Also – how cute is her dress?  I sewed it without a pattern since I couldn’t find one that was exactly what I wanted.  Made some mistakes, but they’re not visible in pictures.  Whew.

For the mantle, I ordered a $5 2′x3′ engineer print from Staples and attached that to a piece of foam board ($5 Staples).  I loved how it turned out, and so did Alice.  I added a few other framed photos of her too.

I also made a photo garland.  Alice was born on February 17, and I took a photo of her each month on the 17th (still do, actually).  I printed out one from each month along with a newborn photo taken at one week, gave it a paper mat, and strung them all together.  I added a hot air balloon ornament on either end to coordinate with the ornaments dangling from the pussy willow branches in the vase on the mantle.

I also printed out a bunch of photos from the year and put them under plexiglass on our coffee table.  Alice loves to look at those too.  (Yes, I know the table scrunchy looks awful, but the corners of that table are too sharp for a clumsy baby to be around.)

For the center of the dining room table, I made a balloon topiary to match the balloon wreath on the front door.  We also had guest signature art.  My mom painted a picture of a baby girl in a pink dress with lots of balloons, and the guests signed the balloons.  We’ll frame it for Alice’s play room and, when she’s tired of it, it’ll fit into a scrapbook so she’ll always have it.

In the foyer, I attached a bunch of enormous balloons to a basket, reminiscent of a hot air balloon.  Alice was supposed to sit all cutely in the basket for some pictures, but she had other ideas.

Now on to my favorite part – the dessert table.  I sewed name bunting from scraps from her baby quilt and hung that against a piece of foam board I covered with aqua cloth.  We hung a couple of model hot air balloons from the ceiling – I just love them, and we’ll be hanging those in her play room soon.  The cake was super cute – an orange cat in the basket of a hot air balloon.  And my mom made hot air balloon shaped cookies, and we had hot air balloon shaped cake pops.  I had some little suitcases, a couple of art books, and a small Eiffel Tower model to complete the travel look.  Oh – and, just for fun, I stitched up a table runner and wrote her monogram on it.

Last, but not least – the high chair and smash cake.  I got an old wooden high chair for super cheap off of Craigslist, painted it, dangled some pompom trim on it, and made a goofy name banner.

Photos: Red Bridge Photography

Some people gripe about “over the top” children’s birthday parties.  You know what?  Maybe having a theme with lots of special touches and a food truck counts as over the top, but whatever – this was a celebration of so many things.  This was about Alice’s birthday, us surviving pregnancy and then a year of parenthood, our marriage surviving pregnancy and a year of parenthood, and our family and friends making it through those things with us.  If those aren’t good enough reasons to celebrate, I don’t know what would be.  And planning is TOTALLY my favorite hobby.  Why shouldn’t I take the opportunity to indulge in it?  I think everyone had a good time – I know I did!

First up, the fabulous vendors:

• Photographer: Red Bridge Photography
• Lunch: OnlyBurger food truck
• Invites: Paiges of Style
• Cake: Edible Art
• Cake pops: The Cake Pop Shop

Red Bridge did our Christmas photos, and OnlyBurger’s brick and mortar location was the first place we took Alice other than the doctor’s office.  Both are very special to us!  Now Edible Art and the Cake Pop Shop are special to us too.  Both provided excellent products at a very reasonable price.

Now!  On to the pictures! First up, let’s set the stage.  The theme was hot air balloons, and here’s what the invite looked like:

This post focuses on what was going on outside.  The front porch featured tissue paper hot air balloons, rainbow bunting, and a DIY balloon wreath.  Then, of course, there were balloons on the mailbox and the OnlyBurger truck.

Her name is Alice, and she was born February 17, 2011, at 12:52 am.  She was 6 lbs 7 oz and 20.5 inches.  She’s totally healthy – a great eater and good sleeper (so far anyway).  And we are totally in love.

Our photographer, Joy Lyn Photography, posted a few more on her blog.

