Do You Love Eric Carle?

I know we do at this house! I have started adding some new stuff to my ETSY store, in hopes of making a little money. This project started with me wanting to actually paint something for my own kids (wow!). So I made them these:

They now live in our playroom :) I LOVE them!!

Then a friend asked me to make these, for her son:

And once again, I fell in love.

So I started these:

I have two to finish during naptime tomorrow. How can I love each one more than the last?!

DIY cupcake tower

I can't pretend I figured this out on my own- I pinned it here, and I loved it! So I did it. And the best thing about it, I think, is that I can remove the ribbon on the edge, and replace it for the next party! So a $5 project should last me at least a few years.

So, here is my how-to. It is just about the same as the other lady's but maybe a few things are different.

Materials-

2- 10 inch cake circles
2- 12 inch cake circles
2- 14 inch cake circles
Hot glue gun
2 soup cans
1 tuna can
cardstock (I used white, to be neutral for future parties, but you can get creative here)
ribbon of your choice

So first, cut the cardstock to the size of your can. Then hot glue one edge, as seen here. Pull it around the can, and hot glue at the seam. It is best if the ends overlap a bit, like 1/2 inch.

Do that with all three cans.

Then glue the circles together. White side out, on either side. (The other side is brown cardboard, not pretty.)

Then, using your largest circle, hot glue the edges of the tuna can to the board. Try our best to be centered. I'll say, I didn't measure or any of that nonsense, I mean come on, the baby was due to wake up at any moment, and my kid + a hot glue gun= disaster.

Oh, side note, try to make sure the seams of the cans are all in line. That way, you can turn the whole thingy and the seams will be at the "back" of your party table. Same goes with the ribbon, when you get there. 

Then on top of that, glue your first soup can. Then, glue the next size circle to the top of the soup can. Repeat for the top layer, with the second soup can.

Now, cut your ribbon to the length of your circle, again, leaving room for a bit of overlap. Do for all three levels. Hot glue to the edge of the circles. Go in like, 4 inch segments, so you have time to be sure the ribbon is level, and the glue doesn't dry before you get there.

Let me take this moment to tell you, I love the glue gun. And I hate it. Glue strings everywhere, I burn myself every.single.time. But dang, it makes some crafty stuff!

Then go get the baby. She woke up.

Voila! Gorgeous!!!!

Next, and most importantly, go to my ETSY store, and buy a handmade cake topper in your party theme! I have rainbow and ladybug listed, but just tell me what you need, and I can do it!

T minus 10 days til my bebe's first birthday, and party!

Wordless Wednesday

I do not know what these faces are they are making, but it cracks me up that lil sis was copying what big sis was doing!

A little rainbow DIY project

You may begin to see a theme in the next few weeks; maybe or maybe not culminating in a similarly themed one year old's birthday party....

Anywhoodles, in preparation for said birthday party, I picked up these, thinking I could use them somehow. Also, mine were only $3.99 at my store. FYI- they are much more "rainbowier" in person. Yep, I said that.

Then I'm all "Um, how can I use 30 flippin candles at a party where there will be like, 12 kids? Sounds suuuuper safe." Yeah, so instead, I decided to melt them all down, and make one big rainbow striped candle. I'll be honest, it's really irritating me that it isn't perfectly striped. Apparently it is not so easy to work with piping hot wax, and get it to do exactly what you want it to do, without burning the crap out of yourself. Oh, doesn't help when there are 2 kids bouncing around your legs trying to see what it looks like.

I took each candle out of it's plastic tealight holder, popped the wick out, and melted each color individually for about 4 or 5 minutes in the microwave. I would stir it every now and again also, with a plastic fork. For the first color, I just held the wick in place for a few minutes until it "dried" enough to hold it in place. Then I would wait for the color to set until I started melting the next one. All together, minus kid interruptions, it took all of about 30 minutes to do it. Now I can put it in the middle of the table, or on the mantel at the party, and it will be one fire hazard that isn't reachable, versus thirty. Win.

So alas, here is the finished product, not perfect, but cute, and vaguely reminiscent of those colored sand things we made as kids:

Here is another little glimpse at something we will use for the party. Though I am yet undetermined as to what I am doing for cake, I think this plate will be used for Ava's smash cake. Thanks Teresa (mother in law) for lending me the Southern Living "Dress Me Up Plate." This could well find it's way to my birthday wish list. Wink, wink ;)

Really- Is it time for this?!

Oh How Pinteresting

Another Pinterest project done :) I began with two old frames with prints in them that I didn't like. Then I threw one of the frames on the floor and broke it, so then I had one frame left.... So I just took the print out, spray painted the frame, printed out this cute free printable and framed it. Voila! It was a one naptime project, which are really the only kind that happen here. Hope you like it!

