seashell birthday

There has been a whirlwind of activity going on here at the Clothesline. Between miss E's actual birthday on Wednesday, finishing up our homeschooling for the year by Friday, and preparing for the family gathering birthday party on Sunday, it's been non-stop action. So here, once again, I will inundate you with a series of photo collages in order to share with you the celebration of my baby turning five. She requested a seashell birthday this year...we do love the beach!

On Wednesday she opened a few gifts from us. She was super excited to get a real starfish...painted purple. She does love purple. She also got to choose the dinner menu for her birthday. She chose homemade tomato bisque and grilled cheese sandwiches. Yum! We also had some cupcakes for dessert. It's not a birthday without a little cake and a candle to blow out. And yes, the morning of her birthday we headed over to the mall and she got her ears pierced! She was very brave...not one sound of pain and not one tear.

Yesterday was the family party. She was showered with gifts, lots of purple stuff, and lots of love. It was really nice to have everyone come over. And yes, that picture in the center of the collage below is the birthday dress. I used Jennifer Casa's new, free, summer dress pattern, Leisurely. I changed the hem to a scallop to make it more seashell-ish. Miss E loved it and wore it all day. I used elastic thread for the first time, it was a little tricky for me, but it worked out just fine. I also used french seams everywhere so there's not a raw edge to be seen!

Okay, here's a better picture of the dress. The seashell fabric was the only kind they had at Joann's, it was on clearance, there was only a yard and a half of it left, and miss E thought it was beautiful! Yippee! Then we meandered around to find some coordinating material...perfect-stripes! I always enjoy making a birthday outfit to go with the cake theme that the girls choose. Here are some others from years past...here, here, here, and here.

Oh, and here's a close-up of the cake. I used the shell on the left as my inspiration. Then I just had to add a starfish on the edge. And yes, once again, I used my friend Theresa's method for making the most beautiful cakes. She is a cake genius!

So there you have it, my very detailed quick version of the birthday events, in a rather large nutshell seashell. Now I don't know about you, but I either need another cup of coffee or a really good nap.
Happy Memorial Day! I am so thankful for every ounce of freedom we have in this wonderful country of ours. xo ANG