make them an extra special birthday cake, every year, any theme, any color, any flavor. Their cakes are unique and special (and not quite perfect)...just like them. Making a special cake is a huge expression of my love. If I make a cake for you, it's because you are very important to me!

Toy Story Mania Cake

2011-05-08T18:03:00.000-07:00

It's tradition! I always make birthday cakes for my children's two best friends' birthday parties. Each year they "put their order in" and look forward to having a fancy cake to go along with their birthday theme. Apparently they think I'm some kind of professional baker because the requests are getting harder and harder. I usually panic at first and decide there is no way I can possibly make the cake they requested (this is also true for the cakes my own kids request) but then I quickly realize that the kids don't really care if the cake is perfect which allows me to relax a little and get to work.

For Reese's Toy Story cake I knew I didn't want to attempt making a specific character. I also work strictly with buttercream so getting that perfectly smooth fondant look is usually out of the question.

For the bottom layer, I decided to go with a Buzz theme. I used a butter knife as a straight edge for my lines and a large decorating tip to make circle indentations. Then I went back and iced over them.

Bottom layer completed!

The second layer was Woody inspired. I don't usually make layered cakes so luckily I remembered to use dowels in the two bottom layers (something I learned the hard way on a previous cake) and I put a glob of frosting underneath each layer to adhere them together.

The top layer was made to look like Andy's room of course!

The birthday boy really wanted a big 5 candle. I added two of his character toys he already owned and the cake was finished!

Ta-dah! One Toy Story Mania birthday cake! It's not anywhere near perfect but when Reese saw it he said it was "exactly what he wanted". I'm thrilled that he liked it so much. Let's just hope next year's request will be one I can manage. I'm hoping for a pirate cake....I can definitely do a pirate cake...

Happy Mother's Day!

2011-05-08T12:01:00.000-07:00

When I became a mom...

For the first time...

For the second time...

For the third time...

(in three years)

I have the best example!

Happy Mother's Day to my amazing mom!

I love being a Mommy!

My Mom's Fancy Nancy Party!

2011-03-28T15:57:00.000-07:00

My mom Nancy hadn't had a birthday party in over 20 years! Don't get me wrong, we celebrate her birthday every year with cake and presents, etc. but that's pretty much the extent of it. This year I decided that she needed (no, deserved) a birthday soiree that she will never forget! When choosing the theme of the party, there was really only one choice...FANCY NANCY of course!

Meet Fancy Nancy, my awesome mom!

We put on a fashion show which, as you can see, she loved!

My dapper son Cash took a photo in the photo booth

with Fancy Nancy.

The photo booth was a big hit!

I used food coloring in the cake batter to make the inside

of the cake as fancy as the outside.

My niece loved the camera!

The adults all participated in the fashion show.

I made all of the grandsons & men fancy t-shirts with ties sewn on them. The girls wore feather boas, tiaras and necklaces.

My dad got really into the fashion show.

My mom's fancy friends posed for the photo booth.

The mustache printables came from Catch My Party.

They were FREE!

My littlest man walked the catwalk.

The granddaughters all wore a fairy dress, wings, tiaras,

gloves, sunglasses and necklaces (from Halo Heaven).

My daughter strutted her stuff perfectly!

My little niece also worked it on the catwalk.

My nephew got his groove on.

My son Cash was first to walk the catwalk!

Everyone was completely surprised when he appeared

wearing his dapper new clothes. Of course we had

Lady Gaga's "Poker Face" blaring too.

This was the dessert table...very fancy!

This cake was so easy to make. Check out "I am baker" for a tutorial. It was a hit and so simple too!

It wouldn't be a party without cake pops!

We had to have chocolate covered pretzels.

They are Fancy Nancy's favorite.

I just made all of the printables from my home computer.

I made the Oreos "fancy" by covering them in chocolate.

They were very popular.

If you've read the Fancy Nancy story you know that a Parfait Bar is a must. I think the grandkids enjoyed making their own parfaits more than anything.

I wanted to give my mom a small thank you for being the best mom in the world. I hope my kids will someday look up to me the way I look up to my mom. After all she is smart, funny, beautiful and kind. And most of all, she is SO FANCY!

Did Somebody Say Fancy?

2011-03-08T16:38:00.000-08:00

Check out this adorable (and easy to make) t-shirt! I am planning a "Fancy Nancy" party for my mom, Nancy. I want all of her grandkids to be fancy, of course! My first thought for the boys was to purchase tuxedo t-shirts but they were way over my budget. I came across a tutorial for these appliqued tie onesies on crapivemade.blogspot.com and I decided to give it a try. I followed the tutorial but had to enlarge everything to fit older kids. I am happy to say that the shirts turned out great, my boys are super excited to wear them and I know my mom will adore them too! Best of all, they act as party decor and they are a party favor that the boys can actually use again. What a concept!

