decorations

A Birthday in Jurassic Park

The only problem with having a birthday in Jurassic Park is… the dinosaurs! Aaaah! Run for your lives!

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Okay, don’t be frightened. It’s actually just a cardboard cutout, and you (or the birthday boy) can totally pretend that you are about to punch it in the face.

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It was a group effort to turn my nephew’s home into a Jurassic World. My sister does an amazing job making her ideas become a reality. She, along with her husband, work really hard to make their kids birthday dreams come true. I wish I could say I contributed. (But if you remember, I just got home from vacation and didn’t even have milk in my house…) Needless to say, I was completely useless. But I do know how to appreciate (and photograph) the details!

  

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My dad made the awesome “Jurassic Park” sign over the door. My mother, inspired by Pinterest, made dinosaur bones from marshmallows, pretzels, and white chocolate; she baked sugar cookie “fossils” imprinted with dinosaur tracks; and she painted an umbrella to replicate that crazy dinosaur (the Dilophosaurus) that everyone (or just I) thought was harmless and then it let out that terrible screech and the head fans out and it spits acid at Newman from Seinfeld. Scary.

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It was just protecting the Dino Juice… and it’s eggs. Muwahhahaha. (That’s my maniacal laugh.)

 

There really wasn’t a detail left undone. From the vines hanging from the chandelier to the dinosaur salivating over the food table, for the moment we were all transported to another time.

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A time with danger lurking around every corner… or hanging on every wall.

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On a side note, I think it’s adorable that my nephew requests cheesecake for his birthday. I mean, you might as well have something you’re going to enjoy… If you can get it out of the cage.

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Whew! That was dangerous, but I got a piece.

And I’d like to thank every dinosaur big and small who made an appearance. The birthday bash was a roaring success. (Get it? I’m so funny.)

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Happy Birthday Jude!

Loving Lately ❤

Loving Lately: Christmas Lights

I love this time of year. The chill in the air actually captures the excitement. And I don’t know if it’s just me, or does every adult feel like a child when they see houses, trees and bushes trimmed in lights? I think I get more excited than my kids.

I ask my husband to slow down the car… I tap the window with my pointer finger… I swivel my head back-and-forth both sides of the road… I tell my kids to look at things as fast as I can shout them out…

They are just beautiful. Every house is so individual, white (yellow) lights, colored lights, newer blue LED lights, animated features, blown up characters, just a couple windows or every square inch, nativities… And a drive around the neighborhood is holiday entertainment that doesn’t cost more than the gas.

Could you ever get tired of light season?
Well yes, like by February Santa starts seeming tired… but not lights…for every year. It’s too special.

 

 *Featured and last photo courtesy of Ryan French