My 5 Favorite Things This Week

1. 30 handmade days blog - LOVE it!

2. scavenger hunt bingo - great group game!

3. homemade 3D glasses

4. answered prayers

5. halloween banner

She's gone 3-D

bob the builder came to the rescue as usual. the disney channel showed the hannah montana miley cyrus concert on tv tonight. the problem was that it was in 3D and we didn't have the glasses so everything was really blurry. when bob the builder got home he immediately went to work making his own 3D glasses. sure enough, he saved us. what is the little princess going to do when her daddy can't fix "it"? i hope it's a long time before we find out the answer to that question. thanks daddy we're impressed!!!

A New Use

for a candy jar. something about being in las vegas made me want to come home and make something pretty. i think the cherries look cute in this jar.

The Higa Family Reunion

yesterday we made a quick trip to yucky las vegas for bob the builder's family reunion. the reunion itself was nice. i got some good photos that i wanted to share but realized that all the kids had their name badges on so i couldn't use them. oh well, i posted a few and please take note to the last photo of my cute baby with his uncle. i was taking pictures when i heard brad laughing. to my horror i look over to find my son holding a knife! HELLO BRAD! don't worry i took the knife from him (after i took the picture, of course) and the baby was not harmed. not sure i'll leave brad with the baby again. :) the girls enjoyed taking myspace pictures of themselves. the little princess wanted a picture with sissy and the large budda statue in the hotel lobby. i made her dress and made a matching one for baby tyler. they were so cute but again, those darn badges. as a side note, i was put in charge of games and wanted to share the ideas in case you are ever in need of a couple games for a big group. i have to say thanks to danae and kristie for giving me the ideas and help putting it all together. the first game was a personal scavenger hunt bingo. it was a huge hit and really got everyone out of their seat and talking to eachother. i highly recommend it! the other was a version of a baby shower game we play. we play a memory game like concentration where each pair has a candy that goes with it. (ex. forgetful = whatchamacallit or family = good and plenty) if you want more info. on either of the games, let me know. anyways, that was the reunion. the remainder of our quick trip included circus circus, blown fuses, a kinked neck and a lingering headache. glad to be home!

A Truly Fabulous

find...i wish i would've found this birthday banner a month ago. i will definetly make this. i love it. hope you do too! have a happy day!

happy...

birthday princess. she had a great time at her fairy party and i learned a sweet lesson when i asked her what her favorite part of her birthday was. before i tell you her answer let me share my thoughts and actions that led up to the party...a couple months ago my sister gave me the best magazine ever. heart and home is the name of it. anyway inside it featured a beautiful fairy party, complete with fairy dust and everything. it was gorgeous and i had to do it. 2 weeks ago, kern and carrie came over and we spent all night making butterflies and flowers. the intention was to make 12 flowers to put in the yard (on dowels). i spelled her name out with cute pink flower stems and bought sheer curtains to hang in the patio. the week before, i started putting together the "fairy dust" and the sequin wands. i lost my momentum as i began to prepare for my dad's big surprise party that was this past weekend and that's when things went down hill fast. to make what's becoming a very long post short it didn't come together as "I" had planned. instead of 12 flowers we had 5, i ran out of time to make the tags for the fairy dust (which really bothered me) and i never even got around to making the centerpeices that were so stinkin' cute. i did get the wands done and with the help of two great gals the butterflies and flowers were hung with care (just in time for the fairies to be there) the fairies arrived as i was beat red from running around, my house was not picked up, the leaves were raked up but not put away, the cupcakes wern't frosted, the sandwiches weren't done, and the flies, oh' how i hate flies! needless to say, it didn't go as i had dreamt it would. i wasn't to pleased. that's how it began...here's how it turned out.

the fairies had a great time making flower wands and headbands with the wonderful help of mackenzie and emily (thanks girls, your awesome!) auntie carrie painted everyone's face like a fairy. they loved it. the dinner went well. the sandwiches cut out as butterflies and flowers were a huge hit and they all love strawberries! the timing was great and thet had enough free time to play.

they were so cute and they all got along. i got some great photos of all the girls and the baby was perfect. they all left with a smile on their face and some fairy dust. and what was the little princess's favorite part you ask...

swinging on the swing...yep...swinging on the swing that was her favorite part. not the pretty decorations, not the cute shaped sandwiches, and not the fairy dust. it's the simple things that make kids happy and all the other stuff is because i like it and it makes for a cute blog. happy party planning!

