Bean's Birthday Art

Here are some pictures of Bean creating her birthday masterpiece.









At one point our horse had 5 legs.  I had to do an amputation but everything turned out okay.





We took a break for presents.







Bean took this picture herself:

2013 Goodreads Challenge

2013 Reading Challenge

April has read 1 book toward her goal of 75 books.

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1 of 75 (1%)

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I decided to join in the Goodreads 2013 Reading Challenge.  I have to read 75 books this year.  That used to be something I could easily do but now with the time constraints I find that I have with being a wife and mom, it's harder and harder to be able to sit down and read.  When I do, I usually fall asleep.

I am 1 book down, 74 more to go.  Wish me luck.  If you are on Goodreads, feel free to friend me.

I'll try to update this list as I go along unless I get really behind and then I'll just hope that you all forget about this post and won't hold me accountable.  :)

1.  Odd Interlude by Dean Koontz.  (My Goodreads has Odd Apocalypse but it should be Odd Interlude and I cannot figure out how I can change it.  I'll leave it to be honest on my numbers though.)

DIY Art Party Paint Can Favors

This weekend we had Bean's 5th Birthday party.  (Excuse the sobs.)  Bean decided to have an art party this year.  Okay, okay, I decided we'd do an art party.  I knew Bean would love it and I thought it would be something different than Monkey Cheese's or whatever.

I found a local art studio that offers birthday parties.  Kids can come in and learn to paint a picture on a canvas and then they get to "bedazzle" their work.

Since it was going to be an art party, I wanted the goodie bags to go with the theme.  Some of you long time readers might remember my past rant about goodie bags.  I am learning though that they don't have to be a bag of plastic trinkets or sugarey candies.  I think this year's incarnation is a good example of that.

If you're going to have an art or paint party, what do you think of?  Massive amounts of mess?  Okay, right.  What's the next thing you think of?  Let me just give you the answer, okay?  PAINT CANS.

I found these clear ones at OrientalTrading.com.  They are 5" tall.



We wanted them to be colorful so we picked several colors of construction paper and cut it to fit inside the can.



(Can you see my little helper in the background?)

After the pieces were cut to size, Bean would roll them up and place them inside the cans.


(Do you also see the lasting effects of a green lollipop on her face?  Even helpers need a pick me up, I guess.)



Then it was time to fill the cans with our goodies.  We wanted to give out art supplies so that our friends could have something they can use over and over, at least for a little while.  We looked at several stores and either couldn't find anything we wanted to go along with our theme or the cost was too much.  Finally, Hubz saved the day while at Wal-Mart.  I had been looking at some Crayola products and the cost was over a $1.00 per box.  I love Crayola products and we have plenty of them.  But we were throwing this party on a budget so we had to be careful on the cost of the goodies.  Hubz found some boxes of Rose Art crayons and chalk that were much less than the Crayolas.  I've seen RoseArt around for some time but frankly, I consider Crayola to be the best.  But let's face it, by the time you get these crayons in the hands of a 4 or 5 year old, or by the time they are shoved up someone's nose, or ingested by the dog, does it really matter?  I can tell you from my own personal experience that the doctor will not give you back your crayon after he extracts it from your nose.  Sanitary concerns or some mumbo-jumbo like that.

Once we got everything home though we realized the boxes of chalk were too wide for the cans.  We decided on just putting a few pieces of chalk in the cans instead.  For the girls, Bean also picked out some stickers and a lip gloss ring.  For the boys, we chose Matchbox cars and sticky frogs.  And of course, a goodie bag wouldn't be complete without some kind of candy so everyone also got a few Hershey Kisses.



Once the cans were filled and the tops put on, I cut some ribbon and tied it to the handle and made pretty curls.



The labels were made using some pre-made scalloped labels found in a kit called Multi-Brights from Lilly Bimble and clip art from Creative Kids by Miss Pickle's through the MyGrafico.com site.  I uploaded the labels to PicMonkey.com and added in the names and clip art.

***Update***  The Creative Kids by Miss Pickle's is no longer on the MyGraffico site but you can purchase the clipart on Miss Pickle's Etsy store.  She now has a Bright version and a Pastel version.



