Lucky Charm Birthday Party

I'm sure I have said this before, I know I have thought it several times, but when I celebrate Charlotte's birthday, it's more than just another year, but a celebration of her life and how lucky we were to have such a successful pregnancy and aftermath!  LUCKY might not be the right word (maybe blessed, watched over, grateful...you get the point) but there are many days where that is what it feels like.  I believe many parents feel this way about their children and that is why I love this birthday party theme so much.  Especially for the first birthday!

Again, my friends at Mimi's Dollhouse have created a perfect birthday party for your St. Patrick's/Lucky Charm baby!  I love the soft blue, green and grey colors.  This party is fit for any little boy who is turning one this time of year!  This package can be personalized for your child, too.

Silver boxes- Target Holiday two years ago

Plant and vase

Green chair (we use for an American Girl chair)- Goodwill

Frame- IKEA

 Gable boxes- Hobby Lobby (They are 50% off this week!!)

Green mustaches- Target St. Patrick's party

Pot O' Gold 

Coordinate the kids pouches with the color of your party 

 Water bottle wrappers make a great touch and are so easy and fast to put together!

As an alternative to cupcakes, I made individual trifles.  These are the perfect dessert, can be held in your hand with just a spoon.  You can put whatever you want in them too!  These are triple chunk brownies, carmel and chocolate sauce, and cool whip, topped with green sprinkles to pull in the theme!  Yum!  The cupcake toppers stayed up perfectly the whole time.  Place them on a cake stand and WAL-LA!  The perfect, yummiest, creative dessert for your guests!

  

To purchase this party package and several other different themes, head over to Mimi's Dollhouse!  This can also be purchased in pink, rather than blue, for your little girl!!  Love this!!  

The party packages includes:

1. 2" Cupcake Toppers (12 designs)

2. 4" Cake Toppers/Decorators (12 designs matching Cupcake Toppers)

3. Thank you Cards (1 design)

4. Favor Tags (1 design)

5. Blank Tent Labels (4 designs)

6. 8.5x11 Patterned Paper (4 designs)

7. Happy Birthday Banner with name (1 design-5x7 panels)

8. Cupcake Wrappers (4 designs)

9. Personalized Invitation (5x7 size)

10. Straw Flags (10 designs)

11. Water Bottle Wraps (4 designs)

12. Centerpieces (2 designs)

13. Blank Sign (1 design)

14. Mini Name Banner (1 design)

15. Welcome Sign (1 design)

Purchase the matching invitation HERE.  

Tahnee's Baby Shower

If you follow me on Instagram, you have seen I have been in out West and threw my sister, Tahnee, a baby shower for her first baby!  I was so thrilled when she announced her pregnancy, that I instantly volunteered to throw her a shower.  It was a little tricky planning a party in California, when I live in North Carolina, but I think it all worked out.  Bringing most of the decorations and on the airplane was quite the experience!!

I got my inspiration from a blogger I follow, The TomKat Studio.  I had seen it several months back, but always knew that would be what I wanted to use.  Tahnee likes simple.  

I ordered the invitations through Etsy.  I was obsessed with how beautiful they turned out and I displayed it at the shower as a decoration. 

I also picked up blank cards at Target in the Dollar Spot that matched the invites for Tahnee to use for thank you notes.  I displayed the envelopes for the guests to write their address on.  Saves the Guest of Honor a little bit of time!

The food was purchased at Costco and we kept it simple.  The shower was at an awkward time to do breakfast or lunch, so there were finger/snack foods.  The signs were printables found at TomKat Studio.  

Tahnee is not a huge fan of shower games.  I came across these fun, classy games on Etsy, and decided to do "The Price is Right."  A list of baby items were on a sheet of paper and the guests had to write down what they thought the price was.  I let everyone do it on their own time.  After Tahnee opened the gifts, we went through the prices and our Aunt Jamie won!  The prize was featured by May Designs.  Look for the games and notebook to be featured as giveaways in the upcoming weeks on my Instagram account. 

