:::Zebra&Elephant 1st Birthday:::

Zebra Elephant Party

I was so excited to style this event for a friend of mine. We combined her daughter's love of elephants, her obsession with zebra print, added in hot pink and the cutest birthday theme was born! We made sure to include the birthday girl and a cute elephant on the invitation.

Zebra Elephant Invitation

We had big plans for this party but the challenge was, decorations needed to be on a budget.
I painted zebra stripes on white paper and covered coffee cans for the centerpieces. We made tissue paper flowers in pink and black. The little balloons tied to elephant figurines were made from wire and pom poms.

Elephant Centerpiece

The dessert table turned out beautiful. I trimmed the front of the table with pink pom pom trim. 

Zebra Elephant Dessert Table

The cake was the main centerpiece of the dessert table and I made a pink tulle skirt to go around the cake stand. It sat on a box covered in zebra print paper.

 I designed a Mommy & Baby Elephant artwork and displayed it in a hot pink frame. Elephants held little name banners and cupcakes were topped with the little elephant design from the invitation.

Elephant Figurine with Name Banner

Cupcakes with Elephant Toppers

Zebra Print Name Banner

I painted a large elephant and little pink bows were cut out for guests to play, 'Pin the bow on the elephant.' Parents could also create 'Elephant hand print art' with their child.

Pin the Bow on the Elephant Game

Elephant Hand Print Craft

I had a great time styling this event...Happy Birthday Ava!

Carnival Party

I had so much fun designing this carnival birthday party…especially because it was celebrating my baby boy! I’ve always wanted to do a carnival theme, knowing that there are endlessly possibilities for fun. I decided on this theme for his 1st birthday party the moment I pushed him…I know I’m crazy! Since then I’ve been eye spying, every store I shopped at for carnival or circus themed things! You would be surprised how easy it is to style a party exquisitely when you give yourself enough time…and I’ll admit a lil’ design sense is needed as well.

Carnival Party Invite

Carnival treats

The menu was simple:::Chili dogs, nachos, popcorn, cotton candy, caramel & apples and lemonade. Desserts included cupcakes, chocolate mustaches, cake pops and a candy bar!

Dessert Table

Cupcakes were made by Angelica Acosta and we topped them with clown cupcake toppers.

 

I made tiny balloons and attached them to animal figurines!

Clown cake pops by Lollie Cakes

Chocolate Mustaches

Photo Booth::: Refrigerator box painted red. And no booth is complete without KJ PHOTOGRAPHY shootin’ and clickin’ away!

I cut out funny dress up props for guests to use in the photo booth.

Carnival games:: ping pong blast, peg a clown, bottle toss, bowling and fish a duck to name a few. Some games were bought but most were home-made.

Clown faces were cut from felt and glued to cardboard. They were attached to red baskets.

Kids won raffle tickets at every game booth. They redeemed their tickets at the prize table.

Candy Bar

Birthday boy decked out in stripes and red suspenders.

The overall party was awesome. Friends and family enjoyed themselves and my baby boy was celebrated carnival style!! 

Lady Bug 1st Birthday

Starting in utero I began calling my baby girl my love bug! So it was only fitting to throw a ladybug theme for her first birthday! I had the event in my parent’s backyard which was perfect for the theme and it was able to house the 75 guests we invited! After throwing this party I realized then I have a passion for styling events.

Handmade Ladybug invites

I’ve realized the key to a fabulous party is the invite. A well designed one sets the whole tone of the party! I hand cut out each ladybug on card stock which was tedious but I enjoyed every minute of it…

nothing but the best for my love bug!

 

Handmade paper vines with die-cut Ladybugs

Centerpieces

Decor:::Our colors were red, lime green and white. Table clothes were red with white runners to off set the red bucket centerpieces. I bought real grass and filled the buckets and inserted a single white Gerber daisy. I attached a wooden ladybug to one of the petals. Buckets were tied off with white rick rack trim. I made paper vines out of green butcher paper and hung them from the patio, along with paper die cute ladybugs. I also had white lights hung since the party was going to be during the evening.

Birthday girl's ladybug cake

Ladybug cake with sweet and sour candy vines

Cake::: We bought a huge cake, since we had to feed 75 guest and we made cupcakes and iced them like ladybugs to decorate the top of the cake. We bought sweet and sour green candy strips that we cut and designed into vines and leaves and put them around the edge of the cake. We made a mini cake solely for the birthday girl to devour! 

Ladybug filled goodie bags

Ladybug filled birthday bags

Birthday girl with her guests!

Birthday girl’s outfit::: To make the birthday girl stand out I bought a polka dotted ladybug dress that I found on eBay. I completed her outfit with a love bug antenna head band! Her looked pulled the whole theme together!

Real ladybugs

One last thing…no ladybug party isn’t complete without real ladybugs! I bought them at a garden store and we had the kids release them into the garden!