Busy busy

With only 1 week to go before Addie's birthday party, I have been a busy little bee trying to put everything together. 

Right now Addie is falling in love with baby dolls.  I have been looking for the perfect baby for her for almost a month,but just couldn't find the right one.  So me being me, I decided I would just make one myself.  How hard could it be?  Sure, I have never sewn anything more complicated than curtains AND my sewing machine just died, but that won't be a problem.  Well, one new sewing machine, a couple of days, and several frustrated attempts at fine tuning the pattern (because not only was I making the doll, I was also making my own pattern), we had baby Evie.  For a first attempt I was so proud.  And then I realized that you could see the threading that is on the backside of her face right through.  Good news is I was able to give the less than perfect Evie to Addie early and she really loves her.   I am now working on her second baby to give her on her birthday in hopes that she will love this one just as much.

Lots of love and slobbery baby kisses for baby Evie. 
New baby in the works is in the bottom right corner. 



The girls all like this doll so much that I now have orders for 6 more after I finish up Addie's birthday baby.  And by orders I mean demands from Tressie, Reagan, and my niece for babies for themselves.  And yes, Michele, yours is in there too. :)

Clockwise from top left: tinsel garland wreath, bubble/pinwheel favors, pom poms,
circle garland, cupcake toppers, and pretty handmade pinwheels

Other than experimental doll making, I have been trying to get a lot of the odds and ends for her party together.   You see that wreath?  It cost me $4 and 5 minutes.  I saw some tinsel garland at Dollar Tree and thought it might make a cute wreath.  I already had a straw wreath at home that I wasn't using, so I just wrapped the garlands around it and VOILA! I have a happy, sparkly, festive wreath perfect for July 4th and our Addie's birthday.    For the favors, I got some big bottles of bubbles, wrapped them with some pretty paper, added a tag, and then added in a pinwheel.  Simple but I really like how they came out.  We have some pom poms that are currently living on the mantle until it's time to put them up for the party.  My kitchen doorway has been taken over by these circle garlands that I made.  At the party, these will be over the table with all the sweets, along with the pom  poms. I love how the circle garlands and cupcake toppers came out.  I ordered a package from Dimpleprints and used it to print out all of the tags, banners, and signs.  It was a very affordable way to really personalize her party.  I still have to put together the pendant banners and put together the cupcake toppers and pinwheels, and a few other things, but things are definitely coming together. I am trying to do as much in advance as possible so that all I will have to worry about next week is the actual decorating, doing some major cleaning, and a ton of baking.  I can't believe my baby is about to turn 1!!!

And in celebration of her first birthday, Addie decided to show us something new.. Her first steps!!  I can't believe how big she is getting! Why can't they stay little forever?