I printed these labels on full sheet mailing labels.  I'm not sure if that's how the professionals do it or if they use actual sticker paper but I will say that using the labels made made taking them off a lot easier.  They did not try to stick to the cans at all.

For the finishing touch, we added a paint brush also found at OrientialTrading.com.  These were stuck on the cans with 3D Glue Dots.  I can't say that those dots are easy to remove later on though so just be prepared for a fight if you ever want to take the little suckers off.



Bean loved them once they were all done.  I loved how colorful they all turned out and they were a big hit at the party.  A couple of moms asked me if the art studio put them together for me.  They were a little surprised to find that we had made them ourselves.  We are available for hire in the future!  Just putting that out there.










I will be linking to the following linky parties:

Take-A-Look Tuesday @Sugar Bee Crafts

Mums Make Lists

Too Cute Tuesday @Funky Polkadot Giraffe

Whatever You Want Wednesdays @Free Pretty Things for You

Show Off Your Stuff  @Fireflies and Jellybeans

Hooking Up with HOH @House of Hepworths

A Crafty Soiree @Yesterday on Tuesday

The Artsy Girl Connection

Things I've Done @Bear Rabbit Bear

Share It Friday @Melomomma

Kitchen Fun with My 3 Sons

Mop it Up Mondays @I Should Be Mopping the Floor

Motivate Me Mondays @Keeping It Simple

Happy 5th Birthday!

Today you're five.

Five!

That's crazy.

Yes, this will be another "just yesterday" post.  Yes, I know what you're going to say..."Oh Mommy!"

But it was just yesterday that they lifted your beautiful little face over the curtain so that I could see you for the very first time.  Bless that sweet nurse that cleaned you off first before introducing us or I might not have thought you were so cute.  Probably but we'll never know and I'm fine with that.

It's been five years ago that I was lying in a hospital bed pretty out of it while Daddy got his first taste of "on the job parenting".  We should both thank Daddy for being such a great guy to take excellent care of both of us.

It's been five years ago when we had a room full of people, people that we love, that were standing around staring at you and laughing at Mommy being pretty out of it, when one of them spoke up and asked "okay, what have y'all decided to name her?"

And it's been five years since Daddy spoke up and made the decision to call you "Bean".  Not really but he made the final call and it was a great one.

In a couple of days it will be five years ago when Mommy was left all alone with you and you decided to pee all over the hospital bed, the side table and Mommy and Mommy's gaping open, astonished mouth.  Mommy had no idea baby girls could "shoot for the stars" like that.  Way to go, girl!

And it will also be five years ago when we brought you home, with snow on the ground for the first time in forever, and started our lives together.

Every day of the past five years has been a blessing and a delight.  Every day we've been grateful for you.  Every day you have been a walking prayer answered.  Every day I have been proud to be your Mommy.

Bean, thank you for the past five years.  We've taught you things but I think you've taught us a lot more.

I pray the Good Lord above gives us many, many more years to learn together.

Happy 5th Birthday, Bean!

Christmas in Review

I'm sure we are all tired of hearing about Christmas by now but I wanted to post up some pics from our Christmas morning.

Our tree was beautiful.  Of course, I think all Christmas trees are beautiful.  Even the ones decorated with Florida Gators ornaments.  :)

Bean loved all of her presents.  She experienced her first movie theater outing in 2012 and so she's been asking for a Merida doll ever since.

Side Note:  I found this doll hanging upside down from Bean's easel yesterday.  Gingers are never treated fairly.  Frankly, we are getting a little tired of it.

Opening presents is really hard work.  Thank goodness Christmas is only once a year so that we can save our energy.

Another princess doll.  I'm still waiting on my "Thanks for Keeping Us in Business Through this Hard Economy" note from Disney.

And the old adage that sometimes the simplest gifts are the best must have been true when Bean opened a box of crayons.  Or maybe it was the fact that the tag said "From Ollie".  Ollie is our beagle and Bean was surprised that he had found the time to go shopping!

I hope you all had a very special Christmas, too.