Avery's Pooh Party!

So, I know you're just dying to see and hear the details of Avery's 2nd birthday, right?  Okay guys.  Humor me.  Just pretend you're dying to see it all :)

The "Pooh Party" that Avery had been talking incessantly about for over a month went off without a hitch. It was a vast improvement over how I felt after her first birthday party.  That was a disaster.  This time, I was relaxed, not stressed.  If my floor didn't get mopped or my tables didn't get dusted, oh well.  My house was going to be a wreck after people came pouring in anyway.  I didn't obsess over decorations or food or details.  I just worked hard on everything and then didn't stress the day of.  It made for a VERY enjoyable day.

Details!

Food:  I did Winnie the Pooh themed foods.

Bar-BEE-Que sandwiches as the entree.

P-BEE-and J sandwiches for the littles, if they weren't partial to BBQ.

Veggies, straight out of Rabbit's garden.

Rolls and "hunny."  This was a special request from the birthday girl herself.  We were eating at a local steakhouse that gives you complimentary honey with your dinner rolls.  While Avery was dipping her rolls in honey, she asked me "At my Pooh party??"  So, we HAD to have rolls and hunny.

Side note:  check out these honey bottles I found at Walmart.  I was just going to get the regular jars of clover honey that are in the shape of a bear.  Then, this jar caught my eye.....

AHHHH!  Winnie the Pooh shaped honey jars!!  I may have bought four of them. 

Next, a "Pooh" tato bar.  Baked potatoes that you could load up with your choice of toppings--cheddar cheese, bacon, sour cream, broccoli, sauteed mushrooms, butter.

I didn't get a picture of them, but the baked potatoes were as big as your head.  Seriously.  I got them at Sam's Club and they were the biggest things I'd ever seen.  My sister told me that she felt like she deserved a t-shirt if she finished the entire thing.  Monstrous.

If you weren't feeling like a baked potato, you could also indulge in some "Pooh" tato chips. 

Finally, dessert. I didn't do a cake this year, but instead opted for cupcakes.  In my mind, I wanted to make something like this....

via

But this involved cutting apart yellow and black jellybeans and squeezing them together.  I'm too lazy for that.  Instead, I took Whoppers candies and drizzled them with yellow icing.  Lazy woman's version.  Sliced almonds for the wings.  Did they look as good as the above version?  Nope.  Don't care. 

Also, Tigger Tails!  Shout out to my sister-in-law for making these adorable orange colored chocolate dipped pretzels, drizzled in chocolate.  Marty can't stop eating them, three days later.

I bought a glass terrarium at Michael's and filled it with a yellow tablecloth to mimic honey.  Also to make the pretzel stand a little higher for easy accessibility. 

Avery's Outfit:  Many of you know that I stressed over what my little "hunny" was going to wear to her party.  Shoot, I wrote a whole blog post about it.  A Facebook friend sent me over to JossyBelle Bows on Facebook and she created exactly what I was picturing in my mind.  I didn't want a single Winnie the Pooh anywhere on it.  I just wanted it to be "Pooh-inspired."  This is what she made: 

And this is what it looked like on Avery: 

Decorations:  I honestly didn't do many.  My sister-in-law let me borrow some of the Pooh character stuffed animals, which I scattered around the house.  I bought red and Pooh-yellow tablecloths and put them on the food and present tables.  The only crafty thing I did was make a Pooh-inspired wreath that hung on the front door and that will be hung in her playroom later.  (inspired by this wreath on etsy).

Party favors:  I ordered some teddy bears online that the little girls could stuff themselves.  I also bought some Winnie the Pooh puzzles and some bug catchers at the Dollar Tree. Provided all the kids with a brown bag that they could keep their favors in.  I really hope the kids enjoyed them. 

Favorite picture of the day:  

*sigh*  Does it even need words?  It makes my heart smile so, so much.  She loves her Aunt Day-Day. 

