Arts & Crafts Extravaganza!

So...I have always liked to decorate things. Canvases, ornaments, and more recently my girls' rooms. The past few years I have dabbled in "doing it up" for my girls' joint birthday party. Three years ago I did a Carnival...complete with games, prizes, a clown, etc. Last year was an "After-Halloween" Party, and I decorated with tons of Halloween themed decor, and a cauldron full of Witch's Brew with a floating ice skull. This year, I decided to do an Arts & Crafts Party, and concentrated most of my decorating on the "cake table", which ended up being a cake-pop table, and a mini candy buffet. It really came together better than I could have imagined. I decorated the tables with different colors/patterns of plastic table cloths, and scattered various art supplies (pom poms, buttons, paper, paint, crayons, markers, colored pencils, etc. etc. etc.) down the centers of the tables, like a runner. Each table had a few giant inflatable crayons, and also a bunch of balloons in the center, secured on these ADORABLE Crayola thermoses, shaped like crayons, that I just filled with water to act as a balloon weight.

For the food tables we had various snacks in brightly colored bowls, another cute balloon bunch/Crayon-weight in the center, YUMMY mini ham & cheese croissants (thanks Alisa Brown!), and added some color by rolling brightly-colored plastic cutler & napkins and putting them in some cute arts & crafts-themed "buckets" that I found for 25 cents at Walmart. One of my fav parts of the food table, however, was the water bottle rainbow. I bought bottles of water and custom water bottle labels ($20 for 50 waterproof, ready-to-stick labels) from Labels R Us. (I ordered off Ebay, but they can be found on Etsy.) The night before the party, my husband and MIL helped me put Crystal Lite into 50 bottles...10 each of fruit punch, lemonade, pink lemonade, orange, and grape. So fun!

Like I mentioned above, my main focus was the cake-pop table. I had seen lots of blogs and posts on Pinterest about awesome b-day decor, but a lot of it was WAAAAAY out of my budget, and I needed a higher quantity. So, first I looked around my house to see what I already had that I could use. The fabric I used for the backdrop was fabric I used to use in my classroom to cover a bulletin board. The table skirt was a curtain that used to hang in my classroom. The boxes I wrapped and used to elevate the lollipops and cake pops were just lying around from the art supplies I had ordered for the party. I made the banners myself. The "Happy Birthday" one was just construction paper and the letter were made from Contact Paper and cut with a Cricut! Much cheaper than vinyl :) I tied the banner together with mis-matched brightly-colored ribbon pieces that I already had. The banners of the girls names I also "made", but I ordered a digital kit from Paper Party Passion on Etsy. There was a lot more in the kit than just the banner template, but the only other thing I used was the favor tags (which I will explain later). I also tied their name banners together with ribbon that I already had. I wrapped foam pieces in bright polka-dot paper I got for $3 at Walmart, and stuck the cake-pops I made in one, and the swirl lollipops I got from Oriental Trading in the other. The boxes I set the foam pieces on were wrapped in paper I got for $1 at Target in their discount area. My friend Alisa made tissue paper pom poms that I stuck in the background of the table. I got colored Twizzlers and Gummy Bears and put in clear glass vases, as well as M&M's separated out by color and put in brightly colored bowls, and made a mini candy buffet to add some more color. And while all of this was great, what really stole the show were the custom balloon pillars, made to look like crayons, that were on each side of the table. Thank you thank you THANK YOU to Balloons Unlimited for these awesome creations!! If you live in Central KY, you should definitely look into using this company, which is based in Winchester, KY. To cut WAY down on cost, I also made my own cake pops. I decorate cakes, and have made cake pops before, but I always find it overwhelming to plan/set up my girls' party AND make a cake/cupcakes. But, the cost of purchasing cake pops from someone just wasn't feasible for me, so I used the Baby Cakes Cake Pop Maker from Kohl's.
I was able to make over 100 cake balls in under an hour. Decorating them took a while longer, but it was a nice break from the usual cake/cupcakes.

Overall, I think it turned out pretty well! To end the party, each kid took home a favor bag full of Skittles, crayons, a coloring book, stencil, stickers, and a small toy. For the bags, I bought red and blue paper lunch sacks, folded the tops over, and secured it with a favor tag (from the digital kit I bought for the banner). To hold everything together, I put two hole punches through the bag and tag, and put a paint brush through to hold the bag shut.

