How much fun can you fit into one day?

Omaha was great, we had such a nice trip!  Don't I have the world's sweetest husband, to chose a weekend at the zoo and the Holiday Inn's water park with all the kids as his 50th birthday celebration?

We LOVE this little water park in Omaha, its in a newer Holiday Inn that has great service, and free meals for kids. The indoor pool area is meant for smaller children and has never been crowded or busy while we are there.  

Plus, the hotel is located near the Old Town area, with great food and shopping. While the kids napped between swimming in the morning and zoo time in the afternoon, I escaped to 2nd Chance.  Where I found a pile of floral hats for under $7 each. 

Plus a pile of Victorian scrap and old photos.  I'm planning on making some fairy ornaments (hopefully a make and take at Silver Bella in November.)  Have you ever noticed how hard it is to find just the right photos to make into fairies? You need to make sure you get both feet, a standing or sitting position that works well when the person is cut out of the photo, and no fingers to have to cut around.

Well, you don't want the person to be fingerless- you just don't want the fingers to be splayed and beyond the edges of the girl's dress.  Its just easier to not have to cut out each tiny finger.

Normally, when I am on a family trip like this, I don't get in much shopping.  This time I also got to stop at Rusty Chandelier in St. Joe on the drive home.  It was a quick trip, to stretch legs and for my husband to fill up the car while Sugarwings and I looked around antique mall.

But I just knew that I had to  stop, and I was right, my hat whispering skills had led me to a couple more hats that were waiting there for me.

How PERFECT  is this sequin top hat???? Silver Bella's theme this fall will be hats and Teresa has been using a cute top hat as the symbol of the event this year. I found not only this hat, but this bit of Victorian scrap with this little girl wearing a top hat herself.  There are some possibilities for that rolling around in my head right now!

So much for my theory that pictures for fairies need feet. I can see her as a little sprite, can't you?  She might be the foundation for my design for the make and take for vendor night.

And there are a few pictures of Sugarwings that I might make into a fairy for my photo album.

We had lucky weather while in Omaha, there was sunshine and a light breeze at the zoo.  Sugarwing's Daddy and his new family (well some of them, not all the kids could make it) came along for the trip and I discovered that its even more fun to have extra grand kids to spoil and play with!

 

Before the trip, I bought the girls matching dresses, and a coordinating red shirt for the little guy. Corny? Yep, but I thought it was adorable, plus it made them so easy to keep track of all day.  We knew that the red blurs running up ahead were ours.

Our hotel was around the corner from the Qwest Center, where Barnum and Baily Circus happened to be for the weekend.  We hadn't planned on attending, but the kids had never been, so when the zoo closed at 6, we swung by for the next performance at 7. 

The morning started at the pool, then napping, then zoo, then circus, then ended at the pool again. Whew! That was one jam packed day.

But, my husband and I decided at the last minute to play hooky and just buy tickets to the circus for the rest of the group. He and I snuck over to Old Town and had a romantic dinner, then walked around holding hands and enjoying the evening.

As ideal as the kids were all day, sweet, polite, and fun- it was nice to have a night out with just the two of us. When we got back to the hotel, we joined the kids at the water park, where I taught them how to play shark tag, and let the parents go have their own little get away dinner. 

I think my handsome husband had a fantastic birthday, I hope he enjoyed the trip as much as I did!  He's a great guy and deserves a good celebration!

 

Still, its nice to be back home with our puppies again.

Comments

[charmaine deadman]

Karla! That's so sweet! I love the picture of Sugarwings at the water park by the fountain. That would make a perfect fairy picture!

I'm glad you all had a good time. :)

Charmaine

[leann]

Hi Karla

Thanks for looking at my hat. I love your new ones! It looks like you all had a blast - my Mum keeps telling me that grandkids are the next best thing that'll happen to me. I don't want to rush things, but I'm really looking forward to having a baby to snuggle again.

Cheers
Leann

[Marianne@Songbird]

What a lovely day. Your pictures are just oozing with fun and laughter!

