Drew is TWO. //stars and stripes "birday"

I asked Drew what kind of birthday he wanted and he said "star" so I decided to take advantage of the holiday just a couple days after his birthday and have a patriotic birthday for our Drew boy.  Kevin was actually out of town for work until late the evening of Drew's birthday and I had been gone until the day before Kevin left at our church congregation's camp for girls 12-18, so we had a really, really low-key birthday but I did make him cupcakes and decorated the house for him with things I could make myself.  He loved it all.  He is still telling everyone who engages him in conversation (at the store, church, etc...), "it my birday, I have cupcakes." So evidently it was a hit regardless.

The cupcakes were a wild ride, I used this recipe for the most delicious homemade vanilla cake I've ever had (used the same recipe for Lee's choo choo train cake) and just divided it into 3 containers and made the right colors, alternated colors as I spooned the batter into cupcake liners and baked them, but the first batch I did way too much so they overflowed and got ruined on the way out of the  pan....luckily it makes a TON.

I decided I'd do multiple colors for the frosting (I used this amazing buttercream recipe which is also the same one I used for Lee's cake) and the thing I had rigged up for frosting malfunctioned after about 3 cupcakes but I'd already come too far so it was real touch and go to get everything frosted semi-presentably. (and of course, each situation was during nap time which made the pressure even more intense...goodness you'd think I'd learn)
*it should be noted that I haven't done a ton of cooking or baking until a couple years ago so everything should be kept simple, but the artsy fartsy side of me takes over when something sounds artistic and I forget I do much better with a paintbrush. Oh well, I'll get the hang of it someday if I keep trying, right? And the birthday boy couldn't have been more thrilled.

We are so grateful to have our little Drew in our family, he is feisty and fun, loving and determined. Never can believe quite how quickly they grow up