let's pawty! (pawt one)

Originally, I thought I'd throw Lou Lou a simple bubbles party. I thought we'd have a barbecue in Papa's backyard, fill a play pool with bubbles, toss in a bunch of wands and call it good (plus my over-the-top decorations and theme-y menu, naturally). But then I thought through the logic of a tub of bubbles and a handful of rowdy toddlers. Lou would totally just want to swim in it. About this time, Lou developed a ridiculous obsession with dogs. And so it was. I tried my best to keep this party under control. But here's the thing guys: I love a good theme. And I go crazy. That said, I really think heaven was smiling on my little party. I found the majority of the items in the dollar bins at Target or at the Dollar Store and was able to use a lot of supplies I already had on hand. The lovely table runner is grass scrapbook paper at 50% off from Hobby Lobby. (Truth: I originally wanted to do astro turf. Because that would be cheap and normal. I know. I know.) The dog ears were a wee bit time consuming but cheap (felt at one quarter a sheet (two pairs of ears per sheet) from Hobby Lobby). I bought cupcakes at Target and put tiny little dogs (found on Amazon.com for $4 a dozen) on for simple - and awesome - cupcake toppers. The dog bowls (filled with Whoppers and cinnamon-graham dog bones) were a major find in Target's Dollar Spot (as the cheapest dog bowls I'd found before then were $5 a pop). So yes, I went a little crazy. But I did so frugally!

We had the party in Jess' grandma's backyard. It is honestly the most lovely backyard on earth. Beautiful and perfect with a large shaded patio. Grandma once told Annabelle that because her cousins have yards and she doesn't (yet! we're trying!), her yard could be Annabelle's yard. And she took it to heart. While we were there, my mom said, "This yard is just so beautiful." Belle replied, "This is my yard." Everything came together great with the help of family members, especially my mom who acted as my servant as I ordered her around - "Cut the rice krispies into dog bones, string these...no string them this way." And she just does it. Who is she? It was just a grand success and the perfect "paw-ty" for our little Lou Lou.

I will be the first to admit that I love to plan a party. I do. My mind craves this kind of creativity and organization. But at the root of it all, I throw these parties to celebrate people and to bring family and friends together. It makes my heart so unbelievably happy to see people laughing and chatting and eating good food, especially when they're doing so with dog ears. And ultimately, this party was to celebrate my baby and her perfectly lovely first year. When she looks back on these photos, I want her to know that she was loved and celebrated, and that we are so very happy she's ours.

Anyhow, here comes a giant photo dump. Part one of two. Yeah, there were that many good photos. The next photo dump will have people in them. This is just food and decor. By the way, all photos are taken by my sister (she can be found here and here). Many thanks to her. She's so very talented and spent some hours editing and getting these photos just right.