Thursday, September 21, 2017

The BIG Birthday Bash (Birthday weekend Day 3)




The Big Birthday Bash weekend culminated on Saturday for Lillian's party.  It was what ALLL the prep had led up to.  I planned for weeks and worked on decorations while neglecting my house for days on end.  My entourage that flew in was GREAT for helping me party prep.  I was so thankful they were there.  


Tracie can build a killer donut hole tree.  This may not look like it but there are 12 DOZEN (yes, 144) donuts holes on this tree.


This was my masterpiece.  It's a "dream catcher" of sorts made from doilies from BOTH of my grandmothers.  I worked on it for several weeks, sewed, tied, and strung it up.  I even went into an unnamed park to "borrow" the branch for the top.  Transporting it proved to be tricky but I LOVE how it turned out and it now proudly hangs in her bedroom!  I love decor that has meaning!


HEB slayed her cake again as well.  I love paying $40 for a beautiful cake that also taste amazing!  


This was my other brain child.  This "maypole" was a pinterest item I managed to pull off.  It was another labor of love as I had to use old thrift sheets as the ribbons to make them long enough, I even sewed them together.  It turned out so cute and the girls LOVED the maypole.  So much so, I kept it and hope to have a mommy and me mayple party one day!  


Flowers by Cheryl. Not only is she amazing at photography, she can arrange flowers better than any FTD I know!


The strawberries were a special delivery from Mont Belvieu, TX.  She volunteered to help and I signed her up!  My favorite cousin in Texas (even if she's my ONLY cousin, or relative for that matter, in Texas), Amanda  made them.


This little banner has made a birthday party debut for the last 3 years.  I made it for Lillian's first birthday party and it was a pinterest project turned EXPENSIVE!  After I made it, I kissed her little head and told her she would have to use it for every birthday party until she turned 16.  So far I've kept my promise!  





The decor wasn't the only group effort, the food was also a collaborative.  Lillian has some people that luuuuuv her!



Party Prep in action!  




In addition to the strawberries, I'll add this to the reasons I'm grateful to have a cousin in Texas.  Taylor and her sweet friend played an amazing Elsa and Anna for Lillian.  She was clearly thrilled when they walked out and she held their hand as they walked around at the party.  


She was beside herself to be in the presence of her favorite Disney Princesses.  


She loved them, and I don't think they minded too much either.  



The guys came to the girly party too, they just tried to lay low and eat more cake.  


We had a couple of extras in our family photo!  The more the merrier right?




No Elsa and Anna appearance is complete without a song!  Here the girls all sing, "Let it Go!"


Lillian was equally as happy to have Allie Gray AND her "Aunt Jamie" at her party.  I have a pretty good feeling I felt the same way about her when I was Lillian's age!


"Fairy Godmother" Miss Marie was never far behind her Lady Lillian making sure she was always safe and warm.  She has a very special place in ALL of our hearts!



Can't believe my baby is 3!  She'll always be my baby!


Aunt Tracie was the calm to my storm.  She always has been.  My best friend since I was 3.  


We all love how shy Allie Gray LOVES Uncle Jason.  They are a cute but unlikely pair!


I hope all her birthday wishes come true!  





Lots of Lillian's little princess friends came to help her celebrate.  Everyone received a flower crown specially made by Nana!  



The initiation of the maypole!




These two wanted to hold the same ribbon!  Precious!






Then someone tried to tie else to the steak.  She was a pretty good sport about it!



The afterparty at our house looked like this!  What better way to thank all the people who helped me put on such a great party for Lillian than to serve them 40lbs of crawfish!  
Believe it or not, we finished it off with no problem!


Until next years party!




Queen for the day! (Big Birthday Weekend Day 2)


On day two of the Big Birthday Bash weekend, we picked up our "Fairy Godmother" Miss Marie at the airport and headed straight for the castle!  Who knew there was a castle you can visit in Texas!  


These two princesses and their prince (or jester, you decide) enjoyed the castle grounds and the pathways around it.  


In the small town of Bellville, TX there is a bakery called Newmans.  The bakery owner built himself a castle in the woods to live in.  He built it himself over the last 10 years.  It's available for tours and is lots of fun.  With your tour is a bakery lunch included.  






It has a working drawbridge around the moat!  You use a wooden "hamster wheel" to lift the bridge although it takes 2-3 adults to pull it up.

When it's your party weekend, you can pout if you want to!  I wish I knew what she was pouting about but there are just too many wishes that go ungranted for this little princess.  


Feeling a little like Duchess Kate as I wave to my people.  My little "princess charlotte" by my side!  I really think I could do the whole royalty thing!  


Except the part when they start criticizing what I'm wearing, my chin, hair etc.  Or when they question the way I'm raising my children.  Ok, ok, I get it, royalty probably isn't all it's cracked up to be.

Bippity-boppity-boo!  Lillian runs for her glass slipper as the clock strikes NAPTIME!


These little cousins have the BEST time together!  Allie Grey has waited all year to come to "Quston" for Lillian's birthday party.  I hope we showed her a royally good time!


Avalon stole the royal show!  He was nearly as tall as the girls standing up.  I have rarely ever seen a dog so big but also so sweet!  He's clearly used to children "loving" on him.  I wonder if Lucy would fit in as a royal pup?  Oh, wait.  She already is!  



At the end of the tour "King" Newman, tells a story to the children of his trip to Ireland and meeting a tiny leprechaun who gave him some magic gold nuggets to give away in his castle.  He's clearly told the story hundreds of times as the children were mesmerized.  They loved their "gold" they picked from his tiny treasure chest.   We left feeling like we were party of his royal family.  It was very neat that no parts of the tour were considered "off limits" including the Kings sleeping quarters.  The kids loved checking out the "royal throne" aka, bathroom!  We hope to return to the castle again when we have new "royal guests" to bring.


We were lucky enough on the way home to stumble upon these early bluebonnet blooms.  They bloomed 3-4 weeks earlier than normal and I was so happy to be able to show my family the heart of Texas through the bluebonnets!  
They thrill me EVERY single year when I see them.  Maybe I was meant to be a Texan.



The castle has a working bell tower that you can climb to the top of.  From below, you can pull the rope and ring the bell but it's LOUD to anyone that is climbing in the tower.  Of course Lincoln scaled to the top and I went to follow him but I could only get to the second window before I had to come back down.  Why do you get afraid of heights as an adult?  


What castle is complete without a dungeon?  The kids had to try out all of the torture devices.
Bed of Nails

Hanging jail

and, well, whatever this thing is called.  



Goodbye, Newmans Castle!  We will meet again one day!