Gratitude

I owe more thank you’s than I can count to my parents for helping me pull off both parties last weekend. My mom washed more dishes than I thought possible. She certainly got tired of me chopping salsa ingredients! My dad took care of a little to-do list I had running and never complained when we sent him out on one more errand or asked him to move one more piece of furniture. Then, after all that, he helped me get a coat of paint on the new nursery to be! Most of all, they provided endless entertainment and care for Avery.

Thank you!!! I couldn’t have done it without you!

Fiesta Fun for the Older Crowd

Matt and Mary Jo made the drive from Memphis with their little ones to attend both parties. Thanks party peeps! Most of these photo props Mary Jo scored from a previous party.


The happy birthday boy and girl.



I wasn’t kidding about keeping those margaritas flowing!



Todd’s dad couldn’t be convinced to use any of the props, but we did capture a great smile.



These are Todd’s best buds, Matt (on the left) and David (on the right). David is the photographer behind most of the pictures I’ve been able to post. He rocked!



I had to share this one, but the work crew shall remain nameless. Incognito is how they roll anyways. Sorry boys, I don’t think these disguises would fly out on the streets!



That just about wraps up this crazy fiesta day!

Fiesta Birthday–Part 2

As I mentioned, at the end of the 3 year old fiesta party we had one hour to transition the scene to the 40 year old fiesta party. Since the day Avery was born, Todd’s birthday has played second fiddle to Avery’s. This year I wanted to do justice to the milestone birthday. (It’s a bit unfortunate that all this coincided with me being pregnant, but somehow my energy maintained.)



Margarita cupcakes complete with lime cookie slices and a sugar rim fit the occasion.



The chili pepper cookies were all sweet, but hinted at the spice of the night.



The sangria called to me all night, but I certainly refrained.



The salsa bar sported everything from spicy to fruity.







My mom kept the special recipe margaritas flowing through the night. By the way, tissue paper flowers are about the easiest and cheapest party decoration around.





Just gotta love my 40 year young macho man!



More festive photos to come!!

Fiesta Fun for the Little Ones

Before I move on to the big kid party, I need to address the special time Avery had with all her friends. Here is some merry maraca making.



When we talked to Avery about her party, she would always bring up the cake, candles, and everyone singing her happy birthday. This was the big event for her!



I didn't know how 3 year olds would handle the pin the tail on the donkey, but I do believe all were entertained.



They actually enjoyed cheering each other on as much as the actual pinning. (Peeking was not at all discouraged.)



Gogo provided excellent assistance with the present opening, and Avery was actually thrilled to share paper ripping responsibilities with her friends.



She also happily shared party favor bubbles to all who would receive.



All in all, it was one happy day for our beautiful 3 year old!



All photos are courtesy of our friend David Deas.

Fiesta Birthday–Part 1

Boy, do I have party pics to share with you! One day + two parties = Fun! I’m starting with the details and I’ll save the fun for last. The desserts held center stage (besides the birthday girl of course!)



I had to join the growing trend of using cake push pops for a party. These were a hit, and they turned out so festive with the multicolored layers!



The kids seemed pretty tickled to be able to eat blue popcorn from this fiesta mix.



We kicked off the activities with a little maraca craft.



And, my parents happened to find a Texas sized Pin the Tail on the Donkey to add to the festivities.



The guests left with bubble and personal piñata goodies.



The idea for the piñatas came from One Charming Party.




Okay, I just had to sneak in one picture of my favorite birthday girl!



As the last guest exited the house, the clock started ticking. One hour for a “slight” set change and party number two would take place. Stay tuned……

Starting to Look Like a Party

The party prep for this year's birthday bonanza is in full swing this week. Due to a certain milestone birthday, this year's decor has to cross both gender and age lines. (For those who don't know yet, Todd and Avery share the same birthday.) That's right folks; we're setting up for one day and two parties. It's bound to be a crazy ride!

Friendships Celebrated

We were up in Memphis over the weekend to celebrate a longtime (practically lifetime) friend of Todd's birthday. While the Mommies prepped and planned the Daddies watched over the kiddie fun. Here are the girls awaiting the arrival of the special guest.



Uncle Day Day surrounded by his adoring fans.



And, here is the aftermath. Molly and Avery have the sweetest relationship around. They can disappear for hours of play together. They often only reappear for assistance with costume changes. This was Avery's first "sleepover". I don't know if they linked arms on purpose or not, but it doesn't get much sweeter than that.

Dining in Style

Apparently I'm terrible at taking the before pictures when I dig into a new project. I'm always just so excited to get to that finished look.

This was the only photo I could find that gave a glimpse of the previous table covering. My mom found this great folding kid's table at a antique/thrift store a couple years ago. It had a dated fabric top with some sort of vinyl seat covers.


The other day I spotted this Dena Designs laminated cotton at a bargain price on fabric.com. Now the transformation is complete, and Avery can have those outdoor tea parties in style.





Maybe by next summer I can dress it up even more with a ruffled tablecloth like this one.

Source: theplannertheprocrastinator.blogspot.com via Courtney on Pinterest

Pillow Talk

I think it is safe to say that this pillow is by far Avery's favorite thing that I've made. I'm in the process of dressing up her "big girl" bed, and the Gigi ruffled pillow from Jennifer Paganelli's Girl's World fit the bill. When we showed Avery the picture in the book of two girls holding pillows on their heads, Avery insisted she needed a similar photo. She also suggested making one for her baby sister.







The fabrics are some old Sis Boom favorites with a Michael Miller Ta dot.

An Omie Weekend

We had a wonderful last minute visit from Omie last weekend. We packed our days with what little shopping can be done in Oxford, an improvised front yard water park, and lots of imagination. These two have one special relationship!



While the camera was out and we were dressed for church, we took a family photo as well. I didn't hide my prego belly on purpose, but it all worked out for the best I think!