HAPPY 4TH BIRTHDAY PENELOPE

So not just one, but two kiddos celebrated birthdays this month 6 days apart from each other. Completely unplanned that way, but thinking back about it now, I like that their birthdays are so close together. Maybe in the future it will help each of them remember the others special day. Little Miss P (Penelope) turned 4 yesterday though. In honor of her special day she ate donuts, received gifts, went out for lunch (her choice), ate cupcakes (princess, Disney Frozen themed and purple... the only way imaginable), took her new bike her dad bought her out for a spin and played around the house some. The day before (Saturday) she enjoyed plenty of time with friends and family in a bouncy house, jumping and acting all silly for her brothers birthday bash. And the weekend prior to that, the guy I'm dating, the kids and I all traveled to the Omaha Zoo, so it's been a few fun weekends of activities. So all in all, I'd like to think she had a pretty great birthday weekend(s). I still can't figure out where the time has gone, and though I miss that little baby she once was, I really love how this little lady has grown, and the age she's at now is probably my favorite. Happy Birthday P. I love you!

HAPPY 6TH BIRTHDAY WYETH

In the blink of an eye time has gone by… An six years ago, on a Monday similar to today (a bit sunnier though) at 145pm you decided to arrive… You were early, an a little 6 lb 8 oz baby, which was tinier than I had been told you'd be, and I recall being beyond nervous to even hold you for the first time… but I did know that I was so excited to finally meet you. I never knew I could feel so much love for someone I had never meet before. And because of you, my life has changed for the best, and you have taught me to love, and to have patience's like I had never had before. There's no hiding the fact that it's hard at times to be a parent, but it is surely so rewarding too. An at the end of the day, as I step back and reflect on the time past and how things are today, I have seen you grow a little bit more each day into this little person all your own that I'm so incredibly proud of. I love you sweet Wyeth, and thanks for picking me as your mom, an Happy 6th Birthday!!!

DIY : BLACK AND GOLD BALLOON WEIGHTS

So I made these super simple animals balloon weights for a birthday that just past. I had a theme of gold and black going on, you can see the cupcake toppers here that also were for the party, but I really like how these animals came out, especially the hippo which was my favorite! I hunted down dollar animals (the lion and tiger were at Walmart, and the hippo was found at Michael's) and then took it upon myself, along side a few cans of spray paint to turn them into something more appropriate for the party. I taped off the animals creating patterning using (don't laugh) SaranWrap and wash tapes. I used the plastic wrap to cover larger areas so I wasn't wasting all my tape in the process, if that makes any sense whatsoever. Overall they took me a few hours between drying and taping but it was well worth the efforts. They would be a great quick addition for a party or maybe even for basic home decor. Then I tied each animal to a balloon and finished them off with the little hand lettered tags below, which each animal sat with a tag resting against it's mouth (kinda like it was eating them), I know I'm a huge geek, but all in all it looked cute non the less. Enjoy!

DIY : GOLD ANIMALS & DINO CANDLE HOLDERS

So this past weekend the guy I'm seeing celebrated a birthday and I had planned a surprise birthday dinner and night out with friends. I wanted to make it a bit more special for him to remember, so I made a few little things, keepsakes if you will, for the night. These candle holders, which sat on top of cupcakes where one of the items I made. As for my supplies... the animals/dino were bought in bulk for a few bucks at a party supply store called US Toy, gold spray paint from Michael's was the most expensive item, and then the flower holders on top are vintage and were purchased in bulk on eBay. Overall all the supplies where fairly easy to come by and then I uses an x-acto knife and screw to make holes into the tops of each piece where I'd then place the flower (though I cut them down some with scissors) along with some liquid glue. I love how they turned out and so did everyone else. Good luck if you decide to make some of your own and if you have any questions surely message me in the comment window below. Happy Monday!

DIY : COMIC BOOK BIRTHDAY GIFT WRAP

That guy I like celebrates his birthday today. He's 30, which is kinda a big deal I do believe, so I wanted to show him I cared by putting a bit of extra effort into his gifts and gift wrap. There's a theme going on here though he doesn't know this quite yet. But if you know me, you'd know I love wrapping presents. The idea of the overall final result, that pretty wrapped gift when presenting it to the giftee, it just makes my heart smile. My guy is pretty special an over all amazing guy, but to nicely put it, he's also a big geek, which I love. Comic books couldn't be more appropriate for the occasion, so I took a few older ones I had stashed away and put them to good us. He already saw a photo of the picture above an he seemed to like it. So yay me, extra girlfriend points. I hope you have a wonderful birthday handsome and enjoy all your gifts!

COLOR PALETTE 55 : CLARE OWEN

Today's my guys birthday, and I've had sweet treats on the brain for a weeks gearing up for today, so this color inspiration by the talented artist, Clare Owen, only seemed approriate. To see more of her beautiful works please click on the link below. Happy Tuesday and Happy Birthday Handsome!

IMAGE CREDIT

HAPPY BIRTHDAY LITTLE BROTHER

I love this photo! It's from earlier this past Summer, on the Cape in Massachusetts, where I grew up and where my family all still resides. My brother and I had taken a trip to the beach an walked about for a bit to explore. This beach is beyond amazing. The marks in the sand from where the water hit, the clouds and blue sky above, the color of the rocks covered in algae. Everything about this photo I just love. And that guy in the photo, on the rock, well that's my younger brother Steven. Today's his birthday. An I'm proud of him every day, but especially today as he decided to celebrate his birthday on a new adventure, somewhere sunny, somewhere new he's never been to before, exploring the great outdoors, an creating his own special memories on this day. I hope your birthday vacation is going well little brother, much love and missing you always.