and that's a wrap folks

The duty bound older cousin. It isn't easy being nearly nine in a room full of five year olds.

A balloon sword fight, a Bingo boycott, a collapsed cake and a guest in a snit over another guest's refusal to swap prizes (the Nemo lip balm for the Princess chapstick) were not part of the official party plan. But we soldiered on. The pirate clown and her live bunny were a hit. And the decorations sure were pretty. Pat. Pat.





Clementines and fresh berries were wishful thinking. Out of camera range are the heaping bowls of Ruffles and Cheetos that fueled the afternoon.

This is why I make cupcakes. Every birthday cake - truly, every single one - I have attempted has ended in catastrophe. I can't blame Martha's recipe or my crappy oven on this particular disaster. Quite simply, up until the moment I poured the batter I had two cake pans. I know I had two cake pans. But I could only find one at the crucial moment, and so the minute the cake was done I shook it out of the pan so I could bake the other layer. Don't do that. Out of eggs and out of time I actually thought I could patch this thing together with icing. Don't do that either. People might eat it but they'll also talk about you.

cake, party hats and a rousing game of musical chairs

Yes, it was Henry's first birthday party on Saturday. We invited a small group of little friends and family to toast the birthday boy over Devil's Food cake, Oh Henry bars and plastic flutes of apple juice. A fine fete indeed. I love theme parties too, but I usually plan my parties around colours. I can't help it. I like things pretty.


I liked the varsity feeling of these blue and red checks and stripes, so with about $25 worth of fabric I made the invitations and this bunting:




The "hurray for henry" banner is just different fonts and colours printed out on card stock and strung along a length of ribbon. Crepe paper streamers from the dollar store are a must. So are balloons.



Mmmm. Buttercream icing + apricot whip. I had plenty of fabric left over to fashion a table cover, decorate party hats and stitch up little favour bags filled with sweets for the ride home.



The man of the hour was distracted by an erupting molar for most of the party, and there were cries of foul over the winning stab at pin the tail on the donkey - not because it wasn't the closest but because the winner had already won two prizes in musical chairs and the egg hunt - but it was otherwise a delightful afternoon.