They say it's your birthday...

I've been very lax on the blogging front in recent months. It moved down the priority list but now I'm back. With a post about Eloise's FIRST birthday! So much fun to plan. People say, oh it's their first birthday... they won't remember it. Maybe not, but we will. And it was a wonderful day surrounded by all of our family and she loved every minute of it. She also pointed and wanted to touch all the decorations so it was worth it. After all only celebrate your first birthday once. Her are some pictures of her "Sophie the Giraffe" themed party! Eat your heart out, Martha.

Happy Birthday poster

One year banner

Banner close up

Drink table

Sophie and the Eiffel Tower

Straws with flags. Ooh la la

Birthday headband

Cupcakes

Cupcake topper

Smash cake

Cake pops with flags

 Crepe paper pomander

Cousins! (And bday outfit #3)

On her actually birthday in her custom onesie

Merci for coming to my party!

Treat bags

Personalized birthday facts

Birthday water bottles

Party details:
Eloise loves her Sophie so I thought it would be fun to create a party around Sophie--who is french. We used her toy and the Eiffel Tower my parents actually brought her back from Paris. I couldn't find an cute Sophie decorations so I had everything custom made! I loved putting it all together. It was a big Etsy effort and everyone I worked with was amazing!

It all started with Ashlee of Scriptiva Paper Studio. I just happened to email her with my Sophie idea and she took it from there! The poster, invitations and sticker design were from her. Now her designs are for sale in her shop!  I had the poster printed at Costco and the stickers at Vistaprint.

I used the stickers, card stock and lollipop sticks (from Mariapalito)

The water bottle labels and the favor tags came from Chickabug.

Other shops: I ordered Eloise's custom headband from Little Lady Accessories.

The straw flags and "One" paper punches came from The Homespun Hostess.
The straws came from HeyYoYo .

For her actual birthday and to wear while she ate her cake--I ordered a heat-transfer paper personalized birthday design from Get the Party Started that I just ironed onto a white onesie.

You've got your mother in a whirl. She's not sure if you're a boy or a girl...

Do you remember this book?

My parents were recently in Boston, where the book is set--and brought it back for Eloise. The story and illustrations are lovely... a true children's classic I'm glad she has on her growing bookshelf!

So now check this out....

via Kate Landers Events

  A Make Way for Ducklings party! The details are all so cute... however, let's pause to examine that is a baby gender reveal party. Where you had to wear pink or blue to represent your guess. Wha? (Can you imagine getting an invite to that? A bit much and you know, I'm really in a baby-centric place.) But we will note the mom-to-be is an event planner so I'll allow it. Still, all the little touches are really inspiring for a baby shower.  You can view the whole event and feel bad about any crepe paper decorations you ever used at a party here. It's quack-tastic.


Not sure if you're a boy or a girl....

Long ago, it must be, I have a photograph... preserve your memories... they're all that's left you

A blog made me cry. Almost instantly. I stumbled across this article on The Today Show's website ( I was looking for video of the orphaned polar bear cub that flew by UPS from Alaska to the Louisville Zoo. )

Louisville's newest and cutest resident.

So anyways... back to me happening on that article...(no, seriously. I know the polar bear cub is cute. But focus!) It was written about this website called Dear Photograph. A young guy-- who still lives with his parents by the way-- was sitting at his kitchen table when he realized some of the old photos he was looking at were taken at the same table. So he took a new photo--lining up the background with old one.

Cool idea, right? But I mentioned getting weepy. It has to do with the captions.  Each one starts with "Dear Photograph," then people add one or two lines.

 The picture above said this : "Dear Photograph, Thank you for everything we had."

Some are funny. Some are deeply personal. Some have little touches in the current photo you pick up on. Just by looking them and reading those few little lines, you get sentimental and nostalgic. You realize time is flying. And it's heartbreaking.

It's time to play the music, it's time to light the lights...

"Fact: if you do not like the Muppets, you are not a human being with a working heart"-pitchfork.com 


I agree! And because I have a working heart, I'm kinda excited for the new Muppet movie. Watch the trailer below. It's been popping up all over the place lately. 

The Green Album 

The Soundrack! I think Eloise is going to need a copy of this. 

Muppets: The Green Album

01 OK Go: "Muppet Show Theme"
02 Weezer and Paramore's Hayley Williams: "Rainbow Connection"
03 The Fray: "Mahna Mahna"
04 Alkaline Trio: "Moving Right Along"
05 My Morning Jacket: "Our World"
06 Amy Lee: "Halfway Down the Stairs"
07 Sondre Lerche: "Mr. Bassman"
08 The Airborne Toxic Event: "Wishing Song"
09 Atreyu's Brandon Saller and Good Charlotte's Billy Martin: "Night Life"
10 Andrew Bird: "Bein' Green"
11 Matt Nathanson: "I Hope That Something Better Comes Along"
12 Rachael Yamagata: "I'm Going to Go Back There Someday"

It takes me back to one of my favorite movies--The Muppets Take Manhattan circa 1984.

One of my favorite parts is in the clip below... maybe perhaps you could bring home the bacon? Yeah, I just laughed out loud. I'm pretty sure I could sing-along with all the songs in this movie. I'll admit it. (Wait 'til I tell the guys in marketing...)

Love on the rocks ain't no surprise, pour me a drink and I'll tell you some lies...

Prepare for random post Thursday!

1) Jack White & Karen Elson's Divorce Party Invitation. I'm sad I already missed this "swing bang hum dinger." A rock star and a supermodel will always be cooler than you and me... even in divorce.

Neil Diamond said it best...

2) White Denim's "Street Joy" video. Watched this when Matt left it open on Gorillavsbear. I felt pretty nostalgic when I saw the french-braid up-do with the end tucked under.


White Denim - Street Joy from Downtown Music on Vimeo.

3) Eddie Vedder, Ukulele Songs

Oh, hello. It's just me--Eddie, barefoot with my uke.

Dreamy songs perfect for summer listening on lazy afternoons. I love the cover of the Everly Brothers' Sleepless Nights. I feel like if I just broke up with a boy I'd play this song over and over and cry in the dark. Maybe Karen Elson should listen.

...so it’s storming on the lake little waves our bodies break...

My test of a good album is when you put it on you rarely skip a track...listen again and again until you know every word. Eventually, you get sick of it and take it out of rotation. But then one day you pop it back in... and love it all over again. I can say I feel that way about Bon Iver's first album, For Emma, Forever Ago.

For Emma, Forever Ago

I already know that the band's second album, Bon Iver, Bon Iver is in that category. An accidental itunes leak led me (well, Matt actually) to get a hold of it early. I haven't really stopped listening to it since.

Bon Iver, Bon Iver 

Justin Vernon is amazing. And very woodsy. Of good mid-western stock. (He's from Wisconsin). I've seen him three times.. twice with Bon Iver** and once solo. He always just looks like he's having a good time doing what he loves...playing music. Lucky guy.

The very woodsy Justin Vernon

Here is the new video for Calgary, as they said on pitchfork.com --go ahead, just try to figure out what's going on here.




P.S. Bon Iver is going to be on Jimmy Fallon again on Tuesday, June 21st. Hooray for DVRs!

**Here my brother, Reed, points out Justin Vernon the first time we saw Bon Iver. They opened for Wilco in Indy.

one more...

I also have to mention this blog, A Veblenesque Gorge, written by another one of my sorority sisters. Her talent for writing is amazing. I'm impressed with every post. Definitely worth a daily read.