Shock 'N Awe

So I've been back from the Keys since Wednesday, but I've yet to return to work. I took Thursday and Friday off to prepare for a ginormous surprise! On Saturday, Baby Sis and I threw an epic joint 50th surprise birthday party for Daddy and Little. The fete was about a year in the making, and how they didn't find about it is truly a miracle. In fact, several months ago I posted the invitation on this humble little blog and asked for printing suggestions (thank you, Stephanie, for telling me about VistaPrint), but removed the post a short hour later when I realized that Little may sneak a peek (we're still unsure whether she reads this or not!).

We held the party Madame P's Lake Norman home and hosted 30 of my parents' closest friends. Daddy's actual birthday was June 16, while Little's isn't until August 2. They thought that Madame P had invited them for a cookout with her family to celebrate my promotion. Little had even prepared a lovely hostess gift and several divine dishes for the function. I was truly afraid that she was going to pass out when she realized the home was full of her loved ones, including her oldest friend who drove in from Knoxville just for the event.

Unfortunately, in all the hubbub, we forgot to document all of the decorative details and such, but the highlights included:
- Martha Stewart-esque tissue paper pom-poms
- Beverage labels featuring pictures of my parents through the years
- Apothecary jars with floating pink and orange gerber daisies
- A gorgeous (and utterly delicious) cake decorated in Tennessee and LSU colors
- And a new dress that I sewed (my first!) in honor of the big day

Even though I've had a whole week off of work, I'm utterly exhausted and wishing for a few more days! Isn't that always the way, though? Here is a small handful of the pictures we did manage to capture...