Happy Birthday, Bee!

Affectionately known as "Itty Bit," our little Bee turned TWO on Saturday! She's still roughly the size of a 15 month old, talks like a 2 year old, and races through the house like a 6 year old:) She's bubbly but demanding, adventurous but knows her own limits, sassy but sweet as sugar...basically a walking contradiction. And she's the pepper to her sister's salt. They are nothing alike, but the best of friends!


Bee has a sense of style all her own. Her favorite ensemble is her "white" dress (Snow White, that is), her flowered rain boots, and a pair of binoculars around her neck. But don't you dare come near her in a mask...she is NOT a fan!



Did I mention that she's a bit on the animated side? The facial expressions and comedic timing on this thing are unbelieveable!

And like every diva, a wardrobe change mid-event is always necessary:) I'm not sure if you recognized the dress in the pics above, but it came from none other than the famous Katy at No Big Dill, who just happened to give birth to her first little boy on my little Bee's birthday! Congrats to Katy and the entire Dill family:)

But we couldn't eat Carolina blue (is there any other color???) cupcakes in that dress. I mean, I ordered it before Bee was even ONE!

So, to complement the party theme, I whipped up this little fishie outfit the morning of the party...yep, nothing like waiting till the last minute:)

I'd say the cupcakes were a big hit, but I think that's pretty obvious:)

A while back, I confessed that Belle had a birthday party that was completely store-bought (except the cupcakes that my hubby baked). I had a lot of guilt, but she had a blast. And I learned a pretty important lesson...sometimes it's better to be the parent enjoying your child instead of the parent making things for your child.

This time around, I aimed for the middle ground. Thanks to a very busy tax season, I've had quite a bit of time on my hands in the evenings, so I used my free time to practice a new knitting technique...magic loop. Not complicated at all, but something new to me. And if I was going to be practicing, I might as well make something for the Bee's birthday while I was learning a new skill. So the "Birthday Baby" was born.

In a futile attempt to make Bee love her, I dressed her like Dora, but my goal with the doll is that it will grow with Bee. Right now she loves Dora, so a few basic accessories turn this simple doll into her much-loved friend. But with a quick clothing change she can be just about anything. I'm planning a Halloween dress next...maybe white with a ghost face on the front. Then a dress for a very special secret event coming up this winter...more on that later:)

Of course, even the totally yummy belly button couldn't make Bee interested in her doll. She quickly tossed it aside and moved on to much more exciting toys, but maybe one day she'll grow to love the doll. And if not...oh well. I learned a new technique and enjoyed the process.

So...HAPPY BIRTHDAY, BEE! I love you more than the moon and the stars and could not imagine our little family without your spunky sweetness!