Giggle of the day:  My sister-in-law had her son's Halloween costume from a couple of years ago.  Of course we had to try it on. 

Cuteness overload.  I can't handle. 

Favorite moment of the day:  There were lots of great moments, but by far my favorite moment happened when Avery opened a very special gift.  Marty's mom passed away in November of last year.  For Christmas, she had already purchased the kid's Christmas gifts before she passed, so they had something to open from her on Christmas Eve.  But a couple of weeks ago, my sister-in-law found some presents in her old bedroom.  And one of them had Avery's name on it.  Inside, was a Winnie the Pooh doll and sticker book.  When Arlene passed away, we hadn't planned Avery's party.  We didn't know it would be Pooh themed.  Heck, back in November, Avery wasn't even into Winnie the Pooh at that point. I still can't wrap my head around it. 

She's slept with it every night since.  Thanks Gaga.

The party was literally perfect.  I wouldn't change a single thing.  Happy birthday, my little "hunny."  

The Time I Almost Killed an Inanimate Object

All you Pinterest-addicted ladies with toddlers, I know you've seen this pin and drooled over it.  

And you think "Wow.  That looks easy.  I can do that!"  

That's the point that you need to take your meds and lay down because you're talking like a crazy person. 

This is coming from a woman that tried this.  I temporarily lost my mind and tried this.  And, of course, I failed miserably.  Would you like to hear the story?

Once Upon a Time, a crafty young princess was perusing Pinterest and found this beautiful playhouse fit for a magazine.  She immediately thought "I can do that!" and convinced her husband to make a trip to their local store to pick up some paint.  

Oh.  Too flashy?  Sorry, I'll tone it down. 

When I first saw this idea, I put out some feelers on Facebook to see if I could actually find a playhouse.  I'd found a couple of them in Louisville for over $100 apiece.  Not ideal, but it seemed to be the going rate for a plastic house.  Long story short, I ended up getting pointed in the direction of a girl who actually lived two minutes down the road from my parents.  Someone saw that I wanted a playhouse, someone saw she had a playhouse for sale and hooked us up.  It seemed like fate.  

Once I had a playhouse and decided on what color I wanted to paint it, Marty and I went to Wally World and picked up a couple of cans of Krylon Fusion paint made especially for plastics.  I wanted a navy house, with black roof and black shutters and a white bay window.  So I picked up two cans of navy, one can of black and one can of white, thinking it'd be plenty.  HA! 

The week of Avery's birthday, Marty pressure washed the entire thing, wiped it down and it was ready for me to start painting.  One afternoon, my sister in law very graciously watched Avery so I could get things ready for her party and I decided to tackle the playhouse.  Dear Lord. 

Let me start by saying:  I'm not good at spray painting.  I don't know what length I should hold the can away from the object to get optimal spray coverage.  I usually end up going too close and leaving drips all over the place from excessive amounts of paint, or I hold my hand too far away and it goes on too lightly.  So, word to the wise...if you're like me and you are a terrible spray painter, this project is NOT for you. 

I started by spraying the shutters first and then moved on to the navy blue siding.  After doing half of one side of the house, I had the thought "Um...this looks kind of crappy."  

After finishing a complete side, I had the thought "There is NO way I'm going to have enough paint."  I had to send Marty to the store to get more.  This should have been the point that I stepped back, realized that maybe spray painting plastic houses is not my strong suit and let my husband step in.  But no.  I was determined to finish that stupid house. 

Seven cans of blue, four cans of black and one can of white later, I was crying and wishing I had a large bottle of Moscato wine in my fridge.  It.  Was.  Awful.  

You could see every single spray mark I made.  I sprayed with a heavy hand and went over each spray multiple times and it still looked like crap.    And, even though I'm obsessed with navy siding and black shutters on houses in real life, when I sprayed it on this little house, the combination was just too dark.  