The kids had fun, lots of great art was made, and thanks to the help of several great friends and family, the party went really well. The girls even had custom Arts-&-Crafts-Themed outfits from Little Darling Designs. A very special thanks to my mom and step-dad for helping prepare the favor bags, to Alisa Brown for the sandwiches and the help with the decor, Linsey Smahaj for her expertise with rolling cutlery, my hubs and MIL for helping with the water bottles, my nephew Richie for blowing up the giant crayons, and Mandy Jacobs & Cindy Lynn for helping with the set-up and clean-up efforts. I couldn't have pulled it off without you ALL! Guess I need to start planning next year's party now :)

8 Inches

Today started just like any other "ordinary" day. Got up, kids got up, had breakfast, gave baths (which doesn't usually happen in the morning, but we had plans today and the kiddos were DIR-TY!), got everyone dressed, dropped the dog off at the groomer, went to lunch with my boss and coworkers for the boss's birthday, and then we were en route to the "haircutters" for a trim for Sophia when a Tornado Warning came across the radio. So, we detoured home for a bit and while we were waiting for the storm to pass, Angelina asked if she, too, could get a trim. I said "sure" and we hopped in the ol' van-a-roo and headed to Walmart. And yes, I take my kids the salon in Walmart. JohnnaBeth does a GREAT job and is so good with the kiddos...I highly recommend her! Anyhow, we rolled into WallyWorld, signed in at the salon (can you call a haircutting place in Walmart a salon?! Heheheh) and waited our turn. Sophia went first and gleefully hopped up in the chair to get her hair washed. I sat there thinking "Why oh WHY can't she be this excited for ME to wash her hair at home?!" Anyhow, next she hopped into the chair in front of the mirror and JohnnaBeth began chopping off dead ends and fuzz until Sophia's hair no longer resembled a bird's nest hair-don't, but rather a well-coiffed hair-DO. Then it was Angelina's turn. She followed suit, hopping in the chair to get her hair washed and then skipped over the the "cutting chair", as she so coined it. Then she said, "Momma, can I cut my hair a little shorter than usual so it's curly like Sophia's." Well, I immediately said, "No, because your Daddy likes long hair." But she was persistent, and asked again. I tried calling Ernie, but didn't get an answer, so I texted him and asked if she could cut her hair shorter. His answer: NO. I told Angelina her Daddy nixed the idea, and her eyes welled up with tears. JohnnaBeth began our usual trim of an inch or two, but around that same time the manager of the store was talking with a teenager close by, explaining what Locks of Love is. Angelina heard this and turned to JohnnaBeth (and NOT me!) and asked "Do I have enough hair to do that?" Well, JohnnaBeth had already taken about two inches off the back, so she looked at me (who was giving the NO NO NO silent look) and hesitantly told Angelina she didn't think she'd have enough hair since we already cut it. Angelina looked so defeated, and she looked at me with puppy dog eyes and said, "Momma, I really wanna' give my hair to someone who doesn't have any." Well, who could say no to that?! So I tried to call Ernie again...no answer...but then I looked at my phone and several minutes before, after I had texted him how upset Angelina was that he said she couldn't cut her hair, he had texted me back "fine". Seeing that, I told Angelina "Daddy said you can cut your hair!" JohnnaBeth measured and SOMEHOW Angelina still had just over 8 inches of hair, even after the trim! So she put Angelina's hair in a ponytail and was JUST about the cut it off when suddenly a wave of panic (and nausea) spread over my body. I said (well, yelled) STOP! All of a sudden it dawned on me that it wasn't just Ernie who liked Angelina's long hair...it was me, too. I mean, after all, this baby was born bald as a cue ball and STAYED that way until nearly her 2nd birthday. It's been a 5 year process to get her long hair! How would I style it if it were short? Would it cut her curls off? How would I put it up so she wouldn't be hot at soccer? What about those mornings when I'm running late and literally pile it on top of her head and secure with a hair-band? And as I was silently panicking, Angelina said, "Mommy, there's some little girl who doesn't have any hair who realllllly needs my hair." Well shoot...suddenly my anguish and panic over a stinkin' haircut didn't seem legit at all. While I sat there lamenting over Angelina's hair, there was a mother and father who found out their little girl, the same age as Angelina, has cancer. Right at that moment, somewhere, a family was burying a child, Angelina's age, who had just died. Right then, a little girl JUST like Angelina, who loves life to the fullest, was sitting in a hospital bed crying because the medicine she is getting to fight her cancer is making her hair fall out. How selfish of me to be so up-in-arms over a haircut...especially when, to Angelina, it was pretty cut and dry (no pun intended)- she had hair, someone else doesn't, and she had enough to spare that she could give some to them. Period. End of story. I looked at JohnnaBeth and just kinda nodded for her to proceed. And with a few snips, she cut off Angelina's entire ponytail. When she held it up for Angelina to see, Angelina gasped and JohnnaBeth said "Now don't cry, please!" But Angelina's face was quickly taken over by a cheek to cheek smile, and she said "Cry? Why would I cry? I am excited! Will I get to meet the little girl who is gonna' get my hair?" Wow. What a humbling, awesome moment. My FIVE year old just seemed to "get it"...that we are called to help people, even when it means giving up something of our own, and that we are to be EXCITED about it! 2 Corinthians 9:7 says, "Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver." And what a cheerful giver she was...and what a proud Momma I am.

