Chanel Moving Forward

A modern lifestyle blog dedicated to the moments in between

First Birthday Recap Part 2

I finally get to share the best part of the party: Miss Evelyn. I am totally biased but I cannot get over how freaking cute she looked in her pink flutter dress, cat shoes and custom party hat. Girlfriend totally rocked it. A lot of her friends came in their best cat themed attire and really got into the spirit of the party. All the little girls looked so cute sitting sweetly and eating together. Definitely different than any of Henry’s birthdays or whenever toddler boys get together. Come to think of it, I don’t even think I have ever seen Henry sit down and quietly eat a meal the way the girls did. It was really so heart warming! buy strattera online https://cpff.ca/wp-content/languages/new/strattera.html no prescription

 

 

 

 

 

 

There were four crafts that I made for the party. The first was the chalkboard with the instagram hashtag. By no means am I a chalkboard artist and my three year old could do better at freehand writing than I could, so I took the route of indirect tracing. I followed this tutorial and chose my fonts, set up the wording in photoshop and printed on my everyday printer. Going back in and tracing each letter and filling them in took about two hours and I was able to accomplish it during nap time. buy abilify online https://cpff.ca/wp-content/languages/new/abilify.html no prescription

 

DIY project two were the felt meow banners. There isn’t a tutorial I followed for this, and I think they are pretty self explanatory. I just looked at a banner we already have and loosely went off of that. Start with cutting your triangle then trace and cut out your letters. Glue those on (I used spray adhesive which is messy as shit so don’t buy that) and then cut the 4 short strips and 1 long strip to complete the side and bam: You just made a banner. buy Cymbalta online https://cpff.ca/wp-content/languages/new/ no prescription

 

The goody bags were so much fun to put together. I bought the mini canvas tote bags on amazon (vendor list below) and had planned to iron on the letters. However I could not by the single letters I needed since they all came in a pack of 26 and who the hell needs 20 left over Z’s anyway. So I decided to stencil and paint them. I used the same stencil I did to cut out the MEOW felt letters above and then outlined them directly onto the bags using a fabric sharpie, followed by painting in each letter with black fabric paint. Since the bags were canvas they soaked up most of the paint as soon as I started painting, making it almost impossible to spread the paint easily. No joke, this project took longer than anything else but it saved me money and I love how they turned out.

 

Making the cat masks was new for me but after looking at a few pictures on Pinterest I thought I would give it a shot. I ordered a cat mask from Party City and used that as my template to trace out the mask shape. Using left over felt from the meow banners I cut out rounded triangles for the ears (I kept drawing the shapes until I liked one and used that as the template for the rest). Same goes for the glitter noses, except that is just glitter card stock, not felt. Not pictured is the elastic which hold the masks on. Using the original elastic from the party city cat mask, I measured my elastic the same length. Then I used a nail to make holes on the side so the elastic would feed in. Tie two small holes to keep it in place and voila! Super easy and you could do this for any kind of mask you wanted to make.

 

I hope you enjoyed all of my pink squares in your instagram feed these past 10 days! I will definitely miss that color all over the house but I’m sure my husband won’t 🙂 Be sure to check back in tomorrow to see Evie’s smash cake session and to enter a super fun giveaway for your next party!

 

Vendor List on this Post
Goody Bags:
Nail Polish
Outfit: 
Mini Party Hat: Little Blue Olive
Kitty Ballet Flats: Target, in store only
Pink Flutter Dress: Gap
Miscellaneous:
Pink + Gold Confetti Balloons: Lola’s Confetti Shop
High Chair Tassel: Target Valentine’s Day Section
Best Day Ever Balloons: Betsy White
Globe Lights: Target
Mini Pink Christmas Tree: Hobby Lobby after Christmas sale (for $4!)
Photographs by the wonderful Cynthia Hernandez Photography

 