I didn't even want to give it to her.  Not that she cared, she'd be happy if I threw paint all over it and let it leave drip marks.  But I wasn't proud of it.  It didn't turn out the way I wanted and I was ready to set fire to it and start all over again (and by "all over again," I mean "buy one brand new with pretty colors to start with).  

I ran inside to scrub the paint off my hands (and my nose....and inside my nose....and my cheeks....and my legs.....).

And then I texted my husband.

Did you notice the very last line?  That's why I love him.  I have a harebrained, ridiculous idea and screw it up and his only instinct is to ask how he can help me.  I seriously take him for granted. 

Because, later that night, he ran to Walmart, picked up primer and MORE paint and went out and fixed my mess.  I peeked out my bedroom window to see my husband, earbuds in place, spray painting our daughter's birthday present...and I cried.  I cried because I don't deserve him.  Because he totally saved the day. 

Once again, I have a crazy idea (Avery's first birthday present, the mantle I wanted mounted on a wall without a fireplace.....) and Marty steps in to make it a reality.  I'm a lucky, lucky girl.

One last picture:

Avery's first birthday present parked next to her second birthday present.  Marty's exact words to me:  "You have an obsession with painting plastic things."  Maybe so, Marty.....wonder if there's a twelve step program for that kind of addiction.....

Mantle Madness!

Definition of a good husband:  one that will spend a good chunk of his Sunday putting up a mantle from your momma's basement.

I'm super ridiculously pumped about this.  Remember last month when I scored this super fabulous, super cheap clock from Hobby Lobby and I talked about my plans for our big open wall in our living room.  Well friends, the transformation is (almost) complete!

Before.  Terrible picture, I know.

What you need to know:  long navy wall.  Super boring.  Needed something.

Marty took down the clock, found the studs and marked the position of the mantle.  Then, he spent several nights at his cousin's wood shop giving my mom's old mantle some much needed TLC.  It was in desperate need of a fresh coat of paint, some wood putty and, most importantly, a shelf on the top so I could actually display items on the top of the mantle.

After!

I have a mantle!  And a wall with something on it!  Hooray!!  I've already been browsing Pinterest for decor ideas for different seasons.  Right now, I'm trying to picture decorations for Avery's Winnie the Pooh themed 2nd birthday party this weekend.  Don't worry.  Pictures will follow.

I still have some styling to do around this area, but it's up!  And I'm excited!  Who's got the best husband ever?  This girl.

Lost in Potty Land.

I want to apologize for my long absence from the blogging world.  I've been lost deep in the recesses of Potty Training Land.  God, is that a scary place.  Does anyone have a map to help me find my way out??

I'm not sure what I expected.  My mom told me that I expected perfection too soon, but I would disagree with that.  I wasn't expecting perfection, by any means.  But I was not expecting to have good days, where Avery told me she needed to go potty and few accidents, followed by a terrible day, where she didn't use the potty once and had accidents all.day.long.  This is BY FAR the most frustrating thing I have ever done as a mother.  When Avery tells me that she has to pee and we run like idiots to the bathroom (I've almost tripped and broke a bone multiple times trying to make it to the bathroom) and then we get there, I sit her little rump on the potty and she screams like I'm trying to kill her.....that's when I want to stick her back in diapers and hope she'll figure it out by the time she starts school.  Then there's other times, where Avery tells me she has to pee and actually does it on the potty without having a single accident...I can see the pride and excitement on her face and I know she just gets it.  It's give and take.  It's not going to happen overnight...I KNOW that.  But when I see statistics that fully potty training your child (no more Pull Ups, no more night wetting) can take up to EIGHT MONTHS, I have a panic attack and want to go hide in a corner.  Eight months??  Gah.  Honest to goodness, I'm not sure the Good Lord gave me that much patience.

So, to relieve my nerves and to give me a break from talking about nothing but my child's bodily functions, later this week, I'll be doing a "DIY Diva in Training" post!  Remember this little beauty?