HOLY GUACAMOLE!! Not A Fan....

So...I have neglected this poor little blog! Geesh...I mean so much time has passed and so much has happened...where do I even begin?!?! Hmmmm...hmmmmm...ummmmm....ok, got it. I will start with GOD! The past few months have been nothing short short of amazing. It all started when we began an AWESOME study called Not A Fan. Looking back, God's grace (and a little sense of humor?) was really apparent in how we got involved in this study. We have been a part of a married couples study group for about 5 years. The past few sessions, our attendance has not been that great. It wasn't really a priority for us, but rather a "oh if we're free on Saturday night we might go"type of thing. We had stopped going to church regularly (and by that I mean MAYBE once a month, but usually less.) In all honesty, at first I was nervous to go because Sophia had gotten in trouble for hitting a kid, and I didn't want a repeat. But then it seemed like every Sunday a kid was sick, or something came up...but mainly we had just grown lazy and accustomed to our Sunday morning sleep-ins, big breakfasts, and family time. I hadn't hardly noticed, but my relationship with God had pretty much gone un-attended for almost a year. Last fall I got into a bible study group at my church and we did a Beth Moore study. I totally felt God tugging at my heart strings and while it hurt, it felt good, too. Kinda like a "hurt so good" feeling; I had neglected my personal relationship with God and this study really made it apparent that I couldn't go on any longer like that! I felt renewed and rejuvenated...but then there was a lot of homework and I got behind and then I got overwhelmed. And while I know I didn't get as much out of it as I could have, but it got that fire burning in my heart again. Meanwhile, our married couples small group was discussing doing a study called "Not A Fan". Our whole church was going to be doing the study and it would correlate to what our preacher would preach about on Sundays. Our preacher wanted all the small groups to do the study. Well, we hadn't been at church in a LONG time so I had NO clue what this "Not A Fan" was all about. Ernie and I discussed it, but when we realized it would require us to meet EVERY Saturday for 6 weeks, we were like "No way. We can't commit to EVERY Saturday!" So we bowed out for this round, rationalizing that we had been a part of this group for a long time and needed a little break. I decided, however, to see what this "Not A Fan" was all about on Wednesday's with my women's group. Well, the first Wednesday was life changing. I went home and told Ernie we HAD to rethink our decision to forgo this study with our married couples group. He agreed to go and see what it was all about. Well, if God speaks to most hearts, He SCREAMED at ours that night. The transformation seemed to begin truly overnight...suddenly we were THIRSTING for Him, all the time. We eagerly looked forward to Saturdays with our married couples group. Wednesday nights with my women's group couldn't come soon enough. Tuesday mornings with Ernie's men's group climbed to the top of his priority list. And Sundays...oh Sunday mornings have become something we just cannot wait for...and not for the sleep-ins and big breakfasts, but for the opportunity to hear God's precious word through our amazing pastor. And what about all the rest of the days, you ask? Well, those other days have been filled with more positive attitudes, much more prayer, and a marriage that has been blessed with more honesty, openness, and joy for these past few months than it had seen in the 5 years leading up to this point! Now, it hasn't been ALL unicorns and butterflies, either...we still have "off" days and struggles. We still sin daily. The difference, though, is on those "off" days, we see hope for tomorrow. We wake each morning, attempting to die to ourselves and pick up our crosses...and when we fail in sin, we ask for forgiveness and strength to not do it again, and TRULY mean it. We don't want to be "Fans" of Jesus any longer. We want to be fully committed followers of the Lord. We want to experience the kingdom here on Earth, and even more, we want to be a part of it and further it all for God's glory. We have discussed different ways we want to serve, and have put a few into action. If you had known us 5 or 6 years ago, this would seem like an alien, out of body experience for you because we were NOT living for God. Even a year ago, even after knowing Christ and being baptized in Him, we still did not "get it". Sure, we were good people and we were definitely fans of God. God did some pretty big stuff in our lives about a year ago, and we took it for granted. We weren't ready to commit. But the Lord has been there, waiting patiently for us to realize that He longs for a relationship with us. He wants us to put Him first. He doesn't NEED us...He WANTS us. Wow. How did it take so long for us to truly TRULY get that?! Well, regardless of how or why, all I know is the transformation in our lives has been profound...and I want MORE! I want to be on that narrow path that leads to Him. And the best part is this peace that has overtaken our lives is available to every single person who walks this Earth. I know I know...I can hardly wrap my head around it either...but it's not meant for us to understand. So, ask yourself...are you merely a fan of God, or are you a fully committed follower? Short question, but BIG importance. Want to know more? Please feel free to contact me on FB or email me at marci.pelayo@yahoo.com. I would love to share in more detail what God has been doing in our lives. Much love to you all!
Marci

