JAMSquared

Author Archives: Jennifer

Happy Halloween!

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This year for Halloween, I dressed up Jessica as a cow and she is the sweetest little bovine. James’ Mom made her costume and she looks fantastic in it, even if she isn’t the biggest fan of actually wearing the hood/hat.

Friday morning, we had a little photo shoot out in our front yard while we were waiting for her friends to arrive for the costumed play date (pictures from that to come later this week).

Bovine Jessica

Big Smile

"Yay!"

"I've found some acorns."

"You want some?"

"Moo!"

"Is that me ringing? I guess I am wearing a cow bell."

"I'm not so sure about this thing on my head."

"Free at last."

I made Halloween cards for eight special people this year, so if you received one, feel special. I actually picked up the die-cut card base last year as I had hoped to make cards last year, but I was preoccupied with last minute baby preparations the first half of last October and the second half was preoccupied with my brand new sweet pea. Needless to say, no one got Halloween cards from me last year. Now to get my butt in gear for 2010 Christmas cards. James is trying to convince me to just go the photo card route, but if I get started now, maybe I’ll finish by Thanksgiving.

Halloween 2010 Card

Stamps: Stampin’ Up Scary Skeleton; Just Rite Witch Way to the Treats
Cardstock: Hampton Art Die-cut Halloween Cards; Stampin’ Up Whisper White, Tangerine Tango
Ink: Stazon Jet Black
Embellishments: Recollections spider; Hobby Lobby Halloween ribbon
Tools: Nestabilities circle punch

Thanks for stopping by to visit.

A Few Sketch Cards

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Phindy’s Place on Paper Craft Planet is celebrating 1,000 members. Part of the week-long celebration is a sketch challenge. Here is my take on the sketch. I rotated the sketch to work with the image I chose to use and ended up putting the embellishments on the bottom instead of the top. I made it using the Hope You Can Cling To Happy Flowers Challenge, HYCCT11, so this card will be making its way to the MD Anderson Cancer Center for a cancer patient or their family to use.

Phindy's Place PCP 1,000 Members Sketch

Contentment Card

Stamps: Phindy’s Place Contentment
Cardstock: Stampin’ Up Whisper White, Bashful Blue
Designer Paper: Stampin’ Up Bashful Blue
Ink: Dell printer; Stampin’ Up Bashful Blue (along edges of middle DP and image panels)
Embellishments: Stampin’ Up Bashful Blue 5/8″ satin ribbon; Oriental Trading Co sparkly brads
Coloring Tools: Prismacolor colored pencils
Tools: EK Success flower punch; Nestabilities Classic Ovals Large

This second card is for the Hope You Can Cling To Ribbon, Ribbon, Ribbon Challenge, HYCCT14. I also used today’s Get Sketchy Sketch #62, although I unintentionally flipped it since I penciled the wavy line on the backside of the DP not thinking that I should flip my pencil line.

Get Sketchy #62

Hope Card

Stamps: Meljen’s Designs Hope Ribbon
Cardstock: Stampin’ Up Whisper White, Rose Red, Cameo Coral
Designer Paper: Stampin’ Up Raspberry Tart
Ink: Dell printer
Embellishments: Stampin’ Up Pretty in Pink 5/8″ grosgrain ribbon
Coloring Tools: Stampin’ Up markers
Tools: Nestabilities Classic Ovals Large and Classic Scalloped Ovals Large

Thanks for stopping by to visit.

Jessica’s Circus Birthday – Part 2: The Party

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I love parties. Hopefully, Jessica will grow up loving parties as much as her Momma. I tried to trim the guest list for the party, but I think I still ended up with too many people in my house, but oh well. It was a ton of fun and Jessica will be able to look back at the pictures of all the people who came to celebrate her 1st birthday with her.

Unfortunately, I didn’t take any pictures during the party; however, my Dad and my sister using my Dad’s camera took lots of great pictures.

Here’s my Mom with her two youngest grand-children. We’ll be celebrating Trevor’s 1st birthday in less than 2 weeks.

