I posted the tiniest sneak peek known to mankind a few weeks ago. Is it weird that I feel guilty about that? Let's just say I was making up for the 1200 posts I did on Nadia's party. Not that you didn't enjoy every last one of them. ;) So here are a few more details of my baby's 3rd Birthday Party! And this time there will only be two posts--this one featuring the dessert (because let's face it; that's my favorite part!) and one more featuring, well, the rest. So here goes!
the big picture:
The menu consisted of:
Have you seen these beautiful printables over on The Tomkat Studio? I am SUCH a fan of their work and have mentioned them tons on the blog. But it's been a while. Well while going through my email I came across the TomKat blog post offering this beautiful collection for FREE! While I don't host Thanksgiving, I'm considering printing out the banner and the 5*7 print for my mantle. And those classy cupcake toppers may even prompt me to bring cupcakes to my in-laws' JUST so I can use them! :)
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According to TomKat, this offer will last "through the season." Go here. Add to cart. Enter GIVETHANKS.
Thanks so much Kim! Your loyal readers (and mine) appreciate it!
This is the final installment of Nadia's Circus Party! I want to share photos of guests with you as well but I will save that for a Taste{Full} Facebook album. Yes, I'm working on creating a Facebook page for Taste{Full}. We had one in the past but life was too hectic for us to keep up with it. Now that things have slowed down a bit, I figured I'd try again! But I digress...
This final post is about the other decor elements that I haven't shared thus far. I had so much fun planning the decor for this party and though the wind tried to thwart those plans, it still came out as I imagined! What do you think?
And lastly a big fat huge thank you to Jordan! She's an amazing photographer, sweet and generous friend, super creative, and totally witty. Check out her photography page here and her blog here.
This final post is about the other decor elements that I haven't shared thus far. I had so much fun planning the decor for this party and though the wind tried to thwart those plans, it still came out as I imagined! What do you think?
Though I shared detail shots in this post, I never shared the big picture...
I found instructions for the "cowpoke" banner here. It was a project I added at the last minute because I had almost everything on hand. I love it! I'm thinking it might reappear in a future cowgirl party.
I know I sound like a broken record talking about the wind. But it was really crazy! My inspiration for the backdrop of the table was this one. I made ruffled streamers and bought pom pom fringe to create that curtain look. But it was so windy that I knew it would never work. For now they sit in my garage. But I'm pretty sure I'll be able to use them in the future; something tells me I just might throw another party involving pink. The fans are a bit crazy due to...you guessed it...the wind.
To make the backdrop I found clip art of an elephant-- one I felt that I could replicate by hand-- online. I then drew the silhouette on a piece of poster board Once I had it just right, I cut it out and traced it onto large construction paper. I embellished it with a pom, scrapbook paper, pom pom fringe, and ric rac. I then mounted it on foam core and created a "frame" out of ruffled streamers (I found several tutorials on ruffled streamers but I liked this one the best). I made the tissue paper fans using these instructions (I made them a bit thicker by using a few sheets of tissue paper instead of 1). I purchased the more intricate fans (sources below).
I LOVED this idea. It came out so cute thanks to my sister-in-law's adorable sign.
Popcorn cupcake centerpiece. Oh and I'm in love with the elephant bookends up against the red and white box. SO cute!
The Ticket "cake" was one of my favorite elements!
So perfect!
I mounted Nadia's month by month photos on scrap paper and then strung them over the gift table.
Do the clothespins look familiar?! They are the same ones my mom colored and adorned with gems for Genevieve's first birthday party. My mama's a keeper for sure.
I love it when I can re-use party stuff!
Because I couldn't decide which month by month pictures to use, I used 2 sets. The ones above the gift table were full body shots and these (above) are some of my favorite close-ups from those shoots. I strung them in an empty frame with ribbon and plain 'ol clothespins. (That's the nice part about going a little bit "rustic" with a party--you can get away with using some natural items).
I had fun with the favor table.
Baby food jars + painted lids + scrapbook paper + twine and tickets, complete with a "Thank you for clowning around with me" favor tag.
These hats were a little more work than I anticipated...but they were so fun. In the "keepin it real" vein, only a few kids wore them! I think if you have a small party with place settings it might be worth it. Quite honestly I wouldn't have made just one for Nadia so if I had to make them all to make her adorable one and for the pictures of Gianna and Genevieve wearing them, it was totally worth it! ;) That said if a 3rd "1st birthday" is in my future, expect just one for the birthday girl or boy. ☺
C'mon, how cute is this?!
I loved this circus banner. Can I take credit for "designing" it even though my sister-in-law actually made it?!
Ignore us (because clearly it's not our greatest photo together) but you can see the banner better in this shot.
This wasn't what I originally planned to do for a centerpiece but it totally came together at the last minute. So cute and fun!
These bright colors just kill me! And a "look for less" tip--these came from iParty for $1.49. They weren't quite as perfect as Whirly Pops but unless you buy those in bulk those can be $3 or $4 a pop. I also spotted them at the Dollar Tree later for $1! (and resisted the temptation to buy 10 more).
I might have gone through a "balloons aren't cool phase." What was I thinking?!
More fab paper products!
They just make me so happy!
Okay you twisted my arm: here are some photos of the party people:
And lastly a big fat huge thank you to Jordan! She's an amazing photographer, sweet and generous friend, super creative, and totally witty. Check out her photography page here and her blog here.
And somehow I don't have a photo of her, but my sister-in-law Christy is a rock star. She created the invitation and ALL of the paper products for me, blew up all of the balloons, set them up, took some of the photos featured in these party posts and was my sounding board through the entire process. I wish she had an etsy shop to link to...but I'm working on it. ;)
{SOURCES}:
Cowpoke banner: Instructions here. Burlap from Hobby Lobby (leftover from this party) and Handkerchiefs from Wal-Mart.