Bath Poofs and Beth Moore

It's Tuesday, my day off. Normally right now I would be scurrying around the house trying to clean and wash the dishes that are in the sink from last week (oops, I shouldn't have admitted that), but I'm feeling a little "off" today. Actually, it started yesterday...a little light headed, dull headache, dizzy at times, and some major swelling in my hands and feet (yes, I am going to the doc this afternoon). Anyhow, sitting here with my legs propped up, I decided I was going to do something wild and crazy...something I haven't done since my early 20's...something hot and steamy...I decided I was going to take an UNITERRUPTED shower! Yes ladies, I decided to take a long, scalding hot shower AND shave my legs slowly and carefully. I might have even sang a song...or two...at the top of my lungs. But that's besides the point. As a climbed into the shower, I instinctively was in "rush mode"...you know, the mode where you know you only have a small window of opportunity to get clean before some small person comes knocking on the door (or tugging at the shower curtain) saying "Mommy, I'm hungry" or "Mommy, sissy hit me." When I realized there was no need for rush mode today, I was giddy at the thought that I might actually get to deep condition my hair by leaving the conditioner on for the full 5-7 minutes that the bottle suggests. As the bathroom filled with steam, it was finally time to grab the bath puff and use my NEW body wash...a yummy, exotic-smelling flavor of Tone. As my shower drew to a close (or rather as the hot water ran out), I was still lost in the pseudo-paradise of the intoxicating aroma left over from the Tone body wash, and I reached for the bottle to see what the name of the fabulous flavor was...it's called Restore. And then it hit me like a ton of bricks...God is the body wash of my soul. Just like the Tone "restored" my senses, God can restore anything and everything. Then I started thinking about the new study I'm doing with a group of women at church called Believing God by Beth Moore (and I realized I have GOT to get caught up on my homework!). I thought about how I wasn't planning on even going until a friend asked "What time do you want me to pick you up?" God knew I needed to be there. After the first session, I was hooked. Then the second time, I was in awe. And by the third session I was thirsting for more. I mean, who wouldn't want all the glories God can offer...and I mean ALL of them?! And then, as I was sitting in my room, still wrapped in a towel, I pieced it all together: God is my body wash and Beth Moore is my bath poof. God wants to restore me and this Beth Moore study is one way he is washing me in His word. Wow. God spoke to my heart, and reaffirmed to me He is everywhere, sees everything, knows everything, LOVES me...and is working to restore me each and every day. Geesh, God sure knows how to give us more than we bargain for and much much more than we deserve. It's funny the places we find God when we really open our eyes and our hearts...and I thought all I was getting was an uninterrupted shower...

