I don’t know about you, but I was a total sticker kid. Scratch-n-sniff, puffy, oily, prism…I had albums full of ’em!
I can still remember exactly what Scent-sational smelled like- LOL! And even though I’ll be celebrating my 40th birthday next summer, I gotta say, the sticker aisle still captivates me. I spent a good 30 minutes scanning the one at Michaels a few weeks ago. I had a project in mind, and needed some stickers for Tommy and Shelley’s cutie pie kiddos.
That’s Samuel, Lizzie, and Ethan, and they were so much fun to have around while we redesigned their family’s kitchen last month!
One day while we were there working, we got on the subject of parenting and discipline (Kevin and I are parent-related question machines right now- LOL!), and Tommy and Shelley told me they’ve been trying out the “ticket” method. Basically, each child gets three slips of paper they call tickets, and the goal is for the kids to not give their parents a reason to take any of them away throughout the day. Three tickets = something fun!
I was inspired by the concept, and thought I’d try to help make it even more fun for the kids to want to hang on to their tickets. So I picked up some stickers, and few other  supplies at Michaels…
…and created three new tickets for each of them, complete with a handy dandy book box for them to live in.
Here’s a photo of the finished product:
I just glued the (gold spray-painted) wooden letters (one for each child’s first initial) to the back of the book box, and made little “walls” (to separate the tickets) out of black sheet foam. I put the ticket book box on the desk in their “new” kitchen…
…and if you’d like to see what the kids thought of their new sticker-y tickets (and their spiffy new kitchen!), just click the play button on the video below!
(email readers will have to visit The Lettered Cottage to view it)
The ice cream cone cup actually has a bit of a funny story behind it. A couple weeks before the big reveal, Ethan was hanging out with me and Kevin in one part of the house, while Tommy was helping Lizzie with her homework in another. Ethan kept saying that he wanted ice cream, and I thought I had heard Tommy tell him that he could have some before he went into the other room. I must have missed the part about ONE scoop after supper, because long story short, I filled Ethan’s cereal bowl with THREE scoops of ice cream an HOUR before supper because he assured me that was exactly how much his dad usually gave him.
You should’ve seen the look on Tommy’s face when he came around the corner and saw Ethan’s great big chocolate-y smile- LOL!
I got this text and video from Tommy later that night:
(click the play button below)
Oops. Told ya I had a lot to learn about parenting.
Anele @ Success Along the Weigh
Those stickers make me think of 3rd grade. The Mr bought me the Hot Stuff pizza stickers for our anniversary a few years ago. I wish I would’ve kept all of those from my papers. You just take for granted they’ll always be around. They try to do knock offs but they’re nowhere close to the originals. 80’s stickers forever!!
Rachel
I got the Happy Birthday stickers for my birthday once and never used them all. I still have them. I adore those stickers!
Beverly
This made me smile. My son will be 38 years old in a few months, and I have sticker memories from his sticker days. In fact, I have his sticker albums on a shelf in my office studio. He no longer wants them, and I stopped him from throwing them in the trash. lol I wonder if there is a market for “vintage” sticker albums?
kristin
Oh, I forgot about the puffy ones! I loved my stickers also 🙂 Stickers are everywhere when you have young ones. I grabbed stickers for each holiday, stocking stuffers, birthdays…they never went to waste. I have the CUTEST close up picture of my daughter at about 3 with stickers all over her face (and body)! (Avoid the hair!) We were on our way to MI–a LONG ride–and stickers were one of her items for the trip. She had covered herself! Also, I was mortified to find out the one time my mother stayed to watch the girls she had given them ice cream for breakfast! It was all meant in fun but seriously? Why not make chocolate chip pancakes?
Nikki
They are so adorable! (the kids, not the stickers : ) ) My hubby totally had the same ice cream *oops* with a friend’s son before we had kids. Love it!
Regina
Wow, hello nostalgia! That seems like yesterday, seeing those stickers! I will be 40 in the spring too and forgot all about those stickers until your post. I am in awe about the kitchen, really like the ticket/parenting idea that I’m stealing for my 3 wee ones, and love everyone’s reactions to the kitchen. I so enjoy your creative, sunny posts and praying for your adoption adventure!
Robyn
I am a bit disappointed I can’t view the videos and I don’t know why.. I am on an ipad but I have viewed your videos before on my ipad. Thanks for your help.
Cheryl @ Living Design
I can’t view the videos on my iPad today either, even though normally they work fine.
Marianne in Mo.
I use a kindle fire, and can never see most videos. Have to go to the p.c. for viewing, such a pain! My pc is slow and old!
Donna Doble-Brown
Layla . . . . THIS IS AN ADORABLE idea! But watching you interact with the kids was worth the price of admission! no pun intended! You have such a loving energy . . . . my heart is full . . .. Thanks for sharing and Happy Friday to you guys! 🙂
cindy barganier
LOLOLOL That is classic. Remind me to keep you away from the grands when they are here and getting ready for bed. Jeff is bad enough when he pulls out the guitar and gets them all dance feverish.
Louise
Layla, you are adorable! Those tickets are so beautiful, and you can see how thrilled all the kids are with all the thought and creativity you put into them and the beautiful box. I’m so excited for this adoption to happen. You are going to be the sweetest parents ever!
Cheri
Had to laugh about the ice cream story, loved it – been there!!!
As a future grandma, (we just found out – yay!) we too are “brushing up” on the importance of communication, backing each other’s decisions (or mom & dad’s in our case), and basically learning to laugh and enjoy the journey.
Keep using those stickers and laugh your posts!!
Kathy
Layla,
Fun post (as usual). You’ll be 40 next summer? I thought you were maybe 26 – 27! Wow, when you’re 80 you’ll only look 51!)
Still praying for you that the adoption is finalized soon.
Love ya,
Kathy
Nicki Traikos
I HAVE those smelly stickers still!!!! 🙂