Magnolias, Marriage and Manhattan

It's a....

2011-09-19T15:33:00.000-04:00

HEALTHY BABY BOY!!!!!!!!!!!

J is going to be a wonderful big brother and is VERY excited about his baby brother (and his balloons).
A is excited about the thousands of dollars he'll save on clothes. I'm happy to continue my reign as Queen of our home! Thank goodness I have Daisy. =) Our family could not be more thrilled to welcome another loud, crazy, stinky and sweet baby boy into our home. I just keep pinching myself. I'm so thankful to God for my boys. All THREE of them! I have always though I would be the proud Mama of 3 boys. 2 down...

More pictures to come later of Master U2. He waved at us during his ultrasound and showed us his precious little feet a few times. I can't wait to kiss his chubby little cheeks. Thank you for your prayers and thoughts this morning. We are SO THRILLED! OH BOY, OH BOY!

Last Day for Turq Jewlery

2011-09-05T13:51:00.003-04:00

Stock up on one of my favorite jewelry designers great designs! I'll miss you Turq!

Big News

2011-08-13T14:09:00.000-04:00

Wow. It has been awhile since I've written. I think this is my longest break in my 4.5 years blogging. I feel like I'm not too out of touch because I spend a good amount of time on twitter talking to most of you, but for those that don't tweet. I'll give you the quick run down of the last few months.

We put 3 offers on different houses before we finally had one accepted. We were so excited, only to find out our house didn't appraise. We thought we were going to lose the house, only to find out at the very last minute the sellers accepted the drastic price reduction. Win, win! Talk about STRESS. We closed on our new house about a month ago. We painted a few things and go the floors refinished. A and Daisy drove from NYC to Atlanta and J and I went to my parent's in South Alabama for a few weeks to wait on the movers arrival. They were a WEEK late! (We'll save that for another post.) They finally arrived this past Wednesday and we are up to our noses in a sea of boxes right now, the perfect time to start blogging again. =)

In the middle of the craziness of this summer, we found out some very exciting news....

Jack is going to be a big brother! Baby U2 is due 2/9/12. We could not be more thrilled!

I'll fill in more details about the last few months in the upcoming weeks. I have so much to share, but wanted to start with the big stuff. We've moved and we're having a BABY! God is good!

Alabama's Lost Birthdays

2011-05-14T09:26:00.001-04:00

Alabama's Lost Birthdays is a wonderful facebook group that was created to help children that didn't get to have a birthday party or won't get to have a birthday party due to the tornadoes. While immediate needs are important, a special birthday party in the eye of a child could make their year. Some of these children are lost their homes, lost parents, lost their friends, pets, schools, etc. Knowing how much my readers love to help plan a good birthday party, I thought perhaps some of you might want to help give a child a special day to make them smile! I would love to hear if you participate!

Here is a link to the facebook page, please "like" them and pass along to your friends:
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Alabamas-Lost-Birthdays/121535981259190

Click here to find out more about the current birthday parties and wish lists: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Alabamas-Lost-Birthdays/121535981259190?sk=notes

Elizabeth McKay Relief Effort for Alabama Tornado Victims

2011-05-11T11:44:00.000-04:00

Here is another great way to support Alabama Tornado Victims:

Here is the shirt: http://www.emckay.com/product_p/4022.htm

This is the fund that all proceeds from the shirt will go to: http://www.ua.edu/tornadorelief/

Donate Shoes to Toddler Tornado Victims

2011-05-05T14:23:00.000-04:00

For $14.95, you can buy a pair of shoes to donate to toddlers that lost everything during the recent tornadoes. Monogram Madness is based in Tuscaloosa and they are not charging shipping costs and will donate the shoes directly to those in the most need in their community.

For more information, you can check out their facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Monogram-Madness/157007190997010

Click here to purchase a pair of shoes: http://monogrammadness.net/category_4/Shoes.ht

All donations are tax deductible if you save your receipt.

If your company is doing a tornado related fundraiser, I would be happy to spotlight it on my blog. Just email me:

magnoliasmarriageandmanhattan @ gmail . com

Every little bit helps.

