The Fancy Party!

As guests were arriving, everyone decorated their glasses and made them fancy.

After their glasses were fancy, I read them some "Fancy Nancy" books.

Then they colored and decorated a "Fancy Nancy" picture.

My fancy helpers; Taylee, Rylee & Blayke.

They helped with fingernail painting, party music, and serving food. It was nice to have a few extra fancy hands to keep the party going.

Emylie demonstrates how to eat a sandwich the fancy way (with the pinky finger up, of course).

Yum!

Cat's version of fancy eating.

Fancy friends; Emylie, Andi, Abree, Cat, Audrey & Allie.

Next we painted fingernails, a must at a fancy party.

So fancy and pretty.

Abree was showered with many fancy gifts; Littlest Petshop, art supplies, lip gloss and tiny dolls.

Instead of candles, we had a fancy "5" sparkler. The girls weren't too sure about lighting a sparkler inside. They went through a range of emotions in the few seconds it took to sparkle all the way through; fear, amusement, happy and finally pure excitement. They were jumping up and down, whooping and yelling. Audrey didn't like the noise and weird candle at all. She finally shouted, "Hurry, blow it out!!!" And then it was over.

A fancy pretend tea party broke out, as the girls waited for their parents.

So cute, so fancy.

Happy Birthday fancy Abree!

Are you about fancied out? I think I may be.

Decor & Food

Here's all the "fancy" stuff we did to get ready for Abree's Fancy Nancy party...

Fancy flowers

These were so cute and so fun to decorate with. They are made by accordion folding tissue paper, securing with a wire and then a lot of careful fluffing.

The fancy table settings
The fancy front door
"Bonjour", because Fancy Nancy loves French (everything sounds fancy in French).

Fancy necklaces, boas, bracelets and hats strung about.

The fancy books that inspired the whole theme.

The fancy hat cake

(I'm not super proud of my cake, but with all the other fancy stuff around it, it looks ok.)

The fancy accessories that each guest was given to wear.

The fancy favor bag

"Merci!"

An eraser cell phone, candy ring, a princess Lip Smackers, stickers, necklace, candy bracelet (not shown) and bubble ring.

Abree's "Fancy Nancy" party dress and tiara. (Just like the one she wore in the book.) :)

Non-fancy glasses that the girls made fancy by decorating with sparkly stickers.

A Fancy Nancy picture the girls colored and decorated.

The fancy food

Finger sandwiches (with Fancy toothpicks), grapes, strawberry parfaits and pink lemonade.

We're ready.

Let's Par-tay!!!

Invite

If you invite them. . .
they will come!
(Especially if you're serving lunch and everyone comes in their fanciest attire. That's a fancy word for clothing.)
Abree and I decided to do a "Fancy Nancy" party for her 5th birthday. She helped me get the invitations ready and delivered them to her friends.

"Fancy Nancy" by Jane O'Connor, is a really fun book series. Nancy believes that more is ALWAYS better. She loves dressing up and being fancy. Her family is quite plain, she tries her best to teach them to be fancy and LOVES using fancy words like; fuchsia, plume, stupendous, accessories, chauffeur, parfait or anything French... because everything sounds fancy in French.

If you have a girly-girl in your life, and you haven't read these books, you best be checking these out from your local library. They are so much fun!

Family Motto

Before
During
After

This is above my front door.
It says, "SMULLINS--Stand Up".


At the beginning of the year, we had a Family Home Evening, where we set family goals and decided on a family motto. Our good friends had created a family motto a few years ago and the idea had stuck with me.


We talked about what it meant to "stand up". We discussed standing in good places, standing up for what we believed in, as well as standing up for our family members. I assured my kids that their siblings and family members would be their best friends in the future. I don't know how much sunk in or was learned. We'll probably need to expand and continue the discussion. It may need to become a weekly or monthly discussion.


I want my kids to stand for what is right, be good examples (even when it's not cool) and stand up for one another. I pray that having a family motto, and seeing it daily, will enforce and encourage this.

Sweet Siblings

The other day I walked in on this...

siblings being sweet of their own free will and choice.

I KNEW it was a Kodak Moment for sure.

They really DO like each other.

Why do they feel the need to prove otherwise most days?

Homecoming

After the run, when I walked in, I found a cleaned house and this...

A banner on the mantel, "Great Job Mommy!"
A drawing of the 5K course.

Gifts from my kids.

A fully decorated bedroom...

Ceiling fan streamers, balloons on the floor and sparkly garland on lamps and nightstands.

They had even baked cookies and put them in a cute jar.

The "Be a Wiener" dog was from Jason.

Do I have a great family, or what?!

What a sweet surprise.
Thanks kiddos!
I love you too !!!