Imperfect Progress: Flashback to Beckett's 1st Birthday Party

Today I officially started working on Beckett's 2nd birthday party. I have known the theme for awhile and have been pinning stuff on Pinterest but now that I'm down to a month and a day, I have actually started making decisions, ordering stuff, etc.

Since I wasn't blogging a year ago, I thought I'd do a little recap of his first birthday party. It turned out super cute (or at least I think so) but I can't take too much credit since most of my ideas came from Pinterest.

Beckett's Very Hungry Caterpillar Party

I had the invitations designed on Etsy. They emailed me the digital file, and I printed them on mixbook. I went with mixbook so I could get a paper finish and not a photo finish.

I also had a "chalkboard" poster designed on Etsy. Again, I sent her the info and she emailed me the digital image. I submitted it online to Office Max to have it printed and then went to the store to pick it up. We used it as a prop in his 1 year pictures, as a decoration at his party, and now it hangs in his play area.

I ordered his t-shirt on Etsy. The shoes I actually made myself. They are natural colored TOMS. I used acrylic paint and a small sponge paint brush to make the dots to match the Hungry Caterpillar pattern.

I got the idea for the highchair banner from Pinterest and made it myself. I loved incorporating it into the professional pictures, too!

I also got a hat, tie, and diaper cover from Etsy.

The cake was my very favorite part of the party and was really the center of the decor. We used the same company that made our wedding cake and groom's cake. Click here to see the image I sent them for what I wanted. I was not disappointed.... in fact I really had a hard time cutting into it!

Since the entire book is centered around food, the "menu" was pretty easy to come up with, and the food doubled as decorations! I printed the food labels from here. Everyone also got to fill up a little box with candy to take home.

I set out The Very Hungry Caterpillar book for all party guests to write a little message to Beckett in. I love guest books that have multiple purposes. :)

Here are a few more pictures from the party: