We celebrated Eleanor’s first birthday last Sunday. There were plenty of paper daisies (I knew I’d find a use for them some day!), a happy birthday banner, pink baloons, and floral garland across the windows.
The weather even cooperated for us.
Oh look, an elephant! Too cute, right?
That vase is actually a teapot, but it’s adorable when filled with flowers.
Eleanor was a gracious host, thoughtfully opting to skip her nap so as not to miss a moment of her party.
She was in a good mood the whole time though, despite being tired toward the end.
I ordered a cake for the party, but I asked for it to be left completely plain with just pale pink frosting. I wanted it to be a blank canvas, but the bakery apparently thought that I meant “smash a bunch of crumbs all around the edge, and pipe some frosting shapes as a border around the whole cake”. Oh well. I wasn’t really sure what I wanted to do with it anyway; I just knew I wanted to decorate it myself.
I made Eleanor’s silhouette out of chocolate for the cake. I melted chocolate chips in a sandwich bag, snipped the end, then laid parchment paper over a template that I had printed out to size. I did the best I could, piping the outline first and then filling it in, and I placed it in the fridge afterward to harden. I also wrote “Happy Birthday Eleanor” in white, lightly scratching the letters in the frosting with a toothpick first as a guide. The cake was not perfect, but it was fine. The guest of honor seemed to like it quite a bit.
125 comments
Celeste
Where did you get your Happy Birthday banner? So cute. =)
Rebecca
I have now seen 2 teapots similar to yours! One in Good Housekeeping and one on a TV commercial. You are a trend setter ;)
RIA
hi, i love your design ideas and i want to know where did you get the metal word eat & drink. i want to get one :) could you send me the shop where you bought it? thanks
Making it Lovely
Those letters were a gift from my mother-in-law. She got them in a little shop in Des Moines, Iowa.
christie
Hello!
Where did you get those beautiful tissue decorations (hot pink & white)? I love them!
Thanks,
Christie
Christie
So cute!
Where did you get the hanging green pot from?
Paty fontes
I got the same hat for Barbie @ her Bday! Adorable cake! I like the way you think in all details…
Sarah
I love your photos! Where is the picture on your wall from? The one of the dark haired girl holding the egg, above your daughter’s high chair?
Kathleen L
I love the pom pom decorations you used! And I love the silhouette cake you made too!
But I especially love the elephant tea pot, turned vase you have. I actually went out and bought one just like it after seeing yours!!
rei
Beautiful and whimsical!
I love your eat and drink sign. Where can I get letters like that?
Tanya
So simple and pretty♥
Trishna
This is all too cute.
Brittany
OK… that chocolate silhouette is AMAZING.
marcy
that cake turned out ridiculously cute and i love the idea of ordering the cake plain and then decorating it–genius! i always make the whole thing from scratch for my boys’ birthdays and it can be a bit much with all of the other preparations that go into making the parties happen. and i LOVE her dress–liberty for target, no? dying to get my niece one for her birthday…keeping my fingers crossed they still have them. happy belated birthday to your little angel. she’s a doll.
Lulu
So cute and I have to say your house is lovely too. Where is the bird wallpaper from?
mom101
What an incredible set up! Absolutely inspiring. And to think my kids’ first birthday parties were mostly about the sangria. (For us – not them. Promise.)
Happy birthday to your beautiful girl. You’re lucky to have each other.
Christy
Hi,
I was wondering if you knew where I could find decorations on how to make the paper daisies. I would like to try & make them before buying them. I also wanted to let you know I think the silhouette idea for a 1st birthday cake was wonderful. You did a fantastic job. If you had not posted anything about the cake & the bakery screw up we’d have known no difference. It all tied in wonderfully. Thanks for sharing.
lauren
She’s so beautiful!! Love the tissue paper decorations too. Btw- Have you lost weight??
paola
Happy birthday!! She is happy!! what an amazing hat she has!!
Fiona
Eleanor is a beauty! Looks like a great party, too.
juliet
Hi! I like the clothes (especially dresses) you wear! I just recently graduated from college and got a job and need a fashion crash course! For the past few years I have lived in jeans, hoodies and converse/vans! Can you recommend some places for me to shop? I work in design, so corporate attire is neither necessary nor desired! I just don’t know how to look fashionable, a little edgy, a little feminine, and appropriate! Any help would be awesome! If you prefer, you can answer to my email address. Thanks in advance!
portia pirnia
Happy birthday! What a lovely party. I LOVE your yard — so beautiful. Where did you find that fantastic (wicker?) egg chair?
