Star Wars Party Favors

Found these adorable party favor printables at Sandy Toes and Popsicles. Actually, it's a Father's Day kit, but we changed it to party favors.  I didn't put together all the printables, check out the link if you want to see the rest.  These were a breeze to make: just a trip to the grocery store, some printing, cutting, and taping.  My boys enjoyed helping putting them together as well.

The Vaderade was my favorite.

 

We used Pringle chips for the R2D2, Rolos for Hans, individually wrapped cookies for Chewie, red Gatorade for Darth Vader, Trident for the Boba gum, a jar of trail mix for Jar Jar Binks, and a can of Sprite for Yoda.

Not pictured:  We made the pretzel Lightsabers too.  Just dip large pretzel rods in tinted chocolate, leaving a bit of pretzel uncovered for the hilt.

Book Review: The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern

The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


The night circus shows up in various towns without warning and leaves just as quickly.  The tents and performers are stunning in their black and white themed show, leaving patrons all over the world wondering where the circus will spring up next.  Inside the circus are a cast of characters and managers who are all part of a bigger picture: a game set up by two masters of magic.  Each has a protegee that he must guide to defeat the other.  The only problem is the two protegees are falling in love with each other...

I loved this book!  The imagery, the characters, the storyline, all seemed very original and vibrant as you read along.  I've never really read anything like it and will probably reread this book again someday.  Highly recommend this to anyone who enjoys a good fantasy and/or Victorian novel.  A warning though: the book skips around a lot and can be confusing if you don't pay attention to the dates at the beginning of each chapter.



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Book Review: Clockwork Princess by Cassandra Clare

Clockwork Princess by Cassandra Clare

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


The saga continues in Victorian England.  Tessa, Jem, and Will, along with the rest of the Shadowhunters at the London Institute are preparing for the wedding, but keeping a close eye out for Mortiman, who seems to be biding his time.  They know he wants Tessa for his own evil scheme, but to what end?  There is the problem of the Gideon brothers and where their loyalty lies as well.  Will's sister is insisting on training, much to Will's disapproval.  Charlotte may be set down at the head of the Institute, if the Clave has anything to say about it.  The exciting conclusion to the Infernal Devices trilogy.

I really enjoyed this book.  Things wrapped up nicely and I have always liked these characters and time period.  I like this series more than the Mortal Instruments because it isn't as gory, since the demons they are fighting are almost all robotic.  Less blood and guts, more gears and oil.  Glad I stuck this one out, I could see myself reading these again someday.



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Simple Star Wars Cake

We kept the cake simple this year.

Two 8 inch rounds, frosted with cream cheese buttercream and spray painted gold with food coloring spray paint.  Topped with silver star sprinkles, a couple of light sabers made with gel frosting, and a birthday sign.  The birthday boy loved it and it was so easy to make.  Win win!

Pink Elephants on Canvas

Found a cute elephant print here and was inspired to make my own version using some pink scrapbook paper.  I used Paper Modge Podge to glue it down.  Don't use standard Modge Podge with regular weight copy or scrapbook paper, it will bubble and not lay smooth. 

 

There were a couple of small spots that still bubbled, but they were almost unnoticeable, so we called it good.

I've been helping my friend pull together this nursery for her little girl for a while now.  As soon as the final touches are complete, I'll take some pictures of the whole room in all of it's pink elephant glory.

Book Review: The Eyre Affair by Jasper Fforde

The Eyre Affair by Jasper Fforde

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


This book is one in a million and I am looking forward to reading more in this series.  The best way I can describe it is a cross between Monty Python, Doctor Who, Harry Potter, and classic literature.  Someone has stolen the original manuscript of "Jane Eyre" and is starting to change the beloved story.  If a change is made in the original, than all other books are affected accordingly.  It's up to the Literary Detection team to stop this heinous crime.  This book is all over the place and you have to stay on your toes to figure out where (and when) Detective Thursday Next is going....well, next.  My favorite character in this first book is Thursday's father.  I think he is hilarious and hope he plays a more prominent role in the series. 



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The Fort

Nothing like cleaning out the garage and using all of the extra boxes.  The boys have had a great time playing in here over the last few days.