My 5 Favorite Things This Week

1. evening parties
2. these cute little flowers
3. outdoor movies
4. famous dave's corn bread muffins
5. wrought iron picnic set from costco

My Sister's Yard

i mentioned in my last post, how beautiful my sister's yard is.

i thought you'd like to see a few pictures. of course these don't even do it justice.

i'll have to get some landscape shots. but for now, enjoy...

A "Surprise" Party!?

have you ever tried to plan a surprise party? this was our first. my sister and i (with the help of our step mom) decided to have a surprise party for our dad's 65th birthday. we learned a few things...

1st... it's not that easy to keep it a surprise.

2nd...be prepared to upset the guest of honor and

3rd...outdoor, summer evening parties are fabulous!!!

my cute niece made a movie that we showed as it started to get dark. (thanks doug!) we made popcorn bags clipped shut with old photos of dad, they were a big hit. bob the builder had a great after thought, put magnets on the back so the guests can take them home and put them on the fridge.

the best part of any evening event is the candles. we filled these mason jars with coffee beans and they smelled great! the other great thing about evening parties is all the time you have during the day to prepare and actually sit and relax before the guests arrive. i think that's the only time i've been able to do that!

the party turned out great. my sister's yard is the perfect place for an outdoor garden party. it's beautiful. i enjoyed meeting dad's friends and seeing family that we haven't seen in awhile. good friends, good food, and a good movie. what a great party!

happy birthday dad!

It's Not That Easy Is It!

so...if you don't know bob the builder, you may think by looking at these pictures that he is a quilter. he's not! he is however quick to take on a challenge. tonight as i was laying out my little quilt he came in to see what i was doing. he didn't understand all the fuss and time. it's not that easy i told him. (if you quilt, you know what i mean.) he thought i was making too much of it and he thought he could do it better. well one thing led to another, and i got up and he took over. he seperated the colors and began to lay them out. 5 rows by 6 rows, 30 squares with 2 left over. i wish i would have noticed the time because it took him far longer than either of us anticipated. it was driving me crazy. "no you can't put darks together, no that is to many red and blues together, no you can't have the same print next to eachother", he was getting irritated. he did realize that it wasn't as easy as he thought! it was funny. the kids came home to find there dad laying out a quilt. i think bub was embarrassed. you have to realize though, it wasn't about the fabric or laying out a quilt. it's about doing something faster and better. i don't take it personal. he realized that it's not that easy! (i'll let you know how it turns out!) happy quilting!

My 5 Favorite Things Last Week

here are my 5 favorites from last week. (oops)
1. freedom
2. traditions
3. fat free & sugar free dessert that's good!
4. a fun and quick trip to the fair (with a close parking spot!)
5. pillowcase dresses

Happy Fourth O' July!

happy fourth o' july! i hope everyone had a safe and fun holiday! this year we kept the festivities to a hummm because of the promise i made to bub that we wouldn't have any fun without him. (he went away to scout camp for the week and was very upset to be missing out on our fourth of july traditions) we started out having my sister and her family over to bbq and well one thing led to another and with no fault of my own, it turned into a party. sorry bub! auntie kernie and keeks came, the andersen's stopped by and even nana & pa stopped by just in time for hamburgers and hot dogs. it turned out to be a great evening and even though i was not prepared for all the guests, we had plenty of food and lots of fun! i feel blessed to have so many great people in our lives. i love you all! happy fourth!

Just in Time for the Fourth!

i can't believe it! i actually got this quilt done! believe it or not i've had the blocks for eight years. yes, count them...8 years! that's ridiculous i know and there are more projects just like it! ahhhh! anyway... i finished it 2 days before the fourth and bob the builder just hung it for me while i went to the fair with my daughters and auntie kern. i even made this pillowcase dress and matching bandana for the little princess. she's so cute with her face painted! well, i've got to get ready for the festivities so happy fourth of july and happy birthday "risa isa", we love you!

Weight, Weight, Go Away

well i started weight watchers today. i even went to my first meeting. i've done the points system before and had success but i never went to the meetings. i really feel like this time i'm going to need the meetings to keep me going. i can't believe how hungry i am all the time. i'm looking forward to getting back into my old clothes and not feeling ugly anymore. wish me luck, i'm gonna need it.