Pinterest Challenge #2: Paper Covered Pencils

 While I'm usually against most baby shower games, I found a really cute one where guests had to guess the name of classic children's books based on an alternative title. For example, "Unsightly Aquatic Bird" is "The Ugly Duckling. I printed the game in yellow and gray font on white card stock.

It seems like if a pencil/pen is required to complete a game, hosts are always scrambling for them at showers. So, I decided to include a pencil (tied with twine) to the game cards. But no ordinary pencil would do! I found a tutorial for paper covered pencils on Pinterest. I took scraps of paper left over from my book covers and covered pencils in them!

http://pinterest.com/pin/238214481/

These were super easy & super cute. I'll definitely make them again, maybe for Liam's teachers at school for some occasion. The possibilities are endless-- you can print a design on a piece of computer paper or use leftover scraps of scrapbooks paper. If you decide to make them, a few tips: Let them dry overnight before you attempt to sharpen them & don't use an electric pencil sharpener. I also figured out that not all cheapie pencil sharpeners are created equal-- I picked up a few at Walmart and they tore the pencils up when I sharpened them. I picked up a different brand at Walgreens and they worked perfectly. Both were 99 cents!

Pinterest Challenge #1: Book Garland

A dear friend of mine recently had a book themed gender neutral baby shower, and while I couldn't be there, I desperately wanted to make some things that would show her how much she means to me and what a joy her baby will be.

This was one of the first ideas that I came across (from craft goddess Martha Stewart)-- book garland. I loved that I could make the covers any color I wanted. I printed some digital scrapbook paper, cut out little book covers on card stock, then glued in the text pages (designed in Photoshop with an excerpt from Pride and Prejudice!). I also painted wooden clothespins to hang the books off of twine to match the gray and yellow theme of the shower.

Here is my "pinspiration" and my project:

http://pinterest.com/pin/252207135/

The Great Pinterest Challenge: A Warning

Oh, um, hi.

I used to blog here, once upon a time... but life just got a little too hectic and a little too stressful and something had to take a backseat for a bit... I'm sorry to say that it had to be this space. I miss it and hope that I can be better about posting on a regular basis. 

I have lots of things to talk about! I'm 32 weeks pregnant. Last week I turned 31. My mom turned 63. Liam turned ONE! I have stories and pictures and fun things to tell.

But that's not what this post is about.

I'm obsessed with Pinterest & if you've signed up, you probably are, too. I've pinned so many fun ideas for parties, our home, my wardrobe, crafts, etc. But unfortunately, it seems like this is often the definition of Pinterest:

http://pinterest.com/pin/103345940/

My lovely friend Christina, who blogs about crafts, IF and her beautiful baby girl Wren over at The Subfertile Frugalista came up with The Great Pinterest Challenge-- a chance for us to actually make some of those things we've pinned, show them off and be entered in a drawing for some fun prizes that will, no doubt, further crafting addictions everywhere. (If you want to participate, please do!)

Lucky for me, the challenge ran through the end of Sept, so I had the opportunity to include back to school stuff, a friend's baby shower, party stuff and now Halloween stuff! In order to participate in the challenge, I need to create a post for each project that I completed, then link each to her blog...and, ummm, there are 17 of them.

So, if you're interested in the craftiness and want to see what I've done, tune in for a flood of posts in the next two days. I'll show a pic of what "pinspired" me (snort), what I made, and include a link. If you don't care about (awesome) crafts, then skip them and tune in for Liam's birthday post when I'm able to finish it!

I promise it won't be another three weeks.

Wordless Wednesday: First Haircut

Liam was starting to grow a mini-mullet, so we decided it was time to get him a little trim.

I can't believe my baby is big enough to need a haircut!!

Fish Food

I'm in full party planing mode now for Liam's birthday.

While I haven't been as productive this weekend as I should have been, I did knock some tasks of my list. I purchased napkins, lanterns, tissue paper for pom poms, table cloths, cups and cutlery at Party City. I ordered cupcake liners and paper straws from etsy. I worked on a few printables in PhotoShop while watching Julie and Julia & I finally did a test run on some cookies that I really want to make for Liam's party.

