Everyday Celebrating

Everyday Events: Peas in a Pod Shower

Aren't multiple births a miracle?  A friend of mine had triplets.  No fertility treatments, no drugs of any kind to help the process.  She conceived THREE babies.. naturally.  Amazing!

So we thought it was fitting to throw her a Peas in a Pod baby shower.  Here are a few of the details
(click on the photos to view larger)

Invitations:  The invitations were simple.  White cardstock with a simple oval in green.  At the top, I used a cute triplet clip art featuring 2 boys and a girl (which she was having).  I always want a bit of texture on an invite.  It must have some type of 3-D something, ya know?   For these, I made leaves out of green felt and "vine" out of green floral wire.  Wrap the wire around a pencil to curl it and glue it all down with a strong, thick adhesive.


The introduction rhyme was:

Three peas in a pod
Three bundles of joy
Three babies from heaven
One girl and two boys!

Here were a few of the decorative elements that carried out the pea pod theme:

The centerpiece of the gift table was a large pea pod.  I made this out of 3 green plastic children's balls
I found at the dollar store. (You'd never know the other side of those balls had Pooh on them!)
I wrapped felt around them to form the pod and closed the pod with hot glue.  The pod sat on a large petunia arrangement.  In the original concept, the pea pod was supposed to stick out of the petunias on a hidden stick.  The balance of it never quite worked out, so we went with just lying in on top. The contrast was still striking.

 

One of the food table centerpieces was a grouping of baby's breath simply inserted in a vase I made from a painted coffee can and ribbon.

It's funny looking back on these cupcakes because these were a few years BEFORE the now popular cupcake toppers came on the scene.  Needless to say, they were a huge hit then, but now, they are pretty common.

I apologize in advance for the blurriness of this photo.  I made several of these table runners.  Each were green and had a peapod embellishment I made out of felt and vine.  The "peas" were buttons.

As usual, I made the crunch and munch cones.  Always do!  They are always a hit!  These featured the peapod clipart and a peapod on the flower pot.

The famous Martha Stewart poms were hung above the gift table.  Here you can see the table before gifts, with the centerpiece, runner and poms.  You can also see the diaper peapod in the background on the mantel.

Here's a closer view of the diaper peapod.  A different take on the traditional diaper cake.
I made 3 circles of diapers and wrapped them in felt to create the pod.  Tied the ends off with ribbon and laid it on some fresh ivy to create the vine effect.

 

We really lucked out!  Walmart happened to be selling these super cute peapod onesies so we worked those into the decor!

 

Just some of the fun decorations you can put together for a peapod shower!  Of course, it can all be adjusted to work for a twin's shower as well.  :)

DIY: Easter Paper Craft

Good Housekeeping provides the stencils to create these adorable egg animals.

Download them here.

DIY/Tutorial: Easy Etched Glass

photo credit:  marthastewart.com

Have you noticed that organization is "in" now?
Having your home not only organized, but beautifully presented is in... somewhat thanks to Martha Stewart.

And here she goes again with an easy tutorial on how to etch glass like the jars above.

All you need is etching cream, vinyl letters, painter's tape and a paintbrush.

Here's how you do it:

1. Clean and dry the glass. Using painter's tape, mark off the area you want to etch. Attach vinyl stick-on letters and decorative tape; press hard to ensure they are attached firmly. 

2. Cover work surfaces (be sure to work in a well-ventilated area). Put on protective gloves and an old shirt with long sleeves. Paint an even layer of etching cream onto glass. Let stand for amount of time indicated by manufacturer's instructions. 

3. Rinse with warm water in a stainless steel sink. (Avoid porcelain sinks; the cream damages glazed surfaces.) Remove letters and tape.

A set of jars would be a great housewarming or wedding gift!  The same instructions can be used to make a pretty monogram on a glass platter or wine glasses, etc. for a personalized gift!

DIY/Tutorial: How to tie dye with sharpies

First, to appreciate the tie dye of this fabric, click on the pic to see it up close.
It's really interesting.

