Old Friend

Monday I got to see a good friend that I’ve known since high school.  Even though we went to different colleges, they were about 30 minutes away and we took frequent trips to visit each other.  When she moved to Arizona, we still kept in touch and visited each other.  Then she lived in a few other states and there was a time we were not in touch as well as we once had been.

But recently she has gone through a rough life event and I’ve tried to be the best friend I’ve known how to be for her.  Even though she now lives in Colorado.  It was so great to see her and watch our kids having fun together.  I’ll miss her, but at least I know we will continue to keep in touch!

Tea Bag Thank You Notes

Because I can’t seem to make things easy on myself and buy pre-made Thank You note cards… I went ahead with an idea I had to make “Tea Bag Thank You Note Cards” for the attendees of Ella’s birthday tea party.

They are really quite easy, all you need are:

• 12x6 piece of decorative paper (per packet)
• Pre-made template for tea bag packet
• String (I used size 5 white DMC Cotton Perle)
• Decorative Paper (size of your choice) for note
• Small printed tags for tea bag tag
• Stapler
• Rubber cement, or other glue of choice

It’s really quite easy to make your own template for the packet. The measurements are as shown below. And of course you can scale the dimensions to your liking.

Once I drew out the template with a ruler and straight edge, I cut it out to use to trace on the back of the decorative paper.

Here I’m using the template just to show how to fold the packets. First fold the bottom rectangular flap up with decorative side of paper on the outside.

Next fold in side flaps. Fold them back out and apply glue to their insides. Fold back down and set under a heavy book until glue sets.

When dry, you can fold down the top flap. I did not glue this after inserting the note, but that is up to you.

Ella filled out a piece of paper with her thank-you to each child. Then I stapled a string to it. The other side of the string was then stapled to the tag which I printed up with a tea pot and “Thank-you” on it. Then I slipped her note into tea bag packets with the tag hanging out, for the cuteness factor.

Some other examples…

If this is your first time to my blog, you may want to take a look at the Tea Cup Invitations that I made for my daughter’s tea party.

I'm linking this post with Kimba's DIY Day and Today's Creative Blog - thanks for

visiting!

Our Final Christmas Celebration for 2009

At my parents on the 26th.  We met up there with my brother John and his girlfriend Kris.  As we arrived, we naturally gathered in my parents’ kitchen.  My mom did a LOT of work on dinner!

The kids posing in front of my parents’ tree.  The beautiful dress is courtesy of Crystal.

 

The kids love their uncle.

 

And Kris.

 

The cookie spread.  Contributions by everyone, including Kris’ mom!

Family gets ready to eat a delicious meal.

 

Another sweet moment.  (The camera you see Ella holding in most every picture was her favorite gift from Santa!)

 

Let the unwrapping begin…

The best gift of the evening.

Home for Christmas

This year we stayed home together all day Christmas.  It was a really nice experience!!

Before the big day, the kids really enjoyed wrapping!

On Christmas Eve everyone got new PJs.  I did too, but you do NOT want to see me in pajamas!  The kids not only went to sleep in them on Christmas Eve, they never changed into their clothes on Christmas Day!  Mr. Grinch did shower and change into clothes, for the record.  And he’s not really a Grinch.  They were just cute PJs.

 

The kids were more than ready to get the unwrapping started!  We didn’t go too crazy this year with gifts.  We tried to stick to this rule for each kid.  4 gift rule – something they want, something they need, something to wear and something to read.  And you know what?  It was nice and I think the kids enjoyed it more than getting a ton of gifts.  Their gifts were VERY well thought out by us and they weren’t overwhelmed.  The big hit for Ella was a play digital camera.  Something she didn’t even ask for, but is really having a blast with and I think is a very creative tool.  It has video too!

I bought this beautiful handmade dress from Crystal of Little Bit Funky.  Ella loved it and talked about it later.  She’ll be wearing it tomorrow for Christmas at my parents’.

 

Miles had a Very “Cars” Christmas.  For the most part.

I made a couple of these for the hubby.

And a Czech dinner for the family.  Pork roast, sour potatoes, dumplings (Knedlicky) and sauerkraut.  (Jason is 1/2 Czech).

 

Wonderland Express

Merry Christmas Everyone!  I hope that you are having a wonderful day!!

More of our Christmas adventures…

As members of the Chicago Botanic Garden, we enjoyed our second trip to see the indoor winter train exhibit.  This time in the company of my brother John, his girlfriend Kris and Kris’ dad Dick (who volunteers as a train “engineer” at the garden year round).  The main room of this exhibit houses several trains running through a landscape made of all natural elements.  Even the houses and buildings.  The structures are all replicas of the types of houses and many landmarks in Chicago.  The first room houses the gingerbread house landscape and the last room has a Northshore section (the Botanic Garden is located in the Northshore area).

(All of the following photos were taken by my husband Jason).

Miles was very into his Bingo game card.

 

Detail on a gingerbread house.

Ella enjoying some bungalow replicas.  I believe there included a replica of Michelle Obama’s childhood home.

Look at that detail!

Brownstones of the Gold Coast. (Oprah?)

 

Replica of President Obama’s Hyde Park home.

Gingerbread Houses

At Ella’s Kindergarten, the teacher hosted a Gingerbread House Making Party.  She provided milk containers and we brought the rest.  What a great idea.  I always get the kits to do at home and really there is very little the kids are able to do.  Here is Ella with her masterpiece.

With the half and half and cream cartons provided, we smeared prepared frosting on and then stuck on graham crackers on.  The rest was all creativity with lots of candy.  I didn’t get photos of the other houses, but there was certainly a LOT of creativity in that Kindergarten classroom that day!

Cookies

Christmas 2009, Part 1

Our first Christmas celebration took place this past Saturday the 19th, in conjunction with Ella’s 3rd birthday celebration.

We prepared a meal, cake and cookies and set our table up in the dining room in an attempt to create a nice atmosphere.

The cookies I made this year from left front going clockwise: Kolachky with honey/almond filling, Mixed Nut Bars, Buckeyes and Gooey Butter Cookies. 

If you click on any of the above cookie names, you will be directed to their recipe.  Except the Buckeyes.  You can find recipes for those all over the internet, but I didn’t find one like what I use.  Which I love, because I’m used to it.  Let me know if you really want it and I’ll post it or look harder for it on the internet.  Also, a tip for the Gooey Butter Cookies… I found that Duncan Hines has a Butter Recipe Golden Mix that really makes these cookies even better than using the Classic Yellow Mix.  Don’t worry, if you can’t find it, they still taste amazing!

Next up was exchanging presents and spending some time together.

Ella with her Grandpa and Babi.

Jen (Scott’s girlfriend) and Uncle Scott.

Ella carefully eating her Buckeye on the couch.

Miles with Babi.

Jason spoiling Velvet (the cat).

A family moment…