Gift Bag Sewing Project

We have an invitation to a birthday party!

In my desire to live more simply...

I want to stop buying a gift bag or wrapping paper...so how about a beautiful hand made bag that can be reused for so many other things...

We went to this really beautiful fabric store here in our neighborhood The Whole 9 Yards and Maxx picked out the cutest "tweet tweet" fabric, and we had 1 yard of pink ribbon cut for our birthday bag project.

...and today he learned to thread a bobbin.  Of course the best part was pushing the pedal at FULL BLAST watching the bobbin fill with thread!  I really like that too! ;)

While I continued the sewing...with some pedal pushing help 
He worked on the Birthday card and drew a  "dancing flower".  

I totally see it, dancing!

Once finished we pulled out our scrap papers and crafting odds and ends.  Together we worked on making the envelope special too. 

...then  filled the bag with the birthday surprise.  

I just loved how it turned out.

What a special way to give a gift.

Happy fifth birthday, Rachel!

Our Jack 'O Lanterns 2008

Thank you Miss Shannon for your help in activity and creativity.
...and thank you to the neighbor who was selling the organic pumpkins from your pumpkin farm in Central, IL (How cool it was to stubble across you)

The Busy Bumble Bee

Here is the costume. This was from our first event.
We have a quite a few more this week.




...and the start of mine and Kurt's

Making Bubble Wands in the Middle of a Crazy Week

It is a beautiful day! Maxx and I slept in 'till 9am...so nice.

I am on day 8 of a 9 day work schedule that included two cl'open shifts...and I am pooped. One more day to go and then a much needed day off.

This morning we realized we have company...a house fly, who made his way to our 3rd floor apartment and is continuing to provide some fun entertainment for Maxx. "Whoa!" "Where is that funny fly guy?" "Ahhhhhhh MOahhhM!!!"

Maxx and I are starting our preparations for his birthday party. We are going to have a hand made party this year. The past three years Kurt and I have gone all out with professional cakes the perfect location with stressing ourselves. After lots of soul searching and questioning this past year... I am present in knowing the most important thing is not the perfection, it is the celebration, the rhythm of tradition, and just enjoying the moment by being together.

Today we started our day with painting the stick part of our future bubble wands.

Enjoying the moments!