Summer Splash!

Since we've been in Iowa it's been nothing but cloudy, rainy, and cold! I was looking forward to experiencing some warmer weather for a change but, up until today, we hadn't really had any. So, when we woke up to some sunny skies, out came the baby pool!

 Addison had a blast splashing in the water!

We put her favorite toy in there with her and she would smack it against the water so that it would make really big splashes.

 

The water kept hitting her in the face but she didn't mind one little bit!

 

Let's just say that Addison wasn't the only one who got wet. Mommy ended up pretty wet as well but I loved it! It's so fun to watch her play!

Thanks to Nana for taking the amazing pictures! :)

A Baby Shower!

So guess what, I'm back in Iowa! Crazy, I know! What happened is that my husband decided to go on a youth trip to Pennsylvania with the youth group and since I wouldn't be able to travel with Addison, he suggested I ride back to Iowa with my mom so that I wasn't alone for the whole week. That being said, my posts have been a little difficult to write up. Sorry about that!

A little while back, (alright, two years back) I threw a baby shower for one of my good friends and since I'm currently limited to what I have to post about I thought I would share it with you! :)

Here are the cute and simple invitations I created. These were a piece of cake to make and I think I whipped at least 20 of them up in an hour.

Here is the decorated table. The pinata was actually an inside joke among the guests. :)

Here is a detail shot of the diaper cake I made for her. This was my first attempt at a diaper cake and I really loved how it turned out! I think it's great that the diapers were even slightly tinted blue! :)

Here is the onesie bouquet that I made. This was super easy to create! Basically all I did was roll up the onesies and wrap a rubber band around them. I then stuck them in the cute tin bucket (Target dollar spot) and filled in the gaps with silk flowers. So cute!

I made these fun favors for all of the guests. I used a pillow box die and my big shot to create them. I then punched out stars and glued a piece of clear acetate behind the punched area so that you could get a peek at the yummy treats inside!

I decorated with some fun bath toys. They looked cute and the mommy was able to keep them for her sweet little boy!

I discovered through this process that I LOVE to plan parties, especially baby showers. It's so rewarding when everything turns out great and the guests have a great time.

I am linking to these parties!

Daddy Rocks

 

For Father's Day this year, I wanted to make something special for my husband since it's his first Father's Day! As I was browsing the web I came across this great idea from dearjes on Etsy! They would be perfect as paperweights and since my husband just took over his stucco business, he could really use one! However, they are no longer available so I figured I could probably try to make them myself! 

I'm happy to say that my version turned out pretty great so I will be sharing with you how I did it!

Materials Needed:

• Rock
• Sculpey II clay (your choice of colors)
• Alphabet Stamps
• Acrylic Paint

Begin by taking your polymer clay and working with it until it is soft and can easily be shaped.

 

Once it's soft enough, begin to cover your rock with it.

 

You will need to use your fingers to spread it out evenly over the rock.

 Spread the clay out until the rock is completely covered. After the clay cools a little you will then need to smooth it out with your fingers so it's not quite so lumpy.

Take your alphabet stamps and stamp your message. 

 If you mess up, you can always smooth out your mistakes and start over.

 Make sure you smooth out any fingerprints that may be showing. 

For some added texture, I grabbed a different rock and pressed it into the clay so that it left little indents.

 

Once you are satisfied with how your rock looks, bake it on a cookie sheet at 275 degrees Fahrenheit for 20 minutes. Tip: Before putting them in the oven, I poke holes in the bottom of the clay so bubbles won't form.

 After they are done baking, let them cool.

Paint the surface of your rock with acrylic paint. You want the paint to get into the letters as well as the cracks and devits in the rock. This will make the letters show up better and add a little bit of character to the rock.

 Remove the paint from the slick areas with a baby wipe.

 Ta-da! Your rock is complete!

 They make the perfect paperweight!

Grandpas will love them too!

I'm linking to these parties!

Hiking with the In-Laws

(Before I forget, I am currently working on the tutorial for the skirt I made Addison. You will have to be patient with me since this is my first sewing tutorial!)

Nick's parents came for a visit last weekend and so, like always, we tried to pack a lot into one weekend. One of the highlights from their visit was our hike up South Colony which runs between Humboldt and Broken Hand peaks. Our original goal was to get to the lakes at the top but Nick's mom's knee started to bother her so we weren't able to make it all the way. We did hike for a good 3 1/2 miles though!

Here we are with Nick's dad at the trail head. Our friends Ryan and Leanne let us borrow their child backpack carrier for Addison and she absolutely loved it! :)

Of course we took time to take some pictures of God's creation!

Our family picture in front of Broken Hand Peak. Gorgeous!

Happy baby!

The trail ran along a gorgeous mountain stream and there were many different areas to see some beautiful cascades.

Sitting in a snowbank.

Since the water took over part of the trail, we had to find ways to cross it.

Addison with her grandparents.

Stopping for a lunch break. :)

Trip was such a good boy.

We let him run up ahead of us on our way down. I think he ran through every puddle he could find!

Addison started to fall asleep in the backpack and didn't look too comfortable.

 

Nick carried her the rest of the way down the mountain.

My mom and grandparents are currently visiting so of course it's been super crazy! We have hardly had any time to sit down. In fact, we have had to eat dinner after 8:00 every night this week! I love the company but part of me is ready to be back on a normal schedule!