Kite 1st Birthday Party

Shelly emailed in looking for some inspiration for her son's 1st birthday party in the park. She already had the invitations sent out (see top left) and just needed to take that theme through to the next step. Here are a few ideas:

- kite cupcakes for a matching and delicious dessert
- homemade kites actually fly and would make a nice favor - match the colors to your invitations or partyware
- homemade kite decorations are super cute and can be customized with words, letters, numbers, etc to fit the party; made with patterned scrapbook paper and various ribbon strings [via party perfect]
- bright and fun, this party tabletop sports a multi-colored umbrella to add to the decor
- celebrate the birthday boy by spelling out his name on pendants made to match the colors and patterns of your kite decor [via party perfect]

Preppy Pink & Green Whale Birthday Party

Amy left a comment looking for ideas for her daughter's 3rd birthday party in the park. The themes she mentioned were preppy, pink & green and whales. I love this idea and was thrilled to gather ideas for such a cute party concept!

- Green polka-dotted paper treat packets sealed with a pink monogram seal [via Rebecca Thuss]

- Hand painted pink and green polka dot boxes are ideal for favors or decoration [via]

- Paper lanterns in shades of pink, green, yellow and white would look lovely hung from tree branches in a park setting (don't worry about actually lighting them, just let the color provide great decor) [via Rebecca Thuss]

- Pink & Green whale basket can help carry party essentials to the location as well as portray the theme [via]

- Super preppy grosgrain ribbon napkin rings for the adult table [via Social Couture]

- The perfect way to spread the word: pink and green whale invitation by Boatman Geller

- Green and pink whale luggage tags are a practical and cute favor (great for traveling as well as lunches, backpacks, sleepover gear, etc) [via]

- Fun and coordinating footwear for the stylish host/mom [via Target]

Also, for dessert, here is a preppy pink and green cake:

Puppy 1st Birthday Party

Ronda left a comment a few days ago looking for ideas for her son's puppy-themed 1st birthday party. Here a few bits of inspiration:

- Puppy-themed tabletop decor - Though the diaper-fold napkins may be more apt for a baby shower than a 1st birthday, the set-up of this table is very cute. It features dog cookie favors at each place setting. The centerpiece can be puppy-related with a few small dog stuffed animals or maybe cylindrical vases filled with dog treats in different shapes or colors.
- Puppy-themed sugar cookies are an easier DIY dessert idea (via flickr user bumblebeegrad)
- Adorable puppy 1st birthday cake (via flickr user crafty confections)

Fairy Birthday Party

I received an email from Lenadri who is planning a fairy-themed 1st birthday for her daughter. She asked for some help with party inspiration so today's board shows a magical trip to a fairyland for child's birthday.

- No fairy party is complete without dressing each child (and adult if they're willing) with fairy wings, floral headpieces and puffy tulle skirts [image via]
- Invite guests with a pink invitation that features fairies and a mushroom stool (from FineStationery.com)
- Fairy wands are a must for party fun and as a favor. These are handmade wands that have flowers at the top as opposed to stars. It takes on more of an enchanted forest theme with flowers growing on the tips of wands. [image via flickr user zooloonaturals]
- Bright and fun tabletop decoration from Social Couture- star and globe-shaped lanterns create a bright and textured look above, while a centerpiece of grass and colorful butterflies decorates the table. (see close ups of the centerpiece and place setting below the main image)
- These adorable cupcakes each portray the details of a fairyland. [via flickr user gracescakes]

I hope this helps Lenadri! I certainly enjoyed putting this together for you! :)

Arrg, me hearty!

My apologies for the lack of a post yesterday! Today I wanted to make up for that with some excellent pirate party inspiration. You see, yesterday I was informed that it was talk like a pirate day so in honor of that occasion here are some walk the plank ideas!

The following inspiration board is from my friend Kati of The Finer Things. She put together a bunch of great ideas! Check out her pirate post for sourcing information.This next pirate inspiration board comes from Kim Vallee and features Pottery Barn party elements for a pirate and a sports themed party for kids:

Have you seen any great pirate theme ideas on the web or even attended a fun pirate party? If so, please leave a comment and share!

Preppy Baby Shower for a Girl

Pink and green combine into preppy stripes and polka dots for today's baby shower theme. My inspiration arose from this lovely table setting featuring green place mats and pink napkins tied with a pink striped belt. Invite your shower guests with a this pink and green striped invitation from FineStationery.com. Serve up this rose drink of pink lemonade (with or without the vodka depending upon who's drinking it) alongside a slice of this adorable pink, green and yellow cake as photographed by Rebecca Thuss. For favors, send guests home with some sweetly decorated candy treats that fit perfectly into the color scheme.

Oh Baby! Sports Themed Couple's Shower

Today's Oh Baby! feature was requested by Nicole. She's planning a September couple's baby shower with a blue and green color scheme combined with a sports theme. Here are my inspiration picks for Nicole:

- Blue sports invitation from FineStationery.com
- Blue and green paper lanterns to add color and design around the event space
- Sports lollipop mold - great for favors, just place in a clear plastic lollipop bag and tie with light blue or green ribbon
- For a sports themed centerpiece consider using multiple football, baseball, basketball and soccer ball frames. Fill with family photos, images of the new baby's name (if known), sport team logos or meaningful words. These would make nice decorations in the baby's room afterwards too.
- Light blue cake with sports adornments [image via flickr user gelcolet]
- Wooden sports themed ring toss game - I saw this in my sports search and thought it was really cute! There are lots of ways that baby or family trivia can be incorporated into a game using this classic piece.
- Add sports themed adhesive embellishments to light blue and green place cards for a sports place marking