S.HOPtalk: { tutti bella }

Whew...what a whirlwind! Around here it's 'Tis the Season' for birthdays. Both my daughter and hubby have December birthdays, so December is a very festive month for us (and a bit overwhelming at times too).

We went all out in honor of Miss Bella's 7th birthday...transforming our garden studio (my office) into a 'sparkling winter wonderland' and hosting 10, six and seven year old girls for a one-day glitter sprinkling, cake eating, cider sipping, teddy bear making extravaganza!!!

Mind you, this little room has undergone quite a rennovation over the last year...Below is a shot we took last year, right after the groovy fake wood paneling was removed from the walls.

We then insulated, sheetrocked and painted, removed the green "carpet" and floated a new concrete floor which we plan to glaze and finish oh, "any day now".

With all of that work out of the way, staging a party would be easy peesy, right??? Perhaps I underestimated the prep work involved. Here's how things looked after taking everything out of storage and taking inventory of my winter wonderland 'props'...

I had all of the basics and, fortunately, also discovered some amazing budget friendly finds that really helped to pull it all together. Have you seen these adorably festive tablecloths from IKEA? They come in a giant wrapping paper type of roll and you just cut and use what you need...perfect if you have multiple tables to cover. I covered three and still have tons left on the roll. The colorful "take out" boxes from the $1 Spot at Target were filled with treats and craft supplies for the girls. The fabuLESS glitter snowflakes from the Dollar Tree mixed perfectly with seasonal creations from Wendy Addison and D. Sharp to create the winter sparkle around the room and twirling from the ceilings.

Oh yes, it was a fun and exhausting week of prep. When Bella walked into the room she slowly looked around and took it all in. Then said, "WOW Mommy, I don't know what to say...it's beautiful!!!!" She must have said, "Thank you for all of your hard work on the room," at least 3 times throughout the big day. Her thoughtfulness just melted my heart...such a sweet and perceptive girl that one

It was a magical party...filled with grade-school chatter, girly giggles, and happy, giddy shrieking (lots of shrieking). Take a peek at some of the details...

I hope the girls arrive soon...we need some stuffing!

Can someone help me stuff the arms and legs...?

May I borrow the pink glitter glue when you're finished with it?

The girls sipped on french pink lemonade and hot apple cider while snacking on holiday cookies, served on the new 12 days of Christmas plates I recently received from hubby. We sang in celebration and as Bella carefully recited her birthday wish in her head,

I indulged in my own birthday wish...hoping that we could, perhaps, slow the passage of time just a bit. Is it just me, or are birthdays bittersweet for you as well? I'm so proud of this smart, clever, and thoughtful little person my daughter is becoming. At the same time, I often secretly wish that I could just box her up and keep her this little forever. I suppose all parents wish this from time to time.

Happy birthday my sweets...may all of your daydreams & wishes come true.