Spa-tacular 9th Birthday !

Lily Grace celebrated her 9th birthday on Saturday with a spa party. 
We started Saturday morning just as we do each birthday with breakfast in bed and gifts from mama and daddy.  This year, she requested strawberry crepes with syrup and whip cream on top with a side of bacon.  Oh bacon!!  
She received Grace, the American Girl of the year who she was so hoping for, along with the matching pj's for her and Grace.  
The afternoon brought with it some excited girls and a 6 hour party.  We had the best time.  It had to be one of the cutest and most fun parties we've had.  According to LG, it was the best to date.  
This year she invited only her very best friends.  These girls were nonstop party goers for 6 hours. When they weren't eating or being pampered, they were running up and down stairs, playing, giggling, dancing and just having an all around good time.  
At Gracie's request we had tacos for dinner. This year, she made it known that doing a cake was old news and she wanted to do a cupcake tower.  The cupcakes were as cute as could be and really yummy.  
The night ended around 11:30. I tucked her in and kissed her goodnight and she was then and will always be, my baby- regardless of what her age is. 
Thanks to everyone who called, text and sent gifts.  You made her day extra special.   
We love you Lily Grace.  Daddy and I so enjoy celebrating the blessing of you.  And remember, you are never too old for mama to throw you a good party.  We love you!

Molly was quite interested as well.

One excited girl

Let me just say that Molly enjoyed the day just as much as LG did.  You will see her pop up a lot throughout the pics.  We all got the biggest laugh at her attempts to make herself a part of things.  Lily Grace adores this dog and was adamant that Molly be a part of everything.  No arguments from Molly...

This year we made a nail polish banner.

Each girl got a monogrammed robe, sparkle flip flops and 
flower headband to relax in. 

With three Lily's at the party, Gracie wanted to go by LG. 

LG choose this flower to welcome guest to her spa.

The flip-flops, cucumber and nail polish fondant toppers were adorable!

Four girls ready for some fun and looking very cute I might add

Notice the fifth girl in the picture?  I told you, she made herself a part of things throughout.  

The girls made their own pink lip gloss.  

Once they mixed up their lip gloss, they put it into a heart shaped  lip pot.  They also got a pink rhinestone mirror to see how to put their gloss on and a little pouch to hold it all. 

Soaking for pedicures

How cute are they ?!  

The birthday girl went with pink and purple toes with rhinestones.  

Once again....

This had to be one of the cutest parts of the party.  I have never heard so many giggles.  The girls gave themselves chocolate facials.  Lily Grace and I mixed plain yogurt, honey and cocoa powder to make chocolate masks.  

Once they applied their masks, it was off to relax and let the magic happen all while de-puffing with cucumber slices.

Funny pants wiped off all but a mustache from her mask and the girls thought is was hilarious as she wore it through getting manicures.  

Soaking for manicures and while Molly didn't get a manicure, she managed to get involved yet again.

Dazzling nails

Opening gifts- the girls were so sweet and thoughtful

It's official!!!!

A sweet ending

Happy 9th Birthday Gracie Cakes!

Happy Easter

I love Easter!  We begin with mass on Holy Thursday, do much reflecting at the Good Friday service and enjoy a three hour Easter vigil on Saturday evening.
Our family has spent Easter sharing in special time together.  We've spent time discussing how very much Christ loves us.  We have spent time praying together and discussing our faith.  
We are loved and forgiven even when we least deserve it.  We are so very blessed.  Thanks be to God!  

Happy Easter! 

Christ our Lord has risen today!  Alleluia!! 

Easter Vigil

Each year Lily Grace's Aunt Vel sends her jelly beans.  When Aunt Vel found out that Matt was sneaking into them, she started sending him a bag as well.  Last year both Matt and Lily Grace wrote their names on their bags with a Sharpie to keep the other out.  Well, neither of them would share with me and I only like one color.  So this year, Aunt Vel sent all three of us a a bag and put our names on them.  HA!  After the Easter Vigil on Saturday night (about 11:15 pm) we came home and sat around the island, had a snack and bargained and traded jelly beans to get the ones we like.  HA! HA!  Sweet memories made!  Thanks Aunt Vel!

Grace made a basket for Molly and they both woke to goodies

Spring Break

This past week, Lily Grace was out for Spring Break.  The week started out quite cool but later in the week, we actually saw a couple of nice days.
Matt took a day off and we all went bowling.  Gracie brought along her friend Emma who spent the day with us.  Between bowling and fun back at our house, those two girls played the day away.
She also had her friend Lily over for a play date.  Molly couldn't have been more excited.  She loves when LG has friends over.
We also enjoyed some baking, shopping and just hanging out.  
As always Grace, nothing beats having you at home and spending time with you.  

