A Very Merry (Actual) Birthday Toooooooooooo Yoooooooouuuuu!

I decided to run away to Disney for my birthday this year. It was going to be a quick day trip with me and two friends who have passes, but a week before it turned into an overnight with just me and my cousin. We left Saturday afternoon and camped at Fort Wilderness. Saturday evening we spent time at Magic Kingdom. Sunday we spent the day at Hollywood Studios. My one big must do was the Tower of Terror. My poor cousin was terrified, but she did it for me. We had a blast! I was thrilled to be able to take as many pictures and bathroom breaks as I wanted. It was an amazing birthday! There was no place I'd rather have been. I was home Sunday evening to have some quality time with my kids who were amazingly cool about Mommy's Birthday Adventure.

Saturday Night

I was rocking an Alice Disneybound. Nedi did Cinderella. We both had belts the color of the character's shoes which I thought was fun since we didn't plan it. A cast member even noticed my bound this time, Hurray! It was an awesome night.

Sunday

I did my long awaited princess Tiana Disney bound and Nedi did Snow White. The cast member at Sorcerer Mickey recognized us both and announced to Mickey that princesses Snow White and Tiana had arrived. It was the best birthday I had in a long time. Here's to a year of many adventures Disney or otherwise.

Princess-tastic Birthday Adventure Part 2

There was magic! Wishes and dancing! Princesses and cupcakes! It was a wonderful trip. Happy Birthday my big 5 year-old girls! We love you!!

Princess-tastic Birthday Adventure Part 1

The Birthday Adventurers!

Ready, Set, Disney!

DIY Disney Shirts

I decided the girls needed special shirts. Princess birthday trip shirts and they could be the gift they open to reveal the trip. Mike decided I needed to learn how to silk screen my own shirts and bought the supplies which gave us some fun options. After a brief tutorial on how screen printing works, I knew we needed Cinderella's silhouette. I wanted it to be clear it was their birthdays and we already had their names in fun princess font too. Ready, set, shirts...

Materials

• White Shirts (I got mine at Target for $4 they had little bows on one shoulder)
• Silk Screening Kit or alternately this technique with freezer paper
• Screen Printing Ink
• Transparency Film
• T-shirt Transfer Paper
• Images you want to use & Photo editing software (we used Paintshop Pro)
• A Birthday Girl or Two!

Design

I chose the silhouette of Cinderella holding up her gown on either side to admire it. It's a great shape and totally appropriate for some little girls getting princess make-overs via fairy godmothers. I used Paintshop to make a transparent background for the silhouette. We decided to add Cinderella's mice carrying a birthday cake across the bottom. After lots of image searches I gave Mike a few good images of Cinderella's little friends and a birthday cake. He edited out the mice in appropriate positions for cake carrying and pieced together the images for the front and back of the shirt. After all that editing, Mike cut the shape of the mice running by out of the silhouette. First, he made a layer that was just the mice with contrast adjusted all the way to white with the silhouette behind them (for the transparency). Then he made a second image with just the mice in regular color for the t-shirt transfer paper.

On the back of the shirt we had each girl's name in princess font on the top and then Gus Gus holding a match next to a piece of cake with a "5" candle (that he put in backwards, oh Gus Gus). Everything except Cinderella is going to be an iron on transfer. We wanted to avoid doing the whole shirt as an iron on because they don't allow the cotton to breathe and it gets hot. Plus, silk screening, Yay! We decided to do Cinderella in a blue gradient, but I've seen lots of folks choose hot pink and it's adorable.

Print your silhouette on your transparency film. Don't forget to take the film out before you do any day to day printing. Then make a page of all your iron-on elements in Paintshop. Don't forget to reverse them so they will face the right way on the shirt! Print them out on your t-shirt transfer paper.

Making Them

First, paint a thin layer of photo emulsion on both sides of the silk screen. Allow that to dry in complete darkness overnight.

Next, cut out you're iron-on elements with as little white around them as possible. I recommend tiny sewing scissors for small details. Do not cut them apart. Leave them connected so that they are all in the same positions relative to each other. Iron on following the t-shirt transfer paper instructions. You can look at your Cinderella on the transparency as a guide to show you where to put the mice on the front of the shirt.

Then lay the transparency film on top so that the mice match their outlines and leave in strong direct light (sunlight, strong incandescent lamp, etc). The brighter the light source the shorter the time it takes. We used my Ott lamp and it took about an hour, direct mid day sunlight would have taken 25min or so. During this process the photo emulsion exposed to light is bonded together into a plastic-y substance and the emulsion shaded by the transparency film remains more chalk-like. Wash everything you can off the screen this creates your negative space. Prepare your shirt by putting something flat and smooth (not bumpy like cardboard) in between the layers of your shirt. Use something that will wipe clean if it gets inky. Mike recommends particle board.

I got four shirts, just in case and I recommend doing a test run if this is your first time. Next, place your shirt underneath the screen. Arrange your paint along one edge and then squeegee across your stencil. We used Speedball screen printing ink. We did had the paint so it went from lighter blue into darker blue towards the bottom of the gown. We mixed and marbled the inks ourselves into two cups. One with more of the darker color, the other with more of the lighter and poured them out into two blobs on paper plates. That way the paint would marble itself. Allow the shirt to dry completely.

Give them to the Birthday Princesses

Reactions!

The moms are excited too!!

Somebody's "A Whole Hand" Years Old

This year in lieu of my usual theme-a-poloza in honor of her birth I told Roo I'd take her on a birthday adventure. I brought Frozen pull apart cupcakes to school. I also made a special balloon run to surprise her before the class "party" (more Frozen, of course). Since we didn't have an official party theme I wanted her birthday shirt to be something not to fussy. Something fun rather than super girly. So I got "If you (picture of a mustache) I'm five!" from little hipster tees on Etsy. The crown with the sparkly 5 came out of a birthday card from grandparents, when your birthday's so early in the school year teachers rarely have it together enough to have a crown for you and for Roo that would be unacceptable.

