{Get the Goods Giveaway} : *golden*

While I am busy just trying to stay caught up on orders, my friend Rach over at *golden*shop has been busy designing. Majorly designing. She has 16 new holiday designs available on tees and bibs for both boys and girls. I think she'd make you some bloomers to match as well. Ask any one of my clients or friends who have used Rachel and they will tell you the same thing I will...she is THE BEST on Etsy at what she does. A.MAZ.ING.

Check these out...

It gets even better...she's shipping these designs in about a week, which pretty much means she is over in her little sweat shop working around the clock like a little elf. And just because she's cool like that she's going to give one away!

Our little penguin friend can be will be made in whatever size you wish and can of course be made in boys colors as well. It will be perfect for the holiday season but last you through the whole winter as well!

There are several ways to enter...leave a comment for each to get multiple entries!

1) Simply leave a comment telling your favorite of Rach's new holiday designs.

2) Become a fan of *golden* on Facebook. You can also leave a comment for an extra entry here if you are already a fan!

3) Become a fan of Polkadots & Pirates on Facebook. Again...already a fan? Leave a comment!

4) Follow Polkadots & Pirates on Twitter.

5) Blog, tweet, or facebook (or all three!) this giveaway!

Deadline to enter is Friday night at midnight. Winner will be chosen and posted on Saturday morning.

I will be making tutus next week to match all *golden* holiday designs if you need a perfect holiday outfit! Check out all the designs up close in Rachel's shop.

Happy Thanksgiving!

I hope you all had as good of a Thanksgiving weekend as I did. I kicked off the long weekend last Wednesday by being at the hospital with my sister, her husband, and my mom as my niece came into the world. In the days following there was of course lots of turkey and time spent with family.

I made my own little turkeys some hats to wear for our celebration here at my house on Saturday. I asked each of them what they were thankful for and wrote down the first thing they said...

I had to give Beckett 5 choices because he didn't quite get it...but of course he picked Dinosaurs...no surprise there.

Avery immediately answered cookie dough, which made me giggle but its so true. That girl has a little too much of her mama in her. Poor thing.

Tate said his family...he has such a sweet heart and is growing up so much.

We guessed milk for 2 day old Finley. When my sis gave her some she sure seemed thankful.

My nephew Jacks immediately said "baseballs" on the day I made the hats. By the time we wore them this weekend, he said "Jess, I am thankful for HANDS, not baseballs. HANDS." Okay Jack, whatever you say! =)

Hope you had a fabulous weekend and took time to remember all of the blessings, big and small that we have each day.

It's a paw-ty!

Here is one that has been sitting in the file for a while! They are accumulating, I tell you.

I did Kate's 1st birthday last year so I was thrilled when Mom contacted me this year to do a second birthday party for Kate as well. Much in contrast to the hot pink and orange party for Kate last year, dalmatians were the theme this year! Little Kate is sort of obsessed with them and has started quite a collection.

Mom wanted the 4 foot stuffed dalmatian to be the guest of honor, so she didn't want a literal interpretation of the theme, rather black and white patterns with a little red added in as well. Here is how SOME of what I sent Kate turned out...

I also made napkin rings, favor stickers, and a crown...but in a haste one night accidently "made room" for some other pics by erasing those! Hope it was a fun paw-ty Kate and Pam!

Whoooo's turning two?!

Just a sneak peek of a party I am working on for my little friend Ellen (check out her first birthday party here!)...

Parent/teacher conferences got done today. Looking forward to having a few extra nights to get my work done so I can post some more! More of this party and others coming next week!

Emmaline's Flowers

I have done a few flower parties in the past (like Grace's here and Jozlyn's here) and loved them all. Avery always loves when I am working on those orders, too, and decided a long time ago that she wanted to have a flower party for her birthday this year as well. This ended up working out perfectly since Megan had booked me months ago to do one for her daughter Emmaline. I got to design a few items that I plan on using for Avery's birthday, too!

Here is how it all turned out...

Can't wait to see pictures from the party, Megan!

{Happy Customers} : JJ

After seeing a post for Beckett's monkey party somewhere in blogland, Amy contacted me to do a similar party for her son JJ. It was so fun to remake some of those items...I had so much fun doing Beck's party that I gladly did it again!

I love making those first year picture banners...so fun to see them grow! Head on over to {happy customers} to read more from Amy on the party and to check out all the PDP cuties there!

Halloween 09

Happy Halloween a couple days belated! I've been both busy working and not busy laying on the couch with the possible flu all last week. I should have put all these pics into a collage to shorten this post, but I am trying to pop it off quickly before I go to a 12 hour work day for school and parent teacher conferences so I don't have time. I don't want to wait another day to post, so bare with me, people!

First, my kiddos on Saturday night...we had SO much fun this year. They are all old enough to understand it AND they can all walk themselves around and up to doors....woohoo!

Then a few pics from school on Friday. First, my teammates and I as the 3 Blind Mice...

And a snap of my "25 other kiddos"...

Then on to the real stuff! I worked on two Halloween birthday parties this year. They were both clients whom I did first birthday parties for last year, so it was super fun to do them again! These are shots from both parties...banner, door sign, and cupcake toppers from Zoe's party and a table sign, bucket tag, favor tags, and birthday boy hat for Jackson. I made these invitations for both birthday kids, too!

Hope you had a fun Halloween! Lots more coming this week!