Monster Smash Cake

Hello again!

My life has changed quite a bit since I last posted. We moved closer to my work. Clinton changed jobs and shifts; he now works evenings. These two events have sent my life into chaos. I love that I'm closer to work and family but I desperately miss my friends back in Ottawa. I have great neighbors here and there are plenty of kids for my girls to play with, but with Clinton working nights, I've basically had to learn to be a single mom. Grocery shopping, housework, yard work and hobbies have had to take a backseat to being the sole person responsible for my babies from 5 until about 10:30 when I can eventually get Elsie to sleep. I realize that I don't have it as hard as a single mom, but wow, I can really appreciate how difficult it would be not to have those two days where I actually get to see my husband and count on him for support.

BUT...now I'm back. I have managed to get a few projects done and I have a couple in the works. One of my favorite aspects of our new house is my craft room. (Yes, a craft room...be jealous). I haven't had a room devoted to my crafts since before kids and I'm ecstatic that I have one now. I was able to find a large wooden kitchen table on craigslist for $25 that I will be rehabbing in the next few weeks for my sewing table- details to come.  I love it!

My little nephew turned 1 in April. He's my little birthday buddy because his birthday is two days before mine. I love that I get to share my special day with him forever :).  He had a monster themed birthday party and my sister-in-law asked me to do his smash cake. Having two girls, I love getting opportunities to do "boy" things every once in awhile, so I was happy to do this.

A Hello Kitty Themed Birthday Party

The Hello Kitty company has genius marketing executives. Never have I seen something that isn't linked to a cartoon or movie be so popular. I suppose when you manufacture pink & sparkly items, you will sell anything.

My girls are enamored with Hello Kitty. They want everything they see with this little feline on it. So, it was fitting that we did a Hello Kitty theme for Evelyn's second birthday party. Since we had her party at a jump house place, we didn't get to decorate- however, I did come up with plenty of ways to keep myself busy in the week before the party.

Here are the pics...I hope it helps inspire you for your own little Hello Kitty affair!

A Mad Hatter's Tea Bridal Shower

It's finally here...my sister's bridal shower. I've been planning this shower for over a year and I was so excited when the day finally came. My sister got engaged shortly after Prince William and Kate's Royal Wedding. Along with many Americans, I was up at 3 am to watch the fanfare of the wedding. Sabrina and I decided that we wanted to throw a party where everyone had to wear a English-style tea party hat.

Mad Hatter Tea Party Decorations DIY

For the decorations at my sister's bridal shower, I purchased candle holders, tea cups and tea pots from Goodwill and spray painted them bright colors. This is what my back yard looked like for weeks this summer:

Here are a few projects: Be sure to prime all glass and metal before painting to ensure the paint stays on. I used many different primers, but the self-etching worked the best on glass.

Mad Hatter Tea Party: Alice and Mad Hatter Chairs DIY

This is my favorite decoration of the entire shower. I purchased these chairs at Goodwill for less than $10 a piece. They were ugly and not very sturdy- which was nothing paint, a few large screws and a drill couldn't fix. These chairs were used for the photo booth and for my sister and her fiance to sit in while they opened gifts.

Here is how I did it...

Baby Onesie Cookies

My girlfriend, Lee's baby shower was this weekend. She's due September 29th with her first baby. I was so excited to have her back in Chicago for her shower this weekend. For the favor, I made butter cookies decorated with royal frosting. To learn how to make these cookies, here is a link to my blog post.

$2 Cake Plate

I love my thrift store finds. I admit that I love telling people that I made the object they're ogling at. This is why I love wandering through Good Will or our local resale shops for anything I can make new with a little paint and glue. This cake plate cost less than $2 and will be adorable on the table of my sister's Mad Hatter Tea Party Bridal Shower.