We Love Our Teachers

In an act of cruelty, the kids' schools scheduled "Love Your Teachers" week to coincide with the week of Valentine's Day parties. We were asked to show the teachers that we love them each day this week. Yeah, every day. Don't get me wrong, we love the kids' teachers so much, but this wasn't exactly the best week to throw in extra things to do each day.

I had a lot of creative ideas in mind for the week, but last weekend was not freed up to allow me to complete them, so I ended up throwing some things together at the last minute each night this week. I think it turned out okay, though.

Monday, I used one of my ideas leftover from last year and decorated some hand sanitizer bottles.




Tuesday, I cheated and wasn't crafty at all. Instead, we left the house a few minutes early that morning and picked up a Starbucks gift card on the way to school. (This was probably the first time I've been grateful that Cooper only attends school three days a week. Whew! That saved me on some gifts this week.)

Wednesday, I baked pumpkin bread in my mini-loaf pan. I know pumpkin is not a normal treat for February, but I just happened to have everything in my pantry to throw it together.


If you like pumpkin bread, this is a very yummy but super easy recipe to use.


Thursday, I took another easy road and picked up a Blockbuster gift card and paired it with a microwave popcorn package.


Friday, the kids delivered hand-size apple pies. I was originally planning to make raspberry-swirl cheesecakes for each of our teachers, but when I found this idea yesterday, I decided it looked extremely less time consuming. I was right!


Now, I'm ready for the weekend when I'm not going to bake or craft or do anything! Whew!

Valentine's Day - Take 1

Today is the culmination of a week full of too much - excitement, to-do lists, candy, tiredness. You name it, and there was too much of it. And, it's only February 12. That means it is not even officially Valentine's Day, but because it's the last day of the school week, it might as well be V-Day.

Abigail and Cooper's class parties are today, and they were so excited this morning. Not to mention, they looked super cute.


Cooper had cupcakes and iced sugar cookies to take to "his kids." Ha! He told me this morning, "My kids are going to love my cakes." Too cute!

And, I hope they do. I spent a few hours yesterday making cupcakes with delicious butter cream icing and heart-shaped sugar cookies decorated with icing and sprinkles, of course.


The real treat of the day are the actual Valentines. The kids have been anxiously awaiting today to give their friends the treats. I found this year's idea in a magazine and went to town with matchboxes. That's right, matchboxes and scrapping paper.


Each of these matchboxes slides out for the treats.


I think they turned out so cute.


Although Cooper's class can't read, I still personalized them for the kids with cards attached to the boxes.


Now, I'm moving on to getting ready for the next Valentine's event. I can't wait to share what I have in store for Sunday...

100 Days of School

Monday was the 100th day of kindergarten for Abigail. I know, I can't believe it either! I don't remember that being a big deal when I was a child, but it is now. They had an entire day of 100-themed activities and excitement. Apparantly there was too much excitement, because they ended up having to have 100 seconds of silence with their heads on their desks. Ha!

There was even an appearance from Zero the Hero. He is a masked super hero that appears in a flash in her classroom on days that end in "0". He runs through the room leaving treats at their desk, and the kids always look forward to the 10th and 20th and 30th days of each calendar month. I heard on Monday that he made three appearances throughout the day in their classroom. Abigail was so excited, describing him as a man wearing a swimsuit, goggles and a cape. Wow!

As usual, I had many creative ideas for what item Abigail could take 100 of to share with her classmates. Many of my Facebook friends gave great suggestions, and I was having a hard time choosing. The choice became much easier though, because I waited until the last minute to actually get it together. It was halftime of the Super Bowl Sunday night when I ran up to the grocery store in search of something cheap and easy to duplicate 100 times.

Abigail especially wanted to take something edible because they were going to get to eat everything that was edible. In my mind, that sounded horribly unhealthy because I've seen what the other kids bring for lunch so I decided it would be a good idea to stick with fruit so I picked up grapes. Not having any idea what 100 grapes looked like, I just picked up a bunch of grapes. Surprisingly, 100 grapes is not that many and looks like this.


So, we have A LOT of grapes left over.


The kids are probably sick of grapes because I've been feeding them grapes every chance I could this week. But, it ended up being a great choice. When I saw the plethora of cookies, sugar cereal and candy that Abigail amassed from what the other kids shared with her, I knew the grapes were the best decision I could have made.

Giddy Up

Of course, I have to give both children the same amount of "air time." Right? In the interest of fairness, and because I love how it came together, I'll share images of Cooper's room today. While Abigail is on her third room, this is all pieced together from Cooper's nursery. I know that may not be fair. But, when I designed Cooper's nursery, I knew I couldn't make the same mistakes I'd made with Abigail's, and had every intention of putting together a room that could grow with him. Mission accomplished!


When we found out we were having a boy, I immediately began looking for masculine-themed bedding. I'd still be looking if I hadn't given up, found fabrics and put my very talented mother-in-law and grandmother-in-law to the task of creating bedding and window treatments. I wasn't interested in pastel colors or trains or teddy bears or sports themes. Once I decided to make it a cowboy-themed room, I still wasn't successful in finding western items that weren't baby-ish. And, fabric stores are a rarity these days so I resorted to online fabric shopping. After the incredible length of time I spent putting it together, I can say that it was all worth it. I still love it, almost four years later!

When we moved him from his toddler bed last year, my mother found this antique bed at a garage sale for $30. Daniel had to do some welding (and still needs to touch up some of the wood), but it is perfect! And, my mother-in-law currently has the bedskirt from his crib and is re-working it into a bedskirt for this queen-size box springs. I can't wait to see how it turns out because it was adorable to start off with. It is almost identical to the valance but also features a fringed, brown leather trim. Cuteness!

The wooden toy chest at the foot of the bed was mine when I was a child. And, the rocking chair in the left-hand corner of the photo was mine that I received for my first birthday.


I especially love the rustic painting above the bed. My parents gave that to Cooper for Christmas last year.


Here, you can see that rocker I've been dragging around for almost 30 years. Ha! On the corner of the bed is the quilt from Cooper's crib. Hanging on the wall is a painting of our beloved dog, Maui. A friend of Daniel's grandparents' painted this for us a few years ago, and the frame was made by Daniel's grandfather.




This dresser was the integral piece of this room. Don't ask me why, but it didn't come together until I found this dresser. I'm terrible about getting an idea in my head and not settling until I find what I'm picturing in my head. The problem intensifies when I affix a price to that idea. Apparently antiques aren't the way to go when looking for a deal, unless you're determined and keep looking and looking and looking. My family was so happy when I finally purchased this dresser and they no longer had to spend Saturdays traipsing from one Craigslist dresser viewing to another. Ha! Again, the time spent was totally worth it. This dresser is my favorite piece of furniture in our home.

The lamp was an old lamp that I covered with a scrap of fabric. And, this treasured painting sitting on the dresser was painted by my great-grandmother. I spent years trying to get a hold of one of her paintings, and my grandmother graciously sent this to me a year or so ago. I wish could get at least one more, but I won't be greedy. I'm incredibly grateful that I was able to get this one.


These two prints were purchased online, but I have great plans to replace them. I know I've seen a photo of my father on the same pony when he was a boy. That would be a great addition to Cooper's room.


My mom found this wooden growth chart in a boutique several years ago. I've been too lazy to use it. I've got to start keeping track of it! My grandmother used to keep track of my on the door frame of her bedroom closet. I'm sure it's been painted over, which is a bit disappointing so that makes me think Cooper would enjoy having this as a keepsake many years from now. And, he's growing so quickly, so I better get to work!

Abigail's Room

I've written several blogs lately, but have chosen not to share them with you. Mostly, it's ended up being what I would consider a journal, and I don't think you're interested in reading my thoughts on parenting or politics or anything personal. Usually I just start writing without a real plan in my head, and lately, those thoughts have mostly been introspective. I think the dawn of a new year/decade will cause that for most, and I'm no different.

Moving on, I do have some images I've never shared and missed "talking" to you guys, so I thought I'd give you a peek into our home this week as a way of touching base with you. For some reason, I don't feel that's too personal to share...

Abigail's room is the epitome of a little girl's room, which she's never had prior to this home. In her previous rooms, dating back to her nursery, I did everything I could to avoid pink and flowers and anything girly. Now, she's old enough to decide what she wants for herself, and she is as girly as it gets!


At the room's entry is a pair of photos (by the lovely Allison Richardson, whom we miss dearly) that span from age 3 to 4. My, how much she changes each year! In the middle is a shadowbox of the dress she wore home from the hospital after birth and her birth announcement. I'm not normally sentimental, but this is the only piece of Abigail's clothing I've held on to. It is the first item Daniel ever gave to her, as he did his own shopping during my pregnancy. I hope she treasures it one day.


The rest of the room is Pottery Barn-inspired. The bedding, from bedskirt to duvet, to shams to sheets, is all PBKids. I love that place, but even moreso when I can get it for a steal on eBay. Ha! You didn't think this couponing queen would pay retail for expensive bedding for my five-year-old?! Never! But, that doesn't mean I don't drool over the rooms in all PB catalogs.

Please excuse the lack of window treatment in this photo. Fabric was purchased and a plan was hatched almost a year ago. However, the planner fell through and the windows are still naked. So, I've taken it upon myself and now have the fabric in my possession and am determined to have a window treatment in place by the end of this month. (Also, I picked up fabric to create a tablecloth and chair coverings for one of Abigail's small tables not currently in her room. I'll get that together and gift her my porcelain tea set that my great aunt painted for me when I was a little girl. Fingers crossed her brother doesn't destroy it...) Another thing bugging me in this image is the missing headboard. I put in an order for Daniel to create a white picket fence headboard. I need to check on that order...




There's quite a few crafty items in this room, from the rose-covered lamp to the painted wooden letters hung by ribbon above the bead to this bulletin board. I just covered the cork with a scrap of fabric and used ribbon to make photo holders.




The two dressers in this room were purchased from an unfinished furniture store when I was pregnant with Abigail. We actually got new furniture for her when we moved her into a big-girl room a few years ago, but we sold that last year and gave this back to her when she wanted a girly room. This mirror was removed from one of the bathrooms in our home in South Carolina. Daniel framed it with this moulding, and it's beautiful in her room. Now, that's thrifty!

