the girliest day of my life {so far}

was sunday, with the closest contender being my three year old "pink is for little girls they say" dance recital.

well, much of the girliness was established in the days preceeding sunday as i prepared for this self-imposed ode to PINK and GIRL, but sunday it was out in full force.

i did not, for one second, pretend that any of this was really for emory.  i mean of course it was in honor of her, but heck she was asleep the entire time.  it was definitely mainly for me and the fun i had getting it together.  and for my family, as we all could use a little girliness sometimes.

this was the most elaborate {but cheapest} little get together i have done for my children to date.  did you know that you can rent a 6' table for $6? and chairs for $1.25 each? fabulous.

i pulled out my china, silver {well, all i have of my silver...which is about 6 place settings...i borrowed my moms to help fill in}, "crystal" {which isnt real crystal...i have a pretty good idea that these glasses will break one day.  and when they do, i wont be sobbing over $80 glasses...ill only be about $30 in the hole}, and linen {all things i am SO thankful today that i have, bc when i got married at the ripe ol age of 22 i did not see the practicality in any of these things.  i had to nearly be forced by both my mother and my mother in law to register for them.  today - oh today - me and the jewelry store would be very close friends as i imagine i would register for nearly anything remotely breakable and unpractical.  bring. it. on.}
 
i also borrowed some fabulous pink and white hanging paper lanterns from my sisters sister-in-law, found some fabric for a runner at hancocks, and bought the flowers at fresh market.

i also spent an entire DAY running around trying to find more pink spray roses.  the entire city was slap out.  for real.  i did learn that i am not a florist.  i like the end product of my arrangements, but it was not what i was originally aiming for and took way too long.  the price of love i tell ya.  the price of love.

lunch was a friends shrimp and grits, a salad a la my MIL, crescent rolls, and mi mamas sauteed asparagus.
for dessert, cupcakes and cake balls via bittersweets cupcakery.

via my sister

via my sister

our brunch might or might not have turned into linner, despite the usual stress and attempt to get as much done in advance as possible, but thankfully the majority of my family is laid back and rolled with the punches that is a late lunch on a hungry tummy.

speaking of a hungry tummy, i know you know i speak of consuming my children regularly.  this day was a day for the record books.  it might have been the scrunchy little bonnett my MIL made and the way it accentuated her happy cheeks...

or it could have been the very very OLD vintage dress {bought online, im not going to lie-by-omission and let you think it was some fabulous family heirloom or anything...} and the special handiwork that circled her little wanna-be-chubby baby wrists.

 

or it could have been the jewelry.  the sweet little girly, unnecessary baby jewelry she wore.  a cross necklace of her very own and a flowery little bracelet.  that we were almost late for the baptism for because i made my husband turn around so we could drive back home and get them.. bc i forgot them.  stephen asked if she was also going to wear earrings to which i slowly and thoughtfully responded "no" after slightly considering the frilliness that would be gaudy dangly pearly baby clip on earrings. {i kid i kid}

or it could be the fact that her dress was four feet long and therefore a tripping hazard which was the icing on the cake as far as i was concerned. 

OR it could have been that i knew she was wearing a special handmade-by-my-momma slip and some frilly lace diaper covers under said enormous dress.  just in case a breeze blew by and her four foot long skirt  happened to blow up or something. {per my mother in laws reasoning :) }

well, it could have been all of this but the bottom line is i was chomping at the bit.
and she WILL be wearing this dress again very soon.  because i, in typical cruel-momma fashion, will dress her up again and take 800 pictures.  this is what i DO.  but shes a girl and girls like dress up right??

it was a fabulous day full of girliness, yes, but much more importantly a commitment was made on sunday that means so much more than vintage dresses and pink flowers.

as parents, as a family, and as a church we committed to raise emory in a christian household, where she will always know the truth of Jesus Christ and the love of her heavenly Father.

via my sister erin

she will be surrounded by faithful, loving, caring people who promised to support her and us in this journey.  i pray the Word of our Lord is not foreign to her, bc she hears it constantly from her two parents, her extended family, and her church family, and that she feels it impressed upon her heart.  i pray she never questions the love that this world and, more importantly, heaven beyond holds for her.  it is such a trying, scary, and life altering responsibility, but it does give me great peace and promise knowing there are so many people in our lives sharing in this commitment.

via my sister erin

my newly brunette sister and hubs:

posing with the godfather:

and now the godmother montage:

and now, getting REAL:

my babies have reflux.  and CHEEKS. and apparently even the littlest of them has a double chin.
EAT.


all in all, despite trivial forgotten jewelry, brunches-turned-linners, pretty bad corneal abrasions {bennett + sand = eye patch}, and rental chair scratches on newly refinished floors, id say sunday was a pretty successful day.  all the truly important ingredients were not forgotten, and i feel blessed to say our daughter is, indeed, quite blessed and loved.

via my sister erin

and i am thankful

and pale.
;)