Miss Nellie had a little love themed birthday party this weekend. I don’t think you can ever go wrong with love themed. We tamed our party group to a small bunch and noticed how much better she did. A bit shy and easily overwhelmed, we were so happy to see her all smiles and owning her turf, even if she did end up wanting to ditch her friends for the babies. Always.
Romper: Etsy shop Rae Gun
Pictures make things look pretty and more time-consuming than they are. Really, this was a very simple party to put together. Got paper doilies? You’re all set. We taped and strung paper doilies everywhere, adding them to bagged lunches, take-home treat sacks and yarn lines tied between trees.
Martinelli’s apple juices: Costco. Eyelet skirts, courtesy of hot glue gun.
One easy craft: Valentine Flower Pots
We used $0.79 terra cotta pots–spray-painted white–which the girls painted (lay out some paintbrushes, a plate full of paint colors, a glass of water to clean brushes and baby wipes to clean hands) and added some lace embellishments (they brushed on Tacky Glue to adhere them). Pop in some pretty impatiens, and voila.
The kids took care of everything else.
Foam board painted with target; we used Hershey’s kisses to throw as “darts”
Parties usually end in our driveway, and I love it. A mess of trikes and bikes, sandals slapping fast against cement, little girls giggling as they chase each others’ bike trails, toddlers pulling wagons three times their size, mamas set up in beach chairs and the unspoken understanding that the party might be over but please, stay as long as you’d like.
Seems to be the year of the boy in our group. Ours will soon join these two new little loves, Thomas and Johnny Mac.
Nella sat in the driveway and fed her baby strawberries for quite a while.
…but ended up fascinated with new presents.
A pretend butterfly that realistically flutters in a jar…
…and a new bubble blowin’ car.
Oh, and for the record…
…I still got it.
Our weekend has nicely contrasted that of so many others’ in the country. I’ve loved seeing picturesque snow scenes on IG and hearing of cold cozy nights back home up north. I miss it but can’t deny the fact that our weather has been completely enjoyable lately–warm but breezy, plenty of blue skies and nights with open windows and happy cricket sounds.
And now we wait for baby.
Yay for happy birthdays! Can’t wait to “meet” baby brother.
Happy 3rd Birthday to Sweet Nella!! Enjoy your week in sunny Fl. We just got 50 cm up here in Nova Scotia. 🙂
Love love love nellas outfit!!
It looks like such a fun party!
Why did you switch from calling her Nella to Nellie?
Happy Monday!!!
Happy Birthday Nella! Can’t wait to see you and Lainey with your little brother!
Great idea and decorations for a party! Nella looked adorable.
I love every sweet bit of it. Happy~Happy~Happy
Go on, Girl with the hoop!
-Angie
Love seeing such happy faces!! Your parties always ROCK!!
-Meredith
Happy Birthday Sweet Nella! You bring so much joy to the world!
Thank you for sharing your joy and anticipation.
Aww! What an awesome little party!
Can’t wait to ‘meet’ the newest addition 🙂 x
Looks like she had a wonderful birthday! Happy Birthday to Nella! Love all of the pictures from her party — how sweet!
Happy birthday!
Love (party) wins!
Happy Birthday precious Nella! Such a cute party & girl. She’s growing & blooming!
So sweet. Another fun party of yours for Pinterest! A treasure trove of ideas!!
Ok…Hazel needs to be friends with Nella and Lainey. She’s really nice (most of the time). Looks like it was a super fun girly party!!!
Happy birthday, Nella! I left a little bday gift for you at your triple crown site. 🙂
she is just the cutest! And I wish we were there, we are so full of snow it is piled higher then the cars most places.
Thank you because my Monday is off to a dark and grumpy start and I needed something spectacular and special and sweet to change my direction…..you always deliver.
How fun!! Love these pics. Random question – where did you get those silver shiny shoes? My son would love them!! (yes, he loves sparkly things!!)
Such a sweet party! I’m 38 weeks and anxiously awaiting our baby girl. *sigh*
That picture of you hoola hooping…looks JUST LIKE LANEY!!!! I love it! You look fabulous. Looks like a wonderful party celebrating a precious little girl!!! I can’t believe she’s 3! Time flies!!!! Been reading ALMOST her entire life!
