Yardwork & Baby Shower

We were pretty busy working on a few projects. The first one was just outside our front door. We had an ugly area that had 2 plants and numerous weeds, but mostly dirt. The problem was that whenever it rained or snow melted from the roof, it would drip in the dirt and splatter our front window and door with mud, so our house always looked dirty. Now we (hopefully) have solved the problem. What was this grand, and not-as-cheap-as-I-wanted solution? See for yourself:

Ugly pugly,

but with good structure.

Small bag of weeds I pulled.

Tools used:

bricks.

Making sure it's level.

It sure is great to know that I married such a handy man!

Completed, but needing another plant.

That will come later (if at all)...

Close-up of the 'patio'; we love it!!

The next thing on the agenda was a baby shower for James' sister. They didn't know if it was going to be a boy or girl, so we waited until after she was born to have a party. The theme was "A Star is Born." After I made the prototype invite, it wasn't my favorite. I really wanted to continue the theme, but it was kind of bugging me because it didn't have the right feel to it. James suggested putting on the sunglasses, which totally made the invite, since that's the type of star I wanted. (Otherwise, it felt a little sacrilegious, since that's the name of a Nativity movie).

You're invited!

The star of the show, Katherine.

We put an 11x14 blow up of this on the wall.

Star diaper cake as table decor.

And a chocolate cake with chocolate frosting,

all decked out for the star.

Here's the spread (right to left, since that is how they went):

green salad & the best ranch dressing ever

rolls for small meat and cheese sandwiches

cheese

meat and olives

yellow m&m's in star dishes

mini cupcake star pops, sans the stick (basically look like brownie bites)

star cake

It was a great party. We had a lot of fun, and Katie was passed around and around. Next time I try the cupcake pops, I will try the actual cupcake shape like in the demo. I can't believe I didn't get a picture of my finished project! Oh, well. I guess I will just have to make them again. They were a big hit, though, if you're looking for something delicious and simply adorable. Find directions here.