First Easter

I'm a pretty big fan of Easter. This year was extra special because it was Whitney's first Easter. The Saturday before Easter Sunday we went to the Easter Egg Hunt in Cove. Since she isn't walking yet it was a little crazy. I just had to sit her down where there were a couple of eggs, so she could put them in her basket.

There were so many people there! We got to see lots of her little friends. After the storm passed and things calmed down we put her next to her little buddy Ryker to get some pictures. They were so funny together. Ryker instantly grabbed her basket. Once he gave it back, she gave him her eggs haha. They were just too cute together.

This was where we sat her down, thankfully she didn't get trampled by anyone.

Haha, we got a really good picture of him with her basket.

Just a little payback for stealing her basket.

Then she finally gave them to him :)

On Easter Sunday we got up and had breakfast with my parents, then we went to church. After church we went to Wallowa to have lunch with my husband's family. It was a fun filled day!

Baby Girl First Birthday Party

It's crazy to think how fast this day came. Looking back over the last year I have realized how much she has changed our lives. She is our everything, we don't do anything anymore without thinking about her first. She is absolutely amazing.

Babies in general are amazing. They have the ability to make your heart love a way you have never loved. The simplest things can bring you to your knees. There is just something about their smiles that can turn a bad day around in an instant.

First Birthday's are tough. There is so much to think about, I mean they only turn 1 once...that's a big deal.

I wanted to just go with the theme of her bedroom. I'm not really sure what you would call it, maybe shabby chic. We also had a lot of decor left over from the wedding so we re-purposed a lot of it.

We made a "First Year" book on shutterfly. It has a lot of our favorite pictures, the big events like Christmas and quite a few pictures no one but us has seen. We had the guests leave a little message for her.

My wonderful husband made these boxes out of barn wood, from a very old barn on his parent's property, for our wedding. I still use them as centerpieces, and a lot of my family took some to use as decorations in their homes.

He also made this little frame out of our table runners, I'm pretty sure it's the same wood as the boxes. We used this frame to display her monthly pictures we took. 

I wanted to do a chalkboard, but I didn't want to do it exactly the same way everyone else has been doing it. I just wrote her name at the top, and below wrote about her. Things she likes to do, what she loves, how many teeth, etc.

Of course I had to make her some tissue poms. I think they really jazz up the party and are a great way to fill some white space. If you feel like your table is just not full enough, add some tissue poms.

Lots of candy!

It was such a special day, I will remember it for a lifetime.

Rustic Wedding Decor {burlap & lace}

It seems like forever ago that I was planning our wedding. With Whitney's first birthday right around the corner it has brought back so many memories of Brandon and I's wedding day. I am re-purposing a lot of our wedding decor for her birthday party...more on that later.

We chose to have mostly a DIY wedding because we had lots of time and it's much cheaper that way. Brandon is a real handy man when it comes to wood-working so I had him make lots of beautiful pieces for the wedding.

I wanted a rustic themed wedding with burlap, lace and lots of old wood, which has become ever so popular. I love the look of burlap and lace, it's so beautiful with a vintage chic look. You can do so many things with it. If I could choose to do it again, I wouldn't do it any other way. BUT, I do think it's about time for a new trend.

Here are a few pictures of our decor. A more in-depth post to come!

All images were taken by Paul Harder with Perfect Moments Photography

How To Make Fabric Garland {diy}

Fabric garland is a cheap and beautiful way to add to a decorative table, mantle or party. They are very easy to make and inexpensive. They are a quick DIY project and I can't think of a better use for your scrap fabric.

I made this one for Whitney's Valentine's Day pictures.  Next Valentine's Day I'm sure I will decorate our mantle with it.

Supplies:

• Twine, ribbon or some sort of string
• Scraps of fabric
• Scissors

First:

• Measure how long you want your garland to be then cut your twine about 20 inches longer on both sides so you have room to tie it to something.

Second:

• Cut your fabric into strips 2"x7". 

Third:

• Tie a knot with your twine where you want to begin the garland, like the pictures below. It makes it easier to push the tied pieces of fabric together to give a fuller look.

Fourth:

• Start tying your fabric onto the twine. Just one simple knot works perfect, just make sure to tie it tight I used 6 different fabrics and just randomly tied them on, so it wasn't in any sort of pattern.

Baby Girl Valentine's Pictures

I love having nice pictures of Whitney. It seems like most of mine are quick pictures on my phone. I have been meaning to make a habit of spending some time once a week and taking good pictures of her. 

Like I have said before, I love Valentine's Day, so I had to take some special pictures of her. It was HARD, I really have a lot of respect for professional photographers because what they do isn't easy. 