Help Alabama Moms Affected by Tornados

2011-05-03T15:07:00.001-04:00

Want to make a donation to the tornado victims from far away? Go to diapers.com and buy something from a registry set up to help victims! Look under the names Brooke Rhind and Kate Fix. There is no shipping fee and the items will all be sent to Birmingham. Kate Harvill Fix will be delivering them next week! (This is a friend of a friend that is doing this, and I have already done it...so it is legit!) There are so many people that need your help, but as a Mom I can't imagine not having diapers, wipes or food for my child. Please help.

Heartsy...the Etsy Deal Site

2011-04-14T15:38:00.000-04:00

I'm still loving all the new deal flash sites! I've "saved" so much using them. I'm also a huge fan of etsy, so combine the two and you get the newest deal site....Heartsy. It is a daily deal site just for etsy products.

I apologize for helping you spend way too much money! Sign up and we'll both get $5 when you make your first purchase. Win, Win: http://heartsy.me/users/47574/referral

Lynde Easterlin Designs

2011-04-12T15:33:00.000-04:00

My dear friend/cousin-in-law (her husband is J's Godfather and A's cousin), Lynde Easterlin, is being featured on One Kings Lane tonight in their tastemaker Tag sales. Please check it out.

Check out Lynde's One Kings Lane Sale tonight at 9pm est: https://www.onekingslane.com/invite/magnolias

Check out Lynde's website: www.lyndeeasterlin.com

Check out Lynde's blog: http://flairfordesign.blogspot.com

Follow Lynde on twitter: @lyndeasterlin

Congrats Lynde! We love you and are so proud of you!

Masters Final Round Party

2011-04-11T21:31:00.000-04:00

I decided on Friday night to throw a little Masters Final Round viewing party for a few friends. It came together quite nicely and we had a great time watching the exciting finals. Congrats to all the players and their families! I'm hoping next year that I will actually BE there.

I sent out paperless post invites that were kelly green with yellow golf bags and lettering. They were easy to make and looked pretty cute! You can sign up here if you aren't a member.

J wore his Masters shirt that my brother bought him when he went to the tournament last year. He was looking pretty cute in his green plaid pants!

We had beer, wine, sweet tea (I used Tetley), lemonade, Arnold Palmers (1/2 lemonade and 1/2 iced tea) and John Dalys (1/2 lemonade, 1/2 iced tea and vodka). We made some of the John Daly's with firefly sweet tea vodka. Yum!

I even found an azalea bush for our centerpiece! I couldn't believe I was able to find one in NYC.

I made a last minute decision to buy plastic silverware and paper plates to save on doing dishes. Had to go with the green and yellow for the Masters!

Here is my John Daly in my monogrammed tervis! We got these as a wedding gift (2 for A and 2 with my new initials and have LOVED them!)

Yummy Banana Pudding! I used this recipe and it was great!

We kept it simple, but it was a fun little afternoon party!

The pimento cheese was the hit! I used Paula's recipe and it was heavenly.

Georgia peanuts!

Ten Tips for Air Travel with a Two Year Old

2011-03-30T14:27:00.005-04:00

You can find my post here about traveling with an infant and traveling with a 1 year old year, but now it is is time to update and let you know how I survive (barely) traveling with a two year old.

Here are my ten tips:

1) J now gets his own seat! When your little guy turns two, you are required to purchase a seat on most airlines. We fly Delta about 99% of the time and they require you to purchase the seat for age two and up. While it hurts to pay the extra money it is well worth it. When it is just J and I traveling, I've recently started booking the window and the isle seat in hopes that no one will book the middle and we can have the entire row. I figure if someone ends up in the middle I can always offer them the window or the isle. It worked on our last trip!

2) The CARES harness might be one of the best inventions ever. It basically turns your child's seat into a car seat. Without the harness J would be able to get out of his seat belt. I told J that once we are on the plane, he has to buckle up and now he knows this is just part of the trip. You have to be very careful about the placement of the strap, it should be at their shoulders and not above or below.

