Florida Birthdays

Sure, Pinterest can give you an inferiority complex.  Sure, it might leave you overwhelmed, hungry, and envious all at the same time.  But for me, I find it quite brilliant.  Especially when planning a party. 

So here are my Pinterest inspired birthday parties from our year here in Florida. 

 

Superhero "V!"

Vincent's birthday falls at the very beginning of summer break.  In order to celebrate with his new friends from his new school we moved his birthday celebration into May.  The nearest public park with a pavilion served as our venue.  "Superheros" were everywhere that day....

 

(Thanks Mary for Vincent's awesome cape!!!)

 

 

 

 

 

This was our superhero station.  Prior to the party I used the no sew cape pattern from my Pinterest board to cut capes out of a large roll of nylon purchased online.  My uber creative and talented neighbor helped with the capes and also had the brilliant idea of using yellow paper cups as armbands. 

 

 Neighbor to the rescue again!  Mary found a cute retro tablecloth on sale for a $1 at Walmart.  I cut out the sound words and attached them to cardstock then to buckets containing yogurt for SPLATT!, veggie chips for KRUNCH!, and popcorn for KAPOW!

 

You can find this cake idea on my Pinterest board.  Just FYI - in a huge bag of M&M's very few are actually red.  My mother and I stayed up super late the night before the party sweating over red M&M's.

Vincent, you were fierce and fast at your 4 year old SuperHero Birthday Party!  I'm your mommy and so I can say, You sure were cute too!!!

 

For fun, here are Vincent's 1st, 2nd, and 3rd birthday parties......

 

 

Birthday Brunch

With their birthdays only five days apart, Sophia and Luisa face a life-time of joint parties.  But because this was Luisa's first birthday and because this would be Sophia's only time to party with her new Florida friends, I decided to separate their parties while still having them on the same day.  Both parties were "tea parties."

 

We started the morning with a Birthday Brunch for Luisa.  The guest list was limited to family and our wonderful neighbors.  I set the table with cream colored paper plates, gold plastic cutlery, and beautiful vintage tea cups.  I also cut paper place mats from scrapbook paper and made a table runner out of paper doilies.  What fun I had during the months leading up to the party as I perused antique shops for dainty, feminine tea cups and saucers!  Jacksonville's vintage shopping is a hidden gem.  The prices are great due to competition and the selection is astounding.  Since moving here I've collected several pieces of home decor and furniture.  Vintage shopping is a newly found hobby and one of my favorite things about our year here in Florida. 

 

Now, onto the birthday girl!  Being the youngest of three, she's used to attention but never everyone all at once.  She was tentative at times but overall enjoyed her birthday party immensely. 

 

Time for cake!!!  Luisa dug right in, trying out the texture more than the taste of the cake.  I purchased the birthday crown from this shop on Etsy.  I hope to take her picture in it every year on her birthday. 

 

After a bath, it was time to open presents!!!

 

Luisa, I hope every birthday party you have from now on resembles some of the elements of your first:  good food, lots of laughter, but mostly being surrounded by so many who truly love you....

 



 

 

 

Dolly and Me Tea Party

 

For Sophia, everything is about her dollies nowadays.  So naturally when it was time to pick a theme for her 6th birthday party I immediately knew dolls would be included.  There are so many tea party and doll party ideas to choose from on the Internet.  Pinterest came to the rescue again in helping me organize my thoughts.

 





We decided on an all girls party.  So after brunch clean-up and a few cat-naps on the couch PawPaw and Daddy took Vincent to the park for a little baseball while the girls changed and got ready for the festivities.

 

 

 

The party took place in the late afternoon so snacks were simple.  Donut holes (cheaper version of petit fours), popcorn, goldfish, apples and caramel dip, and veggies with ranch dip.

 

 

 The dollies would celebrate with fancier cuisine.  Hand-made felt food (oh, how I love Etsy and the little shop birdtoast!). 

