‘Anyone who listens to my teaching and follows it is wise,
like a person who builds a house on solid rock.
Though the rain comes in torrents and the floodwaters rise and the winds beat against that house, it won’t collapse because it is built on bedrock.’
Matthew 7:24-25
Once I got beyond the trauma of my little baby turning 3 last week, I did manage to make her her annual kitty cake and dress. The child has adored kitties since before she ever saw one.
Being that I was too lazy busy to make a kitty shaped cake like I did last year, I opted for a cake decorated with toy kitties. It was really quick to make and in the long run makes more sense because now she has the kitties to keep and play with whenever she wants.
After wandering the grocery store for 30 minutes trying to come up with ideas on how to decorate a cake with kitties on it I ended up with a cake that consisted of green icing with coconut dyed green for the grass. Pretzel rods and marshmallows (dyed green again) for the trees. A few nilla wafers for a path and yogurt drops for flowers or rocks or something…I don’t know, but they looked nice.
My favorite part was the mice made from licoice gum drops with little tails and ears made from pieces of cut licorice and glued on with black gel icing. If only I was smart enough to have taken a close up picture of them.
The result was that Alexandra actually squealed, “kitties!” when she saw the cake, which was adorable, but meant I probably could have placed the toy kitties on a plain cake with no icing on it and gotten the same reaction.
Oh well.
Making a dress for Makenna’s First Holy Communion with her help was a good plan…I just should have started a little sooner.
Since I didn’t, I spent Saturday afternon making ‘yo-yo’ flowers at Jarod’s baseball game, and stitching them on the dress while watching an Indy car race on tv at 11:00 Saturday night. Which was ok, I guess because it actually gave me a reason to sit.
The fun part was having Makenna help make the whole thing. The cutting, the sewing and even the ‘designing’ since I decided not to work from the pattern we bought (because I’m just not very good at following patterns.)
We made a simple pillowcase dress out of a 22″ by 29″ (length) piece of eyelet fabric. The armholes were cut in 6″ and down 4″. The straps were made of more eyelet fabric. And the belt and bottom ruffle trim were made with plain white cotton.
For the embellishments we made lots of pretty white yo-yo flowers and then stitched some pretty beads in the center of each. They worked great at the top front to cover the area where the straps were sewn on to the dress, but we didn’t like just two flowers and decided to add five total to make the flower ‘necklace’ that you see.
When the ruffle trim turned out to be too long, we gathered it up in a few places and added the flowers to cover the stitching there too. I love those flowers.
The final touches were more flowers sewn on her shoes and on her headband hairpiece.
Makenna really loved it, and she was so proud to have helped make it herself.
And since we had the fabric our only expense was about $10 for the headpiece base and beads and ribbon. Yeah!
How is it that I can go away on ‘vacation’ for just 9 days, and yet I come home and it takes me 4 weeks to get caught up with my work?
After Jarod tried to shut the garage door on his twin sister today I made him write 10 reasons why he is grateful to have a twin sister. He could only come up with 7 and it was things like ‘because she is my sister’. Oh well. I tried.
How can baby chicks be so adorable, and then grow up to look like…chickens.
She opens her mouth with wisdom,
and the teaching of kindness is on her tongue.
She looks well to the ways of her household,
and does not eat the bread of idleness.
Her children rise up and call her blessed;
her husband also, and he praises her:
“Many women have done excellently, but you surpass them all.”
Proverbs 31: 26-29
So you will walk in the way of good men
and keep to the paths of the righteous.
Proverbs 2:20
These Coordinated Fabric Wedding and Party Favors at Sew Mama Sew are perfect for all those spring and summer events coming up….and what a great way to use up some of your fabric stash.
These Book Makeovers at Sassy Style are unbelievably cute, and simple…I think I could do this.
What a precious idea, Blossoms for Birds, at The Magic Onions to ‘help’ the birds in your neighborhood build their nests.
Who wouldn’t love to make their own Wallpaper Decals for any room in their house at Apartment Therapy.
1. Anyone else have a comedian type husband? When we signed our local tax form it had a line for occupation, and lacking a better term I used the standard ‘homemaker’ title. My amusing husband looked around the overly messy school room that we were sitting in and said, ” uh, honey, really?”
2. The law of the post office. If you have to fill out paperwork at the post office (think certified mail) the place is empty until you’re almost done, then the lady comes in with 8 seperate packages to mail and takes 10 minutes to finish.
3. Our cautious child….that would be Jarod….had a small spider on his bedroom wall the other morning. I told him to get his twin sister to protect him but she was still sleeping. Next I suggested he let it in there as a pet. He said, “but mom, what if it was a tarantula?” I’m not sure where he heard about tarantulas, but maybe I’ll get him one for Christmas just for fun.
Makenna is a huge animal lover, so rather than do girl scouts or dance we spend one evening a week socializing kitties at Animals In Distress, a local no-kill animal shelter near our home.
There’s young kitties, old kitties, paralyzed kitties and kitties missing eyes and they all live happily in big rooms decked out with all kinds of toys and beds like the jungle roo
Since there are so many cats that each kitty has their photo and name shown on the door of their room so we can always check the door and call each kitty by name.
We’ve made them lots of toys that they love to play with, although I have yet to remember to take a picture of a finished one before giving it to the kitties.
They also have dogs at Animals in Distress but only volunteers who are 18 or older are allowed to help walk them. With the kitties children can be as young as eight to come and play.
So if you’re in the market for a cute cat or dog, or want to do some fun volunteer work check out Animals in Distress located in Coopersburg, PA.
Because he cleaves to me in love, I will deliver him;
I will protect him, because he knows my name.
When he calls to me, I will answer him;
I will be with him in trouble,
I will rescue and honor him.
Psalm 91:14-15
