It was lovely.
I decided to throw Bean an indoor garden party. I consider her birthday to be in the spring and with the 70 degree weather that day, a garden party seemed natural.
Instead of doing kid favors, I decided to make favors for the moms. I made hand and foot scrub in orange and brown sugar. I cut a few pieces of fabric that I had around the house and decorated the mason jars.
Then I sat them on top of mini white wooden boxes.
I decided to go all out for the table. I went to JoAnns and bought three yards of burlap and used it as a table runner. I also bought flower garlands and placed them down the middle. I then went to the grocery store and bought one bouquet of flowers for the centerpiece and a bouquet of carnations and a bouquet of blue flowers that I cant remember the name of. I cut those to fit inside a few mason jars and interweaved them in the flower garland.
Not pictured here was a hanging garland of pink coffee filter garlands that I made. I hung it over the table from the ceiling and it was very beautiful. Also not pictured are the fabric napkins I sewed.
We fed our guests locally made Italian bread with chive butter and lasagna. You can find the recipes for the lasagnas here and here. One was a vegetarian butternut squash with sage butter and the other was a meat lasagna. Both equally good.
After we all stuffed ourselves on the food we opened presents.
Bean received new pajamas, a cute outfit, a pig stuffed with lavender scented beads that can be put in the microwave which releases the smell for a soothing bedtime pal, a Glamor Girl doll in her skin tone that we named Lizzy, and these amazing wooden black family dolls. Aren’t they amazing? We found them at an independent toy store in Ithaca, NY.
Bean loves these little dolls. She carries them around, waves their arms and makes them say “Hi” and talks to them. Her favorite one is the Daddy one.
After presents we sang Happy Birthday. She loved that. Nana helped her cut the cake.
She really enjoyed being sung to but she and her little friends were too busy playing to actually eat the cake. So the adults enjoyed it.
This was a raspberry cake filled with lemon pie filling and topped with lemon whipped cream. It tasted like spring. You can find the recipe here.
The rest of the evening was spent enjoying each others company, chasing after babies and toddlers, and laughing.
It was the perfect way to celebrate our little girl’s 2nd year of life.