Celebrating Three: Manicures, Dress Up, and Princess Tea

I call my Raleigh Jane the girliest tomboy I know. She can wrestle and hit a ball with the best of 'em. But. My little lady adores all things girly, which is exactly why I knew just what kind of party to throw her to celebrate turning the big 0-3: 

The girliest party I could! :) Each of the five 3-year-old guests who were invited to the party received their own nail polish, which was attached to the sweet invitation my friend Amy of One Good Name created to match the pink/gold color scheme of the party.  

The party was held at an adorable little salon called WeeSpa, and I was so excited about the planned festivities: the party would start with a little princess dress-up and runway show. Each guest would then receive her own manicure before the party concluded with a tea party of pink lemonade, pizza, and treats. I went to check out the venue several months ago and was so excited about the party. HOWEVER. If I'm being totally honest, I was really disappointed in the way the party was managed the day of the party. There was a problem with the heating system, which left many little girls shivering at times. The employees were nowhere to be found most of the party, and the "Elsa" who was there to surprise the girls was disappointing. It just felt a little disorganized and poorly run, and I was bummed about all that. BUT. I will say that, after getting over some initial 3-year-old shyness, the party girls  really seemed to have a blast! And, as my sister pointed out, I was very happy with the bits of the party that I had planned and had a hand in creating. Most importantly, I think my birthday girl felt special, celebrated, and loved. And in the end, that is all that matters to this momma.

Anywho.

Without further adieu, I present Raleigh's 3rd birthday party:

First up, the guest of honor herself, wearing a special dress made by my amazing sister-in-law, Amanda, of Goat & Lulu. I had a specific vision for what I wanted Rals to wear, and Amanda totally made it come to life. It's no secret that we're big fans of Goat & Lulu around these parts, and I love that Raleigh got to wear something made especially for her by her Aunt Amanda. I also had the little crown hair clip made for the birthday girl by Mod Party, who were awesome to work with as well. Her sweet, pink and gold shoes are Twinkle Toes by Sketchers. 

It was so strange to "farm out" the party to someone else, since I have always hosted my kiddos' parties at my own home (or at least, my own neighborhood), and thus been in charge of each detail. Although I was disappointed in the management of the party, it was nice to only be in charge of a few things and to not have to worry about general pre-party set-up and post-party clean-up. :) Here's a glimpse at the arrangement of the tea party table:

There were a few things I created for the party so that I could give it a personal touch for my Rals.

For one, the favors. I handmade each guest her own gold crown and party wand. For the crowns, I found some great tutorials on Pinterest (here's one) on creating crowns from lace. They were a little time-consuming, but also easy to make, requiring a little lace, fabric stiffener, spray paint, glitter, modge podge, and hot glue. It was really neat to see basic white lace transform into gold glitter crowns, and I loved how they turned out! I think the guests did, too. :) 

How adorable does my sweet niece, G, look?!

The simple, ribbon wands were also a huge hit with the princess guests and very easy to make: my hub attached eye hooks to dowel rods, which I then covered with gold glitter washi tape I found at Hobby Lobby. I then tied on six pink/gold ribbons to each and voila! Instant princess wand!

I also wanted to create special treats for the girls, so I made vanilla cupcakes, topped with pink vanilla buttercream icing and sprinkled with edible gold flecks. I used teacups as sweet little cupcake holders for a final decorative touch. I also want to start dabbling in decorating cookies with royal icing and thought Raleigh's birthday would be a perfect excuse for my first attempt. So. I created crown cookies as well as monogrammed cookies for each guest:

Extra cupcakes for the mommas ;)

And that was it as far as my involvement! Easy, breezy, and so fun to put together. Here's a taste of the party itself: 

First up, princess dress up and a runway show!

How precious is Miss E?!

 Some (ahem, the birthday girl) were a little hesitant to walk the runway...

 ...while others, like Miss M, rocked it!

 We were so excited to have two cousins join us for the party, including CK (who Raleigh accidentally gifted with a shiner the night before :0 )

Next, it was manicure time, after a visit from "Queen Elsa" (I use the term loosely here ;) :

Each guest picked out her own polish, which ranged from neon yellow to dark green, with a little pink in between :) 

 The sweet spa guests were invited to first soak their hands in a bowl of beads before having their nails painted

 Beautiful Miss H loved getting all glammed up! No, really, she did! ;)

 And it was so fun for the girlies to show their nails off to their mommas when they were done

 The birthday girl was thrilled to have those nails painted bright yellow

After everyone's nails were dry, it was tea party time!

