Charlotte's Big 0-1!

You know when you see those signs that say "12 Months No Interest!" or "12 Month Tarot Card Reading," or, if you're really lucky in your nearest Mexican souvenir shop, "12 Month Mayan Calendar"?

Well, all "12 months" makes me think of lately is Charlotte, because she's officially one year old! She hit the big 0-1 on October 21st, and we had a little party on the 22nd to celebrate.

On her real birthday I couldn't resist buying her a mini cupcake to celebrate. She liked it, but she loved that candle even more.

I designed this little invitation for her party. It's a timeline of her first year, highlighting such things as  "First Word (Ellis)" and "First Auburn National Championship."

We were so fortunate to have special friends and most of our family here to celebrate with us.

Charlotte, my mom and dad

 I have such talented friends who helped make Charlotte's party so special. Laura Self Burton of Uprising Cakes blew us all away with her to-die-for almond cake, perfected with flowers on top, a dusting of fine gold glitter, and shell pink ruffles all the way around. Charlotte even got her very own baby smash cake! (Keep scrolling for more photos of her beautiful cakes.)

Charlotte, me, Laura

Laura Rowe has documented Charlotte's first year in photos every three months, and she brought it full circle by shooting the party. Below you can see some of her incredible talent. You can also see what a fun time we had! I made tissue paper pompoms and some fabric bunting banners to hang, and used some pale pink carnations, billy balls, and some kid of little green berry (not sure what it's called) in glass bottles and apothecary jars. For favors we had beautiful (and delicious) cookies by my cousin-in-law, Elizabeth, of swEEt thang cookies and more. I also put out some candy necklaces, rings, and watches (for the gentlemen) to get us spiffed up. 

Happy Birthday, Charlotte Bethea! Your first year has been our sweetest year.

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Framed Calligraphy and Rebekah's invitation

Good afternoon, Pasties! Lately I've been working on all things calligraphy, including a Frida Kahlo-inspired Houston wedding suite that I'm so excited to share with you! You'll have to wait a few weeks til the bride sends them out before I can make the big reveal. In the meantime, here are a few pics of some pieces I've been lucky enough to create for blushing brides and beaming babies.

Rebekah and Nate were married on August 27, and I was able to design the bridesmaids luncheon invitation for the bride, as well as do a custom calligraphy piece for her to display in their new nest. Lately I've been drawn to the look of handpainted type, especially script done in a continuous line of watercolor, so I had fun revisiting this technique for Rebekah's invitation.  

And here's the calligraphy piece, framed, for their new place. I used a gold ink and lots of ornamentation and was really pleased with the way it turned out.

Welcome Baby Ford! McDonald Plummer IV was born this summer to some good friends of ours. I made him a little piece for his baby gift.

I was also lucky enough to do two more of these pieces in pink for the sweetest two little girls, Corinne and Kaitlin. I don't have those photos back so I can't post pics of those today. 

Stay turned for a full rundown of Charlotte's FIRST BIRTHDAY on Friday and her party on Saturday! 

Charlotte's Baptism

Yesterday, Luke and I had the privilege of having Charlotte baptized at Briarwood. Luke read the blessing we wrote for her, and then Pastor Harry Reeder sprinkled her little head with water as he baptized her. We recognize God's work of salvation in our lives and Charlotte's need of it, too, and we look to God to grant her grace as we enter into this covenant with him. 

Charlotte wore my little dress and a lace bonnet.

Here is the blessing Luke read to Charlotte:

Charlotte Bethea, truly the Lord blessed us with you as a “good and perfect gift, sent from above.” You have been born into a family that has a heritage of faith extending deep into past generations; this makes it all the more fitting that today we should recognize and respond to God’s covenant love for you. Our prayer is that you would quickly grow to “taste and see that the Lord is good,” knowing that in Christ you “might have life, and have it abundantly.”

Afterwards, we had a small lunch with family and friends at our house to celebrate. I had a lot of fun designing the invitations for the baptism and lunch, and I am so pleased with how they turned out! They were loosely inspired by the late Tasha Tudor, one of my favorite children's book illustrators.

We had pink punch, ham sandwiches, crudites with dill dip, spinach salad, and Laura's to-die-for tri-colore orzo. And as an extra sweet finish to a sweet day, Dreamcakes mini cupcakes sat on my grandmother's pretty silver stand for dessert! 

I used extra-large antique hydrangea blossoms, pink carnations, and lots and lots of tinted glass. I loved the sweet, airy look that it gave.

I hate that our camera died before we got photos of everyone who came, but we still managed a few more:

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