Elisabeth's Whimsical One Year Old Birthday Party

My sister, who has 4 boys, was so excited to collaborate with a baker to make this cake. It was perfect!

 I helped make some balloons, but this flower basket was by my fabulous sister, Pookie the Clown!

 Paper garland made by me and my mother in law using scrapbook paper.

I made this adorable birthday crown. It is actually very easy and fun to make! Just make a paper cone out of sturdy cardstock and embellish it. I used cupcake liners for the paper flower and I cut up crepe paper and glued it on the top and bottom.

 These cute boxes and picks are from Micheal's. Adding cotton candy to them made them useful!

The scrapbook paper used in the garland and party hat made a cute #1. I think I will try and do this every year!

These napkins were the inspiration for the theme. We quickly planned this party during a vacation, as in like, one day, so it was fun to come up with something whimsical, inexpensive and matching.

 This gift is pretty much only given as a cruel joke for the happy parents.

 Trying on her first pair of sunglasses.

 Elisabeth with her aunt Lindsey and Grandma.

 She threw a fit for a few mintues, but then resumed to joyfully eating her cupcake.

 Daddy taking her to get all cleaned up.

 Entertainment for the night was a magic show by her cousin Casey and uncle Stephen.

 Her very first pigtails!

 Aunt Pookie's lionhead bunny had lots of babies!

 Elisabeth with her Daddy's parents.

linked to Everything Etsy's Crafty Girl Linky Party

My Two Girls

Jackie was a rescue pound puppy, we think a border collie/lab mix. I called her my little pig and sometimes Patricia when I first got her, about 11 years ago. She was 6 months old and I got her as a companion for my other healer mix dog, Simon (who ended up being adopted by a physician friend on his farm, and even saved his life.) Jackie was very sick and I had to tend to her all night long for quite a while. I thought, "THIS must be what it would be like to have a newborn!" Well, no, after having three newborns, I can honestly say she was WAY harder. When I met my husband, he was able to tame that wild beast of a puppy and that is how I knew I loved him. Even though he momentarily lost her when he dog watched her as I traveled out of state for the birth of my first nephew....

I thought I had trained her to stay off the couches, only to discover she has now adopted this chair.

Being a dog owner/companion, I always thought I would NEVER allow my kids to put her in second place. When I became pregnant with my first, we had to start to train her to not sleep in our bed. She is an old gal now, cataracts and lumps and lots of allergies and smells and old lady quirks... and it is true, she does get the back burner of attention when so many kids are under foot. But, we still love to cuddle when we can find those moments of peace. She's my little noodle chup.