Before- UGLY

After- totally cute :)

Road to the Half, and Boob Issues ;)

You know that drew you in!

So, I am not one for New Year's resolutions, but I do have a goal for this year. I will run a half marathon. 13.1 miles. And I will run (jog...) it, not walk. That is the plan. I ran in high school, and that is about it. I don't necessarily love running, but I want to do this. I take that back, when it is just me, my Ipod, and a road, I do love it. I love the feeling I get when I get home after a run. And hopefully I will love the feeling of accomplishing this goal! If I can get there...

I started running sometime in early December and seemed to get a really good start. I was able to get to 4 miles pretty quickly, with just a couple of very short walking breaks. Then I got mastitis. Seriously. With a 10 month old baby, I got mastitis. I did everything right, fed her right before the run, took off my sports bras right after the run, etc. But there I was, in pain and sick as a dog. Ok, so fast forward a month, and I got it again. Worse. Ava is only nursing 4 times a day at this point. How can I still be getting this?! Anyhow, now I am scared. I cannot get it again. I will die. Ok, maybe not, but I will be miserable.

So she is down to nursing 3 times a day now, and I plan do drop one more session next week. Do I just wait til she is weaned totally? That could be 2 more months. And that almost guarantees that I won't be able to run the Music City 1/2. Anyways, I am stuck in my head. I was so gung ho about it, and was doing so good, running about 3-4 times a week. Now I feel like I have lost momentum, and the desire to get out there.

So Matt is off on Monday, and I will be done with my antibiotics, and also it will have been a week since we dropped the 4th nursing session. So Monday, I will run. And if I get mastitis... well, I don't know. I will be mad I guess, but I have to try!

So much rambling! Here is a picture to reward you if you got this far:

Christmas Toy Review- the Good and the Bad

I thought it would be fun to mention some of the girls favorite toys. There really aren't any that they didn't like at all, but I am sure there are a few negative things I can say about some of them.

Fish Tank
Olivia has been going through a "scared to death to go to bed" phase. This thing lights up like a runway, and she loves it. Good buy Grandpa!

Trampoline
This was a last minute add on by Santa, seeing as it was on sale. Both girls flipping love it. However, Daddy has taught Ava to um, jump off the side into his arms. And she does it even when he isn't right there.... so the trampoline is not out at all times anymore. It only gets brought out when one of us is 100% with them watching.

Live action shot :)

Sandwich Maker
Just an all around win. Both girls love it.

Inchworm
Winner. Baby loves it. Even big sister likes it!

Barbie Jeep
The Consignment Queen Santa found this for $75 and couldn't pass it up. It was a win. Duh. At first big sister wasn't too sure, but then loved it. We had a string of 60 degree days, and the girls both loved it. FYI- yes, we did walk right along side the 11 month old passenger :)

 Kitchen
This it technically Ava's gift from Mimi and Poppy, but they both like it! Ava can already almost do the shape sorters :)

Award for Mommy's Favorite Gift goes to:

Uh, have you read this?! Holy moly. Grab the Kleenex my friends. Love it.

Olivia's Favorite Gift
Not even kidding. Pretty sure she hasn't put in down in almost 2 weeks.

Ava's Favorite Gift
Pretty basic. Just goes to show, it's not about the frills! Thanks to Grandpa Claus for this one!

That is really just a small dent in the stuff they got! It's always a little much when you really think about it, but I have to tell myself, they get toys twice a year. Christmas, and birthdays. We don't often buy them toys throughout the year. Sometimes, yes, but not very often. So it's nice to get new, age appropriate stuff, and get rid of some of the old!

2011- The Best of the Best

A year in review:

January:

Lots of playdates, football, and every day spent thinking "when is this kid going to come out?!"

February:

Ava's here!

March:

Lots of time spent inside- trying to be creative!

April:

Olivia's 1st Birthday gift was destroyed by 70 MPH winds while I hid in a bathroom with 2 screaming kids

May:

Happy Mother's Day!

June:

Summer is here!

Happy 3rd Birthday sweet Olivia!

August

Olivia- 3 years, Ava-6 months

September:

Annual girls' trip to Chicago!

October:

Happy Halloween!

November:

Ava's really walking now!!

December:

A little Christmas painting :)

So, while it is sort of almost impossible to pick one picture from each month, there you have it! For us, this has been the best year yet. We have two beautiful girls to thank God for, health, a steady job for Matt, and wonderful family and friends surrounding us.

2012 hopes to be slightly less busy, no babies to plan for (or create), a half marathon to train for and run, and looking forward to chasing two crazy girls around all summer!