January Hart

Bowling Party {Bowlfest 2013}

2013-07-07T22:33:00.001-07:00

So my youngest has a summer birthday....in the deep HOT south.

In past years we've gutted out those birthdays outside at home......with the exception of those wimpier party guests who couldn't hang and spent most of it in the AC inside watching the festivities from the window.

Like I said. Wimps.

Anyway, I decided to do things a little different this year and find something in the cool indoors for my little man's fourth birthday.

I suppose you could say I was feeling a little lazy.

There. I said it.

Luckily though it worked out 'cause the birthday boy was all over the idea of a "super cool" bowling party.

It's all in how you present it, I always say.

Here are a few of the photos from the photo shoot that we did for the party invitation.

The many faces of Reeves.

Crazy boy.

I love Crazy boy.

Jessica of Modern Moments Designs did the party paper goods.

Fabulous as always. In every single way.

That woman completes me.

Seriously.

Since the venue kinda didn't call for a whole ton of decorations and such, I put most of my efforts into cute party favors for the kiddos.

I had Jessica design tshirts and socks for each of the kids.

Personalized with names on the front and party logo on the back.

Awesomeness.

Don't be thrown off by the green cookie cake there. The colors of the party goods were teal and gold.

Apparently, that cookie decorator lady thought green was better suited to match the BLUE invitation that I left as a guide for her.

Weird. Just plain weird.

The Party Bowlers all in their team shirts.

So cute they were.

I designed and created a couple of large coordinating photo keepsakes with metal eyes to attach the table balloons to.

Worked out perfectly.

Jessica had already come up with the gummy candy, soda favors and bowling pin pens that went into the little muslin bags for her own son's party.

I loved it and simply followed suit.

The gummies and soda were big hits with the kiddos that I spoke to after the party.

I might have even eaten a few of the extra gummy burgers after my littles went to bed.

Good stuff.

The socks and shirts were designed by Jessica and then printed by Michelle over on etsy.

Amazing product.

Amazing to work with.

Boom.

I just love it when things are easy like that and folks know what they're doing.

The birthday boy and his big brother there.

And some pretty fantastic confetti cupcakes all dressed up for the party.

'Twas a really fun party and my baby had a great time seeing some of his school friends over the summer break.

Oh, and if you're looking for the secret to getting a high party attendance, try doing what I did.

Schedule it on a Monday afternoon. In the dead of summer. When mommas are at their wit's end and looking for stuff to keep the little ones busy during the day.

Worked out great for us!

That birthday boy was so excited.

Nothing beats that big smile.

Nothing.

The day the circus came to town...

2013-06-22T20:49:00.001-07:00

Our little family saw the circus for the first time together today!

I'm fairly certain I had just as much fun(or more) than our two boys. It was so great watching their little faces light up as they were watching all the action.

Elephants, camels, acrobats, sword throwing, Strong Man, over the top juggling, motorcycle daredevils.....so much to see!

Turns out high flyin' circus fun ain't cheap though.

'Cause you gotta have all the light-up cups, kid souvenirs, popcorn, cotton candy, etc, etc. to get the "full-on experience".

Who really wants to be the parent to say no to the kiddie bag of cotton candy?

Never mind that it costs $12 a bag.

{But, wait...it does come with a nifty little wet wipe at the bottom of the bag.}

That gets a thumbs way up.

See the impressed look on my six year old's face down there?
Light-up cups with blue slushies is where it's at.
{another 12 bucks down}

Love the sweet looks on my little guy's face....

The acrobats were amazing.

I seriously love and can appreciate the dedication it must take to do stuff like that.

The elephants....ahhh...the elephants.

So majestic.

I heart the elephants.

The biggest highlight for my oldest: a little doggie doing the moon walk to the tune of "Billy Jean".

Huge MJ fan, my kid is. Stellar musical taste.

He gets it honest.

That Strong Man was no joke either. Entertaining to say the least.

I spied hubby's "I'm playing it kinda cool, but I'm kinda sorta impressed" expression going on next to me.

Prettttty hard to impress the man.

It really was a very fun day for our little family.

We left with big smiles, more circus souvenir paraphernalia than we could carry, and great memories of the first time we saw the circus together as a family.

Oh.

And blue cotton candy lips to boot.

And it was all worth every penny.

Tear Extravaganza {2013 Edition}

2013-05-18T20:43:00.003-07:00

So, this happened this week.

Yep.

And......

This happened too.

In the same week.

sigh......

Is there not some Mommy Law out there that bans such practices?

It's tear overload, I tell you.

My little graduate was so proud of his big night.

Mommy was just a big weepy puddle.

I took photos of just about everything "last" thing I could think of at school on his last week.

Last walk to the playground.

Last day playing with his class friends.

Last stroll to his classroom.

Last carpool drop off.

But I digress.

He was so excited and a little nervous about his special part playing two bells instead of the one like all the other kids in his class.

But his music teacher was confident he could do it and mentioned to me more than once that we should have that video camera rolling for his part in the performance.

Front and center playing those bells....magnificently I might add.

My boy has an ear for music just like his daddy.

The three loves of my life all in one photo.

{No, the man in the background is not one of them. In case that was in question.}

Proud moment.
Our Little Family.

Oh how I love this handsome, sweet boy of mine.

A little mommy-assigned homework for my little graduate.

Fill in the blank, of course.

