So remember the list, I posted in the New Year? Yeah, I kind of forgot about it too... I can't say I have marked anything off of it (guess this blog will never be younghouselove)! And the year is nearly half over. And I'm expecting baby # 2 in 97 days (but who's counting). [Insert deep breath here]. Well there's a saying: "do what you have to do so you can do what you want to do." I'm not huge into home improvement (I'd hire anyone and everyone I could if I was one of the real housewives of wherever), but of have vs. want, I'd say cleaning the garage, cleaning out the sunroom, and cleaning the basement--all things we actually have accomplished this year-- were on the have list, while re-decorating has fallen to the want list. I tell you all that by way of a long winded explanation. BUT the exciting part is, I get to start doing a little decorating now...and new baby's nursery and Genevieve's toddler room are where I intend to start. Since I can't make up my freakin mind on new baby's nursery, and am waiting for like 6 fabric swatches to help me do so, I'm focusing on Genevieve's big girl room right now. And it all started with the search for her big girl bed! I wanted something vintage modern (as usual), so of course I looked on CraigsList. I immediately found 3 beds I LOVED. Sadly one was really far away (and unfortunately I didn't save a picture of it to include in this post and the ad has long since been deleted), but the other two were right around the corner. Here they are:

I was so torn that I sent a desparate email out to a few friends (including my designer friend) for help but got differing advice; all good points--which one is sturdier, the brown one is more gender neutral, etc, etc.  In the end, I ended up going with the white one.  I just can't get away from the ultra girly style I'm accustomed to...although the Jenny Lind craze (more on that in a moment) and this amazing inspiration, nearly made me depart from my ultra feminine ways.  And the best part?  It was only $45!  Add to that the fact that new baby is a girl (no immediate need to go the gender neutral route) and that the guy who owned the spindle bed wouldn't negotiate to my satisfaction (obviously he didn't know that I am the bargain master and would totally walk away...yeah; I'm hard core) and the final decision ended up being an easy one.  I LOVE this bed and can't wait to paint it...you know what I'm going to say...don't pretend you don't...PINK. :)  A fun, super bright pink though.  And don't worry; her entire room won't be pink like her nursery.  I plan to layer it with gender neutral colors and modern accents that will grow with her...and Genevieve can pass it on to her sister when she's officially outgrown it!  So there you go-- a decision made and now on my way to planning and choosing fun and modern bedding, toy storage space, a cool wall color, and another dresser re-do.  This oughtta be fun!!

(This is kind of like 2 posts in one...enjoy). ;)

I made tulle poms and tissue poms to hang around the house. When a party is indoors, there's a lot of space to fill (why couldn't she have been born in June?!), so this is an easy and cheap way to do that.

The banner was my FAVE. In damask, black, and hot pink, it added to the theme. In addition to the banner Megan made food labels, and signage ("How Sweet it is to be Genevieve" for the dessert table was the cutest thing ever!) which in my OCDness I adorned with little gems. I love printables and think they can totally make a party. If you're not as lucky as I am to have fabulous Megan Ayers as a BFF, then for a small price you can get party printables from a number of sellers on etsy.

Ornate frames also added to the vintage feel. And pearls strung with photos of Genevieve from about 3 months to 1 year did the same.  I also bought a high chair off of craigslist and painted it pink both with her one year photos and this party in mind.

Food:

(sorry for the lack of photos...I promise it looked yummy :))

I wanted to feed a crowd...cheaply. I have to give myself a pat on the back for thinking of a mashed potato bar. My mother in law makes the best homemade mashed potatoes and I included cheese, sour cream, bacon bits, salt and pepper, jalapenos, and nacho cheese (ok, that's a lie. I was supposed to make nacho cheese but was running an hour behind and didn't get to it. I'm still getting this hostess gig down!). I also made spinach and pancetta grilled panini (mmmmmmmm), along with turkey avocado panini. My mom made the best Greek pasta salad ever and a tossed salad with candied walnuts and Gorgonzola cheese, as well.

I really didn't want to make all of the desserts from scratch but didn't want to use candy either (in my experience unless it's chocolate or there are a ton of kids no one eats the candy--it just sits there looking pretty which really isn't the point!). The dessert buffet included homemade peppermint patties, peanut butter and chocolate cupcakes, cherry cheesecake bars, cake pops, and a cake. Semi homemade included: dipped pretzels and chocolate covered strawberries. I used store bought yogurt dipped pretzels, powdered donuts, and strawberry wafers. I have to say the homemade peppermint patties were a pain but I got the most positive feedback from those! Figures right?! The cake pops were my FAVORITE to make and were so delicious. I liked [and ate] every single dessert on that table!!

Activities:

I'm not big on activities (can you tell I'm a first time mom?). So that, coupled with the fact that the sitters Megan used were unavailable, and most of the guests/kids were pretty young, I figured I could get away with not planning structured activities. Side note: I found these awesome paper castles kids can put together and decorate but el Cheapo (that's Joe) wouldn't let me buy them! BUT I did get knight's armor for the boys and princess tiaras and wands for the girls (and mini baby dolls and princess onesies for the baby girls), so I figured the kids could play with those toys. Besides, my mother in law has plenty of toys at her house to keep the kids occupied in a little hideaway refinished basement area, so I think the kids did ok. For future parties I definitely plan to follow Megan's lead and get sitters. I too think that was a genius idea!

PS: Check back later for some DIY guides for some of the homemade items mentioned...