Shower

A Grandparent Shower!

/ Jodi / 43 Comments

grandparent shower burnt almond torte cake

One of the highlights of our weekend was attending a “Grandparent Shower” for some very dear friends.

Kathleen and Jack have waited quite a long time to become grandparents, and we are so excited and happy for them.

So a small group of very close friends got together to SURPRISE them with a Grandparent Shower to celebrate how happy we are for them.

Many in attendance are already grandparents.  Once couple even great-grandparents.  But what we all had in common was our love and joy for our friends who have been through a lot and are so excited to become grandparents.

Grandmas Survival Basket Card

I put together a little Gramma’s Survival basket for Kathleen.

Grandmas Survival Basket gift

And Hubby created the cutest ever Grampa’s Infant Assistant Kit – all on his own!  One Ziploc baggie was filled with “equipment” and “instructions for Diaper Changing…

Grandpas Infant Assistance Kit for Changing Diapers

and the other was filled with Nap Time Supplies, including a bottle of Jameson Irish Whiskey for “medicinal spirits” for our new Irish Grandpa.

Grandpas Infant Assistance Kit for Nap Time

We also gave them a keepsake book to work on to fill with Memories for their grandchild and a couple of books to read with their grandchild that are so adorably written and illustrated on How to Babysit a Grandma and How to Babysit a Grandpa.

grandparent shower gift books

I wrapped them up and added a little watercolor card I made.

A little birdie told me watercolor card and grandparent shower gift

Our hosts had delicious beverages…

grandparent shower sangria

and treats.

grandparent shower caprese salad

And fifty pink roses were displayed all around.  Can you guess what sex the grandchild is going to be?

grandparent shower pink roses

We started with a toast.

grandparent shower toast

And so enjoyed watching them open the few little gifts we bought for them to celebrate their joy.

grandparent shower kathleen and jack

Kathleen and Jack shared reading glasses,

grandparent shower kathleen and jack 2

and it was fun to watch Kathleen explain finger puppets to Grandpa.

grandparent shower kathleen and jack 3

Supplies for bath time at grandma and grandpa’s house included more pink…

grandparent shower kathleen and jack 4

soft and fuzzy stuff!

grandparent shower jack

And hubby enjoyed one of his first showers with two awesome hostesses!  Thanks Cindy and Sally.

grandparent shower marty and hostesses cindy and sally

And all under the pretense that Jack was bringing some of his amazing homegrown heirloom tomatoes to a picnic where Gary and Cindy needed them.

heirloom tomatoes

We love you Jack and Kathleen and can’t wait to celebrate and love your bundle of joy!

Cheers & Hugs,

Jodi

 

 

Perfect Pairs Wedding Shower Gift

/ Jodi / 49 Comments

Perfect Pairs Wedding Shower Gift Basket

Yesterday I shared the beautiful celebration of this adorable and perfect pair,  Candace and C.J. at the bridal shower I attended for Candace this past weekend.

perfect pair wedding shower gift framed photo

And, as promised, here is the “Perfect Pair” gift basket I made as my gift for them.

perfect pair wedding shower gift chip and dip bowl

It was so much fun trying to think of perfect pairings to include in this gift basket.

perfect pair wedding shower gift chips and dip salsa

I am sure there are so many more pairs you can think of, and you can customize the gift for your “perfect pair.”

perfect pair wedding shower gift cutting board and knife

Some things are simply practical, and others I found on Candace’s gift registry.

perfect pair wedding shower gift salt and pepper

Does anything “pair” better than peanut butter and jelly?

perfect pair wedding shower gift peanut butter and jelly

A pair of gloves just made perfect sense.

perfect pair wedding shower gift pair of gloves

I also had fun creating all the pear/pair tags with a variety of watercolor wash colors…

perfect pair wedding shower gift fork and spoon

and thinking of little things that would make their home cozy and special.

perfect pair wedding shower gift candle and light

Pen and paper… will they scribble little love notes?  create shopping lists?  wish lists?

perfect pair wedding shower gift pen and paper

A fun bag or basket pulls it all together and adds to the fun and practicality of the gift.

Perfect Pairs Wedding Shower Gift

If you are looking for a fun and creative bridal shower gift, consider this idea for your perfect pear  pair!

pear purple watercolor

Cheers & Hugs,

Jodi

Celebrating a Perfect Pair

/ Jodi / 23 Comments

CBS22

This weekend brought the opportunity to celebrate a very special bride-to-be.

