Let me confess that, as a mom, I've never been a huge fan of characters. Lunchboxes? Yes. Movies and board books? Fine. Bathing suits and birthday parties? Notsomuch. For whatever reason, when Frozen came out I sort of changed my tune. I need to tell you that it is my favorite Disney movie ever and I just couldn't tell Sophie no when she requested a Frozen party this year. We knew way back in the fall that this was the look she was going for, so I've been stockpiling supplies and decor for several months. When my mom and I packed up holiday decorations after Christmas, we kept everything sparkly and snow-covered to use for the table. In case I haven't mentioned it before, my parents built a barn last year and we've been itching to throw a party there. It was a beautiful day and with the ...
birthday
Pipe Cleaner Princess Crown Tutorial
One my favorite things about Sophie's party were the favors. While I had some store-bought candy to share with our guests, I knew I wanted to add a handmade element and these party crowns were the perfect addition. They were sparkly and quirky and they gave the girls a fun activity to work on once the gifts were opened and cupcakes devoured. Each one was beautiful and no two crowns looked alike. Warning: Affiliate links appear in the following post. Although shopping the embedded links won’t cost you any additional dollars, it might contribute to an amazing party for one of my little ones. Your support of my obsession is always appreciated! these in bulk and save a TON!), depending on the size and complexity of the design. Lay out a single pipe cleaner lengthwise on your work table ...
Gran’s Famous Tea Cakes
If you've ever been to one of our holiday celebrations, birthday parties or a family get together of any kind -- then you've tried these cookies. My mom makes {hands down} THE BEST iced cookies I've ever had and pretty much everyone who knows her will agree. She uses the same green bowl to mix them up {my sister & I plus all three grand kids got their first bath in that bowl, too} and as soon as she posts a picture of the bowl on Facebook, the requests start rolling in. A few days before Sophie's party, she helped Gran make a big batch of snowflake cookies, perfect for a Frozen celebration. There were lots of snowflake sprinkles rolling around and we even managed to sneak a few cookies in before dinner! I asked Gran if I could share the recipe with you today and she was kind ...
Celebrate
I know that everyone loves their people. Each person has a small network of family and friends that they just can't imagine doing life without. Sometimes I wish I could better explain how I feel about them. There are moments when I see them across the room and I start writing a blog post in my head at that very moment, hoping I can convey some small part of the feelings I have for them, but knowing I can never quite explain it in words. These people bring me SUCH joy. Bright and early this morning, my sweet sister emailed me two photographs from yesterday, knowing that I took exactly three with my phone and didn't even know where my camera was for most of the day. Immediately, my eyes welled up with tears. I was so thrilled that she sent it my way, knowing that she is crazy busy with ...
Dear Tazzie,
How are you already five years old?! Right now, at this moment, you are FIVE years old. Five years ago today, your daddy and I got up while it was still dark. I started the dishwasher, changed everybody's sheets and we ran through the drive-thru at the bank. We checked into the hospital and they put us in a room full of other mothers to wait. I remember thinking after they started my epidural that I wasn't going to feel you move in my belly anymore. I was so sad that I didn't savor that last kick just a little longer. They wheeled us into the operating room at 7 o'clock in the morning and your daddy and I were grinning from ear to ear. Your sister was just down the hall, in a room full of people who couldn't wait to meet you. True to your character, you were awfully stubborn that first ...
Letters
Dear Husband, You did good. We've been on a lot of pretty cool dates in the last 17 years, but this was one of my favorites. I kind of laughed when you asked if I wanted to see Moon Taxi since they are actually one of your favorite bands, but I was so pleasantly surprised. For all the years I begged you to go with me to concerts, you have sure made up for it in the last year. I'm not much of a dancer, but dancing with you is my favorite. Thank you for adventures, for fun overnight dates and for knowing exactly what I will love. You are still my favorite. Kristin Friday really was the perfect date. We started out with dinner at Babalu, a new tacos and tapas restaurant in Lakeview. I had heard great things and we were far from disappointed. We had house chips and pico de gallo, ...
Rollerskating & Sleepovers
I shared a little bit about Ella's party a few weeks ago, but those pictures were really for me. Other than roller skating, her one wish for this year was a slumber party. Thanks to Sofia the First and her "royal sleepover" that is just about all my girls talk about anymore. I keep trying to explain to Sophie that she isn't old enough to have friends over, but it isn't quite sinking in. I think eight is the perfect age for slumber parties -- I remember having three friends over for my birthday when I was in the second grade, too. The other thing she was opinionated about was what she would wear! She saw a picture on Pinterest months ago (I wish I had thought to save it!) where a little girl was dressed up funky for her roller skating party and that was all she wrote. We had an ...
Celebr-EIGHT!
Ella went to the roller rink for a friend's birthday party last year and hasn't stopped talking about it since. Other than strap-on skates in the kitchen, that was her only experience with being on wheels. I've known for at least six months that it was her plan for the party, but her vision was a little different from mine. We were laying in bed, browsing Pinterest several months ago and I mentioned to Josh how much the roller rink would cost and how many kids were included in the party package. Ella looked at me like I had three heads. She said pretty definitively, "I do NOT want to invite fifteen kids". It turns out, she was thinking we would have a few friends over to skate and spend the night. I was thrilled to hear the party was much smaller and more economical than I previously ...