Merry Christmas

Hello friends! Merry Christmas to one and all!!!  Today is a special day for many of us, and for Doug and I it is especially wonderful as it our first Christmas with our granddaughter.  So instead of the usual Christmas family photo or JibJab videos where I embarrass my children, I am going to share eleven months of Avaleigh!!!  The first photo (above) is Bethany and John really meeting their baby for the first time!

In the photo above Avaleigh is only one day old and already dressing like a diva and charming us with her sweetness!

At three month Avaleigh was cooing and chatting and we could listen to her ALL DAY! 

By four months Gerber missed their chance to have the cutest Gerber baby EVER!!  

At seven months Avaleigh went all 1920s flapper on us!  She loved the little chair and the pearls (that's Gramma's girl)!

For Halloween she was simply Boo-tiful.  Cutest little witch I have ever seen!!

On December first Avaliegh wore one of her Christmas PJs over and I just had to snap a few photos before she dressed for the day. 

On December second I took more photos of Avaleigh, this time in her Christmas smocked Bishop.  She is such a little darling.

A couple of weeks ago Avaleigh spent time exploring my Christmas tree and I just had to snap a few photographs, because THAT wonder on her face was too precious not to document.

I wish each of you a very Merry Christmas and Happy Holiday!  

May we all experience Christmas through the eyes of child!!

Las Vegas Wedding Party & Banner

Hey there!  I am back today to share some of the crafty details from Aaron and Crissie's marriage celebration party.  The party was held at the lake home of our sweet friends Megan and Brandon (daughter and son-in-law of my friend Peggy).  We chose an evening time frame in order to beat some of the heat, though I must say Mother Nature was especially kind to us!!  The weather was wonderful!

The first craft idea I had for the party was the seven panel banner pictured above and below.  Megan and I thought it would be fun to carry though the Las Vegas idea since that is where they married and honeymooned.

I used four cartridges to create the pennants for the banner:  Las Vegas, Pretty Pennants, Tie the Knot, and Art Deco (the last two for their fonts).

Aaron and Crissie selected the photos used on the banner - this first one from a hockey game they attended.

I used the Mr & Mrs Cut from Tie the Knot, then added the word Edwards in a similar font.

Aaron and Crissie also chose this photo for the banner - a Halloween selfie of the two of them.

To continue with the Vegas them, I printed and cut decks of cards, poker chips and rolling dice.  The cupcakes were two flavors with three frosting colors to match the Vegas colors.

Every wedding party needs wedding cakes!!

Other menu items included Caprese Skewers, meatballs, and homemade cheese spread.

We also served veggies and dip, hummus and flat bread, fresh fruits and cheeses, spanakopita, quesadillas, and ham and cheese roll ups (a big hit).

Our beverage center was outside stocked with water, sodas, wine, beer, and a signature drink I called the Vegas Strip!

Above is Bethany with our friend Alex and her dad.  Below is Ian and Bethany.  I was so happy that Ian came in from Atlanta for the party.

Oh the irony!!! We never actually took a photo of Aaron and Crissie together. Below is Crissie surrounded by several of her co-worker.  They all had a great time.

First Swimming Adventure

Hello everyone, welcome to this week's Bitten By the Bug 2 challenge.  My wonderful Design Team sister, Sharon, selected this week's Cricut Challenge cut theme.  Sharon asked us to create a project about swimming or water.   I had just downloaded the photos of Avaleigh's first swimming pool adventure at her Aunt Christy and Uncle Josh's house.  She was not sure about the pool at first, but she really got in the spirit of water play after a bit.  

I am not going to lie, I used cuts from a lot of different cartridges.  Seriously, I used cuts from nine different cartridges on this one layout.  I used Once Upon a Princess to create that adorable mermaid, Animal Kingdom to create the kissing fish, Splish Splash to create a fish, Create a Critter to create the Starfish, Animal Antics to create the Snorkeling Fish, Doodlecharms to create the Sea Horse, Paper Dolls for Everyday to create the ocean floor, Life is a Beach to create the Seaweed.

I finished the layout with tiny air bubbles, assorted pink, champagne, and brown gems on the ocean floor as well as a sand (champagne) colored ribbon under the seaweed.  

I am pleased to say that there were no big events in our lives this week.  No one eloped, no one lost or found a new job, and everyone had a nice week!  I am planning a Vegas themed reception/party for Aaron and Crissie, but I do not plan to go as over the top as I have been know to when party planning. 

Thanks for stopping by today.  I do hope that you take the time to go by Bitten By the Bug 2 and see the amazing projects my design team sisters made for this week! They are so talented!!  Also, we do hope that you will join us in the swimming/water challenge this week!