A questionnaire of all his current favorites.

You know,

for the scrapbook and all.

Oh yeah, this happened too this week.

My boys had their TOT show and each earned their respective trophy and gold medal.

They waited all year for those awards.

Fun moment for them.

We love our TOTS program!

And my little Reeves had his end of the year program.

In the same week.

See what I'm talking about here?

Big puddly mess of a mother.

My little wild man.

Freesyle dancin' and all.

Entertaining to say the least!

So, it's been a tough week. Lots of "lasts" for us.

I, like most moms, want my babies to stay babies.

I'm sentimental and don't accept change well.

But, I'm projecting that I'm gonna get through my weepiness sometime in the very near future.

I do, though look forward to this new chapter ahead for my sweet boy.

He is super excited about being a first grader at a new school this coming fall with a whole new set of friends.

I may not get there quite as fast as he does, but I WILL get there.

Right??

And so with that, it's the start of another fun-filled, pull-my-hair-out summer with two of the very best boys I know!

I am one richly blessed momma!

Color Me Fun!

2013-04-20T21:02:00.000-07:00

Loads of fun today with friends at The Color Run!

We behaved way less than our age and had a great time cutting up.

If one comes to your local area, I highly recommend you check it out with a group of friends. It's more of a social thang, so I do suggest not doing it solo.

The girls deemed the tutus "a must".

And since I was in the single digits the last time I donned one, I had no choice but to agree.
We had to make that happen.
Only felt like a dork for like maybe a second.

Workin' our tutus....

A little pre-race fun and photo opps.

In the zone.

Game face on.

A little motivation by way of the gal's tshirt in front of us.

Finish Line Festival.

Explosions of Color. Music. And busting moves with the locals.

I'm seeing showers in our very near future.

Color. Everywhere.

A few fruity drinks and some pizza to round out the day.

Great time today, girls!

Can't wait for the next go round!

Instagrammin'

2013-03-11T08:29:00.001-07:00

So I got a wild hair a couple of weeks ago and finally jumped on the instagram bandwagon.
What can I say? I'm always an hour late to the party.

I am so happy I finally did it though!

I love the quickness of snapping photos of our daily life happenings and sharing them there. For some crazy reason it feels less "in your face" to me than posting on Facebook. Sometimes Facebook kinda weirds me out. I still post photos and updates there on my personal page from time to time, but again, I'm really enjoying the whole instagram thing these days.

If you're on there and ever interested in the highlights of our days around here, please feel free to follow along. I'll be trying to share some more behind the scenes snapshots of what's going on in the shop as well.

These are a few snippets of what I've been up to the past week.

In other news, I recently added a new keepsake box and a few new designs for the baby boys in the shop. I have a few other things for the girls in the works as well.

Baby boy Baptism/Christening keepsake

Baby boy birth announcement keepsake

Daylight Savings started this past weekend and I for one, am so very happy about it! While I don't necessarily love the dark mornings, I do love having that extra daylight in the evenings to get out with my boys! Anxious for spring and a new t-ball season to begin with my little ones!

Enjoy your week, friends!

{SLAM DUNK} Party

2013-02-21T20:11:00.002-08:00

These photos are long past due. I did a little party preview, um, about 6 or so months ago.

Yikes. Where has my life run off to?

Anyway, here are some detail photos of the party goodies. Unfortunately, while I love using our church as the party venue, there is not a single window in the building, thus making for lots of not-so-stellar flash photos. Oh well, whatcha gonna do, right?

I had a fun time putting this third birthday party together for my little one.

He is all boy and so far, appears to love the physicality of all athletics....well, as far as a three year old can, anyway.

Invitation: Front and back

Again, not loving my flash photography, but I think you can get the idea. I was going for an orange color theme, but not necessarily orangy photos.

{sigh....}

My little Birthday man.

Big Bro.

I stayed up way too late working on those jersey and basketball cookies.

My first attempt at cookie decorating.

I quickly discovered that cookie decorating is no joke. It takes some serious skill.

Kudos to all of the cookie artists out there. Definitely an art.

The cake was really great-looking in person. Again, not nearly as orange as it appears in the photos.

It was a light tan parquet floor design. Loved the wood grain look.

Black and white umpire stripes.

Overflowing goodies in the little black cabinet.

I was shooting for that locker room feel.

Little cupcakes perched on white "bleachers".

Shooters...gotta have shooters at a basketball party, right?

3 Point Cheesecake Shots

Apple slices and vanilla bean dip.

A.K.A. Apple Slam Dunkers

The birthday boy's favorite drink is chocolate milk, hence the Sideline Sippers.

Ok, looking back on it now, I really do take way too much pleasure in coming up with "clever" names for party foods.

I'm kinda weird that way.

Table centerpieces.

Welcome sign poster.

The party was more than six months ago and seeing my little birthday boy in these photos makes me all weepy.

He's growing up too fast.

I'm in constant amazement at how fast these early years really do go.

Doing my best to soak it all in....

Day 'O Love 2013

2013-02-14T14:43:00.000-08:00

So, it's one of my very favorite holidays today! Yay! I'm a total sucker for all of the pink/red/heart/general love stuff you find in the stores this time of year.

It should be no surprise that I really get into all the class valentine stuff for my boys as well. Yeah, yeah, I know THEY are supposed to be doing it themselves and all, but really, what kind of momma would I be if I didn't give them a little help from time to time.

Rather than candy this year, Reeves took little snack packs of Pringles. We figured his little friends might like a little salty to go along with their sweet stuff.

Pierce and I did this little project together. I can't lie though. I had to literally force the boy to glue the hearts on the rocks and write out all his friend's names, but the boy DID do it.

He missed the craftiness gene somewhere along the way in life.

Turns out Plants vs. Zombies is wayyy more awesome then crafting.

Go figure.

The prayer rocks were a pinterest find.

My kindergartner is a total nut for sugary sweet cereals.

We keep the Cocoa Krispies company in business.

100% for sure about that.

We try to never forget the teachers on Valentine's Day either.

I came across this printable tag and went with it.
Cute, fast, easy.

We then filled the pint sized polka dot boxes with yes, bite sized brownies.

Happy Love Day, ya'll!!

xoxo

A peek into my studio

2013-02-03T06:20:00.000-08:00

So, I've been working on getting my studio in decent shape over the last couple of weeks. While there is still plenty I'd like to do, for now, it's feeling cozy and I feel inspired once again to create some new things.

My favorite part right now is my new and much improved computer setup. Thanks, hubs!

It's amazing what a big screen monitor and a new little lamp can do to get you in the mood to be creative. I find myself sitting in my studio at night with just my little lamp on for light and a hot cup of tea as I work on shop correspondence and editing photos.

SO nice.

Just a few little snippets of what's in my studio right now...

We have a bit of a storage issue in this house....I'm sort of a sentimental packrat. It pains me to get rid of anything that brings back good memories for me. As a consequence, my son's closet was full.....not with clothing or toys, but with MY childhood memory boxes and lots of my party paraphernalia.

Glass jars, cake plates, tiered trays, etc.

I'm not sure why I never thought to do it before, but I finally decided to pull those jars, cake plates and tiered trays out of the darkness and bring them into my studio to store all of my "goodies" in.

I love it.

It feels great to be able to see all of my supplies and little collections once again out in plain sight.

Pin boards, everyday supplies, and a little girl's assemble that I created many moons ago on my pint-sized mannequin.

French doors open up on two sides of my workspace...one to the front door entrance of our house and another set go into our kitchen.

I found a pretty open frame a couple of weeks ago and decided to give it a couple of coats of an ocean blue color paint. Since I've always found much inspiration in fabrics, I framed a scrap piece that always feels cheerful to me.

I think it's a Heather Bailey print.

Her vibrant choice of colors and prints always feel inspiring for me.

While I do have my eye on a new little rug accent and sewing a new table cover for my work table, for right now it's feeling really nice and spacious. I'm once again looking forward to spending many a day churning out some new things, both for the shop and for my own personal wishlist as well.

Here's to a great and productive week ahead!

Gone Campin'

2013-01-27T10:24:00.000-08:00

I can't remember the last time I sat outside at a campfire.

We had a fun time with family this weekend doing a little camping for my niece's birthday party.

I took my boys while the hubs stayed home to fulfill his idea of a dream weekend.....deep house cleaning and a honey-do list. Yes, ma'am, that's my man!

So after a long 24 hours of roughing it at the camp, I tiredly came home to new faucet fixtures, cleaned carpets, new window treatments hung on my doors, pressure-washed front door entrance, a freshly cut yard, and a new surprise fixture in my closet to help with my current shoe obsession. Oh, and he topped it off with flowers on my kitchen table too.

Yep, I got a good one. Think I'll keep him around. I'm always amazed at how fast that man can clean up a house.
Thanks, hubby! You are THE best!

My kiddos got to experience their first authentic smores by campfire, as did I.
Not bad. I kinda see what all the fuss is about now.

Speaking of campfire, I VERY quickly slapped together a little homemade-looking cake for my niece, Paris, just minutes before we left for the campground. We went with a glammed-up campfire chocolate cake, complete with a sparkly pink and gold flame.

Oh, well, it tasted really good anyway.
Let's just say it fit into the "roughing it" weekend theme.

Some puttin' practice with the cousins.

The kids all got into a heated game of baseball and we finished out the trip with a nice little shiner for my youngest. Poor thing got socked with a baseball while at bat. It was definitely game over after that.

My little Bruiser

Busy week coming up! Lots of orders to go out, a pampered chef party to host, and all of the regular week long tasks need to get fit in there too somehow!

Have a great week, friends!

Daytrip to New Orleans

2013-01-17T08:51:00.001-08:00

It's a new year and I love the idea of a fresh start, especially after all the hectic activities of the holidays. I'm sure I'm not alone.

So, my birthday was last weekend and I will be the first to admit that my husband has totally mastered the art of spoiling me over the years. Yay me! This year was no exception. One of the things he did this year was plan a daytrip to my old hometown of New Orleans for the day with our boys and my nephew. Before our boys were born we used to go regularly, just the two of us, for the day. It was great to go back after such a long time.

We took in a movie at the IMAX theatre, checked out what the aquarium had to offer and just strolled around the streets taking in the sites.

Even though I was born and raised in New Orleans, it was the first time either of my boys had been there. It was fun watching their little faces take in all the street singers, bands, and tap dancers along the way.

My little one just adores his cousin.

It's so sweet watching the two of them interact with each other.

The boys spotted some "statues" along the way.

