A Rockin' 1st Birthday Celebration

I had this idea for a Rock-star Diva birthday bash for Ava's big-one months and months ago.  Let's just say that the idea may have even been born before she was.  Over the last few months the ideas just kept coming, and soon enough it had become much bigger than I had anticipated.  But I just couldn't stop!  A friend from church hand-made her invites and most of the decorations.  Family came down that weekend to help set up the house - thank goodness, because there was so much to do.

Birthday invite.  Mike was pretty excited to attend, and Ava was thrilled to have a real rock-star at her party.

Cake table

Ava's sparkly cake and smash cake.

The "hot pink" and zebra cookies I made.  Well they were supposed to be hot pink - they looked that way before I cooked them, but faded during the cooking process.  Honestly, I was just relieved that I didn't burn them.  (And yes, I used a mix.  Baking is one something I am NOT good at.  I just don't have the patience to measure everything out!)

We set up stations for all the rockstars and asked everyone to dress in true rock-star or diva-esque fashion (except for dad, who dressed as "The Diva's Bodyguard" to keep all the boys away).  I think the tattoo parlor went over the best, but there was also hair and makeup and the wardrobe area before the VIPs hit the photo shoot.

(Temporary) Tattoo Parlor.

BFF Amelia showing off her ink with dad Phil.

Jessica doing the honors of Ava's first tattoo.

Amelia and Phil's matching tats! Too funny!

Aunt Dena showing off hers....

Miss Ava showing off her ink....

I loved this theme because it just seemed to fit little Miss Ava so well.  First of all, the girl loves her music.  The second anything comes on the stereo, she starts bopping.  And really it's not limited to the radio - it's any of her toys that make noise as well.  And this week she started with a new dance move - turning in a circle while her right arm feverishly moves back and forth.  Video to follow.
And the Diva theme, well, if you know anything about Ava, you know that it fits her perfectly.  This child loves anything shiny, sequined, pretty, or blingy.  She points out her hair bow holder until I pick out a bow for her to wear, and then bends her head down for me to place it in her hair.  Her smile is never bigger than when she is wearing her diamond-studded sunglasses.  And shoes?  She can't get enough, especially the sequined ones she wore for her party.  The first time we went shoe shopping she walked herself over to the mirror to study how they looked in the mirror.  Seriously, that was the first time that I knew I was in trouble. 

Getting ready to par-tay.

 

 

Just some random party pictures....  

Our good friends the Steffens: Kristin, Amelia, and Phil.

Ava was so excited to see Kristin!

 

Andy Kasselman and his daughter Violet, with the birthday girl.

With our friend, the lovely Jackie C.

We even tried to get a few pictures of the girls, Ava, Amelia, and Violet.  Their moms and I went through our pregnancy together, meeting every week with our church small group, and the girls are just a few weeks apart in age.  It was fun to watch them together - these pictures are so different than the ones we have taken before when they were just infants!

And the moment we had waited for....the cake.

Now, to preface this part of the story, I have to tell you my expectations were somewhat high.  A few weeks earlier we had been to another birthday party where I gave Ava her first taste of cake.  At first she spit it out, but then she reached right for it and, before I knew it, we were both covered in blue frosting.  This had to carry over to her party cake, right?

Yeah, not so much.  She did not like it, not a bit!! *sigh*

[Insert cake eating video here.  I have been trying for 2 days to upload it to youtube but it's not working!]

We still had a wonderful time, and are so thankful to everyone who came and made Ava's first birthday as special as she is.  Check out our photo shoot pictures of (most) of our guests - some people snuck out before we could snap a shot (yes, I am speaking to you Carlson family and Miss Heidi Fitzsimmons)!

With Grandma Dalton

With Grandma and Grandpa Pasek.

With Uncle Bryan and his beautiful girlfriend, Jessica.

With her Godmother, Auntie Liz.

Uncle Kirth and Aunt Nickie.

Singing with the band...Bev, Jim and Jackie Cruise, and Aunt Dena.

The Kasselman family - Shelley, Andy, and Violet.

The Steffens: BFF Amelia, Phil, and Kristin.

With our great friend, Amber.

With the Bodenstab dad, Derek.