Happy Birthday to Hope

Here are some pictures from Hope's birthday party last weekend. The pictures are all sorts of messed up time-line wise, but blogger makes it so hard now to move your pictures around. It didn't used to be that way. So, here is the party story, a little messed up but still here. The pumpkin balloon game in the back. Each balloon was filled with something. **Note to self-kids like candy better than glitter!**

Kids coloring the masks. I bought these little wooden masks at Michael's that the kids colored with markers. They were very successful. They kept the kids busy for like 20+ minutes. And in the world of 4 years olds, that's an eternity. The kids also painted little pumpkins.

I'm not sure why the witch on the right was crying...she must have thought her nose was too big...or too green.

These witches were the hardest ones to make, too the longest too. I couldn't get my food marker to work, so most didn't have any smiles/frowns at all. Stupid food marker.

Cake pops! I think I have figured them out now. Hannah was my helper on this project. She helped me one entire afternoon. We made 75 cake pops that day.

The one picture of me that was taken. NEVER any pictures of me, do you have the same issue?I'm usually the one taking the pictures.

Little mummy wraps and grilled cheese pumpkin shaped sandwiches for the main course. Very kid friendly.

I bought soda for the party, it matched my color scheme.

First cut into the fondant cake. I made marshmallow fondant, so it was a little smooshier than the store bought kind, but it tasted much better.

She was so excited to get this present "my own computer!!".

From Auntie Hayley.

All smiles.

My very first attempt at decorating a cake. I have made plain cakes plenty of times, but my first time trying to decorate. The fondant really wasn't very hard. I really didn't have any idea what I was doing, I just made it up as I went along. But overall I was happy. Learned a lot that's for sure!

I found these two spiders the morning of the party. I was sweeping up, I knew the spider on the left was there (I think it's the same one that was on my outside chair from before, he just moved). I was going to have Scott move him, but I was sweeping all around him, I came out like 2 minutes later...to find the tarantula on the left crawling around right where I had been!!! I must have stirred it up, but I'm just so glad it didn't crawl on me, I would have messed my pants for sure. Kids liked seeing them, and Hunter released them back into the wild the next day.

Little Alice in Wonderland. She had a great day!!

poor carebear

Poor Carebear. Rocky chewed this a month or two ago. Funny thing is Hope still loves it. I'm thinking about sewing that eye closed along with the nose. But not so sure. It makes me laugh when I see it. Although, he is loosing his stuffing at a quick rate :)

I bought myself this new baking cookbook. Holy cow. So, I started by making puff pastry. One of the cooking blogs had this puff pastry and peanut butter and chocolate treat. Made them, very tasty. But then I made these little treats. BEST cookie ever! I thought it was so pretty too. They are those palmier cookies, or butterfly wings. They are puff pastry with sugar. DELICIOUS. I made homemade cream cheese filled Danishes out of the same cookbook. I thought I had died and gone to heaven a little bit. I have been baking and delivering to people. The bishop drove Hunter to seminary a few times over the last couple of weeks... and I delivered pastries to him. I must pass out to others or else I would get really big. These things are so good, I have very little control. But so fun to make.

Hope's 4th birthday is coming up on the 19th. We are doing a Halloween themed party this year. Halloween parties are fun to plan and put together. I have been all sorts of crafty. Martha Stewart and I are BBF. I made her invitations, and actually had fun doing it. That Martha has some good glitter. I'm planning on making 3 different cakepops for the celebration. Do you have this book? I'm planning on making the witches, ghosts, and pumpkins. Last night I didn't sleep very well, because I was mentally planning. I had some good ideas last night and can't remember them all this morning. I swear I should put a journal by the side of my bed for times like that. I'd feel better to write it out, plus I'd remember all my good ideas in the morning. Win win.