Girls' Night

For months, Izzy has been hoping and wishing and pining for a girls' night out. We recruited my mom for a quick, one-night trip out of town this weekend. There were a few requirements Izzy had for making it a "perfect weekend" and to her utter delight, we managed to fulfill them all (she's nothing if not realistic!)

She wanted to stay in a hotel on a high floor. With a pool. And hike or walk a nature trail. She wanted to see a movie and eat curly fries. She added on "shopping" after her list had been deemed complete but we managed to make that happen too.

We took a short drive to Grand Rapids with the intention of hanging out in the hotel Saturday night and spending a few hours at Frederik Meijer Gardens the second. As it turned out, she was exhausted by the second day so we ended up skipping it (boo.) My mom and me have big plans to make a day trip out of it soon though. This trip really could have been done at the Holiday Inn that's 5 minutes away with the same results but the road trip is part of the fun, no?

A few highlights:

Fulfilling her most fervent wish for curly fries and salad.

Checking out the view from the "high" floor (floor 2.)

Making herself at home. Note stuffed animals and a robe hanging from the bedpost. (Her comment when I took this photo: what are you calling that one? Hashtag perfect bed?)

Izzy and grandma strategizing (or, possibly, checking out the knitted dog pattern book Izzy brought along.)

Exploring Grand Rapids.

We're calling this "nature trail."

Hotel pool fun.

More good times with grandma.

A stop by Frankenmuth on the way home to check off the "shopping" list item that was added last minute. I live less than 30 minutes from here and have never been. It's totally charming (where I was expecting super touristy - which it also is - but manages to pull off both somehow. We'll definitely be making another trip there this summer with the boys.

And finally, the video I discovered that she made while we were driving home. 

Five years later...

In July, we went to the UP for a week with my parents. We managed to find the exact same spot I took one of my favorite photos ever. I wish I would have brought the original for reference but I think it's pretty clear the boys have grown a bit since then.

What surprised me was their willingness, their gusto, in taking the redux version. These photos and memories mean as much to them as they do to me. How cool is that?

kicking and screaming

I can't quite put my finger on it but this summer, didn't really feel like summer. It kind of slipped away from me in a way it never has before. Some of it, surely, was the fact that the weather kind of sucked. I like heat and this summer didn't provide that in a way that satisfied. What it did provide, in excess, was rain, multiple hail storms, and a lot of branches to pick up. I had a kid that decided to embrace sleeping in and that robbed us of the early morning park trips we've loved so much in the past. My eldest heading to middle school surely contributed to the malaise as well.

I usually embrace fall and the return to school and schedule but this year, fall is going to have to drag me kicking and screaming. We're a week into the school year and I'm still finding my footing. It will come...just more haltingly than in years past.

I have been having some fun doing a little scrapping recently. I've got the itch again but the time to scratch it comes in fits and starts.

Izzy celebrated a birthday.

As did Zack.

Jake did too (just two days ago, as a matter of fact) but that one hasn't been commemorated just yet.

This girl is something else.

Izzy's list

Her list to tackle upon waking up (read bottom to top...because that's how she rolls:)

first stretch then
brush my teeth
then get dressed
then get ready for school
then go to school

I really, really, reallyreallyreally

love this sun drawing that Izzy made yesterday.

That's all.

Oh, hey there!

Long time.

I wish I had a giant post about all of the handmade holiday crafts that have kept me away over the past month. But I don't. Just life, and work, and maybe a little Seasonal Affective Disorder. Yeah, it's a thing. Sometimes, I just go away for a bit. Not because anything is wrong but just because keeping up can be exhausting.

I took the most minuscule number of holiday photos ever. BUT, we had a great, relaxing holiday that I loved. This year, Santa nailed it. I mean, absolutely kicked Christmas' ass.

The poem is kinda weak (I suspect an intern elf was tasked with the job) but the stationery was fantastic and the idea, though it took a few minutes for the kids to wrap their collective brains around it, has taken hold and energized us all.

