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!)
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note: picture used in new banner!
The girls were eager for their first guests so we plied them with animal crackers.
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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.
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too busy devouring fajitas to care about anything else
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the babe of honor finally awoke and joined her party!
She might have been a little distracted by her favorite thing--
BA! BA!
(in case you don't know "Cutie Cakes language that's balloon)
Shortly after digesting dinner, it was time for cake--
one-year olds don't have a big enough attention span for too many breaks!
Cutie Face was very eager for her sister to blow out the candles
...so that she could dive into the cake!
Yay! It was time!
12 candles lit for 12-months of life, 1 candle lit for 1-year of life!
After help from Cutie Face, the candles were extinguished and the smashing could begin
Cutie Cakes couldn't believe what we were telling her to do:
but she did it...
much to her chagrin (wash my hands mama!)
I'm not sure if she ever enjoyed it, but at least she did it!
...and had the smashed cake face to prove it!
It appeared that the cake pops might have been a little more her speed...
at least all the other kids thought so!
After a brief sugar high reprieve,
we moved Cutie Cakes right along to her very generous spread of presents
everyone was more than generous
and then, just like that, it was over!
The party ended,
the toys, games, and food were put away
and we had two sleepy girls who were ready for bed
We cannot thank everyone enough who attended or sent well wishes to our Cutie Cakes! What a great way to fete a cutie!