3) A portable DVD player. We bought the cheapest one we could find (why give my two year old an expensive one). I will admit that we have issues with him opening it up and pushing the buttons, but we've learned that Thomas will disappear if we do that. I also put stickers over the buttons or travel with scotch tape. We use earphones that I already had, but they also make toddler earphones. A friend of mine has them and loves them, I just ordered them for our next trip since above mentioned earphones I already had were involved in an accident on our last flight. (More on that later...)

Our current favorite DVDS are:

Curious George Takes a Vacation and Discovers New Things

Mickey Mouse Clubhouse

CARS

Monsters Inc

4) We read a lot of books when our DVD player has to be off. I finally learned (with experience, to pack mostly paperback or small books). Our favorite travel books include:

Amazing Airplanes
Dazzling Diggers
Flashing Fire Engines
Planes
Corduroy

We also love sticker books! Handing your child an individual sticker and having them place it into a book can burn a good 30 minutes or so. I pick sticker books with themes that J is currently "into" to help keep his attention. On our last few trips we've had the following:

Disney Sticker Book
Insects Sticker Book
Pets Sticker Book
Melissa and Doug Sticker Book

5) We still do lots of snacks! I use small zip lock bags and fill them with our current favorites: animal crackers, goldfish, Jammy Sammy, mish mash, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, and now that we are older...even a few lolly pops!

6) Crayola color wonder is the best. They advertise that they are mess free and so far they have been such a great help to us. I bet Delta didn't even notice that we tried to color on the back of the seat and the windows. Thanks Crayola for your invisible markers and paints!

7) We travel the most to our families in the South so we don't have to bring our car seat that often (our moms both have their own), but when we do need to bring our car seat we use the jl childress cover and check it with our luggage. It has straps to carry it on your back and wheels (but they don't work that well).

8) Traveling with a two year old can be hard because chances are they are going to act out. I don't allow the trip to be an excuse for bad behavior. On our last trip alone, J kept poking the man next to us. I asked him not to do it a good 3-4 times and he continued to laugh and do it. I took him out of his harness and marched him to the back of the plane. The stewardess saw that "Mom look" in my eyes and actually moved the cart out of my way. I told J he was going to time out and I placed him next to the door in the back of the plane facing the corner and sat behind him for our standard 2 minute time out. Yes, I gave my child a time out at 30,000 ft and he quit the poking.

I also learned NEVER to put J in the middle seat. Even though Delta took him out of his window seat and I didn't want to put him on the aisle (little hands and carts don't mix). I should have just asked the man to switch to the aisle, he probably would appreciated that more than being poked. Lesson learned.

9) Don't forget a change of clothes. One of these times you are going to need it (above mentioned accident). On our last trip A and I were upgraded to first class. J was not. HA! The plane was overbooked and I'm guessing Delta didn't want me to put J back there in coach by himself, so A gladly went to coach so J and I could travel in luxury. If you have the funds (or the miles) that is the WAY to go. J was SCREAMING for milk (I normally fill his sippy cup right before we board) and the sweet stewardess immediately obliged. J then became memorized with his own his personal tv and we were good to go! When we were being served dinner, I learned the options were not kid friendly. Not to worry, I wasn't expecting dinner anyways so I popped out J's peanut butter sandwich. The stewardess asked him if he wanted anything and he told her, "cake, please." Ha! She showed up with a brownie seconds later. (Nice service, hope he doesn't get used to it!) I actually cut the brownie in small pieces. I don't normally cut most small soft foods anymore, but for some reason I did this time. Good thing. Minutes later, J was stuffing his face with the brownie and started gagging. I had just been served my plated dinner and a glass of wine and was toasting my life when this happened. I automatically held my hand out for him to spit out the brownie and he proceeded to throw it up...in my hand. Thanks J. The stewardesses scrambled with hot towels to assist me in the clean up and removed my dinner tray so I could begin the clean up process. Daddy randomly showed up (thank God!) to help and I was able to do a quick change of clothes thanks to my extra set. That my friends, is why you have an extra set of clothes in a gallon size quart baggie. Gross clothes went in the baggie, I washed my hands and we went back to watching satellite tv in first class.

