{Forrest Gump Party}

Each year for our birthdays we do a joint themed fancy dress birthday. Since we are 2 years and 2 days apart, it's easier to celebrate together and we have been doing so for many years now.
This year was a movie theme and we chose Forrest Gump.

 

We were in awe at some of the costumes! The film gave so much scope for imagination and our guests definitely took advantage of the many ideas! We had people dressed up as peas & carrots, a shrimp, hippies, a box of chocolates, the feather, waitress Jenny, the bus driver Dorothy, we even had (an almost) naked Jenny! 

{The Lorax Birthday Party}

My (then) 5 year old son took me on a movie date a few months ago during his first ever school holidays in Kindy. We watched the Lorax and we both LOVED it. The environmental message is so well explained and interspersed with much humor, colour and catchy songs.
So here are the photos of my interpretation of Dr Seuss' delightful world. I apologize if there are a few ;)

{Easter's a comin'!}

It's no secret to my family that I love to celebrate holidays and occasions. Whether it's Christmas, Valentines or in this case Easter...I love decorating with themed touches, and sharing a meal with those we love.

I have not really done many decorations For Easter in the past, but this year I couldn't resist. It all started with inspiration from this beautiful wreath.

So, here are a few things around our house that help to add the 'festive cheer' of this very special and significant calendar date.

Daniels 1st Birthday "Twinkle Twinkle" Party - Part Three

Why should the kids be the only ones who have the fun right??? So, I made the adults their own party favours. I made normal vanilla biscuits and tinted fondant icing a gentle shade of yellow. Then I packaged the star biscuits in cello bags and cardboard toppers just made it look so much cuter!

Tips:
* Bake biscuits and let cool.
* Using food prep gloves, put some food colouring drops into fondant icing and massage through with hands untill you get the colour you require....you can always add more colour, so do it slowly.
* Using icing mixture, roll out with rolling pin and use the same cookie cutter shape to cut out the icing shape.
* With pastry brush, dip lightly in water and brush a little water onto biscuit and place icing onto biscuit.
* Using your fingers, smooth edges and set aside to dry.
* Then I came across the cello bags to fit and measured cardstock to fit into a topper. Then to hide the staples, I punched stars in contrasting colour using punches from Stampin' Up.

Daniels 1st Birthday "Twinkle Twinkle" Party - Part One

I decided that I didn't want to give lolly bags for favours at Daniels party. So, I embarked on the journey of making these darling bean bag parcels for the kids with a card attached with Bean bag challenges. It didn't cost ver much to make, except in time of course.
I paced myself making all 38 of them! So here is a brief tutorial in case you want to do some yourself at home. I appologise for the poor lighting in some of the photos....the light in the room where I was sewing wasn't very bright.

I made a template out of cardboard and it measured 15cmx30cm. I decided to do it this way (rather than two 15cmx15cm squares) to lower the cutting needed.



Fold the material in half (make sure the pattern is inside) and iron flat.



This bean bag will be sewn twice which will give it extra strength. Place the sewing material on the machine with the folded side to the left. Start sewing from the opposite side to the fold about 2/3 way down.




Make sure you reverse stitch the seam at this point to reinforce. This is important as you will be turning the bean bag inside out on this seam, so it will weaken if you forget this step.



Sew right to the edge and leaving the needle in, turn the corners untill you get back to the side you started on.



When you get back to the starting side sew down leaving a gap from the starting seam and also reverese sew over that seam too. Cut the thread.



Cut the corners off the square. This will eliminate bulk when turning inside out.



Gently turn the bean bag insideout (right side out lol).

I used a chopstick to push out the corners so it is square. Then iron it flat again.


Then sew around the three closed sides. Then I placed a funnel in the hole and filled the bean bag about 3/4 full with rice or dried beans. Place 2-3 pins to stop the rice faling out and also to steady the seam. Sew up the last side and DONE!!! {in my case repeat x40 hehehe}. The end result?????


TAAA-DAAA!
I bundled up bean bags in to lots of 2 per kid and then tied it up with ribbon.
I also printed off a card entitled 'Bean Bag Challenges' and pop it in the bundle giving parents and kids ideas and games to play with the bean bags.