A Tiny Party

So, yes, her party was in May, but I'm a tad behind (chronologically speaking).  So here are a few pics from Girlie's Tiny/American Girl party.  She had so much fun with all her friends and their dolls.  Above, I baked her cakes in tin cans and presented them on cupcake stands.

Tiny fruit kabobs on toothpicks

The tiny buffet.  Bite-sized sub sandwiches made with breadstick 'hoagies', tiny lunchmeats and cheeses, lettuce, pearl onions and grape tomatoes.  Also on the menu: tiny tacos, small cinnamon rolls, petite cupcakes, tiny milkshakes.

The cinnamon rolls were made from crescent roll dough. Who doesn't love a guilt-free cinnamon roll?

Slices of personal-sized watermelon, anyone?

Tiny drinks in bathroom-sized cups and half straws.

The photo booth was a big hit.  These girls like to put on a show. :) The backdrop was a striped sheet.

The birthday girl with a good friend from school.

They made doll bracelets from tiny beads, and paper flowers (from an American Girl Crafts kit).

I forgot to take a picture of the goodie bags, but they were tiny tote bags with a tiny paint set, erasers that look like little food (Target), miniature composition books, pencils, ...I can't remember what else.  It's been too long...)

J made miniature ice cream cones with caramel Bugles "cones" and tiny cartons of ice cream (we had big ones for back up).

"Just my size!" she thinks.

Happy Birthday (in May) to my own sweet American Girl!  The loveliest person I know.

The last to know

Okay, taking a break in My Favorite Summer Ever, to tell you what we did for family home evening this week.  My cousin Kimberly introduced us to homemade donut making.  Apparently everyone else in the world already knew about this, but it was news to me.  Really good news.

All we needed was some cheapo refrigerated biscuits, canola oil, powdered sugar and cinnamon sugar.

We popped the biscuit can open (that moment when it finally pops open! Ugh!) and made holes in the middle of the biscuits with our thumbs.  I heated about an inch of oil (I used canola, because that's a 'good fat' right?  I'm pretty sure it actually makes donuts a health food.) in a pot and J did the frying honors.

The kids were on hand to shake up the donuts in a plastic Ziploc with powdered sugar or cinnamon sugar.  I actually preferred the powdered sugar because the cinnamon sugar was, dare I say, a little too sugary for me.  Gasp.  I know.

When I explained the whole idea to J in the first place he was skeptical that it could be that easy.  Half way though, he looked at me very seriously and said "This opens a whole new world."

The kids said it was the best 'treativity' yet. (Treat+activity)

Okay, tell me this is news to you too.  Please.

To the Man of My Dreams

12 Long, short, blissful, eventful, growing, fun years, if you can believe it.  I can't, because it seems like we just got married.  I look at our 'young' pictures and feel like it was yesterday, then I look up and wonder where in the world all these kids came from. 

Thanks.  I mean it, and not just for all those kids.

Thanks for letting me yell out my movie predictions of what is going to happen next.

Thanks for liking me better with no makeup.

Thanks for working hard to support our rock and roll lifestyle.

Thanks for being so even keel, to offset my crazy.

Thanks for muttering about the 'captive pricing model' at the Tulip Festival, because you know your finance nerd things always make me laugh.

Thanks for thinking I'm funny, because even if I'm not really, I am to you and that is enough.

Thanks for talking me through the births of our four kids.  I couldn't have done it without you.  Well, technically the baby probably would have still come out, but it wouldn't have been nearly as much fun.

Thanks for letting me dress you up in "that ridiculous outfit" (above) and suffering through another grueling round of family pictures.

Thanks for going along with most of my design ideas, even though they are "weird, so weird."

Thanks for teaching our kids ninja moves, using my furniture and sofa pillows.  Thanks a lot.

Thanks for being my absolute favorite, ever.

Thanks for loving me, despite me.  You're the best, my darling husband. I love you, forever.

Happy Anniversary.

{Sock Monkey Tutorial}

Sometimes I make myself crazy.  Okay, a lot.  I don't know how my husband puts up with me.  I try to load my plate much too full and it ends in minor disaster.  Well, that's why this year--this year of "homemade Christmas"--I am starting now.  I'm making rag dolls for my girls and sock monkeys for my boys.  Today's project? Sock monkeys.  I know I could buy them, but I don't think those kind come with love included.  I want my kids to have heirloom toys and quilts that I made for them.  Things I put my heart and soul into.  Maybe they won't appreciate them now, but hopefully when someday they pull out a much-loved monkey, doll, quilt, etc, they'll realize that their mother's hands created this just for them and realize how special they are to me.  Before I start crying over my grown kids, here's how I made the monkeys. 

You will need:

A pair of socks (This monkey was made with the extra large size, and makes a 21" monkey)

Fabric marker

Scissors

Needle and coordinating thread

Stuffing

2 black buttons

I looked all over online and the cheapest place I found the 'original' socks were HERE.  The socks actually come with sock monkey directions printed on the back of the label.  But in case you are more of a visual person, like me, you'll appreciate a more step by step illustration.  Cue pictures.

