A Farm Themed Birthday Party {Caroline is One!}

Let me start out by saying this: I'm not a party planner. I love putting together birthday parties and have a big ol' vision, but it doesn't turn out quite as glamorously as I envision. To be honest, it doesn't really bother me. For a few minutes, I start stressing out that it isn't "Pinterest-worthy," but then I watch all the kids running around having fun and our friends chatting and having a good time. It doesn't matter that it isn't an event fit for a magazine - what matters is that people are having a great time and enjoying fellowship with some of their favorite people. 

This year we decided on a farm theme for Caroline's first birthday. My grandparents own a piece of property that's in the "country" and it's the perfect place for cookouts. Lots of shade, big picnic tables, and plenty of room for kids to run and play (not to mention a tire swing that keeps them occupied for hours). On top of that, my house stays relatively normal. I like normal. 

Caroline (and the rest of us) ate way too many hot dogs, too much cake, and missed a nap. Thankfully, she was a happy camper and had a great time. She received lots of books (my friends know that I'm a toy minimalist), some adorable clothes, and some great learning toys. They're currently in bags by our door because we were too pooped to play with all of them after the party yesterday. I know the girls will have fun rediscovering Caroline's cool presents this week. 

Thankfully for me, I have friends with nice cameras and talent. They took pictures for me so I could enjoy the day without having to worry about snapping photos. One of them set up a photo booth. She  captured some great (and at times hysterical) moments with our guests. I haven't had time to pick out all of my favorites (there were about 900 photos between the two of them); but the photos in this post are a few that stuck out at first glance. I wish I could include a photo of each person there, but with over 40 people, that would make it tough. 

Caroline's adorable bow was purchased here and her bandana bib was purchased here. The sign on her cake is from this Etsy shop.