Oh, how it flies...

Has it really been 3 years since my surprise redhead was born? You don't realize how the time really does fly until it's your own child, I suppose.

She asked for a "birdy shirt" for her birthday. I thought I'd just quickly sketch out and applique a little bird, but oh, no. My little girl, she's got an opinion now! I loved that she was interested and involved in the creation of this outfit - "now, Mommy, this leaf goes here, and the birdy needs to be on a branch." A girl after my own heart, I tell you! I so enjoyed this project and am so excited that she gets it, you know?!

I also gave a go at the Twirly Skirt tutorial to match her new shirt and it definitely won't be the last one I make. It's such a well-written tutorial and the skirt is absolutely perfect. Just perfect. I used some 1 1/2 inch fabric scraps with a zig zag stitch as hair ribbons. Hardly any effort at all!

Pardon the blown-out photo. She moves too fast to change the manual settings on my camera, the little rat, but this is the only one I got that comes close to showing the little bird.

Delaney is so into drawing and gluing and cutting things up that I thought she'd enjoy a special suitcase for all of her art supplies. I replenished her stock of construction paper, glue, crayons and coloring books and stuck everything in a suitcase I found this summer for 50 cents. Sandi inspired me to Mod Podge fabric on the front to dress it up. I have to say, it was a hit with all the kids at the birthday party and she hasn't gone more than 3 hours without opening it up just like her very own treasure chest.

The little pockets in the suitcase lid are perfect for storing those pesky foam shapes and letters that otherwise seem to breed and migrate to all corners of my house. I think I'll have to stick this idea in my birthday project folder. Not that I have a birthday project folder, but you know. If I did, this would be in it.