I loved the mix of fun patterns of the patchwork walls and damask table cloth (I take no credit for those!)

Princess tea in the form of pink lemonade

And then time to blow out the candles, of course!

Finally, we opened gifts and chatted with our friends a bit more before it was time to wrap things up. 

We absolutely loved having both Nana...

...and Bammy there for the party!

And Daddy wouldn't have missed his little girl's party for the world!

And so ends the special celebration of Raleigh's 3rd year. I thank God every day for choosing me to be her Momma, and I can't wait to see what the future holds as we inch our way toward the big 0-4.  <3

Three cheers for Raleigh! 

Snapshots of Three

She opened her door and the balloons flooded her room as choruses of "Happy Birthday!" rang out from her daddy, momma, and big brother. A big smile quickly spread across her face as she picked up two balloons and asked, "Hey! Is I'm three, now?!?" 

We lead her to the guest room, all the while continuing our jubilant cheers of "Happy Birthday!" She pranced into the room and immediately broke into a sprint as she spotted her gifts: a singing-and-light-up Elsa dress and wig, a stack of bubble gum, and three individually wrapped gifts, one of which contained a tea cup to add to the eclectic birthday collection I started for her last year. "Whoa!" she whispered, spying her gifts and taking it all in.

She immediately tried on her new dress and wig. She kept stroking her Elsa braid and just couldn't seem to get over how beautiful she looked dressed as her favorite queen. Her expression was one her daddy and I will never forget: She was so excited, so very thrilled, that she became speechless. She just stroked that braid and kept staring at her crystal blue gown. I was in tears    while taking in her reaction of pure, sweet, innocent joy. 

And then, her daddy whisked her away for a special breakfast date, just him and his best girl. I'm told she ate a mound of pancakes, her favorite. :) 

We watched "Frozen," sang songs, chewed gum, did manicures, played with her new Disney figurines, ate more pancakes for lunch, chewed more gum, delved into her homemade frilly cake,  and then chewed even more gum. 

And then, her momma whisked her away for a special Momma Date: an afternoon tea at the American Girl Bistro. We had reservations at 4:15 pm sharp and were treated to an array of cucumber sandwiches, BLTs, veggie burger sliders, fruit, yogurt and muffins, pink cupcakes, chocolate mousse, and chocolate chip cookies. And hot chocolate. Let's not forget the hot chocolate, which she delicately fed to the dolls who had accompanied us. The two moments I'll never forget, aside from the whole beautiful experience itself: In the middle of our tea party, she suddenly said, "I wish Daddy and Banks and Harrison were here, too." Oh my girl and her family-loving heart. <3 And second, that she was just so over-the-moon excited to throw a coin, and make a wish, in the "mountain." She told me her wish, but her secret's safe with me. 

We put her brothers to bed a little early and let her stay up a little late, sitting between her momma and daddy, alone, and finishing watching her most favorite movie for the second time that day. We told her again and again how much we loved her, how special she is. We made certain she knew: she's our one and only girl. And we love her so.

This weekend, we will celebrate our sweet Raleigh once more with a special, extra girly party of her very own. An intimate affair, with just five other 3-year-olds making up the guest list. But. I have a feeling it'll be a special occasion for our Raleigh Jane. <3

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Raleigh, you are so very special to us, and we are so proud of you! We feel like you grew up overnight. You are such a big girl! You potty trained yourself for day back in August and potty trained yourself for night just a few months later. That's right--no more diapers for you, you independent soul. You are definitely quite the combination of sugar and spice: you can be just as sweet as can be. You are constantly saying, "You are beautiful!" to me, as well as family and friends alike, often multiple times per day. You adore being a big sister to our little Harrison and still absolutely love when you get to hold him and make him smile. You and Banks are the best of friends, playing together every single day, and you both get so excited when you see each other at school. You can often be found in your Clemson cheerleading uniform, cheering on your favorite Clemson football player in the comforts of our playroom. However, this is also where the spice comes in: you sure know how to push buttons! You are often slow to listen and will frequently do exactly the opposite of what we ask. You know how to get under your big brother's skin and make sure to do it at least once a day. Nonetheless, he loves you so! And you, him! You go to pre-school two half-days a week and are one smart cookie. You often need about 10 minutes to warm up to a situation, but then, as though a switch flips, you are good to go and don't look back. You are coordinated, agile, and flexible, and are the girliest tomboy I know! I have no doubt you'll excel at both the teeball you'll be playing this Spring as well as the dance classes you'll begin next Fall. I can't wait to watch you soar!