10) I bring my diaper bag (my stevie is green and white stripes if you were wondering and I love it as a toddler diaper bag!) and a Vineyard Vines tote for all of our trips. I pack the VV tote with all the fun stuff (books, snacks, etc) and the diaper Bag has only necessities. I love that the VV tote is just the right size and it has a zipper so that things won't spill out all over the floor of the plane.

Hope these tips help you on your next plane ride with your toddler!

Do you travel a lot? What tips do you have?

Winner of Monogram Madness Personalized Easter Basket

2011-03-29T17:42:00.000-04:00

Congrats go to:

Random Integer Generator

Here are your random numbers:

Timestamp: 2011-03-29 21:38:24 UTC

Tales of a Peanut said...: Plus I'm a follower!
March 25, 2011 6:02 PM
Congrats Jennifer! Please email me at magnoliasmarriageandmanhattan at gmail dot com and we'll get your Easter basket out to you.

Personalized Easter Basket Giveaway from Monogram Madness

2011-03-23T14:10:00.000-04:00

It is hard to think about Easter when it is currently SNOWING outside in NYC. Yuck. But, this next vendor will bring a smile to your face.We bought J a hand painted Easter basket for his 1st Easter and I love watching him grow with it. These adorable Easter baskets will hold lots of memories for you and your kids for years to come. Monogram Madness is offering some of these adorable designs this year and each of them can be personalized.You can find a full list of personalized Easter basket designs here on their facebook website. Owner, Lacie, HAND PAINTS each basket! I only wish I had that kind of talent.

Want to win one of these adorable personalized Easter baskets? Monogram Madness is giving away one basket of your choice to a lucky MMM reader. Here's how to win:

Here are the rules:

1) Visit Monogram Madness' Facebook Page (look under photos for all items for sale) or website

2) Come back here and post your favorite item in the comment section.

For additional entries (and please remember to post each of these in a SEPARATE comment or the random number generator won't count it):

1) Become a follower of my blog or let me know you are already a follower in a separate comment

2) Blog about this contest or add it to your sidebar and let me know you did in a separate comment.

3) "Like" Monogram Madness on facebook. Follow this link. Let me know you like them in a separate comment.

4) Tweet about this contest to @MrsMMMBlogger and let me know you did so in a separate comment.

That is a potential for FOUR additional entries!! Good luck ladies! The random number generator will pick a lucky winner on March 29th!

Five for You and Five for Me

2011-03-21T14:19:00.000-04:00

Here are five things I'm currently loving:

1) My fruit infusion water pitcher. It is such a great way to get you drink more water! You put fruit in the little tube and then you just refill the water. We've tried doing lemons, limes, oranges and cucumber and mint. I have really started drinking more water because of this pitcher.

2) New flash deal sites that are popping up! The latest I have found are Bitsy Bug and Little Bird for NYC and Atlanta Moms. I just love all the great deals I've been getting!

3) My Pottery Barn tissue cover. I gave these as gifts this past Christmas and everyone just loves them. I bought two for myself and they seriously have made me smile every time I've needed a tissue. They are GREAT gifts! Go get a few.

4) J's CARES harness has been getting some serious mileage. We just returned home from round one of our house search and I couldn't have done it without the harness. I highly recommend it for traveling with your toddler! I promise I'll do an updated travel post soon.

5) Running out of things to do with your little one? An old classmate of mine from Atlanta created this website for Moms. It is simply amazing, you must check it out!

Now Five Questions for YOU!

1) What is your favorite home or decorating magazine? I'm getting so excited about decorating our new home. I want to go ahead and start some inspiration files. I would love any tips you have!

2) One of the first purchases we'll have to make is mattresses. How exciting! We have our mattress, but J is still in his crib. We'll move him into a single bed and we want to upgrade our queen to a king. So we'll need 2 twin mattresses and a king and maybe another queen. What kind do you have? Any recommendations?

3) We're planning to go to Chicago in May. Do you have any recommendations on where to eat? We'll have J with us, so would love to know some family friendly sights to see. I've only been twice so I'm very excited. We are going for my SIL's graduation from seminary!

