Party Pooped!

We are having a relaxing Sunday here on Abbey Loop...right now I'm blogging poolside as the girls swim with their daddy and beg me to join them.  (The water's still a little too chilly for my liking...)  We are worn out after partying and entertaining friends yesterday but it was all worth it for the smile on this birthday girl's face!

This was the first time we've had a birthday party at a "party place".  Lil Sis wanted to have hers at the Jumpy Place - a party place full of jump castles and playhouses.  What child wouldn't want to have their party there, right?!  I have to admit, it was probably the most laid back party I've ever planned.  Minimal decorations, no activities to plan... just a little bit of food, drinks, party favors, and cupcakes. 

As always, it's all about the cupcakes.

In case you didn't figure it out based on the birthday girl's outfit... it was an Ariel party, just like her sister had when she turned four.  (She's just gotta do everything Big Sis does.)  My own fabulous big sis came up the night before to help me make cupcake magic.

The base of the "cake" were cupcakes iced with swirls to mimic the ocean.  We iced them all in white and sprayed on the blue water color and yellow/orange beach border.  Edible blue glitter flakes made the waves sparkle and edible pearls looked like bubbles.

We took a leap of faith and decided to make fondant extras.  Having never worked with fondant before, it was a challenge.  Once we got going though, it wasn't so bad.  We had starfish, a crab, a fish, flowers... and even an octopus!

My little princess loved it, which is really what's it all about anyway.  (Dig the sweat-head?  Courtesy of the Jumpy Place!)

Happy fourth birthday, my darling GG.

Love you to the moon and back.

Gift Wrap Organizer

I saw this great idea in Better Homes and Gardens a few months ago.  I saved the article in my "to-do" folder and I finally got around to it!  I previously had one of those stand-up plastic organizers for all of my giftwrap supplies, but it was constantly tipping over and spilling all of my goods and it took up precious floor space in my hall closet. 

The BHG article used this pantry organizer - after a little wait for backorder, I got one too!  It was well worth the $29.95 it cost.  Check it out...

The top shelf is perfect for holding little Mason Jars full of ribbon, twine, and gift tags.  The next shelf holds ribbon and tulle just waiting to adorn a present.  The third shelf has my go-to box of cards for virtually every holiday (Hallmark-holidays included), and the large bottom basket hold gift wrap, gift bags, and boxes.  I secured the gift wrap with elastic tied to either end.

The little bars are perfect for corraling tissue paper - and it keeps it nice and smooth instead of all wrinkled.

I love opening up the door and seeing all the pretty bags neatly organized!

We've got several birthday parties this weekend (including our own little four year old!), so I'll more than likely be putting this gift wrap station to use this weekend. 

Have a great weekend - Ariel party pics to soon follow!

It's Good Being Green

One of the things I knew I would miss when we sold our home was the fantastic garden my hubby built - it was such a joy to pick tomatoes with the girls and watch them eat green beans straight from the stalk.  In a world of pesticides and growth hormone, it's also nice sometimes knowing where your food came from...

Luckily, our new home is across the street from a friend of ours who happens to be a farmer when he's not torturing people with root canals (yikes).  Not only do we get to enjoy the spoils of his gardens, but he brought over some large tubs one afternoon, some "rocket fuel" (aka manure), and some seeds...

A little water, a little sun, and a little love later...

Sugar Snap Peas...

Cherry Tomatoes...

Carrots...

Romaine Lettuce...

And Green Beans!

Even better?  I took these photos a couple of weeks ago and now, the plants are even bigger!  Not only that, but we've got blooms on our tomatoes and peas (the first pea has grown too)!

Having this little garden in the corner of my yard is such a joy... I hope we'll soon be able to enjoy the fruits of our neighbor's labor!  If these cherry tomato plants produce like my last ones, there'll be some salso-making for sure...

Have a great (and green) week!

So Much to Do...

I don't know about you, but my list of things to do/make/sew/redo just keeps getting longer and longer!  Between church activities this month, Easter, my baby girl's birthday and all the rest of daily life, I just can't seem to get anything accomplished! 

Ack!

This too shall pass right?

Until it does, I won't have a whole lot to show you around here.  For starters, I've got a fabulous Ariel fourth birthday party to throw this weekend.  This is the first of my kids' parties that I'm holding at a commercial party place, so although I'm letting go of some of the stress, it alters the freedom I normally have when party planning.  I've got six days to make magic happen, so hopefully it will all come together.

Then (fingers crossed) these little projects will be soon to follow:
    

     March Bag

Board and Batten

Outdoor Chair Redo

I've also got lots of painting planned for the interior of my house and a certain six year old girl in need of a room makeover... whew!

Better go get some rest.  Have a great week!

Happy Easter!

"He has risen! He is not here."

{4}

Today, my baby turns the big F-O-U-R.

*weep*

I love four.  It's that age where she's just the right mix of baby girl and big kid.

Thankfully, she's not so big she doesn't like to snuggle with her mama. 

Cause mama's not quite ready for that yet.

I am looking forward to more hugs, kisses, squeezes, and giggles from my little G.

My cup runneth over.

Happy Birthday, my sweet girl.

Dry-Erase Family Calendar

Hello.

My name is Rhonda.

I am a calendar whore.

There, I said it.  Whew... do I feel better now!

It's true.  If ever there was a calendar/planner/organizer, I've more than likely owned it or come pretty near to owning it.  I am constantly on a quest to find the most perfect means of keeping track of the events and to-do's in my life.  Lined, not lined.  Monthly, weekly, daily.  Pocket size, purse size.  You get the picture.

This obsession doesn't end there.  I have also tried several options for keeping a family calendar.  Typically, this has lived on my laundry room door, which is basically the last stop before leaving the house.  In hindsight... probably not the best place for little reminders, since usually we're struggling to get the kids out the door and to school on time, arms full of bags and lunchboxes etc.  In other words, that calendar is the last thing we'll pay attention to on any given day.

Soooo... what to do?  How would I ever keep up with the family schedule and all of the little things I needed to remember for the week?  Well, I saw this great dry erase calendar on brown paper packages by Stephanie of Somewhat Simple.  I had just the place for one of these on my kitchen counter, which is the center of our busy mornings - what better place for little reminders for the week?  An evening alone in the craft room and I now have one of my very own!

I'd like to say I thrifted and found a perfect picture frame for $1.00 or something cool like that, but let's face it.  I'm far too impatient for that!  I did take advantage of the 50% off frames at Hobby Lobby and was able to find this perfectly sanded off-white frame.  I also found a great scrapbooking paper that was pale blue with white dots to insert as a background.

I don't have a cool vinyl cutter like all of you other Silhouetters (no matter how many giveaways I enter *sigh*), so I decided to use some rub-on scrapbooking letters instead.  I found these at Hobby Lobby as well, and most of them on clearance.  Woot!  I thought it fitting that I found a sheet with sewing-related borders: stitching, zig-zag, rick rack, and scallops.  Cute, right?

I tried to fit all seven days of the week in one row but realized it didn't leave me much room to write, so instead I put Monday through Friday up top, with Saturday and Sunday beneath.

I left a larger note section at the bottom for those all-important reminders, you know the ones.  Bring Ritz Crackers, eggs, and a basket to school.  Hopefully with this new little system, we won't be making a mad dash to the convenience store on the way to school, praying they have a box of Ritz somewhere on their shelves!

The little flower and birdie decals are also rub-ons, believe it or not!  I have quite a few of these left over that I can't wait to find a use for... pretty little packaging perhaps? 

Thanks to Stephanie for the inspiration - with any luck, this beauty will keep us on track, in style!