Ice Cream Party

We hosted an ice cream party over the weekend. Friends of ours are moving to Israel. This was a farewell for their family.

I'm working on a tutorial for the pennant banner / bunting that I used for the table decoration. In the meantime, I thought you'd get a kick out of the kiddos.

This is my favorite photo from the festivities - a TOPPING CONE.  There's not a bit of ice cream in it.  It's whipped cream, chocolate chips, peanuts, and rainbow sprinkles, topped with - what else? - a cherry.

The kids kept reaching into the topping bowls to grab pinches of sugary goodness.  I finally gave two girls their own napkins loaded up with toppings so these sweethearts could pinch sugar and lick their fingers to their hearts' content without contaminating the rest of us.

Lest you think my children behaved any differently, this was Lincoln's bowl.  I think there's ice cream in there somewhere...maybe.

Here's the aftermath of the topping bar, complete with a grown adult reaching in to steal a cherry. I guess we're still kids at heart.

Made for Charlotte: Afghans

This is another beauty from my mom. I think she all but slept with her crochet hook attached to her before Charlotte was born. Things haven't changed, either. My mom's been making oodles of baby booties and hair bows - originally for Charlotte - but now that word's gotten out, people are requesting baby shoes galore. But I digress...

My mom crocheted this afghan to match the lavender of Charlotte's nursery. Also, see the detail in the butterfly pattern?  Love it.

This was the afghan Charlotte wore in my favorite photo of her as a newborn.  My sweet baby.  My mom also made the head band.

This white afghan was knit by my husband's aunt.  It's so soft it makes me want to snuggle up in it - if only I fit.

This is a dressy afghan, if that even makes sense. Maybe because it's white? White is such a timelessly classy color. Plus white + baby doesn't work for everyday use. This is the afghan we wrap Charlotte in at church. And yes, I was a nervous wreck bringing it outside for fear the wind would blow it into the grass and leave it with a permanent green stain. Fortunately the photo shoot was uneventful...

except for this little guy walking in front of the camera.  This is Chester, the wonder pug.  He was our first "baby" and still gets pampered more than most dogs should.

Made for Charlotte: Knit Cardigan + Booties

Wow. Just WOW. Isn't this one of the most beautiful cardigans you've ever seen?  It's feather light and oh-so soft - the perfect gift for a Heaven-fresh newborn.

When I tell myself I want to learn to knit, making something like this isn't even on the radar.  Ever.  Look at the detail.  Look how perfectly even each row is.  I'm blown away.

A sweet grandma at my church made this for Charlotte.  I think I'll see if this grandma will let me adopt her.  You can adopt neighborly grandparents, right?

The back of the cardigan is just as beautiful as the front.  I can't wait until Charlotte grows enough to fit into this.

The same sweet grandmother also knit a pair of baby booties for Charlotte.

If you look at the ankle, you can see the ruffle trim just under the strap (Mary Janes!) and sweet pearl buttons.

Also, not to detract from the cardigan, but can you tell I'm starting to learn how to use my new camera?  I've been reading about photography (a little) and playing with various settings.  I like how blurred and buttery the backgrounds are in these photos.  It really draws attention where I want it - on the cardigan.

Made for Charlotte: Burp Cloths

I finally found the secret to perfect burp cloths.  More correctly, the secret landed in my hands thanks to my friend Lisa, who whipped up these little gems.

With my previous babies, I packed my diaper bag with two burp cloths.  One was the standard, white type that I used for nursing or when no one was looking.  The second burp cloth was the cute one I only brought out in public.  It was attractive, but not very absorbent.  These new burp cloths from my friend are fantastic: fashionable and functional.

Do you see the secret?  Chenille!  This is one of those times when I want to slap my forehead because the solution is so obvious, yet I never thought of it.  Chenille is absorbent and snugly soft so my baby can rest her head on my shoulder for hours.

Backing the chenille in the attractive fabric of your choice is easy peasy.  (Layer right sides together --> stitch --> turn --> topstitch --> add additional quilting stitches for stability if desired.)  Lisa backed all three of these burp cloths in feminine fabric designed by Amy Butler.

I have to give another nod to my friend Pam for these lovelies.  Pam made her burp cloths long and skinny, perfect for tossing over the shoulder.  Like Lisa, she used quilting fabric on one side.  But Pam backed the burp cloths with waffle weave toweling, similar to what you'd use for dish cloths.  It's absorbent, but not bulky.  And look what Pam added to the bottom of the pink burpy - pom-pom trim!  How cute is that!  The pom-poms hang on the back of my shoulder now.  But I'm sure the day will come when I'll flip them to the front so Charlotte can grab and tug the little balls of fluff.

These were the perfect homemade baby shower gifts - useful, attractive, and stitched with love.