Love the hustle and bustle ...

A spot new to us since Hurricane Katrina, we gave The Gumbo Pot a try for lunch.

My expectations weren't that high if I'm honest and I feared a very tourist-y, less than stellar "creole" experience.

To my surprise, it was really good. Blackened redfish, red beans and rice and gumbo. All the good stuff.

Love this boy. SO much spunk!

The 3-D glasses were a must for him the whole time we were there.

Ahh....my Ipod-lovin' kindergartener. Love that sensitive, gentle-natured kid.

The Creole Cuisine experience.

I discovered recently that my little one has a love for chicken and sausage gumbo.

Needless to say, gumbo night at home is his new fav.

Love smell of gumbo filling up our home on a weeknight, especially a cold one.

Happy New Year!

We're off to a great start so far!

Professional Photographer Magazine

2012-10-22T20:06:00.000-07:00

Several weeks back I was contacted by Robyn, a contributing editor of Professional Photographer Magazine, to see if I'd be interested in being a part of the October 2012 issue's "Product Roundup: Client Goodies-- we asked some pros about what they love to give" article.

It's a beautifully done magazine and I was thrilled to be a small part of it!

Below are some of the images from that article.

In other shop news, new designs for Christmas 2012 will be photographed and listed this week in the shop, barring any major disasters!

While all of the current Christmas designs will remain available in the shop, I'm really excited about the new additions and hope you all find some that fit your needs this holiday season.

The deadline for ordering for Christmas delivery will be November 30th! Orders will go out as quickly as possible in the order they are received. Because it always gets so hectic by the end of November, I'm urging you to please get your orders in as quickly as you can!

Unfortunately, every year come the first of December, I have to turn down holiday orders that I'd love to take.

The plain ugly fact is though that time simply runs out and by then my family is pulling their hair out, eager for me to rejoin the world again and spend some of the Christmas season with them.

Anyway, I sincerely loathe saying no to my customers and feel like such a scrooge having to do it.

I hate being the scrooge.

I much prefer making you all super duper happy...

spreading my Christmas joy....one photo keepsake at a time.

{November 30....November 30...November 30.}

MOPS{Back in Full Swing}

2012-09-17T10:19:00.000-07:00

Our first meeting of the new season got kicked off this past week! It was nice to see some familar faces and meet a few new ones as well.

A few quick smartphone photos of the table goodies before all the ladies arrived....

Flower pens for each mom with a paper leaf attached to write in their names.

We'll be setting these out at each meeting and hopefully nipping that age old question of "does anybody have a pen I can borrow?" at the meetings.

Table tents.

Chocolates.

My nametag with two blue bows to represent my two boys.

Good food and good conversations with the girls. Love MOPS!

Snippets of Summer

2012-09-09T12:57:00.000-07:00

It's official.

We made it through yet another summer.

Both of my boys are now back in school and I will be helping out at their school as well each day with carpool.

Last week was the first week for me and I was flat worn out by the time Thursday got here. Hoping that gets a little easier in the coming weeks. This night owl isn't digging the early morning stuff again.

Anyway, I'm eager to get part of my days back to myself to get some work done in the shop and to be able to post here more regularly again.

My big Kindergartener.

Our summer was the perfect kind of full....

We headed to the beaches for a few days,....

.....hung out in the backyard soaking up the early summer days,...

....shared fun times with family at the local watering hole....

....spent early mornings in the waterhose at Nana's house.....in our jammies.

We chilled out....

.....took a few daytime snoozes for good measure....

...built crazy train contraptions(Pierce's word)....

...and always found time to do some daily roughhousing.

I truly enjoyed our summer this year! There have been summers in the past when I couldn't really say that as much, but this year was the perfect mix of lazy days and summertime fun.

It's challenging most days, but really, what a blessing to be able to stay home with my boys during these early years.

Hope your summer was full of great memories made with your families.

Bring on Fall!!

Another MOPS year quickly approaches...

2012-08-10T07:53:00.000-07:00

Our MOPS leadership team has begun the final countdown to a new year! Most of the plans and ideas are ready to go, with the exception of a few tweaks here and there. We're looking forward to seeing our returning moms and also hopefully to reach out and meet some new ones as well. The meetings and other events are alot of planning and organizing, but I'm really looking forward to hanging out with the girls again while my boys are in school.

I shared my printables for the MOPS water bottles in blue and pink and the cupcake toppers as well several weeks ago. I had forgotten that part of my duty for Hospitality for our MOPS group this year was to also make sure each meeting is well stocked with bite sized chocolate candies. A task I can definitely handle!

So, I whipped those printables together as well and thought they might also come in handy for those of you involved in your own MOPS groups.

Click that link above the picture to get to the download, NOT the photo itself.

MOPS Mini Size Candy Bar Wrappers

Hope those come in handy for you!

MOPS Printables have arrived!

2012-07-12T20:41:00.002-07:00

I've had numerous inquiries on the cupcake toppers and signage from our MOPS ministry fair that was held back in the spring of this year. I've been trying to sneak in some time to format those for sharing with you all and today I finally got the deed done.

Someone mentioned they would love to have some water bottle labels to go along with the cupcake toppers. I thought it was a smart idea. What's a cute cupcake with nothing to wash it down with?

So, you can find those below as well.

Just a little tidbit about the tools I used for the ones pictured below.