The preamble:  None of our usual travel companions joined us (we almost always travel with friends). This trip ended up costing a lot more than we planned due to the volcano issue (new plane tickets booked last minute, hotel, cab, food). The Celebrity Xpedition desk people were really rude to us and misinformed. We missed the pre-cruise city tour in Quito. We got sick with colds. My husband got seasick. On the last excursion, I slid on loose gravel, scraping my leg and breaking my camera (Nikon D90; don’t worry – I have insurance for it). This was by far the worst luck we’ve ever had on a trip, including our trip to Mexico that got canceled last year due to swine flu.

The verdict : It was the most amazing thing we’ve ever done, and I have serious doubts that any other trip for the rest of our lives will come close to competing with it.

• I got stepped on by a baby sea lion when getting off the panga (small boat used to tender between the ship and shore) for the first excursion.
• A penguin bumped into my leg repeatedly.
• A snake curled around the edge of my husband”s shoe. (Thank goodness I missed this particular moment – I shrieked when I came upon the snake a couple minutes later.)
• We saw blue footed boobies dancing and nesting – they even showed us their eggs.
• We saw waved albatrosses flying (amazing – 7.5 foot wingspan), landing (hilarious), and nesting (saw eggs).
• We saw a giant dude tortoise humping a chick tortoise and groaning. haha
• We snorkeled with sea lions, sea turtles, penguins, sharks, rays, and loads of fish.
• We saw a huge number of swimming iguanas (these are the only marine iguanas in the world, and they only take to the water at certain times of day).
• We made new friends, who I miss already.

It was the trip of a lifetime, well worth every penny and bit of hassle. Sure, I wish it would’ve been cheaper and easier, but the point is that it was hugely expensive, we had a lot of problems, and it was STILL amazing.  If you have ever considered visiting these islands but hesitated due to cost or whatever, quit hesitating – book now!

Pictures and more info to come.

We hopped off the boat in Tallinn, and made our way through a little booths.  We spotted a couple sheep in a pen there.  At first we thought it was strange.  Then we realized that not only were they cute, but they were also super friendly!  The ram pawed at the fence, rubbed his horns on the fence, and batted his eyelashes at people trying to get everyone to pet and treat him.

We had Rick Steves’ Scandinavia, so we were prepared to hit the top spots.  Um… If you’re also working from this book, you’ll want to pick up another tourist map.  It was a little tough to follow.  That said, it definitely gave us a good overview of what to see.

We started at Fat Margaret, one of the best known towers.  We wound our way through the town and found our way to St. Olaf’s church.  This church was first constructed in the 12th century as “the center for old Tallinn’s Scandinavian community prior to the conquest of Tallinn by Denmark in 1219.”  Between 1549 and 1625, this was the tallest church in the world.  It’s life continues today as a Baptist church.

We wandered to the main square and puzzled over Town Hall.  Why?  Check out the gutter spouts.  Odd!  The streets were completely charming though.

We checked out the Church of the Holy Ghost, which “is the only sacred building from the 14th century in Tallinn that has preserved its original form.”  Then we stopped by the Cat Well.  The well is not quite as cool as UNC’s Old Well, but it felt comfortingly familiar… just so long as I ignored the fact that they used to chuck cats in there as sacrifices to the well’s spirit.  Ew.

Finally finally finally, we made our way to the town’s crown jewels – the views and Alexander Nevsky Cathedral.  The cathedral is Russian Orthodox and was built between 1894 and 1900.  Although it was allowed to fall into disrepair during USSR days, it’s been restored.  If you miss everything else, do not miss this.

I was really sad to leave Tallinn.  I think it would be a great place to putter around and get to know for a week.  Some beach time would be nice too.  Check out a few more pics here.

Genny’s Family Restaurant
451 Main Street
Chimney Rock, NC

Having hit Waynesville the day before, Dad and I thought we should find another nearby, cute town for lunch on Friday.  I looked at a county map, picked Rutherford County, and figured out that we ought to go to Chimney Rock.  It’s a pretty, easy drive from Asheville, and we already knew there were cute stores and cafes by the gate into the Chimney Rock State Park.

We took my parents’ dog with us, so we found a place on Main Street that allowed dogs in their outside eating area.  Actually, I think Genny’s was the only one.  It has a couple tables in a fenced in area for people with dogs.  I was actually surprised it was the only place set up for dogs since dogs are welcome in the park and the best way to lunch is to sit outside by the river.  Anyway, we got settled in, placed our order with a friendly waitress, and listened to the river while we waited.

