just in time for Christmas...

i will be doing a boutique tomorrow in Orem with my jams for anyone who might want to get any for Christmas gifts or holiday parties. even if you don't need jam, there should be lots of great gift ideas as well as pictures with santa:) here is all the info...

lollipop invites how-to...

here are the promised pics of the avi's invite. i love the way that they turned out. they weren't hard, but they are a little bit timely.

**try to glue yours together a little straighter than i did this first one:)

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{the finished product... unwrapped}

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{a closer look at my crooked edge:)}

{here is the template i made for the actual info part}

i made it to have the colors to match my papers...

this one is made to be the size i made mine. but you could always shrink it down.

you just want to make sure that this one is about 1-1 1/2" smaller than your patterned paper.

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{i used this circle cutter by making memories, i got it at Michael's craft}

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{just cut a front & back sheet for you lollipop. i made mine with 9" Styrofoam, which i got at the cso

i cut my sheets as wide as the cutter would allow}

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{i glued 1 1/2" satin ribbon around the edge of each disc... after i glued the

dowel in}

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{cut 1 1/2" strips to acordian fold for around the outer edge of you lollipop}

you will probably need 3-4 strips depending on what size you make &

how tight you fold them.

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{after you have folded all of your strips, glue them together in a long line, then

glue the ends together to make a circle}

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{hot glue around the edge of your styrafoam, them stretch your acordian paper

& hold it down until the glue is set}

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{make one small accordian paper to glue in between the patterned & word

circles.

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{glue them all together, again paying attention to the space on all sides}

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{this is what it should look like from the side}

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{glue another piece of patterned paper onto the back, i went with a circular stripe

on this side instead of the horizontal stripe on the other side}

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{wrap each one up i clear cellophane & tie with ribbon of you choice}

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{making it look as close to a real lollipop wrapper as you can}

{& tada! one lollipop invite... or you could omit the word part & use then as decor}

the party is on saturday... gotta get cookin'

party planning kicked into high gear...

so i have been super on & off about doing a party for my kids birthdays this year or taking a trip. since both of there birthdays split Christmas i thought maybe we should do parties on even years & trips on odd years. i know that you are probably thinking... "just scale down & do both." & i know that is the logical answer, but that is just not my style. i hope that one day i will be able to let go & scale back, but for now this is the way i am & i will just embrace it:)

anyhoo- the whole theme for Avi's party came a few months back when i got her this shirt that she became so obsessed with she wanted to wear it day & night. it's no secret that she has a sweet tooth (& that is an exaggerated understatement!!!!) this child wakes up wanting sugar & goes to bed still asking for treats! so it was only appropriate that i buy her this "candy makes me happy" shirt.

i had seen a lot of candy themed parties over the last few years & i just wanted something a little different. still cute & fun & playful, but just different. so i was really excited when we found the shirt & had a very TRUE theme for avi's 3rd birthday. now for all of the work that goes into throwing the party, planning activities, the cake, the favors & all that fun stuff. i'll post the lollipop invites soon. stay tuned!

get your jam...

so earlier in the summer i started making jam to sell at the local farmer's market. well it kind of took off faster than i anticipated, so needless to say, i have been making a lot of jam:) i never knew how much work went into going commercial with food. it is intense!!!! but now that i have done that i will be getting into shops... legally. they make great gifts & there are lots of different flavors, so you should be able to something for everyone.

i'll be at the bijou market this saturday from 10-4 in provo. come down & give them a try! if you don't make it down to the market, you can always order them from here.

finally posting:) start current... play catch-up later~

our halloween was super fun this year! my kids & my sisters kids did the whole peter pan thing. which i found was a very popular theme this year. dempsey & sawyer, my sisters boys, were captain hook & the tick-tock crock:) while my kids played peter & tink. everyone had a blast, except that the cotton candy machine stopped working just 30 trick or treaters in:( i am happy to finally get some sleep! between sewing, cooking & staying up too late just trying to catch up DVR, paired with starting a new business(more to come on that) & working part-time at the Gap... i can sleep when i'm dead... right:) here is a picture overload of the kids in there costumes. i think it all turned out pretty darling... if i do say so myself!

funny kids!

i always forget to write down all the funnies that my kids come up with these days.  so i'm putting them here:)

avi-  the other day we walked outside to get in the car & it was early & cold.  the car was covered in frost.  "what happened to our car?" avi asked.  i told her it was frost.  she replied "our car is covered in FROSTING?!?"  "not frosting sweetie:), frost... don't lick it!!"

becks- the other day we were out with some friends, & he was telling them that he had been on TV.  my friend, amy, responded by telling him that she was on TV every night.  he argued with her~

"no you're not,"  he said

"yeah, i am.  i do the weather." amy replied

"no Amy... Jesus does the weather."  beckham retorted completely matter of fact.  

it was hilarious!

fairy tale friends...

this week avi had 2 friends celebrate birthdays, both having cute princess parties.  unfortunately i was only able to stay at one of the parties & get pics, but they were all such cute princesses!  becks was such a great sport to tag along (even though i wouldn't let him dress up like a cowboy or a pirate~ in fear of scaring all the princesses)  jackie was so darling, thanking everyone over & over for coming to her party.  kelle dressing up as Cinderella just put the icing on the cake... forgive the pun:)  all the kids at with the party & just at the farm wanted to come say hello to "cinderella".  watch out disneyland theme park employee!  i am so glad that avi has such fun friends with sweet, patient parents:)  happy, happy birthday jackie & bella!