Santa filled the kids' stockings, obviously, but the only other gift was twelve wrapped boxes, each with an "open [month] 1" date. I don't know what's in them but I suspect that based on the poem, each contains some type of lead in to a family activity for the month. Maybe tickets or gift cards...movies, bowling, putt-putt, a Tigers' game, a trip to the zoo or planetarium or pottery place. Maybe even reservations for a little overnight hotel getaway. Who knows, These are all just speculative, you know, but if I were forced to guess...

In other news, I've put all of my 2014 calendar items on sale for 25% off until midnight January 1st - go stock up! Izzy has been loving her coloring calendar. In 2015, I may need to do a monthly style coloring calendar.

And I'll be sending a shop newsletter out later today with a download link for this freebie (which is also in my shop along with a 3x4" version:)

so if you haven't signed up yet, what are you waiting for?

I hope you all had a wonderful holiday! Looking forward to 2014 :)

a children's book recommendation for my children's book loving friends

I've been following the Red Nose blog for years now - I'm a huge fan of the seeing the process used to create those magical little characters and scenes. Last week though was the first time I actually picked up a book that had been illustrated via Red Nose and it was just so lovely, I had to share.

While we have accumulated a lot of children's books over the years (because books are really the one extravagance that I feel absolutely zero guilt in indulging) I'm become much more selective in what I purchase versus what we check out from the library because 1) we LOVE variety and 2) a book needs to be really, really special to return to over and over.

We have our personal family favorites like anything Shel Silverstein or Oliver Jeffers, plus a handful of series that the boys love to collect and flip through long after the first reading (the typical choices of Origami Yoda, Wimpy Kid and Captain Underpants variety) but we don't make too many impulse purchases anymore.

I read The Beginner's Guide to Running Away from Home to Izzy a few days ago and found myself studying it alone a handful of times after. I usually return books a couple of times a week to pick up a new stack, always returning the ones that have already been read but this one, I held onto through a couple of additional trips because I couldn't bear to part with it just yet.

It appears as though there are two other books, The Look Book and Here Comes the Garbage Barge, that have also been illustrated by Red Nose so, this year for sure, the entire collection will be under the Christmas tree.

One other library book that we recently checked out that Izzy enjoyed (and had fun illustrations) was Picture Day Perfection. A silly little story but enjoyable enough to read (a must for a book that will be read multiple times) with a pocket in the back for framing a school photo. I plan on getting that one for her as well - a perfect gift for a kindergartner as she's just started the whole school picture thing and it will be a fun way to collect each year in one place.

(also, you MUST, MUST, MUST check out this post on Seven Impossible Things!)

Ham Solo

This is a play on words that's probably been riffed on a thousand times but when Zack thought it up a couple of weeks ago, well, he was pretty impressed and amused by his cleverness. I know you don't "know" Zack but seeing him smile and laugh is one of my greatest joys in life because it doesn't come as naturally to him as it does to Jake and Izzy. He's more reserved with his emotions so when they're on display, I soak up every grin and giggle like the best kind of sunshine.

I knew I wanted to do something with the phrase to surprise him with so I found an iconic shot of Han Solo and a regular old pig photo and mashed them up into this silhouette. After searching the better part of the day for my MIA iron (no, I don't iron much...I'd venture to say that in the past year it's been used maybe twice. And both times for this application versus actual wrinkle remover. Which is what the dryer is for.) I was able to knock this out in under 30 minutes and that included the actual cutting. I hope he likes it.

If you have any desire at all to make one yourself, I made the file into a png that you can just print and cut. Grab it here!

things I find on my phone...

This is what she does when using my phone in the backseat while I drive...practices her morning pledge routine (I really, really love our elementary school pledge.)

(also, her "s's"...so in love.)

Pledges. from Erica Hernandez on Vimeo.

and then my barely five-year-old lost a tooth

(Did that scare you?)

A few days ago, her bottom right tooth popped free. Is this normal? It seems premature. So, I googled and found that it's not the norm but it's not unusual either. Five weeks from first wiggle to tooth fairy time. The day we discovered it, Izzy wanted to let me mom know. This is the video we texted her. It's adorable.

IMG 2096 from Erica Hernandez on Vimeo.

