I'm already planning Shane's party . . .

My friends and family know that I go way overboard with my children's birthday parties.  I can't help it.  I have sooooo much fun doing it! 

I obsess over the details.

I start planning the party -- weeks in advance.

Doesn't everyone?

Shane wants a cowboy party. . . I'm almost going too the extreme overboard . . .

But I'm having sooooo much fun!

I've made the lists for everything -- about 2 weeks ago:

There's writing on the front and back of these sheets of paper.  This is my brain-storming lists of what I would love to do for the party.  Of course, I won't be able to do everything I listed . . . but I like to plan BIG!

• The Invitation List.
• The Food List.
• The Dessert List.
• The Favor List.
• The Games/Activities List.
• The Decorations List.

I've started buying some of the items for the party.  I have a little cubby hole that I stick all my project stuff in and it's filling up quickly! 

I wanted to make my boys a vest to wear for the day of the party.  I bought some brown felt at WallyWorld this past week and today I started on the vests.

I picked felt because it's cheap and it doesn't ravel so I won't have to hem the edges.

I used my boys' Awana vests to make a pattern out of paper sacks.

Shane wanted to help me . . .

Shane is saying "Yee Haw!" here!

I laid the vest out on an opened paper sack and traced the back of the vest and traced the front sides of the vest on the sack. 

I cut the vest pattern out of the paper sack and pinned it onto the brown felt material.  I placed the back of the vest pattern so that it's cut on the fold.  That  is it pictured below:

The side of the vest pattern was pinned on a double layer of the material so that when it's cut out, I would have two pieces for the front.  The picture below is of the front side piece pattern laid on the material that's doubled up so that when I cut it out -- all around the sides -- I will have two separate pieces for the front of the vest.

I know I laid it on the fold of the material, but I cut it down the middle of the fold when I cut the pattern out for the front.  I was trying to conserve my material.

I sewed the side pieces together and the top shoulder pieces together.  Here's Shane modeling the finished vest.

This one is a little big on him so I think it will go to his older brothers.  :)

I am going to iron the seams down so that it will lay better on the boys' shoulders.  Also I need another List!  The List for Cleaning before the party!  My patio definitely looks like we haven't been out there since last summer!

Shane loved his vest!  He ran around with it on screaming "Yee haw!" all afternoon long!

On another note . . .  Life on the farm is soooo tough for the cats.

Just tuckered out from all that mouse hunting!  Ha!

Don't notice the dissolving pumpkins on the patio table from October!  Ha!  I have got to get on that patio!

And for all you ladies that got red roses for Valentine's Day . . . I thought I would show you how well my flowers have fared since that wonderful holiday.

Aren't they beautiful -- still!  Can you believe it ?!?  Definitely the way to go for Valentine's Day in my opinion!  I have no idea when I should plant them in the yard !?!

By the way, since my boys were so excited about their cowboy vests and I have a lot of material left from making the 3 vests for my boys . . . I guess I'll have to make a vest for Colt . . . and Lex too . . .and Mary Beth . . . I need to get some pink felt . . . I wonder how long it would take me to make a vest for all the kids at the party . . .

Is that going overboard . . .  Ha!  I've already made 6 vests!

Oh and Top Round Roast is on sale at the grocery!  I had it in the crockpot all day long cooking slowly in yummy mushroom gravy. . . and it was soooo gooood at supper tonight for

                                the Ferrell boys and me!