[null, {"document_url": "http://thelittlehouseinspired.blogspot.com/2013/01/surfs-up-shared-birthday-beach-party.html", "unformatted_src": "http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-F1gg-A1KU_0/UMJ_ab5Dd2I/AAAAAAAAAUU/OMcwSjNXvIM/s640/Beach+Party.jpg", "src": "http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-F1gg-A1KU_0/UMJ_ab5Dd2I/AAAAAAAAAUU/OMcwSjNXvIM/s640/Beach+Party.jpg", "formatted_filename": "Beach Party", "rendered_width": 640, "rendered_height": 450}, null, {"document_url": "http://thelittlehouseinspired.blogspot.com/2013/01/surfs-up-shared-birthday-beach-party.html", "unformatted_src": "http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-_PZa51LHGSM/UPjimau6iAI/AAAAAAAAAU0/LvHqeUZh2ng/s640/2012-12-01+008.JPG", "src": "http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-_PZa51LHGSM/UPjimau6iAI/AAAAAAAAAU0/LvHqeUZh2ng/s640/2012-12-01+008.JPG", "rendered_width": 640, "rendered_height": 480}, {"document_url": "http://thelittlehouseinspired.blogspot.com/2013/01/surfs-up-shared-birthday-beach-party.html", "unformatted_src": "http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-RMog0p3A_oQ/UPjitLtuoZI/AAAAAAAAAU8/8VifX_pNLmc/s640/2012-12-01+011.JPG", "src": "http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-RMog0p3A_oQ/UPjitLtuoZI/AAAAAAAAAU8/8VifX_pNLmc/s640/2012-12-01+011.JPG", "rendered_width": 640, "rendered_height": 480}, {"document_url": "http://thelittlehouseinspired.blogspot.com/2013/01/surfs-up-shared-birthday-beach-party.html", "unformatted_src": "http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-P1wOP3wIMGU/UPjiyMYBTZI/AAAAAAAAAVE/BYC7ypFzORk/s640/2012-12-01+021.JPG", "src": "http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-P1wOP3wIMGU/UPjiyMYBTZI/AAAAAAAAAVE/BYC7ypFzORk/s640/2012-12-01+021.JPG", "rendered_width": 640, "rendered_height": 480}, null, {"document_url": "http://thelittlehouseinspired.blogspot.com/2013/01/surfs-up-shared-birthday-beach-party.html", "unformatted_src": "http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-SA9EGDkuEsA/UPjmC23toJI/AAAAAAAAAVY/1Nere0VcGC0/s640/beach+party.jpg", "src": "http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-SA9EGDkuEsA/UPjmC23toJI/AAAAAAAAAVY/1Nere0VcGC0/s640/beach+party.jpg", "formatted_filename": "beach party", "rendered_width": 640, "rendered_height": 448}, null, {"document_url": "http://thelittlehouseinspired.blogspot.com/2013/01/surfs-up-shared-birthday-beach-party.html", "unformatted_src": "http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-OtWLtRwQQWI/UPjog8OkDsI/AAAAAAAAAWc/wYl2mKhYNVg/s640/2012-12-01+130.JPG", "src": "http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-OtWLtRwQQWI/UPjog8OkDsI/AAAAAAAAAWc/wYl2mKhYNVg/s640/2012-12-01+130.JPG", "rendered_width": 640, "rendered_height": 480}, {"document_url": "http://thelittlehouseinspired.blogspot.com/2013/01/surfs-up-shared-birthday-beach-party.html", "unformatted_src": "http://1.bp.blogspot.com/--h-Mj_agl_0/UPjnpIFQgWI/AAAAAAAAAV0/jvNN61vLE3M/s640/2012-12-01+149.JPG", "src": "http://1.bp.blogspot.com/--h-Mj_agl_0/UPjnpIFQgWI/AAAAAAAAAV0/jvNN61vLE3M/s640/2012-12-01+149.JPG", "rendered_width": 640, "rendered_height": 480}, {"document_url": "http://thelittlehouseinspired.blogspot.com/2013/01/surfs-up-shared-birthday-beach-party.html", "unformatted_src": "http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-X111ycb-umA/UP9p_OT0gLI/AAAAAAAAAYE/LuFUP4YWsao/s640/2012-12-01+038.JPG", "src": "http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-X111ycb-umA/UP9p_OT0gLI/AAAAAAAAAYE/LuFUP4YWsao/s640/2012-12-01+038.JPG", "rendered_width": 480, "rendered_height": 640}, null, {"document_url": "http://thelittlehouseinspired.blogspot.com/2013/01/surfs-up-shared-birthday-beach-party.html", "unformatted_src": "http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-vuQCyC3KRls/UP9oYazYMcI/AAAAAAAAAW0/NcHYqYBoFh8/s640/2012-12-01+004.JPG", "src": "http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-vuQCyC3KRls/UP9oYazYMcI/AAAAAAAAAW0/NcHYqYBoFh8/s640/2012-12-01+004.JPG", "rendered_width": 640, "rendered_height": 480}, {"document_url": "http://thelittlehouseinspired.blogspot.com/2013/01/surfs-up-shared-birthday-beach-party.html", "unformatted_src": "http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-zsmzOmzloSw/UP9ofMH0ARI/AAAAAAAAAW8/3qWjyFk7i3g/s640/2012-12-01+005.JPG", "src": "http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-zsmzOmzloSw/UP9ofMH0ARI/AAAAAAAAAW8/3qWjyFk7i3g/s640/2012-12-01+005.JPG", "rendered_width": 640, "rendered_height": 480}, {"document_url": "http://thelittlehouseinspired.blogspot.com/2013/01/surfs-up-shared-birthday-beach-party.html", "unformatted_src": "http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hyiCZ1uEWNI/UP9okg4kDLI/AAAAAAAAAXE/6BnMXdKXnzI/s640/2012-12-01+205.JPG", "src": "http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hyiCZ1uEWNI/UP9okg4kDLI/AAAAAAAAAXE/6BnMXdKXnzI/s640/2012-12-01+205.JPG", "rendered_width": 640, "rendered_height": 480}, {"document_url": "http://thelittlehouseinspired.blogspot.com/2013/01/surfs-up-shared-birthday-beach-party.html", "unformatted_src": "http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-xP5BLs2XZRE/UP9okTmJrMI/AAAAAAAAAXI/Xsy-YmU0wOQ/s640/2012-12-01+026.JPG", "src": "http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-xP5BLs2XZRE/UP9okTmJrMI/AAAAAAAAAXI/Xsy-YmU0wOQ/s640/2012-12-01+026.JPG", "rendered_width": 640, "rendered_height": 480}, {"document_url": "http://thelittlehouseinspired.blogspot.com/2013/01/surfs-up-shared-birthday-beach-party.html", "unformatted_src": "http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ewgqwEc7TF4/UP9o173YhZI/AAAAAAAAAXk/upUwd7rSlF4/s640/2012-12-01+020.JPG", "src": "http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ewgqwEc7TF4/UP9o173YhZI/AAAAAAAAAXk/upUwd7rSlF4/s640/2012-12-01+020.JPG", "rendered_width": 640, "rendered_height": 480}, {"document_url": "http://thelittlehouseinspired.blogspot.com/2013/01/surfs-up-shared-birthday-beach-party.html", "unformatted_src": "http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-MSzVUXEBXbs/UP9ovwRNwcI/AAAAAAAAAXU/QH8_b3h7poo/s640/2012-12-01+017.JPG", "src": "http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-MSzVUXEBXbs/UP9ovwRNwcI/AAAAAAAAAXU/QH8_b3h7poo/s640/2012-12-01+017.JPG", "rendered_width": 640, "rendered_height": 480}, {"document_url": "http://thelittlehouseinspired.blogspot.com/2013/01/surfs-up-shared-birthday-beach-party.html", "unformatted_src": "http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-octR3PuS7UU/UP9ozG7vWgI/AAAAAAAAAXc/x6iY3Yw6Y8g/s640/2012-12-01+018.JPG", "src": "http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-octR3PuS7UU/UP9ozG7vWgI/AAAAAAAAAXc/x6iY3Yw6Y8g/s640/2012-12-01+018.JPG", "rendered_width": 640, "rendered_height": 480}, null, null, {"document_url": "http://thelittlehouseinspired.blogspot.com/2013/01/surfs-up-shared-birthday-beach-party.html", "unformatted_src": "//2.bp.blogspot.com/_qDWs0eEcFFY/TFtsLEt0VFI/AAAAAAAAAAM/Ys4hM8vy_tg/S220-s80/Marley+on+my+shoulders-b%2Bw.jpg", "src": "http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_qDWs0eEcFFY/TFtsLEt0VFI/AAAAAAAAAAM/Ys4hM8vy_tg/S220-s80/Marley+on+my+shoulders-b%2Bw.jpg", "formatted_filename": "Marley on my shoulders b Bw", "alt_text": "My photo", "rendered_width": 80, "rendered_height": 60}, null, null, null, null]

Surf's Up-shared birthday beach party

Last weekend, {yep, I began typing this post mid-December...} we finally celebrated the kids birthday's with their joint beach party. I say finally, because I had to postpone the original date due to me being completely and totally utterly swamped with assignments.

The weather wasn't perfect. It was windy. It was cold. It was rather crap really. But we all survived and had a good time. Wind burn and all. It was casual and laid-back. I was even in bed before midnight the night before the party! For those that know me well, that is just unheard of!

It helped that I used buttercream instead of fondant icing to decorate the cake with and the simple fondant sufboard toppers took me all of 5 minutes to make-if that! My cakes are usually very elaborate and take days to complete and im quite often seen doing last-minute touches to them, well at the very last-minute. Not this cake!

Easiest. Cake. Ever!

I kept the decorations really simple.

The 'tablecloths' were a couple of metres of gorgeous, summery fabric I picked up at Spotlight which I plan on making into cushions, or a hanging tent for the kids, or adding some squares to the kids rag quilts that I WILL FINISH BEFORE WINTER. Or the fabric may just get added to the stash for a while... I have been hanging to decorate with burlap so the burlap came out in full-force for this occasion.

The netting and anchor are left-over decorations from Marley's original nursery which was  'nautical' themed.

The burlap bunting I ordered from etsy.

The invites I DIYed. I love graphic design and am seriously considering studying it along-side my interior design diploma. But then I slap myself for even considering adding more to my work load. But then I think how awesome it would be. This internal monologue continues..... I didn't bother with games. We were at the beach! There was sand, there was water, there was kids.

I did put up a volley ball net and bring some sand toys for the littlies. Here's a few more pics of the party food And that was it. Done and dusted!

Im so glad I combined their birthdays into one party last year. It made my life so much easier! And Lila wasn't really into anything when I was planning it.
But now that she is getting older and im discovering how incredibly girly she is, I can not wait to plan a super girly party for her 3rd birthday! I have been waiting soooo long for that!

As for Marley, he starts kindy.....next week! eeek! And with that will come new friends and new interests so I cant wait to see what he chooses for his party theme this year.

Check back in over the coming weeks to see some sneek peaks of the kids new bedroom...s. Yep, I changed them back in to their own bedrooms! It was awesome at first. Both kids in the one room. But bedtimes were a big challenge and would usually result in Marley staying up far too late whilst we waited for Lila to fall asleep. I also realised that more than them having a shared playroom (and me an office) they really needed their own space to retreat to.

They both seem to really like having their own rooms again with their own stuff! As for my office, it has been temporarily relocated to our bedroom! Not a fan of this at all but until I can decide what to do in the living room, here it will stay.

Oh the joys of living in a little house.

Posted by Lisa at 8:59 PM Labels: beach party, boys birthdays, cake, cookies, cupcakes, girls birthdays, party styling, shared party