Edit. My hub just pointed out that says "RALEIGH: 2 YEARS" above. Oops. I'm too tired to correct it right now. One day I will. But. Not today. I assure you, our Raleigh is most definitely 3.

You are my best pal, and I have no doubt we'll have quite a year together, my sugar-and-spiced three-nager. I love you with all my heart. <3

Three.

I'll love you forever

More than the whole world

My best pal, my only,

My one little girl.

You're lovely, so lovely

You radiate light

Mischevious, always,

Your eyes twinkle bright

You love and you challenge

And, each day anew,

You push me to become

Better for you.

Yes, I'll love you forever

More than the whole world

My best pal, my only,

You're my little girl.

Happy 3, Raleigh Jane. You are my best pal, my soul, my lovely lady, my girl. And man, oh man, do I love you so.

With All My Heart,

Momma

Coffee Date Friday: Hello, 2015! Edition

GREETINGS 2015!

Welcome to a new year and a new blog post! Coffee, coffee, who wants some coffee?! Were we to meet up for some caffeinated brew this morning, I'd be sipping out of my lovely new mug. I just love drinking coffee out of beautiful mugs, and I now make it a point to pick up a new one on each trip that we take and each special occasion we celebrate. So. I'd offer you a pretty mug, too, before shouting out HAPPY NEW YEAR, and then delving into all things YOU. After hearing about your celebrations from the week, your highs, your lows, your in-betweens, I'd share the following about yours truly:

...that, I must start by saying, GOOOO TIGERS!!! We had a ball with neighbors cheering on our Clemson Tigers to victory over those Oklahoma Sooners. What a great way to end the season!

...that we had a wonderful day welcoming in the new year! As is our little family tradition, the kids counted down 'til 12....noon that is!...and we toasted with sparkling cider while donning party hats and spraying silly string. We spent the day baking, and playing, and squeezing out the last bit o' fun in our own house before heading over to that of some dear friends'. We dined on BBQ straight off the Green Egg and lots of southern fixins'. We had a sitter there to help corral the 12 kids from 6:00 to 10:00 pm, while we grown-ups played a few games and drank a few bevs. I ended the night with a kiss from my hub (our 13th New Year's kiss!) and welcomed in 2015. 

...that I forgot to share the recipe for the yummy treat I made for the super fun treats exchange I attended amid all the holiday hustle and bustle. My first attempt was a complete and total BUST. I followed the recipe to a T but it was just a bad recipe, apparently (as I saw in the comments section of the blog where I found the recipe after I made them. Oops). Pinterest fail. Luckily, I had enough ingredients on hand to make a second treat, and it was scrumptious: Salted Caramel Shortbread Squares. Oh.My.Word. Although this may be cruel to post now, seeing as how many people resolve to eat healthier once January hits, maybe save them for a rainy day when you've earned a little splurge? 

...that I also have been meaning to share one of the beautiful gifts my sweet, sweet hub gave me for my birthday. He knew that I had been coveting a Sam Sidney Illustrations family portrait on wood. But. He decided to make it even more special...by hand-painting one himself. I cannot tell y'all how much I ADORE this beautiful piece of artwork that now proudly sits atop our mantle. I just love it so much!

...that my beautiful baby girl turns THREE on Monday. THREE!!! We are having a small but special birthday party for our girl (read: five 3-year-old guests). This is the first time I have ever really farmed the party out to a different venue other than my home, which has made party prep VERY minimal and super easy. I am making a few favors and her cake and calling it a day-ha! But. I still think it will be a very special occasion for my Rals. Of course, I'll be sharing lots of party pics soon and will be celebrating my sweet girl with a few posts over the next week few weeks. 

...that after a December calendar that looked like this...

this should be an easy, breezy weekend for our crew. Banks originally had two birthday parties scheduled for this weekend but both were moved to next weekend, which means there is zip, zero, zilch on our calendar at this point, besides delivering dinner to some close friends who just welcomed their sweet baby girl! So. Who knows what the weekend holds. An unplanned, laid back, long weekend to kick off 2015--I'll take it! I'm definitely hoping for lots of this:

And with that, I would gather our empty mugs and say that I hope your 2015 is off to a fantastic start and that you have a wonderful last weekend before school break ends. See you soon!