Annie’s birthday party is in five days, so we’ve reached the critical ZOMG SO MUCH TO DO stage. That means prioritizing the to-do list and then delegating or eliminating. Have I ever mentioned that I’m not good at delegating? Because I am terrible at it.

Most of the “crucial” things are done, or almost done. I say that jokingly because is anything really crucial in a party for a four-year-old, other than cake (ironically, the cake has not been taken care of.)? This is all just extra stuff, and if something doesn’t get done, it doesn’t have any impact on how fun the party will be.

I’ve been getting very acquainted with my sewing machine, as I’ve been using it to make the party favor capes and cuffs. I was joking with Mike that the best way to learn how to use a new sewing machine is to make thirty of the same thing. Bonus points if you’re giving those thirty things away, to kids! None of them will care which stitch I used. I ended up making the capes with two pieces of fabric instead of hemming the edges, it was much easier. The capes just need velcro at the neck and they’ll be done.

capes

I was going to sew shields and initials onto the back of the capes but that is at the bottom of my priority list. I might still cut out the shields and initials for the kids to take and add on at home…I guess it depends on how much sleep I want this week!

I also made superhero cuffs for each kid based on this tutorial. They also just need to have the velcro added.

cuffs

Annie’s outfit for the party was my most important task. She still picks out her clothes every day, so I wanted her to have input into her costume for the party. I did guide her a bit, though: she already has a cape and shiny leggings, so I told her she had to use those. She described what she wanted (“I want pink and purple and an “A” on my shirt and a crown, because I am a princess superhero who saves people!”) and I got to work.

amazing annabel mask, cuffs, and crown

I made her pink and purple cuffs, bought the pink Supergirl Mask, and made the crown from this template and two pieces of felt.

But the thing I was most worried about was her leotard. I had a vision of what I wanted based on what Annie had asked for, I just didn’t know if I could pull it off with my basic sewing skills. I constructed an “A” logo out of felt, and sewed it onto a pink leotard I bought at Target. I was really happy with how it turned out!

Amazing Annabel superhero logo

I didn’t know how Annie would react to it…I just wanted her to like it. I’d put it together after she went to bed, so the next morning I laid out her whole superhero outfit on her bed for her to see. She walked into her room, looked at her bed, and said, “Oh…my…gosh! Mama, I love you!” Hi, tears in my eyes.

Presenting the Amazing Annabel in her newly upgraded ensemble:

The Amazing Annabel

The Amazing Annabel

The Amazing Annabel

Ready to capture bad guys, don’t mess with her!