Making it Lovely
The egg chair was from Pottery Barn, but they no longer carry it.
nancy breslin
Lovely party!!! Love the pink zig-zag rug in the tv area? Where is it fro?
Making it Lovely
It’s by Madeline Weinrib.
LiveLikeYou
What a sweet dining room. She’ll look back at her 1st year pics as an adult and think her mom had style!
John @ Young House Love
Happy Birthday Eleanor!
Amanda
Love her LOL dress!
Angela
I LOVE the cake and just posted a shot of it here: http://simplysilhouettes.blogspot.com/2010/05/birthday-silhouette.html Happy Birthday, Eleanor!
Mandy Saile of Bijou's Whimsy
Oh so sweet…I am 32 and I think I’d be over the top happy with all those beautiful decorations for my own party, ah ha…espeacially the elephant:D
Jennifer
so lovely! ADORE the pic of her rubbing her eyes, they are so cute when they do that. thank you again for posting the links for the starbursts and garlands – we are holding our daughter’s 4th bday party in our house (has previously been at Nana’s) and I want to do it up!! sorry if you have addressed this before: is it easy to hang up the starbursts? did you use fishing wire?
congrats on what looks like a wonderful celebration.
Making it Lovely
Fishing line and tape. And safety pins in the living room.
Jennifer
many thanks!!
Laura Gaskill
What an adorable birthday girl!! Happy 1st birthday, Eleanor! Everything looks delightful, Nicole – and now I really want one of those elephant teapots :)
Making it Lovely
It was only $12 at Cost Plus!
Lou
Happy 1st Birthday Eleanor! Thanks to your mummy, you’ll be able to remember it for years to come… clever mum!
I loved your way of personalising the cake Nicole, even if you didn’t think it was perfect. Also, love the paper decorations- might have to ship some down under for a friend’s upcoming 40th…hmm… off to order lovely things now…
Céline
Oh, Happy Birthday Eleonor and congratulations for you Nicole ! I can’t imagine that it’s been already a year Eleonor’s birth: i started reading your blog, you were pregnant and ready for your baby. Time goes too fast !
I love your pictures, they are so lovely ! Thank you for sharing with us this happy day !
Bisous from France :)
Mrs. Kinne
The party looks adorable– and that silhouette is a fantastic idea.
lion
lovely.. :) Happy Birthday Eleanor… you have a great MOMMY !!!
sred_kitty
Oh wow! It looks like it was so much for for everyone, including Eleanor :)
I have that elephant teapot in black. Actually mine has permanently transformed into a vase now that my roommate broke the lid
Jujube
Oh so cute :)
It is a lovely party. Happy Birthday Eleanor.
I fancy the garlands, you handmade them?
Terrah
Yay!!! Happy birthday Eleanor! And I hope you had a lovely Mothers Day Nicole. Much love from Texas ~ Terrah
Pencils
Happy birthday to Eleanor! That’s funny, I only found those paper daisies right before my daughter’s first birthday party after I had invested in loads of paper pompoms. Too bad, because her party had a flower theme. This year, however…
Anyway, nice Liberty dress on Eleanor. And I’m impressed that she wore her party hat, Aurora kept ripping hers off before I could even get it straight. And the cake turned out very pretty, even if they didn’t do what you asked.
oddaudra
VERY CUTE!! Happy 1st birthday to your beautiful little girl!! I LOVE all of the decorations!! Not b-day party related- may I ask where you got the beautiful silver “eat & drink” sign? :)
Making it Lovely
The letters were a gift from my mother-in-law, and she got them in a store in Des Moines Iowa.
luuve
although you think the cake is “okay” it looks awesome!
this looks really fun and pretty..and you and eleanor look sooo pretty!
way to go! 1 down sooo many more to go! they get better and better! :)
Traveling Mama
No. No way. It is JUST not possible that a year has already passed! She is such a little beauty and it looks like she had a very special celebration! Happy Birthday, Eleanor!
Alicia (Atypical Type A)
What a great idea to do a chocolate version of the silhouette on the invitations. The paper decorations are darling.
laurajane
Freakin’ adorable. I love the shot of her rubbing her eyes, haha.
