Poodle skirts

 
















Poodle Skirts

My daughter was going to a Brownie Sock Hop.  Last year I made poodle skirts for her and her friend. Since they still fit, I decided I would use the leftover material to make poodle skirts for their dolls.  They turned out super cute and the dolls had a great time at the sock hop too!

So if you need a poodle skirt for your doll and one to match your girl, let me know.  We can bling it up with anything you want.

Dr. Seuss!

I love Dr. Seuss.  He was such a brilliant man who brought the fun to reading for so many children.  My favorite books are Cat in the Hat, Green Eggs and Ham, Wacky Wednesday, Oh The Places You will Go, The Foot Book, Red Fish, Blue Fish, and so many more.  To honor him on his birthday, here are some fun facts about Dr. Seuss:

1. Dr. Seuss was never a doctor.  He only used it as a pseudonym at a university and added the Dr. as a joke to his dad who wanted him to be a doctor.
2. He almost burned his first book after being rejected by 27 publishers.  And to think that it might have not happened -- "And To Think That I Saw It On Mulberry Street" was the beginning of Dr. Seuss.
3. His grandparents lived on Mulberry Street.
4. Dr. Seuss never had children and claimed to be nervous around them but he developed a close relationship with his nephew.  His nephew was said to be the inspiration of Green Eggs and Ham.
5. One of his most popular books was Green Eggs and Ham.  It was the result of a bet that he could not write a book using only 50 words.
6.  He is credited with jumpstarting reading among American Children.  He is also credited with killing off "Dick and Jane."  (I know I am dating myself but I loved Dick and Jane.  That is how I learned to read.)
7. One in four children in America have a Dr. Seuss book.
8. Dr. Seuss' penchant for rhyming was inherited from his mother, who used chants to memorize pie recipes in their bakery. 
9. More than 200 million copies of Dr. Seuss' children's books have been published. His 44 books have been translated into more than 15 languages.
10. If he were still alive today, he would be 107 years old. 

For more information about Dr. Seuss and to see the official page full of fun activities, visit:  http://www.seussville.com/

I need a Heart Lift.

Since turning 40, I sometimes think about parts of my body that I would like to be different.  Naturally, everything is getting older.  I look at pictures from years ago and realize that I don't look the same.  I don't know that I would want a face lift...it looks too painful.  I probably could go for some miracle cream that would make my skin look tighter and smoother.  That doesn't seem as invasive.

Basically,  I realize that it isn't about looks.  It is about the heart.  Everyone is in need of a heart lift.  Tonight is my night.  Life sometimes can hit you with a dose of "poor me" and I need that heart lift.  It is a human need to feel loved and encouraged.   My husband is an encourager.  Throughout our married life, it seems that we are always there to lift each other.  When I am down, he is there to help me up.  When he is down, I am there for him.  Thankfully we are rarely down at the same time.  Through those times, it is always nice to have a friend there and we have a few good ones!  But tonight, I guess I just need that extra heart lift.  I need that ability to click my heels together and hit the fast forward to a time when all is positive and uplifting.  Maybe it will be tomorrow, maybe next week....I know that I am a child of God and He promises that He will bring a river to our desert.  I am looking for that river and hope to see it and feel the refreshment that it will bring.

A Valentine Funny

On Valentine's Day, my husband, 7 yr old daughter and I all went to eat.  While eating, we started hearing the little boy behind us talk to his grandma.  The next thing we know, the grandma said, "Yes, she is pretty."  At that point, she and I just slightly turned around.  The little boy then said to her, "You are SOO beautiful!"

Since our daughter didn't really react...I said thank you for her.  Then the little boy said,  "You could be my girlfriend but I already have one.  She is 7 and I am 6."

After they left, our daughter said, "I want no part of that!  I am not dating until I am in high school!"

Do you think we can get that in writing?

Birthday Themes

I love planning birthdays for my daughter.  It is a time when I love to make the cake.  The only time I ever purchased a cake for her was shortly after a move from another state and was still unpacking and didn't have time to make one AND plan a party.

Follow the Yellow Brick Road!

My daughter has a tradition of selecting some creative birthday themes.  Since she was 3 yrs old, her birthday theme coordinated with the previous Halloween costume.  She has a March birthday so it seemed as if the Halloween theme continued until her birthday.  We went through 2 years of Disney Princess birthdays.  Those were super easy because you could find theme items everywhere.  When she turned 5 years old, she decided that she wanted a Wizard of Oz party.  Of course, the previous Halloween she was Dorothy.  At that time in 2008, it was hard to find party items for that theme.  We made it work and I had a blast making the cake for it, complete with yellow brick road, emerald city and the rainbow.

