Wordless Wednesday - New Sofa

If you saw my Friday's Letters last week, you'll know I was extremely excited about receiving the call that my new sofa (ordered, like, for. ever. ago - ok, ok it was only 3 weeks) was to be delivered on Tuesday. Why was I so excited? Well, when we lived in our tiny apartment, we only had room for one little sofa, a very small love seat. With two small kids, it was ok, put a kid on each lap and we were set. Now the kids are getting bigger and we moved to a larger house and our love seat was looking rather small and lost in our huge (to us) living room.

A rare clean house. 

See that little couch just barely sticking out on the right? That was ALL we had for the first few months in this place. We didn't even have the big bean bag for a while. Lots of open space for the kids to run, though, which was nice. However, we knew we'd like/need something bigger for hosting people, as well as for our growing family. After slightly recovering from moving costs, I went on the hunt. 

Here's our living room now (pardon the slightly blurry photo.)

Now the couch that occupied the alcove on the right has been replaced with a lovely corner sofa, upholstered in the same material as our love seat. The love seat is now basically in the middle of the room, creating a division between the living and dining areas. And you can see the kid paraphernalia is starting to multiply there in the left corner. 

Here's a better look at our beauty.

 We are in love. It's comfy, just the right size for our space and being covered in fake leather is super easy to clean. Yes, in just one day we've already had at least one yogurt spill. 

Now, to get a few more throw pillows and get something up on our painfully naked walls.

Isn't settling in fun? Now, if only I had a decorating budget! 

Tuesday Ten - Random Sayings

Random, but unusually common around our house!

1. Me: Elena! Don't use the toilet bowl to wash your hands!

2. Lucas: Yes sir, momma (I like to hear this one)

3. Me: Lucas! Don't stick your bum in Elena's face.

4. Lucas: I want to go in the TV.

5. Me: Elena, don't eat the books/play dough/paint (insert other inedible object)

6. Lucas: (to me) Your eyes look like a frog.

7. Lucas / Elena: Carry me like a baby (usually after bath time)

8. Me: Lucas, please get out of your closet.

9. Lucas: I want to go in the book.

10. Me/Lucas/Elena: No!

Another very common occurrence - fitted sheet makes a great tent!

Linking up with:

Sharing - and Co-Hosting Monday Mom Musings

Sharing. It's something we all have to learn to do. We've all heard the phrase "sharing is caring" and it's one of the big lessons we have to teach our kids. Especially when you have more than one. Before Elena was born I was worried about how it would be raising two kids who were so close in age. But the things I worried about weren't hard at all. Caring for a newborn and a toddler wasn't too bad - after all, I was already a pro at diaper changing, giving baths, breastfeeding, sleep routines and the like.

It was managing my time and balancing the two that became tough - right around when Elena became mobile. Because then she became very interested in whatever Lucas was doing and he wasn't old enough or mature enough to be able to/want to share with her.

Why is it that kids only want the toy that the other is playing with? And once discarded by one, it is often forgotten by the other as well. We are working hard on sharing and taking turns in our house. Distraction is also a widely used technique. I just have to make sure I distract the other one with a quiet toy - anything that makes any noise will immediately attract the other and we have to start all over again.

How do you help your kids to share?

Lucas "shares" ALL the toys and books with Elena in her crib.

We enjoy games and activities that make sharing easier.

Another phrase we use with our kids is, "it's more FUN if you share" - and as adults it's true too! I'm so excited to share the link-up {Monday Mom Musings} with my new blogging friend Jelli from Jellibean Journals. Check it out and share your mommy stories. 

Now it’s your turn! Please join me and link up your {Monday Mom Musings}; anecdotes, game & activity ideas, gems of wisdom, crafts, recent triumphs, or anything else that you’ve learned or would like to share with us this week about parenting.

HOW do I link? Read here.
Mama “MUSTS”:

Make a pal! Visit {at least} the two posts ahead of yours & comment!! As I visit every link, I smile to see you all sharing ♥ .

Make it family-friendly & kid-related {of course!}

Please link to your specific post, not your homepage Optional, but appreciated:
*Follow me pretty please!
*Place the Mom Musings button link on your post. Share the party so more mamas can join the fun!
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Link up now, Lovelies

 

An Open Letter

via

To Whom it may Concern:
Do I really have to clean the house today? You know in five minutes it will be just as messy, if not messier than before.

