BABY COUTURE: Tea Time at Emma's First Birthday!

What could be cuter than a one-year-old swimming in layers upon layers of ruffled tulle with peony pink flowers to match? The answer is nothing, nothing at all, as is clearly evident from photos of darling Emma during her first birthday bash which she celebrated with her parents Kristjan and Macy Kuurme and their close family and friends.

MOMMY MACY, DAD KRISTJAN, & EMMA. PHOTO BY PERFECT GREY PHOTOGRAPHY.

A little bit of a background is that my parents and Macy's parents have been friends for decades, so I basically grew up with the Pascual family. They're a big loving bunch and even if we aren't linked by blood, they feel like family to me. Plus, they're truly supportive of my fashion career, and since they're always in the US, my shopping addiction as well.

Mommy Macy wanted a super cute dress for her daughter's English tea party themed birthday, and gave me complete artistic freedom to create something for Emma. As always, I wanted this dress to be different than the ones I've done before. But then, there are just so many ways you could make a tutu dress and I've made quite a few. I was stumped for a while, until in a spark of genius (ahem!) I thought of using a ruffle technique usually reserved for wedding gowns. And voila! A true-blue "gigil" moment!

DAD KRISTJAN WITH EMMA; EMMA AND HER TEACUP CAKE. PHOTO BY PERFECT GREY PHOTOGRAPHY.

DAD KRISTJAN, MOM MACY AND EMMA. PHOTO BY PERFECT GREY PHOTOGRAPHY. 

I loved how despite being in such a "couture" piece, Emma's baby-ness was still front and center. I hear a lot of moms and dads sigh at how fast time flies and how quickly their babies grow, so I think it's quite precious to have photos of your little ones acting like tots. She looked quite at home in this sea of pomelo pink and I think having it pool all around her was a truly nice touch.  

BEHIND THE SCENES AT EMMA'S MINI PHOTO SHOOT. PHOTO BY MARILENE PEREZ. 

And also, can someone answer me as to why babies like playing with tissue paper? I don't think she's the only one, but the cute thing is that she "shares" her precious torn-up tissue! 

PHOTO BY MARILENE PEREZ. 

Actually, I know I just said there's nothing cuter than a baby in a sea of tulle. But there is actually something better, which is ANOTHER cute baby! Say hello to Emma's cousin Isabel, who was seven months old at this time and equally adorable. I also made a nice party dress for her to wear, with embroidered lace, a rhinestone belt, and a tiny rose. Darling Isabel is also my one and only inaanak and truly a joy to her parents May and Rico, and her entire family as well. 

BABY ISABEL WITH DAD RICO, MOM MAY AND COUSIN ROBIN. PHOTO BY MARILENE PEREZ. 

BABY ISABEL AND DAD RICO. PHOTO BY MARILENE PEREZ. 

A LITTLE WALDROBE MALFUNCTION BUT STILL SO CUTE. PHOTO BY MARILENE PEREZ. 

And here are their dresses side by side. They're both quite tiny, and while I'm working on the garments I sometimes get worried at how small the dresses are. Childrenswear was not my major in fashion school so I am learning this as I go along. But when we try them on the babies, they fit just right! So I guess having a waistline of 18 and an armhole of 9 is totally normal! 

I am truly honoured to have been able to be a part of this intimate family celebration and enjoy seeing their family grow bigger and bigger with each new baby! 

THREE GENERATIONS IN ONE LOVELY PIC. PHOTO BY MARILENE PEREZ. 

I always enjoy making baby dresses as I am able to bombard one tiny garment with all the cuteness I can muster. Hopefully someday when the girls look at their baby pictures, they would be quite pleased as well!