{life with} the Cuties: A Fete for a Cutie

Somehow 52 weeks exactly passed since Cutie Cakes arrival. Instead of celebrating on her actual birthday (ahem...Superbowl Sunday), we gave the boys a break and celebrated a day early.

A party for a one-year old involves little prep work in our household. We visit Publix, order a cake (complete with a complimentary smash cake for the birthday girl), order catering, order balloons, and invite family only for a low-frill, highly intimate, quality celebration of a first year of life.

While ordering the aforementioned cake, the girls and I decided that the colors should be pink, yellow, and purple. Why not, I say? Who knows what Cutie Cakes favorite colors will be...we certainly don't want to limit her to just one when she looks back on pictures!

So with those colors in mind, we ordered coordinating balloons. Being in a slightly but not full-fledged crafty mood, I decided we needed some birthday bunting in the form of felt garland.

introducing my new addiction: sewing felt!

The Monday prior to the party, I'd made a cake.

Providentially enough, the cake did not come out of the pan:

So we smashed it up, rolled it into 15 balls,

dipped them in candy coating, and made cake pops!

Now that I know how easy this "craft" is, it could replace my felt banner addiction!

The day of the party, J's mom and the girls' Grandma arrived from Michigan. We immediately set her to work on the decorations but she was incredible and even helped with last-minute cleaning and picture-hanging!

Then we took the birthday girl and her festively-clad sister to the grocery store for a party pickup--highlight of the trip--riding in the car grocery cart (for the girls) and not running into anything (for me--i'm such a klutz!)

note: picture used in new banner!

The girls were eager for their first guests so we plied them with animal crackers.

While the big sister periodically checked the front door

Cutie Cakes was smart enough to look for party goers

from the warmth & the comfort of the indoors

thankfully, she's easily distracted by books!

But books also signify the start of our bedtime routine for Cutie Cakes--and down she went for a late-afternoon nap!

at 4 o'clock sharp, the guests arrived and managed to entertain themselves without the birthday girls' presence.

chaos also ensued both in the upstairs and downstairs playrooms but too many of us were playing referee and safety officers to take proper pictures of the excitement.

Bummer for documentation, hooray for safety first :)

We finally gathered for a fajita buffet catered by the most excellent Willie's. I think everyone at least had seconds (including the babes!). A brilliant choice made by the proud birthday girl's daddy.