Turn the socks inside out.  I used a fabric marker to draw my sewing and cutting lines.

LEFT SOCK: arms on top, heel mouth, tail on lower left and ears on lower right.

RIGHT SOCK:  monkey body, legs are on the lower part. (Leave a hole between the legs--you will turn it right side out and stuff it through the crotch)

I sewed on all of the lines before I cut anything apart.  I actually sewed my seams twice because my boys are a little rough and tumble.  Trying to save myself repair work now.

These are the socks sewn on the lines and cut apart. 

Turn the pieces right side out.

Stuff the monkey. I used regular polyester fiberfill.

Then sew the monkey together.  This is the most time-consuming part. I started with the crotch, because I didn't want it to fray. With the detached (arms, mouth, tail, ears) parts, you have to simultaneously hold the part on, turn the raw edge of the sock under, and whip stitch it together.  I knotted my thread and sewed a couple loops into the body to secure it before I started stitching.

A note about the eyes:  I did a loop into the body to secure the thread before I sewed the buttons on, then loosely sewed the buttons on, pulled it tight when I was finished, and then came out behind the ear to knot.  If you know a better way, please share!!

Just test driving the monkey. Won't it look cute on their beds?

One down, one to go!!

{Easy Father's Day Card}

In case you haven't already made your Father's Day card (surely not you?), I thought I'd share my simple card idea.  All you need is a few coordinating papers and about 5 minutes.  The card is quarter-sheet size (so slice a reg 8.5x11 in half and fold it).  I made a little template of a tie, cut three out, and glue sticked the whole thing together!

Summer To Do list

Last night over dinner we compiled a list of things we wanted to do this summer.  Whenever summer finally decides to show up, of course.  I tried my best not to edit.

TO DO

• Go to Australia
• Get a boomerang in Australia
• go to Jump planet
• go to Walmart to use my gift card
• play baseball in Hawaii
• build a castle
• build a tree house
• buy a bigger house with a bigger yard and bigger trees, then build a tree house
• go to Canada
• go to the splash pad and bring our dog
• get a dog, first
• go to the King Tut exhibit (we will do that one)
• walk dogs
• learn how to draw Mickey Mouse (now, where could we go to do that one...)
• eat fish and chips in Seattle
• Space Needle
• Seattle Ducks
• buy a police car (craigslist, perhaps?)
• buy strawberry gum
• popcorn (that was what Sweetie said when we asked her opinion)

Should be a fantastic summer.

What fun stuff are YOU doing this summer?

Buddy's Cat in the Hat party

Happy 4th Birthday to my little Buddy!!  What a fun 4 years it's been with this kiddo.  We celebrated in Seussy style.

Favor bags:  sidewalk chalk, bubbles, spikey blue ball that looks like a 'Thing' to me (Target), Dr. Seuss alphabet stickers (Michaels), balls and kazoos (Target).  They also got pinwheels and goldfish crackers.

The bunting was easy to make.  Two yards of polka dot fabric and 4 pkg extra wide, double fold white bias tape.  I'll post a tutorial soon.

Woke the birthday boy up with a donut in bed. (Okay, he was already starting to get dressed for the day, so we had him climb back in bed, shirtless, and pretend to be asleep).  It was a highlight of the day for him.

Kid table with a goldfish (swimming), some goldfish (Pepperidge Farm), and striped tablecloth (ordered a 100 yd roll from Oriental Trading Co).

Made cleanup easy on myself with striped paper straws (Amazon.com), plastic deli baskets and liners (Joann Fabrics)

Cat in the Hat pops made from a slice of one jumbo marshmallow, three regular big marshmallow, and strips of strawberry fruit by the foot.  Strung them on skewers and had an instant treat!

Love that responsible little goldfish in the book, so we had goldfish all over.  Here are little bags (Target) with handmade labels (paper from Michaels).

Pinwheels (a kit from Michaels) doubled as decoration and favors.

I found a picture of the fish online, printed it out and taped it to a real goldfish bowl with tissue paper 'water'.

The hat on the table is from the "What's in the Cat's Hat?"
 game and doubled as centerpiece and party game.

His 'cake' was a bunch of Thing-y cupcakes (used the star tip and buttercream frosting).  Cut out the cupcake flags and wrappers on my cricut.

Cute little party goers.

Daddy ran the photo booth.

We had a basket of costumes and accessories that they could use for props.

The food was easy and no-fuss.  Buddy picked chicken nuggets, strawberries, carrot sticks, chocolate milk, cupcakes and ice cream cones. 

Make a wish, Love!

The party was at lunchtime, and after afternoon naps, we took dinner to a beach.  We played frisbee and made sand castles and just PLAYED, then headed back home for family present opening.  We gave him a Razor scooter with light up wheels, and as he cruised around the cul de sac, he threw his head back and yelled "The is the BEST BIRTHDAY EVER!!!"  That right there makes everything worth it. :)