Andi calls them "Totes." I call them "Bags."

Either way, they're FAN.... wait for it... TASTIC!

This was my birthday gift circa 2009. This is a staple in

my life now. To work. To Grandma's house.

To restaurants. To the park. To the Oscars.

And this is where Andi kills me... humorously.

This was the accompanying birthday card:

And this was Chan's b-day card (it's self-explanatory what his gift was):

This is a perfect example of Andi the Comedian. She sends a practical gift (a new heating pad!) with 3 custom-made covers. But what's this? The packaging on the heating pad looks familiar... could it be... I guess Andi has a side gig as a heating-pad-cover Model!

-

And Andi doesn't just make any old drab covers, either. Oh no... she makes one for Chan (she's hoping the camo will encourage him to use it); the sock monkeys for me; and the clouds are for... when the other 2 are in the laundry?

Here's a close-up of her work...

Snaps and all!

Being practical is all well and good, but I figured there

had to be some more creative uses for the covers:


And below are the cards that came with the gift:

She's gonna give Hallmark a run for its money!

Ahhh yeah baby... pillowcases.

The planet pillowcase was inspired after sharing a story with Andi

about Tatum. We were looking at the moon one night when I half-said

to myself "Is the moon waxing or waning?" And Tatum pipes up, "Waxing."

We checked the calendar... he was right.

I absolutely LOVE the orange band she chose. It just 'makes' the

whole pillowcase. That orange print is adorable.

Did I mention that I love it?

The owl-moon pillowcase came at the same time...

another tribute to Tatum's love of the night sky. And once again,

Andi picked a great band of color... something

I would never think of and yet it's just perfect.

I LOVE my TABLECLOTHS! One day Andi was sharing pictures and updates of the vinyl tablecloths she was making for herself. On a whim, I asked if it was possible to make one for me with elastic around the bottom. I had been struggling just earlier that week with slippery plastic cheapos, never staying in place long enough for Tatum to finish a meal or an art project without it sliding off. And voila! Lookee here!

The first one she sent was the black and white. Although my kitchen has mostly brown tones, the tablecloth looks fantastic! The colorful one is for summertime, when the livin' is easy. I giggled when I realized what it was, thinking it was another one of her famous wrapping paper finds. But whaddaya know... those colors add the perfect 'punch' to the kitchen... so much fun... and so cute!

Balls. Balls. Balls. Another groovy gift for Tatum.

*****

Each ball was made with a different degree of firmness

and each has a little bell inside. AND... not forgetting that they

were made for a drooling toddler, they're machine washable!

This is my favorite one (below). Some of the material she used is from the

Bauer archives. I believe the solid teal is from a dress Andi made for

herself; the pink nubby material is from a dress of Nikki's; the plaid material

might be from a shirt Andi made. Correct me, sisters, if need be.

I love the wavy colorful material most of all.

Again, Bauer archive material used (the white with flowers.)
The nubby material is great!

As for the hippy-African ball, it is no longer with us.
The story of its demise is available upon request.
***

These balls have probably provided as much entertainment

for me and Chan, as they have for Tatum.

He still says I throw like a girl, though.

I believe every sister has one of

these bird ornaments.

I know I used to have 2 before

Nicole realized one was for her.

Bird Mobile

Ah... one of the best new-baby gifts ever: a bird mobile. The picture on the left shows the mobile as it was intended and as it was enjoyed for at least a year. That was, until Tatum was big enough to swat at it and eventually pull it down, bird by bird.

My dear, sweet, Red Rabbit!!!
Andi made this for me a long time ago and as you can see on the 2nd picture it's definitely worn in! I think this was the first project she did where she personalized it on the back.
Danika loves taking this everywhere she goes!!

Shoe Cozies!

Shoe Cozies by Andi

These handy dandy shoe holders keep your shoes from getting scuffed when you travel

The material is super soft and it even cinches at the top!

This one above is Nicki's

These are mine- love the fabric!!