More Baby Moments & A Winner!!

This post was created in partnership with Canon Canada

I hope you all caught last Wednesday's post... because if you missed it, you not only missed out on some cute pictures of Nolan and great tips for capturing your wee one's at home, but you missed a really great giveaway! I'll get to the winner of the Canon Selphy CP910 photo printer shortly, but I wanted to share some more tips and photos first!

As I mentioned last week, Canon Canada has a wonderful app called Baby Moments, that is full of all kinds of wonderful, easy to follow tips and tutorials to help you capture better photos of your little ones. Last week I talked a bit about the importance of lighting to capture great photos, and this week I have a couple different tutorials I attempted to capture that I want to share.

The #BabyMoments app has a section that is broken down into tips for great photos to capture based on your baby's age. In the 0-3 section, one of the tutorials is for attempting a fun scene of your baby, staged from above. I decided to try it out for myself, making a fun fishing scene for Nolan. I set the scene in our dining room, where we have the largest windows, and took the pictures mid afternoon when the sun wasn't too bright or harsh. I then laid out my scene using a blue bed sheet, a sun made from yellow felt and rick rack, cotton ball clouds and a halved basket for the boat (B's Mom helped me out with this part). Then, B helped by wrapping some rope around the top of the basket and we added a little life saver from Halle's bath toys. The most important prop (other than Nolan) was a tiny fishing rod B had, and a toy fish from Halle's bath toys.

Despite having the perfect scene set, we were lacking a baby who wanted to stay asleep. I attempted to nurse him and settle him to sleep more than once, but it's much harder when they are past the one week mark. I was so close to capturing the perfect shot of him, but he startled himself in his sleep, causing him to kick the basket and wake up fully. My added tips here, try when Baby is very little and sleepy and maybe include a white noise machine into the mix. Regardless of Nolan's inability to stay sleeping, I wanted to share the two best photos I captured, using my Canon Rebel SL1.

{He's starting to wake up here, trying to get his hands in his mouth so he can soothe himself back to sleep}

{This one would have been perfect, like a celebration shot of his catch... if only he wasn't kicking the basket!}

The next tutorial I attempted was a sense of scale. I needed to start with a nice soft spot to lay our little guy, in a room that receives a lot of natural light. I decided on our downstairs guest bedroom in the afternoon, which is extra perfect as it is a nice bright white bedroom. I set the scene with Nolan in my favourite newborn outfit (and it was the last time he wore it), and some white bedding along with a faux sheepskin rug, with our DIY headboard as a backdrop. I was lucky that he stayed asleep long enough for me to snap some good shots of his tiny self...

Though this last photo has nothing to do with sense of scale, who can resist an adorable baby yawn (and that outfit!? Seriously!)

Now, before I get to our winner I need to say I was thrilled to take part in this with Canon Canada. Not only has Canon always been my camera of choice, but I think it's so important to capture all the stages of our little one's growing up. Sharing these tutorials with you really pushed me to capture some different and sweet photos of our little man. I know I will definitely continue to use the tips from the #BabyMoments app to capture special moments of Nolan as he grows, and of his sister as well!

The winner of our giveaway was selected using random.org... and the lucky number was 12! That makes Linds  our giveaway winner!! Lindsey, please shoot me an email so I can make sure your prize is sent to you! Thank you to everyone who stopped by and entered, and congrats to our winner!!

Capture Your Baby Moments

This post was created in partnership with Canon Canada

If you are a parent, you know how quickly time passes with our little one's. I mean, Nolan is already almost 4 weeks old. How has he been here that long? Before I know it he'll be smiling, crawling, walking.... going off to college! With how quickly time flies, I find it so important to capture as many of these priceless baby moments as possible... and I already know I haven't been as good about it as I was with Halle (the curse of being the second born, right?). So, I have partnered up with Canon Canada to share some tips and tricks from their Baby Moments page to help you capture better photos of your wee ones!

