simple celebrations: hello kitty party + printables

We kinda have a crush on Hello Kitty around here.

Ella turned seven this month, and at the last minute decided she wanted a "friends" party with a Hello Kitty theme. She must have caught me on a good day, because I gave the okay. Not one to usually do something like this so late in the game, I figured I could throw something together quickly if I kept things super simple.

Am I sharing the printables? Well, of course.

Hello Kitty fill-able invitation (add your own details using Photoshop or Photoshop Elements).

So here's the rundown of the festivities, starting at the top left.  

1. My version of an ice cream cake went together in about 15 minutes (with Tayler's help).
2. I put together a simple game on the trampoline. The girls jumped around while Lynn threw balls over the net. If a ball touched anyone, they went out. Last girl standing was the winner. The game lasted forever because they kept wanting to play.  
3. I used my balloon flowers again, this time creating them in colors to match Kitty's flower. Actually, my daughter-in-law Tayler, made them all! She'll be making them again for Piper's first birthday soon. 

4. For a craft project, I planned to have each of the girls design their own pin/button. It was a huge hit and they each made multiples. My friend Jen, just bought a button making machine to use at Girls' Camp and for other occasions and loaned it to me. Thanks, Jen!  
5. I gave Ella a budget for the goodie bags and she chose the items she wanted (all from Target.) I also designed and made an HK button for each of the girls and my daughter Kate, found pink and orange mini buckets to package everything in. Thanks, Kate!
6. The silly birthday girl in her Hello Kitty dress. Kate and I found matching ones for Ella and my granddaughter Madi, at Old Navy for about $7 each. 
7. Our granddaughter Piper, decided that hangin' with her Poppa was much more fun than those noisy, cray-cray girls. :) Check out that one little tooth--so darling!
8. The aftermath.

I created this 16 x 20 Hello Kitty welcome poster for the front door. It's only $6 to print at Costco or Walmart and Ella now has it on her bedroom door.

 Hello Kitty printable for 1 1/4" buttons
2" Hello Kitty toppers or tags

I did learn a few things raising my bigs, one being that the the simple parties and celebrations really are the most memorable--for everyone. I also figured out that my expectations were always far greater than my little ones. This little party is proof. I was able to put it together in just a few days and for about $60 total. Ella loved it and the girls had a delightful time. How do I know? They didn't want to leave.:)

Happy Birthday, Ella Bella! Big loves.

P.S. Send me photos if you use these printables for your own Hello Kitty themed party. I want to see!

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celebration ice cream cake

We recently returned from a ten day trip to California. Before we left, we had a little birthday celebration for Ella with some of her giggly, silly, darling schoolmates. I hadn't planned on a "friends" party, but Ella must have caught me on a good day and I agreed, even though it was quite late in the game.

This "cake" could not have been more simple to make. My sweet daughter-in-law Tayler, came over to help me with the party preparations and we seriously put this ice cream cake together in about 15 minutes. We were so pleased with how it turned out and it was a huge hit with both the girls and adults.

My Ella isn't a big cake eater, but she'll never pass up ice cream. And adding sprinkles to anything makes it an instant party, especially for a bunch of six and seven year olds. :)

We used 11 Fat Boy ice cream sandwiches. Make sure whichever brand you purchase has the ice cream go all the way to the edges of the cookie part--some don't. 

Step 1.
Cover all four sides of the ice cream sandwiches with rainbow sprinkles. (We poured a layer of sprinkles in a jelly roll pan and set each side of the sandwiches in them until covered.)

Step 2.
Layer ice cream sandwiches in four layers on a cake plate like this:

Layer 1. Arrange sandwiches about 1" apart for the base.

Layer 2. Arrange sandwiches close together at an angle.

Layer 3. Add two more centered side by side.

Layer 4. Place the last sandwich at an angle centered on the last two.

Store in the freezer until ready to serve. Another thing I love about this ice cream cake, is that the portions are already made, so you just lift and serve.

Simple and delish--my favorite kind of treat. Enjoy!

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a simple treat: rice krispie pops

My Ella Bella turned SEVEN years old this week. I'm amazed at how quickly she's growing up. She's certainly grown-up enough to make the big decisions in life, like what she wants for a classroom treat on her birthday.

Ella loves Rice Krispies treats. We found a huge box at Costco for like $7.99 with the instant rebate. I wanted to make them a little extra special, so with the help of my daughters-in-law, Ashlee and Tayler we made them into pops--with sprinkles. Because around here, sprinkles make everything an instant party. :)

INGREDIENTS:
Store bought Rice Krispies Treats
4 1/2" sucker sticks
Rainbow sprinkles
Parchment paper or wax paper
4 x 6 1/2" treat bags
Ribbon

DIRECTIONS:

1. Insert the sticks in the end of the Rice Krispies Treats about 1 1/2". 
2. Spread a thin layer of sprinkles on parchment paper, and lightly press one side of the RK Treat into it. (If you want to add more sprinkles, just find a different spot on the paper with more sprinkles and press again.)
3. Add to a treat bag and tie with ribbon.

Seriously, so simple and so darling. I was afraid some of the boys might think the pink ribbon was too girly, but Ella assured me they would still eat the treat. Apparently, she was right, because she said the kids all thought these pops were tops. :)

Also shared at:
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Chic on a Shoestring 

RS birthday celebration 2013

Our annual Relief Society birthday celebration was last week and I would chock it up as a great success. Our theme was "Small and Simple Things."

I have to admit, this are my favorite invitation I've created to date. I feel like I'm coming into my own style and loving it. :)

I've always been one to take a great idea and tweak it to fit my needs or make it my own. I've realized that's not the case with everyone. So many of you contact me wanting to recreate what we've done for our Relief Society meetings, and I think that's great! I'm flattered, actually. So from now on, I'll share as much as I can. :)

Our decor was super simple. We've had a very, very long winter here in Utah, so we wanted something that shouted spring. These balloon flowers are bright, cheery and large enough to not get lost in a gigantic cultural hall. They're also easy to make. I love the colors Tracy chose--pink, orange, and teal. We strung them across the cultural hall on fishing line. (Note: Tracy used 9" balloons since they were the only ones available. If we had to do it over, we would have blown up the flower centers a little larger to hide the tied together mess better.)

We ended up getting triple duty from the balloons. My friend Crystal, told me her daughter Abby was having a birthday party two days after the social, and that the balloons were the same colors as the invite and decorations. I told her to take them when we were done. She was thrilled. Crystal then took them to Tracy's home, who used them for her daughter's party the next day. Love it!

The streamers were cool too. Tracy made them from plastic table cloths she cut it strips, then pulled on the edges to "ruffle" them. The cost of decor for the night ended up being minimal.

I had these lanterns from Patrick and Ashlee's wedding last year. They lined the walkway to the reception center. I just added a simple pink sheer ribbon bow and set them in the center of the tables.

I asked Erin Winters to create some chalk art for us. It was the perfect finishing touch to our decor. She chose the perfect quote and scripture for our theme. 

Here's the quote she used:

"There is a beauty and clarity that comes from simplicity that we sometimes do not appreciate in our thirst for intricate solutions." -Dieter F. Uchtdorf

I love it.

And I love President Uchtdorf. Seriously, who doesn't? My daughter-in-law Ashlee, is a fantastic hair stylist. (I'm not just saying that because we're related. ;)) She told me the first time she met President Uchtdorf, she kept thinking, "He has the greatest hair!" So the first time Lynn went to Ashlee to get his hair done cut (sorry, hon), he told her, "I want President Uchtdorf hair."

For our dinner, the presidency made these scrumptious ham and cheese poppy seed sliders. They were a hit. Marci bought rolls from a local bakery (Shirley's). Just a personal note, I'm not a fan of mayo, so if I were to make these for my family, I think they would be just as good if I left it off. What do you think?

For the rest of the meal, they had the sisters sign up to bring a favorite salad or dessert.

As we finished up dinner, Gail Tilley, our Stake RS President, gave a great message and led a discussion centering on our theme. She's hilarious and we all love her so much.

I chose this quote--one of my absolute favorites--to go along with our theme. I gave a 4x6 print to each of the sisters who attended the celebration as a little swag. Once again I have to give credit to Bobbi for this quote layout. I used her same quote for last year's RS celebration, after seeing it on Pinterest and tweaked it just a little to fit our theme. Now I'm using the layout again. Thanks again, Bobbi! (*Remember to have the auto enhance turned OFF when you print these or you will get a very funky color.)

We also included service in our celebration. Marci (our RS President), suggested care packages for the missionaries serving from our ward. We loved the idea. Because Patti has a missionary son out right now, I delegated that task to her to organize. 

Patti announced our project and sent out a list to all the sisters of suggestions for items we could include in the packages. We brought them the night of the celebration. Here's the list of suggestions:

• ties
• treats and/or snacks
• mints
• socks
• photos of Christ or the temple to give away
• CTR rings to give to kids
• stamps
• hair clips or ties
• written story of your conversion
• your written testimony

Anything else you'd add? We also added a copy of the David A. Bednar quote from the meeting. Patti also had note cards so we could jot a quick note of encouragement and love to those serving. 

And of course there was lots and lots for socializing, something we're all very good at. :)

We accomplished our goals--socialize, service, and bringing the spirit to our meeting. I'd love to have you share any details of your favorite RS meetings.

Resources:
Hello, cupcake invite psd. (find someone in your ward with Photoshop Elements and have them add your information.
Hello, cupcake invite jpg. (Use a different program to add your information.)
balloon flower tutorial
ruffled tablecloth streamers tutorial
ham and cheese poppy seed sliders recipe
David A. Bednar quote

Also shared at these fabulous blogs:
Whipperberry
Chic on a Shoestring 

valentine's in a box

I love, love, love everything about Valentine's Day--the colors pink & red together, chocolate, ribbon, flowers, chocolate, smooches, and having the opportunity to let my awesome hubs and family know how much I love and adore them. And chocolate. :)

This year, I really wanted to put together something sweet and simple for my daughter Kate, daughters-in-law Ashlee, Daniela, and Tayler, and a couple of my favorite girlfriends.

 I gathered all things red, pink, girly, and Valentine-y.

• Altoids for fresh breath
• grapefruit lip balm for kissable lips
• sparkly glitter for crafting
• mini candy/cupcake wrappers for gifting
• a chocolate truffle for sharing enjoying
• yummy polka dot and grosgrain ribbon for giving and wrapping and everything pretty

I arranged the items in little glossy, white boxes.

(Try to let a little of each item peek out when you arrange them--far more delightful when the package is opened. :))

I cut 3-4 layers of tissue paper to fit the box and used my pinking sheers to trim the edge. I love little details like that.

A girl can never have too much ribbon--grosgrain and sheers, polka dots and solids--love them all.

 

How about a hot pink animal print? Ella's favorite by far. That one's going to my daughter, Kate, because she's kind of a wild one and quite sassy (wink, wink!). 

Choose your favorite, and tie up the box with a pretty little bow. So simple and sweet.

Here's a list of my supplies:

• All the ribbon I used is from Paper Mart. I've been ordering from them for years. They have the best prices I've found (you'll be amazed), and it's good quality stuff.
• My 4 x 4 x 2 high gloss tuck top boxes are also from Paper Mart. They come in a quantity of 100 in a million different sizes, but this size will be perfect for so many things. I wanted one that would hold a treat or little something, along with a gift card. They come out to be only .14 each. If you don't think you'll ever use that many, go in with a friend. I also ordered some red high glass tuck top boxes in a slightly different size. Can't wait to use them too. I'll share when I do. :)
• The tubes of sparkly iridescent glitter are here. It comes in 12 different colors for .99 each.
• The mini candy/cupcake liners are from Wilton. (Found them at Walmart.)
• Burt's Bees grapefruit lip balm, Altoids, and Lindt truffles are from Target.

*The shipping charges at Paper Mart are great for ribbon and smaller items, but be warned, when you start adding the boxes, the shipping goes up substantially. I would suggest you place one big order for yourself, or order with a group of friends. They always ship super fast. I placed my order Thursday night and it arrived Saturday afternoon. Love that!

Go check it out. Give yourself plenty of time, there's a lot of fun stuff on the site. 

Ribbon:

1 1/2" x 25 yds. shimmer sheer organza (white and hot pink)

1 1/2" x 25 yds. red sheer polka dot

1 1/2" x 10 yds. pink party dot grosgrain (this is a bright pink)

7/8" x 50 yds. red grosgrain

5/8" x 20 yds. pink/white zebra grosgrain

xox

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celebrate: meeting Ella's birth parents

I've shared just a small portion of our adoption story in past posts. I am so grateful to those who have responded. Your comments have given us such hope and encouragement. Thank you!

Our story continues.

About six months ago, we realized that Ella was "stuck" in her play therapy. I remember telling her therapist, Erin, "If I have to play out that story one more time I'm going to freak!" (At that time I was also in the playroom with Ella during therapy.)

Erin just laughed. She asked if I was really ready for a change. I knew what that meant. With change comes emotion. Not just a little emotion, A LOT of emotion from our Ella--spewing everywhere, especially in my face.

Erin could see that Ella had parts of her story that were missing, and suggested we fill in the blanks. We all met together and with a stack of pictures and photos, unfolded Ella's story before her eyes. Erin explained each part so Ella could understand. It was hard to listen to all she had been through when she was so little. Ella was pretty quiet--and then hyper--as she took it all in.

Yes, there was a fall-out--as expected--but it was also very helpful. Ella had very strong, painful emotions associated with her mother, but I was the only mother she remembered. Now she could see, that it wasn't me who hurt her so deeply.

Fast forward, and Ella starts asking more questions about her birth parents. Why did they make bad choices? Do they still make bad choices? She wondered if she wasn't with them because "she wasn't born right." That seriously broke my heart. I could see the little wheels turning in her head and her self-worth being impaired.

We thought perhaps it was time for Ella to "meet" her birth parents. I say meet, only because she didn't remember them. She had pictures and had actually talked to her birth father, Sean, a couple of times, but was still struggling with whether they were "real".

The big day.

For days, Ella shared her feelings as excited, but also nervous. I'd tell her, "Me too!" and we'd giggle. We explained to Ella that she could change her mind at any time and cancel the meeting.

Ella chose to meet at the Family Support and Treatment Center. I was hesitant, but Erin explained it was a very understandable choice, because she feels safe there and it's where she deals with hard things. (Yep, my issue again. :))

Boy, I was pretty serious about getting this right! :)

Lynn, Ella and I arrived early and kept ourselves busy with projects. Erin met with Ella's birth parents, Sean and Daniela, to let them know what to expect.

Soon the door opened, and there they were. Ella ran to me and buried her face in my side. She would sneak little peeks and quickly hide again. Sean and Daniela walked in with huge smiles on their faces. Daniela was trying not to cry, which made me tear up. They talked to Ella quietly and were very patient. Sean gave her a small bouquet of pink roses which kind of broke the ice.

Ella with Erin.

Erin had let Ella choose some activities beforehand, so she knew exactly what would be happening when we were together. We played Ella's favorite game--Chutes and Ladders (I won for once!)--and made a snowflake craft.

Erin is amazing in action. I see it all the time, but couldn't help being even more impressed and grateful as she tracked and validated and guided and directed the entire time. This was all just second hand to her and she was in her element. She is such a gift and blessing to our family.

Ella's favorite part was opening Christmas gifts from Sean and Daniela. She loved her jewelry box, bracelet, pink Uggs, and Merida doll. 

Before we left, Ella wanted a picture of her birth parents. (Those red eyes are from tears of joy. :))

 The ride home was pretty quiet. Ella was taking it all in and processing. At home it was pretty much the same. She showed Madi and Lilah her things and told Kate what we did and that she liked it.

Lynn and I had been looking forward to this day for a very long time. I'm sure that might seem strange to many, but Sean and Daniela are not only Ella's birth parents, they are also our son and daughter-in-law.

