another party has come and gone...and with as crazy as our lives are right at the moment (turtle 2.0...we're referring to you) we still managed to give the original turtle a bang-up shindig fit for...a turtle...like, the most spoiled turtle you've ever met. 

we started by planning the party for one week prior to my due date. best idea ever...said no one ever.

we also knew we had to have something special to lure people to the farm...enter a bounce house/slide combo. mark this as the best decision ever. while they tend to be obnoxiously huge, it provides fun for ages 2 - 40. 
next, my original plan was to do take and bake pizzas, fruit, and call it a day. but who was i kidding? take and bake pizza just doesn't photograph like mini pigs in a blanket. get real. 
i also coerced amy into coming over early to help with some light furniture moving and vegetable tray arrangements. thanks amy!! girlfriend knows how to make veggies look good. 
so, above and beyond the take and bake pizza idea, i thought...cupcakes. i'll just do cupcakes. those are a snap. 

well, the cupcakes got scrapped for cakepops...and then of course turtle needed a smash cake...and if she smashed the cake then guests would need cupcakes. full circle. so cakepops, cupcakes, and cake for all. why not?
the dessert table on full display...
and remember that smash cake i mentioned...well, she barely touched it. this picture perfectly captures the only time in her life when we could use the word delicate to describe our little flower. 
and because she didn't destroy it...i've been cashing in on that delicious frosting each night for nearly a week now. 

speaking of delicate flower...doesn't my best gal just scream compliant? apparently she wasn't into the  birthday backdrop i fashioned for her earlier this summer. (which we were also able to use at a bridal shower...love that.)
 
each of kaye's friends got to take home a little bucket of goodies: mini play doh, bubbles, and some applesauce. the applesauce was the biggest hit...go figure. 
overall, this party went far smoother than turtle's 1st birthday party. i chalk that up to two things:

1 | i focused in on the quality...not quantity. last year i did pumpkin painting, costume contest, giant dessert display, and god knows what else. i was far less overwhelmed this year...and managed to only procrastinate a little.

2 | bounce house with slide. get a bounce house with slide every. single. time. i know i will be. it's quite the statement piece.
and of course, how could i leave out kaye and amy's oldest boy playing on her new laptop. these two...i can't wait to see what they are like in five years, then ten years, etc, etc.
happy soon to be 2nd birthday turtle. hopefully the best gift will be a new sister!