Maya Mondays: Trust Life A Little Bit.

To those who have given up on love, I say, "Trust life a little bit." ~ Maya Angelou

DIY Tiara Headband Using Paper!

ISLANDER BONUS ALERT!!  

Yesteryday, I mentioned that I made DatMyHoney's tiara and a few of you recognized the tiara from other photos.  Today, I'm finally sharing how I made it!  Yes, I'm coming to you live from blogland on the WEEKEND!  Whaaaaaat?

Supplies:

- Headband

- Cardstock in your choice of color for crown

- Felt

- Scissors

- Hot glue

- Optional: embellishments

Step-by-Steps
1.  Cut a rectangle 6" x 3" out of the cardstock.  Cut the points of the tiara.

2.  Create the tiara shape by holding the tiara with the points up.  Glue the ends to 'close' the loop.

3.  Use the paper punch to cut a 2" circle to create a base for the tiara.  Glue along the bottom of the tiara and place on top of the circle. Hold for 15 seconds

4.  Glue a small piece of felt to the bottom of the circle. Glue the felt to the headband.  Be careful with placement to ensure your tiara rests where you'd prefer on the princess' head.  Glue another piece of felt to the bottom of the headband.  As a visual, your headband should be 'sandwiched' between two pieces of felt.

5.  Embellish the tiara with gems or stickers to fit your preference or theme.  I used a number 3 sticker from a pack I purchased from the Dollar Tree.  I also incorporated tulle and ribbons to create a cape look that matched her birthday outfit.

Eh, it was ok.  It was done but it was missing something:

After a few gemstone stickers, we were ready to rock!

I even made a small pink Batgirl symbol to take it over the top:

You may recall seeing the tiara I made for Gilly.

I used a doily as the base and gold card strock for the tiara.

Munch's Halloween costume had one attached to a clip.

I even made a mini verson for her corsage on the playing card peplum top she wore on Halloween.

This tutorial is easy and could be incorporated into your next event in a number of ways:

- Create tiaras instead of party hats for your next princess event.
- Make a tiara for photo booths
- Make matching tiaras for your little girl AND her doll
- Use a larger version in your centerpieces
- Use them in photo shoots for infants or birthdays
- Frame one in a shadow box for room decor

Get creative, the possibilities are endless!

Cheers to a ROYAL day!

Super Princess Party - The Fashion.

If you know MyHoney, you know she's a fashionista.  Sheena found MyHoney's bat dress at H&M and added sparkle pink tulle to make it fit the theme.

She found adorable black sneakers with textured and sparkle details.  As a final touch, Sheena upped the hero styling with pink sneaker wings made by an etsy seller.  The wings' detailed design is adorable and is sure to take your hero's footwear to the next level!

Super Princess Party - Decor and Food.

Howdy, Islanders!  As you probably know, my little birthday twin, DatMyHoney, turned 3 in January.  Due to a snow storm, we rescheduled her birthday party for early-February.  Sheena let her choose her own theme and DatMyHoney chose a Super Princess Girl theme.  Her mama and my bestie, Coach Sheena, went to work!  She pulled together a theme that was chic using intentional decor with tons of awesome DIY elements.  Get ready for cuteness overload!

WW: DatMyHoney Turns 3!

Wordless Wednesday

Rainbow, A Possibility of Hope.

"God puts rainbows in the clouds so that each of us - in the dreariest and most dreaded moments - can see a possibility of hope." ~ Maya Angelou

Gender Reveal - What NOT To Do!

I recently designed a gender reveal invitation.  The clients provided the image and I made it to their specifications:

In case you didn't know, Gender Reveal parties are all the rage.  What's a gender reveal, you ask? It's a party where parents-to-be announce the sex of their baby.  Yes, it's another excuse for people to host a party.  No, it's not a typical reason to party or even a "necessary" party... and I get it.  Some people just don't understand the whole concept and this new trend in the maternity and event planning worlds is either loved or hated.

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I've shared my thoughts about gender reveals in a post (here).  While I enjoy the excitement of gender reveals and LOVE an excuse to party, I've got a few pet peeves for people who are planning to host one in the future.  I've compiled a list a things that you SHOULDN'T DO when planning your gender reveal.

