I am typing this blog post almost one week since Clara turned one…and I am still in complete disbelief. How do we have a TODDLER?! I keep saying that it feels like I just had her yesterday…but somehow like I’ve also lived 7 lives since then. Everyone tells you how fast time flies…but it is entirely different to experience it for yourself. Being Clara’s mom for the last year has been the greatest joy of my life, and seeing her turn into the sweetest, funniest, bubbliest, most loving toddler is more special than I can even describe. Her personality is truly starting to shine through in so many big ways, and I swear I somehow love her even more with each passing day.

Let’s be real about this: I pretty much started planning her first birthday party while I was in my first trimester. HA!! I come from a family that LOVES to celebrate, and throwing birthday parties has always been such a special memory that I have from my own childhood. The idea of getting to plan my own daughter’s birthday parties has always been a dream of mine, and oh my goodness…it was more fun than I could have even imagined!

Originally, I thought I wanted to do a “Clara and the Nutcracker” themed party, because…well, duh. But, when her nickname of “Biscuit” started to really stick when she was a few months old…I got the idea of doing “Bows for Biscuit”. I started a Pinterest inspiration board to see if I even liked the theme…and it snowballed into being the CUTEST little concept that felt so personal to her! I wanted it to feel fun, girly and full of life for my little biscuit that is FULL of non-stop energy. But, more importantly, I wanted it to be full of all her favorite people!

Naturally, Clara took one of her longest naps of her life on the day of the party…so she was asleep for the first hour! But, when she finally woke up, I brought her downstairs to a house full of every single one of her favorite people. I wish we had a video of her face! She slowly scanned the room and took it all in…then just erupted into the biggest smile! She loved every single second of it, and watching her do her cake smash and play in the bounce house are memories I’ll never forget.

Happy birthday, sweet Biscuit…I love you more than anything in the whole wide world.

Here are a few photos from her actual birthday on Thursday – we had the sweetest day at home together playing with her new slide that we got her!

I never want to forget the baby phase! She JUST started to be obsessed with her baby dolls and it is the SWEETEST thing ever.

Now for her party!!! I just have to give the biggest shoutout to my amazing parents and in-laws who all traveled in to celebrate Clara and help us to set up the party. We had so much fun piecing it all together! I somehow managed to get sick the day before the party (of course) – so I couldn’t have set it all up (or cleaned it all up LOL) without all of the extra help!!! And a huge thank you to these amazing vendors:

Balloons + BackDrop | Savannah Celebrations

Cake | Sugar Whisk Co.

Cookie Favors | This Must Be The Cookie

Invitations | Doodle Design Co.

Can we talk about that my little sister DREW THAT PORTRAIT in PENCIL!? She brought it as her birthday gift to Clara and I could not believe it!!!

Linda with Sugar Whisk has now made our wedding cake, Hayden’s birthday cake, our gender reveal, our baby shower and Clara’s first birthday cake. We absolutely ADORE her…and her gluten-free lemon blueberry cake!!!

Some of my favorite details for the party included THESE bow candles, the poster with all of Clara’s current favorite things and the banner of all of her monthly photos!

We also got THIS bounce house for the party last second – and I honestly wasn’t sure if it would get used! I thought the babies coming to the party may be too young…but Clara LOVED this thing. She slid down the front of it probably 50 times!

I take very little credit for any of the party food! My sister, Hayden and our amazing parents were so on top of making everything. The star of the show was Hayden’s homemade tomato soup and mini grilled cheeses!

Okay, I think this is my single FAVORITE part of Clara’s entire birthday…her custom embroidered outfit from By Kaitlyn True! I have followed Kaitlyn on Instagram since I was pregnant, and she releases spots to work with her a few months at a time. Except, the casual side note is that they sell out in SECONDS. We tried for months to get a spot (including having 5 different people on 5 separate devices ready to checkout the second they dropped) and we couldn’t get lucky enough to reserve one. UNTIL!!! Her most recent launch (which was cutting it SUPER close to Clara’s birthday)…my mom was lucky enough to get one of the spots! I have NO idea how she did it…but it truly made my dreams come true. I already have this bubble in a keepsake trunk to keep forever and ever…it has all of Clara’s favorite things embroidered on the front!!!

Time for the CAKE SMASH!!! I wasn’t sure how Clara would do with everyone singing happy birthday to her, but she LOVED it. And clapped her little heart out at the end!!

I think this one is my favorite! Hahaha!

The best day. You are so loved, little Biscuit! Happy, happy birthday!

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