The Post Party - Planning Part

I really want to share some photos of how the party came together.  My friend and great party planner Trina of Fancy That! Event Styling suggested several things.  The one she suggested and I didn't follow up on was hiring someone to take photos of the day so I wouldn't have to worry about capturing the moments.  I think I got a lot of great photos but yeah yeah yeah, she was right.  That would have been well worth the money.  It was much easier to take the planning photos since I could do it at my own pace.  Once guests arrived it got crazy. 

One thing I can't share with you is the slide show we had running on our tv.  It was 115 photos of Bitty from birth until now.  We had some really great songs playing along with it like Daughter, Little Miss Magic, You Can Close Your Eyes, Somewhere Over the Rainbow (Israel Kamakawiwo'ole's version) and Girls Just Want to Have Fun (Greg Laswell's version).  When I actually stopped to watch it I did actually cry.  My baby girl is growing up which breaks my heart because time is fleeting but she is such a wonderful little girl.  She's inquisitive, silly, laid back, headstrong (already), she has these curious glances where she strains her neck and gives you a look like "did you see me do that mommy?"  She plays games like taking turns kissing Nip and I and sometimes faking us out.  She thinks that is hilarious.  She loves to throw food on the floor.  She loves to splash at bath time.  She loves her big brother like nothing I've ever seen.  And everyone loves this girl.  She is our Little Miss Magic.


Now let me apologize for the barage of photos but seriously, it was so much work I can't just let it go at that.  I have to prove I was actually capable of something somewhat crafty.  Me! 

Bitty waiting for Birthday guests to arrive.

I free handed the birds by eyeballing a template of a smaller bird.  And I used scrap scrapbook paper to "quilt" the #1.



Bows on trees.  Easy.  Our last minute add included balloon bunches on each pillar. 



Bitty's room is decorated in songbirds so I pulled some items from her room to add to the theme.

My after thought is that I should have made this look nicer, put things on trays, something!

Lemon juice and sanding sugar.  Everyone was sad to learn there was punch but no margs.



I kept the menu simple since it was a lunch party and we had plenty of sweets.  Oh and by simple I mean I ordered most of it!  (Shout out to Quiznos for a perfect order, delivered 5 minutes before the set time by a spiffy looking gentleman.)



I just nested these by the food.  Fancy by the Cheetos huh?  C'mon, it IS a kids party!

A small spread which left no dishes to wash.  This I like!

Bitty received this 21 year candle from 5Band Co as her first ever birthday present.  This is my favorite shop on the face of the earth.  So much so that I used it for my wedding favors, shower favors, baby shower favors, and always for Christmas gifts.  Go check it out!  We burned Sugar and Spice at the party which was perfect!

The only nod to my dad on his 60th birthday (he requested no fuss).  I think it's very special he and his only granddaughter share this day.

Sorry again for the dark shot.  As I mentioned before, the banner took forever, tracing, cutting, using forsaken scallop scissors (I'm a lefty and this hurt!), tying tiny ribbons.  But it came out ok and Bitty loved it!  I made two pom poms in light and dark purple.  Go here for the how-to.  This is where I mention those pink cupcakes.  The morning of the party Nip and has Step Dad set out to get the jumbo cupcakes from that one jumbo store that is famous for the jumbo cupcakes but guess what?  They stopped making them for good.  Like last week.  So they had to do the best they could with stores full of Halloween stuff and they got the prettiest ones they could find.  They did just fine and tasted fantastic!

It's pretty but just didn't work in that spot.  It also took awhile to assemble so lets get off this darn picture.  Oh, I might add though that the backyard was also decorated a bit with a table cover, ribbons, and I set a bunch of toys out there for the big kids. 

Some of the treats.  I stuck candy sticks in crispy treats and marshmallows then dipped them in chocolate and dipped them in sprinkles that I thought looked like bird seed.  I found solid color Sixlets in the bridal isle of Hobby Lobby (and Sixlets get a shout out because it shows in bold on the package "Processed in a Peanut and Tree Nut Free Facility"  Momma likes that.  B going into anaphalactic shock on this day would have put a damper on things.  Where was I?  Oh yeah, Chex Mix kind of reminds me of birdie food so that went along with it.

I also dipped pretzel rods in chocolate and sprinkled with the gold sugar crystals.  It's supposed to look like a nest.  My party planning friend was the only one to get that.

Cinnamon sugar cereal, B's favorite.  I thought the little kids would like it and it also reminds me of birdie food for some reason.

I made caramel apples for the party favor (in addition to junky kids toys for all those boys.  Out of 10 kids Bitty and a newborn were the only ladies).

White metallic ink and a stamper added a little note.

In case you were wondering what Bitty was doing while I took all these photos.