1st Birthday pics!

so the good Lord blessed us with a perfect day for an outside party.

i mean- high of 81, clear skies, a nice breeze, a well rested kid- seriously perfect. we didn't need tents or towels or anything- it was awesome.

so now i'm going to overload you with pics & info. if you have any questions feel free to leave a comment & ask. i know i searched blogs like crazy for party ideas- so yeah.

Friday Sep 24th: her actual b-day.




my snot nosed kid after an impressive sneeze. it was early- but she was happy.









she walked all around the yard with "dadda" & thought that was just the bee's knees. but she got tired, and refused to walk with me. boo.







so once she veto'd walking it was time to love on "dadda"





and then "mamma"

and that was friday. we both took the day off so we could spend it with alex. we went to breakfast (where she had blueberry pancakes) and ran errands & looked at toys and played- etc etc.
i also spent the day doing "prep work"- ie: making cake, cupcakes, decorations, frosting- etc etc. by friday night all i wanted to do was go to bed & sleep for a year.

but saturday....

Saturday Sept 25th: party day!

thanks to my 2 best friends, decorations were covered. and thanks to my in-laws, things got done/setup!

alex did me a favor & slept in until 7. 7! unheard of! then she proceded to be an angel. seriously. she let me make potato salad & frost cakes/cupcakes & clean up & etc etc.
my friends & in laws came over around 11-12 & alex went down for a nap (hooray) and we got to work.

i finished frosting & prepping food while the girls took over decorations. i then had to get dressed, do my hair, tidy up & supervise (of course)

the in-laws helped set up tables & chairs & put up balloons. it wsa a wee bit windy at first so i was freaking out- but thankfully it chilled out.

alex woke up about 20 min prior to her party & was in a stellar mood (thank God)- i got her dressed & passed her of to my mother in law (lifesaver!!!!) and started putting out the food, candy, dessert, drinks- everything.

everything got finished up just as people started arriving at 2. hooray!

i got as many pics as i could while still trying to be "mom" & "host"- i felt like i was everywhere!




her "happy birthday" banner. i freaking loved it!








the decorations = the banner, tissue paper pom poms & balloons. i kept it as simple as i could.




we had 1 "actual food" table & the drinks we put into a ble tub with ice & the red cooler had beer (Corona & Sam Adams)

food:
- Giada's Potato Salad
- Fruit Salad
- Oh So Olive dip with Beer Bread
- Lays, Doritos & Cheese Puffs
- chicken, hamburgs & hot dogs
and that was more than enough.



her "smash cake"- i made it myself & kept it very simple. i loved it!





the cupcakes- again, i made them all myself.
they were Rainbow Cupcakes with Vanilla Bean Frosting. they were SO good! the Wiener Dog ones are a decal by Ticings. so easy to use & tasted great!





this was the "Sweet Table"

- smash cake
- cupcakes
- drinks (Sweet Tea & Lemonaid)
- favors

the "favors" = A "Candy Bar". we had loads of candy & take out boxes for people to pack up what they wanted to take home. it was a huge hit- the kids & the adults loved it. plus, people could eat it during the party too so it was a win-win.

and that was it for the setup. next- the actual party!




we put a tarp down with a blanket over it & provided bubbles, punch balloons, bean bags & various other toys for the kids.

after people ate & socialized a bit we brought out the smash cake!




of course we blew out the candle & then transferred the cake to a plate (after singing happy birthday)
and she went to work:









she actually started off pretty slow- just poking it & licking frosting. but then she realized that she could make a mess:






she honestly didn't even ingest that much- she was far more interested in playing with it than eating it (for anyone who is worried about sugar consumption)
and thanks to the awesome full coverage bib- it ws a pretty easy clean up job too.

we wiped her face & hands down with baby wipes & simply pulled the bib off. no need to change or bath. hooray!

and last but ot least- present time:









she had a so-so time opening stuff- until....








Flounder was BY FAR her favorite. she started squealing & wouldn't let him go. kudos to my best friend for this one!





and Mr. Dino was also a big hit. she actually got 2 of him! so one will have to be returned for something else.



she rode him around for the rest of the night- until she looked like this:



and i decided it was bed time!

so all in all it was a huge success! lots of work though- and i thought i kept it pretty simple. thank GOD for helpful friends & family because i was exhausted through & through.

thankfully cleanup wa a breeze & we had very minimal left-over food. the candy was all but gone & the decorations were passed out to eager little girls who love pom-poms.

alex went to bed around 8:30 or so & slept like a rock. she did get up around 5:30am but she was in good spirits so i didn't mind.

the day after:








we spent Sunday winding down, playing with puzzles, watching football & a quick mall run.

weekend success.

alright- sorry about the length but i think i covered it all. again, if you have any questions feel free to ask!

and again- happy birthday miss alexis! i love you!

(addtl pics can be viewed here: flickr)