I made the tutu, fabric garland and the burlap banner. The tutu tutorial is here. 

In order for her to sit still like that I gave her my phone (which I never do).

She was totally eating a cheerio in this one :)

My Mom took this one, I was standing off to the side with one of her favorite toys. Such a silly face!

This one is pretty sick but I had to share it haha. Totally spitting up. I just got done feeding her, mid session.

Another one my Mom took...what's a Whitney picture without that face :)!

The headband was not an option in this one.

One of my favorites.

Big two front teeth :)

And I finally gave her some puffs at the end haha.

How To Make a Fabric Valentine's Tutu {DIY}

I'm a Valentine's day fanatic! I love love love it! And I won't lie, I will be in terrible mood for days if I don't get a box of chocolates for vday ;)!

Anyway, here is a quick tutorial for a fabric tutu. I made this for Whitney so I could take some vday pictures of her in it.  I didn't realize how HARD it is to get a picture of a baby who is on the move. She doesn't want anything in her hair, or on her, and EVERYTHING distracts her.

Supplies:

• 1/2 yard of each fabric (way more than enough, but better safe than sorry)
• Inch Elastic (measure your baby's waist)
• Sewing Machine (or needle and thread, or just a knot)
• Scissors

Tutorial:

Measure how long you want the tutu to come down on your baby or toddler and double that

Cut 40 strips 2" wide by double the length you measured (you may need a few more or less)

Then half the strip and cut the bottom diagonally (like picture below)

Measure your baby's waist and add an inch, then cut your elastic accordingly

Sew or tie the ends of the elastic together (like picture below)

Put your elastic around something firm, I like to use a book

Start tying your fabric on to your elastic until you have gone all the way around.

First half your strip, then make a little loop behind the elastic (like picture below)

Then take the ends of your strip and loop them through and pull your fabric down

Then push the knots together until you fill the elastic and you are done.

Baby Bath Time Favorites

The babe LOVES bath time. It was her absolute favorite time of the day from the very beginning. It seems like it becomes more enjoyable for her everyday. Here are her favorites as well as some of mine :)!

1. Sophie Bath Toy: Everyone is right when they say babies LOVE sophie. I got this as a gift and it's been one of Whitney's favorites from a really early age. 

2. Shea Moisture Cream: This stuff works wonders. Whitney got eczema on her back at the beginning of winter and it cleared up in no time. It's made with natural and organic ingredients, and it doesn't have any smell. It's a very thick paste that kind of turned me off at the beginning, but it really does do wonders.

3. Shea Moisture Eczema Soap: Another one of my eczema MUST HAVES. This stuff is awesome! It's fairly cheap, it has a wonderful light scent to it. Again, it's made with all natural and organic ingredients. 

4. Aden & Anais Towel Set: Good hooded towels are hard to come by. It seems like a lot of them out there are cheap or too small. This one is a perfect size (so far). I can still wrap her up all the way. It's durable, so it can be used for the next baby, which is why I tried to get neutral colors. It's also really nice to have heavy-duty washcloths once they start eating solids. It's much easier to get the grime off their faces with a good quality washcloth.

5.Blooming Bath: When Whitney was a tiny baby and nothing would soothe her but a bath, I credit it to this bath. It lets them lay in the sink comfortably with water all around them. It's also something you can use later on, like when they are sitting up in the big tub, just lay on the bottom so they have something soft to sit on. I went pretty neutral with this as well so I can use it with the next. After every bath I would just squeeze it out and throw it in the washer on just the spin cycle, then throw is in the dryer for 15 minutes. 

6. Bath Drops: When Whitney was especially tired and cranky (or teething), I would drop this into her bath before she got in. I love essential oils! I really think they make a world of difference. It seems to help her calm down and relax for bedtime.

7. Calendula Shampoo: I LOVE this stuff. I would use it for myself! It smells wonderful and I just love all California Baby products! We use this as a shampoo for Whitney. It's tear free which is a must and it works wonders. It also lasts a long time, a little goes a long way.

8. Rubber Duck (hot/cold): This was another gift. Whitney loves it, it's one of her go to toys every night. It also has a hot indicator on the bottom which is awesome. It tells you if the bath is too hot for baby. It's a cheap little toy that is definitely worth every penny.

9. Green Toys Stacking Cups: I've said it before, and I will say it again, these are worth every penny. Whitney loves to play with them in the bath. She loves when I fill one up and pour it on her hand. They also make great cups for washing her off :).

10. Calming Lotion: This is one of my all time favorites. I love how light this stuff is, it's not greasy and it dries quickly. It has a strong lavender smell, which I love. I'm a bit obsessed with lavender.