Valentine's Day Party 2015

This year's Valentine's Day party was special for several reasons.  It was the inaugural Valentine's Day Party at the House Around the Corner, it was actually on Valentine's Day for the first time ever, and it was my last Valentine's Day party as a pregnant lady ever.  Can I get a hallelujah?!

It was really fun to set up decor in a new house.  It's easy to get in a rut when you pull the same box of  decorations out every year and set them up in the same places in the same house.  So I had a new space to work with, plus I left a lot of the oldies in the box, and opted for my enormous supply of red and pink tissue fans and balls left over from the Penny&Tillie days.

After switching from cupcakes and cookies to donuts a few years ago, I am pretty certain I WILL NEVER GO BACK.  We always order from Puck's donuts (BEST DONUTS EVER.) in Ashland, which is extra handy because the owners happen to be our neighbors so when I decide we need 10 dozen instead of 8 dozen I just send a quick text to my friend, Chanda!  Done and done.

Penny & Tillie inventory came in handy again when I decided it would be nice to have 100 bottles of chilled milk.  We kept them on ice in a giant old washtub I discovered in the basement of my parents' cabin at Lake of the Woods and dragged home last summer.

Unfortunately, I was really short of breath at the party (did I mention this was my last pregnant Valentine's Day party?!), so I gave up on photos pretty early and then parked it on a bar stool for the remainder of the party.  Here's a shot of the first darling group of kids, but I didn't manage many more photos of all of our festive, beautiful guests.  But the house was brim full of lovely people and we were thrilled about it!  Taylor and I love love love to host, and he drew the plans for this home accordingly.  We feel so grateful to be here and to welcome so many friends, family, and neighbors into our home.

After the guests left and I caught my breath, I did what every mother of 3.5 sons and 1 daughter would do.  Clara photo shoot:

And then Taylor and I had fun playing with the self timer...

This Valentine's Day party really is the event of the year for me.  It's something happy and colorful in the middle of the dreariest months of the year and it always turns my heart to Cookie.  She was the best at celebrating life, at making things festive and beautiful, and at making people feel loved.
#vivacookie

xoxo
anne