Mama's Texas Sheet Cake

I am busy feathering my nest for the 4th! I am also cooking and baking before a day at the lake with good friends tomorrow! It would not be a holiday around my house without my Mama's Texas Sheet Cake. She usually made two a chocolate and Vanilla! This is the one that I made for a Memorial Day party... I'll do something silmiliar with the littles help today! Love this Holiday!

Party Favors

The party favors were canvas bags...I painted each girl's initial on the bag...I also made a felt flower for each bag that I glued on...each bag was filled with an art journal and colored pencils! I hope each of the little girl's will spend time this summer "doodling" and exploring their creative side! The totes can be used for other things too, anything they want...which makes me happy!

The girls also brought home their painted canvas, their spin art creation and some treats from the sweet table...!

More pictures....

More Party Pics....

Charlotte's Party Pics

Playing around with blog layouts...I did not get all my pics uploaded so here are a few more to see...

Highlights included...painting canvases, Spin Art, Self Portraits, "Starving Artists" boxed lunches served with "Creative Juice"...the beautiful cake (not made by me btw :)) and fun with all her friends!

Art Party for our "masterpiece"...Charlotte!

Our sweet little girl turned 7! on Friday!  We celebrated with an Art Party from 11-1...the weather was great (hot!) and all the little girls had a good time.  Charlotte adores art - of any kind, I love that she is creative and "crafty" and uses her imagination constantly!  She gets alot of joy from painting and so this "theme" was an easy one...she and I had a great time planning it toget

her - for seven years old she has alot of creative ideas and a "vision"...I love it!  :)  The apple does not fall far from the tree, I guess!  Here a few of my favorite pics from the party...

Just saying "hi"

I never mean to be gone so long...and with Blogger's new format I have had all kinds of problems with posting and adding pictures.  Pair that together with "where to start" and "so much time has passed" and "who really reads this anyway"??! and well, then, here I am!...  I must admit too that blogging has lost some of its appeal to me....sometimes it is just another thing I feel I "should" be doing and when I am not then it is something else I feel guilty about...especially since it has always been an online journal/scrapbookok for our family.  I am really enjoying physically scrapbooking again ( I use that term lightly too :))...getting lost in the creative process, looking through pictures and making pages for albums, sorting their art and making books of it all...I TREASURE their treasures and the time I can spend being present doing it!  My computer time (every night) is my quiet/downtime for myself (no TV besides The Bachelorette ;)...especially when Bryan is gone, I so look forward to reading other blogs, and I have become a HUGE Pinterest fan...wow - what an awesome idea that was!  I love to work on the house (and plans and dreams of working on the house) and to plan a party so Pinterest is currently feeding that passion for sure.  But I did want to say 'Hi" and let the few of you who read and ask that we are all fine here in the Jones House - no need to worry...:)  I am gearing up for Summer which starts in a few days here so I imagine my computer time will be even less but that's OK...I am looking forward to the lazy days, the pool and sun, S'mores and picnics, park play dates and lots of arts and crafts of course! Hope you are well and are finding time to feed your soul!  Thanks for caring enough to read - xo!

May Day

Happy May Day!

I love this day...I have happy memories as a little girl making May Day baskets with my Mom to hang on neighbors doors...!  We always filled ours with live flowers because that's what my Mom loved but now, I have seen so many cute versions...filled with candies, paper flowers, a plant, etc...I think it is such a sweet, thoughtful, unexpected thing to do for your friends, neighbors or even teachers!  Charlotte was excited to make/fill some baskets...later today we will deliver them - (anonymously! of course)....hanging them on the doors of our special friends!  I love doing things with my kids that my Mom did with me and I hope too that I am then installing not only a tradition or memory but goodwill,  love and thoughtfulness!