Life Events and Baby Shower Decor

I have been away for far too long. I feel it's time to elaborate what has taken me away from my beloved crafting.

This past Spring, shortly after we returned from our first family vacation in 7 years, my husband's place of employment announced it would be closing its doors. He had worked for this company for 18 years. It was a very hard time for us emotionally. We were trying to make adjustments to every day life, and figuring out where we could cut to make ends meet, and still provide for our family. 

You know that saying "When God closes a door, He opens a window"? Well, that is exactly what happened. Suddenly, we were starting up our own business. Believe me when I say we never expected this. And as such, I have found myself juggling 2 full-time jobs among other things. 

On to other news: My brother and his wife are expecting their second baby this winter. A couple of weeks ago, my mom and I threw a baby shower for them. We went with an owl theme, and thanks to Pinterest (love Pinterest!!!), I found inspiration for some of the decorations. Below, you can see some photos from the special day.

I bought the owl download from Cricut (I think it's from Create A Critter cartridge). We found these adorable milk glasses at Hobby Lobby, along with the faux flowers and curly wooden accents. I used all Close To My Heart products on the owls, including our limited color of the year "Sea Glass". I wish I'd bought more of that pretty thistle ribbon before it retired. It was such a cute addition to these uber adorable owls. 

The banner will serve a dual purpose. It was created as a decoration for the baby shower, but instead of putting some random word on it like "Baby" or "Welcome", I included the baby's name so my sister-in-law can hang it in the baby's room. As you can see, we are very excited to meet the newest member of our family. She is loved by so many already.

Since it's been a while since I blogged or crafted, it's also been a while since I participated in a challenge. H2H has a challenge this week called "Anything But A Card". I think this fits the ticket, so to speak.

Thanks for being so patient. You have no idea (or maybe you do) how much I miss crafting. I am dreaming about it in my sleep. LOL

I wish you all a very Happy Thanksgiving!

P.S. While I did not make the cake, I was inspired by Pinterest to have a talented cake artist create it. I did make the cookies (oatmeal raisin and molasses). Drop me a line if you would like the recipe.

Happy crafting!
Casandra