party in a box

I love this idea from you are my fave on melodie's blog...who wouldn't love to receive this 'party in a box' on their birthday?

wild for this present

My go-to gift for the latest round of 2 year-old birthday parties has been this Catherine Ledner book. Beautiful enough to sit out on a coffee table- but a favorite among the toddler set as well.

coastal-inspired birthday party

Brazilian mom Juliana shared this great party for her son Thomas and cousin Sofia. So many colorful details you won't want to miss, right here.

party heart-y

Heart-themed birthday party from Lullaby Lubbock!

pastel party

Delightful party from spearmint baby (via Whitney). Even the colorful carnations look chic.

pretty

Birthday cake in red and pink.

birthday horse

Love this portrait for Alibar the horse's 28th birthday!

moving video tribute

I'm in love with this birthday video made for a long-distance friend's 22nd birthday, by KC and Sara. You won't want to miss it!

chinese-themed birthday party

Adorable Chinese-themed birthday party celebrating Charlotte's 8th birthday! So many details you won't want to miss the rice krispie 'sushi', among other great ideas. 

oh, birthday presents...

'Tis the season of summer birthdays...and the same question for me always comes up: what do I buy a ____ year-old ____ (boy, girl)? And how much do I spend? The answer to this question varies wildly (obviously depending on age, gender), and the money question always leaves me stumped. For me, I think the standard birthday gift varies between $15-30, depending on who it is going to, the age, etcetera.

A friend recently relayed that her 2-year old had received a $50 gift certificate for her birthday from a non-family friend. She didn't seem at all phased. I think my internal jaw dropped, however - is that really what people are spending on presents these days? Even for a good friend's child, that seems excessive, no? What do you spend on presents? Any money-type of question is a personal one, I know, but I certainly hate to be the chintzy one! Do tell.

photo by Melanie Acevedo

more twins...

Another set of twins' very summery birthday celebration is sure to inspire- check out the photo screen cut-out board and watermelon stars, among some other great ideas from Kellie!

cake toppers

We've all been swooning over that cake topper Sharnel used for her daughter's birthday. At $60 a pop, they are definitely for a special occasion, but can be such a beautiful addition to any celebration. Made by Etsy's Lollipop Workshop...so many amazing creations to choose from, right here! 

: : : : : : : : 

It's my husband's birthday today, and I must admit that I did not do anything picture-worthy for it. I learned looong ago (we've been together for 13 years, married for 6), that most of my thought-out efforts go unappreciated. Too often I've found a handmade card in the trash or spent hours making a cake that he doesn't like (even if he pretends to). So I make sure we do what HE wants on his birthday, which now involves hiring a babysitter, going out to a movie and a nice little dinner (plus 'letting' him go on a 4-day annual golf trip later in the summer). It's actually nice not to feel like I have the pressure of creating something to show him how much I love him. And it works for both of us.

duck party

I must admit a 'duck theme' has never crossed my mind for a party, but these pictures from Suzi of Alannah Rose have given me pause. A strong color palette and thought-out details make this a winning combination for Ella's 3rd birthday. This theme could easily be translated to a baby shower as well.

alice in wonderland

I have not been able to move on from my MikoDesign obsession...still drooling over that Frida Kahlo party! I happily discovered that I had (accidentally) not yet shared her Alice in Wonderland party. Brilliant, but I expect nothing less of this creative genius.

pink + yellow loveliness

You won't want to miss this gorgeous pink + yellow party from Faith of The Kitchn. These colors are definitely a winning combination. I can't get over all the lovely details...including the bright pink peonies (an all-time flower fave!) and lemon place card holders. Check it all out right here.

cake truffles

I love these cake truffles as an alternative to cake or cupcakes...more beauties on flickr right here.

3rd birthday

Cute birthday celebration from Irene- love those cupcakes!

4th birthday party

Brooke spotted this gem of a party at ThreePotatoFour's blog. The 'robot prize dispenser' is priceless- a genius last minute addition to the party. For all the details, look here.

lucky to be...33

When my husband asked what I wanted for my 33rd birthday, I replied that I wanted a party for some friends - with him cooking, serving, cleaning. He quickly (surprisingly!) obliged, and I have to say it was one of the best birthday gifts ever.

The plan...

I have long wanted to host a 'lucky' party- one that celebrated all the friends in my life that I felt lucky to have. The reality of throwing an all-out bash was overwhelming, however, so we decided to have a small-scale dinner for some close friends. We decided that 6 was a manageable size- which turned out to be the perfect number (even though one had to cancel at the last minute).  I figured with my husband taking care of the big stuff, I could finally take time to focus on all the small detail stuff that I enjoy doing. However, this was...

The reality...

I realized not much more then a week before the party that I had not sent out invitations. It was too late to send out an HPG creation, so I threw something together quickly. I printed the invitations and Super 77'ed some remnant wrapping paper to the back to give it some pattern. Once the invitations were out, I thought I would focus on the fun small stuff. However, with a weekend trip, a mis-scheduled house cleaning, and the usual mom brain- I neglected to focus on any of the fun stuff until the day of. And I was too busy cleaning and taking care of my son to really go to the lengths I had planned on. I was still pleased with the results, though. 

I used a 'lucky'/horseshoe theme- chocolate horseshoe favors were given to the guests, with a blurb telling them what I was lucky to have them for (kindness, humor, spirit, friendship, creativity, etc). Horseshoes I purchased on etsy were loosely placed on the cocktail table and dinner table. I wanted everything to be cohesive, but not too thematic. I used the wrapping paper as the jumping point for the color palette- red and pink and lots of white. My husband (who I promise dressed himself), even showed up in a pink striped shirt and tie- perfect! 

The evening couldn't have been better, and I really couldn't be any luckier to have such good friends and an amazing husband. I'm already trying to talk him into doing it again next year. I highly recommend a similar evening as a fabulous way to ring in a 'boring' birthday.