Back to School Fun

I've been slacking on the blog writing lately but that doesn't mean that I don't have anything to share.  It just means that I am a busy momma with 2 of my 3 kids back in school - different schools this year, which makes it even more difficult to juggle schedules - and 1 little guy by my side at all times.  Not a lot of time to get (and keep) the creative juices flowing or to sit down at the computer and type my thoughts.

So school is back in session and for the first time this year I got really into it and did some fun and crafty things to make this time of year extra special.  I've mentioned before that I love a reason (any reason) to have a party or decorate or bake or just celebrate!  So why not do those things for Back to School?

My oldest started kindergarten this year so that got me feeling especially sentimental and really wanting to make great memories for my kids as they head off to school.  We always take the standard 1st day of school photos - new outfits, new backpacks, etc. but this year I wanted to do more.

Lucky for me there are tons of great Back to School ideas floating around out there!  So many that I wasn't able to do everything that I wanted to do.  Thank goodness we have many, many years of school ahead of us so I will have plenty of opportunities to use all of these ideas.

Here's a peek of some of the Back to School cuteness that I found on various blogs and other sites:

I made a few of these pencil vases (super easy) for a Welcome Back breakfast at our preschool but I skipped the homemade Oreo apple pops and used real flowers instead.  Great idea from Shindig Parties To Go.

I never got around to making these but it's such a cute and simple way to make plain old cupcakes part of the Back to School theme!  Hershey's candy bars are used for chalkboards and red M&M's make the apple!  Photo from Amazing Moms.

Love these printable signs to use as photo props for 1st Day pictures!  Free from  I Heart Naptime!

We made these pencil treats for Rylee's friends before they headed off to Kindergarten and they were a hit!  Rolo candies and a Hershey's kiss make a cute pencil.  From The Blackberry Vine.

Amazing faux dessert table - all of the items are actually school supplies and are not edible but what a fun idea!  From the always amazing Amy Atlas.

And Back to School time is officially in high gear!  I hope that your little ones are enjoying the start of an amazing school year!

Wednesday's Wish List

So I've been slacking on the Wish List for the past few weeks due to the start of school (2 kids at 2 different schools makes for a hectic schedule) but that doesn't mean that I haven't had my eyes on plenty of goodies to share with you!

Here is this week's Wish List:

LeapFrog LeapPad Explorer learning tablet - like an ipad for kids.  Definitely on Rylee's Christmas List, she just doesn't know it yet!

How beautiful is this wallpaper?  It's called "Daydream" by Julia Rothman and comes in several colorways.

Ung Drill frame from Ikea - I would love to buy several of these and spray paint them various colors!

I so need this book by Bakerella!  "Cake Pops: Tips, Tricks, and Recipes for More Than 40 Irresistible Mini Treats"

Girls "Hattie" boot by Cherokee at Target - even cuter than the photo!  White quilted patent leather w/faux fur trim.  I have to be honest, I already bought these for Rylee:)

And that is it for this week's Wish List!  Happy Shopping!

Wednesday's Wish List

Here it is - this week's Wish List!

Lace up toddler girl boot from Old Navy - I want a pair of these for myself!

Toadstool table set from Chasing Fireflies - how cute would this be in my backyard?

Birdie print from Honey Bunny Studio on Etsy - so cute and whimsical!

Moche necklace from Anthropologie - love the color combo and the size of the stones!

Precious Paper Dolls bookends from Dwell Studio - perfect addition to any girl's room!

And those are my 5 picks for this week!  Enjoy!

Wednesday's Wish List

It's already time for Wednesday's Wish List!  Yay!!!

I am thoroughly enjoying this new little series that I started even though I am only 2 weeks in!  There's not much to say about it except that I am having so much fun looking for great products and ideas to share with everyone.  It's also a great way for me to document and keep a list of all of the things out there that I am wishing for.

Here we go!

I adore these push pop containers from CupKate's Event Design.  There are so many fun ways to use them!

How fun is this frames wallpaper from The Land of Nod?  Perfect for a play room!

I'm loving this wedge bootie from Nine West.  And the name is pretty cool too - RevvedUp!

Oh, Tory Burch how I love you even though I can't afford you!

I want to have some girlfriends over just so I can hang this banner in my kitchen!

That's it for this week's Wish List!  

Party Planning Gone Wild

I should probably keep this tidbit of information to myself as I'm sure that most people will find it a bit crazy and obsessive, but I can't stop thinking about "it" and my mind is spinning with thoughts, so I have to spill the beans:

I have already chosen a birthday party theme for each of my 3 children's next parties.

Yes, Addyson just celebrated her birthday less than 2 months ago.  And yes, I have already chosen a theme for her 4th birthday NEXT June.  Rylee's 6th birthday isn't until January, but we're all set with a theme for that one too!  And the little guy won't be turning 2 for another 3 1/2 months but guess what?  Yep, the theme has been chosen!

I just keep seeing so many incredible ideas and I can't stop my mind from going into party planning mode.  It's a bit scary actually.  The amount of thought that has already been put into parties that are still many months away is surprising even to me, but I cannot make it stop!  And don't even get me started on all of the holiday parties and not-really-a -holiday-but-a-reason-to-have-a-party parties that I want to have too.

