I love decorating for parties, even just small gatherings. The last time I had the girls over for Girl’s Night I did an entire fall tablescape just because I could. It’s possible that I am slightly neurotic. I kept things really simple for Scarlette’s birthday this year. She is really into playing tea party and so I thought that would make a fun birthday theme. Plus, I figured it’s probably my last year to get to throw a really pretty party because this time next year she’ll likely be asking to have some sort of character-themed party. Here is a peek at it:
referral links->The name banner is c/o Minted, I had it sitting in my cart for awhile and planned to use my referral credit to get one but then they offered to send it to me if I posted about it. And I was all “This works for me, Minted, because I am going to post about her party ANYWAYS so I am totally for this idea.”
Typically they are meant to say something like “Happy Birthday” but I decided to put her name on it and then hang it in her room afterwards because it matches her decor. And because we’re building a canopy over her bed for her Christmas gift. I did not notice the option to add your photo to the banner or I totally would have done that. And by “your” I mean Scarlettes. I wouldn’t put my own photo on her banner, that would be awkward. Anyhow, I figured that I would reuse it for years to come. Like, in 15 years I’ll hang it under a banner that says “Happy Graduation” and people will be like “Really? Still with the name banner? We’re still doing this?” But I won’t care because SO PRETTY.
My MO for birthday parties is basically this:
Step One: Gather all of the frames in your household.
Step Two: Replace all photos with cute pictures of the person being celebrated. Luckily for us, my kid is really cute.
Step Three: Place cute photos in frames all around the party area
Step Four: Round up anything related to your theme, such as random tea pots or books about tea parties or Princess Kate and place them strategically around the room. I find this works really well if you can snag Princess Kate as she makes for an excellent icebreaker.
For the goodie baskets, I just raided my downstairs closet. I regularly stalk Target’s dollar spot and then scoop up fun items for goodie bags whenever there is a 70% off sale. That’s right. I wait for stuff to go 70% off IN THE DOLLAR SPOT. That is how I roll. I filled these up with stickers, temporary tattoos, crayons, suckers and a wallet size picture of Scarlette. I spent less than $3 total to put all of the goodie bags together, which is why it is not at all ridiculous to stalk the Target dollar spot clearance. Because that’s how Mama affords her Stitch Fix.
Just kidding.
(Sort of.)
I keep these strips of Heather Bailey fabric stashed away and then pull them out to use as random decorations. Here they are at Scarlette’s first, second and third birthdays. I did not intend to start a tradition here, I’m just cheap frugal but now I feel all challenged to keep it up. Must re-use fabric strips.
(Also, you can see her first birthday here and her second birthday here)
This is also why her tissue paper flowers look a little wonky, because I totally saved and reused those. Maybe don’t be as cheap as me and just make some new ones. Tissues cost like, two dollars. They were sort of a last minute attempt to hide the five thousand and thirty two cords that lay in all their unsightly glory beneath my television. This is one of those things no one tells you about marriage, that your husband’s electronics will result in wires overtaking your home. It’s like they breed or something. (In his defense, no one told him about how I strew my makeup all across his side of the bathroom sink.)
I ordered petit fours for her because her pretend tea set has them and I thought she would think they were fun. I recommend ordering an assortment of these because then we got to play a fun game called “Guess Which Petit Four Is The Chocolate One.” Spoiler alert: only Jack’s was. I made hot apple cider with my secret ingredient and Scarlette keeps asking me for “shpecial appuh juice shider pwetty, pwetty pwease?” I filled the tiny little cups of her tea set with cider for the kids and Scarlette sipped it daintily.
(I’m hoping some of my family members have some pictures because I didn’t take any DURING the actual party on account of how I sort of got busy having fun and forgot.)
The Treats and Sips signs are also c/o Minted because I they had the little tea pots on them and I figured I should have something that tied into the tea party theme. Plus, so pretty. The menu board is one that I’ve had for years from DaySpring and am so sad that they don’t sell anymore because I use it all the time.
It’s also a good idea to take photos before people start arriving and your daughter rips out her hairbows and just wants to go play with her cousins, leaving you with a family photo that looks like this:
In the end, it was a wonderful day. I decorated the night before, after Scarlette went to bed, and when she woke up and saw her banner she kept saying “Is dat my name?! Is dat my shpecial name wif two wetter T’s on it?! For my birfday? Dis is SHO WONNERFUL MOMMY!”
And so then basically I melted into a million pieces.
(As did my ladle, which apparently you can’t just leave lying in the pot of hot apple cider. I SHOULD HAVE KNOWN THIS.)
This tiny little tea party made me fall a little bit in love with three, an age that I was having a hard time with because of all the “goodbye baby” that comes with it and the finality of knowing that as she will be our only child, ushering in year three meant a season has passed that we won’t return to.
But at three she waited for her special day with anxious anticipation and there was beauty in seeing that light in her big, blue eyes.
At three she clasped her hands together in excitement and said “Is dis bootiful tea shet my pwize for my birfday?! Fank you sho much!”
And at three she grasped that we were celebrating her, and that opportunity to speak love into her life with the people closest to us was the most beautiful blessing.
(Plus, I was really proud of her good manners as she hugged and thanked everyone for her gifts. I mean, so sweet. Mommy brag!)