First Birthday Recap Part 1

Evelyn’s birthday definitely snuck up on me since it’s just over two weeks after Christmas. I knew I had wanted a pink and gold color theme since there is no shortage of supplies and decorations in those colors. I added the cat element because Evie loves our two cats and what is cuter than a cat cake and cat cookies? I am taking full advantage of having a girl and went all out with the pink and gold glitter decorations. I would have painted the walls pink if my husband had let me. I’m so happy to share part one of her party, which is all the decor and food! I have always loved throwing parties and hosting events at our house. I even get excited when I host small playgroups because it gives me an excuse to set out food platters and mini coffee bars. buy cozaar online https://cpff.ca/wp-content/languages/new/cozaar.html no prescription
The dessert table is a must for any party. This one consisted of the kitty cake, her tiny smash cake, regular and mini size cupcakes and also custom made cookies (cat faces and gold glitter number 1’s). The cookies were the biggest hit and were gone before anything else. Having pink in the color scheme was perfect since most stores have Valentine’s Day decor and baked goods out. The mini pink cupcakes were from Target and the other cupcakes and smash cake were from Kroger. I didn’t even need to request anything special since there was an abundance of pink frosted cakes everywhere. The kitty cake was made by Publix and I was so impressed! Normally I use a bake shop but since this cake was so simple, I figured I would give them a try. Another bonus? It was only $29. By far the cheapest custom cake I have ever purchased.
Since the party was at 10am I opted for a waffle bar and mimosa bar, which were very easy to set up. I did all the chopping of the fruit ahead of time so that the morning of, all that needed to be done was bake the waffles in the oven (which only took 20 minutes) set out the juice, fixings and champagne. I found the Mimosa printable sign here and she created the Waffle file for me at no additional charge!  I got them both printed at my local target. The frames are wooden from Hobby Lobby (I bought the cheapest they had) and then I spray painted them a metallic gold. The mini carafes that held the syrup have been purchased throughout the years. Target always has them in their dollar spot and I’ve seen them at Five Below too. For fruit for the mimosa’s, I stuck with peaches, blackberries, raspberries and strawberries. The waffle bar had topping choices of mini chocolate chips, colored sprinkles, blueberries, bananas and strawberries. Syrup options were raspberry, blueberry and maple. buy premarin online https://cpff.ca/wp-content/languages/new/premarin.html no prescription
I know hosting parties or large groups at your house can seem daunting, but for me I love it because I can set up ahead of time and work on things at any time of day. I’m not packing the car with food, drinks and crafts and I don’t have to worry about forgetting anything. Most rental places with party rooms only give you 30 minutes prior to set up for a birthday which is definitely not enough time. I started my set up the week of her party during nap and in the evenings. We have minimal furniture in our front room and always use that for parties which is ideal. It’s the first room people see when they walk into our house and gets plenty of daylight. It’ll be a bummer if I ever really decide to furnish it! buy singulair online https://cpff.ca/wp-content/languages/new/singulair.html no prescription
If you’re short on time or don’t want to stress too much about decor, I always recommend choosing a theme that has ample supplies in stores and online. {Amazon Prime will be your best friend!} Try to pick a theme a few months prior to the event, start a pinterest board for ideas and slowly start to collect items for the party. If hosting at your home, set up a few days prior to the party if possible. Anything that can be done ahead of time really takes stress off of you since the day of or the day prior is always filled with cake & balloon pick ups, preparing and setting out food, cleaning the house and getting ready. I prepped goody bags, made crafts, chopped fruit, picked up the cake, cookies and balloons all before the day of. You’d be surprised how many last minute things can sneak up on you the day of your party, so prepping prior to your event is my number one piece of advice. Tomorrow I’ll be sharing more details on the goody bags, crafts and the best part of all: Evelyn 🙂 Below is a vendor list for the party room, sorted by table.

 

Kids Table:
Pink Table Cover: Party City
Gold Glitter Boxes: Hobby Lobby
Polka Dot Treat Cups: Amazon
Gold Table Runner: Target {wrapping paper}
Linen & Gold Table Runner: Target Dollar Spot, Valentines Decor
Polka Dotted Plates: Amazon
Mini Milk Bottles: Shop Sweet Lulu
Sweets Table:
Cat Cake: Publix
Cupcakes: Target & Kroger
Cake + Cupcake Toppers: New Way Kids
Paper Plates: Shop Sweet Lulu
Cat Pillow: H&M
ONE Glitter Letters: Hobby Lobby {plain wood letter spray painted with gold glitter paint}
Memory Board: Sugarboo & Co.
Blush Pink & Gold Tassel Garland: Peachy Details
Table Cover: Party City
Gold Glitter Runner: Paper Source {wrapping paper}
Pink Paper Garlands: Oh Happy Day Shop
Mimosa/Waffle Bar Table:
Glass Carafes: Ikea
Gold Champagne Flutes: Party City
Mimosa/Waffle Bar Printable: Paper Canoe Printables 
Pink Table Cover: Party City
Gold Glitter Runner: Paper Source
Gold + Pink Foil Banners: Amazon here & here
Gold Polka Dot Plates: Party City
Pink Paper Garlands: Oh Happy Day Shop
White & Gold Bowls: Target Dollar Spot, Valentine’s Decor

