{Daughter's First Birthday Party}

I've just realised that after posting my plans for the afternoon tea party for my daughter's first birthday, I didn't post any photographs of the actual party! Silly me! So here are some of the details...

I made a number '1' applique vest for my daughter to wear:

I created a number '1' template in Word

I used this to cut a number '1' out of rose patterned fabric, which I then sewed onto a pink long-sleeved baby vest. Up close it didn't look great, but from a distance it was ok!

I had bought a very cute little ballet tutu from Sainsbury's that I teamed with the baby vest and striped tights to complete the outfit!

I also made some bunting to decorate the living room. The fabric (which I also used for the applique vest) was from Remnant Kings Curtain Warehouse.

I sewed triangles of fabric and attached them to bias binding. You can follow the tutorial I used by Homemade & Happy here. I'm going to use the bunting to decorate my daughter's bedroom, so I hadn't just made it for the party.

I made the birthday cake myself with some help from Mrs Jones, Passion in the Baking. This was part of my 35 at 35 list. I also used Ruby Delicious, who I would highly recommend, to cater for the party (I had enough to stress about!). Alison brought vintage crockery for us to use as well as bringing lots of different teas and a selection of amazing cakes, brownies, meringues... It was all lovely (I've got more photographs of the food and other details, but they're on another camera and I need to download the pics to my computer. I'll post them soon!).

Button birthday cake.

And here is the birthday girl herself:

My favourite out of the vintage tea cups (photo is a little blurry, sorry!)

{Packing away the steriliser...}

My little baby daughter turns one in exactly 1 week... just 7 days to go! The other day I gave her cow's milk in her bottle as I'm nearing the end of the box of formula, and today I'm packing away the steriliser. I was very much looking forward to reaching this milestone... no more formula milk and no more sterilising... but on reflection, I shouldn't have been wishing her baby days over so quickly and I'm rather sad that she's nearly a toddler (she's cruising round furniture now and I'm sure it won't be long until she's toddling about!) and not my little baby anymore.

Today was also another milestone - her first trip in a big girl car seat!

She's becoming very independent - wants to feed herself and desperate to get up on her feet to join in with her big brother. It's lovely to watch them play together, hide and seek is a favourite with my bedroom curtains!

On Saturday we are having an afternoon tea party for the birthday girl - do come back here to see the photographs from the day and find out more about the birthday cake (I'm making it myself, with a little help from Mrs Jones, as part of my 35 at 35 list).

I thought I'd share a few of her photographs from the last year...

An hour old!

First trip to Aberdeen to visit my family

First taste of food

Tummy time

Worn out after all the excitement at Christmas in her LBD

Sitting up unaided for the first time

In a trolley for the first time (not looking very impressed!)

First time in a swing

Making a mess with yoghurt!

Climbing up stairs last weekend for the first time!