4) Atlanta friends, if you have recommendations on babysitters, house keepers, painters, inspectors, yard guys, etc, etc, etc. Send them my way! I'm starting my "can't live without them" file. magnoliasmarriage and manhattan at gmail dot com

5) Does anyone have any tips on saving money while renting a car? Our car rental bill was so high (as was our hotel bill). A simple house hunting trip costs as much as a nice vacation. Since we are going to need to go again, would love any tips you have to share!

2011-03-20T15:14:00.000-04:00

Thank you to everyone that entered the J. McLaughlin giveaway. Sorry for the delay in drawing. I've been in Atlanta the past week house hunting...more on that later. I know y'all are dying to know who won so...........................

The winner of the adorable bamboo clutch is..........................

Random Integer Generator

Here are your random numbers:

Timestamp: 2011-03-20 19:07:14 UTC

Congrats to:

All Things Cherish said...: Love the Panama Dress!
March 10, 2011 9:44 PM

Please email me at magnoliasmarriageandmanhattan at gmail dot com and I'll get you set up! Congrats!

J. McLaughlin Giveaway

2011-03-10T09:49:00.001-05:00

J. McLaughlin has been a longtime leader in all things preppy. They opened their first store over 30 years ago and are still going strong! Their retail stores can be found in 16 states and DC and their online site is easy to navigate.

Here are a few of my current favorites on their website. They have me wishing for budding tulips on Park Avenue and boat drinks at the beach!

To celebrate the beginning of spring, I'm teaming up with J. McLaughlin to give one very lucky MMM reader an adorable bamboo clutch in natural. (It retails for $150.00!!) Just think how cute you will look toting this clutch with your white jeans and blue and white stripe top! What outfit DOESN'T this clutch go with?

Here are the rules:

1) Go to the J. McLaughlin's website and pick your favorite new arrival

2) Come back here and post your favorite item in the comment section.

For additional entries (and please remember to post each of these in a SEPARATE comment or the random number generator won't count it):

1) Become a follower of my blog or let me know you are already a follower in a separate comment

2) Blog about this contest or add it to your sidebar and let me know you did in a separate comment.

3) "Like" J. McLaughlin on facebook. Follow this link. Let me know you like them in a separate comment.

4) Tweet about this contest to @MrsMMMBlogger and @JMcLaughlinNY and let me know you did so in a separate comment.

5) Join their Mailing List by clicking here (enter info at top of page) and let me know you did so in a separate comment.

That is a potential for FIVE additional entries!! Good luck ladies! The random number generator will pick a lucky winner on March 17th!

Happy Mardi Gras!

2011-03-09T13:56:00.001-05:00

We just returned from a wonderful 10 days with my parents in South Alabama. We had a great trip and it was such a treat to be in warmer weather. J loved being able to play outside without a hat and coat on. We took full advantage of all of our favorite restaurants and got to have a play dates with some of my friend's kids. Here are a few pictures of our adventures:

The Dog Parade is always a hit!

Playdate with A (his Mama is Some Like it Southern)

Pat-Pat took the boys on a golf cart ride

J's first night time Mardi Gras parade was a HIT!

Float loading! I picked all green beads since we dressed up as leprechauns. The theme of my float was "Happy Holidays."

We had lots of fun playing with Daisy's sister Lily. The weather was perfect.

View from my parent's front porch. I love the South!

Lunch at Fly Creek before our parade

Hanging out with the boys

New Knotted Note Winner

2011-03-08T13:33:00.000-05:00

I never heard back from the previous winner and she didn't leave any way to contact her, so I've drawn a new winner!

Random Integer Generator

Here are your random numbers:

Timestamp: 2011-03-08 18:31:07 UTC

Congrats to NewMama2010!

The Knotted Note Giveaway Winner

2011-02-20T15:30:00.000-05:00

Congrats to...

MiniCooper

Random Integer Generator

Here are your random numbers:

Timestamp: 2011-02-20 20:26:08 UTC

Please email me at magnoliasmarriageandmanhattan@gmail dot com and we will get your Knotted Notes to you!

The Knotted Note Product Review and Giveaway

2011-02-15T07:30:00.001-05:00

I was recently sent some adorable note cards from The Knotted Note. Owner, Erin, designed a special set to go with J's bday party designs! I think they are just adorable and they are perfect for thank you notes. Check out my review and be sure to enter to win a set of your very own Knotted Notes!