Speaking of moulding, did you notice the lovely chair rail in the room? Daniel installed this perfectly, along with painting the ballet pink and white walls. He's so handy... I think I'll keep him! That is, if he makes my headboard...

Since I just shared images from Daniel's cousin Holly's wedding yesterday, I might as well get around to finally sharing about the bridal shower I co-hosted for her in November. (Yes, November. I know I've been a slack blogger, but you have no idea how busy I've been. The last time our family was home together with nowhere to travel over a weekend was November 7-8. So, I hope you're cutting me some slack and not thinking I'm a disgrace to the blogosphere.)

Back to the shower... This shower was a bit difficult because we planned it long-distance, with neither of the planners living in Midland, where the shower was held. But, it turned out to be beautiful and I think these two (bride-elect, Holly, and groom-elect, Jerry) were pleased.


We found this wonderful location that was such a surprise. It's a nursery that sells amazing plants and flowers and patio/garden furniture and decor. Hidden in the back of the nursery is a cafe surrounded by a beautiful pond/water feature and tons of gorgeous plants and flowers. It was such a lovely location that we were pleased to find, and their food was delicious.



Due to the nature of bridal showers, we wanted to be appropriately old-fashioned in many ways because, well, that's the way we do things where I grew up. I don't know why, but that's just how it is. Showers and weddings are traditionally somewhat formal, and there is just a certain etiquette that is expected. However, Holly is young and has a style all her own that we didn't want to ignore so we did opt to be a little funky in the decor. We chose turquoise and red for the color scheme. I know it sounds odd but it's really fun and funky when it comes together. I was especially proud of the invitations that were a deep red, trimmed in a red/white damask pattern and accented with a turquoise jewel. At the shower, we covered the tables in turquoise and placed large red tissue paper pom poms atop glass vases as the centerpieces.




For another special touch, Daniel helped me put together these cupcake flags. (They were almost as cute as the cupcakes were yummy - red velvet with cream cheese icing is the best!)


Most of all, I think Holly had a fabulous shower and was honored by all the ladies in attendance as well as all the wonderful household items she is not using to help make a home for her and Jerry.

Going to the chapel...

This past weekend we traveled to Odessa/Midland for the wedding of Daniel's cousin, Holly. It was a beautiful wedding and reception, and I'd like to think that my beautiful kids had a little bit to do with that.

Abigail, along with her cousin Avery, were flower girls. This was Abigail's first wedding to attend, and she absolutely loved it!








Cooper was hanging out with me in the back of the church while I helped corral the flower girls and make sure Abigail went down the aisle at the right time. The ring bearer, who was just 1 year old, wasn't fairing too well and it was decided that he wasn't going to make it down the aisle. The bride, Holly, asked me if Cooper would be able to go down the aisle with the ring pillow. While thinking that there was no way my shy little guy would go down the aisle, I confidently said, "Sure, he'll be great!" Fortunately, Cooper manned up and trotted off down the aisle ahead of the flower girls and was fantastic!


Daniel was seated at the front of the church and said his heart stopped a bit when he saw Cooper coming down the aisle. He just knew that Cooper had slipped through the door as I was ushering Abigail out ,and that I didn't get the chance to grab him. Fortunately, that wasn't the case, and the kids were perfectly behaved as they stood at the front of the church throughout the ceremony and then followed the bride and groom out the back of the church. As we waited in the hallway for the guests to leave the church before we returned for photos, the groom, Jerry, came up to Cooper to give him a fistbump and tell him how great he did. To my shock and humor, Cooper replied, "I got your back." Ha! (Remember, this kid is just three!) Kids are too funny...

At the reception, Cooper was a big hit on the dance floor. Who knew my little man had moves?!


At one point, there was a circle of people that formed around Cooper as he danced up a storm in the middle and everyone cheered him on. He even jumped on to the floor a few times and spun around from one buttcheek to the other in his own version of breakdancing. Too funny...

One of the best moments of the reception was the couples' dance when they had each couple continue dancing until it was narrowed down to the longest-married couple. Daniel's grandparents were the last ones dancing, and I don't think there was a dry eye in the place as everyone stood in their honor. Gamps and Gammy are the cutest couple ever!

But, Gamps cracked us up after having to give a bit of a speech before leaving the dance floor. He said, "If Kendall and Trevor (the next family members to get married) do that at their wedding, they're dead!" Ha, ha!

Abigail and her daddy had fun on the dance floor as well.


On Sunday morning, Abigail told my mom all about her beautiful dancing, but added that her daddy "got all kinds of crazy out there". Needless to say, the wedding was beautiful, and we wish Holly and Jerry a wonderful marriage together. For us, this is just the beginning . We have my cousin Leah's wedding in Atlanta in May, Daniel's cousin Trevor's wedding in San Antonio in July and are still debating on whether we will attend Daniel's cousin Stephanie's wedding in South Africa in November. Hopefully, Daniel's cousin Travis, who recently became engaged, will hold off until 2011 for his wedding because I have a feeling we will be weddinged out pretty soon.