A Very Happy Day...

Well it happened... my sweet girl turned one!!!  How did this year go by so fast?  As I started to prep for her little party I didn't want an over the top theme- for a couple of reasons.  One- themes have never really been my thing and two- I didn't want to spend a lot of money.  With that said, I went with the color scheme from Eme's room and the idea of 'Time Flies' with bird accents.  

ALL of the decorations were either DIY projects or existing decor from rooms in our house.  I first created this little 'time flies' banner with scrapbook paper and yarn.  Then printed the photos I took of Eme each month.  It was really fun to see at how she had changed throughout the year.

I already have this DIY yellow painted plate rack in my kitchen so I decided to use it as the background for the cake eating/smashing area.  I filled it with items that represented Emersyn's first year.  The clock stopped at 10:09 (her birth time), the yarn wrapped E, bird rocker, and two pictures were all from her nursery.  The peach bird came from our guest room and the small IKEA plant always stays on this shelf.  I just added a little fresh hydrangea and made a super easy fabric banner.  I also made a little banner out of scrapbook paper saying ONE for her high chair.

I wanted to display as many pictures as possible for guests to enjoy, so I used our sofa table as the perfect little display area.  I simply covered it with some scrap black and white striped fabric and added these cardboard letters spelling ONE which I covered with scrapbook paper, lots of framed photos, fresh flowers, the DIY love sign, and a bird or two.

I also used the counter tops as a space to display memories.  Along with the desserts, I had more framed pictures, my pregnancy journal, and a shadow memory box.

I have been keeping track of Emersyn's changes, likes, dislikes and more each month on our chalkboard.  So for her birthday I wanted to create an overview of what she is like at 12 months.

On to the real fun... the CAKE!  We ordered this sweet little ombre cake from our local Kroger for $4.99!! What a deal!! I made the little banner with yarn, scrapbook paper, and kabob sticks.

Emersyn was so sweet- with a dainty finger she gently took a scoop of icing for tasting.  No big mess or face smashing here...Oh No- my little lady took small bites at a time with her legs crossed under her high chair!  She really melts my heart!!  The little pink and gold crown Emersyn is wearing was made by my sister.  She tells you how on her blog- check that out here!

On to the presents!! Emersyn was spoiled with lots of fun toys ready for outside play this summer!  I think her favorite gift was this sweet little tea set.  She sat and played with that for most of the afternoon.

It was certainly a wonderful day celebrating our sweetheart!!  Side note- Emersyn did not take a nap for this WHOLE day- apparently it is her party and she'll do what she wants:)

Friday Favorites: My All Time Favorite

 I thought for this Friday Favorite, as we celebrate Emersyn's First Birthday, I would share some of my all time favorite photos and memories from the year.  Gosh this whole year is honestly my FAVORITE!!!

Ian becoming a father! Amazing to watch him love her!

Taking our little girl home- scared to death!!

Emersyn's first night home already in a Pacers outfit

Nightly summer walks

Someone grew into that Pacers outfit just in time for the playoffs.

The look on her face here is priceless- she looks mad as hell- bahahaha

I love her expression in this photo!

Ian toted her around in this everyday during the summer. 

Trying food- not a fan a first but now she can't get enough of her food.

Growing fast and having such a sweet, happy personality.

Watching her on the beach for the first time brought such a smile to my face.

Best fall season ever with trips to pumpkin patches and apple orchards.

Having fun doing silly things with this little gal.

Watching her make funny faces- where did she learn that from??

Celebrating the best year ever!!!

I could have loaded this post with hundreds of pictures!  I have been looking back at pictures all week and just can't believe how fast she has grown...tear!  I have loved everything about being Emersyn's mother.  It is truly my all time favorite thing.  I can't wait to share a post from her birthday party on Saturday.

A Picture Is Worth a Thousand Words

I honestly can not believe that Emersyn turns one TODAY!  I literally remember every tiny detail about this time a year ago.  It was a Monday night and I was excited for the final episode of the bachelor.  I began to feel a bit funny but I stuck it out- then about 3 hours into the show I had to admit that yes I was in labor.  So off to the hospital we went!  Little did I know that is where the long 26 hour journey would begin until the amazing moment we welcomed Emersyn Leigh.

Throughout her first year I promised myself that I would take as many pictures as possible and DO something with them.  So often pictures just sit on my camera.  So I started a Shutterfly book and completed the pages month by month.  Time goes by so fast and looking back at this book as it is nearly complete, I am overwhelmed with love for my sweet little girl.  Here are a few sample pages...

I found it so important to do the book each month to stay on top of all the photos and keep track as she changed so quickly.  I plan to finish the book after her first birthday party this weekend then order them!  I think they (the year is split into 2 books, first and second six months because there were so many pages) will be books we look through over and over!!  What do you do with all your pictures?  How do you hold on to all those keep sake pictures?

A Look Back: Pregnancy Journal

As my sweet little lady is getting close to turning one, I have been looking back to my time carrying her for nine months and the day we welcomed her into this world.  During my pregnancy, I started a pregnancy journal that recorded how I was feeling and small milestones.  I used our chalkboard to record the week and moments to remember.  I then answered a series of the same questions each week to show the changes a pregnancy can bring.  I would take a picture each week, answer the questions, and load them into an online picture book.  I used a program called Mixbook which is similar to Shutterfly, both sites are great for creating digital scrapbooks.  I would recommend doing this if you have the time- I usually did my photo and questions on Sundays.  Now that Emersyn is here and almost one, I love looking back at this book.  It's crazy to me that she was inside of me living and growing!  It's almost like the minute she was born I forgot what being pregnant was like.  It's kind of weird to look at myself with such a big belly.  That's why I cherish this book.  It documents my feelings and thoughts on the journey to having our sweet girl.  I think Emersyn will like looking at it one day.  I've selected just a few pages to show you, I documented weekly as well as big moments like the gender reveal, my baby shower, decorating the nursery.  I hope this inspires some of you to journal and document the most amazing 9 months!

Weekly Questions to Answer-
How far along?
Weight gain?
Maternity Clothes?
Sleep?
Movement?
Food Cravings?
Anything making you sick or queasy?
Starting to show?
Gender?
Other thoughts?

I'm excited to share the digital scrapbook I've been working on for Emersyn's first year and plans for her first birthday!  Wow, time truly does fly!!