Love the whole party! Esp. the elephant teapot/vase! :)
Lori
That is my favorite liberty of london dress! She is gorgeous. I don’t know you at all but feel happy for you and your family, after watching Eleanor’s first year through your blog. I found making it lovely when researching ideas for my daughters nursery and I have received so much enjoyment and inspiration over the past year. Thank you and congratulations on Eleanor’s first birthday.
CJ
What a magical party! The outdoor table setting looked beautiful. I can only imagine what will happen when she gets older and her parties become more elaborate!
laure
Love that party! Everything looks so magical and perfect and I love the garlands!
Sixty Fifth Avenue
Everything looks so pretty and I love the idea of a chocolate silhouette!!
The chairs you went with outside look great, so does your yard!
Stacey
Adorable. The cake is incredible (even if it didn’t turn out how you originally intended), the party looked so cute and special, and I want Eleanor’s dress in my size… :]
Miss B
Lol, this was very sweet and I think it’s so funny that the cake people took it upon themselves to fancy it up. The chocolate silo? Bril! Happy Birthday dear Eleanor what a lucky baby you are!
Lisa
Such a pretty party! What a lucky and blessed little girl!
Gail
Absolutely beautiful! Love the outdoor patio furniture…it looks fabulous. Your photos are stunning and the decorations looked so fierce. Great job! Eleanor is one lucky little lady!
jbhat
Happy Birthday! And what a sweet party. Everything looked just right.
jbhat
Natalie
Aww what a beautiful little party!
I loooove her Liberty of London dress!
And your new chairs on the patio look fantastic!
Where did you get her high chair? It is so very chic!
What a good mom you are for creating such a special day for your little one :)
Making it Lovely
Thanks! The high chair is by Graco – we got it at my baby shower from Brandon’s sisters.
Lindsey Rockers
love it… so cute! i’m starring this article… i love the silhouette cake!
Melissa
Cute party! Where is Eleanor’s dress from?
Brigite
It looks like a wonderful party!
Nuit
what a great birthday decor! you did beautifully!! and Eleanor looked like a princess =D Happy birthday Eleanor!!!!
Mary
Happy birthday to a super stylish & beautiful girl! The party looks divine, and the last picture is a classic.
wanderluster
Happy Birthday Eleanor! You threw her a perfectly sweet party. Love the cake (even with the crumbs) and the silhouette (I did something similar for my Chloe’s party!). And happy birth-day to mom and dad – you’ve made it through the first year! Congratulations!!
Making it Lovely
I know! I was going to print her silhouette out onto little circles, but then I saw that you had done just that. I don’t know if it was coincidence or if I had seen you talking about it, but I didn’t want to be a copy-cat (accidentally, but still). So I came up with the chocolate version instead. :)
Faith
I was waiting for these! So lovely! I love that you kept it simple and pretty without an overplayed theme. Do that while you can because the older they get the harder it is to resist all those commercial things catching their eye! Also, her dress is dreamy. Is it liberty of london?
Making it Lovely
Yes.
D
Hi,
I love your hair and Eleanor’s dress is adorable.
Could you share what type of fern you have in your green hanging pot? Would love to have one just like it.
Thanks.
D
Making it Lovely
I don’t know what type it is, but I bought it at The Home Depot.
Kelly
happy birthday eleanor – what a party!
Kalee
Happy Birthday Eleanor! I love the silhouette on top of the cake, such a unique idea!
Licia
I am planning a baby shower for a friend and your elegant touches inspired me (I have two boys so I need an outlet for my feminine tastes!).
A Merry Mishap
Happy Birthday Eleanor!
That went by way too fast, a year already?
Melissa
Happy Day!
Heidi
Happy 1st Birthday Eleanor and happy first year of motherhood to you!
The party looks delightful and I really love that the aesthetic fits in perfectly with the home you guys have created for your little family.
wishful nals
i adore the little elephant pots! too cute!
dana
Soooooooooo pretty! I can’t believe it has been a whole year! Seems like just yesterday you were announcing you were pregnant! The party is so beautiful! Gives me loads of ideas for my wedding decorations — inspiration daily! That is what you are! xoxo
melanirae
Wow! I can’t believe it’s been a year. She is so adorable. And I love that she is happy in the cake eating picture :)
Elisabeth@YCCII
Aw, BEAUTIFUL! Happy Birthday Eleanor.