So I'm always on the hunt for neat stuff to do with my son either now or in the future.  He's only 2 so some things are too advanced for him right now to enjoy, but I know he'll love them in the future.  This is one of those things.

And also, when I saw this I immediately thought of a fun summer child's party.  Use this big sheet as a tablecloth and use some fun multi-colored plastic plates and utensils and maybe have something simple like a sprinkler or slip and slide party.

Or this would be adorable for an easter egg hunt!  Use colors that match the eggs!

Anyway, I found this neat idea from this website, Do Life Right, and I used one of their photos which included one of their children (that's why their face is darkened.)

This idea is super easy and here's how it works:

Supplies:

• Sharpies (the more colors the better, but the metallic ones won’t work properly for this)
• Glass (and/or disposable) cups (at least 4 per person)
• Rubberbands (1 per cup)
• Rubbing alcohol in cups with straws — drip bottles work best (1 per person)
• Fabric to dye (we’ve done t-shirts and sheets of fabric)

Instructions:

1. Lay out the material you are wanting to dye.
2. Put the cups under the fabric — open end up — and secure with rubber bands on top of the fabric.
3. Put dots and squiggles in the center of your circle.
4. Slowly drip the rubbing alcohol (one drop at a time) in the center of the circle. You won’t need much, so go slowly. Watching the ink spread and mix is the fun part, don’t rush it.
5. Allow it to air dry for a few minutes. By the time you are done with four or so, your first circle will most likely be dry enough to take out the cup.
6. Repeat until you are satisfied.

TIPS:

• Prewash and dry fabric.
• Don’t use plastic cups you want to keep, as the markers will permanently stain them.
• Heat set the material, after it has air-dried, for at least 30 minutes longer than you think you should. The Sharpies fade a lot quicker if you don’t heat set for long enough. We’ve found that a dryer works better than an iron. Setting with vinegar seems to make no difference in the longevity of the colors.
• Have fun and experiment with color combinations you normally wouldn’t try. Don’t freak out if it spreads “incorrectly” — there is no right or wrong!
• Try dripping the alcohol from the side, rather than the center. It won’t spread in the same way, but you might like those results better.
• Don’t be afraid of drawing actual pictures. These can look really cool!
• When in doubt about a color combination, add a little black — WOW!
• We tried to do this same experiment on card stock for ATCs (art trading cards). It didn’t work, but try it on other papers and fabrics. Experimenting is really important and fun! You never know when you’ll happen upon the next great idea that everyone will be talking about.
• If you don’t like an area of the fabric, put a cup under it and draw something new (or just drip alcohol on the spot and watch what happens). Some of our least favorite areas turned into our favorite spots this way.

DIY: Coffee table book - Blurb book

Have you created a Blurb book yet?   You should!  You may have happened upon a photographer's blog or a wedding blog which featured one of those super cool coffee table books that are available now.

You can do those yourself now!  With your own photos, layouts, etc.

Let me back up.
I'm a two blog kinda girl.  I have this blog and then I also have a blog that features photos of my son. Every day.  Well, almost every day.  Above is a shot of the coffee table book I made on Blurb for the first year of his life.  Basically over 300 pages of his daily life - in color.

Blurb lets you create your own book with downloadable software they provide for free.
It's super easy and if you have a blog, it will even "slurp" your photos and text and drop it into layouts automatically, if you'd like.

My son's book (above) is 8.5 X 11 horizontal. Hard bound.  It came with a beautiful color jacket that I designed.  There is also a soft cover option as well as many options on sizes.

When I was creating this book, several people asked me about the quality of the inside pages and I was nervous about that as well.  But I was thrilled with the outcome.  Here are a few photos of the inside:

 

As you can tell, the pages are photo quality.
They are exactly like any high end coffee table you'd find in a bookstore.

This book made a great combined Mother's/Father's day present for my parents (Keaton's grandparents).   They follow his blog religiously, especially since they are out of state and while they knew I was producing the book, it was a surprise to them to receive a finished copy as a gift. 

