Flashback Friday- 2nd birthday party

I totally forgot I hadn't filled this out before I set it to automatically update. Anyway. This was my oldest 2nd birthday. Way before I began making cakes. It was her first real party with friends, and that makes it my first real birthday party too! Since my mom, sister and niece were visiting we actually threw this party the month before her birthday, just after Easter, so I picked a spring theme. It was the perfect weather, April in AZ, and we had a great time. An egg hunt, food, a few other games and just a short 1 hour gathering. It really wasn't much, but I was still newish to the area and wanted to get to know the other mom's.

Co cupcakes with green coconut grass and peeps.

Chow mein nests, with chocolate eggs

And jell-o eggs with bunny marshmallows in them.  I used plastic eggs, and it was a major problem.  I now have the jello molds and we still like to make these every year.  This year our holiday boxes are all in storage, but next year.  The kids like to pick what they want to put in the center to surprise the other family members.  It's fun!  The main part of this 2 year old party (most of the guest were even younger) my daughter and neice helped us out with the decorating by putting out all the eggs for us!  It was short, sweet, easy and fun!

Flashback Friday- Thread crochet blessing dress

I actually bought the pattern for this dress back in Japan when I first got interested in Thread crochet.  We weren't pregnant yet, but getting ready for it.  Then the next baby was a boy, so this didn't work.  Then we had a miscarriage and THEN got pregnant with this little girl.  But because of the miscarriage I was nervous to start it, and couldn't quite get as invested until pretty far along into my pregnancy.  Good thing I get manic once I get started.  I finished this dress start, restart (the gauge wasn't quite right and after doing half the top I restarted) to finish took 2 weeks!

Making the under dress was more of a challenge.  I had to make the pattern up myself.  The dress itself fit great, but the under dress was a bit too tight!  But isn't this dress exquisite?  You can't see it but there are small pink beads crochet into the dress.  I bought a second pattern from the same designer.  I wonder if I'll get to make it ever (hint hint hubby!)

It had a sweet little hat too.  I should have made it bigger as well, it barely fit around her noggin!  We moved when she was 5 weeks old so I didn't get around to getting her professional pictures taken until she was 2 months old!  Luckily it still fit, barely!

These shoes!  SOOO precious, but the shoes I made to fit the pattern didn't even come CLOSE to fitting my Sasquatch.  I doubled the footprint size, and it was still too small in the end.  But it fit for this one day, and really that's all it needed to fit for! 

Flashback Friday- first childs birthday party!

It seemed fitting with the birthday party this week to flash back to my first birthday party after being a mother (not mine, my child's).  Well technically it was her half birthday.  Yes in my family growing up we only had three kids, and since we all loved parties we celebrated half birthday's to, getting a lot more parties that way (being treated special, picking dinner, getting half  a cake, but not presents or anything).  ANYWAY.   This is my oldest at 6 months old (I can't believe she's 8 3/4's now time FLIES!)

We went with a Bug theme, creating 2 dozen bug cupcakes and getting her all bug themed gifts.  Of course then the only family we had in town got sick and the next closest family couldn't make it so we ended up with 24 cupcakes for my husband and I.  Not a great way to start the  birthday traditions (and it didn't get any better, we moved the weekend before her first birthday so she got basic yellow cake with chocolate frosting and ice cream and that was it!).  Anyway my birthday party creating skils have gotten better as well as my frosting abilities!

I remember how much my husband hated that frog on the far right.  When it died he refused to let me get new batteries.  It was REALLY loud.  But the car seat mobile on the left all our kids enjoyed over time!

Flashback Friday- cross stitch baby gifts

Back in the day, when I was pregnant with my first baby most of my friends and even my sister, were pregnant at the same time as me.  It was fun all being due within 9 months of each other.  So the last few months while I wasn't working and getting ready to become a mom I got back into Cross stitching in a BIG way.  I made a BUNCH for my own baby (which will come in the next few months) and I made a bunch for my friends as well.  It was so fun imagining all our our lives changing (we were all having our firsts!) as I worked on these.  Of course way back when I hadn't even heard of a blog, or thought I'd want a record of all the stuff I've made over the years.  So one of my wonderful girlfriends took this picture of her cross stitch off her wall!  That makes me feel even better, that she still has it hanging on her son's wall!   Hopefully I'll get copies of some of the others over the next few months as well.

Flashback Friday Crochet baby blankets

So after finishing the thread crochet tablecloth for my mom I got back into yarn!  I got into baby blankets, they are just SO easy and so fast and it's satisfying to have a project you can finish (unlike the thread crochet tablecloth or cross stitched stocking I'm STILL working on for myself!).  I made one for both of my sisters babies, for cousin's kids and for my sister in law's baby.  I also got to make one for my latest two babies.  This one was for P's baby blessing (that's my mom, he's about a month old here)

And this one was for my baby girl!  I just LOVE the ruffles on the outside of this one!  The inner square went really quick, the ruffles took a LOT longer!  But it was done before she was born so yippee!  This is my youngest, S, 1 day old!   I need to lay out these blankets for better pictures.  This just doesn't do it justice (but she's sure cute and chunky, huh?)

Flashback Friday- Cross Stitch

I actually don't remember when I started this one.  Or even when I finished it.  But it was sometime during my High School years.  I remember wishing it was two little girls, since I have little sisters, not a little brother.  But now it fit's nicely since my oldest 2 are a girl and a boy.  Since they are only 19 months apart they were always really close.  Then school started, and now it's not the same.  Hopefully they'll get over it soon enough and be as close as my sisters and I are when they are older. 

Anyway, another old Cross Stitch.  Maybe next time I'll show you the back of one of my cross stitches.  According to my mom they are unusually clean and organized.  Also I need to share my current cross stitch project....

Flashback Friday- Thread Crochet

Usually how I get into a new craft is I see a project that I love and learn how to do it.  When we were in Japan and I had just learned how to crochet I saw this book.  THE book, insiring!  It had the most beautiful thread crochet patterns.  I made a few of the smaller pieces before I decided to make this one for my mom for Mothers day.

I started it to late for that year, but finished it in time for Mothers day the next year!  And she loved it!  The think about rounds is the first hundred rounds goes SO fast, by the time you get to the outer rounds it takes forever for just ONE round!  It was so worth it.  I started a different style for myself, a tuilip based one, perfect for the spring.  But it's about triple the size so I'm STILL not done!  Maybe it's another goal to add to my list...

Flashback Friday- First Cross Stitch

I've been into crafts my whole life.  Maybe because my mom is very crafty, or the fact that I only have sisters.  But we always enjoyed crafts and lot of them.  When I was young (I don't remember if I was 8 or 10, mom help me out) I decided I wanted to learn to Cross stitch.  I finished everything but the roses that first year.  The roses?  I finished yesterday so I could post this! 

So here it is FINALLY finished, my very first cross stitch!  I have started and completed MANY cross stitches since this one but it's nice to have it done, I've been carrying it around for years. 

Flashback Friday- First Crochet

This was actually my VERY first crochet project.  We were living in Japan in 2003.  We'd been there for 6 months and I hadn't brought any crafts with me (knowing we wouldn't have much space in our Japanese apartment).  My mother in law was mailing our Christmas gifts to us and I mentioned I wanted to learn to crochet so she sent me some beginner's stuff! This was actually just a few days after Christmas and the first thing I made was this hat!  This is my oldest B. when she was 2 1/2~

They had beautiful yarn in Japan and I ended up making quite a few hats during the next month.  Then I discovered thread crochet...  That's a post for Next Friday!