When she was 6, she presented me with the biggest challenge ever!  She wanted to have a Fancy Nancy party.  Fancy Nancy was a new children's book character.  At that time, the merchandise had not hit the stores and it was hard to find!  The cake was so - so...not my favorite.  I tried to make a purple purse...let's just say, it was very purple.


 

For the 7th birthday, she didn't really decide anything so we went with a spring theme -- butterfly cake and flower cupcake cake. Easy but not too exciting...



Now she will be turning 8 years old soon. (ugh, where did the time go?)  She decided that she wanted a luau theme.  A Luau theme??!!  YES!  That is super easy and exciting to plan an awesome birthday cake!  I can see flip flops, leis, limbo, grass skirts...ahhh....easy birthday planning for mom. Since I am a big fan of the Cake Boss (Carlos Bakery), I know what I can do to make sand and other features.  My daughter would love to have a cake from Carlos Bakery but they don't ship and I also wouldn't have as much fun.
It's definitely a birthday party that I am excited to plan! I am open to ideas for this fun theme.  It celebrates the life of our daughter and we are very blessed to celebrate this special day -- the day God gave her to us!

Are you a Treasure to Others? (Continued)

Everyone is created by God and God looks at us as a treasure.  It is how we live our lives that determine if we are a treasure to others.  Are we consistently lifting others up by encouraging them and being compassionate?  Do we genuinely care what is going on in someone else's life whether it is good or bad?  Do we just stay wrapped up in our own little world thinking that everyone is against us or that no one else cares?  These things can determine if we are being a treasure to others. 

There is a book that is circulating through elementary schools that is encouraging people to think of others first.  It is helping to teach about bullying, name calling and put downs.  It helps to promote respectful and encouraging environments.  I have seen it in action and it is amazing what it brings to your mind to help you remember.   The book is called "Have You Filled A Bucket Today?" 

The main premise of the book is that we all have this invisible bucket and when we do kind things for others such as saying something nice, helping others, or giving a hug -- we fill their buckets and we fill ours at the same time. When we are unkind to people like calling them names, being a bully, degrading their character -- we dip into their bucket and our own. The fuller your bucket is, the happier you are, so the idea is to keep your bucket full through kind deeds as much as possible.

This not only applies to children but to adults also.  It is so important that we show the examples to our children.  I see so many children that are so full of attitudes and not encouraging one another.  Sometimes you only have to look at the parents or the homelife.  Some don't have the homelife that will encourage them.   As parents and adults, we need to lead by example making sure that we are forming the next generation to love and encourage each other.  It is important for us to be a generation that is not only creating heart treasures with the younger generation but also preparing them to have warm hearts for the future.  

Are you a Treasure to Others?

Are you a treasure to others?  Stay tuned to find out how you can tell...

Other Treasures

Not only do I embrace heart treasures, I also have a heart for treasure.  I love to be creative!  It is a form of relaxation for me.  Most of my current creativity is poured into my 7 year old daughter.  She is a competitive cheerleader and I love doing crafty things for her cheer team.  When she was younger, I loved making hair bows for each and every outfit, holiday, you name it!  She grew up and became more interested in headbands and flower clips.  That gave me another craft to make.  I also have a Cricut and love designing and experimenting with new things.  As I become more familiar with this blog, I hope to add pictures of the things we have created!  Recently, she has fallen in love with American Girl dolls.  She currently has 3 and Lanie, Haley and Megan have all become part of the family.  For Halloween, my daughter was convinced that I could make an outfit for her doll to match hers.  I couldn't let her down so I did.  That sparked the idea that I could make doll clothes.  With the help of some patterns, it will be my newest adventure!

What is A Heart Treasure?

A Heart Treasure is something that can lift your heart and help brighten your day. It could be a word of encouragement from a close friend, a smile from a stranger or a hug from your child. Lately, I have realized how important these heart treasures are. Life changes and people change. Those who you may have thought might always be there sometimes go suddenly without warning. Situations arise that cause friction between friends and sometimes the only choice is to let go. Events in communities and in the world can also awaken your senses to the hearts of others, whether good or bad.

Heart treasures can make the difference in whether you move forward with hope and peace or if you are held back by hurt feelings and despair. It is my hope that this blog will make people aware of the heart treasures that people can grasp and embrace. Through words of encouragement, humorous stories and even a little creativity, you can be a heart treasure to others, as well as have it in your own life.