Surprise!

My sister turned forty this year so naturally we had to do something special for her. My sister in-law, brother in-law, and I had been cooking up party ideas for a few weeks when my sister insisted she was throwing her own party.... on the same night as the surprise party we had planned! We decided to let her do it, and the surprise would just be all the extra people we had invited.

She wanted a wine and cheese party and I wanted a retro theme and we ended up with a good mix of both. When I arrived at her house a few days before the party she had some of the set up done already. When I saw the napkins she had picked out I thought she must know about the surprise - because they perfectly matched my invitations! Old pictures and blue and white polka dots. A crazy coincidence - or maybe it speaks to our special sisterly connection.

Her house always looks bright, cheery, and ready for a party.

  

Dessert table complete with a chocolate sampling bar!

Everyone brought at least one bottle of wine so we had quite an assortment to taste. I put pictures of Kate in her "younger days" out on the tables.

 I made Kate a sign out of a dowel, ribbon, fabric, felt, and hot glue (but I didn't make her wear it all night :-))

I also emailed all the party guests and asked them to send me old photos and a message to Katie. I compiled them all in a Shutterfly book (pictured above).
  

Cute 40th birthday gifts (below) - "40 sucks" and "40 is sweet" from her guests.

Cheers!

Dog Bandanas

Before our annual family trip up north I whipped up some dog bandanas for my two dogs and my mom's dog so they could get in on the matching fun we all get to experience. Yes, we are a family that wears matching shirts on vacation. In case you missed last year's shirts, check it out here.

They were super easy and fun to make. They are better than your average bandana because they slip onto the collar so you don't have to tie them around the dog's neck. I always struggle with tying some of the fur into my knot.

The pictures really tell the story best:

I added a monogram with fabric paint to Ella's bandana. 

And when they get dirty, just slip them off the collar and throw them in the washing machine. Easy and cute!

I couldn't leave you without a shot of this year's vacation shirts:

Can anyone guess where this quote came from?

The Reign of the Bronco

This past weekend two rival colleges faced off in their annual showdown. This year was different than the past five or so years because it met some important criteria for tailgating success. 1. The event was in September (instead of in November when it can snow and be nasty out). 2. The event was on a Saturday instead of a random Thursday or Tuesday. and 3. The event was in Kalamazoo where my parent's live instead of in less than pleasant, Mt. Pleasant.

This tailgate was the first my whole family had attended since 2005, although I rarely miss a Central vs. Western game. My sister and brother in-law attended Central Michigan University. My mom, dad, brother, other brother, husband, and I all attended Western Michigan University. Clearly WMU has more pull in the family but for what CMU lacks in alumni representation my sister manages to make up for in enthusiasm. Check out some of the deco and drinks of the day below.

Behold the "Mustang Cup" - a recent addition to this WMU vs. CMU madness. The family with the winning team gets to hold onto the cup until next year and proudly display it in their home.

 Our tailgate started at 9:30 AM so we had to have mimosas.
Enjoyed in my sister's wedding china no less. :-)

One of my favorite pictures of the day... my  nephews in a huddle. 

I almost forgot to say... WMU wiped the floor with CMU this year. 44 - 14. Take that Chips.

Adventurous Mackinaw

One of the most exciting projects we did while in Mackinaw were personalized walking sticks for every member of the family. (see more about our awesome matching shirts here) Notice little Zachy's mini-walking stick!

T.J. headed up this project; it is something he does with guests at the park where he works. It took a bit of prep ahead of time but I think T.J. enjoyed every minute of it.

 T.J. rigged up a little clamp system and shaved down the bark on all the sticks.

We hauled them up to Mackinaw. When we got there, everyone got sanding.

                                          

 

Next, we sprayed them with Minwax spray polyurethane to protect them from the harsh elements they are sure to face as they guide us up and down mountainside paths. :-)

Then we got decorating. A few of us used our skills picked up in bracelet making seen here.

 

Todd was a little late to the game with his T-Rex hand, but finished his stick just in time for the hike. 

Todd quickly finishing 5 min before the hike.

What an absolutely beautiful week up north. Thank God for such wonderful land, weather, and family.