Just Horsing Around - Planning a Birthday Party!

How is it that in a month my first born - baby girl - little miss will be nine years old?!?!  I'm just baffled.

This year she is having a true birthday party.  I will admit that in years past I haven't quite did the whole big shabang of a party.  However, this year I'm making up for it and going all out (within reason) for her big number nine.

I decided to enlist her input.

When I made the decision to have a bigger party for her this year I decided I needed help.  I think I went to the expert on the subject - my daughter.  Hello, it is her birthday!  She picked her theme, party type, and food.

The Theme

Via Pinterest - I love this invite BUT I have issues creating super nice invites for a child's birthday party.  Just being real.  If I can make these for under $10 I'd do it though!  Find this on my Pinerest Board:  Kids Birthdays

Wait for it!  Horses!  Could you have guessed that?  Pinterest has been a huge source of ideas for this horse themed celebration.  I'm thinking I should enlist the help of one crafty bestie to help me make a few things!  Oh wait she's eye ball deep in being a matron-of-honor this month!

The Cake

 This is a shadow cake from the local bakery.  It is quite delicious!

She wants a shadow cake from a local baker - Ketchie Creek Bakery.  The kid was turned on to shadow cake a couple years back when I took her for cupcakes.  She liked the idea of chocolate and vanilla.  One bite of it and she was sold.

The Party

I found this via Pinterest too - I LOVE this invitation for a slumber party!

I've never done a sleepover as a mom before.  For about six months all I have heard is how she wants to have a sleepover.  So our little horsey party will be a slumber party.  Bring on the sleeping bags, popcorn, and late night giggles.  Please, Lord, no tears and parents coming at 1AM to get their homesick littles!

The Food

The birthday girl has two favorite foods - tacos and enchiladas.  For this party we're doing a taco bar.  I'll have plenty of beef, cheese, tomatoes, lettuce, sauce, salsa, chips, tortillas, and a lot of other good stuff on tap for her guests and herself to partake in!  I'm so glad I passed on the gene that is love for Mexican food to my daughter!

So there you have it!  The skeleton of my daughter's birthday party.  We're excited to do more planning and share it with you.  If you have some awesome ideas for this party then please pass them along!  We're very appreciative!

xo-

Amanda

The 1st Day of Summer 2016

Good morning (or afternoon or evening)!  I'm so excited that today is Monday - eeek wait! I worded that incorrectly, maybe?  I want to say I am so excited that today, being Monday, is the first day of summer!  Yes, my season has officially begun and that means we all need to celebrate.

I plan to bring in summer with a few outdoor projects, lunch by the pool, swimming, a slushy for the kids, VBS (yep, another!), Southern Charm, Real Housewives of OC (woo hoo they are back!), and a sipper on the porch.

Now to the meat and potatoes of today's post:

And the search was:  Summer Solstice because First Day of Summer just pulls up school crap and we are so removed from school crap right now that I don't want any in my vision.  Please and thank you!

This was an interesting grouping of pins...


1.  Witching hour



Well I'm not a Wicca follower but I can be a witch at times.  This all popped up and I was like oohh how cool I should put some lavender, and lemon in my cleaning supplies for this week.  Then I was like - wait a minute is this Glenda the Good Witch or Linda the Bitch Witch?  Anyhoo, if you're interested in all that paganism/Wicca/etc stuff then you'll find TONS of pins when you punch in summer solstice.  I love Jesus, y'all just need to know that.

2.  Cake by the ocean - not in that way the song means...



So here's the deal - I noticed, after reading the pagan stuff, that all of us take some pagan traditions and apply them to our celebrations of summer.  This gorgeous cake is just an example.  Yes, it popped up for summer solstice and does that cake look great or what?  Rosemary, lavender and honey cake....

3.  Nothing says summer like July 4th?



I think we're about two weeks from Independence Day but Pinterest and I guess eBay think you need to start planning right this minute for your July 4th fun.  This pin is actually a food item pin for the 4th of July.  I kind of like that inflatable buffet...

4 - I agree!



5 - Have a drink on me



This is a Summer Solstice Collins and it looks pretty fabulous with lots of lemon and vodka.

SO I have to know - how are you welcoming in summer?


xo -
Amanda