Baseball-Themed Baby Shower

Howdy, Islanders!

Do you remember these two?

That's my sweet rustic bride from a few years ago, remember?  I've been meaning to share their baseball-themed baby shower with all of you.  My rustic bride's family hosted a fabulous shower and I was on site to help with set-up.  

They used a mixture of personal and commercial images as decor and had a number of DIY ideas you'll love.

For table centerpieces, Munch helped to 'mod podge'  (is that a verb?  One can mod podge, right?) photo copied images to blocks of wood.  The grandma-to-be (G2B) pulled some of the bride's old gear, peanuts, old balls and vintage baby blocks to create the perfect finishing touches.

Munch Makes: A V-Day Party!

You may recall for Valentine's Day 2014, Munch and her friend, Jada, came together for a play date that involved making cards to combat elderly depression.  This year, we expanded our invite list to include the book club buddies.  We pulled out decor and craft supplies we already had and set the stage for an evening of fun.

I used an old candy dish (purchased from Target years ago) to hold the cutlery.  I used disposable cups I had on hand, Munch added stickers, and some crazy straws I picked up from Dollar Tree (DT).

Valentine's Day Gift: You're the BALM!

If you're looking for an affordable gift that every girl will LOVE to receive, then I've got the perfect idea for you!

I totally had big plans to print a cute card but, waiting until the last minute as usual, I didn't have white card stock and my printer was low on ink.  I panicked for a split-second but found some cards in the craft stash, wrote a sweet message inside, and fell in LOVE with the finished product!

Shopkins: FREE Valentine's Printables!

Howdy, Islanders.

Are you ready for official training in the latest craze among little girls?

Shopkins are miniature items modeled after things found in grocery and department stores.  These tiny collectibles are everyday items that receive a cute makeover and some - GET EXCITED - have tiny holes on the bottom that fit on top of pencils!  **eye roll**

They're all the rage in school and events and clothing and accessories and LIFE as little girls and their poor sweet moms know it!

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To put it into perspective, they are smaller than happy meal toys and don't do anything special but cost $3+ a piece.  I know, I don't understand it either.  Every few months, a new collection of toys (called seasons) is released.  You can purchase multiples or individuals.  Individual Shopkins are sold in sealed pouches for an added element of surprise. **squints** so, you're telling me I have to keep buying until you get the coveted "limited edition" one you want?  So, these things are like prizes in Easter eggs or the toys in the cereal box? Except they cost a LOT of money to do nothing.  **eye roll**

Islanders, in the words of Forest Gump, "Shopkins are like a box of chocolates, you never know what you're going to get!"

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Munch was late to jump on the Shopkin bandwagon.  It wasn't until every birthday party recipient requested Shopkins that Munch was researching and shopping for her friends when she developed a love for them.  Apparently, there is no resisting the Shopkins' cuteness.

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Of course, we capitalize on characters and the latest obsessions for holidays and special occasions.  Doesn't every mom wind up feeding into the remnants of little kid-ness?  Aren't we all willing to support the antics that keep our children interested in age-appropriate things?

*rolls eyes for so long I doze off*

For Valentine's Day, Munch wanted to pass out Shopkins valentines.  When we received word that, due to weather-related school closings, there would be no party, Munch asked if we could do something different because EVERYBODY would have the ones we saw in the store.  I've been on a crafty hiatus for awhile so, I agreed and we set a budget of $20 for the class valentines.

Here's what we came up with:

Maya Monday:The Wisest Thing You can Do.

"If you must look back, do so forgivingly.  If you must look forward, do so prayerfully.  However, the wisest thing you can do is be present in the present...Gratefully." ~Maya Angelou

Monthday - 3, 4, 5?!

Despite my decision to put things on pause, I had one tiny reminder that time was still racing by... my adorable nephew, Mason.  You may recall my commitment to capture his monthly milestones in photos.  Remember some of our elements used in every monthday photoshoot?