CBS24

Beautiful Candace will be marrying her “perfect pair” C.J. in just a few weeks.

+

C.J. was my youngest son, Nick’s, “roomer” all through college, and this sweet couple has become part of our extended family.

CBS

We celebrated with some amazing and beautiful food,

CBS1

CBS2

CBS3

refreshing, icy drinks,

CBS4

CBS5

and “silly” fun shower games.

CBS16

It was great to see one of my favorite gals (and all time favorite “flower girl”), Grandma Susan!

CBS6

It’s not hard to see where her family gets their beauty and joy from.

CBS15

Momma Candi is celebrating her second “child’s” wedding this year!

CBS19

It was such a joy to take photos of these beautiful girls…

CBS18

CBS7

CBS8

…on such a beautiful day with such beautiful surroundings (though a teensy weensy beansy bit hot for this “menopausal momma!”)

CBS9

CBS14

CBS25

What a privilege to capture such joy and beauty!

CBS13

CBS20

CBS26

CBS23

What a wonderful way to celebrate love!

CBS21

CBS27

 

These two cuties are going to make a “perfect pair!”

CBS28

Check in tomorrow to see the “perfect pair” gift I made for these two cuties!

perfect pair wedding shower gift framed photo

Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi

April Showers – Celebrating with Charrie

/ Jodi / 15 Comments

cw 1

You might remember I shared the card & gift wrapping I made for our family friend’s shower yesterday.

Well, today I invite you to experience a little “taste” of the shower.  Charrie and her mom and the lovely hostesses gave me permission to shoot away and then share here with all of you.

The weather was sunshiny perfect, the hostesses smiles were just as bright, Charrie was beaming, and the details were amazing.  Enjoy the little visit to the party.

And you may notice I was completely slightly obsessed with the petit four and cupcake display! 🙂  I can’t wait to get the petit four recipe, and if successful, share them with you here.  They were TO DIE FOR!  (I know hubby will love them!  Layers of raspberry and apricot yumminess!)

Add to that blueberry pomegranate sangrias, pickled marinated asparagus, chicken salad, fresh fruit kabobs, and chocolate galore – oh my!!

Here is the lovely bride to be with her sister and maid of honor.  Aren’t they beautiful?

cw 2

Click on any of the photos to enlarge.  Hope you enjoy as much as we did.

cw 3 cw 4

cw 5 cw 6

cw 7

cw 8

cw 11 cw 13

cw 9

cw 17

cw 18 cw 20

cw 21 cw 24 cw 23

cw 25

cw 26

cw 27 cw 29

cw 30

cw 32

cw 28

cw 33

cw 34

cw 35 cw 37

cw 31 cw 38

cw 45

cw 39

cw 40 cw 41

cw 42

cw 47 cw 48

cw 22

cw 49

Cheers & Hugs to Charrie and Corey!  Looking forward to celebrating your big day with you soon!

Jodi

‘Tis the Season

/ Jodi / 41 Comments

charrie shower card artisan embellishment and hello life

Tis the season…

For showers and weddings that is.

And you might know I love a good theme.

charrie shower invitation
So when I received this invitation to our family friends’ shower, I thought it would be fun to repurpose some of it for the card I made.

I gently removed the lace bow and added it to the card I created with vanilla and kraft card stock, a tiny watercolor, and the SU artisan embellishment floral cutout.  A simple “love” sentiment was added from the SU Hello Life Stamp set.

charrie shower card artisan embellishment and hello life

I then continued the theme when wrapping the gift.

Charrie Wedding Shower Gift Wrap 1

Instead of wrapping with paper, I used burlap which can be repurposed and was from our son and daughter-in-law’s similarly-themed shower and rehearsal dinner.

I made a big bow with some new kitchen towels that were on the registry, stuffed in a couple wooden spoons (they go with the gift inside), and tied it all together with lace to match.

Off to the shower today to celebrate Charrie and Corey and wish them many years of love and happiness.

Cheers & Hugs,

Jodi

PS  I received a very sweet note and invitation from the HUGELY talented Leslie Mahon at InkPaperScissorsStamp.com to enter my card into The Paper Plunge #29 April Showers Challenge.  It is a less-known challenge that I am super happy to learn about and participate in.  For my card crafty friends – hope you will check it out.  If you have created a baby or wedding shower card, take the plunge and play along with us!

