Happy Birthday, Sweet Alissa!

This summer we celebrated a very special birthday.  Alissa turned 5!  I can not believe how quickly she is growing up. It serves as a very serious reminder to make sure my days count because they are precious and pass by quickly.

Alissa is such a blessing to have in our lives and a constant source of joy in our home.  She loves all things girly:

changing clothes (too many times a day)

painting her nails

wearing my high heel shoes

chocolate

jewelry

and the list goes on and on.

We absolutely love you Alissa and are grateful that God has blessed us with you.  He is so good to us!

For Alissa's birthday we kept things simple and sweet. I tried my hand at a "naked" cake, it was really much easier than I thought it would be. A quick call to my mother-in-law was needed for instruction on how to get the cake out of the pan without tearing it apart, otherwise it went fairly well.

 Alissa and I made a banner for the top of her cake using leftover paper from checkbook covers I have in my shop.  Can you tell which banner she cut out? I was very tempted to remove that piece of paper from the banner.  I am so glad that I didn't! True beauty and joy were found in the process of working together to create something special for her big day...not the end result.

We enjoyed pink lemonade in pretty glass cups that were passed down to me from my grandma.  Although you are not able to see them clearly in these photos, they have a beautiful "P" etched into the glass with a sweet laurel branch around it.

These "pinterest" inspired Minnie Mouse Oreo cookies were a hit - despite my poor icing skills!

All in all we had a wonderful day with family and friends.  We are truly blessed and can't wait to see what the next year holds for our little (but getting bigger every day) girl!

Blessings,

Angie

Tin Can Vase Project

Today I'm going to walk you through a DIY project that is sure to add beauty to any wedding, shower, or party.  This is a simple project that is equally inexpensive but adds a lot of charm.

Step 1: Gather Materials

Tin Cans (any size will do, you can even mix and match sizes)

Water Based Acrylic Paint (I used Americana in Sea Glass)

Paint Brush

Ribbons, Doilies, Burlap, or any other trim you would like to use

Masking Tape

Flowers (I used Baby's Breath)

Step 2: Paint the Tin Cans

I found that it was easier to paint them if I put my hand inside the can (be sure that the tin cans have been opened with a can opener that does not leave jagged edges, you don't want to get cut).  With my hand in the can I was able to freely turn it as I painted.  

Step 3: Allow each can to dry completely.

You will want to do at least 2 coats of paint to ensure that the can is evenly covered, I did 3 coats.

Step 4: Embellish the Can

This is the fun part!  There are so many ways you can "decorate" your cans.  I used burlap, linen, doilies, and some ribbon I had from my shop.

 Step 5: Create a grid for your flowers.

This is a great way to make your flowers look full and keeps them from falling over, leaving a bare spot in the center. Just make a grid with masking tape.  Be sure to make the strip of tape long enough to stay but not so long that it runs down the side of the can. 

Fill the can with water.

Step 6: Arrange your flowers and Enjoy!