Monday, July 15, 2013

Summer Birthday


 Last week our Rosetta turned two years old, so we had a little birthday party for her yesterday evening. I thought I'd share some of the pictures! 


 How two years has flown by already, I'm not sure.  Our sweet little girl is growing up!

Rosetta's birthday has been a lot of fun the past two years... since it's the middle of summer, it feels more like a big family picnic! 


I set up in the side yard where it's shady... despite a few rain showers during the day, the weather was just perfect in the late afternoon.   I very quickly painted a few little signs last week with some weathered pine planks I found behind our shed... Justus placed them casually around our huge shade tree, which I thought was fun. 


 My favorite part were the mason jars we used as drinking glasses.  My mom drilled holes through the lids and I bought some fun striped straws (here).  We used half-pint jars for the little ones (smile). 


 I had these gingham cloth napkins from several years ago that I thought would be perfect for our "country" theme.  Jillian and I dressed them up a little one evening by making little pockets for the silverware and tying them with jute twine. 



 I went with summery salads and BBQ chicken... most of it I was able to make beforehand and my mom and mother-in-law thoughtfully chipped in with a few dishes.  I love to cook for large gatherings, but I do try to select dishes that can be made ahead of time and keep the party as stress-free and enjoyable as possible.  

I made potato salad (recipe here) and coleslaw early in the morning... I love that they are two dishes that taste even better after they've sat for awhile.  And I used this great recipe by Pamela Salzman for the BBQ pulled chicken, which goes in the crock-pot hours before.  It was delicious.  (I did leave a lot of the sauce off at the end and omitted the cayenne pepper because I was afraid it would be a little spicy for the kids... instead I placed additional sauce on the side for everyone to add.)




 This is my cute mom... I loved this picture and asked for her permission to include it (smile). 


 For dessert I made hand pies again.  I love this recipe from Country Living and it's just perfect for summertime when cake feels a little too heavy.  I bought some fresh blackberries at the farmer's market for the filling and they were so good.  I did bake these a couple hours before the party so they were nice and fresh. 


My mom made the darling matching skirts (yes, I even wore one!)... they were so fun.  

It was such a nice summer evening.

I hope you had a great weekend too!

44 comments:

  1. What a sweet party, and I love the skirts your mother made! Time does fly, doesn't it?

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  2. Such a perfect summer party! And such a beautiful family :)

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  3. Andrea, your tables and the added signs are so over the top cute! Love the shot of y'all in the matching skirts.

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  4. Everything was so cute, and I love the mason jars with straws in them! Such a great idea. It's so sweet that you guys wore matching skirts as well :)

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  5. I'm definitely digging the mason jar idea. Very cute. My kids birthdays are in January and March so we are usually inside for theirs but I'll use the mason jar idea to try to trick us into thinking summer is just around the corner! (-;

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  6. You have a sweet family (love the skirts that match Mom's) and Happy Birthday to your little one. What a pretty party, every detail looks summer simple but lovely how it all pulled together so nicely.

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  7. Rosetta is really studying her dinner plate in that one picture...cracked me up :)

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  8. Happy Birthday to your sweet little one! Beautiful family and the picture of you all in your sweet skirts is perfect! Sweet mom, to make the skirts, bring food and to allow you to share that precious picture of her...she looks so sweet!
    Blessings,
    Cindy

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  9. What a nice summer birthday party for your little girl!! Love the matching skirts your Mom made for all of you.
    Looks like everyone had a great day!!!

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  10. So sweet and simple!
    The perfect summer party!

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  11. What a great party. The food looks soooooooo good. I like how you decorated for the party outside under the tree.
    Your little Birthday girl is so adorable and so is her sister. Love the skirts mom made. Everything was perfect.
    Have a great week.
    Mary

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  12. What a sweet party for such a sweet little girl! I love the mason jar lemonade glasses, the painted signs, the little skirts your mom made! All simply adorable. The food looks so yummy and I will be trying those little pies very soon! I am glad your little one had such a wonderful celebration!

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  13. Happy Birthday to your cutie. What great ideas. The skirts are so cute.