I used a round 2 inch punch on some regular hot pink cardstock and then printed and punched out the printable on photo quality thick paper using a scalloped punch. After that, I just used those 3-D sticky dots and sandwiched them together with the wood stick in the middle of them as well.

Then, because I just can't ever leave well enough alone, I spotted some yellow ribbon in my stash so I added the bows.

These water bottle labels come four to a page. Depending on the type of water bottle you purchase, these really should be able to fit both the standard and the mini size bottles of water.

Print just the blue....or just the pink. Or get crazy and print them both up. Whatever floats your boat and fits your needs.

MOPS Cupcake Toppers/Stickers Download Here

MOPS Water Bottle Labels Blue Download Here

MOPS Water Bottle Labels Pink Download Here

Hope these printables come in handy for you and help spread the word about your own MOPS group this coming fall!

Independence Day 2012

2012-07-04T21:02:00.000-07:00

We had a great time today as a family. Started out with a trip to the water park, of which there are no photos, sadly. I couldn't see bringing a camera into a very wet and very hot park.

Later it was naps and fireworks with the kids.

Reeves was ALL over it.

Kid loves some fireworks.

.....and sparklers

Why, yes, that would be my five year old in long sleeves and fleece pants in JULY. Everytime we get home from anywhere, he heads straight for his room looking for THOSE pants and any longsleeve shirt he can find. My boy needs to add some meat to his bones!

I try. I really do.

Gotta have poppers.

Run for the hills!! Bombs are going off everywhere!

Reeves spotted the first colorful fireworks display of the night!

I think the expression says it all.

Dad went back for a second trip to the stand for more rockets.
He totally had to have his arm twisted to do it.
Or maybe not.

Do men ever really outgrow fireworks?

There are only a handful of things more wonderful than watching the look of pure joy spread across your child's face.

Oh, how I love my boys.

We wrapped up the night watching the Macy's Fourth of July Fireworks Spectacular on tv.

Love it.

I already have my plot going to spend the next Fourth of July in New York watching it in person. What a fantastic memory that would be for our boys!

Happy Fourth of July!

{SLAM DUNK} Party Preview

2012-07-02T07:48:00.001-07:00

Poppin' in really quick to share a few photos of Reeves' "Slam Dunk" Birthday party we threw over the weekend!

Everything went really well and hopefully everyone had a nice time.

My little birthday boy had a great time hoopin' it up with his family and friends.

More photos to come...just wanted to share a quick preview while I had a second!

On vacation....kinda

2012-06-18T20:36:00.002-07:00

Oh how I long to plant my rear in that chair right now.

But, alas, I am on a different kind of vacation. If you can call it that.

I realized not long ago that the shop had not gone on a "vacation" since December 2010 and things have been so super busy since the fall.

So, I decided to ~~take a little breather and relax a little~~ plan my little one's 3rd birthday these next two weeks.

Fast track party planning = peace and tranquility, no?

Hopefully, we'll squeeze in some extra family time inbetween the planning madness.

Anyway, because it's a real downer for me to see my little shop sitting empty, I know I'll be back really soon.

July 2nd to be exact.

See you all in two weeks!

Memorial Day Sale Going on now!

2012-05-22T07:52:00.001-07:00

Father's Day is JUST around the corner!

A new keepsake design is now available in the shop perfect for all the dads and granddads in your life.

Handsome combination of robin's egg blue and GUNmetal gray.

GUNmetal gray...mucho manly, no?

I thought so.

Great for showing off the kiddos at the workplace or home office.

And with summer now underway for us, I've already been thinking of our family's summer beach getaway.

I thought you all just might be thinking the same thing with the kiddos now out for summer.

A beachy distressed look, perfect for displaying your family's vacation photos if you're just so lucky enough to be heading to some Exotic Island...or as is the case for us, Gulf Shores, Alabama.

Adventurous world travelers, we are.

Either way, it's a great way to remember that special summer vacation with family.

I can already visualize photos of sun kissed families dressed in all white with sandy beaches in the background.

It makes this southern girl happy.

The official start of summer for most is considered Memorial Day.

Take advantage of this start of summer week-long sale going on now in the shop for all of my Facebook followers!

Not a follower yet? What?

Cupcake Keepsakes on Facebook

Teacher Appreciation Gifts {Welcome to Summer!}

2012-05-16T16:22:00.000-07:00

So it's 5 o'clock in the evening on the official first day of summer for the boys and
I.Am.Exhausted.
Whew.
This is going to take some getting used to again.

So far both of my boys have played wayyy too much Angry Birds today, both on the computer and in their made up plush toy version in our living room. Can I just say that I want the Angry Birds to skip town...fly north for the summer..something.

Yesterday was the last day of school for them and their end of the year program. It was a great year for both of them and they have grown so much since the Fall. They had great teachers and so we had to come up with something cute for them to show our appreciation for the year they've had.

I've been on a yellow kick again lately so I wanted to do a new Teachers Gift Edition Sunshine in a Box version, if you will.

Like I did on the previous version, I took small little everyday things and repackaged them to make them even cuter....with the exception of those cookies!

Those babies are handmade with love. Lots of it.

They are everything you want a Lemon Sugar Cookie to be!

Soft. Chewy. Perfect.

I purchased this E-Cook book several weeks back and was looking for an excuse to bake them up.

Fabulous.

