Aliyah's Sunshine Themed Birthday (part 3)

Everything Handmade...

The Invitations

Sunshine Jello Jigglers and mangoes/cantaloupe/pineapple

Mason jars with pink lemonade

I painted a wedding cake topper "A"
My mom made cupcake toppers that matched the invites

FOOD!! Paper flowers and my first sewing project -  A pendant banner

We found out that Aliyah really loves balloons!

Living room with paper flowers, balls and garland

Pictures from months 1-12 on top of flower pots with "grass"
Paper "Happy Birthday" banner (LOVE how this turned out!!)

Party Hats

Even the bathroom had a little "sunshine"

Lemon Drop party favors "A Spoonful of Sunshine"

"You Are My Sunshine" print done by a local artist

Again, I feel that I should let you all know how BIG of a roll my mom played in all of this... she is seriously one crafty lady!!

Sunshine Songs...
I also made a playlist on Hypster all about "sun" to play during Aliyah's party. Tyler and I had a lot of fun gathering these songs!

1. I Wish You Love - Sunflow

• 2. Walking on Sunshine - Aly & AJ
• 3. Walking On Sunshine - Smash Mouth
• 4. Tequila Sunrise - Eagles
• 5. Sunshine On My Shoulders - John Denver
• 6. You Are My Sunshine - Gov. Jimmie Davis
• 7. Sunshine, Lollipops and Rainbows
• 8. Sun is Shining - Bob Marley
• 9. Sunglasses At Night - Corey Hart
• 10.Sunshine Day and Keep On Dancing - The Brady Bunch
• 11. Keep On The Sunny Side
• 12. House of the Rising Sun - Animals
• 13. Dont let the sun go down - Elton John
• 14. Brighter Than Sunshine - Aqualung
• 15. Cheap Sunglasses - ZZ Top 
• 16. Aquarius /Let The Sunshine In - The Fifth Dimension
• 17. Ain't No Sunshine - Bill Withers
• 18. Good Day Sunshine - The Beatles
• 19. Blue Sky - The Allman Brothers Band
• 20. Sunshine Superman - Donovan
• 21. You Are My Sunshine - Bob Dylan & Johnny Cash
• 22. Here Comes The Sun - The Beatles
• 23. Sunshine Of Your Love - Cream
• 24. Soak Up The Sun - Sheryl Crow
• 25. Black Hole Sun - Soundgarden
• 26. Waiting for the Sun - The Doors
• 27. I'll Follow The Sun - The Beatles
• 28. Island in the Sun - Weezer
• 29. The Sun - Maroon 5
• 30. Sun King - The Beatles
• 31. You are the sunshine of my life - Stevie Wonder

The Dress...

Ahh, the dress! I wanted to find a dress that reflected Aliyah's birthday invitations and party theme. I searched for months looking for the perfect one. I finally found the most wonderful little dress Baby Gap (If I were a super-hero, that store would be my biggest baby weakness). I love the bright colors, bold print and ruffle around her neck... not-to-mention it fit so perfectly with all of our decorations. I’m already looking for new opportunities for her to wear it again (um, hello outdoor summer concerts and family vacations!)

So that wraps up Aliyah's birthday posts. What an incredibly day for us and our girl. After everyone had left, the house was pretty much clean (a BIG thank you to Grammy & YaYa) and the baby was finally in bed. I laid on the floor in the middle of living room floor and just cried and cried. I never anticipated that her first birthday would be so emotional for me. Crossing that bridge from babyhood to toddler was such a big step and all of my happiness and joy and worry and “please life, slow down”-ness just poured out of me there on the floor.

Does it get easier as the years go by? Does watching your baby turn two feel any less overwhelming than one? I guess I’ll have to wait and see.