It is no surprise Nella is such a good mama to her babies…I love the look in Lainey’s eyes in pic where she is holding hands with her friend. Wonder and delight! Lovely party, Kelle!
mama tis always a pleasure stoppin’ by here. You are always an inspiration, what a gorgeous day and go you with the hula hoopin’! Thinking of you as you wait for your little one to join you earthside. love and light X
Hello! I read your blog and I just wanted to share with you that my Aunt (who I have grown up with and lived with most of my life) has Down Syndrome and will be 50 this coming summer. I cannot believe it. She is just a doll – surely just like your sweet girl also. Much love to you & your family. It is such a joy to follow you on your blog. Your positive and undoubtedly loving posts are a blessing to read. 🙂
how sweet!!
LOVE THE BUBBLE CAR. how cool!
and the pick with Nella feeding her baby the strawberry, dying.
xo – heather
This Life Is Yours Blog
Looks like such a fun little party. I like to keep parties for my kids small scale… it’s less overwhelming and more fun for the kids in the end. Happy 3rd Birthday to Nella!!!
*sigh* such loveliness xxx
That’s such a nice party!!! Loved everything and she looks so happy and cute with that romper. =)
Cute romper! Makes her look you younger than 3 though
Super cute!!! She looks so happy! Happy baby waiting, to you!
Good times! 🙂 Captured perfectly! Thanks for sharing!
Our son has down syndrome and we too found that if we make the group smaller he enjoyed it much more. If we had to many people he retreated to a room by himself. Looks like you had a great time!
Such a cute theme for a birthday party and Nellie looked happy as can be.
Good luck with the home stretch Mama! Can’t wait to see the new little one!
Such a cute Birthday Idea…Love the outfit! Happy Birthday Nella:)))))
Happy, Happy Birthday Nella!
Kelle….
What a sweet party for sweet little Nella!! 😉
Those apple juices are making me thirsty!! ;-D
Hey. Did you eat any of those Hersey Kiss “darts”? just wondering…. 😉
I love the bubble blowing car!! If only they made such toys when I was a girl…. 😉
You are ROCKIN’ that Hoola Hoop!! ;-D
I cannot wait for Baby Boy’s arrival!! So exciting!! I feel like I’m on “Kelle Hampton Baby Watch”!! ;-D
–Raelyn
Your post makes me look forward to spring…a happy read, with cheerful kids (mine are anything but today), sunny skies (contrasting our grey, wet, rainy, snowy day), and party fun (fighting colds here). A breath of fresh air. Thanks!
Happy b-day, big sis!
Look at Nella mothering that baby!!! So stinking cute. She makes my heart happy!! Lovely party!! XOXO
Happy Birthday to Nella~ Now that party planning is over, rest up for the big event 🙂 Best Wishes to you and excited for Baby Boy Hampton’s arrival 🙂
What a lovely party Nella had and what an amazing Momma you are to always create the most beautiful moments for your sweet babies. I LOVE Nella’s outfit and hope she had a wonderful time. Thank you for always sharing your heart and pictures with us. You inspire me SO MUCH!!
Could Nella be any cuter??? She’s so sweet!! I love the bubble-blowin’ cozy coupe, that’s a must have for this summer.
i am in love with nella’s romper!!
This makes my heart absolutely swoon!! You are giving those girls such amazing lives and are providing them with memories they will NEVER forget. I cannot wait for little boy to enter this world and fall into place in your beautiful family!
What a fun party! I want to be your kids, you are such a fun and creative mom!!! yes, love.love. Nella’s rumper…oh so cute. Blessings~
You’re a beautiful being, Kelle, and wildly creative and talented! I admire you in so many ways and I’ve never even met you. Your daughter and her experiences make me see things in such a different light than I did before. Love her!
Adorable pictures Kelle! Love Nella’s outfit (and Lainey’s, too, love the color contrast), and all those Valentine goodies look so yummy and cute! Nella’s bubble car is so cool – I need to get me one, LOL.
Oh, and any time you’d like some of our NJ winter weather, you’re welcome to it LOL! We got about 8 inches of the white stuff here, and I’m so glad to see it melting. I hate cold – in fact, if you want to send me some of YOUR weather I’d be more than happy to accept it! I want summer – or at least spring – soooo bad!
These pictures are just so sweet. Your words and babies give me the warm and fuzzies 🙂 You are so blessed – thank you for sharing a piece of your world with us!!
Where or where did you get the fake fluttering butterfly??!!!
Perfect little party to celebrate THREE!!! Can you even believe it?!
Oh, and you look STUNNING in your hula hooping ensemble! So pretty and so YOUNG!
Lainey look so big in those last photos! I love how Nella loves babies. What a sweet heart. Happy baby watch!
My word…I don’t know how on earth baby boy lets you hoola hoop!! LOVE Nella feeding her baby strawberries. Cute, cute party. Rest easy momma, hoping everything goes smoothly.
Tejas hugs,
Melissa
Happy birthday Nella!
So many beautiful and cute pictures, I couldn’t begin to pick a favorite. Nella loves her babies. I love that car bubble machine. How cute is that. I love that your parties start in your little woods and ends in your driveway. What a simple but sweet party. Your parties are so much fun. HOw can you hula hoop being almost ready to deliver. Love your outfit.
Happy Birthday Nella! Lovely.
Oh goodness! Way cute party. Props to you mama. I didn’t have much energy at this point in any of my pregnancies. Very good to hear you are feeling well this late in the game. Any day now! Yay for the Hamptons! 🙂
Love, Love, Love the butterfly kiss photo. OMG – It could not be any cuter; seriously! In regard to the weather…You win! We are in Michigan with 50 mph winds today and have had more than enough white stuff this season. Thinking open windows and green grass cannot happen soon enough up here! Adorable party pictures – thanks for sharing. Happy Hearts Day to all ~
The party was soooo lovely! Lot of beautiful ideas for a Valentine party in the weekend with my friends, even if they are a little bit older than Nellie’s ones 🙂
Can’t wait to read that the baby has arrived: I made some guesses about the names, and they all fits in the number of stamps you posted some weeks ago. Two of them begins with letter C 🙂
O, I’m so curious!
A 17-year-old girl from a snowing but very enojoyable Italy
your daughters are so beautiful! I can’t believe how grown up Lainey looks in these pictures. Which seems awkward to say since I’m a complete stranger.
The pictures are simply adorable. I LOVE Nella’s outfit for the party.
Can’t wait for the new baby to come. Hope you and he both “do” well.
Happy birthday, Nella! Loved the valentine’s themes. Nothing better than pink and hearts in my opinion. The picture of Lainey and Nella side by side you posted at the end is the first time I’ve been able to see the two of them look so much alike! I’ve seen you in Nella but I’m excited to finally be able to see sisters in each other
I am a new mama and I just discovered your blog. Where has it been all my life? I have spent the last two days pouring over old posts in my spare time.
You just make me want to love myself, my husband, my son and my life.
Thanks so much for that!
Very cute party. 🙂
This is a beautiful party! You are so ridiculously creative!!!
Sheree
The Hartungs Blog
thehartungs.blogspot.ca
lainey looks like SUCH a big girl in those last pictures by the swing set! i can’t believe it 🙂
what a fun little love party..can’t wait to throw my little love bug a love party someday!
This blog brings me so much joy. Your photos are so full of life that I suck positive energy from them to my own mundane life 🙂 Thank you.
That romper reminds me of Eloise Wilkins’ illustrations. Love it!
you’d be such a fun mom to have. love your spunk girl. and that sweet little nella romper had me at hello.
Wonderful!
I am absolutely in love with this party!! And the fact you are still the hula hooping champion 😉
What is the secret to all your energy? You need to bottle it! When I was in the home stretch many years ago I didn’t have the energy to brush my hair..never mind plan a party. You are amazing!
Oh goodness, I could just nibble on Nella’s knees. A. Is that odd? And B. nibble on Nella’s knees; say that 5 times fast.
Such precious pictures!!!! Beautiful party!
oh god that last sentence gave me chills!
what a fun party!! lainey looks so much older in these photos!
OK, this is so shallow and off the topic of the entire post, but I LOVE LOVE LOVE Lainey’s outfit, although I’m pretty sure it’s what I wore in third grade.
Fab. I like it when you’re keeping it real! The hula pic is truly lovely, nothing against your staged maternity pics but it is really a nice natural shot which shows your personality.
Such a beautiful party for a beautiful girl!
What a pretty party!!!!
Do you ever get to attend parties like this, or are you usually the one hosting?
Can’t wait to see how you ‘cutesy’ up your little boy!
Such a cute love party!!! Loved it!