Jessica, Nanny and Trevor

Papa and Trevor

Nanny and Cameron

I had sent James and his Dad to pick up the balloons and pizza. Don’t all those balloons look fun?

James' Dad Bringing the Balloons

Nana and Jessica

The balloon place was kinda backed up, so James didn’t have time to set up the circus tent before people arrived. Here’s Trevor and Cameron checking out the pieces prior to erection.

Trevor, Cameron and Papa

Jessica was enthralled with the balloons. She kept looking up at them.

Momma and Jessica

My friend Lori is so good with kids. Noah, Anna and Parker all enjoyed the jungle story she read them.

Lori Reads a Story to Noah, Anna and Parker and Parker's Dad, Brad

The Birthday Girl

Before people started arriving, our nephew Dawson asked what he could do to help. I showed him how to make popcorn and he filled up all the containers for me after each batch popped.

Dawson Scooping Popcorn

Cameron and Aspen

Parker Playing

Jessica Trying to Share Her Pizza

Action in the Living Room

Trevor Playing

Jessica’s birthday cake was a small two-layer affair.

Jennifer Bringing in the Cake

At first, she didn’t know what to think of it.

Jessica Checking Out the Birthday Cake and Candle

Jessica Eying the Cake

"Is this cake tasty?"

She eventually figured out that cake is pretty tasty food.

"Yeah, it's tasty."

I think everyone enjoyed the cupcakes.

Cameron Taste Testing a Cupcake

Jessica is so blessed to have so many people who care about her. She got a bunch of neat presents. She’ll be stylish, well-read, and have lots of active fun.

Jessica Opening Presents with Momma and Daddy's Help

"Oooh, I like books!"

"Is this car really mine?"

Previous party posts:  Part 1: Decorations. Stay tuned for Part 3: Favors and Thank Yous and Part 4: Food.

Happy Birthday James!

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Today is my sweet husband’s birthday. Earlier today, I took some pictures with Jessica telling Daddy happy birthday. I didn’t think I’d have time to actually post it, because I was trying to finish making the card for him, but she is taking a super long afternoon nap, so here it is.

Happy Birthday Daddy!

James is the best husband and daddy and I wanted to make him a super special card and I think it turned out fabulous. A gift on the other hand. I didn’t get him one. Yet? We’re not really big on exchanging gifts for our birthdays. I never know what to get him and he knows I just get myself gifts every time I get something new crafty-wise. Although, I do have a framed picture of Jessica for him to take to work. I guess that is a gift.

James' Birthday Card

Stamps: Motivet Birthday Morris; Stampin’ Up On Your Birthday (sentiment), Background Basics (on celery piece)
Cardstock: Stampin’ Up Whisper White, Pacific Point, Summer Sun, Certainly Celery
Designer Paper: Stampin’ Up Good Morning Sunshine
Ink: Stazon Jet Black; Stampin’ Up Pacific Point
Embellishments: Stickles Yellow; Inkessentials Glossy Accents (on stamped balloons); Stampin’ Up Old Olive 5/8″ satin ribbon; DMC floss 469
Tools: Prismacolor colored pencils; Nestabilites Standard Circles Large, Classic Scalloped Circles Large; Stampin’ Up Key Tag Punch; Martha Stewart Balloon punch

This card uses the October Motivet sketch posted below.

Motivet October Sketch

Jessica’s Circus Birthday – Part 1: Decorations

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When I first started thinking about Jessica’s 1st birthday party back at the beginning of the summer, I wanted to do a cowgirl theme. James didn’t like the cowgirl theme. Mainly, because part of my idea was for Jessica to wear cowboy boots and he thought that was a frivolous expense considering she might not be walking by her birthday (which she wasn’t). I didn’t really have any other thoughts, but then I took a trip to one of my local scrapbook stores, Scrapology, with my friend Kristy. In the clearance section, I found the most wonderful paper that would be perfect for a banner and to scrapbook the event. Thus the circus plan was born.