 

Evelyn turns One

Dear Sweet Little Evie –
Today you are ONE! You have been mine for 365 days and they have been some of the best of my life. Your first year went by faster than Henry’s. I guess that’s to be expected when momma is chasing around your wild + energetic brother while also trying to enjoy your baby phase. When I was younger I would dream about having a little girl but as I grew into my twenties that changed and I thought I only wanted boys. That rang even truer once your brother was born. I totally wanted to be a boy mom, with a houseful of little guys running around wrestling each other and being the best of brothers. When I became pregnant with you, I even hoped you would be a boy. I found out you were not a boy when I had your 13 week ultrasound. I had no idea gender could be revealed that soon so I innocently asked the doctor if she “knew what it was.” Once I heard her say ‘it’s a girl!’ all those boy feelings immediately went away and were filled with bows, dresses and cute pink shoes. The excitement was overwhelming and I could not stop smiling. The first thing I did when I got home was pull out your brothers clothes I had saved and see if there were any gender neutral things I had. Thoughts of how I would decorate your nursery, the coming home outfit you would wear and other girly things filled my mind. I couldn’t wait to meet you. buy celexa online https://cpff.ca/wp-content/languages/new/celexa.html no prescription

 

The two favorite moments in my entire life was when I first met you and your brother. If I could go back in time to any day and relive it, those are the two days I would pick. There is no greater feeling than seeing your baby and hearing them cry for the first time. If there was one gift I could give to people, that would be it. No matter how many amazing places you have traveled or fun things you have experienced, I guarantee meeting your children tops them all. Even my wedding day is second to when I saw you and Henry for the first time. I hope you get to experience that one day. buy zoloft online https://cpff.ca/wp-content/languages/new/zoloft.html no prescription

 

You treated me pretty well while you were in my belly, until the very last few weeks when you lodged your little body so high that you dislocated some cartilage from my rib cage. I spent time in the emergency room and slept sitting up for the last week. When you finally came {read about Evelyn’s birth story here} I felt like I was watching a movie in slow motion. It was nearly midnight, you came early, fast and unexpected. I had never experienced my water breaking and rushing to the hospital so the whole night was a whirlwind. Once the doctors brought you to me, I could not believe I had a daughter! You were the sweetest baby girl I had ever seen (totally biased I know) with the best demeanor. As you grew into your little self, your personality started to really shine. You totally go with the flow and let your brother take the lead. You love watching him talk and play and even let him chase you around sometimes. He is working on playing nice with you and you’ve been so patient while he learns to share and be gentle. I know you two are going to have such a great relationship. I think the reason walking has come so easily to you is because you want to keep up with Henry. You mastered walking before you were 10 months old. No falls, bruises or bumped heads. Pretty soon you will be chasing him around! buy fluoxetine online https://cpff.ca/wp-content/languages/new/fluoxetine.html no prescription

 

Last night when I laid your baby self down to sleep, I was flooded with emotions thinking of all the memories from this past year. How did all of these 365 days go by so fast? Why can’t I remember every second I have spent with you? If I could relive this year with you I would. I’d try to slow down time and treasure every moment we’ve shared. While I was pregnant with you I was worried I wouldn’t love you as much as I loved Henry. How could I possibly give love to another baby when your brother took up my whole heart? It’s safe to say that I never had trouble loving you. From the moment I first held you I fell in love. You have brought sweetness and balance to our family. Thank you for everything you have given us in your first year. It’s been such an honor being your mother.
“If I could give you one thing in life, I would give you the ability to see yourself through my eyes, only then would you realize how special you are to me. “