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  14. Everything looked great. I love the skirts.

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  15. Your family is so sweet! It looks like the perfect family birthday party.

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  16. Happiest of birthdays to your sweet girlie. I enjoyed every beautiful photo!

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  17. What a sweet family you have. Happy Birthday to your littlest one and wishes for many more.

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  18. What a fun birthday celebration for darling Rosetta!! The food looks delicious for a hot summer afternoon!!
    Mary Alice

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  19. Your spread for the party looked delicious! Perfect birthday for your little one!
    Lucy

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  20. You have such a beautiful family!! What a great party. Love the skirts and how cute everyone looks in them. AND I love your sweet Mom- you can just see the "nice" shining out of her- xo Diana

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  21. I adore this post! How fun and definitely Country Living Worthy. Your Rosetta looks so sweet in that photo. Lovely family. I am gonna look into your bbq pulled chicken. Yummy. My BBQ in August 24 Sat and I might use it. Fun.
    xoxo
    Lisa
    Leeshideaway

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  22. Beautiful family you have there! It looks like your party was a hit!

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  23. First, happy birthday to your sweetie! I love those skirts your mom made. So cute and summery and love that they match. Love your jars, love your signs, your napkins, your whole party set up. The family photo is beautiful...

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  24. oh my. I can't believe it's been 2 years already. Looks like a great birthday!

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  25. What a perfect family party for a darling little girl! Love all your sweet, thoughtful details. The skirts (and mom!) are super cute!

    Jeanette

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  26. Happy Belated Birthday Wishes to your little Rosetta. Wow, two already. Time goes by so quickly. Simple home parties are the best. All your little touches are lovely. I know your mom likes to sew. How fun are those skirts. Made with love. I have to say, the last picture is my favorite. Its amazing those genes. Little Rosetta resembles Justus so much. So sweet. Your a beautiful family.

    Debra






















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  27. Looks like fun !!!! Those pies look incredible !!! I love homemade pies !!!!

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  28. So perfect and totally charming :)

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  29. What a lovely party for little Rosetta. The skirts are adorable!! You always do everything so beautifully. It looks like you're ready for a magazine photo shoot!
    Claudia

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  30. Such a sweet party! You and your family are gorgeous :)

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  31. Simple yet elegant outdoor dining! Love your tablescapes.Happy birthday to your sweet daughter!They grow up way too fast!
    xx
    Anne

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  32. Those skirts are too cute. Looks like a lovely party!

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  33. As always, Andrea, everything looks so inviting and picture perfect! Fit to be pinned!

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  34. Such a lovely family photo too.

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  35. it's been fun watching the girls (and pup) grow through your posts, andrea:) love your pics and your mom's skirts! happy bday, little girl!

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  36. Your party reminds me so much of what I would do for my girls on their birthdays. They were also in the summer. It's so refreshing to see someone do a home party instead of the over the top parties they tend to do now. Yours seemed perfect in every way and I'm sure the girls will always remember them. I really enjoy your blog. Your home seems so comfortable. I love how you attached your chicken coop onto the shed. Please look at my blog if you get a chance. repurposed4life.blogspot.com. May God bless your beautiful family.

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  37. It looks like a beautiful party Nd I love your attention to detail. Regards Kathy A, Brisbane, Australia

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  38. All your ideas are adorable, but the matching summery skirts are SO cute!

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  39. What a wonderful birthday party!

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  40. I love your skirts. Yay, to your beautiful mom. :-) Thank you for sharing.

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  41. The family photo is SO cute! Love the expressions on the girls faces :)

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  42. OK, seriously...this entire post is perfection! The food (I'm drooling), the set-up, the matching skirts, your cute mom, and most important of all, beautiful you with your very handsome (and hot! yeah, I had to say that, lol) hubby, and *gorgeous* girls.

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  43. Looks like a perfect summer birthday party! Love the skirts, just adorable. I love ric rac! I can't wait to try the pulled chicken recipe!

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  44. Happy Birthday to Rosetta!...Such a beautiful birthday celebration!...Love those skirts..how wonderful of your mom to make them!!!

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