The Very Hungry Caterpillar Party!!

I pretty much knew not long after Lucas was born that his first birthday party would be The Very Hungry Caterpillar theme.  Even though I knew this I still pretty much waited till the last minute to plan his party! I love just love the book and so do the boys.  I had big plans, but big plans require lots of money.  So I did most everything myself, bringing out my inner sorority crafting skills.  I love to craft and get my creative juices flowing, so this party was a lot of fun for me.  I perused the Internet especially pinterest to get some ideas. 
The first thing I wanted to make were little goody bags for the guests.  I order super cute Hungry Caterpillar fabric.  As soon as it came in I started on the first one.  However I quickly got frustrated and the bags never got finished.  I made one and it took forever.  I am okay with a sewing machine, but I think I could be a lot better if I took a class and actually learned about sewing instead of just reading the manual.  The bag looked fine and I will use it, but I like my crafts to be worthy of giving to someone else not like I tried to make it is a quick as possible.  So I decided I would just skip the bags.  Maybe another party down the road. 
I moved on to ordering Lucas' pictures from his first year and made his picture hangings which can be seen here. This is my absolute favorite thing to make I just love looking back on the pictures.  I saw it in a Martha Stewart magazine a few years back, before I Kalen even turned one and I knew I would be making these every year.
Next I wanted to make a pretty big Caterpillar to hang over the food table.  I saw a bunch made out of balloons but they weren't all that appealing to me so I decided to use Chinese lanterns and then cut out the different features of the Caterpillar.  I loved how it turned out and it was super easy!

I also made another Caterpillar out of Tissue paper pom-poms and hung those up by the front door.

I have been looking through the Internet for some time before the party and I came across a blog that had a free printable of all the days and what the caterpillar ate.  I saved the image to my computer and now I cannot find the blog to give her the credit! I'm so sorry.  So I printed them out and glued them to card stock for a little extra excitement. For the Mon-Fri days I attached them to jars with the food inside.  For Everything he ate on Saturday I just taped those up in the guest bathroom, for everyone to read while washing their hands.

Caterpillar Growing into a Butterfly. I love the fat one!! haha

I make the kids Birthday Banners every year and hand them on the entertainment center.  Lucas' was fun to make since I got to make "Happy" into caterpillar.

Just a few other small details.  I wrapped the silverware with a little caterpillar wrap and I bought some cute cardboard straws for everyone to enjoy their drinks with.

Straws from Making Memories Fun

Wraps from Soiree Chic Shop

 




















On the front door hung Lucas' Birthday Wreath. Which is still there because I have yet to make a summer one.

Last but not least his yummy birthday cake.  I had the bakery that made our wedding cake make Lucas' Bday cake! The Bakery use to be called Sheila's but they changed it to Dessert First . They made him a vanilla cake with strawberry filling and delicious butter cream!!

Smash Cake

Lucas in his bday shirt from Munsker & Roo and his bday shades from my friend Ashley.



Enjoying his smash cake!! Yummy

Adorable Invite created by Park Side Prints.  Kelly Myers was great, she helps in any way possible









Lucas Is the Big ONE

So clearly I have been in La-la land!! Lucas turned one about a week a half ago,on May 24.  Just like every other parent out there you wonder where in the heck the year went.  You could have sworn you just brought your bundle of joy home a few weeks ago.  Now the little mister is walking and trying to make words with the sounds he can get out.  As I looked back on this past year I thought about how similar Lucas is to Kalen and then how completely different he is. 
For every birthday I print out pictures from the past year and arrange them in a number, for how ever old they are turning.  I love doing this and I'm sure one day the boys will be utterly embarrassed about it, but I don't care.  Its so fun to look back and see how much they have changed.  Obviously they change so much in the first year.  Lucas was completely dependent on his mom and dad.  He could really only squirm around and his only way to communicate was to cry.  Luckily Lucas was not much of a crier.  He is pretty much all smiles unless he is teething or hungry.  Now the little mister is walking wherever he wants to go, lifting his arms at you if he wants to be picked up, and feeding himself finger foods.  He also loves yelling out for his Da-da. 
Lucas loves to play with toys and can entertain himself just like his big bro Kalen. Which is nice for the rentals to get a break every now and then.  Just like his brother his happy place is in the Bath tub! No matter whats going on if you turn the bath tub on both kids come running at the bathroom like they are giving away puppies and lollipops in there. 
Lucas is so much like his father.  They are almost identical! Although when I took him for his one year check up the nurse said he looked just like me and I told her if she saw my husband she wouldn't think he looked anything like me.  As newborns both boys looked just like their father.  Kalen has changed a lot and I think he is starting to favor me a little more.  Lucas on the other hand still looks like his Pops.  They have the same skin coloring, which makes me extremely jealous, you can put sunscreen on both of them and they still tan up in a matter on minutes!! Just as when my hubs was a kid, Lucas has a darker, dirty blond coloring of his hair, but when he goes in the sun it turns this beautiful golden sunshine color.  His hair is also starting to curl a bit and its getting thicker by the day.  The hubs has wavy, thick hair as well. 
His personality is really starting to come out as well.  He is much more of a lover than Kalen was.  Lucas likes to be held sometimes and will come up to you and throw his arms up when he wants you.  he will also sit on your lap for a little while.  He is still super active though and doesn't like to stay in one place to long.  He loves to laugh and anything you do can pretty much trigger a fit of laughter.  He also loves anyone and everyone.  If you look at him he flashes you a huge grin and usually some laughs.  He is definitely more of a people person than Kalen is.  Kalen takes a little warming up but then he is usually good to go. 
This little guy has so much love.  He loves his Big Bro so much and makes me happy that they are so close.  He follow Kalen everywhere, plays with him, runs away laughing when Kalen chases him, and just loves to be around him.  Kalen loves him as well, yes he gets jealous of Lucas, and sometimes doesn't want to share with him, gives Lucas a good whack every now and then.  But he always says sorry and gives him a hug and a kiss.  Kalen doesn't quite understand how much smaller Lucas is because he often tackles him while giving hugs.  Kalen doesn't like when Lucas is upset, either.  Often times he runs up to him and says "sorry" even though Kalen isn't what made him cry.  He will bring him his juice and milk, bring him food, and "Lucas'" toys.  when Lucas wakes up from his nap Kalen usually runs to his room and starts yelling out his name and laughing and Lucas starts going nuts in his crib, laughing and smiling at his bro. 
Here are a few pictures of his bday night and then pictures of the 1s I made.  Its so fun to look and see how much he has changed in a year! Lucas has pretty much stayed the same in his face since birth, where Kalen looks nothing like he did when he was born.

Enjoying a slice of Cake on His Bday

All smiles after his cake

Pictures from his first year of life in the Shape of a 1 



Close up of the 1



2nd #1

Crafting

Here are a few Personal Touches for Kalen's Party

Favors: Cupcakes In A Jar
I have seen these on a few blogs and thought they were a wonderful idea

Closeup of a few of the Jars
I made some Chocolate ones too but they were all gone

Some Alligator Cookies: There were #1s too

I made three giant #1 out of Pictures taken from his first year

PARTY!!

We celebrated Kalen's 1st Birthday with our friends and family this past Saturday!! We had so much fun and it was so nice to have all the people that Love and care about our Little Mister there.  He is so spoiled and got so many wonderful toys to play with.  I had so much fun planning his party and everyone had a wonderful time!! It is still so crazy to think he is a year old already.

Playing with his new Wagon

Opening Presents

YUMMY Cake

With Mommy