Monthly Archives: February 2009

A year in the life

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Lisa is expecting and wanted to make sure we caught her happy family of three before life gets a little more fabulously hectic in a few months.

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Little J is quite a handsome young boy and just about my daughter’s age. After seeing how sweet and well mannered he is, I think I might have to set them up on a playdate and see where things lead!

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Of course, it goes without saying that he loves running and playing with Daddy too!

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I can’t wait to watch this family grow as we start this “Year in the Life” project together. From the three of them to maternity photos, a birth and a baby, finally a new family of 4 will be born. To be able to document this special journey for them is an amazing opportunity. I just can’t wait!

Turning ONE in style

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My baby turned one year old this week. Amazing. The year went by in the blink of an eye. This weekend we did the party and I have to tell you about some fabulous vendors on island who helped me throw her big birthday bash.

First, note the birthday girl outfit. The onesie was courtesy of Sarah of Finding Happy Design. She designs custom onesies around whatever ideas you might have— or don’t have yet. I emailed her with no direction except that I’d probably put her in a tutu so I needed some kind of girly-girl birthday top to go with it. She sent me a few ideas and we started refining from there. She’s got practically a whole fabric store in her house so I just went nuts digging through her stash to find the perfect pattern. I think it took longer for me to decide what I wanted than for her to actually do it!

Speaking of tutus, the minute I started planning out this outfit, I thought of Designs by Cambria. I knew she’d have a tutu in every color, size, and shape imaginable. What I didn’t know is that I could essentially design anything my heart desired. I took the onesie over there, found two different shades of pink tulle to match, added coordinating ribbon streamers, chose a waistband style and then she made a hairbow out of the same ribbon. She showed me every combination she could think of and then some. I know I’m ridiculously picky, but she patiently addressed my every whim. You really can’t ask for better service!

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Now, of course, the princess needs a castle! Isn’t the cake really the focal point of a kid’s birthday party? I mean you can build the whole theme of the party around the cake! I called Jenn the “Biz-E Cake Lady” to ask her what she could do and she came up with the most adorable little princess castle cake! Look at the details:

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She also did a matching mini-smash cake for the birthday girl to tear into so that the main cake could be served to the party guests. Perfect, right? Wait until I tell you that she brought it to me! And, when I mentioned that I didn’t have enough space to pick up the balloons for the party, she picked those up and brought them along as well! She’s amazing. I’m putting her number on speed dial for my next party!

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At the last minute, I realized that I needed some finishing touches to make the day just perfect. I called Ruth and Michelle of Creative Custom Crafts to make some programs and party favors. I spoke with Ruth on Thursday about my Sunday party and she didn’t blink an eye. They made these programs listing the menu and some useful information for the guests to leave at each place setting. They came in two colors, pink and purple, so it alternated around the tables and became part of the party decor.

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For party favors, we decided on these adorable little “slices” that when arranged together became a 3-layer “cake” of party favors. I’m always looking for non-sweet gifts to give out so the pink slices for girls had a hairbow from Cambria, and the purple slices had a matchbox car inside. Ruth even did the party favor shopping for me and still had everything ready for me TWO days after I first contacted her. Her handiwork added so much to the party that I can’t believe I waited so long to call her!
Everything went off without a hitch, and I could not have asked for a better experience. Thank you so much Sarah, Cambria, Jenn, Ruth, and Michelle! You did a fantastic job making this day so special!

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C O N N E C T