Finally sent out our Christmas thank you cards today. In our defense we started making them right after Christmas. It's just taken a while to finish them. We got a stack of 50 blank cards and envelopes for $10. The girls painted and drew pictures on them. Then we wrote on the inside. A nice way to say thank you to all our family and friends who sent us lovely gifts at Christmas time. Now on to the Birthday thank you notes...
We had the party this past Sunday. But I'm just now getting to the blogging thing. The girls and I took a sanity day yesterday and did a whole lot of nothing. I swung right from Christmas into party planing/birthday making mode so I needed a quite day.
I also made each child a crown. We've been playing with these felted crowns here for a while now as you may have noticed. And all our friends have fallen in love with them too. So they seemed like the perfect party favor. I needled felted simple designs on each one, sewed on a few sparkly beads, did a decorative stitch across the top and then used my sewing machine to sew on the back fabric and elastic. They were a lot of fun to make and looked beautiful on all those little party goers heads.
My eldest turned four today. It's hard to believe we met face to face four years ago today. Her Mama made gift this year was a princess and the pea doll, mattresses and peas in a little bag. Like the girl needs another doll right? But she requested this present about a month ago and who am I to deny a homemade present request. I've made this doll before. Which was probably the reason for the request. She is a fun little doll and great for imaginative play. 
We've started a little birthday tradition in our house which has become much anticipated. Last year my mom folded 30 or 40 origami butterflies for us. The night before the girls birthdays after they go to sleep, we hang the butterflies from the ceiling all over the house. It is a magical, colorful thing to wake up to. Not to mention how much it brightens up the house. It gets us through the snowy months of winter quite nicely with a little extra cheer.
Perhaps I watched too much Captain Planet as a child but I am quite entertained with the idea of donning a crown which gives mythical 'powers of nature'. Hence, the crowns I made for my nephews for Christmas. We had a bit of fun with these before they left the house but sadly I didn't get any photos. I wrapped these crowns up in their accompanying capes before mailing them off. I cut the crown shape out of some very heavy duty wool that I got from A.C. Moore of all places. I wouldn't have even thought to look there had it not been for the suggestion of one of Lil's teachers. I then needle felted the images on. The first crown (in case you can't tell) gives it's wearer the power of the seas. Something along the lines of a King Neptune kind of thing. And the second is The North Wind.
Look at these plates I found at the Salvation Army. I don't know what it is about them that appeals to me because they are really kind of ugly right? But I LOVE them. We seem to brake a lot of plates/bowls/glasses around here. I don't even know that I can blame it on the kids. So I gave up on matching dishes a while back. I found these on half off day. I paid seventy-five cents for two dinner plates and four salad plates. Boy you just can't beat that.
Oh boy playdough! After the grandparents left, we needed a little distraction. This one was by request. While at the grocery store we walked by the Koolaid packets which just happen to be at kid eye level. (Isn't that funny! Ah marketing.) Anyway, not to worry my kids only know the stuff as dye. I get a kick out of that. So playdough was requested and it's been a daily staple all week. I cannot believe that red!
Playdough recipe:
