Campfire Party!

On Sunday we had a little family birthday party for Hunter. After two somewhat successful camping trips this fall, I thought it would be fun to have a "campfire" theme for his big day.

I had a hard time finding an opportunity to snap pictures of everything before the festivities began, but I did get a few...

I had so much fun creating little details like the campfire cake, edible "acorns", little fire lanterns for the kiddos, and birdseed covered letters... and had an even better time seeing our home filled to the brim with our wonderful family... a big thanks to each one of them for celebrating Hunter's birthday with us!

on to the next event... Thanksgiving!

Party party.

Yesterday we celebrated Hunter's birthday with a party, and although it was his birthday, we really wanted it to be a celebration of the many of the wonderful friends and family members who accompanied Hunter in his first year of life. His birthday was the perfect time to commemorate the little boy our baby has become, and the loved ones who journeyed with us as he grew.

We decided to have a harvesty-construction themed shin-dig, which for those of you who know us well, comes as no surprise. Mike and I both grew up in the construction world...driving trucks, operating equipment, and building things. Hunter was in his first mini-excavator when he was only a few months old...so it just seemed like a good fit.

We had three bonfires going to warm up the yard, and lots of hot cocoa to go around. All in all, it was a wonderful night...

Here are just a few of my favorite pictures from the night...

Welcome to the Carnival!

Hi Friends! I hope everyone had a wonderful weekend! I am back with lots of pictures and details from my sisters baby shower brunch on Saturday! We had a wonderful time, and Nicole (the mom-to-be) was able to catch up with so many familiar faces that she rarely gets to see since moving to Virginia, which was a blessing!

The theme was girly carnival, which we chose after scouring pinterest and magazines for inspiration, as well as doing some brainstorming with friends. I was so excited to make some of the decor myself, and find amazing deals on some of the other elements of the shower.

We used a bed canopy to make the "seat of honor" extra special, and I made the pink and mint banners using doilies from the dollar bins at the craft store!

A dear friend lent us her "Lemonade" sign, and I attached a few little birdies to the corner to make it feel like an authentic outdoor carnival...

We had mounds of cotton candy, sweets, and popcorn, and some cake pops that I made using my new babycakes cakepop maker... and so many sweet friends and family members made yummy quiches, stratas, muffins, and salads...

 

 

 

 

I found a giant roll of pink raffle tickets at the party store, which turned out to be the perfect addition to the decor, and I was able to use them in a myriad of ways!

Using an idea that I found in Country Living magazine, I spray painted a handful of plastic dollar store animals white, giving them a whimsical, but more classic look. I also found these awesome little lion and elephant piggy banks at the dollar store, which I stuffed with some tickets. 

The little Ferris wheel picture holder below was also an amazing deal...I found two of them for 2.99, and spray painted them white before my mom printed off verses about children to place inside...

We played a simple game where everyone took a ticket and Nicole picked matching coupons from a cup...whoever's color and ticket number she called out had to tell the group how they knew Nicole, and a piece of momma advice! We also asked on the invitation for everyone to bring a favorite children's book to add to Baby's new library collection.

It was a really wonderful time and I am so thankful for each woman who came. Thanks to everyone who made tasty things, wrapped sweet gifts, and smiled brightly at the new-mom-to-be! You all are wonderful blessings to our family!

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