My mom was born a few minutes before Valentine's Day. The nurse didn't hand her over to my grandma until after midnight, so my Nanny considers her daughter a Valentine's baby — makes sense to me as my mom is an absolute sweetheart. Our family got together and threw her a surprise party on Saturday night. Seeing the look on her face (she had no idea!) and keeping the party a secret for weeks? So. much. fun. We had a private room — the wine cellar — of a fantastic Italian restaurant. The evening included toasts to my mom, a delicious menu of food, homemade cupcakes (see below), and quite a few moments of getting choked up with love. You know, the good kind of tears.
For the surprise banner, I was inspired by Stephanie's valentine garland — so simple and no need to buy paper. I cut up the letters to surprise using the pretty paper from my 2009 Snow & Graham desk calendar. Then I sewed the letters together with some embroidery thread, punched a hole in the S and E and looped bakers twine through for hanging.
Remember the love cupcake toppers I made last week? On the back of each flag, I stamped happy birthday, so they were double-sided. I made a couple dozen vanilla cupcakes swirled with homemade raspberry sauce — and filled each cupcake with a surprise Hershey's kiss before baking. The cupcakes were simple, once I figured out that my baking powder was expired. (These were the second batch!) I used my handy cupcake carrier to tote them to the party.
The highlight of the evening was one amazing slideshow of photos (starting from when my mom was a baby) that my aunt Karen lovingly created with the help of my uncle Bob. She did an incredible job — even including photos of my great-great grandparents! My grandfather built that house (above) where they lived in New Jersey. And that's my Nanny holding my mom as a baby. Look at my mom all dressed up in that adorable hat!
That's my mom in the pigtails next to my great-great grandmother!
Surprise parties are the best! I wrote my mom a poem that I shared as my toast. Here's how it ended:
I've been blessed
to have her with me
to call her mom
to have been shaped by this woman
it's such a gift beyond words.
Happy birthday, Mom! Love you lots.