This page has some really great video tutorials that are super easy to follow. I have always found lighting to be the most important factor when taking photos in your home. For these photos of our sweet boy, I put him into our favourite neutral organic sleeper and after nursing him to sleep, I laid him down on the faux sheepskin rug for some texture (and his comfort). Though the window in his room is not big, it lets in some great light. I just made sure not to take his photos when the sun was shining directly in the window, to avoid strange shadows and harsh light. I'm really happy with how they turned out.

With Nolan being just out of that sleepy newborn stage, but still wanting to be held all of the time, I was lucky to be able to snap just a few photos of this guy on my new Canon Rebel SL1, before he woke up again. This camera is great for capturing all of those #BabyMoments, whether at home or on the go. It's the lightest and smallest SLR on the market - making it easy to take anywhere, including that already too full diaper bag!

Now, as great as it is that we are all going to be able to step up our photography of our little one's - it's also important to remember to get your pictures printed so you can display them around your home! Well, Canon Canada wants to help make sure that happens. We're giving away a Canon Selphy CP910 photo printer to one of my lucky readers (sorry US readers, this one is restricted to Canadians only)! Make sure to leave a comment below with some of those special #BabyMoments you want to, or have captured and printed!

Make sure to come back on Monday to find out who the lucky winner is... and to see some more special #BabyMoments that I've captured of Nolan! 

**THIS GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED**

Nolan's Birth Story

     I imagine most people who read this blog, also follow me on Instagram. If that's the case, then you probably know that our little man made a quick arrival on May 21st, right here in our home. Nope, it was not because he arrived quickly, but because I planned for a home birth with him. I did a lot of research prior to making my decision and knew it was right for me and my family. If you have any questions, feel free to email me or leave a comment below. Today, I wanted to share Nolan's birth story (as I documented it for him), along with how I felt about this birth and what helped with my recovery this time.

{40 weeks + 1 day... 3 days away from meeting our little man}

My Dear Nolan,

     You are finally here and you have filled us all with so much love and joy, it's almost unbelievable. While it is still fresh in my mind, I want to share with you the story of your birth.
     Thursday started out very much like any other day we had, had recently. I woke up and felt a little sad and discouraged that my body seemed to be making little to no progress on delivering you to us (I actually read this article the day before and teared up a little, afraid I may be induced and miss this whole home birth experience). I shared this feeling with both your Daddy and Grandma, but tried my best to stay positive. Grandma and I took Halle to the park, came home for lunch and then I was meant to get on a phone call, but it never happened. Instead, I took a nap (I was feeling more exhausted than usual), then ran a few errands to pick up some things for dinner. When I got home, I took the rest of the afternoon to cuddle on the couch with your sister and watch some of her favourite shows. I texted with a few friends about how sore and crampy I was feeling that day, but it was pretty on and off so I didn't expect it to mean too much.
     We all ate a quick dinner after Daddy got home from work and then headed to his softball game. We loved cheering him on and I spoke with just about everyone on the team about how anxious I was for you to arrive. By the time we left the ball field for home, it was nearing 8:30, and I was feeling very crampy and getting quite a few intense Braxton Hicks. 
     We arrived home just before 9, and while Daddy gave Halle a bedtime snack, I let the dogs out and used the washroom. I felt like the cramps weren't easing up at all, so I told Daddy to inflate the birthing tub again (it had a slow leak)  just incase, and then sent a message to my Doula Kim to let her know what was happening. After giving her a heads up, I took one sip of the tea Grandma had made me and my water broke right on the kitchen floor. Your sister exclaimed, "Dada, Mama pee'd on the kitchen floor!". Grandma and I laughed and explained to her what had happened, letting her know that you were going to be born. She was so excited, she started to dance around and thank me. 
     This was all happening around 9:10 and Daddy started to fill the birthing tub and get Halle ready to go to a friends for the night, while I updated Kim and Grandma started timing my contractions. We noticed right away that they were coming every three minutes and lasting about a minute each, growing in intensity with each one. Daddy paged the midwife on call, who said I was in active labour, so she would finish up a few things and be right over. We continued timing my contractions, which just continued to come closer together and get stronger. Within 20 minutes Daddy called the midwife back and told her they were now two minutes apart and very strong, so she said she would be right up. I climbed into the birth tub, and the midwife and Kim arrived just before 10 - at which point, I already felt the urge to push. Erin (the midwife) told me to do my best to breathe through my contractions while we waited on the second midwife to arrive.
     When Erin was done setting up she checked your heartbeat and noticed it had dropped, so she started to get me to move around to different positions to see if we could get it to recover. I continued to push as we tried to get your heartbeat back up, but it wasn't working. The only position that worked was me standing, and I did not have the strength or energy to do that. The midwives didn't like how things were going, so they had Daddy call 911 for back up, while one of the midwives called the hospital to let them know we would be coming in. 
     Of course my top priority at this point was to deliver you safely (and quickly), so I continued pushing, hoping I could deliver you before we had to transfer to the hospital. I heard the paramedics arrive (apparently there were two ambulances that responded), and heard them discussing with your Dad the best way to get me down the stairs and into the ambulance. Then I heard Erin tell someone to get me a housecoat and tell me we had to go... so I pushed... and pushed, even without contractions, and at 10:48pm you entered the world, screaming and crying and letting everyone know that you were just fine.

