Three Rounds of Party Time

Last week was one of the fullest weeks I can remember - business reports were due, got our own family pictures taken, worked with sweet Jenna on a new blog logo {reveal later this week!}, re-setting up the yellow bed photo shoot for a {surprise!} request...and my husband threw in a few unexpected job interviews in the evenings.

Then this weekend, we had three rounds of parties here at our home.
Round 1 was a Baby Shower Friday Night. {Double Baby Shower for two sweet friends}.  I kept it pretty low-key and did a Cookie Bar {with milk of course}.



And threw in the "Double" theme with "Double"-type cookies.

Also had shortbread for "Double-Dipped" but I ran out of time to get the dipping done...

 And the slightly predictable party favor.

My Sweetheart's birthday was Saturday.  He didn't expect anything since it was busy but I knew he wanted this cake, so I tried to make it.   I saw the prep time for the cake was 4 1/2 hours, but thought "no-way it'll really take me Four and 1/2 hours", because I have super-cake-making powers... apparently.  




Anyway, they weren't joking about the 4 1/2 hour part.  So about one-hour to party time I had to make some major recipe adjustments (used a completely different filling recipe), and owing to the fact that I was rushing the whole time, when I was ready to make the chocolate glaze I opened up the microwave to put in a little butter to soften and discovered a bowl of already melted butter - the butter that was supposed to go in the cake.  

So yeah, the cake was a little rubbery - a fact that wouldn't have bothered me a bit about 10 years ago in my obsessive low-fat days - but was a substantial bummer yesterday, when I really wanted rich, fatty chocolate cake. 

Here it is.  Candle placement compliments of little kiddos, but I'm responsible for the rest - how impressed are you right now?

 The Finale came Sunday, when all my side of the family gathered here for the first time ever and Sister and I served a birthday dinner in honor of my Grandma's birthday.  It was a wonderful treat to have all the family together here.  

 Here's my grandma, looking so lovely on her birthday.
I love how her eyes always twinkle when she smiles.

{party hats, compliments of Sister and National Geographic}

I didn't really take any food pictures, which was a pity as it did turn out fairly well....except for the chocolate tarts, which I left 1 cup of 1/2 & 1/2 out of {shhhh, don't tell}. And that was after remaking the tart shells that Sister had made but left the eggs out of.  
Are we noticing a trend here?

 Anyway, Sister made this soup, which was absolutely divine.  Wish we had a picture as the swirl of the yellow pepper and tomato soups was so pretty, but here's a picture of my dear Uncle and Aunt eating said soup.  Such a treat to have them here from Walla Walla.

So we're kind-of partied out, and ready for the weekend...which appears to be over.  Thanksgiving, here we come! :)


Hope to be more "present" around Everyday Lovely this week.  New logo will be up, have some homemade gift ideas to share and will be trying to switch gears from party to Thanksgiving mode, which really is a party too, after all.