(This was taken after the tearful conversation where we talked her down from being scared and hyped her up with the promise of impending fairy money.)

new 2014 calendars in the shop

I'm really excited about these new kits in my etsy shop. A simple idea to be sure but I love having the option of printing BIG, inexpensive calendars for a variety of uses.

There are three 24x36" design options as well as a combo that includes all three files at a reduced price.

The classic calendar is a simple, graphic design with lines for making notes or keeping track of important dates or milestones.

The insta calendar is perfect for displaying 4x4" instagram or other square photos. I think this would be such a fun way to display monthly photos of a new baby growing or featuring a special person (birthday? anniversary?) each month. Add all of the photos at the beginning of the year or add them month-by-month.

The kid version provides patterns and 3D lettering perfect for coloring. ALL of my nieces and nephews are going to get one of these along with some crayons or markers for Christmas. Such a fun way for them to personalize their rooms!

Izzy already got her hands on that one (I kind of love that she went for coloring the spaces in between the circles rather than the circles themselves...I never would have considered that.)

I had all three of these printed at Staples for $10 total. Keep in mind that these files can be printed in any manner you choose. *I* like the option of printing them cheap and plentifully. These are printed on a plotter meant mainly for engineering drawings - line drawings - so the quality isn't super fantastic but for the price and my plans for them, it's the exact right price. For a big block of black (the classic version) there may be some ghosting but it doesn't bother me in the least. Here's a quick visual to show how I ordered from Staples (and picked them up the same day!)

from the sidebar, select Copy & Print > Banners & Signs etc...

choose Engineering Prints

select your size ($3.59!)

and again choose Engineering Prints (redundant, yes?)

upload your file

uploading...

from the Media pop out, ensure that 24 x 36 is selected

and that the proper orientation is selected 

Name your job (you can upload multiple files at the same time) and Add to Cart. That's it. Now wait a couple of hours and go pick them up.

Or, you know, just take it in on a thumb drive ;)

Now, you have no excuses for being super productive. At least, that's what I'm telling myself.

it's so obvious

Kids can say some pretty awesome stuff if you're paying attention. I try to remember some of the gems that come out of their mouths (particularly Izzy, at the moment) but this one has stuck with me for a few weeks now. I jotted down the conversation at the time and decided it needed to be fleshed out a bit more for me to finish processing it. I'm sure to her, it's long forgotten but I won't forget.

We were sitting in the front yard on one of the few glorious, sunny, perfect temperature days us Michiganders were fortunate enough to experience in July. We were both lying on our stomachs with our heads inside our pop up tunnel (the one that usually serves as a full body snake suit now that they'e bigger) for maximum privacy. Then this happened:

This is so obvious to her. Boys are icky and the girls in the neighborhood are the people she wants to spend her time with. Her only concern about the wedding is that both she and her intended get to be fancy and pretty. Someday, (and probably someday soon as she'll be entering kindergarten in 3 weeks,) she'll be told that girls can't get married. Or that it's wrong to even believe that it shouldn't be that way. And that breaks my heart. While we've never really actively discussed the idea of gay marriage with her, we have with the boys a bit with the caveat that like many things in life, not everyone thinks the same way about it and that it's OK to form your own opinion. The actual idea of same sex marriage makes them giggle (only because they've never seen how normal and beautiful it is in their own lives,) but the theoretical is something that is obvious to them as well.

Whitney believed the children are our future and I do too. Sometimes, (often,) I wonder if we wouldn't be better off turning it all over to them now. Before they get hateful and cynical and make decisions with their wallets and prejudices rather than their hearts.

I cheer every time another state is added to the small but growing list of places where equality is achieved and look forward to the day our own state makes the leap. I cheer and then a shed a tear or two watching the celebrations that result. I have a feeling that with the kids in charge, I'd be cheering a lot more and in quick succession. And that our diets would be awesomely indulgent.

I don't know about you but living in a world where a discussion about a future hypothetical trip for ice cream warrants a bigger conversation than the marriage of strangers sounds pretty darn appealing. (Don't worry vegans, I have it on good authority that there will be sorbet served in utopia as well :)

the things that come out of this girl's mouth...

