Shark Attack! Finn is 2!

There was a SHARK ATTACK over the weekend at our house!  Finn turned 2 years old, and there was a Shark Party to mark the occasion as special!  We are so blessed to have made it this far with this little man in our lives, and we had a wonderful time celebrating this milestone with our family, friends, and our little guy! 

Of course, for me, the party planning was the best part!  Britt and I both decided on the theme, and we got on Pinterest to do some research!  Then, I made lists!  A guest list, a things to make list, a things to buy list, a food list...  WHEW!  Then, we took the red pen to it and chopped it down!  I always have BIG ambitions and BIG dreams for parties, but the realist in the house reminds me of our tiny checkbook, and we whittle it down.  I think it turned out perfectly!

I have put together some pictures and some explanations about the party set up and decorations.  I hope you enjoy it!  CLICK ON EACH PICTURE TO ENLARGE.

Invitation - DreamWeaverPrints

We used a lot of paper printables that we found on Etsy to complete our decor!  I love to support my fellow crafters!  All of the party decor items were from the Pep Custom Designs store.  I used the pennant banner, cupcake wrappers, signs, drink wrappers and 2inch party circles from THIS LISTING.  I will also be using the thank you notes this week!

Outside window decoration by Dad!

Signs on the front door

HAPPY

BIRTHDAY

FINN!  (Banner by Pep Custom Design)

Cupcake assembly! (cupcakes from the grocery store, toppers by boogaboo)

The cupcake toppers were also printables from Etsy!  I got them from the boogaboo shop.  This is the LISTING I used for them.  PROPS to my husband for a lot of the cutting - especially these fins!  They were a bit tedious - but so worth it!  Sometime you need to ask him about working on cutting things out while he was at flag football practice last week...

We printed this DreamWeaverPrints sing as a 16x20 for the party

Of course, his party would not have been complete without a Dream Weaver Prints party sign!  Again, we had so much fun working on this one!  Since I am the designer and seller of these AMAZING pieces of art, I asked Britt to be the "customer" on this one.  He emailed me with all the things he wanted included (themes, colors, sayings, etc), I worked it up, and he approved it!  We ordered a BIG one for a centerpiece at the party.  I am going to hang it in Finn's room this week.

We have FACTOID signs all over the dining room to entertain the adults!

Our Shark Attack table!  Net from Hobby Lobby

The Food!  (Click to enlarge for details!)

Sea Water and Regular water...

And, of course, the party was a blast as well!  I have to share a few pictures from the festivities of our sweet boy enjoying his party!  He loved all the candy on the table, and the "cake cup" (as he calls them) was fun, too - even if he did try to touch the candle flame!  OOPS!

Happy Birthday Finn

More Presents!

Unwrapping!

See dad's hand coming in for the save?

Yum!  Cake Cups!

He got some GREAT presents, but I think one really takes the cake!  My Dad made him this AWESOME busy board that an 2 year old boy would LOVE!  Nana the Wondersitter helped, of course, but Dad dug around in his "treasures," bought a few new things, and made the MOST FABULOUS gift for his last grandson!  I saw THIS PIN on Pinterest a while back, and sent it to my dad, so I am sure it was a great inspiration for him!  We all loved playing with it, and I am sure it is to become a family heirloom!  THANKS, GRANDPA!!!

NAILED it!

Finn LOVES Pistol Pete - and this one behind the door is perfect.

The first time he saw Pete behind the door.  PRICELESS!

LOVES IT!

We ended the party by playing outside on a GORGEOUS Oklahoma fall afternoon.  Broke out the "roller coaster" toy Finn got from us yesterday for his friends to enjoy as well.  it was a hit, just like yesterday!  Best part of this toy?  it comes apart and stores completely in it's own base.  Couldn't ask for more!

Thanks for celebrating with us!  This was a GREAT way to survive a SHARK ATTACK!