{Nolan's first photo, in bed after everyone left in the early hours of the morning}

     In that moment, we were all so happy. The midwives checked you out and were pleased with all of your vitals and with how I was doing, so they sent the paramedics on their way (who had been discussing with your father, his fine craftsmanship of our dining room table and light fixture) and then called the hospital to tell them we were safe and would not be transferring after all.
     I spent a long time cuddling you on the couch, talking quietly with Daddy, Grandma and Kim (check out this article on the benefits of an undisturbed first hour - worth including in your birth plan, no matter where you are delivering), while the midwives worked quietly to care for us and then gave us lots of quiet time. After you were weighed and measured, I cleaned up in the shower, while Daddy and Grandma got some cuddle time with you.
     Your Daddy and I were so thrilled to be safe and comfortable at home with you. I loved being able to climb into our own bed, have something to eat and keep you nearby, in this house that we will raise you in.

{The morning after he was born}

     We didn't have to endure a long or uncomfortable hospital stay (though the hospital you would've been born in, is very nice!!), we got to eat all of our own food at home (like chocolate chip pancakes the morning after you were born) and there were no uncomfortable car rides to the hospital and back (getting there before I delivered you may have been a bit dicey).
     Halle went to stay with good friends for the night, but she was able to come home to us bright and early the next day, anxious to meet you. Right away she told me how cute you were and she hasn't been able to stop talking about you, holding you, kissing you, helping with everything and always being the best at calming you down. It's made us so happy to see her fill the role of big sister so wonderfully.

{Sibling love - she can't get enough of him}

     I wrote more to him, in the journal that I keep for him, but that is all that I wrote in regards to his birth. 

     I found for the few days after Nolan was born, I just sat back and reflected on his birth with a smile on my face. Despite his heart rate dropping, I was so pleased with how his birth went. Thrilled that his date and time of arrival were a complete surprise (I was induced with Halle, so I was not as lucky) and that it was quick and I needed no drugs - only my body, some positive affirmations that I repeated to myself and my wonderful group of support people. He was not born in the tub as I had hoped, but he was born at home, safely and into my arms, surrounded by people that I knew and trusted (plus 4 paramedics in the background).

     I did a lot to prepare for his birth, though of course I can't say exactly what contributed to my quick labour. I drank Red Raspberry Leaf tea, attended prenatal yoga for a number of months, and did a lot of reading and research on natural child birth and home birth. My reading and research helped so much to prepare me mentally for everything, and if nothing else, I highly recommend doing at least the last part. I never researched with Halle, and I wish I had educated myself more.

     As for recovery, having a birth I was happy with helped and so did being at home. Of course, not everyone will have these in their back pockets. One thing I want to really stress is physical care. Rest, hydrate, have healthy food and snacks ready (both for the hospital and at home - I had a bunch of these baked up and frozen for an easy to grab breakfast or snack and I love them) and if you can - make these pads! I had the same kind of tearing this time around, as I did with Halle, but I found I healed much more quickly using these wonderful, frozen healing pads. I also had some extra witch hazel that I added to my peri bottle. Within a couple of days climbing in and out of bed and walking came much easier. 

     We're struggling a bit more this time around with nursing. I think my supply is low, so we're spending a lot of time trying to boost it back up, so that he can gain some weight. Other than that, life seems to be moving along nicely for us and we are thrilled to finally be a family of 4!

     Have you ever had or are you considering a home birth? I'd love to hear from other's about their birth stories, whether at home or in the hospital. Each of us has such a unique story for how we came into this world.

Making Room for #4

I swore that with baby number 2 I would stay on top of things... be ahead of the game! Be totally prepared for his arrival. HA! I should have known better, right? Between maintaining our home, being a Mom (which includes taking Halle to different activities, outings, preschool, etc) and maintaining our social life, let's just say I'm a little further behind than I planned to be at almost 33 weeks pregnant!

My due date with this little guy is sneaking up on us quite quickly and I am anxious to have his room mostly (if not completely) finished by the time that he arrives! B has been an absolute trooper, helping me make this whole thing come together. Without him, absolutely nothing would be done! There is still a lot to do, but between the two of us, I know that we'll get there (eventually).

Unlike Halle's nursery in our first home, the space that is the nursery lacked any sort of character. It was just a bland grey box, that we were using as a "guest room" (we dumped a queen size bed in there and pretty much called it a day). Here's how the room looked the day we did our final walk through (in April of 2013).

I never got a picture of the opposite side of the room on that day, but the closet also had no trim around it, much like that little window shoved into the corner. I knew that I wanted this space to feel more cozy and have more character, so we started to discuss adding trim to the walls. We had a few ideas of what we might do, then I saw this post from Bethany over at This Little Estate and thought that her idea sounded perfect! As soon as B saw what they did he was right on board as well.

For those of you who follow me on Instagram, you may have seen this photo of B getting to work a few weeks ago. 

I wish I had documented his process a lot better, but that photo is about as good as it gets. He essentially did the same thing as Bethany and her husband did. He ripped some MDF boards into strips, and used his nail gun to attach them to the wall. He also trimmed out the window and closet doors (as well as the bedroom door of course, to ensure it matched with the rest of the room). Then he had to fill in the nail holes, and caulk around some of the edges, sand it all down and give it too good coats of white trim paint.

By the 15th, we had the nursery looking like this (wall colour not very accurately captured below)...

By the end of that evening I wanted to have the curtains up. We had purchased some pipe from Home Depot and spray painted it black. Once it was dry, B attached it to the wall using large butterfly clips that fit in behind the drywall. We secured one side to the wall that the window is on, and the other straight to the opposite wall.

Last weekend B did the last few coats of paint on the trim, and I vacuumed and shampooed the carpets. On Sunday the crib was assembled and the one piece of artwork I was certain I wanted in here (a photo I took on Vancouver Island last summer) was hung. We picked up his dresser (which I found on Craigslist) on Saturday, but we have had to keep it at a friends place since. I'm hoping we'll pick it up sometime this weekend. For now, his nursery is slowly starting to resemble a space for a baby...

I plan to get his way too long curtains hemmed this weekend and once his dresser comes home, I can finally start to wash and put away his tiny clothes and cloth diapers that I have been amassing. It also means his closet will finally be cleaned out. That's the next big project. It needs to be disassembled, painted and a new storage system installed. We plan to do something similar to what we did in Halle's closet. It will be a whole lot better than it's current state, that's for sure...

So there you have it! Not long now till our little man joins us, and progress is slow going in his room... but we are getting there! I can't wait to share the finished space! Hopefully I will be able to well before his arrival.

Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas

By now, most of our family and friends should have received our Christmas cards, so I figured it was as good a time as any to share this year's family photos and send a little Christmas cheer to those of you who are still reading along with my mostly silent blog!

We had our photos taken by B's cousin back in September when we were visiting family in Massachusetts. You can find her website here. She had the perfect location suggestion and nothing makes it easier to get in front of the camera than knowing your photographer! If I have any readers in the Boston area, I highly recommend Amy! Seriously, just look at these smiling happy photos!

What makes these photos even more special to me, is more than likely these will be our final photos as a family of three! We are expecting a little bundle come May and we are all so thrilled that our family is FINALLY growing. It took us longer to get here than we hoped, but it all seems to work out perfectly and Halle is anxious to be a big sister! She asks almost daily, "is the baby coming home today Mama?". 

So that's our big news, and a look at our family for 2014. I can't believe Halle is getting so big... and that soon there will be another tiny one around here. Life is crazy and full, and I am so incredibly happy - for real. Of course, new baby also means relocating our upstairs guest bedroom downstairs - which means a whole new room makeover down there, as well as some nursery decorating in the future! I can't wait to get on top of all of it... and maybe I'll even blog about it along the way?

Up On the Mantel

Happy Monday! It's a long weekend for us, so today's post will be short and sweet, about a project I mentioned a while ago. Back when I shared our autumn mantel decor, there was a big empty gap just begging for something to fill it up. 

In that same post I talked about how my ideal solution would be to get a large canvas of Halle up there. I had a photo in mind, but I just couldn't pull the trigger with the cost of getting a canvas being so high. Then, one wonderful Groupon was the answer to all of my prayers... a great deal on a 30" x 20" canvas for only $49. How could I possibly turn it down. The deal was purchased, and then I jumped on the company's website, ArtsyCanvas, uploaded my photo and ordered it the same night.

Last Wednesday, when Halle and I returned home from a great afternoon play date, I was thrilled to find a large box on our front step. I immediately cut into it, and was thrilled when I pulled out our new canvas.

The quality of the canvas itself was incredible, and the photo looked beautiful. It went directly up onto our mantel and I couldn't be happier with how it looks...

Though I have the photo in colour as well, I opted for the black and white version. I figured this way we can leave it there all year round and it will always match our seasonal decor.

The photo was taken by the fabulously talented Nicole of Bittersweet Photography during Halle's one year photo session way back in July. It's one of my favourites and I knew it would be canvas worthy as soon as I saw it.

Yes, the space could have used a larger canvas, but this was the largest size available, and to be honest I didn't want something TOO large that may eventually not fit into whatever space we end up in. I think this is just perfect and will be easy to hang wherever we would like in the future - our bedroom, Halle's bedroom, a playroom, the options are endless!

Have you turned any of your own family photos into a canvas? What website did you use and where does it hang now?

A Week Later...

... I decided I would make a quick post with a few photos from Halloween. Last Wednesday was Halle's second Halloween. It was also the first time she experienced trick-or-treating.

We brought her around to about 4 houses in our neighbourhood, and the lovely couple next door was even sweet enough to get her some very special treats that were appropriate for her to eat, and let me tell you, she loved them!

I think I could dress her in that elephant costume ever single day. When she walked the little tail in the back would wag back and forth and it was seriously cuteness overload. We were lucky that B got her to leave the little hood on for trick-or-treating, and these few photos - she really hated it. Bonus that it was a nice warm Carter's costume that we snagged for $12 at Costco back in August.

Ah, she's getting so big, and I'm loving every single second of watching her grow. She makes me laugh every day, and she is just the sweetest. She seems to have endless hugs, cuddles and kisses... especially for her Mama.

I'm slowly catching up on blogs, and may reach everyone's Halloween posts by Valentine's Day. Between my Etsy shop, and all of the fun stuff Halle and I get up to these days... there isn't a whole lot of time for blog reading... I'm lucky I find time to throw some posts like this together...

My Teethease - A Product Review

Today the blog is switching back over to a bit more of my Mommy/Baby content. The other month I got an email from Lindsey over at Teethease. You may remember my review on her products from back in the spring. Well, Lindsey has just launched a few new fabulous pieces in her collection, and wanted to know if I wanted to try one out and write a review. Since Halle had just got her fifth tooth, and had such a hard time with it, I knew it would be great to try one out with tooth number 6 on it's way soon.