The Paper Plunge

 

Rubber Ducky Diaper Cake

/ Jodi / 26 Comments

rubber ducky diaper cake

Looking for a fun baby shower gift?

How about taking a box of disposable diapers and making it into a “cake!”

Yesterday, I shared my Rubber Ducky Watercolor Card.  Here is another part of the gift that goes with it.  A gift bag full of baby hooded towels, and I am ready for the shower.

This is so simple to make.

I re-purposed an aluminum serving tray and hot glued a cardboard paper towel holder to the center.  I then took an 88-count box of Pampers Swaddler Diapers, rolling each diaper and holding it together with a rubber band.

Begin by placing the rolled diapers around the center paper towel tube.  Tie together with string, and then surround with another ring outside that.  Repeat four times for the bottom layer.  Then make the middle layer with two circles and the top layer with just one circle around the paper towel tube.  Cover the string/rubber bands with ribbon and make a decorative bow.  Decorate your cake with various rubber duckies and/or any other “theme” you choose to complete your gift cake.

Those of you that have been “lifeinbetweeners” for a while might remember the Birthday Money Cake I made for my son a few months ago.

Isn’t it fun to find creative ways to bake make cakes?!

What are you baking up today?

Cheers & Hugs,

Jodi

Wedding Survival Kit

/ Jodi / 4 Comments

Jackie Wedding Survival Kit

One week from today is Jackie and Matt’s wedding.  Another one of “our children” is getting married…  (sigh)

Where did the time go?

When I met my BFF, Jill, we were pregnant with Nick and Jayme and had two little babies.  I had Jake.  She had Jackie.

Last year Jake married our beloved Colleen.  This year Jackie gets to marry her dear Matt.

jackie and matt

I can still picture our two little toe heads and the wonderful times we shared as we weaved our way through diapers and bottles and strollers and trips to the mall (just to get out of the house)….

to being homeroom moms together and planning holiday parties and the best obstacle courses for field day…

kids 1996

to PTA meetings, playgroups,  the best themed birthday parties and homemade Halloween costumes…

to Jill & Jodi’s Junque craft shows, and then re-entering the workforce, being parents of teens, then sending them to college and empty nesting…

and now weddings.

It is a great life to share with friends like we are, and I am so excited to celebrate our Jackie next week.

Jackie Jodi Jill

One of the shower gifts I gave Jackie was this simple little “Wedding Survival Kit.”

I put all the items in a cute little keepsake box that Jackie can use for whatever she wants.

You can customize it to suit your special couple and make a sweet, personalized gift.

Jackie Wedding Survival Kit

 

A crayon – to “color” all the days of your marriage bright and sunny

A rubber band – to remind you to always be flexible

A candle – to help the glow of romance always be part of your love for Matt

A paper clip – to help you hold it all together

A penny – to give you extra “cents” to know which battles are worth fighting and which are not

Some tape – to remind you little things can be “fixed”

A highlighter – to highlight all of the wonderful moments you and Matt will have

A glue stick – to help you “stick it out” during the rough patches

A battery – to help you recharge after a long day (or week…or month…)

A button – to remind you that sometimes you need to “button your lip”

A safety pin – to help you pin-point your problems and solve them

A dental pic  – to always pick out the best in Matt

A q-tip – to dig out all the bad things in your relationship

A band-aid – so you can tackle those high heels in August

 

Can’t wait to celebrate your day next week at this time Jackie!

Love ya!

Cheers & Hugs,

Jodi

Blessings Jar – Thankful for one of the Best Gifts Ever

/ Jodi / 6 Comments

blessings

So it’s the Day After #GFC2014 Weekend, and I’m still feeling so thankful and so blessed!  Relaxing with Marty on this Sunday evening, and a teensy glass of red wine :).

For some reason, I was reminded of one of the best (birthday) gifts I’ve ever received.   And it made me realize what a great Wedding Gift this could be during wedding season, so I wanted to share.

————

My BFF, Jill, gave me this gift on my birthday a year ago, which just so happens to fall on New Year’s Eve, so coincides beautifully with New Year’s resolutions and new habits to create for the new year.

You see, “best gifts ever” don’t have to be expensive or elaborate.  The best gifts ever are from the heart and those that create memories for a lifetime.