Birthday Banner

The banner jumpstarted the theme and the invitation. The paper (Creative Imaginations) that started it all was double-sided with one side being divided into four squares with each square looking like a circus tent in red, blue, green and yellow. I cut the sheet of paper into four squares, added a coordinating pinked circle and white letters that I cut out using Scrapology’s Cricut. I added eyelets for stability and strung the banner pieces using some green string. I am extremely pleased with how it turned out. Plus, since I made a few extra banner pieces, I can theoretically switch out Jessica’s name for the next kid’s name and use it again. Or at least use just the happy birthday again.

Happy Birthday Jessica Banner

Banner Close-Up

Invitation

Back in July or maybe August, I started searching for a verse to put on the front of the invitation. I found the perfect four line verse, but it ended with birthday boy and Jessica is a birthday girl. James helped me come up with a number of different options for the 3rd line which needed to be changed to rhyme with girl. I got some input from a few friends and family and then ironically, I changed the 3rd verse to something new right before printing the birthday verse on the red cardstock.

Originally, I had wanted to include a picture of Jessica on the front of the invitation. That just wasn’t working and I kept putting off making her invitations. Kristy prodded me into gear and they were made fairly quickly. I received lots of compliments on them and I think they turned out super cute.

Invitation

Stamps: Imaginisce Lion, Elephant and Giraffe
Cardstock: Stampin’ Up Ballet Blue, Daffodil Delight, Real Red, Garden Green; white card blanks
Ink: Stazon Jet Black; Dell printer
Embellishments: Stickles Xmas Red
Tools: markers; Nestabilities Pinked Circles; dimensionals

Another verse I found went on the inside of the invitation (also printed on my computer). Don’t ask me where I found them, because I don’t remember. Just know, that Google is my best friend.

Inside of the Invitation

Of course, I had to round out the invitation with a clever note on the back. I kinda wonder if anyone even noticed it.

Back of Invitation

Cupcake Toppers

I had a few elephants and giraffes left over from making the invitations, so I decided to make cupcake toppers. I used wooden coffee stir sticks (thanks Will for hooking me up!) cut in half with sticky strip to attach the animals’ circles to them. I made two dozen, eight each of the elephant, giraffe, and lion. Based on a few comments, the kids especially liked the cupcake toppers and some even thought they were something edible.

Cupcake Toppers

Other decorations

Back in August when I was shopping for supplies for the family tree project we did at the family reunion, I found this super cute circus train car kit. It came with an unpainted wooden train car and three painted animals. It was perfect for the party, plus it was on sale, so I bought it. I spray painted it yellow and then last minute (one of two things finished the night before the party) painted the rest of the details with paint and glitter glue (leftover from the family tree project). Of course, I made the mistake of forgetting the animals when I set the train car on the food table, so I’m sure people were confused by it.

Circus Train Car

Kristy had found these super cute Martha Stewart lion and bird hand puppet kits at Big Lots for me. They were a breeze to put together. Unfortunately, I forget to set them out for the party.

Lion and Bird Puppets

While shopping for party supplies, I came across this cute circus tent at Oriental Trading Company. It wasn’t very expensive, but initially I hadn’t planned on getting it. I showed it to James and he thought it would be fun for more than just the party, so we went ahead and got it. It’s slightly bigger than I expected, so we’re only going to leave it up for a little while. We’ll then bring it back out every once in a while. Based on a review, we bought closet pole end caps to put on the ends of the tent stakes at the top to keep the stakes from going through the nylon. I know the kids at the party enjoyed it, but I didn’t get any pictures of them at the party. Jessica is definitely enjoying it now.

Jessica Enjoying the Circus Tent Days After Her Party

I rounded out the decorations with two dozen balloons in red, blue, green and yellow. One dozen said “1st Birthday.” I sent the kiddos home with a balloon in addition to their favor bag.

Stay tuned Part 2: The Party, Part 3: Favors and Thank Yous and Part 4: Food.

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