Because EVERY BABY GIRL needs pretty things.

Saturday, August 27, marks the two year anniversary of the delivery of our baby girl, Molly Claire, who was born sleeping.

She. Was. So. Tiny.
The hospital had lots of things for full term babies, but not much for smaller babies. I made a burial dress for Molly, as well as a bracelet for her, and a matching one for me and for her big sister. I wear mine a couple times a month. I see my daughter wearing hers too, and it makes me smile, like we are all keeping her memory alive, and all connected, while the three of us have our bracelets on at the same time.



My sister-in-law's mom saw a picture of Molly's burial dress. She made a comment that has STUCK with me. She said,

"Because every baby girl needs pretty things."


I have thought about that comment so many times. When you have a baby that is not living, you realize all the things you will not get to do, and memories you will not make. You realize that you will not get to give her (if it's a girl) pretty things.


I came up with a little gift we are going to donate to the hospital where I delivered Molly, for the anniversary of her delivery. Our family is making bracelets. Not bracelets for full term babies, but bracelets patterned after Molly's, with tiny pearly beads, and a tiny heart shaped charm, just the size of hers... So that when a mom delivers a tiny sleeping baby girl, she can give her something pretty, and maybe take a picture of her tiny hand and bracelet, to remember forever. When you deliver a sleeping baby, all you have is hours, and then you are only left with memories.

I hope that every person who delivers a tiny sleeping baby feels like that baby is just as important as any other baby. People said some strange things to me after I delivered Molly like, "You will get over it." That was so offensive to me. How could I ever, "get over," delivering my daughter, whom I had felt kicking, and seen alive and well on the ultrasound? She is a part of me still, and always will be.

I found a song that PERFECTLY sums up the way I feel about it all.
These are the lyrics:

I WILL CARRY YOU

There were photographs I wanted to take,
Things I wanted to show you,
Sing sweet lullaby's,
Wipe your teary eyes,
Who could love you like this?

People say that I am brave but I'm not,
Truth is I'm barely hangin' on,
There's a greater story
Written long before me,
Because He loves you like this.

Chorus:

I will carry you,
While your heart beats here,
Long beyond the empty cradle,
Through the coming years,
I will carry you,
All my life,
I will praise the One,
Who's chosen me,
To carry you.

Bridge:

Such a short time,
Such a long road,
All this madness,
But I know,
That the silence,
Has brought me to His voice,
And He said,

"I've shown her photographs of time beginning,
Walked her through the parted sea,
Angel lullaby's,
No more teary eyes,
Who could love her like this?"

Chorus:

I will carry you,
While your heart beats here,
Long beyond the empty cradle,
Through the coming years,
I will carry you,
All your life,
I will praise the One,
Who's chosen me,
To carry you.

-Selah

You can listen to the song HERE.

A person's a person. No matter how small.
- Dr. Seuss



Have a Happy and Thoughtful Day!

Risa

Books and Reading Party {Back to School Party} Part 2, The Crafts

As promised in my last post about my daughter's back to school party with a reading/book theme that you can see here, the crafts are outlined below. It was dark by the time they finished, and the photos were not so great last night, so I snapped a few this morning.

Here is a little teaser of the cuteness...


Let's start with the invitations, shall we?

I found the template for the library card here.

I thought I was being so crafty, then it occurred to me that my daughter may have never even seen a library card, as things are digital now days. I asked her, and she said she had seen one once in an old book. I thought I was being so clever. Well, I guess the mom's will appreciate it :)

Now, on to my favorite craft of the night!!! The bird cages. I found the basic idea here.

BIRD CAGES

I knew I wanted them to be on a pedestal and wanted them to be painted, but I had a terrible time finding wooden disks big enough to work. I asked my dad what to do, and
HE OFFERED TO MAKE THEM FOR ME!
Am I lucky or what???

Actually, my mom and dad both ended up making them for me. Aren't my parents so cute! This is them a few weeks ago at my cousin's Big Fat Greek wedding.

Thanks guys! You're the best! I wrangle my mom into projects all the time, but I never expected my dad to offer to help, and I am so glad he did!

Anyhow... I glued the disks to the candlesticks with E600 craft glue.

I had one waiting on a paper plate at each girls place, along with a paint brush. They painted them first, then moved onto other crafts while waiting for them to dry. Once they were dry, the girls made the cages, by sticking a brad through 3 strips of book pages (pre-cut). I stapled them in place. I thought it was the best option for hooking paper to wood. I just used a regular stapler.

The girls chose their paper to wrap around the bottom. I had two colors pre-cut for them to choose from. Preparation is key when hosting a craft night.

These are the papers I chose. I got them at Ben Frankilin. I only used three sheets of paper for everything. (Excluding the beaks and legs. I used one orange bookmark from the next craft.)

