birthday party!

Asher had his first birthday party on Sunday afternoon!

For the past few weeks I've been planning and prepping for this all-important day!  We kept it small - just family and close friends - but of course it was super special for my little guy.  After all, you only turn ONE once!

I couldn't find a theme that I really loved, so I decided to go simply with bright, primary colors.  After a lot of searching {I'm never satisfied that the first thing I find is the best} I found these fantastic signs from Sophie and Emma on Etsy.  They turned out so cute!

Some of you were asking about Asher's shirt - I can't claim credit for that either - it's another Etsy find!  Crystal over at Two Kangaroos did an amazing job making it.  She has tons of fabric/font/stitching options and had a really fast turn around time.

Of course, there had to be a little touch of mommy's hand in the decorations, so I made these hanging poms.  I first got this idea from Bonnie who made some for Jarrett's first birthday.  A quick internet search on how to make them and I was in business.  It was so easy and really added a fun POP of color!

I also made some cupcake toppers for our table centerpiece.  Super easy and fun to do.  I love doing some of these things myself!

Asher had a lot of fun playing with next to his friends during the party.  There was a brief meltdown at one point {I think Asher got a little overwhelmed, plus he missed a nap}, but overall he did great considering all of the people in his house!

Some of you might recognize this big smile!  We were so excited that Jack and Rene could come and celebrate with Asher!  Sometimes it feels like this blog world doesn't have real people behind it - it's so fun to meet blogging friends in real life.  Ha!

My favorite part of the party was Asher's smash cake.  He is extremely hesitant with new foods, so I was a little concerned that he wouldn't even try the cake.  Ash definitely hates having messy hands, so I helped him dig in at first and offered him a taste of frosting off of my finger.  That was all the encouragement he needed!  Of course he loved cake - who doesn't?!

We are so grateful to have such loving, supportive friends and family who came to celebrate Asher's first year with us.  There's no way we could have gotten through this first year of parenthood without all of your support and care.