Why is it so expensive to fly these days? I'd really just love to hop on a plane and visit my parents for a while. Never mind how tricky it would be to fly with my two toddlers across two continents...

Speaking of toddlers, why do mine get up so early? I mean, come on, anytime before 6:00am just isn't cutting it for this mom. What can I do? They go to bed at 8:00 - 8:30...

The best gift I could get right now would be an hour to myself with a grand piano and all my sheet music. Pure. Bliss. (Or 4 plane tickets to Canada, but let's not get ahead of ourselves here...)

On a more realistic note, the phone call from the furniture store this morning totally made my day. Our new sofa is being delivered next week! One tiny little love-seat just can't fit our family any more.

Happy Friday Everyone!

Smooth Sailing

These days don't come around all that often, so I'm going to take this opportunity to write it down for posterity! We had a wonderful day yesterday. Nothing special happened, it was a normal school day for the kids, but for some reason, it was just smooth sailing all the way to bedtime. 

Part of it might be the fact that the kids actually slept in a little, only waking up just before 7. Usually it's sometime between 6 - 6:30.

Once they got home from school they enjoyed their usual little snack and a 10 minute TV show before heading to their room to read a few books and lie down for their nap. I just love it when I can feel Elena falling asleep on my lap as I read to them, her little head just gets heavier and starts to flop to one side, and her breathing becomes so slow and deep. They're both getting so big it's hard for us all to fit in one chair, but we'll keep it up as long as we can. 

Maybe it was the fact that I had done a lot of meal prep in the morning which meant I didn't really have much to do to prepare dinner.

After naps and another snack, I found the kids had hidden themselves in our bedroom. They aren't usually allowed to play in there, but today Lucas wanted to make a tent. So I got out a clean sheet, some clothes-pins, a random piece of wooden dowel that was lying around and made us a big tent. We probably spent at least an hour playing in there and reading books. Just awesome.

It's nice when the kids find something that they can do together that doesn't involve fighting and stealing toys from each other. 

Of course, we also had to turn off all the lights and get the flashlight out for a bit.

After we had exhausted the tent, the kids ran around outside while I finished making supper, then it was bath time and bed. The kids were nice, kind, gentle and most of all, pretty obedient!

Hoping for lots more days like this!

65 Followers, 65 Facts

I have a really hard time writing about myself. You'd think it would be easy since I'm probably the person that knows me the best, but it stumps me every time.

Since I really started blogging regularly and trying to grow my little blog, I've got a lot of new followers who don't know me from Eve. And because I'm still working on a super duper "about me" page, in honor of my 65 followers, here are 65 facts about me. (Don't worry there are also some photos to keep you interested)

