DeLappenings: Beaded Swaggy Pumpkins! LOL

Okay, peeps.

We did it.

We survived an absolutely packed September weekend—school commitments, social commitments, LIFE commitments…you name it.

That seems to be our theme from this point forward (not a single weekend will be calm, until a glorious weekend we have planned for Fall Break in early October) but we’re doing our best to work the JOY into the mix along with the TO-DO’s, and we did a pretty fun job of it, this go-around.

Amidst all the scheduled chaos, we planned a fun autumnal Saturday night for the girlies and some buddies to go see Practical Magic 2 (that one was self-serving; I loved the original and was dying to see the sequel), following by some hang time and…a project (natch).

Please meet my beautiful—aptly named—Swaggy P!

Doesn’t she have a gorgeous, flapper-type vibe to her???

I always—always—appreciate how my girlies and their friends keep me on my crafting toes. There’s rarely a time when they’re gathered at our house when they don't find me and request a craft.

And you know what?? I totally dig it.

I adore how they enjoy focusing their attention on something creative as they hang, and I’ve learned to keep things stocked in the craft closet just in case. The supplies always come in handy!

I’ve also learned a few (million) tips and tricks throughout all these years. The keys to a successful Project With Friends are more basic than you’d think:

1) Simplicity

2) Room for Individuality

3) Music (and plentiful snacks) whilst doing it!

Although we occasionally dig into a slightly messier or more involved craft (like the recent resin jewelry and key chains the girlies and their friends made right before school started), it’s generally a good idea to keep things turn-key. You NEVER know when the crowd will want to pause for an impromptu break or shift their attention elsewhere, so the best projects can be scaled up or down—and done easily whilst chatting and being silly!

I also adore the creative brains of my girlies and their friends. I’m often pleasantly surprised by their creative visions—like this past weekend when I planned for the beaded swags and started a sample pumpkin to give them inspiration, but loved discovering how some girlies went in a wildly different direction!

Creative license is the best!

At the end of the day, it’s all about providing a place and a space with happy vibes, music within reach, and the chance for them to see where their whims lead!

It’s getting harder and harder to find these planned windows of time as the kiddos age, and their commitments scale up, as well. So I’m extra-grateful it worked out for us this past weekend, in case it takes a few weeks (or months!) to managed something, again.