My gift was a jar filled with blank colored  index card sized pieces of paper.  In explaining the gift, Jill encouraged me to write down blessings throughout the year and things I am thankful for.  She said we could then reopen it the following year, and revel in the wonderful experiences of the past year.

I still have the jar, and I review the notes occasionally.  Sometimes when I’m feeling blessed and happy, and sometimes when I need a lift.

In my happiness and afterglow of the blessings of this past weekend, I decided to revisit the jar and read some of the blessings from 2013.  It doesn’t need to be New Year’s or Christmas or a Birthday or Thanksgiving to be thankful.

Let me share just a small sampling of some of the little notes I scribbled throughout the year.  Some of them are BIG – like my oldest son, Jake’s wedding, my youngest son, Nick, getting a new job….    Some are very small – like planting tomatoes or a phone call from a friend.  But ALL of them bring a smile to my face and heart, bring me joy, and make me realize how fortunate, thankful, and blessed I am.

———-

January 1, 2013:  “Celebrated the first moments of 2013 with some of the people I am closest to – Marty, Jill, and Todd. This was our FIRST year when all the kids did their own thing – be we savored the moments, the friendship, the blessings, AND we texted with the kids!”

**********

January 7, 2013:  “Received a beautiful card from Joyce and Rob thanking and celebrating our recent reunion.  A reminder to consider perception becomes reality until clarified, and can result in boundless blessings.”

**********

May 4, 2013:  “Jake ran and finished the Pittsburgh Marathon!  26.2 miles in 4 hours, 53 minutes.  Such a amazing accomplishment!  So proud!  Jill and Todd were there with us to cheer him on!”

**********

May 8, 2013:  “Pam called today.  Had such a nice talk.  Good friends are such a blessing.”

*****

May 13, 2013:  “Nick got a new job.  Starts 6/10/13.  So proud and so happy for him.  I know he will be a great SUCCESS!”

*********

May 25, 2013:  Planted tomatoes.  Can’t wait to watch them grow and enjoy the bounty!”

**********

May 28, 2013:  Girl’s Day Out with Janet – manicures and pedicures and bridal shower shopping!

**********

June 1, 2013:  Today was Colleen’s Bridal Shower!  It was a great day to celebrate a very special young lady we love!”

**********
June 1, 2013:  Jake brought flowers to the shower for Colleen, Teri, and me.  So proud of him and love him dearly!”

**********

June 13, 2013:  “Marty got a ride in the autonomous car!”

**********

July 12, 2013:  “So thankful for best friends ever helping with Jake and Colleen’s Wedding Rehearsal Dinner – Janet, Jill, Dawn, Tracy, even Todd and ” Baby” Jake – LOVE them all!”

**********

July 13, 2013:  “WEDDING DAY for Jake and Colleen!  AMAZINGLY WONDERFUL DAY!”

**********

August 15, 2013:  “Matt and Judy came to visit and stay for the weekend.  GREAT time catching up and reminiscing.  Love them!”

**********

September 1, 2013:  “First invitation to dinner at Jake and Colleen’s.  So good to be with them in their new home.”

**********

September 17, 2013:  “Card-making class with Colleen.”

**********

October 12, 2013:  Wonderful GFC Weekend with Pam, Jill, Janet and Joan!”

**********

November 16, 2013:  “Marty’s 55th Birthday!  Fun time with family and Hendy’s – lots of love!”

**********

November 22, 2013:  “Jackie and Matt ENGAGED!  YAY!!!”

**********

November 28, 2013:  “WONDERFUL Thanksgiving – Johnny came to visit – SURPRISE! with Nancy – and it was GREAT to hug him!  Then a lovely dinner with Dad and Carole.”

**********

November 29, 2013:  “So Thankful for my Marty.  His heart and mind are my ROCK!”

**********

December 22, 2013:  “Christmas with the Hendy’s at Jake and Colleen’s House!”

**********

December 31, 2013:  “My birthday lunch with my Dad.”

**********

You see – there are so many things to be thankful for!  BIG and small!

Wouldn’t a Blessings Jar or a Thankful Jar be a great wedding or birthday gift to give a friend or loved one?  Hardly any money, but it will create a lifetime of memories.

Appreciate the moments at Life in Between…

Cheers & Hugs,

Jodi