Starting to think pink

Valentines is just around the corner.  I've been crafting little things here and there for the big day.  N's school has a bake sale each year and it coincides with Valentines Day.

I'm working on cupcake toppers and other edible crafts for the sale again this year.  Trying a few new things.  I will share everything here as I get them made.

I spent some time last weekend making these arrows for cupcakes.  So excited to see how these look.


Papers are Pink Paislee Fourteen.

Finding the time, advice needed and a few fun things thrown in.....

I'm sure we all have this issue.  Finding the time to be creative.

I used to have all the time in the world but no inspiration.  No 'mojo' to do anything.  I finally dug my way out of that hole and was creating like crazy.

Then I went back to work.  Its been almost 6 years since I had a 'dress up and go to work' kind of gig and while its fun to be back in the middle of everything in the corporate world again (and that paycheck is kind of cool too!) it leaves me with very little time and energy to craft.  I fit in an hour or two here and there and the end results are some really cool mini album or layout.

Finding the time (and light) to photograph the ideas and get them posted here is a whole 'nother story.  ;)

Throw in a vacation and that birthday party and you have utter chaos!

The vacation was priceless and the birthday party was a success - despite having a sick kid.  Wanna see?

 I made cupcakes.  All those batches of cupcakes and frosting during the playoffs were test rounds for these.  And I *finally* found that Wilton star tip I was looking for.  Check out that frosting job!

 After much stress over the mascot, he showed.  It was touch and go there for a few weeks but it all worked out.

 He entertained us for 30 minutes - and this lion knows how to entertain.  He also brought my son a bag of Kings shwag and autographed photos for the kids.

 Thats N's skating coach.  He's a Ducks fan (poor guy).  Bailey made sure to show him a little love before telling him to 'change his jersey'.   Then Coach Nick gave the kids (and parents) a quick skating lesson on the ice.  It was his birthday present for Nick.  Yes, they have the same name.  I think that may be why Nick loves Coach Nick so much.  Its going to be a sad day when Nick is too old to have Coach Nick.

 Even I got some love from the lion.

 I had totally planned on having the 'Cup' there and there was so much excitement I forgot.  At the very last minute I remembered so we snapped a few pictures with the Cup before he left.  The rink has a fake Stanley Cup for the kids hockey programs.  Bailey was very excited to see it.

My friend Brian.  We've known each other for......nevermind.  That would make me sound old if I told you that.  ;)

And now for the advice portion.......

I'm open to any and all advice right now on how to handle this.  My son is upset that I went back to work.  Not just your normal 'I miss my mom' kind of thing, he won't eat, he makes himself so sick that he throws up.  This is *not* my kid.  He's not a clinger.  He's *very* independent so this behavior is shocking me.  I have kept up our 'date' nights on Mondays.  Ice Cream Mondays.  Just N and I go out to dinner and then we get ice cream.  I spend all kinds of time with him on the weekends to make up for the time I miss during the week.  But he's physically sick.  My mom has stepped in and is taking care of him when he's not in school so he's not just left there.  She picks him up early, gets him to skating practice and does fun stuff with him.  Right now, he only goes to school (summer camp) 3 days a week.  I knew there would be an adjustment period but this is extreme.

And now its back to the craft cave!!

I have a few new things that are keeping me going right now.

A couple of classes. ( I love that they are self paced!)  I'm signed up for the Summer Stamp School and Pop Off The Page.  Oh, and I also signed up for their new Card Kit.  Maybe I can fill a box with cards for the troops again.

Some new Silhouette files.  (Kerri is having a sale right now.  25% off orders over $15.  Enter code BIRTHDAY during checkout.)

New products coming in the mail and a few from the recent Shop Hop.  I made only 4 stores this year and I'm bummed.  I made it to a lot more of them last year.

Taking the rest of the week off

I have so many projects and stories to share but I'll be taking the next week off.  There is an event that is life changing right now.

A little thing called the Stanley Cup Finals.  My team is in it and my life is pretty much revolving around my team right now.  My team, who is currently sitting one win, 60 minutes, one goal - away from winning the oldest trophy in sports.

If you had asked me back in February if this was possible, I would have laughed at you.  Even in April as they played their last two games of the season and totally flopped.  They lost the #1 spot in their Division and the #3 spot in the Conference ending up in the 8th and final spot.  They barely made it *into* the playoffs.

