Serene's woodsy one-derland

We threw a party to celebrate our sweet Serene Joy's first birthday two weekends ago. She loves trees and the grassy outdoors (and I  confess to thinking she looks like a pixie sometimes), so we created a woodsy one-derland in honor of her first year of life. I spent Serene's naptimes and bedtimes in the weeks leading up to the party feverishly making decor: sewing giant toadstool dollhouse pillows, felt circle garlands, floral photobooth vines, tree stump cake stands, mossy terrariums, yarn billy balls and dandelion arrangements, a floral headband, and giant crepe paper flowers (with which I actually forgot to embellish the grass the day of).

We catered deli sandwiches like forest club on honey whole wheat from here and varieties of gourmet pizza like woodland mushroom from here. We also served chipmunk chips (kettle-cooked potato chips with sea salt and black pepper), and I made a huge batch of toadstoolini (my favorite pasta). The array of sweet treats included strawberry shortcakes and salted caramel babycakes from here, cinnamon stump rolls, choco pinecones, fairy berries (Serene's favorite treat), and French macarons, most of which we bought from here. We got her strawberry chiffon cake from here, and I made a felt rose cake topper, painted a wooden toadstool, and purchased a dear fawn figurine to adorn it.

We had a woodland mask makin' station for the kiddos, and they received fairy bubble favors, since Serene loves bubbles. I bought packs of bubbles from the dollar store and painted wooden toadstools to glue on top, tied each one with twine, and glued a label on each one to adhere to the theme. I found funky woodland hats on clearance here for guests to don against the floral vine backdrop hanging from one of the tree's branches for the picture takin' station. Another tree portrayed photos of Serene throughout her first year of life.

I was anxious about the weather that day since we were expecting a scorching triple digit afternoon. Thankfully, we hosted the party at a local park under a grove of towering trees, which we encircled with a festive felt circle garland. We laid out a bunch of patterned blankets under the trees' shade, picnic-style, which made the heat more than bearable. Serene had a bona fide blast being surrounded by so many who lavished their attention on her. She ate handfuls of strawberries, among other treats, and wore them on her vintage pinafore too. She was a giggly, silly bunch of sweetness that day. She is such a special little lady - a most precious gift from our Lord - and we are so grateful to our dear community who spent time celebrating her life with us!