we've come a long way, baby...happy easter!

A BLAST FROM THE PAST

{a walk down memory lane} 

2008

2009

 2010

 2011

 2012

My oh my, how my little babies have grown...

Hope everyone had a blessed Easter with your family and friends!

talent show...my little dancer!

Mikayla decided she wanted to participate this year in her school talent show. After going back and forth on what she was going to do that didn't require too much work and/or coordination with others, we decided it would be fun if she performed the dance routine she is learning from her dance class. With just a couple of extra weeks of practice, a quick dig through her dance costume drawer, and some cute ringlets for her hair...she was set to go!! I was so proud of my sweet girl and her confidence to meet this opportunity head on and enjoy the limelight for 1 minute and 28 seconds. :)

{Daddy was able to come watch!}

 

 {Grammy came, too!}

 {Mikayla and some of her 1st grade buddies who were also in the talent show.}

 

 

 {Our little performer}

 

 

 At the end of the "red carpet" each of the performers stopped to pose. What a cutie!

 

  So proud of this girl!

 {Reach for the Stars}

 {K-3rd Grade Performers}

 

favorite things birthday party!

I celebrated turning THIRTY FIVE on February 21st and I didn't want yet another birthday to pass me by with me looking back and wishing I would have done something fun to celebrate!! So, this year I decided to embrace 35 and throw myself a party...a "Favorite Things" party!! Have you seen these throughout blog-land? I have wanted to to do this for over a year now and was going to try it during Christmas time, but things got too busy. I figured I would save it for my birthday instead! I had SUCH A BLAST with my girlfriends!!

How it works:

• Everyone brings their favorite thing (anything you like...your favorite lip gloss, gift wrapping supply, kitchen tool, treat, plant, etc ~ something you might use on a daily basis that you love or can't live without!) GET CREATIVE ~ the possibilities are endless!
• It can't cost more than $4 for your item of choice (try to get as close to that mark as possible). Bring 5 of the same thing (I tried to keep the cost at $20 total...us mamas are all on a budget, you know!) **Many parties that I saw online said $6 for each item, but I wanted to keep the cost a little lower!
• You can bring your gift "as is" from the store or you can tie a bow around it, put it in a baggie, or be as creative as you want. Just be sure it can be seen and not wrapped completely. We all want to see your favorite item!
• Everyone will go home with 5 of someone else's favorite things...which might actually become YOUR favorite things!!

PARTY TIME!

 

After finding some free printables online, I decided to go with a yellow/gray color scheme. I printed out these individual banner letters, cut them each out and attached them to some gray raffia. I put it on the front of the table where everyone would then put their favorite things!!

 

I got three bunches of flowers at the store and then made my own little bouquets for some decor. I put them in small mason jars and tied them with a silver-gray bow. I gave a couple of these away at the party just for fun!

I also wanted to have baggies for each of the guests to take their goodies home in. The same place I found the printables for the banner had these adorable tags (I love free printables!!). I just added a mini clothespin to hold them to each of the bags. I was going to tie them on with ribbon, but I ran out of time and figured these would do the trick in a "pinch". ;)

When the guests arrived, they each filled out 5 slips of paper with their own name and put them in a bowl. This would be used later in the evening for when we swapped our favorite things.

I also printed out a questionnaire that each of my friends filled out which asked about their favorite things. We used this for an ice breaker game in the beginning. If anyone had the same answer as what you had written down, you had to cross yours out (kind of like the game Scattegories). In the end, the person with the most points wins...and their prize was one of my mason jar bouquets I mentioned earlier.

I kept the goodies light with strawberries, dip and chips, and a veggie tray. Plus, some raspberry lemonade punch and water for a drink. Of course adding coordinating plates and napkins with my gray and yellow color scheme!

 

My friend Anousone offered to bring a dessert for my birthday and although I really didn't want my friends to have to bring anything, I knew she really wanted to do this for me, so I said of course! She brought some delicious Oreo cookie cupcakes! I added the picks for a fun flair, but she did the rest of the amazing work.

Ready for the fun to begin!!

After hugs and "how are yous?" everyone put their favorite things on the table.

 

An up close pic of everyone's favorite things...

Time for each of us to draw five names out of the jar. Each person we drew got our favorite thing!

Poor girls...I had to torture each of them by taking their pictures with the favorite item they brought. What good sports they are! :) They're all so cute...and we had so much fun!

These are my five goodies I got to bring home from the evening.

And a little goodie for everyone to take home as their party favor. One of my favorites...Reeses Peanut Butter Cups. 

 SO THANKFUL FOR FRIENDS!