After checking out all of her fabulous new designs, I picked the Rockease Trio to give a whirl. When it arrived I loved it instantly. Even without Halle trying it out, it's such a stylish piece and I got a ton of great comments on it right away, so on the Mama front I gave it an A+ for style!

What about the most important critic though? What did Halle think? Well, the first time that I showed it to her, and let her know it was okay to chew on, she chewed on it briefly, but seemed to give up rather quickly. I thought maybe the rocks were too big for her little mouth, but the other weekend my theory was disproved.

Poor baby girl has been battling with tooth #6 for what feels like months. She'll have a period of chewing a lot, and then it will pass and this repeats frequently. A couple of weekends ago, while helping friends move, I noticed she wanted to chew on everything she could get her hands on. Thankfully, I had packed my necklace into my diaper bag, so I grabbed it and put it on and away she went, happily chewing on this cute little necklace...

I love how easy it is to bring everywhere, and she's not able to toss it on the ground when I have it around my neck. Of course, she loves it as well - it definitely seems to help soothe her sore little gums when those teeth are making their way in. 

I loved Teethease after our initial experience with them in the spring and I love their products even more now. They are perfect for busy Mom's, and their poor teething babes, and I love them as a baby shower gift. What Mama wouldn't love a pretty necklace that serves a purpose as well? 

The First Tweak is the Cheapest

I must say, after yesterday's post on making some changes to Halle's nursery, I was itching to get started. Of course, I will be trying to make these changes on a shoestring budget, so for now I have to start small. While we were out and about yesterday, my mind started turning and coming up with ways that I could make some changes on the cheap. Art can always be the cheapest way to go so I immediately went to that. 

If you follow me in instagram (firsttimefancyblog), you would have seen that last week B and I finally got some more artwork up on Halle's wall. I never shared it on here, since it was exactly the same as what we hung in Toronto, and I knew that some changes would eventually be coming.

So, what easier place to start then with those embroidery hoops? As beautiful as I think both of those fabrics are, it was time for something new. I headed down to the basement and started sorting through my box of fabric, and pulled out a sample I had picked up when I was back in school - and yes, it was completely free as I had pulled it from the sample room. As soon as I pulled it from the box, I knew it would be a good starting point for our changes, since the colours would work wonderfully with my inspiration art from yesterday:

{1 . 2 . 3}

After holding up the whole piece of fabric, I knew which part of it would look best in the big hoop, but I decided to recruit Halle to pick for the second hoop - I mean, after all, this will be HER big girl room...

Unfortunately, Mommy wasn't completely on board with Halle's pick, so that big flower was spared (probably for a later) project. I really love how everything turned out though, and it's really energized me to make some more changes in her space. Here's how her art wall is looking now...

Let's not pay any attention to Halle's memory box that is crooked, and driving me nut, and take a closer look at those pretty embroidery hoops...

 

I think this was the perfect way for me to get started on changing up Halle's space - especially since it was absolutely FREE! B was pretty happy about this as well! For now, I'll continue to try to shop our home to make changes, and in time share with you the process of her how her room is coming along. Of course, we still have a lot of time with guests coming up, but I'll do my best to keep sharing what's happening! For the time being, if you are interested in what we are getting up to everyday, you can follow along on Instagram. Find me over at firsttimefancyblog. 

Have you been making any small changes around your place by shopping your home?

A Big Girl Room for Baby Girl

Happy Tuesday Friends! I had a bit of a disappearing act yesterday. I know it happens rather frequently, but we've been busy catching up and showing B's parents around. They arrived on Sunday, so things have been pretty crazy (in a good way) around here. BUT, today I am back with a bit of an inspirational post!

Recently, I've been dying to spruce up Halle's room here. I loved how everything fit and worked in her old space in Toronto, however, here, things just aren't working the same way. My mind has been spinning and I'm already starting to dream about what Halle's big girl room will look like. I'd like to inject just a little bit of pink into the space - something in a bit of a rosy colour. Since she's not ready for a new bed yet, I thought a good place to start would be with some accessories. Here's some of the artwork I've been eyeing to add to her wall...

