Snowflakes or Ladybugs

::GASPING FOR AIR:: Cora's first birthday is literally right around the corner! Lee and I have decided that we would invite 2 little girls over for a little birthday party. Here's my dilemma. I am can't decide which theme to choose. I am stuck between Ladybugs and Winter "ONE"derland. I didn't come up with the creativeness of the second. Thank you, Google search and baby forums. Honestly, I am leaning towards Ladybugs. There are sooooo many cute things I could do. I have 1000 different ideas for it. As for Winter "ONE"derland, I have maybe only 800 ideas. ;)

Here is a bullet list of comparisons between the two.

LADYBUGS

• Ladybug cupcakes (MJ's chocolate cake cupcakes of course)
  
• Die cut ladybug invites where the wings open (easy peasy to make)
• Lady bug antennae for the three little girls to wear (in place of traditional birthday hat)
• I thought about wings, but I think the girls are too small
• Styrofoam ladybug decorations on the wall
• Christmas ornament for craft...ladybug?? I haven't decided exactly what will be age appropriate for a craft. Maybe hand casts in pie tins. I will be looking in child craft books for ideas.
• Play children's music in the background
• I'll make a pillowcase dress for Cora to wear. Red with black dots, black long-sleeved shirt, black tights, and her mary jane's.

WINTER "ONE"DERLAND

• Snowflake cupcakes (MJ's chocolate cake cupcakes of course)
• Die cut snowflake invites (I don't have the exact idea in my head yet)
• Snowflake crown (think winter princesses) instead of traditional hat
• Snowflakes with glitter hanging all over the living room with white lights strung up.
• Snowmen crafts
• Play winter music like "Frosty the Snowman" and "Walking in a Winter Wonderland"
• I'll still make a pillowcase dress. It will be blue with snowflakes on the hem with a white shirt and white tights.

OK, after these lists, I think I like the Winter "ONE"derland theme. Go figure. Now I am leaning towards a ladybug theme when she is older. The girls could decorate their own wings for a craft. So, this is where I am asking for my readers' help. I have started a poll on the right-hand column of this blog layout. Please vote for Cora's 1st birthday theme. No promises that I'll choose the most popular answer, but I'd love to get other people's opinions.

Enough birthday talk. Let's talk Belle. Lately, she has been showing some interest in eating utensils. I figured I'd just let her try. She actually did pretty darn good....if you look past the hurricane of food on her face. There is a video where she uses her spoon just once. It's a start. :)







I just thought she looked cute in these next couple photos. They are merely for entertainment.

She had something in her mouth. I had to add the photo to remember looking at her thinking to myself, "What is wrong with her teeth."

Remember the recent Bumps and Bruises post. Here is a picture follow up. I was putting her hair in a ponytail and noticed she had two bruises on her head. The one in the front (very light and you can't see it at all in photos) and this one on the side of her head in the photo below. I have no idea where it came from. Oy vey.