1. I do not have citizenship to the country I was born in.

2. I have citizenship from a country I have lived less than half my life in. 

3. I am, however, proud to be Canadian. 

4. I prefer hot weather to cold.

5. The part of my body I like the most: my eyes

6. I studied classical piano from the age of 5 up to university level.

7. I love playing piano in the dark, and something feels missing from my life when I don't have one at home.

8. I used to read books upside down when I was a kid. 

9. I am a serious candy addict. (specifically the gummy varieties, and anything licorice)

10. I hate confrontation. 

11. I am an introvert.

12. I pierced my own ear with only a piercing stud in high school.

13. I love "con" movies like Oceans Eleven and Catch Me if you Can. 

14. I don't really appreciate sarcastic humor. 

15. I have been married for seven years.

16. I hate grammar errors like "your" and "you're". 

17.  I love shopping at thrift stores and finding hidden treasures. 

18.  I would redecorate my house every year if I could. 

19. Hubby and I have moved six times since we got married. 

20. I have been trying to learn Portuguese since 2004.

21. I am seriously jealous of my hubby's bilingualism. 

22. I love wearing scarves.

23. I went to boarding school for seven years. 

24. I love the beach. 

25. We had two wedding ceremonies - Canada and Brazil. 

Brazil      -     Canada

26. I had to have a root canal on my honeymoon. 

27. I was definitely a tomboy growing up.

28. I loved climbing trees and people watching. 

29. I love traveling, and have a log book of almost all my flights. 

30. I am not a good dancer.

31. I love taking naps.

32. I have two amazing, adorable and crazy children.

33. I am having a hard time losing the baby belly. 

34. I wear a toe ring all the time.

35. I would wear flip flops all year round if I could.

36. I am a third generation missionary. 

37. I love Jesus and try to live my life in a way that honors Him. 

38. I go through tea and coffee phases.

39. I don't really like wine. 

40. But I love a good piña colada. 

41. I love swimming. 

42. I would love to be an interior decorator. 

43. I finished my undergrad degree in four years and am done with school.

44. I like to be in control.

45. I am a perfectionist, but by no means a perfect one. 

46. I am a procrastinator. 

47. I have so many words/ideas in my head and they never sound as good on paper as they do in my head.

48. I love symmetry and balance.

49. I don't usually cry at sad shows or movies (unless I'm pregnant)

50. I refuse to watch horror movies.

51. I am having a hard time thinking of more things to write. I should have done this at 50 followers. :)

52. I am a pretty laid back, adaptable person. 

53. I like to know what the plan is, if there is no plan, I'll make one. 

54. I don't feel like a grown up yet, and I'm almost 30!

Playing with the kids and their cousin

55. I love designing all kinds of print material, but am not a really good artist. 

56. I have had stitches twice in the same place on my face. 

57. So far I have only broken one bone in my body. 

58. I love board games like Settlers and Ticket to Ride.

59. My hubby and I can't play the two-player version of Settlers, too much marital strife. But we love other card games. 

60. I don't have a lot of time for reading, but I love books. 

61. I am generally happy and not too moody.

62. I like lists, can you tell?

63. I wear glasses

64. I am extremely impressionable when it comes to food. Just saw a blog with a photo of Krispy Kreme doughnuts and now I'm craving them!

65. I sleep on the right side of the bed.  

Congrats on making it to the end! Aren't you glad I didn't wait until 100 followers? ;)

Essential Mommy Skills

Before Lucas was born, I'd had very little exposure to babies. I knew I wanted to be a mom, and just assumed that most things would come pretty naturally. And while some things did happen very naturally and easily, others are, well, definitely by trial and error. I am by no means a Super-Mommy, but I have picked up a few skills to keep in my arsenal.

1. Early on with Lucas I learned to nurse him on one side while pumping the other. This is a convenient way to store up some extra bottles of milk for when you're out or you need someone else to feed him. It is also an efficient (although not modest) way of using your nursing time. So don't try this one in public!

2. It's pretty easy to change a diaper when your baby is still pretty much immobile. We could probably even change a diaper in the dark with our eyes closed and one hand behind our back. But when they start moving, it can become a little trickier. After a good 5 years of combined diaper usage so far, I think it's safe to say I've become a master at wrangling a squirmy toddler in all sorts of places, to change their diaper without hurting them or allowing them to hurt me! Oh yes, I've also managed to become a pro at changing a diaper while the toddler is standing up. (Not recommended for the poopy ones though!)

3. The ability to check on your child and attend to all their needs in the middle of the night without actually waking up or remembering. (Also known as the One-Eyed-Mama.)

4. This one took a little practice, but has already been very useful - being able to crack an egg with one hand, while holding your baby/toddler in the other hand. It is pretty amazing what you are able to do with one hand; washing dishes, cooking on the stove (without burning your little ones feet), ironing clothes (admittedly this one is pretty tough).

5. The mommy-sense of just knowing when something suspicious is going on, being able to almost magically find that favorite missing toy, and the power to cure owies with a kiss and a hug.

 6. Learning to let go, embrace the messiness of life, cherish the moments, grow in patience, kindness, love and gentleness, and be thankful for each and every day we get to pour into our kids lives. (Still working on this on those hard days, but boy, are these two ever worth it!)

What's your mommy super-power or essential skill?

Linking up with

Saturday Morning

My kids have gotten into a nice weekday routine now that we've finally kicked the colds (mostly) and they are back to school every day. Namely, they both still go down for a nice nap after getting home from school, having a small snack and reading a few books in their (darkened) room.

Unfortunately, over the last few weekends, I have discovered that they don't get as tired out at home, and we are staring to have a weekly Saturday nap battle. And everyone knows, this momma NEEDS nap time for her sanity. It's just a must.

So I am starting to make sure the kids have lots of energetic activities to do on Saturday morning, hopefully enforcing a no-war zone around nap time. 