Our food took a little while, especially considering the place wasn’t that busy and we didn’t order anything complicated.  I got a hamburger, fries, and a biscuit, and Dad got breakfast.  It wasn’t particularly special, but it was good.  I’d go again.

You’ll notice that the dog isn’t in the picture.  She apparently decided that the sound of the camera freaker her out that day.  lol  After lunch, we took a stroll along the river.  There’s a very short little path there that has a nice view of Chimney Rock.

And I snagged my county sign pic on the way home.

Panacea Coffee House Cafe
66 Commerce Street
Waynesville, NC 28786-5738

While visiting my parents in Asheville, I talked my dad into visiting Haywood County for lunch with me.  We decided we’d visit Waynesville, which is Haywood County’s county seat.  The downtown area is adorable, with plenty of cute shops and cafes to keep anyone entertained for an afternoon.  History buffs will appreciate that the last shot of the Civil War was fired in nearby White Sulphur Springs on May 6, 1865.  A surrender was negotiated in Waynesville the next day once everyone learned of the surrender of Generals Lee and Johnston.

After a little poking around online, I decided Panacea would be perfect.  My dad doesn’t enjoy a big lunch, so I figured a soup and sandwich place would hit the spot.  Plus it sounded cute and like the soup and sandwiches wouldn’t be too standard.  After we ordered, Dad decided it’d be fun to sit in the comfy chairs, so that’s exactly what we did.  To start, we enjoyed the brown sugar baked brie.  Talk about a party in my mouth!  My dad is hilarious.  I asked him if he’d share it with me, and he said he didn’t like brie.  Um…  I had to fight him for it.  Our soup and sandwiches arrived right as we were finishing the brie.  We both had the Joe Schmoe, which is oven roasted turkey, white cheddar, raspberry chipotle sauce, and lettuce on country wheat.  I thought it was fantastic, but Dad thought the chipotle was a little too spicy.  We also both got the pumpkin gorgonzola soup, which was incredible.  It’s definitely some of the best soup I’ve ever had.  Dad thought it was strange but good.

Not only did we enjoy the food at Panacea, but we liked the cafe itself too.  It’s just so cute!  It’d be great to visit on a warm day, sit on the back deck, and enjoy the river.  It would also be good for anyone looking to get a little internet surfing done since they have free WiFi.  I wish we hadn’t been so full at the end too.  From what I read, they have great coffee and hot chocolate.

View a few more pics here, including pics of their menus when we visited.

My husband and I went to Asheville to visit family for the weekend, and we took the chance to swing by Mocksville for some lunch on our way home.  Mocksville is Davie County’s county seat and had a population of just over 4,000 at the 2000 census.  American pioneer Daniel Boon lived nearby when he was young.

The downtown area is pretty cute, but be warned that basically nothing is open for lunch on Sunday.  We were glad to find Gaither Street Cafe welcoming customers a little after noon.  The menu isn’t particularly extensive, but you’ll find something you like if you like American food.  I had a very tasty grilled cheese sandwich with applesauce that tasted straight out of a jar but good.  Jason had breakfast food and was satisfied.  The service was good, and the other customers seemed to be friendly.  It seemed like a good after church meeting spot, though I’d love to see how jumping the place gets on prime rib night.

This was one of the scariest days of my life.   While I was trying to come up with something special to do for his 30th birthday, I thought, “Oh, gee, wouldn’t it be cool if he could do something off his bucket list?  He’s always wanted to skydive!”  I researched it, and found Raeford Parachute Center in Raeford, NC.  Perfect!  Not only could we check something off Jason’s bucket list, but we could also hit another county!  (Side note – like our shirts?)