 

 

As I was planning and pinning and enjoying myself immensely with this party theme I realized, Sophia is old enough to do a little planning of her own.  So, I put her in charge of setting up the dollies tea party.  I provided doillies and vintage handkerchiefs.  She busied herself for half and hour setting up this sweet party fit for all the pretty dolls.

 

 

 

Paper dolls were on the agenda after the dollie tea party.  Originally I tried to hand-draw a few paper doll silhouettes.  After showing them to Tony, he made me promise I would not send Sophia's friends home with astronaut, alien looking paper dolls.  It was a brutal reality check.  But much needed.  Etsy to the rescue. 

 

 

 

Cake time!!!  She looks so grown up here.  Sweet girl.

 

 

 

The day could not have afforded more beautiful weather for a party.  So outside we went.  For ring around the rosie. For games on the quilt my Granny and I made together.  For little girls and one little brother, happy to be together. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sweet girls with their matching dolls!

 

 

 

Sophia, what a fun 6th birthday party!  I was so proud of how you planned your dollie tea party.  You are growing up fast and I am proud of the young lady you are becoming.  Truly, I love you....

 

 

For fun, here are Sophia's 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and 5th birthday parties.

1:13 p.m.

There are piles of groceries on my kitchen counter.  The beds are still unmade and company will arrive in only a few short hours.  But I will sit here at the computer anyway and allow my imagination to take me back to 1:13 pm on October 24, 2012, the hour and day Luisa Ray Morlandt was born. 

We showed up early to Labor and Delivery on October 24th, the day of our scheduled induction.  We checked in with the front nurse, my water already broken, labor well on its way.  God's whisper of love at 4:30 in the morning as I awoke with soaked sheets.  He was in control of this day.

Eight hours later Luisa Ray Morlandt emerged with the cord wrapped twice around her neck and with cries that lasted over half an hour as they suctioned and prodded.  It was all too much for our sensitive Luisa.  Soon enough we were settled in our hospital room and her true disposition began to emerge.  One of sweetness, calm, and contented sleep. 

The following weeks come back to me now as beautiful images of a baby girl sleeping in the noonday sun, right there in her bassinet in the living room, under a purple knitted blanket, surrounded by moving boxes.  Night-time feedings snuggled against my breast.  Free of the post-partum depression that haunted my previous newborn experiences, I actually cherished night-time feedings.  Whisper songs and newborn flesh heavily perfumed with baby lotion, we drifted off to sleep together through-out the night.  My heart was at peace and woozy with love. 

And now?  1:13 p.m., one year later?  She is sleeping soundly in her crib, her bunny's ear in her mouth.  She is long and thin with all her fat resting in her cheeks.  She is sensitive and tentative and oh so sweet.  I find myself a mixed bag of emotion on this her 1st birthday - gratefulness, joy, with a smidge of wistfulness - how did this year disappear so fast?  Thank you, Creator God, Abba Father for the gift of Luisa Ray.

Ana Sophia's 5th Birthday!

With a baby due one week before Sophia's birthday we were forced to simplify her party. We opted for a painting party with a few friends followed by cake and snacks at our go-to park with Sophia's classmates. Sophia requested a "Barbie" theme which meant Barbie table covers and cupcake toppers for this "heavy with child" momma. It was a simple but fun party.

Painting

{The birthday girl with her first choice.  She changed her mind about 5 times and then settled on a dog, which she carried around everywhere for about 5 days.}

{Natalie with her bird and Will with his football.}

 



{Choosing was the hardest part....}

{Judah settled on a superhero and his brother Lawson went with an Angry Bird.}

{Vincent LOVED painting his superhero.  He was the first to start and the last to finish.}

The Park

 



{Making cards}

{Barbie cupcakes, compliments of Jean Jean.}

{The simple spread}



{Sweet friends}

{Sophia and some of her school buddies.}

 



 

{Sophia can hold her own with the boys!}

{Presents!!!}

Posts in the queue:  Ana Sophia's 5 year old update and interview and a gillion other posts that I may or may not get around to publishing....