domo arigato, mr. roboto

i shan't keep you waiting any longer. the boys had a really fun birthday (month). and although i tried to keep the celebrating simple (disneyland!?!), in the end i threw caution to the wind and hosted one last soiree with our family and a couple of friends. and some neighbors. honestly, what would a party be without a few neighbors thrown in for good measure? let's get to my random stream of consciousness on this (i gotta be me). since we moved to the new/ old house (part 1, part 2, part 3), we have been in the process of a major clean up on aisle 5. we have 3 garages and one basement stuffed. stuffed, i say, to the brim with generations worth of things that have never been thrown away (lost and found part 1 and part 2). and, maybe i come from a long line of people who don't like to throw things away. i don't know. but i started thinking of recycling and re purposing and then i saw this idea for a recycled craft. it was here that sweet pea and beans robot birthday party idea was born. we started saving aluminum cans in all shapes and sizes a few months ago. and then scoured the various garages for parts. with the help of my trusty hot glue gun, i started putting the pieces together (we did actually have to buy heavy duty magnets at the store).
i found this really cute, free, clip art on the web and incorporated it into the handmade decorations and correspondence. i borrowed this idea for the invitations and then made them my own.

cupcake toppers

thank you notes

and banner.

now lets stop and talk about making a banner. i think handmade banners are really adorable. and in my over achieving mind i just whipped up a banner on the computer, printed it on leftover card stock, cut those babies out and glued away. i never even stopped to think. about gluing the opposite pieces together. (please notice the strategically placed handmade banner that not a single soul can see the backside of) get it. one side of the banner was all "HAPPY BIRTHDAY" in a festive sort of way, and the other side was "YADHTRIB YPPAH." brad couldn't stop saying YPPAH all day long. and once again...i gotta be me...so close, yet so far away.

here's where we bring all the stream of consciousness back home....are you with me? not only do i live in the house that my father grew up in, but i live across the street from the house my mother grew up in! and my gram (mom's mom) is my last living grandparent. gram doesn't live in our little town anymore (she is in her 80s and suffering from alzheimer's disease). so the best part of the robot birthday party for me, was watching my gram's face when she saw her old neighbors walk into the party. she knew them right away! from across the room. i'm not gonna lie. i cried. now that's what i call a good party.