How Will I Know?

"How will I know if he really loves me?"
Well, he bakes me a Whitney Houston cake for my birthday.

Lots of Dots!

Liam's first birthday was a great reason for me to put my creative hat back on and get to work. I figured I'd better take advantage of these first couple years when he doesn't have an opinion on what kind of party he wants. So, a polka dot party it was!

The backdrop were paper dots sewn together to make a garland. Super-duper easy and a little addicting. I was sort of planning all of the places I could hang dot garland all over the house (which I decided could be in every room).

No party is complete without Martha's poufs. I added pictures of Liam framed by colored dots. The containers are all food containers and glass vases with floral foam to hold dowels in place.

I designed labels for the water bottles and beer bottles. "Mommy & Daddy bottles" and "{not for} Liam" :)

These Nutella cupcakes are thanks to Your Cup of Cake.

The orange polka dot picks were made from ribbon attached to a toothpick. The cupcake stand is a cardboard cake circle covered with paper and trimmed with ribbon. I placed it on a couple of ramekins for an instant cake stand.

Vanilla cupcakes with cream cheese frosting. These cupcakes were a recipe from Martha and were so-so, so I won't link to it. I designed the graphics and attached them to toothpicks. I also placed the cupcakes in another liner because my cupcake liners always look yucky after baking. Not sure if there's a tip out there to make them look as good as they do before baking?

My fabulous family frosted the cookie stacks. The recipe for this fluffy sugar cookie can be found here. They are truly delicious!!

All of the food was round. Fruit kabobs, pesto pinwheels, caprese salad and pizza (not pictured).

I cut paper circles (with a circle cutter!) and had people write either a memory of Liam or a wish for him for his second year. The plan is to put them in a book for him along with photos from his birthday.

I also made a polka dot birthday hat for him which he wore just long enough to snap a few pictures. Was it worth it? Heck, yes!

It was a very good party!

Best Creation Ever

I've made a lot of things in my life, but none of them can compare to this little guy!

The first minutes of life: Note how mommy isn't wearing a hospital gown — there was no time!!

Wouldn't It Be Awesome If . . .

I'm featured on my friend Aubre's blog today!
Every Wednesday she features a "Wouldn't It Be Awesome If" post. Take a look at mine.

Aubre's blog is full of great tips for technology, fashion, DIY and pop culture. I like reading her blog because she sifts through a lot of the gunk on the web and gives me good info that I can actually use. Read her blog and bookmark it. You won't be disappointed!

Painting on Fabric

I tried my hand at fabric painting this week.
I quickly learned what worked for me and what didn't.
My first projects were a perfect fit for Regretsy. (not shown!)

Stencils seemed to work best for me. Most of the stencils were purchased but they can also be cut. This requires much patience.

April Showers

My awesome sister is pregnant! I threw her her first shower this weekend. I went with the theme of "April Showers." We had the shower at a cute little cafe in a town not far from here.

A Peek Inside . . .

Some snapshots of my cube at work.