all things simple

We kinda have a crush on Hello Kitty around here.
Ella turned seven this month, and at the last minute decided she wanted a "friends" party with a Hello Kitty theme. She must have caught me on a good day, because I gave the okay. Not one to usually do something like this so late in the game, I figured...

We recently returned from a ten day trip to California. Before we left, we had a little birthday celebration for Ella with some of her giggly, silly, darling schoolmates. I hadn't planned on a "friends" party, but Ella must have caught me on a good day...

My Ella Bella turned SEVEN years old this week. I'm amazed at how quickly she's growing up. She's certainly grown-up enough to make the big decisions in life, like what she wants for a classroom treat on her birthday.
Ella loves Rice Krispies treats. We found a huge box at Costco for like $7.99 with the instant rebate. I wanted to make them a little extra special, so with the help of my daughters-in-law, Ashlee and Tayler we made them into pops--with sprinkles. Because...

Ella's birthday is in a few day. We always have a family party the Sunday before the big day. Ella decided she wanted ice cream for her special treat, so we'll be setting up a hot fudge sundae bar with my amazing homemade hot fudge sauce. I recently...