i can specifically remember, not long after our olive was born, daydreaming about her first birthday.
you see, after 3 kids & 13 years worth of birthdays, it becomes very difficult to come up with new/original ideas for birthday parties. we had to start brainstorming early on this one.
emma & i were talking about books & movies we love & we both mentioned the secret garden (naturally). that tiny lightbulb above my head lit up like a christmas tree. olive's first birthday would be a secret garden theme. flowers & birdcages & silver & lace & tea cups. it was settled. and we started planning.
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| diy invites that we just loved, loved, loved |
she was born may 21, 2015 ||
we celebrated her birthday one year to the day. since we're talking about spring in ohio, that could mean a myriad of weather conditions so we were holding our breaths the whole week. i was desperately set on having the party outside. i mean, it's a secret garden party...it cannot be INSIDE. naturally, the forecast called for rain. but i'm incredibly stubborn. henceforth, i did not start decorating until one hour before the party--convinced i would be able to pull this off outside. when the radar showed a slight opening in rain possibilities from 6-8pm-ish...game on. thankfully my mom & hubs let me boss them a bit & we got everything moved outside in a flash. (they love me for who i am, mmmmkay.)
so anyway, we made it through the food, jumped right into singing & cutting cake, and began opening presents. zip-a-dee-doo-dah. hurry, hurry, hurry. about halfway through gifts...raaaain. you should have seen olive's cute little face. her rapid blinking from the raindrops hitting her face. confusion about what exactly was happening to her & why no one was doing anything about it. hi, i'm stubborn. have we covered that yet? i thought maaaaybe the rain would stop & we could finish the gifts. that did not happen. thankfully, my dad who is THE most prepared person i know, had already began taking the food & decorations into the house. (GUYS he knew to save my vintage books first...what a gem.) so everyone grabbed their chairs, purses, gifts & children & ran inside. inside. to my quaint little 900 sq ft home. inside. to my like 10x14 living space & entryway. it became a very intimate party, very quickly. making memories, as my dad would say...
that is one of the things i'm most thankful for--that spirit of spontaneity that he instilled in me. that attitude of everything's okay, even if it's all falling apart. roll with the punches, friends.
okay, so, more details...
decorating details:
we used the silver serving trays & pitcher that had belonged to my grandma & late great grandmother on my dad's side; the jewelry in the trinket box also belonged to my late great grandmother (i love that these little pieces of our family were able to be a part of the celebration of this little life--even if the people themselves could not be there); the floral china was gifted to me by my grandma on my mother's side on our wedding day; olive's high chair was gifted to us by a former employee of my husband who told us it was over 100 years old & once belonged to the smucker's family; one of the side tables we used for serving was found on the side of the road by me; the table we used for the drinks was made by hubs; the lace table runners were lent to us by my mother & a friend; the same friend made the cakes for us; another friend made the ONE cake topper; the jars, bottles & vintage books were all items i previously thrifted; the CARDS suitcase i had made previously for a friend's wedding.
gifting details:
olive received a newborn cabbage patch doll; a vintage fisher-price barn, tractor & animals; a flamingo purse; a light-up nursery rhyme book; dresses; jam jams; swimsuits, shoes & more. from us? this plant romper by tiny cottons (below) & an inflatable pool for her & siblings to play in this summer. and when she was done opening presents, she stood & gave a standing ovation. everyone joined in on the clapping. they smiled. she smiled. i cried.
onto an obscene amount of first birthday party photos!!! roll that beautiful bean footage...
olive's secret garden birthday
other highlights:
-i am not a fan of the baby smash cakes but i'm really glad i got one because baby girl tore.it.up.
-i forgot to buy forks for the cake & miraculously had some plastic forks. not enough, but some. and had to use some of our metal forks. still not enough. so i didn't eat cake & took other people's plastic forks when they were done & washed them so other people had some. i told no one.
-my dad said it was the fanciest first birthday party he's ever been to. i took that as a compliment.
-my mom & dad then proceeded to tell me that no one came to MY first birthday & we all had an awkwardly sad laugh about that.
-as if it even matters, but i'm still kicking myself for forgetting a few of the decorations. no one knows but me. but i know. i know.
olive deering,
you are completely & wholly adored.
we cannot imagine our crazy tribe without your dimpled face.
everything you do is brand new.
as if no other baby has ever clapped before.
we've been waiting for you & we didn't even know it.
for the times you've been dropped, bopped or stepped on, we are sorry.
the amount of hugs & kisses you've received surely make up for that.
xo
your unostentatious mom, dad, bub & sisters
{ instagram tag #olivessecretgarden or check out our other birthdays with the tag #thebirthdayfiles }
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