As you know, I LOVE stationery. I really love it when someone introduces me to something that looks different. Knotted Notes have a classic clean look with ribbon and cute charms. I swear, put a little preppy grosgrain ribbon on something and I'll buy it! I can see preteen girls absolutely LOVING these cards and I know my Mom will think they are fridge worthy. Here are a few of my favorite Knotted Notes:

Love this crisp little dragon fly thank you note!

These would make an adorable note card to ask your bridesmaids to be in your wedding! Or, use them for a sweet note to your wedding shower hostesses.

A very unique birth announcement! I think ALL birth announcements should include ribbon...J's did!

A very classic birth announcement with a sweet twist. Bama fans will love this one!

Sweet girl version (there are tons more options here)

Perfect to announce your new address!

LOVE this one. I'm inspired.

This one is too cute too, they also have it in a lot of other different"things that go" could use as a party invite or as a little guy's thank you notes

How adorable is this? Girls of all ages will smile; it's perfect for a 5th or a 50th!

So sweet for a baby shower, could do it in girl or gender neutral too!

Cute as button

Perfect for baby shower thank you notes or all those new baby gifts! Would also be cute to give to a friend that just found out she was pregnant.

These are just too cute for words.

So sweet!

One lucky MMM reader is going to win a set of 12 of your choice of Knotted Notes!

1) Go to The Knotted Note and check out all of their adorable designs
2) Come back here and post your favorite

For additional entries (and please remember to post each of these in a SEPARATE comment or the random number generator won't count it):

1) Become a fan of The Knotted Note on facebook. Follow this link. Let me know you became their follower in a separate comment.

2) Tweet about this contest to @MrsMMMBlogger and and let me know you did so in a separate comment.

3) Become a follower of my blog or let me know you are already following in a separate comment.

The random number generator will be a winner on Friday!

Celebration!

2011-02-14T09:28:00.000-05:00

A week ago today, my little blog here turned four years old! That is right, I've been blogging for four years now. Wow! That's a lot of posts. We've been through a lot together. You helped me plan my wedding. You gave me encouragement the night before I moved to NYC. You patiently listened as I learned my way around the city. You helped me pick the best baby gear and maternity wear. You showered me with sweet comments and love when Baby J was born. You helped me through learning about babies and toddlers. You encouraged my obsession with all things preppy and monogrammed. You were there to pray for me when I was down. You were the first to offer your congrats at any good news. You've helped me pick birthday presents, baby gifts and hostess gifts for all occasions. You've offered your opinions and your friendship. I've had to the chance to meet so many of you and some of you will be my friend for life. I want you to know that each of you (if we have met of not) has helped me along my journey this past four years. You are a special part of my life. Well friends, I am about to embark on my next journey!

When A told me we were moving to NYC he said it would be for a year or two, and here we are almost four years later living in our third apt with our two year old son. Ha! NYC was never meant to be our forever home. We are born and bred Southerners and always hoped to get back "home" someday. NYC has managed to steal our hearts and it will forever be a part of us. But, it is time. We are officially packing up heading home to the South this summer.

Almost sixteen years ago, I bawled as the Atlanta skyline disappeared in the distance. I was 14 and my parents decided to move us to Alabama. I had never moved in my entire life and it was one of the hardest things I ever did. It was also one of the best things that ever happened to met. It was with that wisdom that I knew when I left Alabama four years ago for "the big city" it would forever shape who I am. In the funny little circle of life, I now find myself heading back to my original home of Atlanta, Ga. I leave NYC with a heavy heart, but I'm so confident about the direction my family is heading. I can't wait to share all the details that I've had to keep private for so long! We are SO excited!

Taxi Cab Party-Part 4-The Little Extras

2011-02-03T14:39:00.000-05:00

I needed something to put these adorable lolly pops (found at Oriental Trading) in, so I used styrofoam and covered it in black construction paper and added the white lines and mini taxis and it turned out pretty cute!

I found J's taxi longall on sale at Momma's Boy, Daddy's Girl. It was no easy task finding a taxi cab longall and to find it on sale was awesome! Just by chance, I found this shirt at Ann Taylor Loft the day before the party and it was perfect for the Mama of the bday boy!

