a birthday party for Lena

What fun I had planning and executing this little party!  I love an excuse to bake and craft, and this was the best excuse most mothers ever get: their baby girl's first birthday.  My favorite things to make were the invitations and the cake.

For the invitations (and later for the pennant banners around the house), I used some fabric I purchased at Purl Soho in NYC when I was pregnant with Lena.  I wanted to make her something special, and finally I had just the right occasion.  I also used fabric from the dress my mom and I sewed for Lena and which, of course, she wore for the party.

 

My mother-in-law and sister-in-law (Eden) were a huge help getting ready for the day.  Even my father-in-law helped with nailing banners to the wall, and Elliott came home with a huge bouquet of wildflowers after I sent him out just to get the balloons blown up. 

(In the midst of all this prettiness, all was not as perfect as it seems.  Elliott was trying to get our car repaired as everyone at home prepared for the party.  [We are constantly, constantly having issues with this little car of ours.]  Unfortunately the car did not get fixed in time, leaving him stranded at the mechanic's before the party.  He had to catch a ride with some of our guests to his own daughter's birthday.  When he caught a ride back to the mechanic's after the party he discovered that the mechanic had broken his tools trying to get the last bolt off!  Our car had to be put back together, unfixed.  The car is still not repaired, despite Elliott's sacrifices that day.  Oh, for a car that runs without complaining!)

Eden went out before the party to buy some traditional Sicilian Easter lambs at a local bakery.  They were made of almond marzipan and are astonishing delicious.  (I'm cutting slices off one of them and nibbling on it now!)  They were sweet decoration, too, for an Easter-themed birthday party.

Here's my pride and joy: the lamb cake.  My mom had a lamb-shaped cake tin and made us cakes like this for years and years when we were growing up.  I asked her if I could use it for Lena's birthday, and she got me one of my own!  I see many lamb-shaped birthday cakes in the future.

At 1pm, the guests began to arrive!  We kept it small with just a few children around Lena's age from families that have become very dear to us over the last few months.

 

We catch our baby randomly looking through her books, a sweet habit that we love.  (We'll teach her to read them the right way up one day.)

"Hey Mom, look what I found!"  We had a chocolate Easter egg hunt for the kids that were old enough to understand.  Meanwhile, Lena finds a hat and decides she loves it (literally) while I clap like I am 12 months old. 

 Time for cake!

The frosting is the best part!

"Forget the cake, I just need to get this frosting..."

"... soooo good...."

"... ahhhh!  I love frosting!"

 

"That was ah-may-zing.  Let's do it again!"