Since then, they've gone on to break records and make everyone questions where the heck they came from.

So I've set up a bunch of scheduled posts for the rest of the week to keep the cobwebs away and I'll be back next week.

These cupcakes have made an appearance at most of the game watch parties we host.

Celebrating royal style

I bet you thought this was going to be a post about the Queen's Diamond Jubilee right?

Wrong.

This past Wednesday we celebrated game one of the Stanley Cup Finals between the New Jersey Devils and *my* Los Angeles Kings.

Its been 19 years since the Kings have been in a final series and 45 years with no Stanley Cup win at all.  This team is the Sox of the West.  We have some kind of curse.

So this year when they looked really good on paper but blah on the ice, we fans stuck with them as usual but were secretly disappointed yet again that the amazing team on paper sucked on the ice.

And when they barely made the playoffs coming in 8th seed, we figured it would be another first round exit.  Just days before they'd been sitting in first place of the West but because it was such a close race this year.

And now, 2 months later they are playing in their first Finals series in 19 years.  I have goose bumps just typing it.  (Sorry Mary Jo!)  To celebrate, we held a game watch party for game one (planning one for game two this saturday too!).  I made a big dinner and then we had some royal cupcakes for dessert.  Plates, silverware etc was all in Kings colors thanks to Party City.

I didn't get too crafty except for the cupcake toppers.

I found some hi-res images of players in action and printed them out.  I sat cutting the intricate people during my sons skating lesson that day and then glued them to candy sticks.   I think it looks like they're all skating around the Cup, even Bailey, the teams mascot.

Anyway, that was the most crafty endeavor for me this week because I'm fighting off a mild case of bronchitis and pneumonia.  My crafty mojo is hiding somewhere.  I have lots of saved up projects from past weeks to share so don't worry.  The blog will not be dark for too long!

Easter crafts

I decided at the last minute to make a few things.  Nothing major, just a few cute things for the table.  I tried to keep it easy but I couldn't.  I had to make something.

We went to the East Egg Hunt at the local horse stables.

Of course we dyed eggs.

 With Aunt Rose and Grandpa.

 That all came off in the bath that night!

We tried something different.  I saw THIS on Pinterest

and had to try it.  Came out awesome!

We watched {lots} of hockey while we died eggs.  All 30 teams played Saturday.  My team made it into the 8th and final spot for the West.  We play Vancouver but I believe we can beat them.
Go Kings Go!

And finally we celebrated.  In our new space.  With our new table and my newly unpacked china.  We even had to buy a folding table to fit everyone in!

 Baskets were cut from a Silhouette file.

 Filled with candy and a dyed egg.

 Used the idea from the Amy Tan + Kelly Purkey class last weekend.

The host store wrapped washi tape around the water bottles and

it looked so cute!  we decided to give it a try.  I actually used

some of the washi tape.  Didn't make a dent in my stash though!

 Everyone got a water bottle.

 Two tables to host 16 people.  A couple cancelled at the

last minute so we were able to stretch out a little.

 Another Pinterest idea.

 I used some Chevron ribbon and twine from the Etsy shop.

 I ran out of my good china.  Guess I need more than 12 settings.

 Cupcake centerpiece.  I used a bunch of extra flowers and 

butterflies punched out to make the confetti for the table.

 Here are the dyed eggs.  You dye the egg whites like you do

a regular egg in the shell.  The egg white absorbs the dye and

gives you a really cool looking deviled egg.  They will taste

like vinegar unless you wash them off.  The original source

did not say she rinsed the eggs but we did.  Then I piped the

filling in with a Wilton star tip.

Pretty eggs!

Can't forget the Easter Bunny!  He did stop by but this year he left most of the candy and chocolate at home.  He brought N his first set of hockey gear.  He's had the helmet and skates for a while but he needs the rest to learn how to skate fully equipped.  

 Look!  Its the easter Puggie!

 Mmmmm... Candy for breakfast!

How cute is 'Boom Boom'?

Little cousin Nolan came for a visit too!

 Family tradition.  (Did anyone else start singing that song...? Just me?)

Anyway, its a family tradition to put olives on our fingers.

 First peep!

And now we're on Spring Break!  I did my best to plan some fun activities for the week.  Stuff that will keep us busy and out of the house for a couple of hours a day.  My goal is no tv or movies (except the movie we see in the theater).