Today we have played a lot of cars, had a dance party and created an obstacle course. Now that Lucas is getting older and more into building things, it's a lot of fun for him. We just pulled out our two collapsible tunnels and used what we have in our living/dining room. Go through the tunnel, climb over the chair, go around the table, climb over some more chairs, jump over a few things and presto! They ran around for a good 10 minutes, then spent at least 15 more minutes rearranging and doing it all over again! Lots of cheering and high fives from mommy and hopefully some tired out kids.

We also used an old packing box to make an impromptu slide.

I'll let you know how nap time goes today!

Update: After lunch, a short tv show (10 minutes) and ONE BOOK, Elena was out. Lucas read one more book with me and laid down, pulled up his blanket and went straight to sleep. Happy Mommy here. 

Children's Week at Pre-School

As I mentioned on Monday, the kids had all kinds of special things planned for them by the teachers at their pre-school to celebrate Children's Day which is tomorrow. Their patience at taking photos only lasted for the first day but I did manage to get a few of them in their various outfits for the different days.

Crazy hair day!

Pyjama day - Lucas in Backyardigans and Elena in a Princess set.
Side note: my kids L.O.V.E. the Backyardigans, they ask to watch it at least twice a day, and I could probably sing you a song from every. single. episode.  

Dress-Up Day - A princess and Superman. You can tell Lucas was really not into taking photos on this day! 

Mismatch day - two very different plaids with mismatched shoes. 

Mismatch day - flowers, dots, stripes and mismatched shoes.

The kids had a great week, and even though I picked out all their clothes, they enjoyed wearing something different each day, and it also gave me a few days to wash all their uniforms. Tomorrow they have the day off school, and hopefully the presents they get in the morning will keep them occupied for a good few hours. I can hope, right?

Wordless Wednesday - Shadows in the Window

Yes, those are my kids, standing on the window sill in our living room, 

in between the glass panes on the inside and the metal bars on the outside. 

12 Step Sheep - Tutorial

So, last week I shared about the sheep themed baby shower I helped to put on for my sweet sister-in-law. I'm back with the tutorial of the cuddly, cute sheep I made for the table centerpieces and decoration.

Here we go!

What you need: (for one sheep)

Head:
- small styrofoam ball (about 1" diameter) painted light brown. I already had a bunch painted brown from a previous project.
- two short pieces of pink pipe cleaners (about 1.5" long) to make the ears
- small piece of cotton
- two eyes
- permanent marker
- glue gun

1. Fold your pink pipe cleaners into ear shapes and stick them into the head. There is a small seam around the ball and I used that to help get the ears in roughly a straight line.
2. Use your glue gun and stick a small piece of cotton in between the ears.
3. Use your sharpie to make a mouth and to mark where the eyes go.
4. Use your glue gun to stick the eyes on.

And the head is ready to go!

For the body you need: 

- a slightly larger styrofoam ball (about 2" diameter)
- 4 pieces of brown pipe cleaner (each about 2.5-3" in length)
- a toothpick to connect the head and body
- two squares of cotton (about 4"x4" - doesn't have to be perfect - regular cotton balls would work too, just need a little more fiddling to cover the body)
- white glue (Elmers)
- paint brush to apply the glue. (you could also use your glue gun, but I found the white glue easier to work with and just as secure)

 5. Bend your pipe cleaners into legs and stick into the body. Again I used the seam of the ball to help orient the legs. Basically if you were to connect the legs you would make a square with the seam of the ball running through the middle.
6. Get your head, body and toothpick ready
7. Stick the toothpick at least halfway into the body, at about a 45 degree angle.
8. Attach head.

 9. Get your cotton and glue ready, and glue around the neck of the sheep.
10. Wrap your first square around the neck like a cape.
11. Then glue down the back of the cape.
12. Glue the second piece of cotton starting from the bottom and wrapping it around the legs and gluing upward. There's quite a bit of give to the cotton so it stretches quite easily. If you think about the square you created with the legs, the second piece of cotton gets attached like a diamond, with each corner going through one side of the square.

There you go. A sheep in 12 easy steps!

At the shower I attached the sheep to a small box to place on the tables. You could also make a really charming mobile with these. Everyone commented on how cute they were, and by the end I didn't have any to bring home with me.

