I’m participating in:

 

…which means I’m offering you “giving suggestions” for every day of the month of November (I’m trying to offer ones I can use too!), and…

Giving suggestion #3 is: Go handmade this Christmas. Sure, you’ll save some money, but you’ll also show people that you invested some effort/thought in their gifts instead of just grabbing the first gift card you saw in the grocery store aisle. 

Happy Tuesday afternoon! Today has been a sluggish, rainy (!) day—the kind that has me wishing I could crawl back under the covers. Of course, then I remember what the next week and 1/2 looks like, and I start considering giving up breathing as a way to save time (you’ll be hearing about the various busynesses here on the blog as they come up), so I’m pretty sure naps aren’t an option right now.

So, on to the business (busyness?) at hand!

You might remember this little girl from a few posts or so:

IMG_8742

The thing on her head is one of those “glow necklaces” that you crack to illuminate, but the boys thought it worked well as a halo. I’m inclined to agree.

Well, she’s going to be 1-year-old soon (less than two weeks!), and I’m in the process of planning her party. The theme came together when a friend and I were trolling Hobby Lobby, and I ran across a huge tablet of scrapbook paper in polka-dots of various styles/sizes in pretty fallish shades (50% off, of course).

It was perfect since one of Della’s nicknames is “Ladybug.”

I pulled this little excerpt from a post I wrote about her during my first week of blogging called “Bright Eyes, Bright Heart,” that explains why it’s such a perfect nickname.

Fun story: from start to finish, my labor with Adelaide lasted 34 hours (and, no, I’m not to the fun part yet). Fortunately (from a pain perspective), most of that was just stalled labor, but at the lowest point of despondency and fear that I wouldn’t be able to deliver at home as I’d hoped, God gave me the above image. Those are two ladybugs perched on my husband’s hand. He found them in Adelaide’s room and brought them to me just as the tears of self-pity and frustration began to roll down my cheeks. We had already decided one of Adelaide’s nicknames would be “Ladybug.” I could almost hear the Lord telling me, “Don’t give up. Ladybug’s coming. I haven’t abandoned you.” Pretty cool, huh? But not nearly so cool as the fact that we have never before or since seen ladybugs in Della’s room. It was still hours before she decided to make her big entrance, but she was born at home, and it was perfect. God is so good!

I still get little chills every time I remember that moment.

So, back to the polka-dots…I loved the idea of a ladybug themed party that wasn’t too literal or traditional (black and red is not my favorite color combo), but when I started stalking Pinterest for inspiration, I saw some ideas that got my wheels turning, and I decided to be just a little more obvious in my interpretation of the theme for at least her invitations 

Here’s what I came up with:

IMG_8771

And here’s what you’ll need if you want to try it too (this project could be easily adapted for pretty much anything with wings):

IMG_8754

    • Scrapbook paper of your choice
    • Cardstock
    • Fine tip Sharpie
    • Pencil
    • Markers
    • Craft glue
    • Mini-brads (I got my cute little colored ones at Michael’s on sale)
    • Glitter
    • Scissors
    • Tape measure
    • Drinking glass

1. Using your tape measure, divide your cardstock (mine was 8 1/2”X11”) into four equally sized rectangles. Cut them out.

IMG_8753

2. Place your drinking glass onto your scrapbook paper, and trace around the edge.

IMG_8755

3.  Cut out the circle. Then cut that circle in half.

IMG_8757

4. Pick out two mini-brads in coordinating colors, and poke them through the top of your ladybug wings to anchor them in place (I started the holes with a safety pin after discovering how flimsy the brads were).

IMG_8759

5. Write out whatever you would like your invitation to say with whatever writing tools you choose. I started with a black fine-tipped Sharpie, and then went over that with a marker from my kiddo’s coloring drawer, but I’m not in love with the results. A thicker-tipped sharpie in a coordinating color would have been my first choice, but I was working with what I had on hand.

IMG_8762

6. Write out all of your details underneath the ladybug’s “wings,” making sure to note how much space you have to work with before you start writing.

IMG_8765

7. Using your markers, freehand a head + antennae.

IMG_8766

8. Trace the shape with glue and then fill in the center.

IMG_8767

9. Sprinkle generously with glitter and tap off the excess into a bowl.

IMG_8769

10. Step back and admire your easy, cute, completely custom ladybug birthday invitations.

IMG_8775

As you can see, I had fun experimenting with different sized polka-dots and color schemes

IMG_8777

.  Stay tuned for more details of her birthday party as they shape up, and say a prayer or two for my sanity if you would. Many more craft projects, events, hubby-business-trips, and other paraphernalia before we get to Thanksgiving “break.” Here’s to surviving well!

P.S. The theme for this week’s Five Things Thursday shouldn’t surprise you too much. It’s:

Giving Hands

giving-hands

13 Comments

  1. Love the invitations! I recently posted about some fun invitations I did for my son’s 1st birthday last month (who was also born at home, breech!) Do you have a birth story posted? I’d love to read it! Awesome, awesome story about the ladybugs….I love that so much!

  2. Lookin good, girlfriend! Color me amazed as well…but if you’d have done anything less than handcrafted invitations for P-Del’s 1st rodeo, I’d have been shocked 😉

    (P-Del = “Princess Della”)

  3. Those invitations are too adorable- Love the ladybug story. What a great 1st birthday party theme, so fitting!

  4. i don’t know how you do it all, girlfriend! i’m about to go crazay over here already! kids, school, projects, lalalalalalala! you inspire me! 😉

I love hearing from you guys!