Birthday fun continued....and THE QUIET BOOK!

About a week before Mabel's birthday we got a package in the mail from Nana.

My mom said Mabel could open a few presents early. 

(Nana spoils this little girl and I love it!)

Here we are opening a present and Skyping with Nana:

A musical jewelry box with a twirling fiary!

She was mesmerized.

Putting on her rings:

ALL the rings on her finger.

 Her jewelry box holds her her jewelry of course,

and a C battery.

She played with it for hours. She needed a little bit of help winding it up 

each time but eventually got the hang of it. She would wind it up,

set it on the bookshelf, and just sit and watch the fairy spin around.

On her actual birthday we did all the things that Mabel loves to do.
We went to the library, went to see the wiggle guy, read books, played with play-doh,
colored, and she even got a cupcake with breakfast, lunch, and dinner!
You only turn two one right?
 She ran around with her balloons all day.

Grandma and Grandpa Tew called and sang Happy Birthday to her.

She pretended to blow out candles when they were done singing. :)

That night Nate and I sang to her and we let her blow out some more candles.
(Can you tell blowing out candles is her favorite thing right now?)

She got to open the rest of her little presents from Nana and a present from us.

Love that face.

A growing turtle - wow!

...The Quiet Book...

This was a project I started with my DIY group while I was pregnant.

We all decided we wanted to make a Quiet Book 

and decided to split the work amongst the group.

Each person chose a design, and they made that same page 20 times.

One page for each person in the group...

so we ended up with 10 pages (front and back) for the book.

My page was ZIPPERS.

My mom brought her sewing machine out when we first moved in

(October 2011) and we set up a zipper assembly line.

Once everyone had their pages finished (December 2011) we met up for the exchange.

  All the pages turned out so DARLING!

THEN we were on our own to organize the pages however we wanted and

make a case or cover.

I borrowed my nieghbor's sewing machine and sewed the pages toghether.

 

Then when I was out visiting my mom months and months ago 

(this project has taken FOREVER!)

we bought colorful bias tape to sew around each page.
Well, it was really hard to sew the bias tape and have it look good.

Beyond our skill level.

So we had to call in reinforcements.

My Grandmother Susan.

She is the original Martha Stewart.

She sewed the bias tape around all the pages AND 

made this darling case!

 She also made additional pages to add to the book which I am so happy about

because several ended up being Mabel's favorites! 

(she adores the piggy bank page!)

The finished zipper page:

So finally, after about two years, 

Mabel got to see this labor of love.

Flip Flop/Beach pages & Toothbrush/Piggy Bank pages that Susan made.

 She loved it just like I hoped she would. 

Each page reminds me of the person who made it,

and they are all incredible, talented women.

We have taken the book to church the past few Sundays and it 

really does keep her busy (and quiet!).

Thank you 

 so much to all my DIY gals, my mom, and my grandmother Susan.

This is a treasure we will have for a long time!