the big 3-0!

i'm finally getting around to sharing about my birthday party from last month. so i probably had a little too much fun getting ready for my own party. but a girl only turns 30 once, right!? we had a little cupcake decorating party with our close friends and family. yes, that is me on the invitation... i've been lickin' those beaters ever since i can remember. now i have to fight my kids for them! (confession: i usually make desserts while they're sleeping so that i don't have to share the licking of the bowl. if they're up, i do give them a lick or two... but clean up is my favorite part of baking! :) alrighty, back to my party...)


brian and i got a kick out of making all the cupcakes for my party. we made chocolate along with strawberry, which i've had for my birthday cake for as long as i can remember. i like to call the next shot taste test. i just couldn't handle looking at rows and rows of cupcakes without grabbing one... and the apple doesn't fall far from the tree. the kids asked to smell the cupcakes all day long.


and then we had a lot of fun experimenting with these little colorful guys... aren't they cute!?


my mom was on icing duty. my favorite icing in all the world is homemade almond buttercream icing. and this is not the stuff from publix, folks. i have vivid memories of eyeing the bowl of leftover icing in the fridge after my mom finished a cake decorating project. my mom knew my love language. icing. my favorite part of my party may very well have been these five tubes of icing right here.


no, i take that back. my favorite part was the multiple containers of leftover icing that filled my fridge after the party. it was truly a good birthday!

so we had cupcakes, icing, sprinkles... the whole setup.


and let's not forget the decorations. my sweet husband took the kids over to his parents' house to decorate a couple of days before my birthday and gave me a little time to myself. when he got home, i asked how it went, and he told me that his mom wasn't able to help decorate, and that it needed a woman's touch. so when we walked in the door, i could not help but take a picture of the man-decorations. this is nothing short of endearing. :) i would not be one bit surprised if those streamers are exactly the same length.


the kids were so excited about the cupcake decorating! i was told that for weeks after my party, adorable lola was still thanking God for "mrs. emily's party and the cupcakes". :) i knew that once the kids got what they wanted, there was no trying for a picture... so i made them all line up and wait for their cupcakes until they smiled for a picture. i know, i am so mean. but look how cute they are! (and one sweetie pie found another way to get a treat! haha!)


then i asked the kids, "who wants cupcakes?!" and those hands shot up in the air! look at caroline's deceivingly angelic face. :) sweeter than buttercream icing!



and here are the kids creating (and enjoying!) their delicious masterpieces...








brian manned the ice cream station.... featuring my new favorite flavor from publix: "it's your birthday cake". are you surprised?! :) what won me over was (you'll never guess!)... the blue icing swirled through it. go get some. mmmm.


the kids left a few cupcakes for the adults, so we took a shot at decorating these little cakes.




some people went simple.

heather tried a double decker creation which ended up tipping over... but she salvaged it, and i am sure it was delicious!



and some people just decorated ice cream.

while everyone was eating their cupcakes, we played "thirty years, thirty questions" just like we did at brian's 30th. our friend mara, who introduced me to brian, ended up with the highest score! that's how it should be since she has known me longer than anyone at the party (besides my mom). :) and she was even holding amelia while she wrote down her answers! :)



well, this little boy got so tickled feeding my birthday cake to me.


i had to bribe him with more cake so that i could get this family picture.

thank you, Lord, for a happy and healthy thirty years. i am blessed beyond measure. may each day of my life bring glory to Your Name.