It might seem like I give a lot of parties. This isn't true. I just timed my children poorly. But the hour of my rest is near. I have a full three years until Rebecca graduates. Or one year if Maddie decides to go on a mission. Or 50 years if I move underground. 

Maddie's party was fun. I went with the 'One Smart Cookie' theme, remember? I made a wagon-load of cookies.  

So. . . yes, it's out of focus. . . and the table isn't completely loaded, but this is the only pic I could find of the whole table. I cannot style, cook, clean and photograph simultaneously. It's a flaw. But there were cookies. I have witnesses. We served:  Chicago Toll House, Peanut Blossoms, Snickerdoodles,  Homemade Oreos, Chocolate Crinkles, Funfetti, Gingersnaps, and  Sugar Cookies.

For the decor, I based the color scheme off of this piece of fabric I found at Hobby Lobby (or, as my kids used to call it: Hobby Yobby). 

From here we picked cardstock colors for the mobiles hanging above the table. Jordan was with me, and I nearly drove her insane with the picking of the colors. She was not aware she had signed up for a two hour visit to The Lobby. You have to suffer for your art, people. Also for your mobiles. The mobiles are simple to construct -- keeping in mind, I do not recommend making them at one in the morning. I'm just not a night person. The strips themselves are 1" x 7", and there are approximately 30 strips per mobile . . . although the number of strips really depends on your ceiling height, mobile needs, etc. Assembling them is easy as pie: Start feeding them through your sewing machine, keeping them as close together as possible. Leave plenty of thread on both ends for hanging and tying off.

Other decor pretty much boiled down to flowers and some pics of the graduate. I love to buy flowers but am a complete novice when it comes to arranging them. My mom swooped in and saved the day on flower assembly. But really, in my book, anything with a hydrangea is going to work. 

I've already posted the faux chalkboard signs that I printed up on ye olde HP printer. Just download a chalkboard background (I used one at the end of this post). Then download some chalk-y fonts and go to town. I like clementine sketch, frenchy, and ffftusj, but there are tons of them out there. 

Jordan's friend Rachel graced us with some chalkboard art. Rachel's leaving for an 18 month mission in Tahiti, so I'll be interviewing for chalkboard artists in her absence. Please direct applications to everyoneisleavingme.com. 

Here's the chalkboard banner that I pinned a few weeks ago. Yes, I actually made something I pinned. Call the papers. Actually, I bought all of the stuff, and then my mom offered to make it. And I totally took her up on it because my head is chock-full of my children leaving me, allowing very little room for sewing antics.

I wanted guests to be able to leave a note for Madison, so I hooked up my old, junk-shop typewriter with a new ribbon and set out a pile of typing paper. Never underestimate the fascination of primitive technologies to the youth of today. We ended up with about 10 fully typed pages.

See the Y cookies? They were fun to make except for the outline piping part. The icing was so stiff, I gave myself carpal tunnel just doing the outline. I even remade the icing -- still too stiff. What's the secret cookie people? Because everyone loves a Y cookie (except for possibly Utes), and I should perfect my process. 

And after all of the cookies and flowers and hoopla, I got this very sweet graduate. I hope she knows that I love her more than Y-shaped sugar cookies, or chalkboard banners, or armfuls of white and yellow flowers. Raising her, having her in our home for 18 years, has been one of the greatest experiences of my life. And if I could, I'd hog-tie her in her bedroom and make her stay for another 18. At least. Love you Maddie!