Curious Ella Turns One!
My baby girl turned one, and as it usually goes, I went a little over-the-top for her first birthday party. But, my husband and I love to entertain and this was a big deal for us! I wanted to let you in on a little bit of our planning process for events.
Typically, I start planning for events at least 2 months in advance, to give myself plenty of room for the unexpected. It also allows me to casually gather all the items I need without a lot of pressure of an impending event date.
First thing I did was pick a theme. We picked "Curious George" because it was the only cartoon that kept her attention for any amount of time and it is classic. With the theme chosen - I designed the invitation. I am a firm believer that the invitation is the first impression of any event you organize. It needs to be on-theme and informative. Less is more when it comes to invitations - time, place, and the essential information. Guests need to know if you will feed them or not. They also need to know a little of what to expect at the event.
Now that the theme was chosen - I concentrated on a few primary colors for decorating purposes. This way, any time I was out and about and saw items in yellow or red on sale or clearance, I purchased them. I kept a mental checklist of items needed - plates, napkins, cups, tablecloths, etc. and would purchase items as I found them. What resulted was a big old pile of red, yellow, and the occasional blue item which worked fantastically together as we started to set-up the day of the party.
Typically I would have a detailed plan laid
out for the layout, decorations, and timeline for the party. But, did I mention
this was my child’s first birthday party? The truth is, I just don’t have the
stamina or brain space to plan things out as detailed as I once would.
Thankfully, years of entertaining experience kicked in and we were able to pull
all those final details together in that final day. I had enough supplies for an adorably decorated gift and treat table, a photo backdrop wall, tables complete
with functional craft centerpieces for the children, and two tables with food.
I was very pleased with how it all came together, with a little creativity and
teamwork.
My husband handled the food, including the delicious
banana split bar – complete with hot fudge and caramel pumps. We pulled out the
old fashioned popcorn maker I gifted to my husband a few Christmases ago (it’s
red color matched perfectly!) and thankfully we have glass drink dispensers we
use for most events we host. This year I affixed some chalkboard stickers to the
front of them for labeling.
On top of the banana split bar for dessert,
we also had delicious theme sugar cookies made by my very talented best friend,
Curious George fruit snacks, and Ella had her smash cake which I made for her.
The cherry on top of this party sundae was
our real life “Man in the Yellow Hat” who graced our party with his presence
(it pays to know local actors). He was a hit – entertaining the children for
the entire party – and even conducting a very popular story time.
Typically, I start planning for events at least 2 months in advance, to give myself plenty of room for the unexpected. It also allows me to casually gather all the items I need without a lot of pressure of an impending event date.
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| Sample Invitation |
First thing I did was pick a theme. We picked "Curious George" because it was the only cartoon that kept her attention for any amount of time and it is classic. With the theme chosen - I designed the invitation. I am a firm believer that the invitation is the first impression of any event you organize. It needs to be on-theme and informative. Less is more when it comes to invitations - time, place, and the essential information. Guests need to know if you will feed them or not. They also need to know a little of what to expect at the event.
Now that the theme was chosen - I concentrated on a few primary colors for decorating purposes. This way, any time I was out and about and saw items in yellow or red on sale or clearance, I purchased them. I kept a mental checklist of items needed - plates, napkins, cups, tablecloths, etc. and would purchase items as I found them. What resulted was a big old pile of red, yellow, and the occasional blue item which worked fantastically together as we started to set-up the day of the party.
Typically I would have a detailed plan laid
out for the layout, decorations, and timeline for the party. But, did I mention
this was my child’s first birthday party? The truth is, I just don’t have the
stamina or brain space to plan things out as detailed as I once would.
Thankfully, years of entertaining experience kicked in and we were able to pull
all those final details together in that final day. I had enough supplies for an adorably decorated gift and treat table, a photo backdrop wall, tables complete
with functional craft centerpieces for the children, and two tables with food.
I was very pleased with how it all came together, with a little creativity and
teamwork.
On top of the banana split bar for dessert,
we also had delicious theme sugar cookies made by my very talented best friend,
Curious George fruit snacks, and Ella had her smash cake which I made for her.
If you can’t tell from the pictures, I am
currently obsessed with all the chalkboard accessories you can find. The tiny
star clips for the monkey masks I found in the coveted Target $1 section. The best part is they are reusable and can typically go with any theme you choose.
The cherry on top of this party sundae was
our real life “Man in the Yellow Hat” who graced our party with his presence
(it pays to know local actors). He was a hit – entertaining the children for
the entire party – and even conducting a very popular story time. 
All in all, our Curious George first birthday
party was a success. The best part of throwing any party – spending time with
family and friends – which makes any party a great party!
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