winter ONEderland

Before the big holiday weekend, we celebrated Claire's first birthday with family and friends this weekend.

The theme was Claire's Winter ONEderland and, although know she has no clue all the work that went into it, I had a good time decorating and planning.

Word of advice though: Don't try to merge a one-year-old's birthday party with a surprise birthday party for your 30-year-old husband. Not a good idea. Trying to come up with a "theme" was like trying to merge Mickey Mouse with a hunting rifle and a golf club.

So I rolled with it and managed to throw my husband a surprise 30th birthday party covered in glitter and little kid decorations. :)

 

The birthday girl in the outfit Mommy and Alli made her.

 Decorations...

"Stats" photos for both Bob and Claire. Delicious cupcakes and smash cupcakes from Cupcake Collection.

Decorations:
1. Party invitation in clear ornaments
2. Banner and Month by Month pictures on the hutch
3. Pictures of Bob and Claire pinned to fabric covered corkboards throughout the party

Close up of the monthly pics. One more to add this weekend!

And...the party!  

"Surprise!" Bob was sent to the store for balloons.

Me and the birthday girl. Who had a good time despite the look she's giving here.

Claire reacted to her cake with exactly the emotion I thought she would: What is on my fingers?! She perked up after she tasted Daddy's chocolate cake though...after it had been smashed in his face. :)

Cake required an outfit change.

<3

 And a nap not too long after that. When she woke up, it was time to open presents. Which clearly she enjoyed!

Opening Presents

Claire with her Alli

 Thank you to everyone who came! We had such a good time and appreciate the role each and every one of you plays in our sweet girl's life.

...and the stockings were hung by the chimney with care...

I love Christmas stockings.

I love Christmas stockings in fun bright patterns.

I love Christmas stockings that coordinate.

Since we've added a small child to our family this year, I needed new stockings. The old stockings for Bob and I plus a new one for Claire just wouldn't do.

I looked around. Online. At Christmas Village. In magazines. I saw a few that I loved. I did not love the price tags.

So my encouraging husband reminded me that I have a sewing machine. And I sort of know how to work it. And that I have a mother-in-law who graciously fixes my mistakes and lets me use her embroidery machine.

So off to Joann's we went, where Bob and I picked out fabric for stockings. And since I don't know how many kids we will have and I want these to be our stockings forever, I decided to make six. Don't get too excited, I'm still trying to figure out the one kid I have.

And I got to work...

TA-DA!

I wish I could say it was as easy as pie. Well, it was. At first. I followed this tutorial.

I was doing good. I cranked out six stocking feet in an evening!

I took a break until we went to the farm for Thanksgiving so that I could embroider our names on them before sewing the cuffs on them.

Somehow, in the week between making the stockings and trying to embroider them, I lost my mind. I blame the small child.

Long story short...I embroidered our names upside down on the cuff. Oops. Thankfully my wonderful MIL helped me make it work. And they're adorable. Just slightly longer than the tutorial. Which Bob loves b/c he thinks we can fit more in them. 

By the way, when I hung these last night, I looked at Bob and said, "How weird is it that we have Mom and Dad stockings in our house?!"