Hanging fans- Oriental Trading Company. (I LOVE these and you can't beat the value!).
Large construction paper, foam core, pom pom fringe- Hobby Lobby
Ric-Rac: Joann's Fabric
Scrap Paper Pack: Michael's
Clown noses: Amazon.
"N" on top of the ticket cake: Hobby Lobby
Colored Clothespins: My mom colored these with a highlighter! She then stuck sticky gems on them. You can find tons of cute colored clothespins here or on etsy.
Empty frame: Goodwill
Balloons: See this post.
The GIRL:
I shared this photo (above) in black and white in one of my first party posts. It's definitely one of my favorite photos of the day. So gorgeous!
Sweet girl looking up at mama.
Pretty sure I featured this one before. Or did I? It's one of my favorites!
The big picture.
It just feels so right.
I love this one for two reasons: 1. It showcases her pretty birthday hat. 2. She has that "I'm so full but I have to finish this cake" look on her face. Simply adorable.
Oh my Nadi!
Loved her tulle hat so much.
Those pink crumbs look so cute against the blue highchair. And clearly I can't get enough of the tulle pom on her hat!
The SCENE:
and back to Jordan's amazing photos:
This might have been the cutest part of the party. And the one thing the wind didn't nearly destroy (The wind knocked down (and broke) my Ferris wheel cupcake holder, made my food labels irrelevant, and prevented me from hanging my gorgeous ruffled streamers and pom pom fringe. Yes, I'm a teeny bit bitter).
You may remember her "exotic sea" painted highchair from this post. I love how the color turned out. Perfect! The bunting was one of those details I really wanted and put together at the last minute. It was really easy. My one regret is that I should have made it more secure with brads rather than twine--At some point it ripped (I actually have photographic proof of which kid [accidentally] ripped it but I'm not telling ;)
I am scarred for life after Genevieve's first birthday. I didn't really make sure the cake cutting would be the best photo op and I will forever regret the background of those pictures (as in, a small TV, a box of Velveeta and someone's half eaten cup of mashed potatoes from the potato bar). Are you noticing a pattern--yeah I kind of can't let things go! But hey, you live and you learn!
My sister-in-law made this beautiful banner. I love that she used a scallop edge which made it a little different than most pennant banners. Because I was too cheap busy to run out for brads, I used ribbon but I ended up loving it so much more. Necessity is the mother of invention.
The CAKES:
My inspiration for this cake was this one. Just a note: the gumballs faded a bit overnight; If you decorate a cake with gumballs, add them at the last minute (or after it's not going to be refrigerated any longer).
Notice how the flags are crazy now? Damn wind.
Ok, so the middle layer was supposed to be turquoise. Instead it sorta looks like an African country's flag (I don't know which country in Africa exactly). That's what I get for not spending the extra buck on turquoise food coloring and trying to make it by mixing classic colors. Oh and then I bought the turquoise food coloring and told myself I'd re-make the middle layer. And then I faced reality (i.e. no time for mistakes!).
I love this cake. I loved them both actually. I'm not really good at baking or decorating cakes. Like at all. So I was really impressed that I pulled off these two. I know they're not very intricate, but for me, it was quite the feat!
The inspiration for this cake was this one. And remember the DIY cupcake stand? Well when I went to place it on top I just couldn't do it! I just knew it would smush the cake and then fall off! So I went with my gut and forwent that little detail. It still looks pretty cute though right?!
The SMASH:
Singing happy birthday to my pumpkin.
Her first taste...
Couldn't light the candle due to the wind. It was a cute candle though huh?
Close up after Nadia had gotten to it.
Fuzzy Nadi in the background...
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What a cute family photo (if I do say so myself).
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Nadia watching Genevieve "sneak" some cake.
Loved this little guy girl! I couldn't find the mini paper mache animals anywhere (Michael's had some but they were farm animals) but I actually ended up liking this better. The toy just matched the tone of the party better. I love it when that happens!
And we're done. LOVE this shot (I know--I love them all!)! And I love that you can see the red ribbon that was hidden by the cute cake ruffle. It's the little things...
{SOURCES}:
Nadia's Smash Cake outfit (did you think I'd let her eat cake in her custom dress?): see this post.
Nadia's Birthday hat: I used a leftover tulle pom from Genevieve's party, trimmed it down and glued it to a party hat. I made the hat with plain pink cardstock. I got the ric rac from Joann's Fabric and the pom from the Dollar Tree (but they had the exact same brand of poms at Michael's).
High Chair: I posted a wanted ad at my [then] company's internal bulletin board and a woman gave it to me! She said she used it when she was little. :) I painted it with exotic sea spray paint from Lowes.
Cake ruffle: Left over from Genevieve's party (I never used it), but I got it from here.
Mini Cake Stand: Christmas Tree Shop (it came with the red ribbon).
High Chair Pennant: I made it with scrapbook paper. I didn't use a pattern just measured and cut. I attached it with twine but as I mentioned brads would have been better.
Balloons: iParty for the helium ones, Wal-Mart for those tied to the fence. Except the red polka dot ones. Those were from here.
Banner: Made by my sister-in-law.
Gumballs: HomeGoods.
Mini Bunting on Cake: Download {FREE} here.
Paper Straws: Hey Yo Yo.
Big Cake Stand: Thrift store (plus 4 plates with ribbon slots) for $5! Local ladies, you must check out Savers thrift store if you haven't already!
Elephant Cake Topper: From here.
Elephant's Tutu: I made it by tying strips of tulle around a rubber band. I planned to trim it but I kind of liked it crazy.
"1" Candle: Wal-Mart.
Photography: Captured.