It had been a very long time since we were all able to be together. This was an answer to years of prayer on their behalf. To us, it is a miracle. Our children were both once in a very, very bad place and as difficult as it was, we reported their substance abuse to CPS. Ella was placed with us and because Sean and Daniela were unable to meet the requirements of the service plan that was set up with DCFS, we adopted our granddaughter.

It feels so good to have our kids back in our lives. We had talked to them often, but when they came into town, we met somewhere else for lunch or dinner. We spent time almost every day of the week and a half they were here this time visiting together--playing and laughing and dancing (Sean LOVES Just Dance Disney. Okay, not really. :)). And we were able to spend time with our grandson, Karson. Lynn calls him "Tank." He's a wonderful handful.

One of the things we always told our kids was to make good choices. But we also knew they would make mistakes. They quickly learned that if they expected us to enable them, they were big time wrong. Was it difficult to watch them deal with consequences? Unbearable at times. We even met with the city's prosecuting attorney once to say, "Sean needs help, can you please not let him off easily, and require him to go into rehab?" The attorney just looked at us and replied, "Wow...this never happens. Most parents are in here wanting me to be more lenient." My experience has been, that enabling simply prolongs the pain and makes change and healing impossible. I also believe our being "hard-liners" as we were once described, saved our son's life.

But our children have always also known, that if you truly want to change, I will be your biggest support ever. And when you are successful, I will be first in line to celebrate with you. Because I love you, and there's not a thing you can do about it.

This was a day of celebration for us all. Our tears of pain and anguish have turned to tears of joy. Sean and Daniela have been clean for almost four years now, and we are so proud of them. If this were not the case, they would not have been able to see Ella. We want her to be safe and to have healthy relationships.

I could not imagine not thanking my Heavenly Father for this miracle, because I know all blessings come from Him. We are here to build and strengthen our families, and He wants us to be successful. 

celebrate | madilyn's fairy party

My granddaughter, Madi, turned four a few weeks ago. Her party was at our house, since she just moved to Idaho and hasn't made many friends there yet. It won't take long though, she's a little jabber jaws and makes friends very easily. :)

After our trip to Disneyland this summer, Madilyn wanted a fairy party. My daughter, Kate, has become quite the little planner and has a knack for finding great deals. We both believe the key to keeping both cost and stress levels down, is planning way in advance. Kate knew she would be moving just weeks before the party, so she had everything done the month before. She's good at delegating too. I was in charge of the cupcakes and a craft.

When the guests arrived, they were adorned with fairy wings, skirts, hair accessories, and glitter make-up.

Madi really wanted a bounce house, so Kate found one to rent in Salt Lake. They're super easy to set up. Even Grandma and Grandpa got in and gave it a try. The girls thought that was hilarious.

I needed a simple fairy-type craft, so I looked through my celebrate board on Pinterest. I loved this little project and cut out the butterflies with my Silhouette. (Go check it out here in all different spring colors--darling! I'm going to use the idea again for Easter.)

Our niece, Jessica, was staying with us while our nephew was in the hospital after a serious accident (he's doing better). She's great at crafts, so I asked her to be in charge of showing the girls what to do.

We had them add sparkly gems to the antennae and painted the wings with glitter glue. (Putting the glitter glue in 2 oz plastic cups with lids and using Q-tips to paint made clean-up a breeze.)

Sweet and sweet.

Kate announced that we were having a special visitor. I love the looks on the girls' faces when the fairy of all fairies, Tinkerbell, "flew" around the corner. (Kate found a killer deal on the Tink costume on Amazon and convinced her friend to play the part. She did great!)

Tink gave each of the girls a little bottle of pixie dust and posed for photos with each of the girls individually.

What's up with the peace sign, Mads? :)

I ordered cupcakes from Dippadee in American Fork, Utah. I had them topped with purple and sparkly sprinkles.

Then Madi's favorite part, unwrapping the gifts.

Happy Birthday, little Madi. Grandma and Pappa love you sooooo much!

P.S. I think I broke the record for the use of the words "sparkly" and "glitter" in a single post. :)