TABLESCAPE THURSDAY...BDAY GET TOGETHER!

Well 16 brings on a bunch of new changes....... I remember invitations and birthdays cakes and friends and goody bags.     Thats not what my Sweet 16er had in mind this year.

After school, she wanted to go to her high school's football game.   I said okay.  Then she says, after that I want to go with my friends to the Reo (local diner near school)   Sadly I use to go there back in the day after a night out dancing. Wow.....how the wheel turns.

So at about 11p.m. she came home with a few friends and I surprised her with a little set up since the friends were sleeping over that night too.

The dining room is already set up for Halloween season, however me being me.....I've already made some adjustments from my last post. lol

I changed out the centerpiece on the table and added large glass apothecary jar(without top) added my black twigs (discovered by my son @ park) and some cute little creepy spiders.

At each seat I placed a square white plate with a gift bag on top for the girls

Close up of centerpiece...vase,twigs,painted pumpkin, painted candleholder, dollar tree skull, purple candy

Gift bags at each place setting.  Black/purple were the colors

Some updating to the buffet...added gray gauze to lampshade with a little friend.

Some of the gift bag stuff:  book, pencil, body spray, burlap bag and purple dark chocolate Hershey kisses in tulle with purple clothespin

She requested Strawberry shortcake for a cake, so I decided to give them each their own.  She got frosted in the face (its a tradition in our family.....you must get smooshed with cake in the face on your bday)

Blowing out her "16" candles...

Friends who came to celebrate with her: Zulena, Vanessa & James

Her little sis Adelina....obviously excited with the treat

Gabriella and her crew.....her little bro Xander made an appearance for sweets.

HAPPY SWEET 16TH BIRTHDAY TO MY BABY!

Im not one for personal posts of my children or family.  You will rarely see Big Daddy J in my posts or the children, however this is a lifestyle blog and there are my life. lol      Soooo..... Im making an exception because just like the baby's post the other day......This is a milestone!

My oldest daughter was born 16 years ago today, after 23 hours of horrific labor....she was named Gabriella Renee at 6 p.m.   Traditionally she should have been named Vincenza after my then mother-in-law but I didnt really see her making it through life with such a strong Italian name.   So I prayed for a solution to this drama and Gabriella came to my mind....still very Italian.   And who better to chose than the Archangel Gabriel for inspiration.  The Renee funny enough came from watching a Clint Eastwood moving co-starring Renee Russo.  Russo is my mother's maiden name and the name of my great-grandfather's bakery in Brooklyn, NY

Gabriella was a good baby, toddler and young girl.  However she is now a teenager and God will help me through these next few years. lol

She has a great personality and a ridiculous sense of humor.  She is the entertainment where ever she goes.  She has had some great accomplishments in her young 16 years.  She was on the Nickelodeon show "Naked Brothers Band" and she was also in the movie "Doubt" with Seymour Hoffman, Meryl Streep.  She played the student of Amy Adams in movie.   That was a rough 2 months taking her back and forth to Brooklyn, Bronx and other areas where we filmed in the middle of winter. lol   But to see you child on-screen at a premiere party in NYC is the coolest thing (of course until she gets married or has a baby).

She plans on attending Culinary School after graduation and would like to open up her own bakery.  She only wants to do pastry...and more specifically cakes. lol     She is a candy fanatic...bubblegum, gummie bears you name she'll eat it.  P.S  Those scales I got yesterday will part of the decor for her bakery....im gonna put a few aside for her.

So here are some photos that I happen to have in the computer what I stole from her facebook page (once again she is going to be mortified, but what kind of mother would I be if I didn't embarrass my baby girl on her birthday!!

At age 2 (she loved her Gap overalls)

Age 3 (yes thats my Jersey girl look back in '96)

Age 4 (with her 1st sibling)

Age 6 (with her 2nd sibling)

Age 8 (field day at school, i was the face painting mom)

Age 12 (rockin on Rock Band with her sibs on Christmas morning)

 Age 13 (the proud step-daughter waiting for Pops to come home from Iraq)

Age 15 (her 4th sibling)

The Entertainer (at her bff's Vanessa's Sweet 16)