Last Minute Baby diaper cake

I had a baby shower to attend on Saturday. I knew there would be a diaper raffle and I forgot to buy diapers, so I thought of a last minute idea for a diaper cake.
Luckily, I had some diapers at the house because my little guy is only 9 months.
Mind you, they were a size 3, but they'll come in handy once the baby is older.

1. I started out with a small mixing bowl. I rolled up the diapers and gathered them all together with a rubber band.
2. I used some white raffia and unrolled in around the diapers. Kept it together with a small piece of tape on the back.
3. I used a white napkin for the top of the "cake". Just unfolded it and tucked it into the raffia paper.
4. Got out my scrapbook supplies and came up with a cute little sign that read "baby". Glued the sign on to a popsicle stick, stuck it in the middle of the cake.
5. Took a flower and put it under the sign to complete the diaper cake.
6. Tied some ribbon around the whole cake for a finished look.

So fast, simple and cute.
My friend loved the cake!

Almost time.

It's almost that time again. The time when I wipe tears from my eyes because I find myself thinking about her.
Almost time to try to forget the horrific images I have ingrained in my memory of the day the accident happened.
Time when I reflect on all the good memories I have of her. All the funny memories.

Like the time when we were driving down a busy street and she took the turn a little too fast and her car door flew open which resulted in her purse flying out of the car and plopped onto the middle of the intersection with all her loose change and dollar bills blowing into all the other oncoming vehicles. She just kept screaming, "Oh my gosh, oh my gosh, what do I do?" All the while her car door was still wide open and she continued to drive down the road. I screamed back, "Shut your door and pull over!". Then I had to run into the street to get her purse and gather up all of her personal belongings, shoving them back inside her purse as I tried to dodge vehicles who wouldn't stop for me to accomplish this task.

It does bring a smile to my face now, just thinking of her and her clumsy things she would do.
Who is she, you ask?
My Mom.
My beautiful, wonderful, caring , loving Mom.
She was killed in a car accident on April 6, 1996. I saw her die. Right before my eyes, I swear I saw her spirit leave her body.
That day was the most traumatic day of my life. However, it was also one of the most beautiful experiences of my life. I was the last person that she ever saw before she entered into the afterlife. I was the last voice she ever heard. I knew in my heart of hearts that  she was gone, killed instantly. The last words I said to her were, "Mom, it's ok. I'm ok, it's ok." Those were the only words that I could manage to say. I have heard that when a person dies, the last thing to go is their hearing. I wanted my Mom to know that I was ok. I wasn't injured. She could go in peace knowing that her daughter was safe and alive.
A few short days after her death, I had a strange kind of peace about her untimely death. I thought to myself how special it was for me to be with her during her death. She brought me into this world and I was able to be with her when she left this world.

April 6. It's only a few short weeks away. During the early years of her death, usually around 2 weeks before the Anniversary date I would start getting anxious. My Husband will tell you that I was not a person he would want to be near. I would have crying fits, my temper would sometimes become volatile, I would be in a deep state of depression. It was just an awful 2 weeks for me and for anyone else around me.
It wasn't until my Daughter was born that I was able to view the Anniversary in a different way. You see, my Daughter was born in April. She was born on April 26. My life had come full circle for me the day she was born. Instead of dreading the month of April, I now had a reason to celebrate. I celebrate my Daughter's birth, I celebrate the fact that I am a Mom..... of 3! I celebrate that I'm alive and I was able to give life!
I now understand how much my Mom loved me. It is truly a blessing to be a Mom. For me, it's an even more special blessing to be a Mom of a Daughter.
Don't get me wrong, April 6th is still an emotionally difficult day for me, but I try to make the best of it. I choose to remember how she lived life and not how she died.
So yes, it's almost time.
Time to live, time to love, time to laugh. It's time.














Linking to:
Creative Girl
Hodgepodge Friday

How to give yourself a quick boost of self esteem.

It's actually quite easy. Volunteer! Yes, that's all you have to do. Volunteer your time by fixing a meal for a new Mom, pick up the phone and call someone who is ill, babysit for a couple who could use a night out on the town together, or head over to your local homeless shelter and ask how they can use you.
It is a great way to lend a helping hand and you will feel so much better after you are done.

I started volunteering my time at a local homeless shelter a couple of years ago.
I held monthly jewelry making classes for the women who resided there.
I received several generous donations from friends, family, and complete strangers who wanted to donate money and beading supplies.
Most of the jewelry we make is fairly simple. We mostly make string beaded earrings and necklaces.


I had been out of the game for a while since the birth of my son, but I started jewelry classes at the shelter again this past week and it was wonderful!

I met several fantastic women who were eager to try their hands at a new craft.
One of the most interesting women I met was named, "Annie". She was very familiar with jewelry making. She told me that she knows how to make jewelry and when she lost her home (due to foreclosure, I'm guessing) she had to sell most of her jewelry supplies to help her out financially.
Half way through the class, she had an idea on how to improve on the bracelet she was currently making. She ran up to her dorm room and came back with a garbage bag full of beading supplies. She must have had at least 10 lbs. of beads in that bag! She proceeded to pull out her supplies and she was more than willing to share her beads with the rest of the women, if they chose to.
She then told me a story about when she was a child in school. Her Teacher used to give out beads for good behavior, and good grades. Her teacher taught her how to macrame and used the beads in her weaving.
"Annie" told me that ever since she was a child, she always felt rich if she had beads with her.
She got a huge smile on her face and said, "Look at me now. My beads are all I have left, but I'm rich".

There was another gal in the class who wasn't more than 8 years old. She was so excited to make her own bracelet, she gathered up a hand full of beads and carefully carried them to her table to start designing her bracelet. Her eyes lit up when she rummaged through the supply of beads. When all was said and done, she had made four bracelets. When I asked her if she was planning on sharing her bracelets with her Mom, she just kept talking about how pretty the bracelets were and how all the colors matched her shirt. Her Mom just rolled her eyes at me, I'm guessing the answer was "No".

It was a great time and I plan to go back again next month. So get out there and volunteer! I promise you, you'll feel spectacular!
If you'd like to read more about the shelter, please click here: The Shade Tree.

I am running out of beading supplies, if you'd like to make a donation, simply click on the Donate button on the upper left hand corner of my blog.
You will be helping out with a great cause.
Thank you!








Linked to:
Keeping it Simple Sunday
Amaze me Monday
MMM Mondays
Crafty Chica Friday
Craft envy Saturday
Project Weekend Party 

Tatertots & Jello Weekend wrapup
Making Due Tuesday
Get your Craft on Tuesday
Finding Fabulous Friday
Blessings overflowing Friday
Hodgepodge Friday
Flaunt it Friday
Frugal & Fabulous Friday
It's a hodgepodge Friday

Names have been changed to protect identity.