J's adorable taxi 2 shirt was made by Lauren from Blooming Babies Boutique (same vendor that made the banner this year and last year). My "big boy" refuses to wear a bib, so he put his special shirt on over his taxi longall for cake time! He now wants to wear both EVERY day. Lauren also made J's sweet birthday hat. Isn't it cute?

What taxi party for a 2 year old is complete with Taxi Cab Driver Big Bird! (We also have NY Fire Dept Elmo.)

We used the book My Taxi Ride as J's guest book. All of his sweet friends signed the inside cover. It will be a fun memento and it is already a bedtime favorite.

In addition to their pinata goodies, we sent each child home with a yellow bag with a taxi cab craft (pic above), and a yellow birthday rubber ducky. (As a side note, I bought mini taxi cabs for the boys to take home and J found them prior to the party and hid them away in "his stash of cars." I gave up trying to take them back-ha!

The adorable "Jack is Two" sign was made my J's Godmother (and one of my best friends from high school). She sells hand painted signs (Two Girls and a Glue Gun) and she surprised J (and me) with this adorable canvas sign to match his party! She is the best! Thanks S!

The highlight of the decor was J's taxicab pinata. He kept saying "Whoa, Mama" when he saw it for the first time. I can not recommend etsy seller, Birchangel Custom Pinatas enough! I see myself ordering MANY more pinatas from her for years to come, so help keep her in business! We went with the pull ribbons since the kids were on the younger side, but they had such a blast each taking their turn to pull a ribbon. My husband just stood on a chair and held it (hey, space is tight in NYC) and it was entertaining for everyone to watch the kids get so excited when the goodies dropped from the sky! I filled the pinata with Thomas the Train stickers, mini play doughs, Welch's fruit snacks, and a pinata toy mix from Oriental Trading.

I found this cute fabric on ebay and just added the yellow ribbon to turn it into an overlay for our food table. It was a last minute project that turned out pretty well!

If it said, taxi I had to have it!

Last but, certainly not least, all the guests also took home one of the most delicious cookies in the entire world! Another "tradition," I was first introduced to A Dozen Eggs when Laura sent me a sample when I found out I was pregnant with J. We ordered red wagon cookies last year and J's party was not complete without a taxi cookie for this year! I see this being a yearly thing, so get ready Dave and Laura...I've already warned my husband! A Dozen Eggs can make ANYTHING, just try them! Read about the making of J's cookies on their blog.

I hope y'all enjoyed the details of J's 2nd Birthday party! I was an event planner before I became a Mom, so I love to plan events. It is a true labor of love, but I had such a fun time creating this party. I always have to be planning something, so I'm already trying to figure out my next "project." If you use one of the vendors I recommended, please remember to tell them that I sent you. I wish I could have invited each and every one of you! Until the next party...

Taxi Cab Birthday Party-Part 3-Invitation and Paper Products

2011-02-02T13:12:00.000-05:00

My sweet friend, Ashley Rice Lieb, from Rice Designs designed the invitations. Ashley has been doing my invitations since before J was born. She also has done our Christmas card for the last two years. She is simply amazing. She is the only person I've ever met that can create exactly what is in my head. Ashley also made us matching thank you notes and stickers that I used on the hats and favor bags.

Ashley also made us some stickers that I used to decorate plain yellow party hats.

(I also added a little black curly ribbon.)

I used the stickers on the favor bags too!

A close up picture of the adorable banner that Blooming Babies made! Ashley let us use the taxi cab graphic so it all matched!

I found the adorable black and white straws from Bake it Pretty. I also found my black sprinkles for the pretzels there too! I bought all my ribbon supplies from Ribbons and Bows, Oh My.

I bought the adorable pom poms from etsy seller Addi Jai Party Poms. What better way to dress up an ugly apartment light fixture! By the way, J won't let me take them down. One fell the other day and he "made" me put it back up. Sure, why not?

What taxi cab party is complete without some I LOVE NYC products! I found these at NYCwebstore.

I purchased most of the other paper products from Oriental Trading, Race Chex and New York Web Store.

