Party Planning

I had a terrible weekend. Like a really and truly atrocious weekend. I split my time between an ER bed and my own bed, and much misery ensued. I'm currently fighting the urge to wallow in my misery like a pitiful cow, so I am putting on my big girl panties and trying to look forward to sunnier things that are on the horizon. And you know what thought popped in my head? 

Vivi's birthday is soon!

The next thought I had was that I'm a real creep.

We are having her party in less than 20 days, so I better get to party planning! 

I'm trying to focus on this and undertake a few other projects so that I can do my best to ignore the excruciating pain I'm in. So far, it's working helping..a little.

I LOVE hosting parties. It's one of my favorite things--after pugs, a fresh mani-pedi, and eating whipped cream straight out of the can. I love the planning, baking, and executing of parties. But I must confess, I have not hosted great birthday parties for my kids so far. I guess the only two parties I've done have been Bobby's two birthdays. I was pregnant and on bed-rest in a brand new house with no furniture for Bobby's first birthday, so I feel like I get a pass on that one. But his second? It was very low key and unimpressive. A huge issue here is that his birthday is in January, so it's in that blah, awkward, cold, boring, post-Christmas down season. It's the beginning of the year, people are worn out, and everybody is tight on money. Also, I think part of the reason I haven't stressed much about his parties is that he's a boy, and there's not as much pressure to do anything too crazy for a little guy. Plus, he's basically a baby. It's not like he cares. Next year and henceforth, I'll probably have to step up my game with his birthdays. 

 

Although I really feel like I should be celebrated on my kids' birthdays, but I'm not holding my breath..

Vivi is a precious little peach of a baby girl, and her birthday is in April. We're rested from Christmas; it's sunny and warm; and it's time for a good ol' party. I know she won't remember, but I think she would care about the effort I went thru a little more than a boy would. I'm not going to go crazy or expensive, and I'm not going make it look like Pinterest exploded in my house, but I am going to throw her a nice, classy first birthday party. 

I'm not really a theme-y person, so I think that "birthday" is a good enough theme. We wallpapered Vivi's nursery with this gorgeous Anthropologie paper, and I have a good bit of excess paper just sitting in a pile, so I think I am going to use that in the party decor and as my color palette. 

 I've set a date for Saturday, April 18th. The color scheme is white, soft pinks, mint, soft blues, and greens. I am planning on buying simple but pretty spring flowers from Publix and arranging them in mason jars for an inexpensive-yet-lovely, ramshackle-glam vibe. I'll probably do some sort of punch in mason jars with fun straws, maybe some chicken salad croissants and crudites, along with fruit, and I will make her a smash cake and a cake for the guests to eat. I think I want to incorporate macaroons on her cake somehow, but I'm still working on that. I am debating on sending invitations or not. It's not going to be a party with a huge guest list, as one year olds typically do not have a mile-long list of best buds, and honestly, most of the guests will be our friends. I may try to design and print out the cards myself..still thinking about that.

Something that I've noticed from parties featured online is the intricate party favors people send their guests off with these days. Is that a new thing? Did our parents do that? I don't remember ever getting or giving party favors when I was a kid. But maybe I've just forgotten. If I do a party favor, then I think I may do bags of cotton candy. Who doesn't love cotton candy, right?

 

I also need to start figuring out what to get my girl for her first birthday. It recently dawned on me that she doesn't have many of her own toys. Much of what she plays with is hand-me-down boy toys that her brother has begrudgingly passed down. And while that is fine for her to play with boy toys, I feel kind of bad and think that she needs some feminine toys of her own. Here are a few that I think she would enjoy. I know she will love the little vanity, because she loves playing with her friend's, but I think that she would have a blast with all of these. How cute is that little jellybean riding toy? Bobby has a ton of scooters/cars/bikes/riding toys for outside, but she doesn't have any. And with summer coming on, I know she would enjoy that. Plus, it's just too adorable. 

vanity  // jelly bean racer // fruit puzzle // Flora and the Flamingo book // dollhouse // Pantone colors board book // pink dump truck

My parents are getting her this play kitchen for her birthday. I know it may be a little advanced for a one year old, but Bobby loves playing in play kitchens, and Vivi loves doing whatever her brother is doing. So I think it'll be a great toy for them to both play with, and Vivi can grow into it. I chose this model because it's adorable and retro-looking. It's attractive enough for me to keep out in the play area of our living room and not feel like it's an eyesore, but it's significantly less expensive than the Pottery Barn version. Once it comes in, I think I am going to spraypaint the silver accessories gold, so that it'll tie into our current living room decor. I tend to decorate with gold much more than silver. All in all, I think it's going to be a great gift that both kids will love.

retro kitchen set

But along with the new kitchen come kitchen accessories. I already ordered Vivi some felt veggies and felt fruit that are just adorable. I really like the wood and felt food toys instead of the plastic. Melissa and Doug makes a ton of cute food and kitchen accessories. Here are a few that would also make good gifts to accompany a play kitchen. I can't even decide on my favorite thing; they're all so sweet.

 

felt sandwich set // wooden toaster set // wooden cookie baking set // pots & pans // wooden fridge food set

So that's where I am with party planning. I can't believe that her birthday is almost here and that Vivi will be one soon. What in the world?!

I hope that y'all are all having a happy Monday and gearing up for a wonderful week! I am just trying to heal from these kidney stones while remembering this:

I literally may end every single post like this. And it really does help.

Keep on keepin' on!

-Annette