Next up on my list to try....the Cinnadoodles.

I'm confident they will not disappoint.

I put together a cute little "Keep Calm" insert and some bag tags and toppers to go along with the summer theme.

What else says summer like a comfy pair of flip flops?

Lemonade packets

Plastic Lemon Tumbler Cup

Lemon notepad

Lemon Head Candy

Old Fashioned Soft Lemon Candy

You get the idea.

Here are my little gift-givers during their program yesterday.

Reeves kills me.

He didn't sing a lick, but he sure looked adorable playin' it cool with his hands in his pockets the entire time.

Time to break out that calender and start filling it up with summer activities to keep our family sane this summer!

{Cow}Girls just wanna have fun!

2012-05-07T08:04:00.001-07:00

I had the pleasure of working recently with a customer on a special order. She did a photoshoot of three of her daughters in a cowgirl theme/setting. She did a fabulous job with it and I was happy to create some keepsakes using her work.

We opted for a cow print, black and white damask and red and pink checkered prints to tie them all together. Fun and girly sayings on the backsides amped up the cute factor.

I thought they turned out really sweet and I couldn't have asked for a more friendlier and lovely lady to work with. Thank you, Nicole!

The shop has been super busy with baptism and Mother's Day orders the past several weeks. Thank you to everyone who has placed an order in the shop recently!

I'll be working on some Father's Day options in the coming days and will be sharing those soon. I know Mother's Day kinda always gets the spotlight, but we can't forget dad. They don't often get the acknowledgement they rightfully deserve. Fathers have a unique and special place in the life of children.

As for my own children, they are greatly blessed to have such an involved and great man in their lives.

Blessed indeed is the man who hears many gentle voices call him father!

~Lydia M. Child

Vintage Racecar Birthday Party

2012-04-20T07:47:00.001-07:00

Ok. This post is long over due. Like five months overdue. And I, for one, am happy to finally have it up so I can officially scratch it off my 'Things That Are Currently Making Me Feel Guilty 'Cause I Haven't Done Yet' list.

The list is much too long for my liking.

Pierce turned five last November and I always try to incorporate some theme that my kiddos are interested in for their birthday parties. Genius, I know.

I have to laugh at this right now, because five months ago, he was ALL about racecars. Right now he is ALL about Angry Birds. We'll see if that sticks around in time for his next birthday. He's already set his sights on an Angry Birds pinata and he can't be swayed from it as of yet.

So, anyway, this past year it was racecars, and we went with a vintage feel of sorts. I wanted his invitation to kind of mimic an old racing poster format. So, I started playing around with it just to gather up my ideas on what might look nice. I just kept going at it and by the time I really decided on a look, ~~hours~~ days had passed and fonts were painstakingly picked out. I figured I had already come this far, so I just saw it out to the end. It kind of became one of those "I wonder if I can do it" things.

Having them professionally printed on linen paper made me just plain happy. I was never so excited to see something come in the mail!

While there are a few things I might go back and change if I could, overall I'm still pleased with how they turned out, which is something that rarely happens. Five months after doing anything, I generally loathe everything about whatever it is I created. This time, not so much. Yay!

I saw this idea somewhere of the photo addition to the envelopes and loved it, so I encorporated it for Pierce's invitation as well.

My husband did a great job building a racetrack for the kids. Wish I had more detailed shots of it to share. It had all the bells and whistles a little boy's racetrack ought to have. I think my boys and husband had the most fun building it the weeks before the party than actually playing with it on the day of the party. I guess much of the fun is in the "getting there".

Coordinating party signs, food labels. I had a great time creating all the signage.

Notice the old school balloon decorating. Kind of reminds me of the big dance scene on Footloose.

Here's what I learned:

LOTS of balloons = cheap and super cute party decorations

What's that? You already knew this? I'm late to the party once again.

I highly recommend putting together a balloon banner and making your own balloon columns using round white cakeboards as the base. Don't snicker. The 80's were on to something and it's time to bring it back.

It really was super easy and makes a big statement. Just don't do it too early. I made these two days before the party, but the night before would have been optimal.

Another tip....wind is not a balloon column's friend. Enemies they are.

The kids took part in a little obstacle course.

Tire and potato sack racing.

We kept it simple.

My son loves that bubble gum tape that comes in the roll. Oriental trading had some that came in a car tire little case, but they got really awful taste reviews. So I found some bubblegum tape of a blue variety and created some labels for them. They kind of look like tires, right? Close enough.

The candy cart that my husband built for this party had to make a reappearance. I just changed out the awning for a racing flag print and added the sign to turn it into Pierce's Pit Stop....a one stop shop for all of the things that he loves most in this world...the sweet stuff!

It worked out ok, and I just wasn't ready to let that cute cart go yet from Reeves' party.

Consequently, my precious cart is now 3 hours away being used as a flower holder. Not sure she'll ever make it back on the party scene again.

sigh....

Although it was more than five months ago now, the kids seemed to have a fun time at the party from what I can remember. I think all the adults were just happy that it wasn't 100 degrees like it was for the last one.

Pierce still occasionally talks of his racecar party with a big smile on his face.

And in the end, that's what it's all about.

A keepsake for you, a keepsake for you, a keepsake....