Just the teensiest bit of background - (because I was taught you don't talk about money, politics or religion...a good rule of thumb in my opinion!) we don't go to church unless someone is getting married. Carlos and I have different beliefs but we have never disagreed over how we raise our children in this respect. Our kids know what our individual beliefs are and they know we respect each other's beliefs as well as of those we know. They see it demonstrated by our words and actions. Many (most) of our family are church goers and the kids have gone with their grandparents to church on occasion. My parents (dad + step-mom, mom + step-dad) always ask first if it's OK to take them and it's never been an issue with us - we want them to make their own decision about what they choose to believe.

A couple of weeks ago, Izzy spent the night with my mom and step-dad and went to church with them. A few days ago she said, verbatim:

"Mom, let me tell you the truth about God. He didn't have pants or shoes and people hated him. They hung him up and then there was a miracle. And that's the truth about God."

So if you were ever curious about what a five year old might take away from an infrequent church trip, there you have it.

five years of Izzy

And just like that, whoosh, five years flew by. Five years seems so big. I'll admit to tearing up as I pulled some photos from the archives...5 favorite moments from the past five years of Izzy birthday parties.

Can you see her confidence growing? Amazing.

KITS: tile alpha | dude | stamp press life | ready set go

I created a set of six 6x4" geometric templates for photos and blocks of color (you can see one of them above.) Use them for layouts, cards or project life. Grab them here and enjoy!

birthday party edition

Yesterday we celebrated my very-nearly-five year old girl at our house with family and friends. (It seriously seems like yesterday that I was shocked and awed by my oldest turning "one whole hand" and now my baby is?!? Can't deal.) I took only a few phone shots of the festivities (sigh, that's the norm these days) but did snap a couple of shots of the pre-party set up.

As the years go on, our parties get lower key. No one really notices and I know my stress level has dropped considerably. Not to say that I wasn't up into the wee hours of the morning finishing up favor bags but overall, much less planning and much, MUCH less during-party stress. As usual, my ambition outweighed my time/resources but as time passes, I'm learning to let go, get the necessities done and be happy with whatever details I manage to pull off.

Izzy wanted a Detroit Tigers party (that's my girl!) so orange, blue and white with a dose of Olde English (this is the only occasion that font is appropriate...tradition, people!) were a must.

As were hot dogs, lemonade, baseball cupcakes and icees.

The gift bags had monogrammed pennants that I made from the aforementioned font cut from self adhesive felt. Inside were Cracker Jack, popcorn, baseball cards and parts poppers. I really wanted Cracker Jack in a box and Big League Chew but my tour of the city and five separate stores was fruitless. If I'd have been on top of my game I could have ordered these and these from Amazon ahead of time!

Some of the Tigers even stopped by (*wink, wink) on their way to the game yesterday to autograph the tablecloth (thank you google images for providing me the tools to search out signatures to forge...it's a good cause, promise!) I printed the signatures, laid them on the table (just a roll of kraft paper cut to size,) traced them really hard so that there would be an impression left in the kraft and then traced with a sharpie. I think I did six in total.

Those nasty looking hot dogs are vegetarian. I never liked hot dogs even before we were vegetarian but the rest of my family did...they all think Smart Dogs are a reasonably acceptable replacement though I don't make them too often. I felt so naughty buying real beef hot dogs for all of our guests!

There was much paper ripping (those are my two sisters-in-law in the background. Both sporting baby bellies and matching royal blue).

And an adorable nephew who would really like you all to know that he is THIS many now (as of a few days ago.)

And Jake, in happier times, before he was knocked out by a tennis ball line drive to his eye (seriously, it knocked him on his butt. There was crying and an ice pack but he's fine now...just a tiny bruise!)

And it wouldn't be a party if Izzy weren't hamming it up.

And maybe Carlos too.

And even my sweet mom.

And finally, a little Squinkie action to wind down after everyone had gone home. A good, if bittersweet day.

I live for finding stuff like this in his backpack

(my favorite? "lactose and tolerant" ha!)