In the midst of all of that thinking I did a little theme trading.  I chose a theme for Cooper's 2nd birthday a few months ago but then found one that I liked better for him.  The problem was that I couldn't let go of the other one that I thought I wanted for him because it was just too cute and unique not to do it.  So after much deliberation and thought (I sure do think a lot!) I decided to use the original "Cooper theme" for Addyson's next birthday, which is how she has ended up with a theme almost a full year before her birthday.  Crazy, right?

I'm not going to divulge the details of the themes that I have chosen for the girls because both of their birthdays are still several months away and it's quite possible that things could change during that time, but I will tell you a little bit about Cooper's 2nd birthday party.

Drum roll please..........
SOCK MONKEYS!
I dare anyone to say that is not a cute idea!  Again, it is a borrowed theme from a blog site that I frequent, but I already have some of my own ideas to throw in.  Right after I saw that post I received the new Chasing Fireflies catalog and opened it to find a 2 page spread featuring a sock monkey party so then I knew for sure that it was meant to be.  I am so stinkin excited!

Sock monkeys remind me of my childhood and spending time at my grandma's house.  There were 2 or 3 sock monkeys hanging around her house - who knows how old they were - but my cousins and I always had fun playing with them and they were always there waiting for us.
When I think of my grandma's house and all of the memories that were created there (LOTS of memories), there are certain things that stand out in my mind and always symbolized "Grandma's House" - the owl cookie jar (that now sits on my kitchen counter), playing dress up in grandma's nightgowns, aprons, jewelry and high heels, rocking on the porch swing, having tea parties, and the sock monkeys.

Just another reason why I knew that I had to do the sock monkey theme!  Cute, fun, unique, and nostalgic.

I'm hoping that my party will look a little something like this:

Image from Shuterbug and the Sweet Life.

Check back in November when Cooper finally celebrates his 2nd birthday and my Sock Monkey party comes to life:)

Wednesday's Wish List

Welcome to the first edition of Wednesday's Wish List!  It's a good thing that I like love to browse catalogs, websites, restaurants and stores for anything and everything pretty, unique, useful, tasty and/or fun because that means that I will always have plenty of content for this blog series!

Unfortunately for me, I don't always have plenty of cash to purchase the things on my wish list, but I still have fun looking.  And just maybe you have some extra money to purchase something from my wish list for yourself!

So let's get right to it!  Here is my Wish List for this week:

Modern vintage "schoolgirl tote" from Chasing Fireflies in red or teal.

Sally Hansen nail polish in "gunmetal".  Love the smoky metallic shade!

Cake pop stand in various colors from Working Widget Technologies!  This would make life so much easier when making cake pops in bulk!

Hot pink faux suede bow boot from Gymboree.  

I so want to have dinner here!  I have heard it is amazing!

And there you have it - my Wish List for this week!  Something for everyone - and lots for me to yearn for.

Back to School - Back to Shopping!

Having been in the retail and wholesale industries for 10 years of my life and now working a part time retail job again, I should not be surprised to see that stores are in full blown Back to School mode already, but it never ceases to amaze me when the pool toys, patio furniture and picnic gear are packed away on July 1st to make room for notebooks, binders, and backpacks.  Summer is barely even half way over yet, many haven't taken their vacations, and the hottest part of the season is just kicking into high gear, but you'll be hard pressed to find a bathing suit or beach tote anywhere.

I'm not necessarily complaining because this has been a HOT summer and we really didn't have much planned in the way of activities or vacations, but I am feeling a bit sad that school is just around the corner already.  Technically I still have a little over a month to spend with my little ones before they head off to school, but the time just seems to keep flying by.  It feels like school just ended and now I'm supposed to be buying backpacks and school supplies???  My oldest graduated from preschool (tears!) in June and I was hoping that this summer would drag on forever so that I wouldn't have to send her off to kindergarten, but alas here we are in a sea of school supplies, uniforms, backpacks and lunch boxes.

Having said all of that, I will admit that I am excited for all of the Fall clothing that is already hitting the stores.  As a kid I always loved Back to School shopping and debuting my new wardrobe for my friends to see.  Granted it stays warm here for quite awhile, so any sweaters and boots will be stowed away in a closet until at least October, but it's still fun to shop.  Really, when isn't it fun to shop? 

I already have a growing wish list of must have items for my girls.  Note, that I said for my girls.  Not for me, not even for the little man - but for my girls.  Since the day Rylee was born and every day since then she and Addyson have had a much more extensive and expensive wardrobe than me.  I wear sweatpants and t-shirts most days while they wear trendy little dresses w/matching hair accessories and sparkly shoes.  I am sooooo not complaining because as I have mentioned before, I am obsessed with children's clothing.  I would rather shop for them than for myself any day of the week.  And the reason that I am dressed in raggedy sweats and t-shirts is not because I don't have any decent clothes but because I don't have time to get myself ready after dressing 3 children, combing their hair, washing their faces, and helping them put their shoes on.  And on school mornings we also have to remember to pack their backpacks and make sure they make it out the door with us.  So that leaves little time for Mommy to get dressed, apply make-up or comb her own hair.  And I'm okay with that.  Most days anyway.  Thank goodness for car line!!!


So this post is leading to another one, one that will hopefully become a regular post on my blog.  Something that I think I'm going to call  Wednesday's Wish List!  Each Wednesday I will post the top 5 must have items that I have spotted that week.  These items will mostly be fashion related but will also include household items including decor and cooking items, along with other fun things like toys, books, gadgets, etc. for both grown-ups and children.

Next week will be the debut of Wednesday's Wish List so check back then!