Well, I was unable to be there on his actual monthday in December.  Mom and Dad took the photos for that month and I got a text update that he wasn't feeling it:

Sure, they had most of the ingredients for the shoot:  the baby, the giraffe, the sticker tie but... Islanders, you see his face.  You see Ryan's message. They were missing his auntie, duh!  OH, and speaking of MaseFace and his auntie... I received a pleasant surprise on my birthday.

Maseface made a birthday greeting card for me!  How awesome is that?!  I also learned Ryan's mom was able to capture his 4th monthday photos and Islanders, get ready for the milestones.

There's the giraffe.  The sticker tie.  The bright-eyed baby.

WHO SITS UP?!

Who has also been trying to scoot around?!  You see the drool.  He's teething.

What's next?  DRIVING?!

Oh. My. Word.  When did this happen?  You know what else?  This past Monday, February 1, 2016, Mason started to attend daycare... Yep, he had his first day of school and *drumroll please* so far so great!

Oh, don't worry your pretty little head.  I've got photo plans for Valentine's Day.  It's goin' down.

Auntie OUT!

Bearing Fruit.

     

      My life is like an apple tree.  Some of my fruits include follower of Christ, wife, mother, friend, sister, aunt, daughter, crafter, blogger, event planner, DIY-er, decorator, singer, youth choir director, teacher, playdate planner, homeowner, cleaner, cooker, baker, dog mama, cheer coach, gymnast mom, drum mom, fashionista, and so many more.  Over time, I became focused MORE on my fruits than I did on the rest of the tree… who cares about the leaves, the branches, the trunk or even the roots?  The only thing others care about is the fruit, right?  Thus, I cared more about whether I showed the signs of an apple tree that had it all and, more importantly, had it all to give away.  

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      I mean, I had lots of apples hanging from my limbs and I freely gave my apples to anyone who needed them.  I compromised and sacrificed myself to be of benefit to others.  After all, I had apples.  LOTS of apples... but were they sweet?  Were they crisp and refreshing?  

     All of that changed when one of life’s storms left my tree bare.  You know what, Islanders?  When you take away the fruit and leaves, all you see are the branches and a trunk… I could’ve forgotten that I was even an apple tree… I very easily could’ve decided never to bear fruit again.  Do you know what life’s storm did?  It forced this ol’ apple tree to wiggle her roots and to remind herself that she has a groundskeeper who has been feeding the soil the entire time.  I’ve learned just how deep-rooted in my relationship with God I am.  Roots of faith, love, strength, forgiveness, friendship, and family reminded me of who I am at my core.  I seized the storm as an opportunity to strengthen the tree and to choose what fruits I wanted to bear.  For the past few weeks, I've allowed myself to focus on the roots, the trunk and the branches… The decision to take great care of myself reminded me of how critical the act of nurturing my own tree is to the quality of my fruit.  Guess what, Islanders.  I learned a valuable lesson.  

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      I’d rather be the tree with a few amazing apples – crisp, sweet, refreshing apples – than to be the tree whose fruits suck the life from it (ironic how that works, huh?).  I’d rather be a tree who beats the odds of life’s storms and whose fruits are not compromised by the elements surrounding it.  

      AND THAT is where my testimony, my sweetest fruit, will grow… 

      Have you taken time to focus on your self-care?  Have you reminded yourself of where you are deep-rooted?  If not, let me sow an [apple] seed in your life. Storms are going to come.  Some of them will rattle your roots.  Remember, the rain makes you grow taller and the winds make your branches strong.   Just to be sure you don't forget, I made a printable.  

      Hang it somewhere and glance at it often.  Never mind for yourself, say it aloud to remind the rain and wind of how strong YOU are.

    

The Hiatus.

It's been forever. I know. I have lots to share and some things I won't but-- well, just know we've had hospital stays, life changes, monthdays, birthdays, holidays, a new year, an elf (who has a husband?!), new work commute, more articles on EGL, a centerfold feature in a magazine, and SO MUCH MORE.

We will catch up.  I will not leave you hanging long.  There is more to come and I promise I'm going to make the time to come back.  Soon.

BRB!