SuperShark to the rescue!!

I really don't know what I was thinking trying to make a bunch of gifts the week before christmas. including belle's kitchen. & also christmas shopping! it felt like finals week while i was in school or something. i made everything planned, except...binh's gift. (sorry nins!)

so anywhoo...another one of belle's gift was a superhero cape.

i found an easy tutorial here.

it was kinda funny trying to make this without her noticing so i could wrap it & have her open it for christmas.

i laid out this hot pink satin on the floor ready to cut, then she walks in & sees the fabric.

her eyes got so big & she asked, "what are you making???"

me: ummm a tablecloth.

belle: tablecloth? oh.

then she went off played & did her thing.

she never asked about it again.

this is the only shot i can get of her still.

when she wears this, she gets so into character, with all the jumping, whipping the cape around, runs, tries to fly, etc.

the camera really can't keep up with her when she's SuperShark!

i know you're wondering, why a cape? & why a shark?

cause sometimes she pretends to be a superhero (especially when she watches superwhy)...& when she does play, she takes my shirt & asks me to tie it around her. that's her "cape."

so i asked, "do you want me to make you a superhero cape?"

belle: yes!

me: what color?

belle: pink!!

then when i realized she needed a "logo" or letter...i was just gonna put a B. but her first name is Isabella. i couldn't decide. such a dilemma!

me: what do you want? an I or a B?

belle: B

me: Belle or Isabella?

belle: Isabella

me: so I or B??

belle: B

we were stuck!! i put the project off cause i couldn't make up my mind.

then one night, while she was playing, using my shirt as a cape, she screamed, "SUPER SHARK TO THE RESCUE!!!!"

ding ding ding! lightbulb moment.... SuperShark!

our diy play kitchen

so here's how the whole kitchen thing started.

belle's been asking for the longest time...for a kitchen.

she fell in love with a wooden play kitchen from ikea. but it was $140.

my parents were really set on getting it for her. but i was really hesitant.....$140!!? for a toy??

the ones i researched online are basically the same price.

the ones in toys r us weren't "talking" to me.

but binh gave me the idea of making one after seeing one on pinterest. but hello? i am no handy girl. hesitation again.

then one day my dad gives me $100 for belle's christmas gift, "here, get belle a kitchen"

but i still didn't wanna spend that much. haha. so i researched on pinterest & googled.

and i was inspired by the other diy kitchens i found!! (lightbulb moment)

i asked binh if she was up for it. & of course she was.

we went to a thrift store to see if we could find a night stand, or something to work with & we found this....for $14.99!! whaaaaat? and i already planned on having the kitchen be white.

didn't even need to paint. it was a sign.

we bought this in the beginning of december but we only started working on it last thursday. cause we are just crazy procrastinators like that....

the faucet is a plastic one from home depot. it was $11.

the handles were originally those plastic clear ones. it really turned me off so i had to spray paint that part!

then binh screwed a hook, i sewed a curtain. and just used velcro to stick it on cause we were running out of time. & it works just fine!

looking at the pictures, it looks so easy.

ok, the concept was easy....but we are 2 girls who spent over an hour in home depot, getting lost. cutting that circle for the "sink"...HA! don't even know how long it took. & when binh was able to cut it out, her brother comes home & tells us the "knife" we used is for cutting sheetrock. HAHA! we have no fancy tools, our only fancy tool was to drill screws in....& we still had a hard time with it!

so yeah, building it was really an adventure & so funny! cause we didn't know what we were doing half the time. it's more fun thinking about it now. but this handy manny stuff is definitely not our territory!!

all the utensils & stuff ...we bought separately. my mom found tiny utensils at an asian store....i found a couple at the thrift store....& the microwave, belle already had.

so all in all...the nightstand & all the materials (spray paint, faucet, plywood, screws, L shaped things, hooks, etc)....came out to $50-$60.

everybody do a happy dance!!! whoo hoo!

still can't believe we were able to do it. even aris was impressed!

success!!

that's insane.

birthday-christmas eve & morning

thanks so much to those who gave birthday greetings!

24, my number ;)

my birthday was spent last minute christmas shopping, gift preparing, watched football, christmas movies, ate tons & stayed home with my family...

binh surprised me with an organic blueberry blue velvet cake!!! so so good.

my mom's cooking. my favorite!

after dinner, we got ready for midnight mass.

& we open our presents after.

so when belle came home, she was greeted and surprised with a kitchen waiting by the tree!

SOOO HAPPY she loves it cause binh & i have been slaving away 2 days before, rushing, making this for belle! it was quite the adventure.....& it deserves it's own post!

but i kinda made a mistake putting it there first cause right when belle saw the kitchen, she forgot about her other gifts. she started cooking asap!

we had to interrupt her cooking to open other gifts...

i made her a superhero cape but aris wanted to try it on! haha

we went to bed at 4am. we were so tired, so drained...but happy!

we all woke up late. & i made my favorite breakfast, that i rarely ever eat, pancakes!

christmas day... every year we usually stay home in our pjs & bum out at home, watch movies, in this case, we watched a ton of basketball.

& belle played with her new toys! the cast of toy story 3 escaping from sunny side daycare.

i didn't know hello kitty was part of the cast??

when i was cleaning the table, i found the octopus character "hiding" with the ornaments.

i love christmas. really is the best time of the year! for so many reasons. belle gets so into the christmas spirit...even knowing a bit about it, telling me that it's Jesus' birthday. her favorite holiday song is coincidentally, "jingle bells!" ....& this is the only time i ever buy her toys. so she is one happy little lady. i hope every one had a blessed & happy christmas!!

"i don't want santa anymore, i want art"

when belle starts to act up i threaten her with: "stop it or santa's not coming for christmas"

it works! (i imagine it would with most kids).

the other day i told her in the morning she could do a craft. she got all giddy & got her stuff ready. but before she started...she was getting cranky & whiny.

& she knew exactly what i was gonna say,"stop it or...."

before i finished, she said, "i don't want santa anymore!"

"then what do you want?"

"i want art"

:)

that's like the sweetest thing i've ever heard!! that this girl would prefer art over santa...

she made this with binh.

i went to the gym, while binh babysat. & they crafted the whole time.

binh said she only asked about me once.

they made that tree handprint & a few more paintings. i forgot to take pics of the others since they weren't hung.

on monday we spent the whole afternoon making christmas cards. & she says we're not finished. every time aris called, she'd yell, "DAD!! i make you a christmas card!!"

it was suppose to be a surprise!

and if she picks up a pen, marker, or whatever....i know exactly what she's gonna draw first, smiley faces.

smiley faces of all kinds!!....just a few from her notebook.

she never says why she draws smilies. she just does!

i need to take more pics of her little creations. it makes me so happy.

so bribing her with santa doesn't work anymore. only lollipops & art!

she's so mini me. except, you can't bribe me with a lollipop.