This past weekend we had a belated birthday party for Kelly. Yes, her birthday was back in August-but with school starting it just seemed like a crazy time to have a birthday party. However, I realized that there really isn't ever a great time to plan and carry out a party. Sometimes you just have to make it a priority and plan it and know that it will all work out. Anyway, she invited some friends from school and we tie-dyed t-shirts and made these "ugly" dolls. It turned out to be a lot of fun and one girl commented, "This is the best birthday party!" which always makes you feel pretty good.
We tried this new dye where the shirt is actually dry and you spray it on, then let it air dry and then you heat set the die by putting the shirt in the dryer for 20 minutes. It was pretty cool, and the colors were very vibrant. However, you have to really think about how you plan to tie the shirt. Some of them were wrapped up too much and the spray couldn't get into all the crevices. Many of the shirts had large white areas where the die just didn't make it.
The ugly dolls that are pictured are 3 of Kelly's and then of course we made one for Kevin, Kate and Kenzie. (I was so busy with just supervising the party I didn't get one picture)! The kids had a great time making these dolls! They actually have a cut in the back, (that's how they stuffed them), and then they sewed it up by hand so it looks like a little scar. Thanks again JP for letting us borrow your sewing machine-it was a tremendous help!
Speaking of Kelly, tonight as part of our family night she sang one verse of "I am a Child of God," in french. It was something that she learned for a special performance a couple of years ago. When she announced what she was going to sing I had this flash back to when she was about 3 years old. When we would ask her what movie she wanted to watch she would immediately respond with, "The Real Grinch in French!" What this means is the Jim Carrey version of "The Grinch" and on the DVD you can have it play in different languages and for some reason that is the only way that she wanted to watch it. It was so funny! And yes, she would sit and watch the whole thing played in french. I just loved having that glimpse and memory of what she was like when she was little. She is growing up so fast and among all of the drama rehearsals, choir practices, homework, and young women's activities, it's very easy to forget what life was like when things were simpler and we could just enjoy our time together at home reading books and playing games and watching "The Real Grinch in French." We love you Kelly and are glad that we finally got to celebrate your birthday with your friends!
4 comments:
What a great mom you are. That sounds like an awesome party. Did you sew all the actual dolls or have the girls do it?
I saw this blogger do sharpie tie dye which just uses sharpies and rubbing alcohol. There ends up being a lot of white space but it still looks cool, is faster, and less messy. Here is the address:
http://www.crapivemade.com/2010/08/sharpie-tie-dye-t-shirts.html
I got teary when you related that flashback about Kelly. I have been having those with Owen lately too. Having Reid and Owen spaced out as far as they are it has given me time to forget{as in I don't really think about it} what he was like at Reid's age. I will sometimes hear Reid playing and chattering in the next room and it sparks my memory and I imagine little 2 year old Owen doing the same thing. It helps that their voices are similar but...Okay...I am crying again. :)
Those ugly dolls are awesome! Great job.
Sounds like a fun party! I want to try your tie-dying method - it sounds a lot less messier than our last attempt!
I love your ugly dolls and that is such a fun idea for a party. That's so funny about Kelly when she was little. I love it! Every so often I'll have those moments too when I remember the way someone pronounced a certain word or something cute like that. And that's so awesome she can sing in French!
Oh, and thanks for the tips for JP. I plan on heading to the store tomorrow.
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