If you haven't checked out Blurb, I encourage you too.  Your book doesn't have to be 300 pages.  It can be 10 and just celebrate one special occasion, etc.  It can document a baby shower or a wedding or your child's first birthday.  I had a blog while pregnant that included thoughts on the journey as well as several ultrasound photos that I hope to turn into a Blurb book someday. (One of the many things on the looonnng to do list.)

Blurb has a bookstore where you can check out the first few pages of other people's books.  It's a great inspiration on what can be done with your book.

Make a book that can be passed down!  Can you imagine how special this book will be to Keaton?  To show HIS children? 

Easy dress up: Cake plate

photo credit: Better Homes and Gardens

A a boost of color to a plain cake plate!  Cut a 3 inch strip of of card stock and attach it to the rim of the plate with double sided tape or rubber cement.  (Rubber cement tends to be easier to work with because it comes right off when you need it to.) 

Finish it off with a coordinating ribbon belt.

Done!
Can be done for any occasion/holiday and so easy to do now that there's a plethora of fun scrapbook paper available.  The possibilities are endless!

DIY/Tutorial: Super easy Easter bunny cake!

This Easter bunny cake, presented by Kraft Foods, couldn't be easier!
Made from two 9 inch round cakes, flaked coconut, and cool whip.  Decorate with licorice and jellybeans!

And that's it!

Leave one cake whole and carve the ears out of the second! 

Video tutorial on the Kraft Foods site!

Thinking outside of the obvious again, would be perfect for a peeps theme baby shower, child's birthday, etc.

Sweeten up a Saturday!

Easy way to add some spunk to your cupcakes!
Place them in a bowl (sans paper) and use a mellon baller to add a sweet drop of ice cream!

Also adds another element to celebrations!  Use some confetti ice cream for a children's birthday, peppermint for Christmas, etc.

Photo credit:  Better Homes and Gardens

Turn your handwriting into a font! Free.

 

You know those people?  People whose handwriting is unique and beautiful every.single.time they put a pen to paper?   (My mother! - Hi, Mom!) :)

Or one of those people whose handwriting looks like it came straight off an architectural draft?  I heart interior designer's handwriting... which, btw... I found out by asking one recently if they had to learn how to do that and YES... they all have to take a class.   (Where can I sign up?)

Anyway,  I haven't had much sleep and I'm apparently rambling.... back to the subject.

You know you've seen blogs where the writer has a font of their handwriting, THEIR signature font.
Like one of my faves... Ali Edwards....which looks like this and I adore it!

 

If you go to Kevin and Amanda's Font for Peas, they'll turn your handwriting into your own font.
Plus, they have tons of fonts on their site that are just perfect for invitations, programs, etc. 

Go!  Treat yourself!  Make your mark on the world by preserving your handwriting in your typed life. LOL

If you could get them to write out the required letters without telling them the purpose, this would be an interesting gift for someone techy!

Envelop me in fun mail.

If you know me personally, or have read this blog for any time at all, you know that I'm big on packaging and presentation.  (Those that know me are nodding right now, I'm sure.)

Remember my airplane party where the envelopes were made from maps?

I've run across another etsy seller who makes some super cute custom envelopes that I want to pass along to you.

It's about this time of year that people start thinking about their class reunions.  And summer is a big time to host them since most include one day event where you can bring your children.  Most children are out of school in the summer, lending that time of year as perfect for casual events.

Sidenote:  how crazy is it to see some of your wild classmates now with KIDS? 

Anyway, I digress.

How cute is this yearbook envelope?  Wouldn't that make an impression to send your class reunion information?

She also makes Mother Goose stationary sets which you could easily turn into invitations or glue birth announcements on the top of the cards.

Goldilocks!

Cat in the Hat set

And many many more including sheet music, food, historical envelopes, etc.
The possibilities are endless, really.  So get to planning something just so you can use these folded works of art!

Find them here, at adnamgam's store.