valentine's day quilted runner

I have been working on this puppy for Valentine's Day. It is a bit of a wonky styled runner. Say that 3 times! Wonky Styled Runner, Wonky Styled Runner, Wonky Styled Runner!

I like!

Pony Party

We had a happy pony party for my daughters birthday. We surprised her with a real live pony who came to visit Saturday morning and we took a few rides near the pond across the street from our house. It was an event! It was a super special memorable soiree. 

The cake. I used flowers from our yard along with plastic ponies I bought online. The icing was a pale pink and the turquoise cake plate was a birthday present I hadn't used yet. I am thinking of when I can use it next.

Isn't the cake pretty? I also created a lei for my daughter. The flower necklace was made from 2 different colored carnations. I strung the carnations together with a needle and thread. She had been asking for one and it went along with our fresh flower theme. 

The inside of the cake was a surprise. And surprise! It was rainbow. It really was a beautiful cake. 

 My daughter and I worked on the decor together. We painted styrofoam cups and then I strung them together with thread. I hung them from the doorways, mantle and large mirror over the buffet where the cake lived. 

just now saw the plastic bin in the fireplace- we had a leak, might have been nice to move it.

I used 2 extra cups for small flower arrangements for the table. The fabric on the table was glorious and super happy. I got it from Hawthorne Threads. Love those people- quick and great selection. 

I dyed coffee filters and let them dry. I then sewed them together to create the runner seen below and on my kitchen island. Surprisingly, it went pretty quick. 

We were able to squeeze in our rides in between the rain. It certainly kept the heat away and the bugs. This was the view from our front porch although you can't see the horse in this shot. He was there though!

Here was the spread plus a dirty counter in the background. Whatevs.

We had fruit, donuts, egg casserole, bacon, cereal and breads. It was fun to have a breakfast party. We had just our family so the pressure was off to have it all ready when they arrived and have a clean house:)

For drinks, I had different types of juices in little sippers. And of course, pink chevron straws. 

 Happy Pony Party! We all had a really nice time and it was a special party. My precious little girl loved it and my husband commented on a job well done and he is usually happy with a Pepperidge Farm cake. So hooray! 

Kitty Baby Girl Birthday #1, or really 2, or maybe 1?

We are in high birthday mode around here. We are rounding the bend towards the last birthday. My youngest, who turned 1, is Baby Girl #2, but her birthday is first in the summer. 

I paint a painting for each girls birthday. For my oldest daughter, we had a mermaid party and therefore had a mermaid painting. I take her picture by it every birthday and I plan to do the same with the kitty and my 2nd daughter. 

The dining room had fabric garlands I made from felt and scraps. It was fun to make and went so quickly! It would also be cute to use the fabric garland as ribbon on wrapped presents. 

I bought honeycomb tissue balls which were a nice addition but I must say were expensive. I am going to have to use those puppies for Christmas and other birthday parties! I am using this weekend for our next baby girl birthday. 

I took a picture of my daughter every week ( well I took a lot more than that ) but I made sure I took her photo on the day she was born every week. It fell on a Thursday and honestly, was the highlight of that day. What will she wear? Where will we be? I hung all the pictures up on the window and they were so delightful to look at and see how she has grown and who she looks like. 

 For the table, I always like to buy fabric and that way its an excuse to buy fabric. I am thinking of making a bag out of this one. I cut flowers from my yard and put them in cans. Simple and really sweet. I bought plastic kitties that were on the table and little hands could and still do play with them. 

The garland swagged from my dining room into my kitchen and living room. It was so happy! And I see that picture is crooked on the wall and it still is:)

The cake was a kitty cake with coconut on top for the fur. That tail seemed to get me but I was impressed with my quick work. I dyed the frosting pink and dyed the coconut as well. It was a baking experiment!

For the food, I decided to have a salad bar. My one year old loves blueberries and she eats cut up food with no sauces or spices. It dawned on me ( and maybe my sister too!) to have a salad bar. It was a hit! I got the take out boxes from the Publix salad bar and they sold them to me for cheap! FYI for your next shindig.

Happy Birthday to my sweet pie!