Taking It All For Granted...

"...And I loved deeper and I spoke sweeter and I gave forgiveness I'd been denying..."
This past week or so has been rough for my little community of Winchester, KY. A few weekends ago we had two awful car wrecks. One wreck landed a few boys in the hospital and killed another young man in the car, and then another wreck killed a promising young football player, who had just began his senior year of high school. Then, just a few days ago on Sunday, my friend Robin's ex (who she is still very close with and has a ten year old daughter with) just collapsed in his. His ten year old daughter found him and called 911 immediately (such a brave little girl...we love you, Kaylee!) but unfortunately it looks like the damage is done. Turns out he had a heart attack followed by a series of strokes.
I don't know any of the people who died personally, and I've only met Robin's ex, Todd, a few times. But I, along with most of the people in Winchester, feel this immense sadness for the tragic events of recent days. Yes, it does make me sad to see a friend in pain, but it's even more than that. Throughout the past few days, I feel like God has told me to open my eyes and look around. I had lunch with my husband today, and kept sneaking little glimpses and hugs, all the time realizing how quickly he could be taken from me. After I left the ICU waiting room earlier and went to pick up my girls from school, I had to hold back the tears in the parking lot before I walked in because it dawned on me how lucky I am to have them; how much that poor football players mom would give to be in my shoes right now. Now, obviously you can't live life always thinking about how the people you love can be taken from you, but I've really been forced me to step back for a second and take notice how often we take the people and things around us for granted. How often I hurry through bedtime storytime just so I can make it downstairs in time to watch my show. How often I tell my kids to be quiet so I can talk on the phone. How often I don't kiss my husband when he walks in the door from work. How often I don't say "I love you" at the end of a phone conversation with family because it was "just a quick chat" and I was in a hurry to get off the phone. All of those are things I know I would regret to the ends of the Earth if one of my loved ones died tomorrow. It's like that Tim McGraw song "Live Like You Were Dying"...yea, it's a great song and gives us all goosebumps when we hear it. But what if we all truly lived like today was our last day to spend with our friends and families? Because after all, it just might be...
God, I come to you today and ask that you provide comfort and healing for the families who have lost someone they love. Lord, I pray that your will be done in the case of Todd Rogers, whether it's healing him so that he can continue his life on Earth, or taking him home to live for eternity with you. I pray for Kaylee that she continues to find strength in the midst of such incredible pain, and that you hold her hand and guard her heart. Thank you, God, for reminding me how powerful you are and how temporary I am. It's in Jesus most holy name I pray...Amen...

Tears and Lipstick

Over the past year I've had to deal with my oldest daughter thinking she's fat and refusing to finish her meal, ruthless teasing and taunting at school, and now my youngest daughter crying when I wouldn't give her lipstick so she could be "pretty"...and they are TWO and FOUR! Sure, I knew these issues would arise, but I was hoping to hold them off just a tad longer. I'm really starting to wonder if their favorite shows like Hannah Montana and Victorious are influencing their opinions of what is beautiful and what isn't more than I thought? My oldest has come home several times from school upset because someone teased her, told her she didn't have any friends, and even called her fat at lunch time (all at a private Christian preschool...yes parents, it's everywhere...), so I know that isn't helping, either. It's so frustrating! And now, my little one is a makeup fanatic...she disappears for minutes at a time and then shows up with a painted face. I think she'd wear makeup to bed if she could. And when I try to take it off of her, she throws a fit and says "Now I won't be pretty any more." I'm sure some of this is just the fun of "dressing up", but how seriously do you take it when your child thinks wearing lipstick makes you pretty, and without you aren't pretty anymore?

