Beautiful Blue Morpho

Today's blog post has been interrupted by a field trip full of butterflies and a well child doctor visit.

Instead of an abundance of words, I give you something beautiful to look at...

What you see at first...

may be just a glimpse at the hidden beauty within!


Don't judge a book by it's cover, and don't judge a Blue Morpho Butterfly by it's outer wings alone.
Open your wings this week and let your Blue Morpho colors show!

Happy Monday!

Meeting Arthur's Author

This evening we had the opportunity to meet the author of the beloved Arthur series, Marc Brown.  An area library held the event and we couldn't pass it up.  How often do you get a chance to meet a writer of a beloved children's series?  While we were a few minutes late to the program (getting out of school/work and getting where we need to be takes time), we were still able to learn some interesting things about Marc Brown and his characters.  What a neat experience for our family to catch a glimpse at the people who inspired DW, Buster, and the rest of the gang.  By listening to this famous author speak, my boys discovered how the people, places, and activities around you can become part of a great story.

After Mr. Brown finished speaking, he generously offered to autograph books and take photos with everyone at the event.  The line was long, but we've waiting in line for Toy Story Mania, so this was a piece of cake.  Super dad (aka my wonderful husband) bought an Arthur book for each of our boys as we didn't bring any with us.  My kids showed great patience as we waited our turn.  Their reward was a kind comment in regards to their waiting skills from Marc Brown, 2 autographed books, a photo opportunity, and a special memory to last through their years.

Thank you Mr. Brown for taking the time to meet all of the children and their parents & grandparents.  Your kindness, patience, sharing, & gift of writing is greatly admired and appreciated!

My boys are greatly impressed!

A Wimpy Kid Birthday

Stampin' Out The Work Week has a fun theme this week.  In honor of my oldest son's birthday and reading month, I present to you... A Wimpy Kid Birthday.

My son wanted to do something special for his birthday, so we gave him permission to invite two friends over for a Wimpy Kid themed afternoon this coming weekend.  Invitations were kept simple.  We printed the information on a piece of blue paper with the "stick figure" style image that you find on the first book cover.  From there we decided to keep it going.

Our birthday party fun will include a game of Wimpy Kid Scrabble before the pizza arrives.  Then we'll jump into some Wii games & just having fun in general.  The final event will be popcorn and a movie...  The Diary of A Wimpy Kid of course


For the birthday treat at school, we made brownie cookies and topped them with the "cheese touch."  It was nothing more than a flattened vanilla tootsie roll with golden yellow and green food/icing coloring added to accomplish that aged cheese look.

A very simple button was worn to school declaring that my son was indeed the "Birthday Kid."  I printed this from our home computer and added a little color by hand.



His brother and I continued the theme with our homemade birthday cards.

Decorating for the weekend party goes beyond balloons, yet it's not too involved either.   Foam versions of our main character and a paper birthday banner add just enough of a wimpy birthday kid touch to make the day festive.

When our son's buddies go home, they'll have one of a kind thank you bags to take with them.  A quick straight stitched bag with a small piece of canvas on the front, adorned by the wimpy kid, will hold all the goodies.  Candy bars with a simple paper wrapper, "cheese touch" popcorn, a decorate your own button kit, bookmarks (what book themed party doesn't have bookmarks), "Diary of" journals that we created (an in progress rough draft sample shown), and of course a pencil for all the writing and drawing that will go inside the journal.

I love it when a theme comes together!

Enjoy the wimpy photos.  Feel free to comment with any questions you have on the projects shown.  As always, enjoy stampin' out your work week!

HAPPY FRIDAY!

Continue scrolling for more photos.

Is It Spring Yet?

Desperately awaiting the Springtime and fresh air, I ponder what lies in store during this upcoming season of growth and starting anew.  Spring break, the final months of school, and birthdays all come to mind.  As does a sense of relief that comes with not feeling trapped indoors the majority of the time. 

When winter begins, there is the excitement of holidays, and playing in the snow for the kids of Michigan  and other northern states.  Yet as the season drags on, even the children are ready to see the green grass and blooming flowers.  They tire of snow pants and boots just as much as mom and dad do.  Tossing off the winter coats, hats, gloves, and all other winter gear, encompasses a sense of freedom.

Breaking away from the cold, I long for the sweet smell of a light spring rainfall.  In my mind I can picture umbrellas up, rain boots on, and two young boys singing, dancing, and splashing in the rain.  With the sunshine comes soccer games, bike rides, displays of sidewalk chalk art, and just running around in the open space.  The warmth of the outdoors tends to warm our hearts as well.

Please hurry Spring!

What are you looking forward to this Spring?  Do you have any special plans?  What is your favorite part about Spring?  Will you splash in the rain puddles?