Train theme, 3yr old boy's birthday Party

Like many three year old boys, Levi loves Thomas the Tank Engine and pretty much any train, so choosing the theme for his 3rd birthday party was easy. We decided to do go with trains over choosing Thomas in particular because we could play with colour and feel. We went with bold primary colours with a subtle vintage feel.

Picking a theme for kids parties can be overwhelming as there is so much out there and so much of it has been done which on one hand is great because 20 minutes on pinterest and you can ‘borrow’ so many ideas. But on the other hand if you want some element of originality you need to really think out of the box. If you are having it at home, a great starting point is to work with the feel of the room that you will be in.

Here are some decor and set up ideas for any party that can help you get a unique feel...

The party in pictures: 

Cupcakes for Kiddies

It was Levi, my oldest son's 3rd birthday yesterday, we kept him home from school and had some quality time. 

We will be having a party for him this Saturday with a train theme, but any mommy with a little one in school knows that a party with family and friends is not enough... there is the school party too. 

Considering these little people get enough sugary treats into their system I decided mini cupcakes would do. Bianca@EveryEvent has some great suppliers, so I called one up and asked her to give me mini ones, less icing and a price to match. These awesome little treats were delivered and sent to school today.

If anyone would like to place an order, they are R4 a cupcake.

Baby boy 1st Birthday - Cute as Button

It was my second son, Nate's 1st birthday party this past weekend, I had such fun doing the decor for it. I like being my own client :) 

If party decor planning is something you would like to try you hand at, here are some pointers...

I saw the 'cute as a button' theme on Pinterest for baby showers and thought it would be fun for my  little one, who in my opinion is too cute. Although already a year old, he is still such a baby, so the theme worked so well. I also love the vintage trend, so bringing these two theme ideas together worked so well together.

I highly recommend this strategy for any party/ special event you are doing:

1. pick a theme / feel

2. pick the colours to run through the theme

Buttons lend themselves to such creativity, and are an affordable element to add to any party decor. Burlap/hessian is another greatly versatile element which gives the vintage feel quite easily.

I made this banner quite easily with a black marker, white paint and a glue gun.

The buttons were sewn on, but using the glue gun would work well too.

Then the next two big elements that will bring the theme together are:

1. the cake

2.the party treats, which usually include the party favours/take home candy.

1. For the cake... I have a friend starting a cake business, so I got her to do her thing with the cake. I also saw these cute cookies which I asked her to recreate. They were such a nice way to bring in the theme without having cupcakes as well as a cake.

2. the treats... as far as possible, use candy that works with the colours. Alternatively, display them in containers that match.

I am big in recycling and up-cycling so for my 'party packs' I used old Purity jars, sprayed the lids and glued on some buttons. (love my glue gun)

When setting out for a party at home , consider using one spot that will be the decor focus.

(a venue works a little differently)

Somewhere that has a neutral or natural background. It just makes for better pictures. You can use the colours and theme elsewhere with fabric or balloons. Having one spot also allows to create more of an impact with the theme. 

I chose a spot in my dining room with a plain wall that I could set it all up against. A window spot can work well if the view is lovely too.

Another key element is the invite. it is very acceptable to send an e-invite nowadays, it is even preferred, less trees cut down and it doesn't get misplaced as easily. You will also more likely get a better RSVP response. (If your friends are like mine, RSVPing is not a strength.)

I used a template that had the feel and colours that I wanted to work from and just added the text.

Happy party planning. Or if planning is not your thing, hope that you get a great planner that will put together the perfect event.

Bianca@EveryEvent finally has a blog

Yip, it has taken sometime.

I hope to post many great pics and editorial of many of life's great events.
Hopefully some of your's.

Life's an event. Live beautifully.