Linking up with: Tutorial Tuesday, Show Me What Ya Got, TOO Cute Tuesday, Terrific Tuesdays, Handmade Tuesdays, Crafty Tuesday and Take-A-Look Tuesday

Big Sister and Crazy Hair

Although Elena is our youngest, because she and Lucas are so close, she is starting to display some "older sister" qualities. 

Mealtimes are sometimes a struggle for us, not with Elena, but with Lucas. He usually has ants in his pants, can't sit still and wants help with eating. Elena, on the other hand needs no encouragement and is a great eater. The other night as I was sitting down with the kids to eat, Lucas once again pleaded with me, "momma, feed me!" to which I replied, "Lucas you are big enough to feed yourself. Just look at Elena, she's eating so well!"

Lucas took one look at Elena, sitting there next to him eating so contentedly, and asked so sweetly, "Elena, you feed me?" and in true older sister fashion, Elena picked up his spoon and fed him the rest of his food. Sure, the spoons got switched and lots of food and germs were shared, but by the end both were fed and both plates were empty and I could actually enjoy my own meal. It was quite funny to watch. 

In the event we have another child, Elena is going to be a great older sister and a big help to mommy.

In other news, at the end of this week we have a holiday. October 12th is Children's Day here and so the kids have the day off school and it is customary for them to receive a gift on this day. As well as that, their pre-school has planned a week of fun things for them to do in the run-up to the holiday. 

Today is crazy hair day. At first Lucas was a little hesitant when I said I was going to make his hair look funny, "But mommy, everyone will laugh at me" and I explained that no one was going to laugh because everyone was going to have funny hair. So he let me try to gel his hair into a mohawk. Elena also wanted gel in her hair but I thought it was too long for it to do much, so we tied a whole bunch of little pony tails resulting in a super cute "palm tree" look. 

All ready for school in their cute uniform and crazy hair.

Tomorrow is pyjama day!

Linking up with

   

Friday's Letters

Rare moment of peace. 

Dear hubby - so glad you are coming home today! It means I get saturday off, right? (and breakfast in bed? - ok, maybe that's asking too much) Dear crazy neck/back pain - you are a wonderful excuse for me to not clean the house, but the bathrooms will soon reach critical mess... Dear rice-pack - you are a wonderful aid in healing this back/neck pain. Dear kiddos - our trip yesterday to the mall was more like a nightmare, next time we are using straps to keep you at arms length! Thankfully the play place kept you occupied for a while. Dear Levi - dearest nephew, we are praying for your safe arrival into the outside world. Come quickly and safely. Your mom is a trooper for making it through almost 37 hours of labor already! Dear doctor - I am so thankful to have found you! You made a great first impression on me by taking one quick glance at the kids entry forms and calculating their age to the year, month and day. Plus, I am super happy that you speak English!

Happy Friday everyone!

What a Wonderful World

A few days ago someone asked me what was the most beautiful country I'd lived in. We were having a conversation about where I was from and how I'd grown up. Seeing as I was talking to a Brazilian (with my faltering Portuguese) I of course said it was a tie between Brazil and Canada - Brazil has amazing beaches, and Canada has amazing mountains. 

Not Canada

Clearly it's not as simple as that. Brazil does have amazing beaches, but it also has mountains, rain-forests, rivers and plains. Canada does have stunning mountain ranges, but also boasts beautiful coasts, islands and long stretches of prairie.

I grew up in Canada, Bangladesh and India. I realized that all those countries have so much beauty. Not always in the cities and I think this is the case around the world, but the actual countryside has so much to offer.

Not Bangladesh

The world God created is indeed magnificent. Beauty has no borders. When I came home after this conversation I started looking through my photos and pulled some from Canada, Brazil, Bangladesh and India to show you some of the beauty that is around.

Not Brazil

Not India

Not Brazil

A lot of places I've been remind me of other places I've been. Some of this is due to the natural landscape, some is a result of the way the cities have grown and developed.

Sometimes when dusk hits and a musty orange light descends on the mountain range on the outskirts of our city, I am transported back to the Nilgiri Hills of India where I attended boarding school for 7 years.

Sometimes on a rainy night, when the sky is grey and cloudy and I see the reflection of the street lights glistening on the wet roads, I am taken back to Langley, BC, where I went to University.

Sometimes when I am walking down the street and I get a whiff of incense I am carried back to the streets of India.

Sometimes in the crowded streets of 25 de Março, I could close my eyes and be back in a bustling market in Bangladesh.

