Everything WAS Awesome!

In an effort to catch up on my blog posting, I want to share with you Camden's 5th birthday which of course after watching The Lego Movie we had to have a Lego party. Party planning is probably one of my favorite things to do so I like to go all out. I don't do it for a show but because it is something that I hope my kids will remember when they are older, it's fun and I love crafting.

Party decor was a no-brainer, I needed lots of legos so how else do you create large legos but with recycled boxes. I started by collecting the kiwi-crate boxes that we had gotten over the past year and then asked my colleagues at work to save their Friday lunch boxes from Subway. The results were perfect for creating decor. I used my circle hole punch to create the top of the lego bricks.

 Banner created from an online download here.

 Gift bags were purchased from The Dollar Store and I drew the lego faces on them. Inside were the t-shirts I made from another mom. The patterns can be found here at thethriftress.com.

My mom's famous sugar cookies were created with Lego cookie cutter purchased on Etsy.

 Camden's lego cake with Oreos was inspired from a blog post here. 

 When you have two boys there are lots of blocks around the house to create 

added decorations and games. 

Kid activities- pin the head on the lego guy, breaking a pinata, create your own mini-figure and lego mask, and as always the bounce house.

 Pinata created from a diaper box, tin cans, crepe paper, tissue paper and cardstock. 

Adorable photos by Kelly Ring Photography

Birthday shirt by Sunfire Creative

Next month, it is already time for another party. Stay tuned for some Paw Patrol fun for Carson's 2nd birthday.

Michelle :)

Sock Monkey inspired 1st Birthday

As a lover of sock monkeys (mainly the colorful ones), I started planning Carson's party oh about the time I knew I was pregnant. Just kidding! I was however inspired by the newborn photo of Carson taken by my friend Kelly Ring shown in my older post. The photos below are the ones I used at the sock monkey party. How cute are they??

               

                          

As the months went on I started planning and found amazing inspiration on Pinterest. The printables I purchased on Etsy were from the creative orchard.

Party decor- Many of the party things such as colorful tablecloths, platters, etc. I recycled from previous parties. On the walls, I used colorful paper plates and attached some buttons to them to create my own larger button look. The colorful monkeys that I already had in my home were used as accents around the house. I ordered the book 10 Little Sock Monkeys from Amazon to have party guests sign. I also created a time capsule (pictured above) for guests in attendance and those who could not attend, to place notes and items for Carson to see and read on his 16th birthday. I am sure I will be more excited about that than he will.

Candy bar with lots of yellow candies and treats.

I purchased a large number 1 from one of my favorite places, Hobby Lobby and then I hot glued on some (or should I say a ton) of colorful buttons

Party guests were asked to have their picture taken photo booth style with sock monkey accessories. It was a lot of fun!

One of my favorite things from the party was when I used Carson's monthly onesie stickers to create a cute timeline to display his photos. It is amazing how fast time flies.

 

Kid activities were bunches of fun bag toss, create your own sock monkey, 

and of course, the bounce house. 

Food- Our menu was typical cookout food with hot dogs, hamburgers, etc. but the snacks were the big hit. My monkey cupcakes turned out great. I am glad I learned how to color frosting with special coloring from the craft store. My mom's famous sugar cookies went fast, but I snagged a photo before the party guests arrived. I used orange m&m's to create the button look on the circle, sugar cookie.

photo by Kelly Ring Photography

Carson's birthday shirt was also purchased on Etsy. I can't wait to one day have a quilt made with all of his birthday shirts and baby clothes.




I am so pleased with how everything came out and can't wait til October for birthday #2.

Michelle :)

Party of 4

As I mentioned in my previous post, so much has changed in the Pinckney house in a matter of 2 years. Being the oldest child, I never really thought about what it is like to be the second child. Until.....the test! Yep, you guessed it, the little stick that can change your life in a matter of 3 minutes. Well, lucky for us we had been planning to expand our family and just moved into a home with 4 bedrooms.

On Tuesday, October 15, 2013, our family of 3 became a family of 4. We welcomed this little (ok not so little) bundle of joy, Carson Scott with open arms and full hearts.

He was a whopper weighing 9lbs. 20 inches long but oh how cute. 

When Carson was just 6 days old my friend Kelly Ring of Kelly Ring Photography came to take Carson's newborn photos. I knew that being a second child, especially the second boy, I wanted Carson to have some things that Camden didn't. Some of my favorite pictures are posted below and they now hang in my home. 

 Camden loves being a big brother.

Having two boys is definitely a daily adventure but I wouldn't change it for the world. Now you know one reason my blogging has been on the back burner. Chronicling the shenanigans of these two cuties is something I promised myself I would do so stay tuned for a crazy ride. 

Michelle :)

It's Sunny and 86° today

After a long hiatus from my blog, I thought it was time to get back to writing. So much has changed since my last post, from births to deaths, new to old, I just don't know where to begin. Therefore, I will start with my most recent trip home to Pennsylvania to visit my family.

