Here's a little round-up of some fall memories we made this year. Zoo boo, pre-school, the kids' first Pacer game and more :) Enjoy!
Glitter & Gold for our One-Year-Old
She's all things glitter and gold and now she is our one-year-old! If you know our Kerigan, you will most likely find her in a tutu and pointing her toes...when she's eating breakfast, watching cartoons, going to sleep...that's her. So we had to do something fun and girly.
The party started at 11 am, so that we could not only party around nap time (she's still taking two a day) but also so we could serve brunch and all her favorite foods!
We've hosted enough baby and toddler parties to know not to over plan. We didn't have any planned activities except for all the kids to go crazy and party in our basement and then to come back upstairs for brunch, cake and presents. All of her parties guests were 4 and under, so the minimal activities worked out perfectly for all the sweet babes.
Here are some party photos and glittery details :)
Brunch & Treats
1. ham, egg & cheese muffins:Lots of babies, so I wanted a snack parents could grab on the go and eat anywhere throughout the party. I'm sure this was a variation of pinterest recipe. The muffin cups are from Sweet Lulu (you'll see we used them a lot for party deets)
2. breakfast casserole:my sister's mother-in-law is famous for her breakfast casserole. It was perfect for some substantial food to avoid pure sugar highs. We ate two trays of it. Huge hit!
3. fruit cups:Kerigan loves fruit. Mom helped prep all her favorites. We displayed them in the cutest little cups, also from Lulu.
4. mini pancakes:pancakes are the perfect food for babies with very few teeth. I think we had at least 5 baby girls there between the ages of 6 months and 15 months. Personal pancakes plates & syrup cups were the extra little mini touch for our mini girl.
5. mini donut holes:fresh from the grocery's bakery.
6. macarons:every year, I order our birthday cakes from the best bakery in Indianapolis, Confectioneiress. I've always wanted to try their macarons. So glad we did. They even sprayed them glittery gold for us.
7. bacon bites:my aunt provided the yummiest bacon snack. She is queen of presentation!
8. cheerio cups:with all these babies, we had to have an option for them. I know all of them are at different stages of what table foods they're trying out. But we had to serve them in cute Lulu cups ;-)
9. churros:my dad made the most delicious churros. I think they were the first things gone.
10. powdered donuts:who doesn't love powdered donuts? perfect for the sweet treats table. Again, fresh from the local grocery. I wish I could tell you I made them, but let's be realistic.
11. birthday cake:who other than Confectioneiress? They never cease to amaze me with their design and the actual cake itself- no one makes them better.
12. coffee & juice bar:lots of tired mamas coming to this party. They were happy to know coffee was on tap. We also had orange juice and a variety of milks served in gold cups with Lulu pink straws
13. pink punch:at every party, punch is our thing. My mom made raspberry sorbet & ginger ale punch (no spiking for a little guests)
14. party favors: gold wrapped mini candy bars:My mom and I sorted through all the leftover Halloween candy to find anything wrapped in gold. Then we put them in cute little treat bags and sent them off with the party guests!
A lot of the party decor came from showers or parties I have thrown before. Remember my sister's baby shower?
Party dress & decor:
1. Custom poster: I ordered this from Custom Chalk Poster. She was wonderful to work with. You receive a high quality digital file as your final product. Then I had it printed on poster paper at the local Office Depot. Then I used a frame & easle my mom already had so we could have it out on display. This is a great keepsake!
2. Fireplace banner: This is a banner from Paper Source- one of my favorite stores. You can customize the banner for any party or even you throw. Party staple, for sure because you can reuse it over and over again.
3. Food & decor details: Muffin cups, fruit cups, pancake plates, Kerigan's growth banner gold twine, cheerio cups, gold sticker hearts, etc- all came from Sweet Lulu. It's an online party supply store that I believe offers more variety and chicer (is that a word?) choices as far as party decor and favors. They were super reasonable in pricing (comparable to Party City). I will be a life-long follower to Lulu because I was so pleased with their customer service, cute packaging and perfect party details at a great cost.
4. Birthday girl onesie: Her birthday girl onesie is from Lola and Darla. If you have a daughter, watch out. This place can be trouble. I love everything about her shop. Follow her on instagram too because she's always designing new items.
5. Gold tutu: Bella Bling by Melissa. I can't say enough positive things about her. She has her own etsy shop and is amazing at communicating with the customer. Kerigan's tutu was custom but was exactly what I was looking for...and amazing quality. Kerigan has and will wear this tutu a lot. She loves it!
6. Gold moccasins: BabyDahl Boutique. This vendor is one of my friends! She has her own etsy shop as well. Her moccs are great quality and again, fraction of the price compared to other vendors.
7. Gold headband: Kerigan and her mom believe that the bigger the bow, the closer to heaven ;-) So when searching for big gold bows on etsy, I stumbled upon, Gold and Arrows. She's awesome! I have been a repeat customer since because we just love her bows (and prices)!
8. Gold hair bow:And sometimes...after she rips the headband out, we wear a bow clip. This particular bow is from Hanna Andersson. We love their pjs. Like, love. So when I saw the gold, sparkly bow, it was perfect.
9. Pom dessert table banner: These particular poms are from Party Poms on etsy. I was willing to pay a little more than what Target has to offer. I wanted more length and overall a higher quality pom. I use this banner a lot for photo session and even plan to use it in Kerigan's nursery.
10. Dessert table letters: The gold O-N-E letters are cardboard letters from Hobby Lobby that I just spray painted. Love how spray paint can transform anything and on a budget!
Love this party girl!
So excited when everyone was singing to her. She loves the spotlight :)
And that's it! I may have missed something here or there...but I think that pretty much sums up the party deets. The key to party details is to plan ahead. Don't shop at one place a few days before your event. Compare pricing and wait for sales! And reuse or repurpose what you already have. I know that sounds like a big time commitment, but if you love to create like I do, don't overwhelm yourself. Just do a little bit every few days or weeks. If you plan a few months out- it's a piece of "glittery" cake!
Happy birthday, our glitter girl... You make this world sparkle a lot more!
She's One.
One year with Little Miss Kerigan. I think I have mentioned this before, but my Grandma Vargas always use to tell me that "Love multiplies, it doesn't divide." Kerigan, we do love your brother with our whole hearts, but you have allowed me to grow a new one. You are the song to my soul and the answered prayer our family always sent up. Thank you little girl, for being your bright, beautiful, funny, lovable little self.
Here are some things about our Ker Bear. There is one correction on here...I completely guessed before I finalized this poster on her weight....she's only 17 pounds. #pipsqueak
A word from daddy on his girl's day:
"Precious little girl, you completely changed our family since you graced us with your presence one year ago. We thank God for your sweet spirit and loving nature. You remind me so much of my mom with your cool demeanor and beautiful smile. We love you little Kerigan and can't wait to celebrate many more birthdays!"
A word from mommy:
"This year has been filled with baby snuggles, dance parties, a copious amount of diapers, giggle fits, hair bows, baby wearing, double strollers, 'organized' chaos and tons and tons of sissy kisses. I always loved the idea of Briggs having a brother growing up but God knew we needed you. You are our constant ray of sunshine. You are the most go-with-the-flow and uplifting babe. We didn't know we were having a girl and I still pinch myself because I don't believe it's real. I thank Our Savior every day for our beautiful blessing, our Kerigan Kay. Happy birthday, doll baby! Today we celebrate you, my sweet."
Now, enjoy some cake smashing!
Happy birthday, beautiful.