1) "Let Her Sleep For When She Wakes, She Will Move Mountains" Print - $20.00 by Yellow Button Studios: I think this print is sweet, from the words to the colours it is exactly what I would like to add to her little space! The price isn't too bad either, in my opinion.

2) Assorted Girlie Dog Set - $18.00 by Rifle Paper Co. - Alright, so they aren't prints, but these sweet little dog cards would be perfect to frame in Halle's room. There are two of each card in a pack, so four can go on her wall, and four can be saved for stationery. I just knew, as soon as I saw them, they would be the perfect addition to a room for our dog loving girl. 

3) H is for Happiness art print - $25.00 by Evajuliet - I shared this print before on one of my Fancy Friday Love posts. As you can tell, I do really, really love it. It can also be personalized, so I think I would have it changed to H is for Halle. What a perfect piece our baby girl could keep forever!

Accessories will probably be the easiest way for me to begin the transition. While I start on the walls, I will continue to look for the right throw cushions, curtains and other pieces. As much as I love all of the sentimental pieces in her room, I just think I need a change. We're in a new place and Halle is growing so quickly, into quite the girly girl. Don't expect a huge makeover, or major reveal - but some little tweaks here and there as I find the pieces I love for a great price.

Are you planning to make some small switches or adjustments to any rooms in your home for the coming season? 

Halle's Puppy Party

Happy Monday! We're back safe and sound in BC, and I have a full day ahead of running errands and unpacking. I could not let the day get away without sharing photo's of Halle's puppy party with everyone.

I wish there were more than what I am offering below, but I had little time to snap away in between setting up, and then greeting and catching up with all of our wonderful guests. I'm actually sad to say I missed a few of the details I worked on with my Mom, like the pretty water bottle labels she created for us. At the end of the day though, it was great to be surrounded by so many wonderful family and friends, and Halle did wonderfully even though she only took one nap the entire day and didn't go to bed until 9:30. Here's our day...

{Do I wish the fabric were wider - yes. But then we wouldn't have had the dog pattern running the right direction. It did cover the window and at the end of the day, I am pleased with how it all turned out}

The cupcakes were made by my cousin, and she used some of her leftover bones to decorate the table. Cute! I'm glad we spray painted those Value Village dogs. They were the perfect weights for our napkins on a rather windy August afternoon.

I had fun putting together and naming all of the treats for the party, and my Mom did a fabulous job creating the tent cards. They matched the water bottles that we had, and turned out so cute!

The fruit skewers were a hit amongst kids and adults. They were actually the very first treat to run out. I hear the majority of them were devoured by the birthday girl herself. Speaking of birthday girl devouring - she finally went for the smash cake. After seeing her eat an un-iced mini cupcake at my cousin's, the previous weekend, we decided that was the way to go. Turns out we were right. She ate the majority of her big vanilla cupcake...

A few of the other details from the day...

Our utensils. Rolled in pink and orange napkins, held in place by a sticker (designed again by my Mother) that read "Wipe Your Paws". Yet another detail I failed to capture.

Halle's Time Capsule. We left this on the gift table, and asked people to write Halle a message or wish, followed by what they believe she will be when she grows up. Our plan is to have her open this box when she turns 18, and read all of the notes from when she was 1. This box will also include the notes that were written to her at her Boston Tea Party.

Displaying 12 Months of my baby girl. It's so crazy to see all of these photos lined up - her growth and changes so obvious. It's hard to remember that tiny dependent baby in the first photo. She is surely little Miss Independent these days.

Drinking straws, with small orange and pink duck tape flags attached. These were provided for the orange punch and pink lemonade that we made for the day. Yum!

So there you have it, a small glance at how Halle's Puppy Party went down. We had such a fantastic day. Incredible weather and the best company we could've asked for. At the end of the day, the people who came were the most important part. Especially now that we live so far, it is great to get to see everyone and catch up when we were home, and what better way  to do that than to get everyone together for a great celebration.

What did you get up to on this lovely August weekend?