With a husband that's 6'7, I always new my girls were going to be tall. I have spent hours and hours encouraging them that their tall height makes them unique, special and beautiful. I make a big fuss every morning when they get dressed about how beautiful they look, and everynight I kiss them and tell them how special, talented, and beautiful they are. So how else should I be building up their self-esteem? Earlier this summer, my 4 year old opted for a tankini over a bikini for the first time. I asked her why, and I was beside myself when she said she didn't want anyone to see her fat belly. Wow. I felt like I'd been punched in the gut. How could my talented, smart, fabulous, BEAUTIFUL child think that of herself, ate the age of 4, especially when it's clearly not true?! Am I failing as a parent in my duty to build my children up?

I've been pondering these things for months now, and I have yet to figure out any answers. Even last week, my 4 year old came home on the first day of school and told me her feelings got hurt when someone told her she didn't have any friends (again, clearly not true). There are days I'd like to take my babies and keep them in a little bubble that would shield them from all the hurt they will experience in their lifetime...but I know this isn't possible, and even if it was, it wouldn't be the best choice for them. I want my kids to learn life lessons and grow to be strong, healthy women both inside and out, and I know what they experience along the way will help mold them...I just didn't know I'd be dealing with fat jokes, lipstick and tears just yet...

Adventures of a Lawn Mowin' Queen

I was on my way out the door this morning, when I decided I should mow the lawn instead of running the bazillion errands I was on my way to do. After all, it was the first morning in a LONG time that I couldn't cook an egg on my driveway, so I figured "Ehhh what the heck, I'll grab the mower, enjoy the weather, and get a little workout." I quickly opened the garage and rolled out the mower before any of my neighbors could glance in and see the "yard sale pile" that has taken over what was formerly my parking spot. Mental note: put yard sale and cleaning the garage on my To-Do list. Feelin' pretty good, I rolled the mower to my starting point, primed the engine, pulled the cord, and...nothing. It made this pathetic little putter noise like it was going to start, but alas it was all a tease. But I, the Queen of the Yard, did not give up that easy. In all honesty I know nothing about lawn mowers, so I just closed my eyes, muttered a few choice words, tried again and SUCCESS. The lawn mower roared and we were off, like a horse at the Kentucky Derby. Up and down the lawn we went...until we were sidelined by a piece of mushy lawn from the storm yesterday. But did that stop us? No! The front yard was finished and it was time to tackle the backyard. Now, the backyard is NOT my friend. It's sloped and has about 100 types of weed-grass that grows in thick stalks. (If you are reading this and you know how to eradicate this crap-grass [get it? not craB-grass...craP-grass...hardy har har...] PLEASE let me know!) So, I rolled Mr. Mower in and stared at the small jungle in front of me. As I started mowing, I decided to mow around the egdes so I had a border that I could then mow the inside of to avoid hitting the fence. Just the border required me to empty the bag two times. Ugh. But once that part is finished, I was feeling sort of like Wonder Woman. In my super hero state, I began the back and forth rows and an idea popped into my head: I want to write a book. I want to compile stories of different accounts of Mommy Brain. I think it would be great to be able to read about all of the silly/scary/sad things mommies have done on the grounds of the forgetfulness caused by motherhood, and I think it would be good for mommies to know they are not alone in this stuff. I was eager to finish the lawn and start my new project when a GIANT black winged flying creature flew right at my face. It was all a blur, but it was HUGE and gross and flying and...I screamed. A lot. I threw my hands up and started batting it away from my face. Meanwhile, I had taken my hands off the mower, and it rolled back towards me (thank goodness it has automatic shut off when your hands come off the bar!), knocking me backwards. In the middle of my screamfest/stumble, I flung my glasses off my face. It was like the scene from A Christmas Story where the kid loses his glasses in the snow...only minus the snow...and the bb gun, and the falling icicle...okay, so I guess it wasn't really like A Christmas Story much at all. But still, I watched in slow motion as my glasses flew and hit the fence, then crunched on the rocks down below, bouncing several times until they came to a stop, lenses facing down, of course. After being sure the black flying beast was gone, I picked them up only to discover the lenses and frames were bent and scratched. Add that to the list: need new glasses.
Once inside and showered, I sat down and issued a statement on Facebook that I am looking for stories about Mommy Brain for a new project. I thought I would just be slammed with stories immediately after posting...but I haven't gotten a single one yet. But I feel certain if I can get this ball rolling it could be a really successful, interesting, useful compilation. Any takers?