2012-04-17T09:23:00.000-07:00

The past couple of weeks I've been work at hard. I've been stealing away minutes here, hours there, working on a fun order for a recent new customer of mine. She contacted me last month to do a couple of keepsakes for an upcoming baptism in the family. Fortunately for me, she loved how they turned out, so she contacted me once again to create 85 cupcake topper keepsakes to hand out to the guests on the big day as well!

Together we came up with a really sweet keepsake that I hope everyone will enjoy receiving. The colors of the invitation were gold and royal blue. So we added teeny royal blue satin bows and gold printed crosses and crowns to each keepsake. So sweet. Perfect for the precious new little prince!

I was happy with the finished product, especially seeing them all boxed up in adorable teeny boxes with their ribbons! I'm a sucker for pretty packaging. Always have been.

Here are some quick photos of some of the works in progress.

Thank you so much to my new customer! I really enjoyed working with you to get the perfect look for your keepsakes! I know it will be a very special day for your family.

Checking in...

2012-04-02T21:07:00.008-07:00

Just a quick check-in here! I am, indeed, alive and well.

Here is a little sprinkling of last week's happenings...a little "week in review" if you will.

Nothing too over-the-moon exciting, but it was still a fairly hoppin' week.

The boys had their "Jesus Is Alive" Easter program this past week.

Cute. Cute.

They did all their little hand movements to the songs. I don't know who started that whole thing, but it caught on like wildfire and I, for one, am really happy about it. It means that instead of watching your child just stand there in a massive group of other kids shouting lyrics to songs, you get to see them awkwardly try to do choreographed hand motions AND sing. It's just so darn cute. Definitely adds that much needed little "umpf" to the performance, in my opinion.

Unfortunately, Reeves wasn't "feelin' it" on this particular morning.

I picked out the one photo of him smiling and it's only 'cause it's the first time he spotted his momma in the audience. Yep.

After this one, the photos were all of the sour-face-and-wrinkly-mad-forehead variety.

What can I say? The kid loves his momma and isn't a fan of being kept away against his own will.

I get it.

Here's my smiley man last week too. I realized the other day that I don't take nearly as many quick snapshots of him as I'd like. Gotta fix that.

Here's a start.

My little adorable man has also recently taken to night wakings again. Like, up-all-night, play-footsy-in-the-bed-with-you-at-2am kind of night wakings.

Hence the adorable daytime sleeping shot below. I walked in the living room and caught him curled up in "daddy's chair" snoozin' away.

awww...precious, right? Yeah.

Not so fast.

This tired mom is jealous.

He best be counting his lucky stars he's this cute when he sleeps is all I can say.

That much cuteness at two years old is no coincidence and for no purpose at all. It's a gift from God, Himself. Purely put there for survival reasons. Straight up. Period. End of story.

Moving on.

Our church also had their annual Easter Eggstravaganza yesterday.

See the play on words there? ok, just checkin'.

So because I seek out ANY opportunity to bake, I signed on the dotted line to bring something of the dessert variety.

My list of "have-to-try" recipes is out of control, you must know. I started perusing them the other day and couldn't decide. Too many choices. Luckily, just about that time I was pining over the big decision, this recipe came through my inbox, courtesy of Confessions of a Cookbook Queen, herself.

I decided right then and there that all of those other recipes still waiting for their turn would be waiting a little while longer.

Turns out I made fantastic decision.

These Double Doozies are amazing!

So amazing, I felt compelled to give them a little shine time of their own in the form of a mini photo shoot.

Here they are all bagged up at the Eggstravaganza.

{Knew I could work that one in there one more time.}

The boys had a blast at the event! A couple of shots here. Wish they told the story more.

Once again, indoor lighting was an issue.

My husband helping my oldest play a little pool and then doing a little egg hunting inside the sanctuary.

Our weekly "family fun day" was, indeed, just that.

This past week I also was finally able to photograph and list the coordinating cupcake toppers to the zebra print and lavender keepsake that I put up a few weeks ago.

Still have a few other new things to list. I've been working on a few special orders with some customers this week, so I haven't had a chance to add them to the shop just yet. Soon. Very soon.

Happy Easter to you all! I hope you enjoy spending time with your families this weekend and reflecting on the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

"He is risen; he is not here."

-- Mark 16:6

Ten years come and gone

2012-03-13T10:50:00.000-07:00

Ok, so listen. Something really does happen when you hit your thirties...all of a sudden the clock speeds up and before you know it, you're referring to teenagers as "kids" and you find yourself sounding more and more like your mother. Yep. 'Tis a sad, sad truth.

Another thing that happens? You realize you've been staring at the same man day in and day out in your house for TEN years. Lucky for me though, I happen to like the man I get to stare at day in and day out. Alot. Whew. Ten years can seem like a lifetime or it can arrive in the blink of an eye. Daily, I am thankful to be on the latter end.

Ten years had me nostalgic last week, so I took a peek upstairs in the attic at a box of our wedding stuff. What tickled me the most was finding this big white binder that I took everywhere with me the seven months before we were married. It really is like a trip down memory lane and a peek into my thoughts and ideas during that time. There are sections for cake, music, ceremony, dresses...you name it, it's all there in that binder, along with the cost of everything down to the last cent and what our budget was. I didn't realize until the last few years what a detail-oriented, planner I am on many levels. How can you go 20 years of your life and not grasp this about yourself, I ask you? I can obsess on a detail like nobody's business!