Can you tell me what two cities these are?

 Of course, we all know what really makes our world wonderful. It's the people, the friendships, the relationships we have that make our world beautiful.

What a wonderful world indeed!

Leave a guess in the comments as to where the photos above were really taken. I stuck with Canada, Brazil, Bangladesh and India. 

Meet the Geek

In our family, the title of geek is usually reserved for my hubby, a web developer, sci-fi guy, lover of comics, GI Joes, MMORPGs and the like. Of course, he is also tall, dark, handsome, funny, sensitive and an awesome daddy. But this post is not about him. It's about a little of the geek in me that helped draw us together.

1. I can totally rock the glasses and high-bun librarian chic look.
2. I love spreadsheets and planners.
3. Don't get me started on common grammatical and spelling errors like your and you're.
4. I am a huge perfectionist when it comes to my design work. One pixel off and I will notice if something is off-center.
5. I love playing puzzle games like sudoku.
6. When I wash my kid's plastic colored dishes, they get stacked in the drying rack like a rainbow. Always.
7. I love symmetry. When I open our living room window, each side gets opened the same amount. None of this opening one side or anything.
8. My hubby totally turned me into an Apple convert. Only Macs for me, thanks.
9. I once spent a few hours on a bus learning to sing the alphabet backwards.
10. I love checklists, and sometimes write down things I've already done, just so I can cross them off.

So? Do I give my hubby a run for the title of family geek?

(And yes, I've re-read this post like five times to make sure I have no spelling/grammar errors)

Another Pompom Party

I was absolutely delighted when my sister-in-law's sister asked me to decorate for my sister-in-law's Baby Shower. It was planned for three weeks after Elena's party and my new-found love of pompoms meant they were sure to make another appearance. I was even able to re-use some of the pompoms from Elena's party (score!)

We were going for a sheep theme for the party. Here in Brazil it is very common to find out the gender of your baby almost as early as possible and come right out with the name as well. So we were planning a Sheep Shower for little Lara - due in November. A little over two years ago I did another shower for Lara's older sister, Sophia, a bear-themed shower with pink and brown as the main colors. So this time I stuck with pink, grey, white and silver. Seemed to also fit better with the sheep theme. 

The shower was held in their church's foyer/meeting room. I knew we would have a lot of tables and chairs and began to think about center pieces. A crazy idea came to me as I was cleaning up some other decorating stuff. I started dreaming about sheep made from styrofoam balls, cotton and pipe cleaners. 

But let's see how the prep and party went down.

Here are my sheep center pieces for all the tables - yup, I made almost 20 little sheep. I'm always looking for ways to reduce stress by prepping ahead of time, so it was fun to make these little guys without feeling rushed. At the party the sheep sat on little boxes with Lara's name on them (good thing it's only a four-letter name), on top of a pink heart-patterned square (actually cellophane gift bags that I cut into squares). The tables themselves were covered in a sheet of silver paper. 

The day before the shower I headed down to our local farmer's market and picked up some beautiful pink and white flowers. I made three arrangements and packed them up ready to go. Another simple prep idea for color, class and charm. I also made about 60 favors for the guests. On the left a simple envelope filled with marshmallows, wrapped in silver ribbon and secured with a hand-cut label. The label says, "We thank you for your presence here - Baby Shower for Lara" and the date. Yes, hand-cut labels - my hands were definitely sore after cutting out 60 tiny little labels. On the right I made little bags, tied them up with ribbon and added the label to the front. 

At the church we set up a crib to collect all the presents. I used four of the center pieces to spell out Lara's name on the edge, and used some pompoms to decorate. I made tons of big white pompoms and several smaller pink and silver ones. Notice how the big ones have rounded edges while the smaller ones have pointed edges. I think it's a nice contrast. 

Of course the main attraction is the cake/sweets table. I set up a few room dividers, covered them in a white tablecloth and attached a pompom arrangement. 

Some close-ups of the table. We served the main cake, a pineapple cake and cupcakes. Along with some little sweets (you can see in the top right corner arranged under the cake).

I did also have some large white pompoms hanging up with pink and grey ribbons underneath, but somehow forgot to get a picture of it. Every time, I take tons of photos, sure that I've got a shot of everything, and always feel like I should have taken more.  

Hope you enjoyed a little peek into the party. Come back next week for the full tutorial on those cute little sheep!