Love it When that Happens

Have you ever planned and planned and then planned some more for a special event only to have it go completely and utterly horrible??  Yea, me too.

BUT, that did NOT happen this weekend my friends.

Happy Dance!!

Everything actually went according to schedule. 

{{gasp}}

I wasn’t even late (I’m always late.  I try not to be. I can’t help it… getting better though)!! 

WARNING:  THERE WILL BE MANY PICTURES IN THIS POST!!

My main centerpiece for the gift table was a bouquet of baby clothes!!  I saw this tutorial here on You Tube and based my arrangement ideas from it. 

I used pants, onesies, bibs, bloomers, and a ruffled skirt in the bouquet.  The above green flowers are a little skirt that I rolled tightly and then folded in half to make two “blooms.”  The leaves in the arrangement are green velvety  poinsettias from Michaels.  There are two different types of pink silk/paper flowers tucked throughout the bouquet to add a bit of variety.  I would have taken pics of the process, but it took both hands and sometimes my feet to get everything just right.

I found this picture frame at Marshalls (Love that place).  I knew it would be a perfect little touch and that my sister-in-law could use it as a decoration in the baby’s room after the shower was over.

I covered the the cardboard backing in green taffeta and added a rose with double sided foam tape to the front of the glass.  I didn’t use hot glue as I wanted her to be able to used it as an actual picture frame later on if she chose.

Voila… easy but extremely high impact!

Time to wrap the presents…

The largest box was topped with sock roses and a tulle bow.

I tried to make each one just a bit different.

Now for pictures of a few other décor items that made me smile.

(these are going on my mantel now, btw)

crinkle paper and vase filler jewels

paper roses, spiral wood filler, eucalyptus

Oh, and the bunting (see all the details here) now lives on the wall above baby Charlotte’s crib. 

In my defense, I DID warn you about the large volume of pictures.  My friend Jessica made all of the food and an adorbs diaper cake for the shower. 

Party food/baking and me: not so much. 

Decorations: all over it like flies on poo during a hot summer day in Georgia.

Linking up here and here:  

this week my blogger friends!

Say It Ain’t So

You are gazing upon the true and final version of my soon- to-be niece’s bunting.  I thought I was finished 2 times before this, but was sadly mistaken. 

No more tweaking, I promise!

This is my first attempt at making a bunting, although I have admired them for… my whole life I think.  I’m not a scrapbooker AT ALL, so this project was a bit overwhelming for me. 

As always, the planning phase took as long as the execution phase.   I made my own pennant template (5x6) and then used a variety of of pink and green cardstock prints to make each pennant unique.

I set each letter on a pennant, switched the order of the pennants about 20 times, and finally decided on the placement.

I wanted a layered embellished look.  Another trial and error process of picking/changing shapes and prints ensued.  My goal was to make each pennant unique.  With 9 letters to incorporate, it was quite a task!!  When everything resembled the vision in my head, I used that double sided sticky foam stuff to secure the fabulousness in place.

To attach the pennants, I sewed double sided bias tape across the the top.  To make sure the pennants stayed an equal distance from each other, I ironed little strips of steam a seam connecting the pennants to the bias tape.  A time consuming process, but it definitely made the sewing step a walk in Central Park! 

After I sewed the letters together (and thought I was finished), things still just didn’t seem right.  It needed something else…

For the third time, I played around with prints and shapes.  At 12:30 am last night, it FINALLY came together!!!  I have never been more thankful for my stash of clearanced-have-to-buy-because-I-might-need-some-day crafting supplies as I was last night.  After I layered the flowers, my non-scrapbooking self had no idea how to finish them.  I scurried off to my small “scrapbook embellishment” bin in my sewing room and found these little perfect matching glittery green brads.  I  secured those babies like a pro if I do say so myself!

SUCCESS!!!!

I’m sure there is an easier way to make these, but I’m happy with the outcome.  I will blushingly admit that it took me 3 days to complete this project.  I blame it on my perfectionism. 

As I am typing this, I am cursing the thing in my basement called an elliptical.  I really need to reduce the proportions of my backside AND I need/want to get back to blogging.  Two birds with one stone?  We shall see…

Linking up to a few of these parties!!  Check out the fabulous inspiration if you get a chance.

It's A Bunting!

So, here is what I'm currently working on.  My sister-in-law's shower is THIS Saturday.  I'm trying my best to get everything completed for the decorations.  I haven't even had time to actually sew the baby ONE SINGLE THING.  How bad do I suck?

More pictures of the completed project soon.  This is my very first bunting, (thank you very much) and so far it's going as well as it looked it my head.  It remains to be seen if it continues on that path.

If you are a Pick Your Plum fan, head on over to The Johanson Journey to enter her giveaway!

Linking up here because I can!

Posting Via Email

Emily's face when she realized she won first all around for the third meet in a row!!

So, please bear with me.  I am figuring out this whole posting via email thing.  I take so many pics with instagram these days and would love to share them with all of you!!

Blog/Life Recap of Quarter 4

 

I kept telling my bloggy pal Janette that I was going to participate in the 2011 Review Extravaganza and I’m finally keeping my word!!

 

Before I review my blogging goings on, I just want to tell you what I learned in life this December:

 

1. Being out of town 5 consecutive weekends prior to Christmas isn’t exactly the greatest way to get prepared for said holiday.  Although I thoroughly enjoyed all my trips and wouldn’t take them back, Christmas really sidled up on my this year.  Now that I’m finally in the mood, it’s O.V.E.R.!

 

2.  Having the main floor of my house painted 2 weeks before Christmas wasn’t a very smart move either.  Yes, I’m loving the freshness and the color.  But, I didn’t have time to sit at home and babysit the painters for the entire week. Not to mention, I missed my daughter’s fieldtrip to the science museum waiting for aforementioned painters to show up on the second day (which they finally did at 2 pm… could have made it after all).  Also, not to mention, I wasted my last week without kids sitting at home instead of being out shopping for them (see #1 for the reason I needed to shop).

