My daughter, the party planner

I love to make anything into a "lesson"...My daughter wanted to throw a tea party with her BFF Milla. I told her she may as long as she planned it all. I explained she needed to make a menu and shopping list. She was actually thrilled to do these things! She made the shopping list (cookies and pudding, hey it's a start), decorated the deck/playhouse area and even created a sign to direct her guest to the bathroom (which she lost, but we found it after the party)

I think little things like this will make her a better mother! Now personally I hate making menu plans and shopping lists (anyone who knows me is laughing right now) I love that she is learning what it takes to "throw a party"...

Milla and my daughter Allison (on the right)

Wall art transformation

Oh, the Home Interior Party days.....Ever have one of these? I received a print like this for a wedding gift. I was able to transform this print for $10 and now it can actually hang on my wall.

I first tore it apart to see what I could and couldn't use.

I was able to reuse the frame and matte. I purchased a new print at Michaels for around $7 then bought craft paint in brown and then a metallic bronze color. I painted the matte brown, then painted over the gold frame with the metallic color.

Letters on a wall

Here are a few pics of how I have used our last name "W" initial around our home. My newest one was a find for $5 at Ross last night. (oh, how I love Ross) I like the way it looks with my newly painted hutch (see other posts)

We moved out here with such short notice that had to rent. We are planning on buying a house next spring...so wait until you see all this with some wall color!

Here is a "W" in a photo grouping. This was found at home depot in the house letters section on clearance by my in laws. They knew I would figure out something to do with it. They know me so well.

Want to make it more personal? You can buy the cardboard letters at Michaels/Hobby Lobby and cover them with scrapbook paper. I had been considering doing this with a black and white damask pattern for my dining area, but this larger black letter will do for now.

Pirate Cake

I got this idea from www.familyfun.go.com for a pirate ship cake. Here is my attempt... I suggest not making it the day before because it fell apart the next morning, so I had to bake another cake. So this idea is great, but save the assembly part for the day of the party....oh lessons learned :)

Homeschooling!

I am thinking this blog is going to turn into something else...I started homeschooling my daughter last week. Never say never, because years ago I said I would never do this. God can do works! :) Here are a few pics of our first week that I wanted to share! I can't believe I was so scared to homeschool.

A little history of my homeschooling experience....My parents decided right after Christmas break of my freshman year of high school that they should homeschool me...yeah, that went over REAL well...I hated them for it. I cried every morning I heard my bus drive by. What was this social butterfly to do?!? Ahh yes..do her school work, then slip into her room to "study" (which was really turning on my TV to watch The View and other soap operas) So of course I said I would never homeschool.....

I have been such an emotional wreck these days with the fact that I moved 2000 miles away from everything I ever knew and am now in Southern California as a "nobody"....

Having school time has been such a blessing. I feel so organized and focused (for now, hee hee) I mean I totally love life out here (hello?! we have Disneyland passes!!!), but I miss my friends so much, and I find myself longing for them daily, hourly, minutely (is that a word?) I also signed up for MOPS and am very excited to meet other mothers in my area.

Reading....we are using the McGuffy series (old school)

Mud painting for art...we used cotton balls and Qtips...this was their favorite this week!

A visit to the new Library! (our new fav place)

The beginning of our own ABC book. We do a letter each day, then cut pictures out of magazines that begin with that letter.