monster truck party!

so my nephew just turned the big ONE about a week ago...and my cousin had decided on a monster truck theme. surprisingly, it wasn't easy finding a lot of monster truck party stuff. we decided to get as creative as possible, she was determined to have that theme. 

she did luck out at the dollar tree months before...thank goodness for planning ahead because they had a bunch of decorations and hats. and she also found the coolest invitations on etsy that looked like a monster jam ticket...so great that a guest rsvp'd and asked if he needed the ticket to get in to the party! we found them here. my aunt made the cute center pieces. i painted the photo truck and my cousin had two buckets of fun photo booth props. the dirt cups were crushed up chocolate graham crackers topped with chocolate pudding, and then an oreo cookie with white frosting in the center to look like a tire. lastly, the favors were just small zip bags from hobby lobby with a bag top that i made on the computer...super easy!

ta-da!

my nephew and everyone else had a great time. i can't believe he is growing up so fast, one already! don't our little ones grow up way too fast?

next up, my nieces "rainbow-ariel" 5th birthday party!

diy valentine's day cards with my preschooler

so my son and i worked on the cards for his first valentine's day class party yesterday! it's his first year in preschool, so i've decided to ruin myself by going all out for the holiday parties at school. i'll have to post later about his cool frankenstein halloween favors and brain cupcakes we did last november...but on to valentine's day!

S has a cold currently, so i'm praying he makes it to his party thursday...but even if he has to pass them out next week, we had fun making them. originally they were supposed to be star wars cards, but i couldn't make it work. we were going to use paint brushes as light sabers, so we had to improvise. 

what could we make with a paint brush theme?

then ding!

i had some paper hearts left over from a craft i didn't end up doing and voila..."paint to your heart's content"...and the paint brush could be like an arrow!

first, i typed out the words on the computer, printed them out, and cut them out . S helped me cut, he's getting the hang of scissors and loves to practice whenever he gets the chance. if i were to do this again (in my imagination) i would've had S hand write his name on each one, but due to the cold, it wasn't worth the tears.

next we painted the hearts with watercolors. this seems to be a medium that S and i have been using a lot lately. it also happened to be a perfect look for these cards!

after we glued the wording onto the cards, i used the blade to cut two slits. lastly, i put the brushes through the holes...S probably could've done this, but by the time he had painted 14 hearts, he suggested i do the last part.

ta-da! now i just have to bake cupcakes tomorrow. i'm happy to bake them, but since i pick S up the afternoon, everything else was already taken. i would've been just as excited (or more) to bring small plates haha.

happy valentine's day to you and your little ones, who also happen to be our biggest sweethearts!

kickin' it old school...holler!

okay, so i have some memories of using my mom's old sewing machine back when i was younger. maybe the early 90's? i made my own bell bottoms from my regular, boring jeans before they came totally back in style. some people teased me, but whatever. i loved bell bottoms before bell bottoms were cool (a second time)! i would rip the seam on the bottoms of the legs and cut triangles out of another pair and just sew them babies right up...voila! abracadabra! crooked, uneven, quirky bell bottoms! ugh do i wish i still had them...

back to my point: 

i bought my first sewing machine this morning!! 

yay! 

yippee! 

woot woot! 

HOLLER!

i bought it from a lady who had never gotten around to learning how to sew so it was a ridiculously awesome price...and she told me it still worked...hopefully there won't be a popped bubble post next week titled, "my bubble has burst and turned into tears of disappointment!" i will be trying it this weekend, so we shall see.

to be honest, i do not remember anything about how to sew with a machine. for the last couple of years, i have completed a few projects here and there, but it has all been by hand. there is going to be a bit of a learning curve this second time around. but did you see my old/new reader's digest manual? got that jewel for less than $3 at a local thrift shop about a month ago.

i'm so excited!! for days leading up this purchase today, my mind has been racing like a ping pong ball in the olympics. oh where oh where shall i begin?! oh yeah. figure out how to use it. but omg, after i peel around that learning curve on two wheels (don't worry, i'm being safe, i'm cruising on a vespa)...it is going to get crazy around here.

like i said on instagram this morning.

"about to go old school up in here. be prepared peeps. you've been warned."

peace out

xoxo

not a baker. for sure. but these are yum. for sure.

i found these 2-ingredient cookies just yesterday on pinterest. and can you believe it? just a day later i not only made them, but they were darn good!

pinned here & original recipe here

when i went down stairs this morning to get my cup o' coffee, i saw that we had some super ripe bananas, and i remembered seeing this recipe. also in the back of my mind i was hoping i could get S to fall in love with a new cookie...a cookie that i would be more than happy to let him eat as much of as he wanted! (S has been in the "picky eater" phase. for a long time. so i'm always on the lookout for ways to get him to eat healthy...)

anyway, the recipe calls for just 2 ingredients.

2 old bananas

1 cup of oats

and then it allows for any other mix-ins you want! simply bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes on a greased pan. genius! so, of course, i went with chocolate chips...anything to help lure the smart little boy into eating something with bananas and oats, ha! i thought they were the best thing since legos. can you guess what my son thought? he took one bite, at least...

after this first batch, my mind raced with other ideas...i think my next batch will have honey and cinnamon. plus i'm thinking of taking the mixture and laying it in a thin layer on the sheet pan instead of lumps to see if it will get more crispy. i will keep making them different ways until S gives in! he loves honey and cinnamon and anything crispy!! on another day when S isn't around, i want to try a batch with coconut and cashews. he's allergic to nuts and coconut :(

whoa. on top of actually following a recipe and baking something, and it coming out better than edible, i've posted on my blog two days in a row!

two baby steps forward!!

happy monday everyone, and here's to a productive and goal achieving week...

xoxo

getting back into the groove...random repurpose

i feel embarrassed to confess this, but i have found myself in this new month of february still just catching my breath from the holidays! i mean, talk about out of shape! the last few months flew by like a non-stop rough breeze, and i feel like i am chasing some loose papers that have gotten away from me and are always just past my fingertips.

but not anymore, oh no. now i'm going to put both of my feet down and say, enough is enough. i am going to put my big girl pants on and get my act together. baby steps. forward. not back. i'm going to finally post a real post since last october.

i found this old metal file box at a thrift shop a while back while S and i were hunting around for treasures. S scored with a stack of awesome books and i was more than pleased to take this fun piece home. it was one of those awesome days when everything you end up wanting happens to have the correct color tag on it, you know, the half-off color...

anyway, it came home with us without any idea what it would be used for. in fact, it sat around for a month or so before i had a lightbulb moment. i was looking for a highlighter one day and it dawned on me. ding! let there be light! and organized writing utensils!

so there, i have posted! though it might not seem to be super exciting or deep, it is. baby steps are good.

cheers!

so here's to repurposing & big girl pants!

xoxo

oi

have you ever felt like you are drowning under a sea of responsibilities? this is all i can say at this point...the thoughts in my head are spinning around like a luke-warm washing machine. basically, it feels impossible to focus.

so my solution/new year's resolution...unplug unnecessary social media and other electronic distractions. updates on my hopeful success to come!

plus, posts that i've been meaning to make will hopefully come to fruition...

xoxo