A is for Addalyn First Birthday Brunch

First birthdays aren't about the kid--we all know that.  It's a chance to gather the family and friends and celebrate with those who love the little one.  There's no need to choose a particularly juvenile theme for first birthdays.  That realization is what inspired the A is for Addalyn first birthday brunch.

I was inspired by classic children's alphabet books, and chose an A is for Addalyn theme.  But with a sophisticated, girly vibe that would work just as well for an adult birthday or a bridal shower.  

I love the aqua and coral color palette--so fresh and feminine, without being too cloyingly sweet.  

The show-stopper of the table was the floral monogram.  I spent $21 on all of the flowers for the party in total.  It's not necessary to spend a lot of money to make a big statement with flowers!  

I made the floral A in the same font that I used for the invitation and other details at the party.  I'm sure nobody else noticed, but it made me happy.

Extra flowers filled antique blue ball jars, making incredibly simple but beautifully coordinated flower arrangements.

Guess what I made this tiered serving tray out of?  Just wait until I reveal the details in the tutorial later this week.

I scrounged these classic blocks out of the box we'd been planning to donate (but hadn't quite gotten around to dropping off).  A bit of spray paint, and they were the perfect easy decorative element for the A is for Addalyn birthday party.

This was my first attempt at making a ruffle cake, and I'm pretty happy with how it turned out.  The birthday girl can't have dairy, so I had to use a shortening-based buttercream.  I think it would have looked a little smoother if I'd been able to use Italian meringue buttercream.  At least that's my theory, and I'm sticking with it.  ;-)

I love peonies, and knew I wanted to make a gumpaste peony as the topper for the ruffle cake.  But I couldn't find a gumpaste cutter and didn't have time to mail order, so I had to improvise.  Here's a tutorial of how I made it without a specialty cutter.

All the food at the brunch started with the letter A.  Almond A cookies.
 

Apricot thumbprint cookies.

Apple oatmeal cookies (the winner of one of our upcoming The Hungry Games contests).

Apples, of course.

A monogram sugar cookies.

Animal crackers.

Angel food macaroons.

And cake.  Ok, that one doesn't start with A, but we had to have cake at the birthday party!

(Also, not pictured, were asparagus wrapped in prosciutto, and almond croissants.)

Little Addalyn wasn't too impressed with the setup.  She did like the apples, but wasn't really interested in much else.  

Want to look at the book, Addalyn (My favorite alphabet book and gift to give small children, Animalia)?  "No!"  Pretty flower?  "No!"  Wear the party hat?  "No!"  The headband?  "No!"  Play with blocks?  "No!"

Do you want cake?  "CAKE!"  Finally, a happy baby.

Happy Birthday, Addalyn!