We invited about 50 people to a party at our house for Saturday evening, and they were also invited to join us for skydiving.  Six of them ended up taking us up on the offer.  We were advised that we had a noon slot for the class and jump, which, given the 2 hour timeframe they gave us, would’ve been just perfect.  We could eat a late breakfast, drive out, train, jump, grab some lunch, head home, and have a couple hours before the party.  And it would have been perfect if it had turned out that way.  Unfortunately you cannot take RPC at their word when they tell you your group can get through the whole thing in 2 hours unless your group is only 2 people.  I’m not sure why they didn’t tell me that when I asked as we would have taken an earlier slot.  We ended up there for 5 hours.  Ugh!  That said, they were really great.  Very safe and fun.  I’d definitely recommend them with the caveat that you should prepared for it to take a loooong time.  So here’s how it went:

We showed up at noon and took the class.  Our group of eight plus one chick without a reservation made up the entire class.  They talked to us, had us fill out some paperwork (release of liability!), showed us a video, and talked to us again.  Then they split us up.  The chick without a reservation got suited up and jumped.  Then 2 of our friends got suited up and jumped.  Then a while later, I jumped with my husband and our friend.  Then quite a while later, the other 3 in the group jumped.

More specifically: We crammed onto benches in a teeny tiny airplane strapped to our tandem partner.  These guys were cracking jokes like nobody’s business, getting us to laugh and stay calm.  As we got higher and higher, I realized that this was no joke.  We were really going to jump out of a fully functioning (apparently there is no such thing as a “perfectly good”) airplane and fall to the ground, all the while hoping and praying the chute would open.  We got sufficiently high enough, so they opened up the door and people started falling out.  Don’t freak out – it was on purpose.  lol  (Side note – notice the incredibly attractive soft helmet and goggles.)

Getting out of the plane was wicked scary.  Even my husband, who was ready to go again as soon as we got down, thought it was scary at first – he blacked out the first few seconds and can’t remember a thing about it!  This makes me laugh.  I didn’t black out as we somersaulted once and then started hurtling towards the earth.  I decided to take the logical approach: the guy I was strapped to has jumped a zillion times and never been hurt; heck, he’d jumped a bunch of times already that day; if he had a death wish, he certainly would’ve ended things sooner and likely wouldn’t take a stranger with him; since he’s packed chutes a zillion times, the chute was really likely to open; even if the main chute didn’t open, they get the emergency chutes regularly inspected and re-packed by an extra specially trained and certified person, so it should open; given all of this, the chute was going to open in plenty of time, so I really only had to worry about doing my part for the landing.

Luckily, my logic proved correct!  The chute popped open, jerking me a little but definitely not giving me any scrapes or bruises (the heavier you are, the more likely you are to get scraped or bruised from the chute opening).  Our descent slowed, and my tandem partner steered us around a bit.  We went left, we went right, we tried spiraling a bit.  The spiraling made my head feel slightly odd.  It wasn’t as odd as Mission Space at Epcot, but still odd.  To land, I just grabbed the handles on the pants part of the jumpsuit to pull them up, and we slid in on our butts.  A tip for those who want to do this and haven’t done it before:  do NOT smile, scream, or open your mouth in any way while sliding in.  I smiled for pictures and ended up with dirt in my mouth.  Yuck.

While we were waiting for our last few friends to jump, Jason and I got a late lunch at the grill on site.  I can’t honestly speak to the quality of the grub there.  When you’re hungry and incredibly elated that you didn’t die, everything tastes good.  I’d definitely recommend eating post-jump rather than pre-jump if you’ve never jumped before.  I’m not sure I could really recommend the jumping part of this equation though… lol  I’m glad to be able to say that I’ve done it once, but it wasn’t particularly enjoyable (I do NOT like being scared) while I was getting it checked off my list.  My husband would definitely recommend jumping though.

For those of you who are more interested in Raeford than my skydiving experience, I can tell you a little about Raeford.  It’s the county seat and had just over 3,300 residents in 2000.  More from Wiki: “The City of Raeford, named after the MacRae family who lived at the ‘ford of the creek’ was at one time made up primarily of old Highland Scot families. Likewise, the Upper Cape Fear Valley of North Carolina was in the 18th and 19th Century the largest settlement of Gaelic speaking Highland Scots in North America. Today many of these old families continue to live in the area, though their presence is noticeably diminished by the great numbers of newcomers to the area as a result of Fort Bragg. Since World War II many Lumbee Indian families have moved northward from Robeson County and now constitute a significant element of the population that is otherwise European and African-American.”

Photos: Taken by me, a friend of mine, or Raeford staff and published here by license