Over the Forth of July weekend, my husband, boys, and I traveled to visit my family in Pennsylvania. It has been a few months since we visited and our last visit was in April for the unexpected death of my grandfather. When we lose someone close to us, it is sad, but can also be a celebration of the amazing life lived.

My grandmother passed 7 years ago and it is comforting to know that after many years, my grandparents are reunited in heaven. There are so many wonderful things I loved about my grandparents. From the way you felt when you walked in the door, to the quirky little things each one of them would do, at the center was love.

When I was home in PA, I was able to visit their home and while there, I came across one of my grandmother's journals. One thing about my grandmother, she spent hours doing her daily devotions, studying her Bible, writing and cleaning.

Being sentimental, I managed to snag the journal and read through it. My grandmother's journal is what got me writing again. I realize that my grammar does not need to be perfect and my sentence structure will not be diagrammed, but writing things down will help to remember my amazing life.

Each day when my grandmother would write, she would document the weather, what she was doing that day and what many of the other family members were doing. It was heartwarming to read about her baking her famous butterscotch pies to take to the church dinners and canning to make her tomato juice and raspberry jam. My grandmother was one of the strongest ladies I knew. Despite her severe arthritis and back and knee problems, grandma Laura would constantly be on her hands and knees cleaning the floor. As I read her journal, I am thankful not only to have these memories to reflect on but also for modern technology and the Swiffer.

Thank you Grandma for the reminder of how blessed we are each day and how we should never take advantage of the time we have. I look forward to reminiscing more on my next trip home.

The photo below is one of my favorites. 

Michelle :)

The Present that Keeps Giving

With such a large family it is always hard when people ask, "What does Camden want for his birthday?" This year I went looking for alternatives to toys and found a great solution, Kiwi Crate.

Kiwi Crate is a great gift for families and kids who like to do craft project. The best part is all the prep work is done for you. There is no running to the craft store to purchase all the materials, it comes right to the door all ready to go. Directions for each project are colorful and easy to follow.

We have received two months of projects now and could not be happier. Besides the great projects, Camden is super excited that they come in a green box with his name on it.

Last month, we were able to work together to create two amazing projects, a nest with two eggs and a bird mask and wings. This month we created a lantern and outdoor explorer kit.

Below are some pictures of Camden creating his masterpieces. I suggest you check out their website as I'm sure you know a little person who would love this concept as much as my child.

http://www.kiwicrate.com/

 Yes, that is glue. Thank goodness the bowl kept it from going all over the place.

 

 

 This month we couldn't get out of our jammies before starting.

 

We are anxiously awaiting our next green box on the 15th.
Michelle :)

Patriotic Mantle

So my goal when we moved into our house was to create amazing mantles for each season. I was pretty impressed with the stuff I found to put this one together. However, when friends come over and do not comment on my creation, I start to wonder "Am I the only one who thinks this looks good?" So this month I am asking for your help. Too much? Not enough?

Here are a few photos.....

 Aren't these little ants the cutest?

 

 Who doesn't love a wooden Uncle Sam?

 

 Purchased this neat window at the Lucketts antique store in Lucketts, VA.

 

 Found this old Boyd's Bear in a box downstairs. The beans in the jar I saw on Pinterest and thought it was such a cute idea. Hopefully they will keep from year to year. I definitely don't plan on making bean soup with them.

I wish I could get a better picture but the glass had a horrible reflection on it so I had to close the blinds and back up.

Now that you have seen the whole picture....what are your thoughts?

Michelle :)

Race Extravaganza

Now that summer is here and my computer is fixed, I am so excited to share this year's birthday party with all of you even if it was a few months ago. Camden is absolutely in love with Cars and most importantly Shiny Wax. So when it came to planning a birthday party this year, there was no doubt what it would be. Here are some of the amazing photos taken by my friend Cortney Heykoop, of Heykoopphotography. I am so glad she was able to come and capture this amazing day with our friends and family.

Here are some of the amazing photos. Thank you to Pinterest for the great ideas.

 I purchased several race themed items from racepartydecorations.com

  Race car apples and grapes.
 

 Cone cups thanks to birthdayexpress.com
 

 This wall masterpiece was thanks to my wonderful husband and step-dad. Didn't they do a great job?
 

The cake that looked easier to create than it actually was.

 

 My mom's amazing sugar cookies.
 

The stop light cupcakes that were oh so yummy too!

 

Camden's favorite car in the movie or should I say not in the movie is Shiny Wax. I think it could be his color but I found some great clip art online and printed it on sticky paper. Worked great to jazz up the applesauce.

The pit passes that the kids each were given.

 

Our little photo booth that I created with help from my family. All of our guests were able to get their pictures taken in the photo booth. It was a great memento for us and them to remember the day.

 

 

Some more great photos of the day.

 

 

I created my stop lights with soda cases. Amazing what I little spray paint and colored circles can do.

 

Great birthday shirt purchased from http://www.etsy.com/shop/AChapmanCreations

 

Dad and I had some fun with the photo props.

It was a great day and I can't wait to plan the next party.

 

Michelle :)