So, anyway that thoughtful man of mine took me to the beautiful and historic Nottoway Plantation for the night. The weather could have been better, but once we checked in and we were able to take a look around, thoughts of the weather fell by the wayside. This mansion was incredible! Ok, I will confess to you now, before all the photos, that I have a serious affection for all things historic. And if I'm able to physically touch any part of it, I. Am. Blown. Away.

I think I've probably already mentioned my slight obsession with the idea of time travel. Well, this being the closest I'll ever get to it, the little hairs on my arm were standing on end as we walked around the home. To be staying in someone's home that lived more than 150 years ago was mind boggling to me.

Dubbed an "American Castle", Nottoway really is breathtaking when you see it driving past the river road, especially at night. The sheer size and grandeur of it is incredible. And to think that it was built during a time before modern building equipment is no less incredible.

Now, having taken the tour and grabbing hold of every piece of historic knowledge that I could during that hour and researching the home online, I could share ~~bore~~ you with all the painstaking details and timelines....but I won't. I will refrain. (Heck, I just know I could sub for that tour guide on a moment's notice now.)

But, I figure I already ~~bored~~ shared all the details with my less-than-impressed hubby the hours after the tour, so you're in luck.

BUT, what I will share and what impressed me the most is the amount of thought and symbolism that went into the design. From the plastered camelias lining the dining room ceiling (Mrs. Randolph's favorite flower) to the thousands of "praying hands" upon entering the main entrance done in plaster as well to let guests know how important their strong episcopalian faith was in their family. So much thought went into every detail.

Photos in the main hallway I snapped of the original owners of the home, John and Emily Randolph.

They were married in 1837 and had 11 children together.

There are cottages and rooms on the grounds of the mansion, but we stayed in the actual mansion on the third floor.

You can imagine my husband's delight when he uncovered the cable tv inside the armoire in our room. I couldn't help but wonder if this was what the Randoph's imagined for their home more than 150 years later....cable tv, wi-fi and complete strangers coming and going in their home. Ha! Certainly made it more palatable for my husband, that's for sure!

I was completely enamored of all of these 12 foot high original cypress doors with the glass windows above for light and ventilation in the 1800's. I covet them. I must have them in my future home. Hubby, take note.

Some of the furniture in the home, while original to the time period, was not original to the home. But, I had to snap a photo of this crib. It was one of the pieces that was originally in the home. It would have been a crib for one of the youngest daughters. Also, that door in the photo is attached to our room. Having curious guests pulling on it to open it was a bit unsettling at 10 o'clock at night. Thank goodness for the lock on the other side.

This baby stroller was just outside of our room door. Ahh...I just adore old things.

And the window in the second photo there was called a "windoor" back in the day. The tour guide pulled it up for us and let us walk out onto the balcony. Two people could easily walk through it side by side, it was so large.

Ok, I just want to stop and say now that I was seriously born into the wrong class. I was meant to live like these folks. I just know it. Ha!

The white ballroom. All white to reflect the light, especially crucial for night time social gatherings in the home. I didn't get to check it out for myself late at night, but I was told that even in the dark hours, you can still see in this room, all due to the open windows and the all white decor and walls.

The view from our balcony. Looking to the left, that would be the master suite.

Looking straight ahead from our balcony is the pond and some 200 year old oak trees. I love the south.

Ok, I was kind of fascinated with the doorknobs. I know, I know. BUT, they are those dainty skinny doorknobs(you know the ones) all original to the home. The keyhole is under the the matching white cover. It kind of looks like porcelein and it slides open and closed.

Again, I found myself getting all wrapped up in the romanticism of Mrs. Randolph turning those knobs a thousand times a day, Pre Civil War.

I'm a big nerd, I know it.

This is me being transparent...showing you all my nerdiness that I work hard at hiding on a daily basis.

All original shutters and hardware to the home. Paint is the only thing new on them in more than 150 years.

This is the view from one of the master suite windows. It's actually in a little side room nursery inside of the master suite, which I thought was really sweet and shows the heart of a momma(gotta have our babies closeby).
The view overlooks both the "girl's wing" and a garden section. So I like to imagine Mrs. Randolph peeking out of her window to keep a protective eye on her daughters' rooms.

The family grave site just beside the mansion. When you stepped out on the balcony from our room, you could see it just ahead to the left. These headstones belong to Mr. and Mrs. Randolph.

And by the look on his face, my husband is clearly over all my photo-taking and my guided tour.

The sweet anniversary gift I received during our stay...

I do

03.09.02

We had a great time, just the two of us....even if we did both secretly worry about being away from our little ones overnight for the first time. A couple of wimps, we are. But, by my calculations, I figure we'll both be over that feeling in another ten years. Maybe.

Now, as soon as I find someone to transfer that VHS copy of our wedding to DVD, I will be tying him down to the sofa to watch it in its' entirety...the good, the bad and the ugly. Oh yeah, there are some less than stellar moments that make me want to dig a hole and remain there from embarrassment(um, hello, future husband, YES, that microphone IS, in fact, ON!). But in the end, it's our day to look back on and remember the carefree days before diapers, late nights, sick kiddos, house maintenance, etc., etc.

So, Happy Tenth Anniversary to the man who always has my best interest at heart and always puts our boys' (and my) needs above his own. I couldn't have asked for a better man to spend this life with. Looking forward to the next ten big ones!