Trying to plan baby's first birthday party is... confusing. I knew Sunday wasn't going to remember much, but I also didn't want to skip this milestone. It was something to be celebrated, for sure! After a lot of hemming and hawing, I finally decided to approach the celebration as a Thank You for all of those people who have helped us out this year: babysitters, nannies, family and friends who played significant roles in our lives as we adjusted to our new identity as a family of three.
I decided to have Sunday's party at The Farm Basket. I adore their little space upstairs and they make delicious food! I knew planning a party in the middle of my busiest season was going to be a challenge, so catering was definitely something I was hoping to take advantage of! I ordered up some delicious quiches, a cheese & cracker tray, and a fruit platter for a mid-morning brunch. I scheduled the party right between Sunday's nap times and it ended up working out perfectly.
My friend Joy helped me with the decorations and we started by picking out a handful of patterns. From the pretty fabrics, Joy created a banner for the party as well as some pom poms to hang above the food table. I took the fabric swatches to my friend Penny who made the awesome cupcakes and smash cake for us! She hand painted the designs from the fabric swatches onto the cupcake squares! All 36 of them! So incredible! (And don't even get me started on how DELICIOUS the cupcakes were!! She asked me my favorite cake/icing combination and I told her yellow cake / chocolate frosting. However, I didn't want dark colors on the cupcakes so I told her not to worry about satisfying my taste. :) BUT she ended up putting a chocolate filling inside the cupcakes... creating a way to satisfy both our taste buds AND my need for color matching. So, so awesome!)
I used some of the fabric from Joy to wrap around the glass candle holders (aka flower vases) I also had at Emily's baby shower. I filled the candle holders with flowers bought from Sam's Club the morning of the party - but the flowers were pretty pitiful. It was difficult finding bright and colorful flowers this time of year - all the harvest colors are out right now!
Anyway - center pieces were flowers and instagram pictures of Sunday. I hung a timeline of photos on a big mirror and set up a few big never-seen-before pictures of Sunday on the welcome table as well. (Hah - it was surprisingly difficult not to share those pictures with you all before the party! I'll be sharing them tomorrow... they are some of my absolute favorites of Sunday, ever!)
The party was relaxing and enjoyable. Everyone came, had brunch and visited for a while before we did the cake smash! And of course the Snapshot Studio was set up as a party activity as well. Overall, it was a lovely morning and I am really glad my preparations were low-key. Having the party catered was a HUGE weight off my shoulders and I will definitely do that again. Although in the future it'll probably be a pizza party for 10 kids, not a brunch for 40 people. :)
Okay, okay! Onto the photos!
The second-to-last picture is of my sister and her daughter, Shelby who both share a birthday with Sunday! All three born on November 20th...! They are some of my favorite people in the whole world so I think that's pretty awesome. :)
Happy Birthday Sunday!!! You are oh-so-loved by sooo many people!
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Don’t forget about the Goose Beary Shop Giveaway going on this week! hop over to check out the goods and submit your entry to win a cutie dolly!
Week of Sundays: Day 1 | Goose Beary Shop Giveaway! A Week of Sundays: Day 2 | Our Must Have Products for Baby’s First Year, pt. 1 A Week of Sundays: Day 3 | Our Must Have Products for Baby’s First Year, pt. 2 A Week of Sundays: Day 4 | Things My Daughter Has Taught Me A Week of Sundays: Day 5 | A year in pictures A Week of Sundays: Day 6 | Things about Sunday Quinn I am thankful for