NYE Recap + 2016 Word of the Year

Happy New Year! We are already three days into 2016 and having daddy home for four days straight is ending. Tomorrow starts back to real life and a new year, which is always so exciting and bittersweet. 2015 was a great year for us, mostly due to the fact that we welcomed Evelyn on January 10 so this time last year we were in total baby mode and filled with excitement and nerves. Her first birthday is a week from today and I’m still in denial. This week I’ll be in full party mode but now I’m still soaking in the fun memories from the holidays.
Our NYE was pretty low key in terms of staying in and having an early night. But definitely high energy since there were 9 kids, 10 adults, a balloon drop, lots of homemade yummy pizzas and plenty of booze and champagne jell-o shots. I loved having the kids with us so everyone could celebrate together. Holidays are more fun when you can experience them through your children’s eyes. Being with my family and best girlfriends was the perfect way to end the year and I wouldn’t have asked for anything different. buy zovirax online https://cpff.ca/wp-content/languages/new/zovirax.html no prescription
Since I have one year under my belt as a mother of two, it’s definitely been an eye opener and balancing act. Therefor making my 2016 word of the year Balance. I watched this video of Jada Pinkett Smith discussing how hard it can be to be both a wife and a mother while also taking care of yourself and I could not agree with her more. It is so challenging to give equally to motherhood, your relationship, work, friends, family and then try and find time for yourself at the end of the day. This year I am definitely focusing on balancing my life and everything in it. All while trying to be the best mother and wife that I can. buy flomax online https://cpff.ca/wp-content/languages/new/flomax.html no prescription
{headband // shoes // leotard}
This guy is growing up so fast! He will be FOUR this year. Looking back at last years NYE he seemed so tiny and still like a baby. Now he is a full blown threenager who speaks in full sentences, has his own opinions and gives me the “MOM” eye roll. He’s the cutest little devil and I need to spend more one on one time with him not that Evelyn is out of the baby stage and doesn’t require so much around the clock attention. I’m looking forward to some mommy son dates in our future 🙂 Here’s to another great year! buy lexapro online https://cpff.ca/wp-content/languages/new/lexapro.html no prescription

Baby Girls Valentine’s Outfits

Now that Christmas is less than a week behind us, every retail outlet is now planning for Valentine’s Day. I was at Target yesterday and they had already begun putting up banners with pink hearts everywhere and their dollar spot is filled with goodies. I have to admit that Valentine’s Day is one of my favorite holidays simply because the red + pink themed decorations and cupcakes always get me. The kids clothing and pjs are always super festive and this is my first year picking outfits for a girl. Last year Evelyn was only a few weeks old and really only wore pajamas so getting to choose real clothes and accessories is definitely exciting for first time girl moms. The heart romper is calling my name and we already have those gold flats. Here’s a roundup of some fun outfits for your little ones <3 buy paxil online https://cpff.ca/wp-content/languages/new/paxil.html no prescription

Class Party: Love Top // Red Sneakers // Dark Denim // Striped Bow

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Christmas 2015

Our Christmas was a whirlwind experience this year. I feel like it crept up on us even though we had things ready for weeks. It was definitely the most fun holiday my husband and I had in our seven Christmases together, mostly due to the fact that we had two kids to set up for this year. I love that we have a son and now a daughter so we can experience baby dolls + strollers as well as police cars + fire trucks. Once kids reach the age of two I think that’s when they can finally start to understand Christmas. Last year with Henry was super fun but he didn’t really understand the story of Santa and how he “works.” This year was much better and he finally grasped how he brings toys, puts kids on the nice list, lives at the North Pole, etc. He named our Elf on the Shelf Noddy and loved finding him every morning (even though a lot of nights we would forget and then throw him someplace fast in the morning when he asked … like the couch, the tree or the kitchen table).Christmas Eve was pretty low key at our house during the day. It was pouring rain so we watched holiday movies and ate marshmallows until nap time. buy priligy online https://cpff.ca/wp-content/languages/new/priligy.html no prescription

We went to my moms house for dinner with friends and family. My brother is in town from Boston and the kids love him so it was really special. The food was excellent of course and included stone crab claws, shrimp, baby potatoes with caviar cream and endives, brussels sprouts apple salad with walnuts and blue cheese, honey baked ham and mushroom marsala on toast points.