LG took Spring break to heart.  Indiana weather often has no idea that it's Spring.  On the first day of her break, LG and I set out to do some fun shopping.  She was dead set on wearing this spring outfit made up of leggings and a short sleeve shirt.  I tried to warn her but sometimes you just have to see for yourself.  After about three stops we get out at Michael's Craft store and I see her bundled up.  What an outfit she ended up with.  We got the biggest laugh and had to get a pic too.  

Out with the Old (mostly) and in with the New: A Big Girl Room

Gracie Cakes came to me a couple of months ago and said that she liked her room but with turning 9, she would really like to change it to more of her big girl (dream) room. Honestly, very little about her room has changed since she first started sleeping in a big girl bed and many existing things were a part of her nursery.  So, I got it.   Some catalogs came and I told her to sit down and give me some ideas about what it is she was wanting.  Matt was out of town on business during this time so I told her that I understood, but she would need to talk this over with her daddy.  She asked if I would print out some things for her to share with Matt.  I did and when Matt returned home she asked him about a good time to meet and talk with him.  She invited me to the meeting as her "back up."  HA!   She proceeded to give her daddy a presentation on why she needed a new big girl room and exactly what her vision was for this new room.  It was too cute and funny!
Matt also let her know that he understood and discussed budget with her.  Let me just say, she was all smiles at the end of their "meeting."  
First on her list was saying goodbye to the pink walls.  She knew she wanted a blue turquoise type color.  While Matt was away on another trip, she and I tried out a few samples.  (We tried out about 13 samples to be exact and we tried them out on 5 different walls including two in the bathroom.  Matt was beside himself when he came home and realized he had to sand this off five walls.  Oh mercy!  Light bulb moment, might have been better to put it on poster board.  However, I felt the need to see it ON the wall so..... We just stayed very clear and quiet until the walls were sanded. )  After she decided on Benjamin Moore's Jamaican Aqua, we got busy painting.  Matt and I actually love the color.  (We were really skeptical and the pics don't really do the deepness and brightness of the  color justice.) 
It has taken us several weeks to finish her room, but I must say, it is really adorable and should grow with her a while.  Gracie, well, she is as happy as can be and so very proud.  According to her, it meets all her expectations.  She swears it makes her sleep better. HA!
Enjoy sweet Gracie!  And just remember, you are never too big to snuggle.  

The contenders- see the sample patches on the wall

Our first day of work and our first order of business was hanging her new chandelier

One last pic of the old (and yes, Girl Scout Tin Mints made that whole ordeal much more enjoyable!)

This Tiffany Blue jewelry box she received for her first communion was her inspiration for the color

Why not drag a few things out while everything is piled high and strewn about?

Ta- da!

Another big item on her wish list was a new vanity.  When it arrived, she couldn't wait to see it put together.  I love how she and Molly helped out. Her new bean bag also arrived so you can see how far the help extended.  HA!

Painting day and yes, this child has changed outfits about three or four times.  Please Grace add some dirty clothes to the dirty mess everywhere.  I love how she thought a diamond bracelet was the perfect painting accessory.  

She even added some paint to the walls.
(in a new outfit- of course!)

The end of the day and a painting job.

At the end of painting, she couldn't wait to get that vanity set up in her room.  While things are still in complete disarray, she sits down to play makeup. Gotta love a girl with priorities.  

Just a reminder of where we started

This cute print was framed for her new room.

Bathroom all finished, right down to the ruffle shower curtain

She really wanted this monogram over her bed.  Matt and I thought it might be a bit much and a more simple design might work better.  Silly us..simple and Gracie just don't mix and when it's all said and done, she was right!  It is too cute!

She likes to read in that large bean bag before going to bed each night.  

Notice that painting hanging over her dresser?  It's the one thing that Grace said she couldn't give up.  I couldn't have been happier.  It means so much to all of us.  It has always hung in Gracie's room, even before she came home.  

This was our DIY in the room.  Lily Grace and I just finished this project over spring break.  It's a 24x36 magnet board.  We covered sheet metal with fabric and framed it.  It's so bright and pretty.

She picked out all the bedding too.

A new Big Girl room- all finished

Sweet Dreams Gracie!  I had so much fun working on your dream room with you!