Enjoy the little things in life.
One day you will look back
and realize
they were the big things.
Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi
girl
Creating a Nursery at Grandma’s House
I am having so much fun creating a nursery at “Grandma’s house” for our new granddaughter.
A sweet little haven for her to rest if I ever decide to let her out of my arms when she is at our home!
I promised I’d show you how I turned bumper pads into a window treatment valance. Didn’t it turn out great?!
Almost everything in this room was a passed on from a friend, was given as a gift, is something I made, or something I re-purposed.
Thanks to our friends Sue and Rodney for “gifting” us with this beautiful crib they had outgrown from their two beautiful granddaughters.
And thanks to our BFFs Jill and Todd who gifted us with this beautiful rocking chair when we learned we were going to become grandparents. (Hope you don’t mind I painted and distressed it!)
And thanks to our sweet Joyce and “Oh Rob” for this darling antique child’s art desk with paper roll that will be so fun in coming years!
And a dear friend, Diane, who sent this sweet little hanging pillow months before our granddaughter arrived, but made me wait until her birth to open (and I really did!). What truth there is in this message! What joy!
I’m looking forward to reading many, many books – over and over and over – in the years to come.
And playing with the basket of toys generously passed down from a sweet friend and incredible young Mom, Stefanie.
Sometimes I just walk into this room and smile… thinking of the memories that are going to be created and the love that is already there from the sharing of so many.
I remember the days when this was a little boy’s room with blue marbled walls and baseball trophies. I reminisce about the two boys who shared a wall between their rooms and secrets I still don’t know about… Two boys who were best buddies when they were little, didn’t like each other very much when they were teenagers, and are back to being each other’s “bests” as young adults.
Creating a nursery at Grandma’s house…
It is so very much
home sweet home.
Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi
My First Portrait Subject in Watercolor
My Sweet C – 8 x 10 watercolor – 300 lb Artistico Fabriano
I am typically a more “impressionist” style amateur watercolor artist. (At least that is what I consider myself.) I don’t necessarily try to exactly replicate something, but more try to interpret my impression of how it makes me feel.
As many of you know, I am a new grandma for the first time, and ECSTATIC doesn’t even begin to describe how I feel about that!
So you are probably not surprised that the first subject I chose to attempt a watercolor portrait of is my sweet little granddaughter.
I didn’t do her beauty justice, but the process of looking at her picture and painting her brought me a lot of joy. It was a fun experiment. I was hoping it would be nice enough to give to my son and daughter-in-law for a Christmas gift framed, but I am not happy enough with how it turned out, so that idea didn’t work out.
I decided to post it anyway, though, as my first watercolor portrait. Hopefully I will look back some day and compare it to something much better.
My sweet granddaughter, on the other hand, is absolutely perfect!
Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi
Let’s Teach our Children
to be kind to those who are not kind.
They need love the most.
to offer help to those who struggle.
It is in giving that we receive the most.
to be a friend to the lonely.
They are often the best friends.
to sit with those sitting alone.
They have much to share.
to look for the good in others.
That is when we learn the most about ourselves.
These are the ways we can teach our children
to change the world.
Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi
Except Another Grandmother
Mother Nature must’ve known
my joy of becoming a Grandma this week
Gifting our sweet baby girl with
a 73 degree mid-November day to come home to
For no one else
in the entire universe
Could understand the immense love
and immeasurable joy
Except perhaps…
another
Grandmother ❤
Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi
There are truly not enough letters in the alphabet
or words in the dictionary
to describe how I’m feeling!!
Go Pink Chex Party Mix
I made this fun pink chex snack mix for our baby shower last week, but it is very also appropriate this month for Pinktober.
October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and I have a few people very near and dear to me who are survivors – as well as the memory of a very special sister-in-law we lost at the age of 50 to breast cancer.
So Go Pink!
Celebrate… remember… create awareness… enjoy… by sharing this yummy treat with people you love.
Go Pink Chex Party Mix
Ingredients:
- 6 cups rice Chex cereal
- 6 cups corn Chex cereal
- 1 cup dry roasted peanuts
- 3 cups pretzels
- 2 12-oz bags Wilton Pink Candy Melts
Directions:
Mix cereal, peanuts, and pretzels in a large bowl.
Place candy melts in microwave-safe bowl, and microwave on High for one minute. Stir. Return to microwave for one more minute. Stir. Microwave for additional 30-second intervals if needed until completely melted. (My microwave only took two minutes total to completely melt.) Pour over cereal mix to coat evenly.
Spread in single layer onto waxed paper or parchment paper, and let cool completely.
Once cool, break into pieces, and store in airtight container.