We have a big family and a lot of close friends and without a party we wanted to make sure they didn't miss out on a chance to see the birthday girl on her special day. I skipped elaborate invites and sent a simple digital one letting everyone know which coffee shop we'd be hanging out in that morning and inviting them to swing by. We had a great morning, there was lots of love.

We also revealed that we'd be taking Miss Roo and her best-ie (whose birthday is 20 days later) to Disney. A princess-tastic birthday trip complete with princess make-overs and dinner in the castle! She was a bit overwhelmed at the time, but as the day wore on and it sunk in she got more and more excited.

After nap I gave her the last two presents from Mom and Dad. Isn't she stunning in that Elsa dress? She decided to wear that for her dinner with the princesses, can you blame her? Wow. Totally worth the website stalking it took to get it and the months of secrecy while it hung in my closet waiting for the big day! She also got an Ariel bed tent, is there anything cooler than sleeping in a tent and your own bed at the same time? I think not. It was a great day for me too. No frantic cleaning, no huge party to orchestrate or clean up and tons of quality time with Roo. We just played with new toys and hung out. Then after dinner she donned new jammies and another birthday crown and I put five candles in the four leftover cupcakes from the day before. We sang and after a few tries she blew them out. I can't imagine what was left to wish for...

March-ing On Part 1

I thought I'd continue catching up by showing you the cuteness that is my dog. Look at that. This picture was taken when I was having a rough day pain-wise and she snuggled up with me. Having her for company really keeps my pain based anxiety in check. Everyone with orthopedic issues should have a lovable furry friend.

Isaac was notified early in the month that he won the Pride award for Science. Here are the award requirements: "The Program to Recognize Initiative and Distinction in Education awards recognize fifth-grade students who excel in math, science, social studies and writing. Fifth-graders must achieve an “A” average in their subject area to be eligible and demonstrate a positive attitude while scoring highest on a subject-area test. Each student winner receives a medallion and a trophy to recognize their academic achievement." Isaac's Pride award will be for Science." Pretty exciting stuff. In April there will be a big fancy county-wide award ceremony at a performing arts center. Yay!!

He got Honor Roll on his report card and also participated in the county's science meet. He was one of 6 students (2 three person teams) from his school. They were given a written test and then an experiment to perform. There were 86 schools represented (2 teams each) and only first, second and third place awards were given. His team did not place, but he had a great day!

Later in the month his gifted class participated in a math meet. I wasn't invited to witness any part of that one (Boo!), but I'm told there were individual awards and team awards. He told me he almost got third place and his team almost won third place. It was a big month for academic achievement.

I made my first Esty sale! I put up the store a little late last spring so I never had an order. I'm up to eight orders since March 4th! It's amazing to have your craftiness and creativity recognized.

Mint Oreo donuts at Dunkin Donuts!!!!!

Leeloo turned two!

This conversation happened:
Me to Mike: Which Disney couple are we?
Mike: hmmm
Me: Belle and beast? (laughing) Rapunzel and Flynn?,
Mike: Anna and Kristoff. For sure, yeah.
Me: Awww!
(I love it when he talks Disney to me)

Isaac as Will Burrows from the Tunnels book series for character day.

February Recap

I was debating which post to publish next and feeling completely unsettled about there only being one post in February. This morning I woke up with a painful swollen ankle. It's been bothering me off and on, but I'm starting to think it's tendinitis. Anyway, it seemed like my cue to stay in bed and write a recap!

I got this pedicure at the end of January, but I wanted it to be the first image. A little bit of pretty to start me off (Never mind my spastic toes). I went to a boring but necessary appointment and then before I went home I decided to have a pedicure. It felt so self-indulgent. They were having a 20% off all services special so I got a great price and they had amazing new message chairs. These were the first massage chairs I've ever encountered that slide forward. Short people there's hope! You can put your feet in the water and your back against the rollers! I had to get used to having my feet touched without jumping, but before I moved in with my husband I had pedicures twice a month. Since we're been together (almost 7yrs) I think I've had six pedicures. I treasure them a lot more now. Mike even joked about my "yearly pedicure." I love pretty toes.

Nerding it up! My kids are booth big readers and we have always made regular visits to the library. I always made regular visits as a kid and when I was single. I will never forget how grown up I felt when I got my very own library card. It was Isaac's turn! He was so proud.

Valentines day festivities! Riley signed all of her valentines this year!

Parties & Dress-up

Housework interrupted by cuteness

I had a birthday. It wasn't a huge significant birthday. I had a good time celebrating, but birthdays aren't as fun as they used to be. I'm not worried about aging in the typical "never ask a woman her age" way. I've always looked (and acted) younger than my age. It's about my body in a different way. Most people are born young and healthy and their bodies gradually react to wear and tear as they get older, but not me.

I started out tight, spastic and limited by my body from the moment I was born. It was always something I dealt with. I can't remember (aside from being hit by the bus) ever being laid up or having to skip something in my 20's. Since having baby I feel broken down more often. I hate that I'm sitting in bed right now because I woke up with a messed up ankle. This never would have happened five years ago. It's frustrating because I'm broken down and bemoaning the cleaning I can't do. When I was twenty I walked large cities and worked jobs on my feet for 8hrs and still managed to wash the dishes at the end of the day. Now, I take care of the kids and the house and then I break down. I'm not saying it's not a physically demanding job I just think when I was having adventures that would have been worth a day in bed I didn't need them.