Again, preparation is key. I had all the shaped traced onto paper, and just handed them to the girls to cut out.

I thought the little birdies turned out so cute :)

They all turned out so darling, and the girls were very happy with themselves. My daughter's cage (pink) flew off the deck while taking pics, and landed upside down. It made the cage kind of wonky, but I like it!

BOOK MARKS

I only used 3 papers for this as well, and one pack of pebbles. I LOVE this paper, and the pebbles together. I got them all at Ben Franklin.

They didn't come together, but matched perfectly!

Again... everything was pre-cut. The girls just had to pick out that they wanted, trim away the excess, and glue everything together.

The base of the bookmark was sandwiched in between two circles, and glued, then the pebble was stuck on top. These were really easy, and didn't take long at all.

I LOVE THESE!
The girls were super excited to make them, and they were easy as well.

HAIR CLIPS

I got these great fabric stickers at Ben Franklin. They were with the rest of the paper. They were PERFECT, and the girls were proud of themselves after they made them. They are $5.99 per package, but if you use a coupon, it is more reasonable.

This is how it started... The girls got to pick a sticker, bobby pin, and a piece of felt.

They attached the bobby pin to the felt.

Stuck the sticker on top.

Used SHARP good scissors to cut around the fabric sticker, and there you have it. Most of them put them right in their hair right after they finished.

PINWHEELS

These are the papers I used. Again, only three sheets of paper (double sided), and I cut them into 4ths, and had them ready. They were easy to make too, but I had to attach them with the pins for the girls.

They had fun with them though. :) I love the colors.

I had two more crafts in mind, but we ran out of time. I will save them for another craft night. This was 2 hrs, and I am so glad I got to have these cute girls in my house. Lucky me.

Here they all are. Darling!

Have a Happy and Creative Day!

Risa

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Books and Reading Party {Back to School Party} Part 1, The Decor

My daughter is a book-worm. She would rather read than do about anything else. I have seen the most lovely reading and book parties lately, here and here. About the first link. You will not believe your eyes. If I had a team working with me on this party (and loads of time and money), maybe we could have hoped to do something like that. About the second link. That party was awesome too. Not to the same scale, but it was the first reading party I found online, and it got the wheel's turning. They were both my inspiration for the back to school party I threw for my daughter tonight.

This post is all about the decor. The next post will be about the crafts. The girls LOVED everything from the decor to the crafts to the food. They are at such a fun age. I am LUCKY TO BE A MOM. I really feel that way. Mothering has taken me on all sorts of fun adventures.

*update!!! You can see the craft post HERE!

So, here is my main display table. Yes, I know it is set up in front of a mirror. That's why all the pics are sideways. I used all the space on top of the table, and when I ran out of space, I opened the drawer. It worked so well!

I made the banner out of an old Gloden book, Lady and The Tramp, I got from DI for $.50. I know this will be offensive to some, but the colors were perfect, and the pictures so sweet. We already have our own copy of that book. I did feel a bit weird cutting it up, but it turned out so darling, that it was all worth it. All I did was cut the pages with a template I made and traced onto them. Then I sewed them all in the order I wanted onto a piece of ribbon.


I love the vibrant colors of the books, and got most of them at DI. Some are really old, and SO SWEET! I want to read them all! One of them is, Arabian Nights. You should see the pictures! Sigh...

I got the little tree at DI, and thought it could be in any number of stories, so I made the grass/land beneath it, into a book page.

We love, Anne of Green Gables, and had to display her.

See the book page wrapped egg? It would also fit into quite a few stories.

We LOVE, Princess Academy, at our house
(and anything by Shannon Hale, really.)

Look at the fairy wings... as if she came right out of a story :)

I got this gazebo at DI for $1.50. It was missing shingles, and instead of repairing it, I thought it would be nice to patch it with book pages... as if it's story was unfolding before our eyes...

I have to say... I LOVE THE WATER BOTTLES! My daughter and I put them together a few weeks ago, and they have been sitting there as my inspiration. I just used book pages that I punched on top, with a decorative punch, and tied tulle bows around to hold everything in place.

I didn't want to have to bake anything! These are sandwich cookies dipped in almond bark and sprinkled with pearl candy from, Bakers Cash and Carry, in SLC, UT. I knew they would be perfect when I saw them last week. I love that store. I found a few other FUN things there, that will be popping up on my blog in the next few months.

I got each girl a book (from DI - tacky? Maybe. I am not made of money:) The books were actually in perfect, near new condition. I wrapped them all up for the girls to take home.

I love the quote on the front:
Life is made up of a series of stories.
I am so glad you are part of mine.

I made the label in Picasa, of course.

Tune in for more of this fun party. Next up... SUPER CUTE CRAFTS!

Have a Happy and Creative Day!

Risa

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