birthday bash. party planning.

it is hard to believe that my baby boy is going to be one!

this year has flown by in one big whirlwind of uncontainable laughter & love. 

i can hardly wait to celebrate this little boy.

he has brought so much joy into our lives.

that being said. 

the planning has commenced.

& i have had an absolute ball planning patrick's birthday bash.

there are few things i enjoy more than planning a soiree. 

and since it is for baby patrick . . . i enjoy it even more. 

i want to share some of my inspiration & ideas with you. 

so take a sneak peak of behind the scenes planning for  

patrick's perfectly polka dotted pinwheel party.

i just adore how the invitations turned out. 

minted always hits the mark when it comes to darling paper goods.

a punchy color palette is always great fun.

i am using lime green. sunshine yellow. & cobalt blue.

& a hands-on sidekick is always a necessity when party planning. 

i find any & every excuse to incorporate photos into my party planning.

darling head shots of patrick & his many expressions will sprinkle the table. 

i won't spill the beans on how exactly they are being used. 

you will just have to wait to see the party pictures. 

i snagged these dotty little pinwheels at hobby lobby.

i mean. really? pinwheels just scream summertime fun.

these were an absolute steal of a find.

i like to have all my supplies in front of me while i am planning & creating.

its like a big piñata of party goods spilled onto my dining room table.

and i am totally ok with that. 

it helps my creativity flow. 

while i love etsy for its great inspiration & one of a kind finds

it is so much fun . . . and a whole lot cheaper . . . to make things yourself.

these giant wooden letters were so simple to decorate.

simply trace the letter shape onto the paper of your choosing. 

glue the paper down. & sand the edges until they are smooth. 

i loved the idea of using milk jars in some capacity.

but the glass jars were just too impractical with young kiddos. 

i was thrilled to find these adorable plastic milk jars via hoopla events

not only does hoopla have the cutest things . . . but they are reasonably priced. too. 

aren't they darling?

they would be perfect to fill with candy as a party favor.

half the fun of party planning is simply playing around.

just experiment with your supplies. 

try different ideas until you land on something you love.

and don't take it too seriously. it should be fun.

allow your personality to shine through & its guaranteed to be a hit.

these giant pinwheels are also from hobby lobby.

{i totally hit pay dirt at that super store}

three oversized pinwheels. a yard of burlap.

& twenty dollars later you have the perfect door hanging. 

don't you think that will make a precious welcome for the guests?

one way to make party planning a breeze is to prepare in advance.

it is easy to underestimate the time that it takes to set up for a party.

spare yourself the stress & do anything in advance that you can.

fold the napkins. set the table. whatever you can do prior to the day of. do it. 

i promise it will make the moments before your party so much more enjoyable.

hope this has given you a bit of inspiration.

party planning can be fun. simple. & it doesn't have to break the bank. 

i can hardly wait to share with you pictures from the actual party.

it is going to be great fun & impossibly polka dotted. 

{special thanks to leisa rice for the photographs}

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