finally...

i'm really excited to finally be able to share some of the photos of lucy's first birthday party with you. lots of work went into this party, though the ultimate goal was to make it simple, beautiful, kid-friendly and eco-friendly. we did our absolute best, and were thankful to be blessed lots of help from family and friends, and with gorgeous springime weather. the end result was a bash that will be remembered fondly in lucy-history. enjoy!

ready to greet her guests... the party girl wore a 1950's vintage sundress and sweet bare feet.

with best friend dollie... 

our handmade party hats & crowns were a true hit with parents and kids alike--i'm so pleased with how they turned out and hope to have some in the etsy shop soon!

indoor decorations were simple at best (as in, i scrawled this note on the chalkboard 5 minutes before guests began to arrive).

instead of water in plastic bottles, we offered organic lemonade and ice water in big jugs... compostable cups were close at hand.

other beverages (all in glass bottles) included pellegrino, orangina, tejava iced tea, and mexican coke (made with cane sugar instead of high fructose corn syrup). and don't forget the keg!

outdoor decor included this handmade banner, made by my mom & i. i love this thing and wish i could keep it up year-round, but i don't want it to get sunbleached. i absolutely love the idea of reusable party decorations--we made sure to buy fabrics that were fun but not babyish so that we can get many years of celebrations out of this thing!

lucy's cake, made by your loyal blogger. it's not the prettiest thing in the world, but it fit with our simple theme. the cake, and the rest of the yummy desserts, is displayed on a vintage, tiered side table. it was also used to hold the cake for our wedding. 

the paper banner i made to hang in the studio where food & desserts were being served. the full banner read "happy birthday lucy."

the menu, scrawled out quickly on an old chalkboard... 

a quiet moment with daddy... did i mention she loved wearing the hats?

"so this is what a birthday party is, mommy! i love it!"

the party took place back in the days when crawling was still "cool."

jeremy and his brother went to town recreating a vintage beanbag toss clown that we saw at the alameda antique fair. at $80, it was out of our price range for lucy's party--but those talented guys made it happen anyway! "eric" the clown is another party item that we hope to get lots of use out of in coming years. 

i got the task of making the beanbags--it was a quick, fun project. prizes included bubbles, softballs and organic fruit roll-ups. 

lucy's retro pedal car was a big fun for all of the kids... 

her new "birthday sandbox" was fun, too... 

we brought out her wagons so everyone could have a ride (the rustiest wagon held birthday presents)... 

and of course, it's not a party without a few chickens to feed... 

time for cake! a vintage bib saved lucy's party dress from all that icing... 

good enough to share!

time for all of those great gifts (still a few more to be posted to the blog)!

and a cuddle from mom & dad. happy birthday, baby!

we used compostable plates, cups and napkins for the party, and had enough real silverware to go around, thanks to a few donations. we kept 2 large bins out for garbage--each was labeled clearly to let guests know what to do. we ordered from world centric  and were very pleased with their competitive pricing and fast shipment of high-quality product. we had the pleasure of attending two 1st birthday parties this weekend and both used compostable tableware. looks like the idea is catching on!

treat bags for the kids were also handmade--though they sat in my living room for 2 weeks i never thought to take a photo. anyhow, each child got a reusable snack bag with snap closure. girl bags were stuffed with reusable cloth wipes/napkins and handmade hair clippies. boys got the same wipes and homemade playdough. older kids got a kid-sized gardening trowel and packet of sunflower seeds, along with a box of jelly bellies, cause what kid doesn't like jelly beans? plus, they are made locally--the factory sits only 20 miles from my house!

well, i suppose that's it! we're officially done with birthday #01... on our way to birthday #02!