to my one-year-old,
it's been a couple of weeks since your big birthday. but, we've been busy and i just haven't taken the time to sort through the pictures and memories.
i think i'll break up your birthday weekend into a few posts. i'll start with the easiest...your birthday party details.
it's no secret that i have vivid dreams and expectations for events, holidays and sometimes just day-to-day life. your poor dad. i feel like i sometimes put a lot of pressure on him! i must say i get it honestly...grandma & grandpa have made my life full of celebrations...making each moment and milestone precious and special. they make me feel so loved and so cherished...and never let a day pass without making sure i feel that way. i think my relationship with them has been cultivated by the amazing way they love me. all this to say...this is what your dad and i want for you. i want to celebrate your life. the big days and the little. i want you to feel extravagantly loved.
sooo.... when it came to your first birthday, i had vivid dreams of how it should be. a reflection of you & things we love to do together....a few words that helped me plan for your party... sweet, feminine, home, sparkles, brunch, backyard play, flowers, bubbles, family & friends.
i think we accomplished just the feel, but whether we did or not...one thing i do know is that it was a most precious first birthday.
here are a few of the details from your party, sweet babe.
your invitation: they were 5x7, watercolor paper, front and back with a scalloped shape. we hand glittered the the "fluff" of your hat and the cake on both sides...i thought they turned our really sweet and set the tone for your party.
i should post images from this special shoot. i'll always remember this day! grandma, grandpa, laura and oak helped...and it was such a fun time. :)
entry table...your baby book served as the guest book.
the view from the entry...cake table to the left, food in the dining room...and aunt laura throwing herself together after working so hard to make everything pretty!!
the cake table...the glittered banner said "sarah caroline" with precious spring birds on each edge. i was disappointed with the design of your cake. but, it tasted good nonetheless. the pink was much too pepto-bismol...and photographed even worse! though it was too pink, it wasn't THAT pink in real life. ;) but, hey it tasted good! it was white cake with banana cream filling, buttercream icing with fondant details. your monogram was on top...with the tackiest monogram font...ha...we're a little picky about your monogram around here!! you had your very own smash cake with a 1 on top. we served it to you on your first piece of china, a tradition i hope to never let slide. my plan is to serve your birthday breakfast on a new china plate each year...a different plate that captures the feel of your party, year, or maybe just you in that year of your life. grandma had the (amazing) idea that your first piece of china should be from her collection, which was passed from her grandmother. wow. how precious is that! it is soft pinks, taupes and gold, which perfectly flowed with your party. i love that you'll forever have this plate in your collection. your grandma is so sentimental, generous and wonderful! i want you to be just like her. :)
the mantle...the banner says "fearfully and wonderfully made"...that you are! below the banner is a garland of 5x7 pictures...one from month. it's so much fun to look through the pictures and see how have changed from month to month. we are so thankful for your healthy body and mind.
these pictures are hung on a mirror in the living room...they are of the "invitation shoot" and are sweet pictures of you eating birthday cake. i love them. below, we had an area for guests to leave memories of your first year. i'm sad this little table was overlooked and we really didn't have many memory cards left. i dropped the ball on directing guests. but, the weather was perfectly pleasant, so there wasn't much milling inside to discover the little details like this.
here is a closer shot of the dining room. brunch food was on the table. we used vintage chenille beadspreads to drape the food and cake tables. coffee was served to the left, under the tissue balls. these banners say "happy birthday" "caroline". so sweet! i think i'll order banners for every holiday!
the food table...we served chicken salad on croissants, blueberry & cinnamon muffins, nonnie's famous (dad's favorite) cookies, peanut butter & jelly sandwiches shaped like flowers and topiaries made of purple & green grapes, grape tomatoes and strawberries. there was also a little bowl of pink sixlets...an easter favorite of mine. :)
i really fought it, but grandma talked me into using paper plates, cups and silverware...and as usual, she was right...i was SO thankful, as we were able to enjoy family all weekend without spending hours in the kitchen washing dishes.
the coffee table, clear sugar rock-candy stirrers gave the coffee and little bit of sparkle.
i love this framed picture of you going face first into the cake!
napkins...i have so many of these, we'll be celebrating this day all year!!
juice was served on the kitchen bar. we have a peony bush from your great-grammy and it bloomed just in time for your party. perfect! i had to cut a few to bring in. :)
the day was perfectly pleasant. really perfect. i couldn't have asked for more! the smell of pinon filled the air...and when our friends and family filled the yard... i couldn't have imagined a more perfect day to celebrate you!
a detail of the cake. my favorite touch is the gold candle...i may have spent more time candle shopping then shopping for anything else! ha. that first candle is important!!
guests planted flowers to take home to remember this fun day.
this banner hung on the chimney. grandma made it for you long before we knew if you'd be sarah caroline or ike...or duke...or knox... :)
potting area.
special little signs to add to the flower pots.
and some people put these sweet little stickers on the pots, too.
outside we served bottled water and mexican coke on ice. the water wrapped in ribbon and fastened with a sticker-picture of the birthday girl!! grandma, mama and aunt laura worked hard on these...weeks before the party!
we used a birdbath to ice-down apple juice-boxes
and here are your thank-you notes. 4x5.5 front and back. though we asked for no gifts please, we wanted to thank our friends and family for celebrating with you. some did bring you birthday gifts, so we were sure to add an extra little note of thanks on the bottom. :)
it was a sweet first birthday for a sweet little girl! i am thankful i have you to celebrate...and i hope we never fall short of doing just that.
i like partying with you! more fun party posts to come :)
i love you, caro
mom
