Birthday Party

Combined Birthday party has been in the works since before I knew I was having a boy.  Princess, Super Hero Party was the theme.  My DIY side planned to make and decorate like crazy but November's cold just wasn't going to work so we went with plan B, Chuck E Cheese.  I wasn't a big fan of the idea and my DIY side had to let go.  It turned out great, the kids and parents had fun.

 Gracie in her Ana shirt

This is the invitation I made for the kids combined birthday party

 party table

 Frozen cupcakes

 john deere cake

it had a cape but must have forgotten to get a pic with it on

Kenzie & Gracie

Lillian & Guste

 Gavin & Nolan

 the girls dressed like princess

 kenzie & gracie

 growing up

 nolan loves the giant mouse

 game time

 nolan loved the game where he could shoot the spiders

 Kenzie, Gracie, Lillian, Guste

Halloween

Love putting together costumes for the kids but I hate having to cover them up with coats due to the cold weather.  This year Gracie was Vanellope Von Schweetz from Wreck-it Ralph and Nolan was Clark Kent aka Superman.

seriously love our neighborhood

Fun Projects

Here are a few projects I needed to get check off my list of things to do...

Project #1
Bead Jars: This idea came from a friend.  The point of the bead jar is to encourage positive behavior.  Basically you can determine your own rules.  Ours are on things we are working on.  Or say we are out at the store and Nolan has a melt down and Gracie helped calm him by sharing say a snack I could reward her with a bead.  Or if G helped set the table.  Nolan cleaned up all his toys after the first time of asking.  We also take them away for negative behavior.  Once these jars are full they get to go to 5 Below store and pick what ever they want.  Ok you get it anyway I love them!

Project #2
Height Chart:  My friend Sarah makes these and I have talked about having one for a while but we move a lot.  I have seen ones that are on measuring tape that remind me of Mary Poppins.  One day Gracie taped together a bunch of pieces of paper and had me measure her and Nolan.  I thought I would make a real one for her.  I knew she would appreciate it.

Project #3
Summer Stories Book:  I saw this on Pinterest of course and thought of G.  She is always making little books to fill with stories.  I thought why not make her on for her summer adventures.

I sewed it together...yes threw my machine

I added a calendar because Gracie is always asking how long to her birthday or recently she wanted to call Sawyer and say Happy Birthday not even close so I thought would be fun.

 I added a few questions about her summer trips and some coloring pages

Project #4
Porch Furniture: Our neighbors got new porch furniture so we gladly took there old.  It was in rough shape so I spray painted it.  I also found some awesome ugly pillows and recovered them.  I loved this fabric I found it all just came together perfectly and I love how it turned out.  And Gracie will love getting to sit on the porch for meals.  A friend that also move recently gave me there kid picnic table so we are ready for fun.

 love the fabric and love the color of the chairs!

I was able to finish all these projects & more while the kids were at there Mema's.  It's amazing how much I can get down when little ones are away.

Art for a Week

We had lots of rain days and we were more then ready for spring that was really nonexistent.  We had an art week.  We made paintings, painted bird houses, gracie helped me with my canvas for my room, and lots of play dough.

Validation

I think I promised to be better at the blogging and I have failed to keep my promise.  I will not recommit to it because I am sure I will continue to fail at it being up to date all the time but I can only try.  So I am going to try and validate the lack of interest in my blog, other blogs, and Facebook.  Not because I don't love doing it or reading them I just don't have them time to always check or read.  I may skim at pictures but thats it.  SO I don't think I have posted since before Easter yikes right.  I think I missed the whole month of April, yikes.  Between MOP's, playdates, family visits, 6 spring showers, and friends moving it has been busy.  I have done A LOT of crafts and most of them I do not have pictures of therefore no proof they exist but I will start with the crafts because they do take a lot of my time.  

Below is a post I started in April and finished today, wahoo for updates right!

I have been working on a lot of back craft projects that I have been meaning to work on.  You can see all my projects below

As I was going through the fabric Nolan found the football fabric I bought for him a while back.  So I made him a blanket.  The back of it is yellow and green.  It turned out pretty cute and Nolan loves it.

a little back pack for nolan.  gracie has a few bags and 

I wanted him to have one he could put his special toys in 

 this project was for gracie but really for me

my friend has something similar hanging in her kids bathroom

i loved it so i made one for gracie.  she has accumulated lots of bows

some will have to remain in the basket but the favorites will go one here

it was supper simple no sewing just glue, 10 minutes 

from start to finish and that included my kids 

my nephews aided and logan live in cali and we don't 

get to see them often very sad.  so I sent them a little something

capes and they loved them. also updated Gracie and Nolan's because

of course they wanted theres to be as awesome

 he had to test it out

yes another quilt.  I love making them but mine are very contemporary  

this one was for my BIL and his wife Jess.  I hope they love it as much as I do. 

This has been on my list for a while and this has been

a verse that is one I cherish to get me through the long

winter months and i am inside a lot. 

it turned out pretty good.  i like it 

 Remember the sprinkles i mentioned.  all my MOP's girls in the past year have either just had babies or is pregnant so I have been busy making gifts, lots of them.  nursing aprons x2, blankets x2, 4 onesies with 3 snap on bow ties x4, i have no idea how many burp clothes but it has been a lot of machine time.  they all turned out really cute.  I also made all my MOP's girls from my table 

make-up bags for the last MOP's meeting of the year.  Plus I have helped with the sprinkles so its been busy.....there's my validation  lol!

this was for my friend in Canada who had her first and last and since I was not able to make it to her shower I wanted it to be something special.  I am not even sure if she is a quilt kinda girl but I made it anyway.

If there were any other crafts I don't remember them half of these I took pictures of at the sprinkles because I forgot too and I love keeping pictures of my work especially the quilts.