I used the template from the tutorial and just drew a slightly larger version of the tie pattern on some scrap paper.

T-shirts were purchased at Michaels for $2.50 each and I picked up some fabric and Heat-n-Bond at JoAnn's. I decided to get out the sewing machine and stitch the tie on as well.

I ended up buying too much fabric (as usual) so I added a fabric band to the top hats! Turned out pretty cute, huh?

Check out my very fancy and very handsome son Cash! He's ready to strut the catwalk!

My little one Gage looks quite debonair as well. Don't you think?

These shirts were so easy and turned out so cute I just might make a few more. You know, for those days when my boys feel like being extra fancy!

Yo-Ho-Ho!

2011-03-04T13:08:00.000-08:00

Another year has passed and my Cash is 4! To celebrate we went with a pirate theme! I thought it would be a totally fun theme but I quickly realized that pirates are kind of...well...inappropriate for kids. I had already purchased the supplies before I came to this realization so we kept the theme and did out best to clean it up and make it kid friendly and age appropriate. We decorated treasure maps, played Pin the Treasure on the Map, walked the plank and followed clues to find the hidden treasure. It turned out to be a success and my kiddo loved it. In fact, all of the kids had fun. And in the end that's what really matters.

My big 4 year old...Captain Calico Cash!

The cake was chocolate with buttercream frosting. I used scrap-booking stickers for the ship & pirates, graham crackers for the sand and piping gel for the water.

Who would have thought a piece of wood on the floor could be so much fun? The kids loved walking the plank!

We played Pin the Treasure on the Map.

Keely of the Caribbean decorated her own treasure map.

We also went on a treasure hunt around the house to find the pirates' treasure. The kids had to solve riddles that led them to the next clue. It was a huge hit but I've got to say, writing up the clues proved to be very tricky...ARRR!

The kids also got tattooed!

My little Gun Powder 12 Gage.

This is our tradition! The guest book is a storybook that goes along with our theme. I'm terrible at saving cards. By having a guest book that doubles as a storybook we can always remember who celebrated with us and what kind of party we had that year. These books will be something I hope my kids cherish.

I always like to have a personal favor for each child. I made pirate posters with each child's pirate name.

I printed names & photos on card stock then tore the edges all the way around. Next I burned the edges and crumpled the paper up. Last I dipped the paper in coffee and dried it in the oven for a few minutes on a cookie sheet. The end result is very old looking paper; paper that a pirate would have!

We did the same technique for the invitations.

Here is the party spread. I chose the black and red clip art as well as the Jolly Roger. I repeated it on everything. It was cheap and easy.

Another tradition is displaying a photo for every year. It's fun to look back at previous birthdays. And I'm not going to lie...it's kind of a tear jerker for me too.

All of the glassware was purchased at the dollar store. I use them at every party and store them in a tub in between. I always keep them in mind when choosing which types of food I will serve.

The water bottle labels are on of my favorite things. Again, I just used clip art and printed them right off my home computer. Little details like this make the party all come together.

Even though I wasn't sure about this whole pirate theme, it all came together and ended up being quite fun. The kids loved it and several adults commented that they had a good time too. I know my son had a wonderful time. In fact, my favorite part of the whole party was when Cash announced his wish to everyone. He blew out his candles, looked up at the crowd around him and he said, "My wish is that my birthday would never end because this is the best birthday I've ever had". I guess that says it all.

My little dino is 2!

2011-02-09T17:11:00.000-08:00

My littlest Little One isn't so little anymore! He's two now and to celebrate we threw him a dino-mite dinosaur party. We kept to a tight budget and made everything ourselves. It was by far our most frugal party to date. We're pretty sure our little dino didn't know what all of the fuss was about. But we do know he had a wonderful time!

Meringue Bone Cookies

Fossil Cookies

Dinosaur Eggs

Paper Mache Eggs for Favors

The biggest hit of all...Chocolate Rocks!

Everyone hunted for fossils.

Then used their paleontology tools to open the fossils. There was a surprise inside!

The birthday boy loved this part.

Cash was totally into it too!

Group shot of our Paleontologists.

Gotta have the dog in there too.

Gage's dino cake. Yellow cake with buttercream.

Another highlight...ripping open the eggs to find party favors inside. They took a little time to make but were worth it in the end.

It's hard to believe our Little One is already 2. I'm just so thankful that God chose us to be his family. He is exactly who we needed to be complete.

My first blog!

2011-01-17T14:24:00.000-08:00

I can't believe it! I'm finally blogging! Thanks to my husband's friend Mike D! Now....what to blog about???