:: How to Make {Diva} Flip Flops ::

How cute are these feet?  I know! 

You can't even see those finely pedicured tootsies under those ADORABLE BOWS!  You wanna know how we made those, right?  Right?

I let Sash have 'a friend party' last week.  A party of one ---> her BFF Miss R.  {As our beloved preschool teacher Miss Jane always says, "You wrap it up and put a hat on it and [to a preschooler] it's a party!"  I l.o.v.e. that!}  At the last minute - as always - we decided our 'goody bag' should be filled with Diva Flip Flops.  So ~~ without further adieu ~~

:: How to Make Diva Flippy Flops ::

First and foremost, Meiners and I watched this video that completely explains the ribbon-into-bow process in real-time.  Feel free to watch her and enjoy her southern drawl. 

Then come back 'cuz here's our bow-making process for Sashi and her BFF's birthday 'party' take-homes. 

First ~ Wrap.

Pinch and stitch.

Repeat.

Stitch all ribbons together in desired layers.

Wrap thread around the ribbon bundle and pull tightly.  Knot.

Take another string and use it to crisscross wrap the bow onto the flippy flop.  Tie tightly.

Now, here's where we deviated from the Mickey Mouse diva flippies that Meiners made.  For the teacher's custom fabric-wrapped buttons, we used this button maker from Hobby Lobby - after ironing on pre-fab stitched monograms also purchased there.  BUT, for S&R, Sashi found PINK pre-fabbed monogram pins that she insisted we use.  So - once the ribbons were securely attached, we stuck the pins in.  It might be wise to glue the pin part shut to avoid future oops-sticks.  We'll have to do that {Note to Kimberly}.   In the meantime...voila!

Diva Flippies.
Enjoy!

Teacher Gifts 2011

For the end of school year teacher gifts this year, I asked each child what they wanted to give their teachers. 

Every year I swear I'm not doing end of year gifts.  And every year, at the last minute, I realize another year has past while my kids sat in a classroom for more hours than they sat at my table or in my van and I acknowledge that our teachers deserve a grateful gift of thanks.  So we come up with some crafty plan that I insist they make, and we fret and fight and pull it together in the end.  This year was no exception.  Except I didn't come up with the plan - other than to tell the kids to come up with something. 

Pookie {my mini me} immediately decided a cake.  She truly did an amazing job.  I messed up her frosting by having her make it the night before and then adding too much milk to help it regain its spreadability the morning of the gifting.  I prayed fervently all day that it would hold up and appear edible by day's end ;)

Beautiful, isn't it?

Meiners didn't hesitate when he declared, "Flip flops!" for his beloved first grade teacher.  I immediately agreed, knowing these would be perfect (we made them here, too).  The humorous part of this story is that I pulled Meiners over to watch this video on the web showing how to make bows.  Incredulously, he asked, "I have to make the bows??"  He actually quickly embraced the task, even insisting that my design plan of two bows was just not enough for Mrs. M's always-pedicured tootsies.  "It's not enough!" he declared and disappeared into the basement.  He reemerged with a final coordinating color of ribbon and made these - not bad for a sports fanatic, girl fearing, man's boy {Teacher is a HUGE Mickey fan ;)}  She LOVED them, by the way ~ and put them on her feet immediately!

Mr T decided on a gift card to a running store for his teacher the runner.  She was so excited, she promised to pick out a flavor of Gu and to think of him on her half-marathon attempt in California this month.

Sashi chose flowers for her teachers - in their favorite colors of red and purple.  {I love that she knows their favorite colors!}

Anyway, that's what we did this year!  Stay tuned this week and I promise to show you how to make a pair of those fancy flipflops!  Too easy and incredibly cute! 

See ya soon!
k