a mighty wind

Note to self: if there's one thing you can't control, it's the weather.  Our decision to have an outdoor birthday party for Baby S had more to do with lack of apartment space than my love for the great outdoors (this is kind of funny coming from someone who also had an outdoor wedding.... but I digress).  Husband & I picked out a new local park for the location -- complete with carousel! -- and hoped for the best.  And we did get lucky on several fronts... the day was sunny & bright.  It was October brisk, but not too chilly to be outdoors.  And, it did not rain (a small victory in itself).  

One little thing I didn't take into consideration: wind.  I'm talking the kind of wind that blew in Mary Poppins and blew away all those other nannies.  The kind of blustery madness that sends anything not nailed down by a cute little mini-pumpkin flying into the great blue yonder.  So, while our AMAZING group of friends showed up to celebrate the first year of Baby S, I couldn't help being a bit bummed that the weather was less than perfect.  This might indeed come from my "disease-to-please" impulse, but there you have it.

I must share a few birthday shout outs... to Livi Stitches, who created Baby S' birthday outfit.  Jennifer, the designer behind this Etsy shop, was just amazing.  I love the outfit I chose (it's actually the main one featured on her website in a long-sleeved version, worn by little Olivia in the photo).  The best thing about it?  Baby S will be able to wear the pants for a while, as the cuff is adjustable.  I was super happy about the way it turned out.

... to my friend Suzanne, who shipped me orange & pink (my theme colors) M&Ms from Winston-Salem, North Carolina, as I had no time beforehand to visit Dylan's or (God forbid) the M&M store in Times Square.  She is also the person that sent me the apple "crack" dip I'll be sharing at the end of this post.

... to Cassandra, the fab stationery goddess, at PixieChicago, who sent me sample birthday thank you notes in sync with my Paperless Post invitation.  How she whipped them up so fast, I'll never know.  She has an adorable array of notecards and invitations on her website, and as result of our electronic "meet cute" on Twitter, she's giving my readers $5 OFF (coupon code: ENVY5OFF) on a PixieChicago purchase before December 1st.  Hellooo holiday cards!  Although being a NYC gal, I'm sort of in love with this notepad set.  For the kiddies in the house, this building block personalized card set is beyond adorable.  Love this site!

NOTE: Despite braving the elements, a good time was still had by all, and we were so happy to get to celebrate with friends.  Baby S was pretty psyched to be the center of attention, too.  Also wind = tousled/model-like hair.

Apple "crack" dip served at par-tay:
1 tsp vanilla

3/4 cup brown sugar
1 bar of softened cream cheese
1/4 cup sugar

Mix with beater until smooth.  Before serving add bag Heath bar toffee bits (I couldn't find these anywhere... bought Werther's Originals instead, unwrapped and put in plastic bag then smashed into bits with meat tenderizer -- a good way to get out any pent up frustration, I might add).

Serve with apple slices and/ or strawberries.

And speaking of sugar overdose, Happy Halloween weekend!!  A report on my little bunny's first legit Halloween coming next week...