Happy 3rd to sweet Nella! I am in love with the picture of her strutting across the driveway. She’s insanely adorable.
Adorable romper! Love!
What a beautiful party!! I keep checking your blog daily to see if your little man has arrived yet. I can’t wait for you guys to have another little person join your family. Babies are such wonderful blessings. 🙂
~Sarah
Even your simple effortless parties as you say, seem soo detailed. I envy your gift to throw parties. I made Valentine’s tonight with my little guy and that felt like “whoa”. I felt a little tear looking at Nella with her baby…soon she will have a little brother to care for!
Love the pics of Lainey and Nella side by side with the wind blown hair. Happy 3rd birthday to Nella! can’t wait to see your new addition!
Love the Valentine’s birthday party! Reminds me of growing up and my sister and I (February babies with our birthdays a few days apart) having love/heart/valentines-themed parties. Such great memories. Can’t wait to hear of your little man’s arrival!
Happy Birthday Nella! What a gorgeous party, it looks like she had such fun 🙂
http://Www.louiemummy.blogspot.com
beautiful party. I love every detail!
Belated Birthday Greetings to Nella. What a wonderful party…. Hula Hooping? I’m impressed – I couldn’t do that when I was 10. lol 🙂
I just love the adoration on your girls faces when they are with each other…. so very heart-stoppingly sweet. I bet they are very excited to meet their little brother?
Jude.x
Happy belated birthday Nella! What a cute little jumper, I die! Beautifully captured the day, it looks so loving and relaxing!
Looks like Nella had a lovely party. Love the last picture of her in particular-such a gorgeous, beaming smile.
Kelle wishing you and your beautiful family much happiness as you await the arrival of Baby Boy Hampton.
xxoo
It really looks like a great party you did a great job
Man I miss the sun here in Vancouver, Canada. (rain rain go away). Happy birthday to Nella!
<3
It definitely seems to be year of the boy! I am due May 1st and am being surprised by the gender. I have 13 friends or acquaintances with babies due in April or June and every single one of them is having a boy! I’m curious to see if they’re all boys or if I’m carrying their one little girl friend! =]
What a great party! She looked adorable!
I cannot handle Nella cuteness! She is beautiful and the party looks like so much fun.
Happy Birthday Nella. Happy big sister Lainey. Good luck Kelle and best wishes over the next few weeks to you all. J9 x
Oh, I love it all, Kelle. So sweet and it looks so warm there!
Love,
Steph
So sweet! All of it! What a precious family!!!
Kelly,
I love your blog and have been reading it for years. You helped me pave my way onto motherhood and gave me so much excitement to start my family. I have never before heard of a person with my name and when I was reviewing this blog I found my name on one of your beautifully decorated bag – there it was in bright lights, well maybe more bright felt “Kinsley”. I didn’t know I was invited to the party and let me tell you I would have been there with bells on! I would love to know if it is a boy or a girls name and where the parents found it! Please share if you have a moment!!! KInsley
Kelle, I am so inspired by your creativity. I forgot about mine many years ago, but reading your blog inspires me now. In fact, I’m even creating the artwork for my second little boy who will be joining our family in May. When’s it’s finished I plan to share it on my tiny blog. If I have enough nerve, maybe I’ll try to share it with you.
Anyway, I’m so excited to hear the news of your new addition, and to read the words of other women in your life. Good luck, congratulations to Nella for turning three!
simply magical, exquisite little party. thank you for sharing, my life needs love and magic and simple and love right now. please tell: where did that adorable stripey romper come from, with tush ruffles? MUST. HAVE. NOW. :)thank you!
Party details are so awesome and have more fun and happy environment. Its so much important for attending
Birthday parties .
Oh my goodness, I wandered over from pinterest and read Nella’s birth story. It was so powerful. Then I jumped right over here to Nella’s 3rd birthday and I have to say how beautiful and loved your girls look. The joy on Nella’s face in the last picture is such a wonderful testament her parent’s love!
PS Her little red romper is ridiculously adorable!
Such a pretty party!!! :))
http://arielle-ellesentries.blogspot.com/
Lovely party. I love Nella’s outfit, so cute.
You’re little Nella could not be any cuter of a valentine. I love the simplicity of the party, but even simple, it takes a bunch of effort. And in the end, it was all about the child and the other children.
Kudos that you got to celebrate before Dash’s arrival.
-Jennifer