[Diana P.]

Looks like you had a wonderful time. The hats are wonderful and I love the video of the water dance...too cute!

[Teresa]

LOVE LOVE LOVE the sequined top hat Karla!!! Gaaaa!!!!! Awesome! So perfect for Silver Bella!
Happy Birthday to your hubby!!

[Lori]

Karla, Sugarwings' frenzied dance of joy was so cute, i had to watch it twice...she is totally adorable!!! love Love LOVE the top hat, what an absolutely fabulous find!!!

[Lori]

oh, duh...i clicked before i was finished...Happy Birthday to your hubby...i think that is the sweetest thing that he made it a special day for everyone...you really have a winner Karla!!!

[Laurie]

What a lovely trip! Thank you for sharing it with us!

[Samantha]

What a fun trip!!! And the picture of Sugarwings in the flowered hat is great...it looks professional!

[Rochelle Gaukel]

Always love those puppy pictures! The one with Sugarwings and the pup is so adorable!
-Rochelle

[Janis]

Hi Karla,
Happy Special Birthday to your Husband!! What a great weekend and great pictures. I really like the Sugarwings video and her bathing suit is adorable on her. Love....the
sequin hat with the Victorian scrap. You truly are a
hat whisperer. : ) I'm sure the puppies were glad that
you were home too.
Glad that you were able to get the charm that I told you
about. I've never seen one like it either. It truly
is unique and I hope it is as adorable as it appeared to be.
Hugs,
Janis

[Joanne Kennedy]

Sounds like a perfect day for everyone! Great photos!

Oh two things... one, I got your giveaway and wanted to thank you again. Very cute. I posted about it today on my blog.

Also, how much is your little girl dog? I showed my friend who is looking for a dog just like her and she fell in love. Where do you live? She is in CA.

Hugs,
Joanne

[Angela]

You came to Omaha! Cool! Looks like you had a lot of fun, too! :)

[Angela]

Sounds wonderful...love the pic of Sugarwings in the hat!!

[Elaine L.]

Lots of big changes in Sugarwing's life. How is she handling it?

As usual, the pictures of her are so adorable!

~elaine~

[Linda]

Looks like a simply joyous day...I'll bet everyone slept well that night!

[Debbie]

Karla, I love to have fun too, that would have been my kind of trip. Does Sugarwings like having more kids around to play with?? That is a change for her, how fun !!!!! Happy Birthday to Rich. Glad everyone had a great time !

[Kathy]

What a wonderful day and fabulous pictures!! Your pictures are always fabulous, but these today - outstanding!! It helps to have such gorgeous people IN the pictures. Including the darling puppy. Love that top hat you found! I've been looking for one of those but not for Silver Bella. just because...

Have a great day!
Kathy

[karen]

What a great trip!
And....whattayameanyougotthosehatsforunder$7! hee! hee!
hugs! karen....

[Zita - Mlle Magpie]

Looks and sounds like an amazing family trip and celebration, Karla. LOVE the sequined top hat - so perfect for Silver Bella this year!

[Suz Reaney]

I want that top hat!!! I even kept a copy of that little picture but did I think of putting it on a hat...no!

Love the matching dresses and am so jealous of all the things you got! Hopefully I can buy some in your store!!!

Hugs,
Suz

[sadie]

I adore the floral hat, and the top hat is fab!

Glad you had a great weekend :o) xx

[Charlene]

That looks like an amazing trip! Sugar Wings is too cute for words. Loved the picture of her & the puppy. Also in her pink. But the photo of the two of you snuggling with your hats on was divine. Oh for some pink in my world. Have you started making mermaids? I haven't & I SHOULD! Hugs Charlene

[Paula K]

Sugarwings in that etherial photo with the floral hat is FAB! (Coco Chanel would be impressed) The way you love hats, you should try to incorporate that photo into your next new banner!! Also, wanted to say, "love" the miniature puppy painting. How darling. The stitched package made with the vintage wallpaper is a treasure. What a lovely presenatation....