Because It's Fabulous, Darling!

'Member when I posted about these fabulous tea parties my great friend, Teresa, kept throwing??

Well, this year, circumstances changed and she and her good friend, Emily (aka Tea Party Thrower Partner),  are not going to be partners in crime any longer.  Teresa told me she had this idea to do a chocolate tasting party where those invited could bring their favorite chocolate to share and that would be handy because she was going to be throwing it herself.  I said "Hold the phone.  I'll throw it with you!!!"  And she was like "Okay!"  (Like Monica, on Friends) and we were like "Yay it will be the best party EVER!!"

I was also super excited because, wouldn't ya know it, I've been helping my mom re-organize her basement and we found china tea sets!!  I had some of my very own to bring and help decorate.  I feel so posh!

We set out to do our guest list, the menu and talk decorations.  I was getting oh so very excited for this party!

The day of I worked and slaved in the kitchen and got started early so that hopefully everything would run smoothly as possible on my first round as Teresa's new partner.  And it was going great! Until I arrived late to my own party because I thought it started at 7:30 and it started at 7:00 (it would have helped if I actually read the invitation - aren't I brilliant?)  Luckily there wasn't much else to do since we were already set up.  

The ladies arrived in all their fabulousness and we dined and laughed and talked and enjoyed a beautiful evening :)

This was our chocolate buffet table that turned out beautifully and had so many delicious treats:

This was my own contribution (in my pretty pink China bowl!) - it was so stinkin' delicious...I crave it on a daily basis now.  It's Cake Batter Chocolate Bark.  My new favorite thing I found when trying to find something uber fabulous to share with our guests: 

I made the sweet and yummy Coconut Tapioca soup.  Teresa made a taste-bud-tantalizing cold cucumber soup: 

My raw cashew fruit dip with strawberries (again on my new  but very old China!  hee hee): 

Delicious scones of Teresa's: 

Tea sandwiches and, of course, tea (herbal): 

A chocolate cake - very yummy: 

We made Iced Hot Chocolate in Milk chocolate and white chocolate: 

A couple of the chocolate quotes that decorated the tables:

My table with guests (from left to right) Bonnie, Rachel, Beth, Alaina, Jill, Merry, and Allison: 

Teresa's table: 

Teresa and I!  She made that hat for her witches party last year and it turned out completely and totally awesome.  Also perfect for a chocolate tasting party! 

Me and Allison, my hippie nature bud friend: 

Me with Beth and Alaina, coordinating fabulousness: 

and me and Jill, the sassiest, take-no-crap-from-no-one, coolest lady you'll ever meet :) 

We had Teresa's garden decorated with my chinese lanterns and lots of tea lights and once the sun went down, the place was soflty lit. I had an incredibly great time and I think my friends did too as they stayed and we talked and laughed late into the night :)  It was wonderful.  Thank you to Teresa for the honor of being her new partner in crime and thank you to my friends for a wonderful evening, indeed :)

1st Birthday Celebration!

Posting a buttload about my kid today, but can you blame me?  Not only is he super cute, he just turned 1!

My party throwing mode went into effect a few weeks ago and I had been spending my time plotting!  I had to hold myself back quite a bit!  Originally I had planned on doing a bunch of summer fun healthy treats, like this one:

all fruit Popsicle made with peaches, strawberries, kiwi, blueberries and watermelon puree 

 ...and a few salads and stuff.  But I asked Paul his opinion and that's probably where I went wrong. ha ha.  Only kidding.  He really wanted to grill and so I just made my popsicles and water and Asher's smash cake. Go me!!

Asher was seriously spoiled.  I wasn't expecting so many presents - it threw me for a loop!  He's just so loved and we appreciate all who came and contributed to my now cramped-for-space living room ;) 

I think we can all agree that my little guy is extremely handsome and cool in his fedora :) 

We opened the mountain of presents, and of course, he didn't really understand what was going on but there were a few things that caught his eye :) 

He had so much help opening presents which I actually thought was great :)  My nephews Aiden and Dallin, along with Quinn and Jensen helped Asher figure out what to do! 

My mom was on a search high and low for a Red Flyer wagon because we had one as little kids and kids super love wagons.  We ended up only being able to find either huge, plastic monsters of wagons or a cute little teeny plastic red wagon.  But!  she found the old school wagon she wanted only it was a John Deere which I happen to love even more.  And even better, Asher loves it.  He immediately tried climbing up in it and his Uncle Gav took him for a ride.  Two days later he still climbs up in it and waits for me to take him 'round and 'round.   

After presents we stripped him down and I grabbed his other smash cake, this one another vegan carrot cake, but slightly different AND covered in raw chocolate icing - yes really did taste yummy! :)   

He liked licking the spatula when I was making it but decided he wasn't digging it once he had free access to it.  His cousins and I helped him get a little dirtier for camera's sake :) 

And then I fed everyone the super sugary delicious not-healthy cake - ha ha ha ha suckers!!!  I lucked out and found this How To Train Your Dragon cake at Macys - how perfect my little guy??  My mom cut up the cake while I hosed Ash Man down and we had homemade strawberry  and cookies n' cream ice cream :) 

Lots of relaxation and mingling, good food, and crazy fun - at least it was for me :)   Thanks to everyone for coming and celebrating with us - we are so lucky and blessed! 

I couldn't resist.  I had to slip this one in.   

My Birthday Baby!

Asher's big birthday bash was planned for that Sunday but Paul and I still wanted to do a little something as a family to celebrate with each other our baby's 1st birthday.

Paul suggested we do a picnic.  I knew just the place...I don't go to many parks but my nephew shared this place with me when I was babysitting him earlier this year. It's the nicest park I've been to so it's #1 on my list.  Daybreak would be the name. 

We stopped by Leger's at Jordan Landing (our new favorite place for sandwiches) and then we were off.

Picnicking on the grass:

Asher gets a kick on the swing - a beautiful view behind him: 

Asher and Paul on the slide: 

He played a bit in the sand: 

Hung out in the 'globe': 

And Dad helped him hang like a monkey!: 

After the playground we decided to walk down to the beachy area of the lake.

My two handsome hunks: 

Me and my baby boy:

Asher loves water so once we entered the water he really loved marching in the water to splash around: 

He kept trying to sit down and play so we stripped him and Paul took him into the slightly deeper water.  Asher felt like he still had to pick his feet up above the water when he walked so it looked really funny ;) 

It was such a beautiful night - perfect temp, perfect weather.  It did start raining at the end but it was a warm rain and made it fun.    Asher was tired by that time so we wrapped him up and dried him off and he was asleep before we even reached Bangeter :)

What A Cutie!!

As I mentioned previously, I was busy planning baby's 1 Year Pictures! (Why all the planning, you say?  Well I already knew what he was going to wear...I bought it several months ago and decided to save it for this.  But I had to find something for me and that is waaaaay more difficult than I would like to admit.  And Paul had something in mind and it took a few tries to find his shirt he wanted.  Oh....and let's not forget the cake I researched for forever and debated on and then trial and errored and...phew was I glad when it all just decided to come together for me!)

These are few of my favorites...I sure do love the smile on this guy!

And whatever this was...: 

One of my favoritests of the favorites: 

Said cake I worked on - vegan, sugar-free (still not exactly what I want in his mouth but he didn't want to eat it anyway and I figured that would be the case): 

Always a classic: