One Word Wednesday

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Winter ONEderland

I took a nice long break from blogging to spend time with lots of friends and family.  I'm going to skip the Christmas recap and head right in to our Winter ONEderland celebration for Little Miss.  That's right.  We now have a ONE year old.  The past year went by so fast.  Honestly, they all do.  Warning this post is HEAVY.  Picture heavy.  But I promise you won't mind, because while it might be heavy it's filled with cuteness!

First: our birthday girl

She was pretty tuckered out after a morning photo shoot at home and at the studio

But let's get to the party. I decided on a Winter ONEderland because, why not. It's winter and she is one.

First, the invite that went out: I worked with Wendy at Green Beansie to create an invite and a few other items. This was not the first party I have worked with Wendy on, but the first one we she designed specifically for me!  I sent her a few things I had seen, but after looking at my pinterest boards to see my style she designed the perfect invite! She is so great to work with and super creative!

I blew it up and put it in a frame that I doused in glitter.

Welcome.  I ordered 30 balloons.  10 of each color.  The stairs, mailbox and walkway all got them.  I tied the ones in the grass to golf tees.  It was fun and colorful and there was no question where the party was!  For whatever reason they popped frequently?!

The wreath I made for the door: Blue and white glitter tuelle.  It was a mess. I can't believe there is any glitter left on the tuelle.  I painted the snowflakes with the pink leftover from her room.  I sprinkled glitter that fell off the tuelle on them and then coated with some clear acrylic spray paint hoping to keep the glitter on them.

One of her proud big brothers wanted to help with the decorating as well



Seriously, doesn't get much cuter.

So glad these ladies were here to help me! The birthday girls Grandma and her Aunt Kelly!

Her Auntie 'Lissa delivered her cake and cookie favors, all the way from the Outer Banks!  Sorry, but when you have someone that bakes as well as her mom does, you have to make it work!  Thankfully Melissa was coming anyway!

The cake was absolutely perfect (& delicious). Seriously. I wanted a blue cake with some snowflakes. Strawberry flavored, which is a tradition among a few of us. I gave Melissas mom about as much direction as I gave Wendy. This was her beautiful creation:

Smash cake up close: Before

It had little clear sugar crystals that resembled snow or ice crystals. Simple and perfect!

I made 2 banners from felt snowflake ornaments.  The one on the mirror (above the cake table) spells out her name and the highchair says "ONE".  They were so cute up close, even though you could hardly read them, silver letter stickers were not the best choice.  They took a bit of work, especially since I coated them in glitter too!  Oh well.  It wasn't a total fail since they were cute and added a little more punch of glitter & snowflakes....just partial, since you couldn't read them!  On several tables were sticks the boys and I collected in the yard and spray painted silver.  We hung glitter (of course!) snowflakes from them.  Snowflakes also hung from the stairwell and chandelier in the dining room.

I didn't go crazy with picking food that had cleaver names. I picked some favorites of Little Miss and a few of ours.  I wrapped some different sized boxes in pink (Target), blue and silver (Michaels) snowflake wrapping paper. 

Wendy also created food tags for me. I didn't use too many of them, since everything was pretty self explanatory. However, I did want people to know a few things. I didn't want people to confuse the mayo and horseradish or fluff (Auntie JLa, you couldn't make it, but I was thinking of you!). Since there was alcohol, I also used one to let people know the pink lemonade was kid safe!

I did take 52 weekly pictures of Little Miss. I decided to scallop the bottom edge and put them on a one, that I cut out of poster board and covered in pink card stock. It was a fun project at first...then it got a little old. But once I had them all laid out and in front of me, I was glad I did it. It was so great to see all the changes before my very eyes. I could see where she chubbed up(between week 14 &15) and started rolling over (week 23) and where she was sitting up (week 28) and the one photo shoot she wouldn't stop blowing raspberries (week 30) and the one she only wanted to suck her thumb (week 41). People really enjoyed looking at it and I loved hearing the feedback.  I'm working on something to do with all those yards of fabric. (1 yard a week.  Some fabrics I used things around the house...a comforter, curtain fabric, a dress before it was hemmed, etc)

I also put her monthly pictures on silver doilies. I thought they sort of resembled snowflakes. Originally, I had something else in mind for these pics, but I saw the already silver (so much more fun than white, even though snowflakes aren't silver) ones at Michaels and went with it!

She was in awe as everyone sang happy birthday to her. 

Her crown was a last minute add on. I saw it and fell in love. Kari at Adams Blankie was great to work with. She has such pretty pieces (for girls AND boys!!), you have to check her out!

After an hour or so, it was cake time!

Present time.

Pictures with mom and dad

Three hours later everyone was headed out the door..Don't forget your favor (homemade pink & blue snowflake cookies from Mrs. Janie)

Tied with a tag from Green Beansie

And then it was time for a melt down/sugar crash:

We've had quite the year and Little Miss helped us in many ways.  She was a nice distraction, and a reminder that our future was bright and we had to keep going.  Happy Birthday Little Miss, you've changed our life!

One Word Wednesday

FIRST

 HAIRCUT

 SANTA

 ANGEL

 LIFESAVER

as in...my mother is a lifesaver.  what would I do without her?!

Guess who's back...

Elfie's back.  Back again.  Elfie's back.  Tell a friend.

Our Elf on the Shelf is back.  And better than ever, I must admit.  This year he got a calendar so I'm not trying to think of something creative to do with him at the last minute.  By last minute, I mean running down the stairs when I hear the pitter patter of little feet in the am to throw the elf in some crazy place, that will keep me on the mom of the year list...(in the eyes of my littles, which is the only place I care if I am mom of the year!)

Last year Elfie had some good clean fun.  Good clean fun that I didn't have to spend too much time cleaning up.  I had two kids, one hairy dog, and I was 34+ weeks pregnant.  I didn't need to clean up after anyone else!

This year, I still don't want to clean up after Elf.  I also don't want Elfie to hang out on the light for 3 days because "he must like the view".  So I made a calendar.  Nothing strenuous and nothing I haven't see before (thankyoupinterest), but it's all spelled out.  This also helps the hubs join in on the "fun"!  I'm sure he goes to work and talks Elfie with his friends, like I used to with mine.

Here are a few of Elfie circa Christmas 2011:

If it's yellow green let it mellow?  Gross Elfie.

Someone's going to have a belly ache

Everyone Should believe in something.  I believe I'll go fishing.  Elfie agrees Henry David.

Bubble bath time

Elfie likes to read

Farmer Elfie

Snow Elfie

Come on & take a free ride

If you need a little help with your elf adventures here is our 2012 calendar!  Click on it to enlarge!

Enjoy your holiday season, I will check in when I can.  We are going to enjoy seeing the end of 2012.  It's thrown us some curves, but we are excited to see what 2013 brings us!

One Word Wednesday

Thankful

One Word Wednesday

Halloween

Thoughts on Three

Like every parent I think I was forwarded Glennon Meltons Huffington Post article Don't Carpe Diem. I read it. I laughed. I cried. And then I thought about it. And what I thought she really meant.

Then I read Emily's take on Jones Design Company. I laughed. I cried. And then I thought about it. And what I thought she really meant. This is not the first time a blogger that I read daily has come clean about how tough it is to be a mom. Emily is also pretty good at keeping it real. But as an outsider looking in, she still seems to have it all together and make you ask "Just how does she do it"?? It's nice to know that people we admire (she is a mom, a wife, a blogger, a designer, a friend, a sister, homeowner) still have to find a balance and struggle to do so. We are I am not alone.

Three. Wow! I have three children. Three beautiful and amazing children. Precious gifts from God. Chad and I always said we wanted three. Why? I have no idea where the number three came from. And everyone said, oh three sounds great until you have one. But once I had one, I wanted another, and I knew I would want another. We never once, NOT ONCE prayed for a specific gender. Our first, a boy, brought so much joy to our lives and the poor kid, was the guinea pig. Hopefully, we didn't mess him up too bad! I loved being a mom. I simply forgot what life was like before his arrival. Then we had boy #2. I couldn't believe I could love another child so much. I absolutely without a doubt, loved being a mom to boys. I loved seeing them interact. Loved seeing Q "take care" of his little brother. I loved watching B's face light up every single time Q walked into his line of sight.

Having another child was something we wanted for our family. Not to have a girl. I had no idea we would have a girl. A petite and pretty princess. Who I believe has brought as much love to her brothers lives as she has ours. They can't seem to get enough of her.

Of course we weren't trying for a girl. As if that is even possible. And, we weren't praying for one either. Quite frankly, I felt like we had the boy thing under control. Had a good thing going. Had LOTS of clothes! And because choosing a gender was not an option (yes, I do understand it can be done) I really hated it when complete strangers asked me if I was trying for a girl, ready for another boy, hoping I got girl, what am I going to do with three boys, etc etc. The absolute worst was at my six week post partum visit, the nurse asked me if I was so happy I finally got my girl?! Really? Of all places?! Glad my boys weren't with me!

I have a friend, a mom of three boys, that while on a walk shortly after delivery, a neighbor approached her. She thought the neighbor was going to take a look at her adorable new infant and congratulate her. What she actually did was say "Oh, I'm sorry you had another boy. I was hoping for you,that you would have a girl!

Why can't we just simply adore our children so much we want more than one? Or two? Or ten?

Then there is the Carpe Diem or don't. Thankfully, I have some really great mommy friends, who I can be real with and know that I am not alone. Even some of my not mommy friends understand, because they are either realist or they have honestly spent a day in my shoes.

Being a mom is tough. They challenge me and show me true love. However, this chapter I'm in right now is so short and I do, honestly try to soak up every minute. I didn't say I enjoyed every minute. I'm thinking those are the minutes when I will one day be able to look back and laugh. Or just tell my then grown children that my beautiful, amazing, talented, well rounded grandchild could not have possibly run from rack to rack through out Target screaming "Mommy can you see me? How about now?"

Then there is my beautiful seven week old. I can rock and rock and pat and pat and tickle and tickle and she won't wake up and won't burp. She sleeps through it all. Until I set her down. Then she is wide awake and nap time (or bed time) is over. During the day she wants to be held. She can't sit up yet, so being a part of everything means being held. Which means today, I emptied the washer and the dishwasher with one hand. But it's only for a short time.

As for the 4 year old, he likes to talk his brother into doing things he shouldn't. Then he likes to come tell me, what the other is doing wrong. I know this, because I hear him! He likes to "offer" B things he can't have. "B, let's go get some gum!". I know this, because I hear him! But it's only for a short time.

Oh father time. You go by so fast. How long my days seem, but how quickly a week seems to pass.

One Word Wednesday!

Happy

Birthday

Grandma