I was given something really fun this past weekend

My cousin gave me a CD with all of the beautiful pictures she took of Grant's birthday party! I was so excited to see the pictures and they did not disappoint. Thank you Kris!

First, cake time! I spent most of the day before the party making this bear cake. I'd gotten the pan for Christmas before Grant was born. I'd seen it at Williams Sonoma and knew I had to have it. I was way nervous to make it because there are so many steps involved, but I think it turned out pretty stink'n cute. For the overalls I used marshmallow fondant (MMF). I got the recipe from my friend Rita who'd used it to create a super cute cake for her sister.

I also made lemon filled cupcakes, with a lemon butter cream frosting. YUM! I used this recipe and just made cupcakes instead of a cake. And I still used a box mix instead of the part of the recipe for the cake. Here's a direct link to the recipe.

The picture of Grant with the clock was taken because after Grant (Keith) blew out the candle on the cake I happened to notice that it was the exact time that Grant was born. I thought that was so cool, so we took the picture.

Party time! Grant had so much fun at his party. He just loves playing with other kids.

I whipped up his "1" shirt the night before. I got the plain t-shirt from Hobby Lobby. If you ever buy a shirt like this, know that the sizes run super small. Like I should have gotten a 2T probably. I could barely get this 18M size over his head.

This is one of my favorite things that we did. I created this scene using pictures that I'd found online. Then I projected it onto a plain white sheet and traced it with a pencil. Then I quickly filled it in with paint. A couple cutouts for head holes and wallah! we had a fun picture booth.

His Hairbrush

Grant has recently developed a love for brushing his own hair.

Did you know that Keith is working on his MBA right now?

That gives Grant and I plenty of time for fun photo shoots of just the two of us.

Speaking of photos, Grant is having his 1 year old pictures (well, more like 13 month....where does the time go?) taken this Saturday. He'll be sporting his new spring/summer Sunday best, complete with saddle shoes. I can't wait!

A few things from Spring Break

We had fun with my sister & her boyfriend here. Grant had fun showing off his Sunday best to his Aunt. Ann's boyfriend made a wonderful Angel Food Cake from scratch (he is a baker by trade). He also made Danishes. Oh yum! They are so good! They are made with whole wheat so I guess they're good for us. Ha ha! Grant got really sick this week. He had a fever on and off for 3 days and coughing really bad. He just wants me to hold him, which I love since he usually never cuddles. He went to see the doctor. He's on a couple meds & today is the first day that he seems to be on the upswing. What a sweet boy he is!

The many faces of Grant

What a kid! He loves making funny faces lately. I love how in the pictures toward the bottom he has a smear of ketchup on his forehead from putting his head down on his tray.

Many a meal are followed with a trip to the bathtub lately.

In other news, Auntie Ann is in town. And she brought a boyfriend with her! Last night Ann & I stayed up late talking.

I just love being with my sisters!

My house

For a couple years now I've been wanting to get the red out of my house and bring in blues & greens. These new colors suit me better. I find them to be more relaxing and refreshing. And since we have a small space, I think it opens things up a bit more.

So, I whipped up a couple of simple (well it would have been simple if I'd really known what I was doing) curtains for my kitchen windows. I love the glass knob looking ends of the rods.

Then I made some pillows for the family room, added the decorative thing to the fireplace, and painted the iron squares by the front door black instead of red.

Luckily I had already incorporated some green into our family room so there was no need for a new shade for the front door, and I just had to swap out a couple red flowers for green flowers in a sconce-like things I have on the wall.

Nothing too fancy, and definitely more room for improvement, but I've learned a lot so far and I can put it all to use in future projects.