It is literally impossible to choose from the HUNDREDS of pictures, but Addie, here is how you have changed so far in these past three years!
Three's a charm!
Well, we did it! Addie had her FIRST birthday party, and it was a hit. Thanks to all of you who commented. We had such a great time, but I really can't take credit for the activities we did. They were all borrowed ideas from you! So, Thanks!!
We had all the girls come in their best princess dress. They all arrived promptly with wands ready, and we started by pinning the Kiss on the Frog. My friend Kristi gave me this idea, and it was a hit!
I had to run and ask my neighbor for a boy costume for Ian. He got a little too excited with all the girls in dresses, and is at the stage where he wants to do everything big sister does! So, instead of him joining the princess squad, he got to be a wizard...thank heaven! (These are the things you learn your first time around with b-day parties! Little brother needs a part too!)
We also decorated crowns that I cut out of poster board. I had a bunch of markers, stickers and stick on jewels, and the girls went to town! These crowns rivaled any royal crown, that's for sure!
We had a little princess parade...thanks Sarah (if you can call it that. Our space is so small, we ended up making it a little more like ring-around-the-rosy:)
I took pictures of each of the girls in their crowns, and then went into my office and printed them off and put them into pink paper frames I made. They turned out so cute! Another borrowed Idea! Thanks to Kelly for that great idea!
We finished with Presents and of course, Princess cake and cupcakes. Be impressed: My husband did it all...pink frosting and everything. He is an AMAZING baker, and will someday open his own restaraunt. So it is no surprise to anyone that knows him. I think this is his first pink frosting experience:)
Well, it was a lot of fun. Tim and Rebecca came and Robyn...thanks so much! My Grandpa came afterwards which meant so much to me...He played with Ian and had more fun with Addie's new toys than they did!
The rest of the day...and still going, we have been playing with new toys ever since!
Happy Birthday Addie, my little princess!
The problem of a Princess
Let me just say flat out....I really HATE (Oh wait. We don't say that word at our house) ...Try again...Disney Princesses are NOT MY FAVORITE.
I have a problem though. I have a princess of a daughter. Do I love it? YES! Do I love that she prances around the house with that dreamy look in her eyes when she hears romantic music, YES! Do I love the way she sings as if she is in the middle of a staged opera, YES! Do I love that dress-ups magically turn her into royalty, YES! Do I love that ANY store I go into we can't get out of without her begging for that DISNEY princess book display in the front entry, NO!!!!!!!
Why can't you be a princess anymore without trying to be Belle, or Ariel, or Jasmine or Cinderella? Why???? Why can't girls just be their OWN kind of princess, instead of being someone with a 16 in waistline with perfectly curled blond hair? (I could keep going, but I won't). I really love the movies...I mean, Cinderella really is the only cartoon character I know of who can get away with saying "Oh! Killjoy!" upon rising too early. It's all the merchandise I get annoyed with.
I wasn't that 'girly' of a girl. I pretended "princess" but I also pretended "school" and "mommy". Addie's first choice of pretend is Princess. She was BORN with it! And I LOVE LOVE LOVE IT! I just don't love that most tools that you need to have princess play are dominated by "Disney's BIG 6"
SO: Addie's third birthday is on Saturday, and I am trying to come up with a fun party theme that she will just love. As a mother, I just want to give her a princess party. As Sarah, I want to give her a tea party with dolls, or a Dress up party...the good old standards. But, being a good mommy, we are having a PRINCESS party. No Aurora plastic cups, No Belle table cloths...none of that. Just good "kiss the frog" "dance with wands" princess party.
I came up with these invitations in like 5 minutes tonight. I think that I might want to start doing Children's invites. So much in the kid's industry right now is dominated by mass marketing...Disney being the front runner. To me, once you get a mass market like that, it just takes all the imagination out of the pretend play. This invite is really simple. But I want to really learn more about Graphic design and layout.
Anyone know how to make a scalloped edge or dotted lines in Photoshop/Illustrator?
So, with that said, I have to share some AWESOME trades that I did for my kid's Christmas presents. I am telling you...the internet (ETSY being my FAVORITE) is really my answer to keeping my children from narrowing their imaginations to what Disney has to offer. My kid's FAVORITE toys are the good handmade wooden toys and handmade dolls.
Take a look at what I traded this Christmas with GEMMIE LOU HANDMADE:
Aren't these so sweet? Addie and Ian play with these for HOURS!!! Handpainted wooden pegs (and BEAUTIFULLY painted nonetheless). I also grabbed these clips too. Can't get enough of them.
And from Rachel at DARLY BIRD, I traded a few prints for these BLA BLA dolls that I have been eying for a year now.
On Christmas morning, Addie's eyes grew SO big when she saw "Sheesha" (her Addie-given name). Sheesha hasn't left her side yet. They are SO soft, handmade in peru...but the simple pattern and colors are my favorite.
Horray for handmade and handcrafted toys! Word from a mother: keep your kids away from the BLING BLING of the kids industry, and let them imagine again. Keep it handmade. Keep it simple. Keep them children.
Any of you mom's have any fun (non-disney) Princess activities you have tried with your 3 year old princesses? Do share.
The boys are charging in!!
OK...so like I have been promising...here come the little boys. I really have so much in my head, and in my sketch book right now of little boys, little boys, little boys. I just love MY little boy, and I can't wait to show you more of what is coming. This is just a taste.
But isn't he cute in his homemade newspaper hat, and over sized button down shirt from dad's closet? I just love having a little boy in my life. Ian is REALLY into BOY things...and already love to dress the part. Let's here it for the BOY!