Make I ask where you found the print of the little girl in glasses? My bespectacled daughter Beatrix would love it I’m sure.
dana
That print is by Emily Martin of The Black Apple. Her Etsy Shop is http://www.etsy.com/shop/theblackapple
And her blog is here http://www.theblackapple.typepad.com/
I hope you don’t mind someone else sharing — I just LOVE her work so much!
:) Dana
Elisabeth@YCCII
Thank you both. I love to support Etsy peeps. Off to the shop now!
Making it Lovely
I don’t mind at all. Thanks! :)
Stacy
Looks like Eleanor’s birthday was a success! Loved all the details even the cake. Great idea about the silhouette. The cake turned out so pretty!!!!
Melissa
Everything looks so lovely! Sorry to hear about the cake. I do like the silhouette that you added, it adds a really nice touch.
Happy Birthday, Eleanor!
Leah
The cake turned out so cute! What a great idea! I also really love the elaphant teapot! So lovely!
cathiehong
the cake is fantastic — the silhouette & handlettering on the cake look professional! seriously, you could do this for a living.
Bonnie
I can’t believe it has already been a year! The bday party decor is fabulous! I know I haven’t commented in a while, but I really do enjoy your blog. :) You both look so beautiful and I LOVE both of your dresses. Simply a gorgeous event all around. Thanks so much for sharing. :)
Have a lovely day!
xoxo,
Bonnie
Jules
Just lovely, Nicole. And I can’t believe how great you did writing on the cake! Very impressive.
Kathleen
My how time flies. It seems like just yesterday that you were doing her first Eames chair shot. And what a fabulous party.
Melissa
Wow what a fast year! She is so adorable and I loved the party. Fun pretty decorations.
Pretty Party Studio
I am dying over that cake!
Baker Lane Gange
That is adorable! I am in the process of planning a bridal shower for my future sister in law and the paper daisies will be a perfect addition to the decor.
I just love your blog and enjoy reading it daily.
Erika
What a lovely party for a lovely 1 year old!
Liz
Happy Birthday Eleanor! Your party looks so pretty and love all those details that your momma added. I’m sure you’re taking notes from your momma when you want to decorate your room ;)
Elisa @ whatthevita
I love your backyard – perfect for a small backyard! Filing that away for my backyard inspiration folder, thanks for sharing!
valerie
happy birthday eleanor!! your baby-blog-follower Jake will be 1 in just a month! this has given me some cute birthday ideas!
NancyV908
Wow, I’m just stunned that a year has passed! Kind of bittersweet, right? Well, it was for me with my kids, but then again I’ve found each age has so much to offer. Looks like you put together a great party. Happy Birthday, Eleanor!
Mandi
Happy birthday to her! (And happy year-anniversary of her birth to you!!)
Wendy
How cute :) Aside from the crumbs on the side, I think the cake is very cute!
Danni
PS—She looks great and happy….way to go on not having a cookie-cutter decorated party. The special touches will always remind her of Mom.
Gwendolyn
You did a great job! She looks so cute in her birthday hat and dress!!!!!
Danni
Love the dress….I have the same one in Marigold (or whatever shade of yellowy-gold it is). It’s from Anthropologie and it’s my go to weekend dress!
That color is amazing on you.
Amy
What a perfect party for that sweet little lady! Your details are perfect and thoughtful as always.
minitoko
Happy B.day ! What a cake ! Lovely !
Pirusca
Very lovely party!
Candice
Aw! Happy Birthday to your little one and Happy Mother’s Day to you!
Ludmila {CreamyLife.com}
she is so lovely!!! you did a great job with the decorations, Nicole!
Allison
What a lovely cake! I never thought of ordering a bakery cake and adding my own decorations to it. Well done!
Amy Awesome
What an awesome party!
The Glamorous Housewife
I just adore your understated style and grace. Eleanor’s birthday was just perfection. Thank you so much for all the inspiration.
Thanks doll,
The Glamorous Housewife
Heather
Beautiful party decorations. Love the pink!
daily decorator
That looks like a HAPPY birthday girl! Love the Making It Lovely touches!
~Tracy
uglygirl
Oh my – it’s all completely lovely.
Lucky girl!
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