I used these adorable NY themed cupcake toppers in the NY cheese as toothpicks. They were so cute! I found them from etsy seller, senor picklesworth.

The paper products are one of my favorite parts of a party. Finding the right colored napkins and plates is a great way to tie your theme together. It's so easy to do these days with all of the great options out there. Hope you enjoyed the 3rd birthday post. Only 1 more to go....are you excited yet?

Taxi Cab Birthday Party-Part 2-Food and Beverages

2011-02-01T09:47:00.001-05:00

Planning the food and beverage of a party is one of my favorite parts! I love to incorporate the colors and theme into the food. For J's party, I decided to keep the food New York themed. For the "main course" we had a hot dog bar, catered by our local favorite, Papaya King. They were wonderful to work with (Thanks Wayne!) and the price can't be beat. We asked for ALL the topping and our guests enjoyed fixing their dogs up the way they liked them. (Choices included chili, nacho cheese, shredded cheese, tomato onions (their specialty), sauerkraut, relish, Sneaky Pete's sauce, different types of mustard, mango relish, and raw onions.) One of J's favorite foods are hot dogs, so it really was the perfect choice for his 2nd birthday party.

We ate leftover hot dogs for dinner! Yum!

I kept the other foods simple and mostly kid friendly with New York cheddar (complete with NYC toothpicks from etsy seller Senorpicklesworth), yellow peppers, black olives, New York's Red Jacket Orchard apple slices, New York's North Fork Potato Chips (with onion dip), taxi cookies, traditional NYC Black and White cookies from Fresh Direct, Ella's Kitchen "the yellow one," and yellow bananas. I also made NY pretzels with yellow wilton chocolate and black sprinkles. J and I had a blast making those together and they were a hit with guests.

I had to use every inch of space in our tiny apartment!

I wish I had taken some pictures with the blinds closed, so many of them did not turn out. Oh well, I was kinda busy!

J's "tradition" is a red velvet cake with cream cheese frosting from Two Little Red Hens. He had one for his 1/2 birthday, his 1st birthday and now his 2nd birthday! If you are ever in NYC, you have to stop by and try their red velvet, it's the best I've ever had! As an extra treat, my blogger friend Summer made J the most beautiful taxi chocolate cupcakes complete with taxi fondant decorations with his initial. If the cupcakes weren't cute enough, they have to be the best tasting I've ever had! WOW! You can see pictures on her cake website here. She is amazing and I can't recommend her enough to all of you local New Yorkers!

And just because I know you were wondering if J decided on a cupcake or a piece of his cake....he had both! You are only 2 once!

Oh, and a black and white cookie!

Drinks for J's party included Adam and Eve apple juice, New York's Fizzy Lizzy, Yellow Taxi Punch (with a little champagne on the side to spike your own punch if you so choose), New York Beer from Brooklyn Brewery. We also had New York Water (straight from the tap!) with sliced lemons in our new fruit infusion pitcher. And my personal favorite...what taxi cab party is complete without a couple of bottles of Big Yellow Cab wine! I'm so proud of myself for finding that! For the record, there is Taxi Cab beer, but it is only sold in kegs. I had to draw the line somewhere, right? =)

Wish you had been there to celebrate and have a cold one with us a slice of red velvet cake! Stay tuned tomorrow for details on the invitations and paper products!

J's Taxi Cab 2nd Birthday Party-Part 1 of 4

2011-01-31T09:30:00.000-05:00

We had a wonderful day last Saturday celebrating J's 2nd Birthday! My little New Yorker is OBSESSED with taxi cabs, so the theme came easy to me. The colors were black, yellow and I used the checkers that are found on many of the cabs. These are not normally colors I use or like, so it was a fun challenge to decorate the apartment. While we have a small space in our NYC apt, we made it work! I love to entertain at home, so we kept the party manageable by just inviting close friends and family.

There are so many fun details to J's birthday party that it was impossible to fit it all into one post, so I'll be posting more of the individual details in the days to come. Check back tomorrow for all the details on the food and beverages. The following day I will tell you all the details of the invitation and paper products and the final day will be the "little" details. Hope you are excited! Enjoy!