In September my son turned one. And being the good mom (read entirely too-detailed, crazy person) that I am, I designed his birthday party. How do you design a birthday party, you ask. Well, you “brand” it, set up an overall look and go nuts with it.
It all started when I joined Pinterest (an awesome website that you must check out if you haven’t heard of it, but only if you have a few hours to kill…or days). I searched high and low for birthday party ideas: something fun for me (the crazy planner) yet cute for one-year old Pierce, while not settling with the standard sports/animals/trains themes that most boys typically end up with. I happened upon the Full House blogger who threw a “Mr. Man” party for her triplet boys. It was adorable. I shamelessly poured over her photos for ideas. Mustaches! Ties! And I discovered that all I really need is a theme to get me started…
First things first: The invitation. I settled on colors that I liked, and then I incorporated certain fonts for an old school look. Once the invitations were done, the fun really got started.
From there I designed matching signs, food cards, favor tags, everything I could think of. It was a blast. After that, everything started coming together. My goal for the menu was that it be hearty with some healthy options. All the recipes were from Pinterest (love) – BBQ ManWiches, bowtie pasta, corn on the cob, toasted almond green beans, watermelon and salad.
The best part about the whole party (besides the birthday boy) was that we had a professional photographer come shoot for us. The burden of me taking pictures was off! Was I ever grateful to Lisa Shorts of ImagoModo Photography for capturing the entire party perfectly. Without her, I would have nothing to show from this special day. Special thanks to you, Lisa.
Welcome SIgn – “Comb” on In!
The munchies – tie cookies, pretzel cigars and popcorn (served in newspaper cones!)
The centerpiece was a faux rotary phone, clock, newsboy hat & tie on top of a newspaper and positioned in a metal briefcase.
happy birthday circle banner
Ties decorated all the end tables
My favorite idea from the Mr. Man party was these chocolate mustaches. I ordered a couple molds, bought the Wilton chocolate melts, and made these cuties in a couple hours. The guest pictures Lisa got were priceless! Here are a couple:
Mustache Man
Mustache Family
Cookie favors were ties and P initials
Mustache straws in mason jars
Outdoor fun
The cakes were my first attempt at 1. Ever making a birthday cake and 2. Using fondant. The colors turned out just how I wanted them, and I didn’t have to pay for an expensive yet mediocre grocery store cake. 
Nothing against my beloved Publix.
Not one to get his hands dirty.
But desperate times call for desperate measures. My messy birthday boy.
Mustachioed Mom
Happy boy!
I’m contemplating a future in party planning. Ok, not really, but this was a lot of fun. Until next year!
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