Happy first birthday my sweet baby James!!

Its finally here... the day i've been kind of dreading. My baby boys first birthday. I've just been so emotional feeling about it and thats kind of weird for me. Don't get me wrong... I am SO thankful he's  growing but there's also something sad about watching a year of his life come and go. I think I am just staring to realize what everyone has been telling me...it goes really fast! So as promised I'm putting up a ton, yes maybe a little carried away ;), but some of my favorite pictures of James though this past year.

**june 2012

**july2012 **look at my poor feet**

^*minutes old 

**first picture ever taken on him

**in the hospital

**1&1/2 weeks

**newborn pics 1&1/2 weeks

**newborn pics 2weeks exactly

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**2 months

**2 months 

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**2&1/2 months

**1st Halloween 

**3 months

**this toy is seriously his FAVORITE it's a little bear named "beary." He takes it everywhere and sleeps with it every night.:)

**3 months

**daddy and James at panera

**mommy and James babywearin;)

**1st Christmas

**4&1/2 months

**5 months

**cowboy James 

**7 months

** James and Jack... Double cousins

**mommys 1st Mother's Day... May fam pic

**9monthpics

**10 months 

**1 year pics(11 months old) photo by Angela 

**photo by Angela 

**photo by Angela 

**1st 4th of July 

**1st birthday

**1st bday family pic

Happy birthday to the sweetest boy!!! 

Better pics of treat table

Here's some better pictures of the treat table or should I say buffet. It has all the food on it and they individually wrapped mice favors! The lemonade holder on the far left is from a garage sale!!

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James first birthday party

I can't believe it! My sweet baby boy is almost one!! It's seems like yesterday that I just got a positive result on my pregnancy test an here he is ONE! We have enjoyed this little man so much this past year. The Lord truly has blessed me in not only giving me a wonderful husband but added to it giving me a precious baby boy to spend all my days long with. I knew since I was a little girl I wanted to be a mother but I never realized just how special it truly is. First, you get to feel this little blessing inside you(not to mention watching your expanding waistline in horror;) hehe As I type this post I was just recalling a year ago on this very night at about the same time... I started my LONG process of labor(around 40 some hours to be exact.) At that point I was soo excited knowing I would finally get to meet this little mystery man who was taking up residence in my body. Then at last there he was. I got to hold my precious little man. Jess and I joke that we will never forget that very worried look on his little face the first time they laid him on my chest.^-^ I tear up just thinking about it. Thank The Lord for those wonderful blessings he gives us in life!! 

      So I will put on a "year of pics" of James on his actual birthday(August 6) but for now I wanted to load some up of the party we had for him yesterday. It was a huge party. We had a ton of relatives come to celebrate and It was so much fun! We went with a nursery rhyme theme this year. I really wanted a mustache but thought I could only get away with nursery rhyme for his first birthday. I did manage to incorporate mustaches a little though;)  Hopefully when he turns two we'll do the mustache.

   Here's a banner I purchased off of Dear Lillie for over our windows.

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Some nursery rhyme titles made into a banner.

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The paper ware table. Light blue, black, and white was our theme colors 

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                     The treat table

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Little mice cake balls one of my BFFS made. We bagged them and used them for favors!:)

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                     The gift table

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The clock has a mouse on it and also cut out words that say "hickory dickory dock"

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The smash cake. I used a store bought cake. Cut it down to size added ruffle frosting, a silhouette from off etsy that I glued toothpicks to and added glitter!:)

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        James enjoying his yummy cake

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                 Our little family<3. i love you precious baby boy!!! Love, Mommy

Elegant Carousel

I found this adorable carousel clock on Pinterest and of course loved it!! I don't even know where you'd find this beauty but I'm sure I couldn't afford it anyways!;)

    

   I did however find this really neat 3D carousel puzzle at a local thrift shop for $3. I forgot to take some before pics but underneath you can see the VERY brightly colored puzzle...it was all this way,until I spray painted it all off white. I will say I am very pleased with the results!! 

     

  Here it is in baby James' toy room!:)

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Bhldn blue shoes...well look alike anyways

 I was browsing through Pinterest the other day looking for a cute pair of blue shoes. It is such a popular color this year but oddly enough I've been having such a hard time finding the pair I was really looking for. Of course I found something that i was in love with from bhldn.com but not only were they $350(don't have that kind of money!!) but they weren't being sold anymore. That being said I was trying to think of something I could do to replicate them.

   Here's the original pair I came across...

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I remembered a pair of plain t straps I bought 5 years ago or so and haven't worn much...so I thought why not spray paint them...if it ruins them I wouldn't be upset. So I tried it.

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Here's the finished product! I also spray painted little clip on bows from Clair's the same color. I'm not sure how their going to hold up yet but I might try doing polyurethane on them to see if that helps... They have cracked a little at pressure points but you can't tell unless your really up close! Still worth a try!!:) I love the Marie Antoinette look about them!!:) hope your inspired!!;)

P.S. I still have to add one more bow!;)

Entryway makeover..yes again...

Well I am trying to redecorate the entryway...again. Ugh, this room is SO hard for me to figure out for some reason! I think I am starting to find what I was envisioning. Here's some pics of what's going down.

So I painted over the dark grey walls( it just wasn't working for me, probably because it was to dark) to a lighter grayish blue. The color is from Menards.. I think it's called secret hideaway. I also tore out the wooden bench( not original to the home) because I felt it was to boxy and large for the small space. I am going to add a small settee in its place. The gold mirror to the left is a garage sale purchase. I like the casual elegant look.

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Here you can see a fireplace mantel I found at, yes, a garage sale too. I have painted it from a honey colored wood to white. I wanted there to be a feel of a fireplace. I am in the process of painting the woodwork white too. It's to small of a space and it needs brightened. I have been crucified for this by almost everyone in my family!:) they love the old dark woodwork( as do I) but its much to dark for this room.

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Here's the fireplace painted and decorated. I will post "finished" pics when  the room is completed!!:)