I may be crafty, but I don't bake. But when I saw these, I knew I had to give them a shot:

So, yesterday afternoon, while the boys were napping, I did. I bought a roll of sugar cookie dough (hey, you've got to cut corners somewhere!) at the grocery store, rolled it out, used a cup to cut out circles and baked them.

I used this recipe to make royal icing. Since this was a practice round, I made some lime green icing (it looks yellow on my screen) and some light blue icing. Once the icing was at a soft peak, I piped a circle around the edge of the cookie using a pastry bag and a #3 tip.

Then I watered down the icing (a few drops at a time) to make it runny. I bought a squirt bottle used for candy making to flood the cookies, but couldn't find it, so I ended up scooping it on with a spoon. The first few, I put too much icing on and it started spilling over the piping, but then I got the hang of it!

While the icing was hardening, I microwaved a handful of orange candy melts and dipped Goldfish Graham crackers in them.

Then, using some icing, I attached the fish to the cookies & piped on some bubbles.

Not too bad for a first attempt!

Goals for the next batch (I plan on making them the weekend before his birthday):

• Have a steady hand when piping on the outline. I got better with each cookie, but I still think it could use some work.
• Find a deeper color for the blue background-- I just used a few drops of blue gel food coloring that I bought at the grocery store, but Michaels/Hobby Lobby offer so many other options in their baking section. I'd love to find a more vibrant color.
• Practice piping the bubbles on-- these look messy. I used icing with a soft peak, but it had been sitting out for a little while and might have been a little harder than it should have been. It was kind of gooey when I added the bubbles, so it was tough to get clean little circles. I'm not sure if the icing was too stiff or not stiff enough-- will practice a bit with different consistencies. Any tips would be greatly appreciated!

 Overall, I'd call them successful & I'm looking forward to serving them at the party!

First Day of School!!

Ok, so it's not really "school"-- it's Mother's Day Out, but it's the first time I've ever left Liam with strangers & the first time he's been around a group of kids his age. My parents watch him on Tues & Thurs while I work, and his babysitters have all been family members. So, needless to say, I was very nervous about leaving him this morning.

He did great!! 

He couldn't have cared less when I left, his teacher said that the only time he cried was when another baby got really upset and he had a HUGE smile on his face when he saw me at the door to pick him up! His teacher seemed very capable and personable, and raved about how cute/sweet/easy he was today. His "report card" looked great.

How did I spend my time? I went grocery shopping, leisurely strolling the aisles and sipping some coffee. I came home and put everything away without a baby crawling under my feet. I took a shower. I caught up on some emails. I did a bit of cleaning, and before I knew it, it was time to go pick him up!

This time is such a blessing for me-- some peace before Jack arrives. Not only does it give me extra time to get things done around the house, but it also gives me time to not do anything. This pregnancy has been a bit tougher than it was with Liam-- I'm not eating often enough or well enough, I'm not getting enough rest, I'm in a lot of pain because of the pressure on my sciatic nerve and I'm running around chasing an 11 month old while 7 months pregnant. I'm really tired...

As indulgent as it feels to be a SAHM and have someone else caring for Liam for 4 hours two days a week, I look at the other moms picking up their babies (glistening with sweat from the gym, with freshly manicured nails) and know that they don't feel any guilt, so why should I? There will be very little free time to be had once November rolls around. These few months will, hopefully, help me recharge my batteries so that I'm rested & ready to face our new challenges.

This school has a special place in my heart-- my late grandmother taught here for many years and I have so many memories of going to work with her in the summer to "help" with the babies. I loved it. One of the ladies who taught with her is still there and when I saw her today she gave Liam a hug "from his grandma Phyllis." Two of my aunts have worked at the school and several of my cousins have attended. Currently, my cousin Memo is teaching there and her daughter Millie is in the classroom next to Liam's!

Right before we went in:

Welcome!

New Friends:

A bribe gift I made for his teachers:

What a great day & big milestone!

Wordless Wednesday: Head Over Heels

Every day...

I fall more in love with this little guy!

(He's having an amazing time at the beach!)