How Very Pinteresting

You can find anything on Pinterest

Christmas is just around the corner!  Less than 2 weeks away!  And I find myself amazingly calm.  Strange.  I am done shopping (not that I had much to do in the first place since we are minimalists when it comes to gifts, and we have no money), my cards were sent out 2 weeks ago (thanks to the help of my amazing husband), our Christmas Visitation schedule has been set and approved, I know what we are having for Christmas Eve dinner AND Christmas morning breakfast (as soon as  my Mom tells me what I need to bring to Christmas dinner I will be set for food!), and I found myself with some extra time this past weekend.  Once we got through Lara’s Nutcracker Dream performance, I was almost bored. (WHAT?!?!?!  I know, right?)

But never fear!  Pinterest is here!  I have been a Pinster (a Pinning Gangster) of late for some reason.  And unlike some of my awesome friends, 2/3 of what I pin, I never actually intend on acting on.  I just pin.  It’s addicting.  But somehow, a few things stick in my mind, and I act on them.  Like the crib railingcover I made for Woodchuck a few weeks ago.  Well, this weekend, I got the Christmas Pins bug, and whipped out a few cute things…

One of our family traditions (I have discovered there are lots… maybe the topic of my next post), is that every year we have a new picture ornament of the kids for the main tree.  This started way back in 2002 when Emma and Lara had their first Christmas at 7 months old.  So, for 5 Christmases, that was 2 new picture ornaments per year.  (I do know one year it is one LARGE ornament with a picture of both of them in it…, and maybe another year, too, but you get the idea…).  Add Jake in 2007, and for the last 5 years that’s 3 ornaments per year.  Last year, FOUR new picture ornaments (even though Finn’s first Christmas ornament is STILL not hung…  it got lost in the move, we found it, but it still has no picture in it!  It will be in the tree by this time next week!).  Not counting all the others we acquire and handmade kid gifts and ornament exchanges, and OHH!  Pretty!  I had to stop the madness this year!  So, inspired by this pin I saw on Pinterest, I made this:

YUP!  All four of my kiddos on ONE ornament!  It's one of those brown box ornaments from Hobby Lobby. Spray painted it silver, mod podge, the pictures, then 3 more layers if mod podge. I put the date on the top with stickers. Added a little red bow and a bell! Perfection!  Now my mom wants one, and I can’t find any more of the paper box ornaments.  So, I guess I’ll save the pictures and make it for her next year…  Along with a 2013 version for BOTH of us!

Then, I tried to wrap some of our Christmas presents.  To no avail.  I won’t go in to why, but you can ask my husband, or just trust me.  Sometimes, I don’t make the best choices.  It happens!  But, THIS little gem turned out SO CUTE and I am so proud of it!

 

It was inspired by this pin.  I thought I wanted to do snowflakes, but I LOVED the teal color of these trees, and I thought they would lend themselves well to a wreath.  I was not disappointed!  I bought a pack of 12 (I think there were 12) glitter Christmas tree ornaments at Wal-Mart. Cut the stings off, arranged them in a circle, and started hot gluing! (Is that a verb?)  Finished it off with a cute glittery snowflake ribbon. Easy Peasy!

And last but not least…  teacher presents.  On a less than shoe-string budget.  I saw this pin and made it happen!  I even found the cute tissues at WAL-MART!  I was satisfied with just using the little nondescript packs of Kleenex, but I found the cute Christmas-y “Swankie” tissues!  I got the Hand sanitizers and holders at Bath and Body Works buy 2 get one free (I got 6 of each thing), so each “gift” cost just about $2.  WORKS FOR ME!  The kids handed them out earlier this week, and their teachers LOVED them!

So, now what?  Well, I am making my Christmas Eve dinner from a Pin.  I’ll let you know how that goes!  (If you know me, you know I don’t cook often.  I think Britt was about to pass out when I told him I would pick the menu and cook that meal…)

In the meantime, here are a couple of pictures from Lara’s Nutcracker Dream rehearsal and performance.  I was not able to stay for the Dress Rehearsal, so I don’t have many pictures (no photography allowed on performance night!)  I have no idea why this is playing them in reserve order, either.  I tried... ;)