 

 

 

 

 

The best part of Christmas Eve though is setting up the living room for the kids. We cleared out some of the furniture and pushed the couches back so we could really maximize the space and so the kids could play with their toys in the middle while we sipped coffee and watched “A Christmas Story”. We vacuumed and dusted and made sure everything was clean and perfect for them, mostly Henry since Evelyn is still too young to understand what’s going on. Next year we may even let them fall asleep next to the tree. buy bystolic online https://cpff.ca/wp-content/languages/new/bystolic.html no prescription

 

 

 

 

 

Christmas morning went off perfectly. The kids woke up around 7 and Henry could hardly contain himself. I always record his reaction to his Santa toys because those are the things he wanted the most. You can see this years video here. Evelyn just kind of wandered around playing with boxes and chewing on wrapping paper, which was to be expected. We made sausage balls and coffee crumb cake and unwrapped presents well into lunch time. Henry enjoyed a nutritious breakfast of cookies. We love how long the morning lasted and really got to appreciate every gift that was opened and every smile and laugh as our family of four.

 

 

 

 

shirt // mug
the kids Christmas loot!

 

We went to my moms again for Christmas dinner which was another buffet of yumminess. My husband helped cook while the kids opened more presents and played with their new toys. Dinner consisted of a mushroom burrata lasagna and veal meatballs with marinara sauce. Dessert was a trifle tiramisu and I could have eaten the entire thing.

 

 

romper // headband // shoes
It was nearly 75 degrees so both the kids wore summer attire since it was too hot and muggy for my planned holiday outfits. Such a bummer because they were super cute.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We did things a little different this year and took all our decorations and trees down the day after Christmas. Usually we leave everything up until January 1 but with two kids, all their toys, a new kitten and Evelyn’s first birthday coming up, we needed to clean so we could think straight. Henry was super sad and kept saying “But I don’t want Christmas to be over” which was super cute and we explained to him that if Christmas was year round then we wouldn’t appreciate it as much. Our four day weekend was filled with lots of family, play time and togetherness. 2016 is right around the corner and next Christmas will be here in a blink of an eye for sure. We’re really trying to savor every moment we have together!

 

Shopping without Kids

We fully took advantage of our last shopping weekend before Christmas and the weather could not have been better. It has been raining non stop for the past 48 hours and will continue through the weekend. So much for a chilly Christmas morning with a fire going and bring on the humidity and wetness.  After dropping the kids off with my mom, our first order of business was to get some Starbucks of course since I haven’t had many of their holiday drinks this season nor have I drank from the controversial Satan Sipper.
After our morning coffee we headed to Ponce City Market. It was my first time there and it did not disappoint. The atmosphere and vibe remind you you’re not in the suburbs anymore, Dorothy. There’s a great selection of shops including Sugarboo & Co, Anthropologie and Citizen Supply (which is a marketplace for curated artists with the best local ATL goodies).

 

 

For lunch we stopped at H&F Burger which everyone has been raving about. The buns alone are worth going there for. I’ve always been a true Bocado fan but this has them beat. I chose the classic cheeseburger with a fried egg since I add eggs to just about everything and a side of fries. All the restaurants are located in a food hall, cafeteria style, which was great for people watching. H&F is right next to Williams Sonoma and I was eyeing their Christmas decor and goodies the whole time we were having lunch. They always have the best treats and baking gear around this time of year. buy plavix online https://cpff.ca/wp-content/languages/new/plavix.html no prescription

 

 

 

It’s funny how having a few hours to yourselves without the kids can rejuvenate you but being gone more than three days is like torture. Tomorrow is Christmas Eve, which I can’t even start to comprehend and it is still raining here in Atlanta. We stocked up on some peppermint bark hot chocolate but it feels more like Spring then Winter so I’m not sure when we’ll be able to enjoy it. I am envious of all the snow pictures I’m seeing in my instagram feed and have major wanderlust! <3 buy bimatoprost online https://cpff.ca/wp-content/languages/new/bimatoprost.html no prescription

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