This is a four part Series covering your Garden Birthday Party. You can also read about the Garden Party Decorations, Garden Party Favors, & Garden Party Food.
We're in the midst of planning your little birthday party. To lead up to it, as promised, for the next several Wednesdays I'm going to talk about birthday party celebrations. I tried to come up with a cool title that linked Wednesday to Birthday parties, and wracked my brain for a whole 60 seconds but couldn't think of anything. So, "Birthday Party for Little Loves" which just happens to be posted on Wednesday it is!
You know by now that we celebrate your half birthday. Sure, we get together with your grandparents & aunts & uncles to celebrate your actual birthday (typically in both RI & NC). Your birthday just happens to fall in the middle of Christmas & New Years- a tough time to try to get all your little friends together for a celebration & a cold time in Rhode Island to plan a fun birthday party. Plus, I cringe a little every time you get a birthday present wrapped in Christmas paper.
Last year we threw you your first half birthday bash. You were 1 1/2. Although you were very verbal, you didn't have many specific likes or dislikes. You were already showing signs of being a girly girl, so we planned a garden party...Actually, I take that back. The theme was really just flowers. Looking back now, a garden party would've been a much more cohesive theme than just flowers. Oh well.
Let's start with the invites. To save money, we made our own. I chose a yellow, purple, & green color scheme which we carried throughout the party. First, I stenciled sunflowers all over cardstock paper. You kind of helped. By helped, I mean you tried to touch all of the painted papers as they were drying on the dining room table & got paint everywhere. By the time I had gotten one page from you & had placed it back on the table, you were on to the next.
I held you in my lap & sang you your ABCs as I used our printer to print the words for the invites. After this, I learned to wait to work on invitations until after you are sleeping. At least we can say you were involved in the creation of your party invites.
I think they came out really sweet, & the hand-painting was a fun, personal touch.
We sent the invitations out to extended family, some of our close friends, & five or six of your sweet, little friends. We have a large backyard, & wanted to share your special day with all of our family & our best friends. I think 50 people were invited overall, which didn't really seem like a lot until the day of the party. On the day of the party, it was kinda overwhelming for me to enjoy your birthday celebration while hosting such a big group. I actually pretty much missed you smashing into your first cake, because I was serving everyone else. This year we're going much smaller & just planning a party for you & your little friends. While we'll miss having all of our family with us, we've learned that you don't have to throw a massive party for it to be a special party.
I love you so,
Mommy
This is so sweet! Thanks for sharing. :) I think celebrating the half birthday makes perfect sense and is sure to make her feel very special!
ReplyDeleteLovely blog with so cute title.
ReplyDeleteCelebrating birthday of our loved ones and most important people is really a very exciting thing.
You post was heart touching.
Kelly Losson