Oliver's 1st Birthday Flashback

Oliver's Lumberjack Party

It's hard to fathom that my baby will be two in just a few short weeks. It seems like yesterday that we were bringing him home from the hospital. He came into this world like a whirlwind and has stopped since. 

The past few days I've been all caught in planning his upcoming party, writing lists (I love making a good list) of everything I need to make and buy, and making a few games and goodies. 
With birthday parties on the brain, I thought I'd share Oliver's first birthday with you. In my opinion, every party needs a theme, and last year I went with lumberjack. He's always been a big boy, or plump as Emmett calls him, so I felt Oliver would be the perfect little lumberjack, and of course, he was!

Trail Mix Bar

Beard Making Station

Ax Toss

Roasted Hotdogs

Lumberjack Log Cake made using this tutorial here.

Buffalo plaid inside the cake. This took some time to make but I love how it turned out. 

My friend, Amy, made the smash cake

Oliver loved the cake. He was a mess and I knew he would be hence, no shirt. 

1st Year Facts

I had plaid shirt for each of us but it was so hot that Pierce and Emmett protested and ended up in short sleeves.

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Here's a sneak peak of ideas for Oliver's 2nd birthday. 

I'm going with the barnyard/ petting zoo theme.

Favor idea

How cute is this cake?

Stay tuned for all the fun. I have lots of ideas for food and games that I'll be sharing after next week's party. 

Leaf & Book Page Banner

In addition to planning Oliver's party I've also been trying to get the house ready for fall by incorporating little bits of autumn decor throughout the house. One of the main reasons I love this time of year is that it gives me an excuse to decorate. 
I've got mums on the porch, fall flowers on the mantle, and pumpkins all over the place. Today I wanted to share a little craft you can make in less than thirty minutes for about $10. I was hunting Pinterest for ideas for my mantle when I came across a cute fall banner on Sondra Lyn At Home which inspired me to make my own. 
I bought all of my supplies from Joann's except for the book. I used an old book of fairy tales and pulled out the pages for the stories I didn't care far. 

Leaf & Book Page Banner

What you'll need:

Twine

Clothes pins

Faux leaves 

Ribbon

Book pages

Serrated scissors

Hang your string onto the mantle. Cut out your leaves from the book pages using some of the smaller and a few of the larger leaves as templates. Clip together a book leaf to a faux leaf and arrange on the string. Once all the leaves were hung, I added in the gingham ribbon. I'm really loving gingham this fall so I thought it added a nice touch. 

That's it! So easy and so cute. If you've got any of the ribbon left, you can add it around the room to a vase or wreath to tie everything together.

I echoed the gingham from the ribbon in my centerpiece. I also plan on making a throw pillow for the sofa in this same pattern. 

Happy Fall! Have lovely day.

Fall Shopping Wish List

Even though it was ninety degrees today, the nights are getting cooler and the days are getting shorter which means that fall weather will be here soon. Don't get me wrong, I love summer but I'm getting to the point where I'm ready to sleep with the windows open and not be a sweaty mess when I wear jeans out. I also really love warm fall colors, pumpkin scented candles, and evenings around the fire not to mention the upcoming holidays. I get all giddy thinking about how to decorate and what to bake. Although I don't bake a ton, if it does get done this is the time of year for it. I found this recipe for Caramel Apple Crumble that I'm just looking for an excuse to make.

Another thing I look forward to is the fashion. Cozy sweaters, leather boots, and skinny jeans are my jam and I'm ready to get back into them. So of course I've got to check out what's new for this season and I wanted to share some items I wouldn't mind having in my closet.

Button-Back Sweater Dress

Calf Hair Mules- I wasn't so sure about mule trend but I'd rock these (gold heels!!)

Long Cashmere Cardigan - comes in three colors

Animal Print Scarf

Striped Boatneck T-Shirt - I love a striped shirt

Mid-Rise Distressed Jeans

Cashmere Waterfall Cardigan

Stacked Heel Bootie

Bow Tie Back Gingham Dress - only $18

Suede Boho Bag

Suede Over-The-Knee Boots

I'll take one of each, please!!!

What we did this Weekend

I haven't shared a weekend post in a while so I figured it was about time to do so. This weekend was so busy that I have lots to share. This weekend we all headed to Columbia to visit my sister, Melanie, and my niece, Alexis, who both had birthdays this weekend. On Saturday we visited Riverbanks Zoo & Gardens. It's been a few years since Emmett's last visit and this was Oliver's first. They both loved all the animals and had a blast, especially since that got to spend the trip with Alexis.

The penguins were a favorite. 

I don't know if anyone else uses a backpack leash for their toddler but as you can see, I do. I used to think they were ridiculous but then I had a toddler who wants to be independent or he will scream bloody murder... so now I get it. He will gladly put on his owl backpack if it means he can walk around freely. I take back all the times I made fun of these. Now I understand. 

Celebrated their birthdays with dessert and margaritas!

Alexis loves herself some Ollie. I think the feeling is mutual.

Happy 5th Birthday Alexis!

On Sunday we went to Alexis' birthday party at a gymnastics center. Emmett was nervous at first but ended up loving it. He loves anything he can be competitive at... I guess he gets that honest (from me).

this reminds me of those cat posters that say "hang in there" 😸

In other Emmett news...

he had his first soccer game last weekend and another this weekend as well. He's really likes it. Maybe we've finally found "his" sport.

he also learned how to ride his big bike... NO training wheels guys!! He was super excited and it was pretty impressive. He put his mind to it, hopped on, and did it like a boss.

I hope you enjoyed a few family photos. This weekend was a blast but now I'm exhausted and ready to hit the sack. I hope you all had a fabulous weekend as well. 

Home Tour- Guest Room

Guest Room Tour

My guest room has been a catchall since we moved into our house over two years ago and it's been driving me crazy. A few weekends ago I finally got around to taking everything out and painting the room. We filled in the hundred nail holes the previous owners left for us and applied a fresh coat of paint. It's amazing how much a new coat of paint can change a room. I wanted a white with hints of cool but not too bright. I went with Sherwin William's alabaster which I think turned out just like I wanted.
Once the walls were done, I only moved in what I wanted to keep in the room. I moved board games and books upstairs to the bookcase, got rid of junk, and organized what was left. Even though our guest room isn't technically a bedroom... it's supposed to be an office... I so happy to have a welcoming, neat space for our family and friends when they come and visit.

Mirror is from Homegoods. Lamps can be found here. 

Mirror, dresser, and fan are antiques.

I bought the side tables off Craigslist, gave them a fresh coat of paint, and some new hardware... Tada! I love how they turned out. 

I forgot to get a picture of the door with my camera so I took one on my phone but I wanted to show the doors. Even though you can't see through the curtains, I want to get some that are white and a thicker material. 

Before

After

I hope you enjoyed my guest room tour. I have more plans of things to add (like maybe a blue rug and some art) but I'm happy with it especially compared to where it was. What else do you think I need to add?

Also, today's my little sister's birthday. Happy Birthday, Melanie! No matter how old you get, I'll always be older and you'll never let me forget that. 😉