 

3.  When life gets too busy crazy, I don’t blog.  It’s not that I don’t want to, but it becomes one more thing on my “have to do” list.  I resent it along with everything else on that list.

 

4.  My kids continually amaze me, in both good ways and bad.  Emily took first all around in her third straight gym meet, Max and Jack both earned their green belts in Tai Kwon Do.  Finley learned the phrase, “I will never ever EVER be naughty again,” and used it daily.  He followed it with “I love you SOOOOO much.  You are my best friend.” 

 

5.  My husband CAN still surprise me… he went to Jared for Christmas and made me feel like a princess. :))

 

Ok, Blog Recap:

 

October was a pinning, crafting, boot wearing, What I Wore Wednesday and Talk To Us Tuesday kind of month.

In November, I started to get busy with the kids but continued my addiction with Pinterest and boots, started new addictions with Twitter and Instagram, and spent a large amount of time in Jack’s class.

  In December, I tried to organize my Christmas plans via pinterest, spent all the time that I could in Jack’s class, and got my new laptop!!  Woot woot!!  I still don’t have everything switched over but I’m working on it.  Yeah, basically not a blogging month for me. :(

Cheers to 2012!  My motto for 2011 was “Making the effort” which helped keep me focused on my family.  I think for 2012, I’m going to go for “Keep it simple.”  I still have a few hours to decide, right?

I have a NEW laptop!!

So, I have a new laptop people!!!  I’m back to blogging.

                                   {{{cutting a jig}}}}

I don’t exactly have any pictures uploaded on here yet. I still have to transfer all of my stuff over as well… 

BUT, I just wanted to let those of you who actually read what I write that I am back in action.

 

GO SAINTS!!

Christmas Planning

WOW… I just realized that I have been OUT OF THE STATE for 12 days out of the last 17.  No wonder I feel like I can’t get caught up.  It was worth it all, though.  We spent Thanksgiving in Colorado with my BFF (aka my sister) and then headed to North Carolina this past weekend to ride the Polar Express (if you follow me on twitter, then you were privy to pics). 

Now, it’s already the 5th of December!!

It seems like I’ve been so excited for this season and tossing ideas in my head for so long…

it’s time to EXECUTE and I’m STILL not sure where to focus my energy.

 Here are some of the ideas I want to complete ASAP:

Source: thatvillagehouse.blogspot.com via Liberty on Pinterest

 

I want to do a variation of this inside though…

 

Source: diycrafts.blogspot.com via Liberty on Pinterest

 

For my dining room table (guess I have to clean the craft stuff off first).

 

Source: thecreativityexchange.blogspot.com via Liberty on Pinterest

 

For end tables or as accents on the bar in the kitchen?

 

Source: restorationhardware.com via Liberty on Pinterest

 

This is a good one for the kids to get knee deep in!

 

NOW… ideas for the kids and Jack’s class:

 

 

Source: etsy.com via Liberty on Pinterest

 

 

 

 

Source: planningwithkids.com via Liberty on Pinterest

Source: squidoo.com via Liberty on Pinterest

Source: craftfairy.blogspot.com via Liberty on Pinterest

Source: marthastewart.com via Liberty on Pinterest

Source: thevirtualvine.com via Liberty on Pinterest

 

Ok, I feel a little more organized… and a bit like the Little Engine… I think I can,

I think I can,

I think I can.

“i am thankful” Handprint Tree

I saw this idea on Pinterest…  AND I actually followed through and made it!!  I am in the process of helping each kiddo in Jack’s class make one BUT those aren’t quite finished yet.  It’s quick and easy…  a little paint and some cardstock/construction paper and you are good to go. 

For this project, paint the hand and a little of the forearm brown so you have the tree trunk and the branches when you place the hand/arm on the paper.  Next, squirt a tish of green paint along the bottom and let your child use his/her fingers to make the grass.  I let little man make the leaves out of his tiny finger prints in red, orange, and yellow all on his own. 

Since we are so close the Thanksgiving, I asked Finn (and each child in Jack’s class) what they were thankful they had in their lives, typed them all out, and cut them into little strips.   I glued Finley’s for him, but each child gets to glue their thankful items anywhere they want on their tree.  I absolutely LOVE watching the creativity flow with the little people in my life.

Each child has their very own stamped name plate that will be attached with mini brads.  Kids are sooooo proud of their artwork and need something fancy now and then to accent it!!  (imo anyways)

Linking up here this week!!

Pinned it, Did it, Loved it!!

Sorry for the absence as of late.  The sickness germs have officially made it through my house not once, but TWICE.  But, never fear…  I have had a shot in my hiney and some other good drugs to make me as good as new (good thing I have a good doctor).

Source: holycrickey.tumblr.com via Liberty on Pinterest

 

So, like a good many of you I’m sure, I pin all of these fabulous ideas with aspirations of recreating them all!  I spend so much time getting inspired that I run out of steam…

BUT, my Bath and Bodyworks plug in oil scent was out and I remembered the above pin!  I followed the tutorial filling the empty container with water and essential oils.  I used about 20 drops each of orange and clove oils (that’s what I had on hand).  I plugged it in and holy crap, it smelled amazing!!  I wasn’t sure how well it would work, so I only filled it about 1/2 full.  It only lasted a week or so, but I will definitely do it again.  You can change up your scents more frequently and it is a much healthier alternative. 

I am working on my posts about Finley’s birthday party (that was, ahem, almost 2 months ago) and finishing up a super cute craft in Jack’s class tomorrow.

Stay tuned for the details!

Linking up Here