Craft & DIY

Over the weekend we celebrated Bixby’s first birthday with a small family party at home. It was a lovely, sunny day, and Bix had a grand time playing in the backyard with his Aunties between lunch and cake. My side of the family lives in California, so I felt lucky to have my Mom here for the party!

I hung a colorful bunting across the front porch and tied a giant round balloon from the railing to make things festive. Of course I forgot to move the dead trees from the front steps before the photo-op, but there’s always something, right?

Doesn’t the birthday boy look dashing? He got a special new outfit for the party, a plaid shirt and adorable little chambray shorts; each time I looked at him it just killed me! He loved sitting in that big chair on the porch waiting for our guests to arrive :)

I had so much fun setting this table for the party! I used some pretty polka dot wrapping paper as a table runner, hung a birthday garland across the mirrors, and set out the “number one” cookies I baked on a cake plate. We tied another big red balloon to his high chair. And just FYI, big latex balloons like this deflate quickly, so if you use one be sure to have it filled the day of your event. I did not know this, so I sent out poor Benny to get them filled the day before only to have him get berated by a grocery store employee. Um, are we the only ones who didn’t know this?

I wanted to keep the flowers sweet and casual, so I took a big mixed bouquet from the market and cut it down, dividing it between a tea pot and a few little jam jars I had laying around.

To drink we had strawberry lemonade in mason jars with old fashioned paper straws. We threw in some lemon slices for fun, and I was going to put out sprigs of fresh mint, too, but I forgot. D’oh. For lunch we kept it simple with sandwiches wrapped in wax paper and a board of antipasti.

Over the mantle I hung a mini clothesline with some of Bixby’s most often worn baby clothes. Taking these little treasures out of their box and touching them again seriously melted my heart. On the shelf above I placed a small chalkboard and wrote a message inspired by Shanna Murray.

In the entryway I took a big stack of printed photos from Bixby’s first year and made a collage in the shape of a number one (as best I could!) with Japanese masking tape. I did this freehand, but I think it would be wiser to first trace a pattern onto the wall, lol.

Bixby’s sweet Auntie Amy came over the day before to bake the Victoria sponge cake; she is a super talented baker whereas I have used our mixer exactly two times, so she gets all the credit for this creation. All I had to do was put together the “sandwich” in the morning: strawberry jam, fresh local strawberries, freshly whipped cream, and powdered sugar on top. Yum.

It was a hit with Bixby, and of course the strawberries and cream were his favorite parts!

We must have sung “Happy Birthday” to him at least five times over the course of the day, and each time he beamed! I am just so, so proud of my precious little one, he has such a warm and friendly personality, and each day I am amazed at how much more he has grown. Happy new week, friends! I hope you all had lovely weekends, xo Laura

(images: by me, Laura Gaskill :) )

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