It's a red corner table that's in desperate need of a new drawer front and a fresh coat of paint.  I've been waffling over what to do with this little booger for awhile.  I have a picture in my head of what I want it to look like and I've been researching products and methods to make my vision a reality.  It's been a long process....thus, no updates on furniture redos.  But I have the method in mind and am going to tackle this project THIS WEEK!  So be looking for it! :)

DIY Diva in Training--Big Art for Little Money

Where my divas at??  No, not you, lady who makes her husband go shopping with her and hold her bag the entire time.  Or you, woman that gets a mani/pedi every other day so her polish can match her outfits.  Where my DIY divas at??  The ladies that are interested in decorating their homes for pennies at a time, while still staying as stylish as possible.  For all YOU diva-licious DIY'ers, this post is for you.

I know I tempted you the other day with pictures of all of the furniture pieces I plan to redo and breathe life into.  But this post isn't about any of those furniture pieces.....sorrrrrry!  Instead, it's about how to make a big impact on your wall for not a lot of big money. 

I love big pieces.  I love big wall art and I hope to own my own painting one day to hang in my home.  Unfortunately though, the budget doesn't really allow for any art right now.  So I decided to make a focal piece on my own.  Wanna know how?  Follow me!

Go to your local craft store....I picked Michael's (basically because it's the only one in my town to choose from).  I picked up a large filigree wooden frame and my last initial.

Next, I went to Walmart and bought some spray paint.  Our bedroom is mostly grey and yellow with some mint green accents thrown in.  There's a whole lot of grey and there's yellow on the bedspread, but I needed to incorporate more green.  So I chose to paint my frame grey (to be able to use in other parts of my home if I decided to put it in another room) and the initial green.  The actual spray paint colors were Krylon Jade and Smoke Grey. 

After I spray painted the two pieces, I hung it up in our bedroom. 

 

Seriously, that's it.  I plan on adding something else to each side (I'm a symmetrical kind of girl), but that'll be in the future.  Ready for the cost?  The huge frame was $7.99, the initial was $4.99 and the spray paint was $3.49 a can--which I probably used a 1/4 of the can.  I can't afford a giant piece of art to hang in my bedroom.  So this'll do for now. 

DIY Diva in Training....new series!

I think the Little Red Hen had a little bit of DIY-er in her when she said "I'll do it myself!"  I want my home to look like something out of a magazine, decor-wise.  But getting it to look that way is craaaaaaazy expensive. If you go the ready-made route, good for you!  Since this momma is low on funds and trying to pinch her pennies, I'm going the DIY route.  So, introducing the "DIY diva in training" series!

Each week, I'll be transforming a piece of furniture or adding character to my home by doing it myself and saving money.  Here's a preview of all the furniture pieces that I have around my house that need a little TLC.

From top left, going clockwise: 

1.  Corner table (yard sale find: $15). 

2.  Adorable little table with cubbies (yard sale find:  $10). 

3.  Your guess is as good as mine (yard sale: $1)

4.  Really flipping awesome desk (antique store in Bardstown:  $40)

5.  Octagon side table (consignment store in Bardstown: $12)

From top, going clockwise:

 

1.  Chest of drawers (from Marty's childhood bedroom)

2.  Dresser (from Marty's childhood bedroom)

3.  Side table (yard sale find:  $15)

 

I'm going to breathe new life into these tired little pieces.  Give them a fresh coat of paint and some TLC.  But I'm also going to share some other little tips and tricks to decorate your house for as cheaply as you can get away with.  I'll be doing one big project or renovation every week, so be looking for them!  Maybe I will post them on Tuesdays for the Twitter hashtag #transformationtuesday (Or is it Transformation Thursday and Throwback Tuesday?  Whatev).  I will gladly welcome any and all ideas or pins that you think would be fitting for these pieces (particularly that little cubby hole table...can't figure out what I'm doing with that little dude just yet).  Hopefully big ideas and big reveals will be happening!  So stay tuuuuuuned :)