A Hip Hoppin' Good Time

"Hop on over for lunch and some fun. Our little bunny is turning one!"

Thus began Frances' bunny-themed first birthday! In lieu of a traditional birthday party hat, Frances opted for some gussied-up bunny ears! She actually enjoyed wearing them.

You may recall that Easter is one of my favorite holidays, so it wasn't hard to round up some party decor for this middle of the summer soiree. Aunt Mak scouted out these adorable rabbit topiaries at Pier One back in April. Thankfully, I had already chosen the party theme at that point, so I stocked up while they were on sale. Flowers were courtesy of Tula's front flower beds.


I couldn't resist adding some cabbages and carrots to the decorative mix!


I saw this adorable felt banner on Etsy and decided I would make one for myself. Very easy and so cute!

Some bunny ears for the guests...

The menu consisted of salads, lots and lots of salads--chicken salad, pasta salad, corn salad, Oriental coleslaw, fruit salad and pink fluff! There was also pork tenderloin with jezebel sauce and yummy party punch!

And the cake, oh, the cake! I was very pleased with how it turned out!

Tissue pom poms and a string of photos from each of Miss Frances' 12 months.



I think Miss Frances enjoyed her cake too!!! She was digging in before her brother and sister could help her blow out her candle:)



Hoping to have a post with all the details and how to's along with some recipes!

Let The Parties Begin

Three birthdays and two birthday parties later, it suffices to say we have had one party-throwing, candle-blowing, cake-eating week!!!

Kathryn and Walker were so blessed to have family and friends on hand for their "Splash and Slide" party! See Walker running to get back in line and Kathryn sliding down. The kids couldn't get enough of it!!

The birthday girl

The birthday boy

I just adore this picture. They were soaking up every second of their friends singing "Happy Birthday" to them. They had been waiting for this party, and this moment, for a while!

After all the chicken nuggets, fruit and cheese curls were devoured and the last guest had left, Nana and Papa took Walker and Kathryn to stay with them at the Battle House. Kathryn, aka Rapunzel, LOVED the ballrooms there. Walker also liked staying at the hotel, and it allowed me to get ready for party number two on Saturday!!

Let Her Eat... Doughnuts!!!

Our sweet little Frances turned one today! My how quickly time flies when you are having fun! I sure do love this little girl. Our lives just wouldn't be the same with out her!!

Happy Birthday, Baby Girl!

The Birthday Boy and Girl

Oh, my goodness! They finally made it. Walker and Kathryn have been waiting for their birthday since, well, Christmas! So, you can imagine how excited they were to see daylight today!

I thought this was the sweetest picture. You can tell they are only half awake. They made it to about 6:45 a.m. which I thought was pretty good! I heard Kathryn get up first and go in Walker's room to tell him it was time to open presents. Good thing I had them ready!!!

We, of course, had to start the day off with candles and a round (or two:) of Happy Birthday! Kathryn's candle is in her "usual"--a cheese stick!


Walker is the one who has been SO EXCITED for his birthday. He gladly blew out his breakfast candle!

After breakfast, we enjoyed a quick visit from Pops who brought the birthday boy and girl a balloon for each! After ballet camp, we enjoyed a yummy lunch at Moe's (kids eat free on Tuesdays--perfect!!) with their friends Michael and Anna! After that, we made a quick trip to Target to let them pick out a birthday goody, and then back home to play with their loot!

After dinner, we enjoyed cupcakes and another couple of rounds of Happy Birthday! I think the day was a success!


Now I have to get over the fact that my "babies" are FIVE, and my real baby will be ONE on Thursday!

FIVE

My babies will be FIVE tomorrow! Can you believe it? I hardly can!

I'm posting today because I hope to be back tomorrow with a recap of their special day. But as always, I couldn't help taking a stroll down memory lane...

June 28, 2006--Look at those bundles of joy!

A picture never before seen on the internet...this was the morning we left for delivery. Am I huge or what!?! I didn't even have clothes that fit anymore!

But it was worth it when I saw these two sweet angels...

June 28, 2007--Look at these adorable little one year olds!


June 28, 2009-- A barnyard party to celebrate turning 2!


June 28, 2009--Princesses and Cars were the theme as my little toddlers turned into preschoolers at age three!


June 2010--Four! What a summer! Here they are enjoying their birthday party Toy Story 3 style!

It's hard to remember what life was like before these two. They are precious, each in their own little way, and I love them more and more each day!!!

Happy Birthday, Walker and Kathryn!!!

Breakfast with Douglas

Meet...Douglas...

That's Frances' new stuffed lab. Her daddy bought him while we were at the beach last week. According to him, Frances latched on to the puppy and wouldn't let go! They've been attached at the hip every since!

FYI...yes, those are Fruit Loops my baby's eating. Not the healthiest breakfast in the world, but trust me when I say, 3/4 of them end up on the floor!

Also, Frances' new favorite thing is sitting in chairs or on just about anything she can crawl on--stools, fireplace hearths, stairs, you name it! Here's she's in Kathryn's big girl chair (Kathryn doesn't use it any more, so shhh, don't tell Frances, but I ordered a new cover for Kathryn's chair with Frances' name on it! Chair cover was less than $40...a new chair with new cover would have been close to $100!).

Nine

Nine years ago today, I walked down the wedding aisle. It's got me thinking this morning...would I go back and change anything about that special day???

Perhaps a dress with a few more bells and whistles...

bows and flowers (hate the black sash; LOVE the lily of the valley detail)....

or lace a la Kate???

Perhaps a sassy shoe? In blush, I might add. What better color for a bride!!!

Maybe a new color palette? I'm thinking citrus hues would be perfect for a summer wedding...


Or this lovely chartreuse green reminiscent of all the lushness summer has to offer...


Either paired with this beautiful punch of pink would be ideal...

Perhaps a more colorful cake (notice the citrus colors continue)....


Or perhaps a trio of cakes would be best?


The one thing I wouldn't change would be the guy waiting on me at the end of the aisle! I love him to pieces, more and more each day! He makes me feel like the luckiest girl in the world!

Wish I had a picture of just Matt, but I think he'll be glad I didn't:)

Sources: J Crew, Martha Stewart, Vera Wang, and BHLDN