I made a triple batch for our party. I made one with white candy melts, one with light pink, and one with bright pink, then mixed all together.
You could also make this with milk chocolate, dark chocolate or any other color candy melts to match your party theme or celebration.
It is really yummy…. and really addictive!
Enjoy!
Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi
A Hot Air Balloon Themed Baby Shower
Oh what fun we had this past weekend celebrating the anticipation of the sweet baby girl we are awaiting with a Hot Air Balloon Baby Shower!
I made these miniature hot air balloons using super inexpensive 12″ white paper Chinese lanterns that I attached to quart-sized cardboard pulp berry baskets with wooden skewers and embellished with all the pink ribbon, yarn, sequins, buttons, lace, or pearls I had in my craft stash. I added a tiny battery operated tea light to each basket and hung and placed them all over the house.
It was such a collaborative effort of all the girls involved. Check out this amazing Aunt Squad surrounding the beautiful momma to be!
We had a hot air balloon cupcake cake,
Hot Air Balloon Cake Pops in a puffy white cloud,
and Hot Air Balloons, clouds and cherubic baby faced sugar cookies.
The favors were made using Eos Lip Balms to thank our guests for sharing their time and love with us.
A Hot Air Balloon banner with baby pictures of the mom and dad to be as babies themselves was a nostalgic trip down memory lane.
An Extra Large Basket Lady Pole Handle Wicker Storage Basket with pink and white balloons tied to it was filled to overflowing with children’s books guests brought in place of cards to start a wonderful library for baby.
The books were requested by a special insert in the invitation, and the overflowing abundance of new and extra special, well-loved books from people we love will be so cherished.
The time and love put into gifts blew us away. A very special Gram blessed Mom and Dad to be with this amazing handmade Hot Air Balloon quilt.
We also had a Hair Bow Boutique…
where guests were invited to create a hair bow (or two or three – like sweet Ella did) for baby.
And they surely blew us away with their talent and love.
Instead of a guest “book,” we had guests add their fingerprint and name to a hot air balloon watercolor painting that can hang in baby’s nursery as a sweet reminder of all who shared in her special party.
A simple game of “Guess the Baby Item in the Bag” had guests brainstorming
on what the heck starts with an “O” or “W” or “H”
while munching on fruit from a hot air balloon fruit tray (which we forgot to get a picture of – 😦 – sorry Jen!) – but looked a lot like this inspiration from Pinterest, as well as Hawaiian Ham and Cheese Sliders and Chicken Salad with dried cranberries and walnuts in miniature croissants, veggie pizza, and Strawberry Spinach Salad.
and yep – we had that yummy Salted Caramel Apple Sangria too!
My heart is surely overflowing!
Balloons are now popped, and the house is back in order. Grandma is still glowing, though, as we await the arrival of this already abundantly loved baby girl.
Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi
PS Thanks to BFF Jill for being event photographer for Grandma-to-be who was simply too overjoyed and excited to even think about snapping pics! What would I do without you!? ❤
Showers of Love
Showers of love
in pastel shades
of pink and ribbons
and braids.
Dreaming of cherubic
rosy red cheeks
and plump, chubby thighs
to pinch and kiss and squeeze.
Preparing for sweetness
for sugar and spice…
showers of love
my heart’s delight.
Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi
Eva’s First Birthday
Some of you might remember little Eva from some photos I shared several months ago.
Well – time sure does fly, and Eva just turned ONE!
Eva’s Aunt Liz asked if I would make a special card for her sweet little niece’s first birthday. The request included incorporating an elephant, so Eva’s baby elephant is glammed up a bit with a purple velvet bow and a tiny pearl.
I had so much fun drawing and painting this card for an exceptional little princess.
Wishing you a day and year ahead as special as you little Eva!
Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi
A Diaper Pizza Baby Shower Gift
Yesterday, I went to a baby shower for a sweet young lady who is expecting a baby girl in June.
I’ve made other diaper gifts before, but I’ve never tried a diaper pizza.
It was really quite easy and turned out cute. The theme was Winnie the Pooh, so I gathered every Pooh bear and friends onsie, rattle, teething ring, toy, bib, and pacifier I could find. I then took a dozen Size 1 diapers, gentle shaped them into triangles, wrapped them in a baby wash cloth and taped them on the bottom.
I then tied a different little gift on top of each “pizza slice” and put a little plush Tigger in the middle. I wrote a greeting on the inside of the top of the box, and attached a soft little book as the “card.”
It was a fun way to celebrate and welcome this new little one.
Thanks Luciano’s Brick Oven in Mars for the clean pizza box. (And thanks Chris for getting it for me!)
Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi
the creative life in between 