This shower was so fun to plan and execute.  Thanks to Tahnee's best friend, Nicole, and my mom for helping out a lot.  It takes a lot of help for everything to come together, especially across country!

You Are My Sunshine

After my last post, my friend, Trina, asked me to help throw her daughter, Aspen, first birthday party. I was so flattered and super excited.  My first real party!!  I immediately asked her what the theme was going to be.  I loved her response, "I was thinking 'You Are My Sunshine' because that's the song her grandma and grandpa always sing to her...and her brother too."  I love when themes have meaning behind it!  I instantly emailed my friend at Mimi's Dollhouse about her "You Are My Sunshine" theme and went to work!  This party comes in four different color combos.  Trina wanted the yellow, pink and grey.  I was so excited she picked that combination!

We were texting back and forth and decided to finally meet in person.  Since we only had a week, I was super busy trying to get everything I needed and wanted together.  I went back into my "party closest" and got everything pink and yellow.  I went to Hobby Lobby, by myself and with Trina.  I was in super party-planning mode.  I kept telling her that I have never done this for someone else because I was a little scatter-brained.  I was all over the place.  But I think I learned a lot over this past week on party planning!

The day of the party, I picked up the smash cake at Target and headed over to the Robert's house.  Luckily, the day before I was over setting up the majority of the party.  Day of, was just last minute setting up.  I was very pleased with how everything turned out.

The first thing guests saw when they came to the party was the sign in table and where to place the gifts.  I believe there should be something grand to welcome everyone into the party, if the space allows it.  I found the most adorable photo album at Home Goods and just knew I had to incorporate it somehow.  Everyone that came, signed in and throughout the party, I took pictures that will be inserted to the album.  The necklaces were a fun little touch for each child to have as well.  Windmills and "Sweeter Than Sugar" sign are from Hobby Lobby.  Flowers and pink vase are from IKEA.

Once we found out 35 children were RSVP'd YES to come, we threw out the goodie bag idea and attached these cute little Thank You tags to bubbles.  I think these were my favorite part of the party.  Just a cute little touch to send everyone off with.  LOVE IT!

With 70 people who RSVP'd, we decided to keep it simple with water bottles and finger foods.  The bar cart full of water bottles turned out adorable!!  The snacks were sweet and salty.

One of the peak moments at a one-year-old party is the smash cake.  I ordered this one from Target bakery, which only needs 24 hour notice, and they used the same colors with a sun!  I loved how it turned out.  I highly recommend using a grocer bakery.  You'll get the best bang for your buck.  You don't need anything fancy, since the child hardly knows what is going on anyway.  All these banners are also a part of the "You Are My Sunshine" party package!

Another decoration that is always cute at birthday parties, are pictures of the birthday child.  We framed a bunch of pictures of Aspen throughout her one year of life and placed them along the bar.  Just mix and match the frames and it will turn out great!  

When it was time for the smash cake, little Aspen didn't really know what to do.  Lots of help from her daddy and I think she finally enjoyed a little piece of her cake :)

Thanks to Jordan and Trina for letting me be a part of this fun occasion.  I had a blast and sorry if I was a little unorganized at times...it was my first party for someone else!!  Aspen is just the cutest little girl and I hope she has a great next year being ONE! 

This party package starts at $29.99 and includes:

1. 2" Cupcake Toppers (12 designs)

2. 4" Cake Toppers/Decorators (12 designs matching Cupcake Toppers)

3. Thank you Cards (1 design)

4. Favor Tags (1 design)

5. Blank Tent Labels (4 designs)

6. Centerpieces (2 designs)

7. Happy Birthday Banner with name (1 design-5x7 pennants)

8. Cupcake Wrappers (4 designs)

9. Personalized Invitation (5x7 size)

10. Straw Flags (12 designs)

11. Water Bottle Wraps (4 designs)

12. 3/4" Candy Stickers (12 designs)

13. Blank Sign (1 design)

14. Mini Name Banner (1 design)

15. Welcome Sign (1 design)

16. 8.5x11 Patterned Paper (3 designs)

Personalized invites can be purchased for $12.99 here.