Emme Claire's 1st Birthday Party!

Party was Saturday, April 24th 2010 at 3pm.

Emme Claire's party was a huge success! Everything was beautiful! The weather was perfect! And Emme Claire had the best time! She never cried or had any meltdowns! She did so good! Mommy was proud! We had lots of friends and family there to help us celebrate Emme Claire's 1st year.

We had the party at Landry Vineyards wine tasting room in West Monroe. www.landryvineyards.com Libby Landry was a big help getting things ready before the party started. And so were my friends Bridget Parker and Karie Potts. I couldn't have done it without them! Also Brian's mom and dad came a little early and helped out too! The vineyard is a beautiful place to have a party! I would recommend it to anyone!

Leona McConathy catered the event and the food was fantastic! We had a huge table of fresh fruits and dips (cantalope, red and green apples, red and green grapes, pineapple, cherries, strawberries, blackberries, kiwi, and oranges), white chocolate dipped strawberries that were colored pink, cold boiled shrimp and dips, hot ham and cheese loaves, Rotel cheese dip and chips, cheese and bacon ball and chips, Mexican 7 layer dip and chips, small ham and cheese and peanut butter and jelly sandwiches cut out in the shape of little owls (they were adorable!). We had a drink table with sweet and unsweet tea and pink lemonade. Everyone enjoyed the food!

Karie Potts of K&K Photography came to capture every special moment of the day! www.kandkphotographyonline.com I have a few pictures to post on here that she loaded on Facebook last night! They are so good! Oh and the party invitations were designed by Karie as well and she took pics of Emme Claire back in March to use on the invitations.

Heather Bailey of Social Bites of Ruston made the ADORABLE birthday cake and smash cake for Emme Claire. They were the prettiest cakes I've ever seen and they tasted great too! www.socialbitesofruston.com

I ordered all the owl printed party decorations from Ciao Bambino on Etsy. www.etsy.com/shop/ciaobambino The colors were mainly pinks and greens with a little purple and a little yellow. Party decorations from Ciao Bambino would include the banners that hung above the candy table, the banner on her highchair, the candy label tags, the welcome sign and 2 other hanging signs, table confetti, favor bag stickers, favor bucket tags, birthday girl crown, birthday centerpiece sticks etc. These were made using an adorable pink owl with a pink flower in her hair.

I had Rachel McGhee of The Peek-A-Bootique paint a picture frame and canvas to match the party decorations. The frame and canvas were displayed on the cake table. She did a terrific job on them. She also painted the letters EMME that were standing on the gift table. www.thepeekabootique.blogspot.com

I picked out 19 of my favorite pictures of Emme Claire from birth until now and displayed them around the room using easels and I put some in the windows. These pictures were taken by K&K Photography and Baby Blues Photography (www.babybluephoto.com). I had a hard time narrowing down the pics and choosing which ones to bring because both Karie and Stephanie have taken so many beautiful pics of Emme Claire this year!

I made the pink and green ribbon topiaries and the flower pom pom centerpieces you will see on the cake table. I LOVE those ribbon topiaries!!! I also made the little felt owls that are hanging in the manzanita branch.

The CANDY BUFFET table was the focal point of the party! It was perfect! Turned out just how I had invisioned! I had my husband build a frame that I could use to hang fabric on for the backdrop and I ordered a lot of bright pink fabric and after a little sewing and pinning I had the perfect backdrop and matching tablecloth. I bought lots and lots of clear glass containers at Hobby Lobby. Also used a silver 3 tiered server to hold the popcorn bags. I also bought lots and lots of CANDY!!! I bought pink owl shaped lollipops, pink and white swirl lollipops, giant pixy stix, marshmallow poles, green and pink M&M's, green and pink Reese's cups, Spree, Sweetarts, Peanut M&M's, pastel jellybeans and candy coated popcorn in colors to match the party (green apple, strawberry and grape). I had Ciao Bambino print tags that I put on each container saying what was in them.

We had lots of balloons in pink, green and purple. Plus a couple of big pink #1 balloons and 3 round mylar owl balloons. I used little ceramic buckets shaped like owls and had balloons tied to them and sat them around on the guest tables. Also had a bouquet of balloons on Emme Claire's highchair.

The favor buckets were pink, green or yellow. I tied a tag to the handle of each one that said Thank you for coming to my 1st birthday! In the bucket I put a kid sized toothbrush and toothpaste, glitter bouncy ball, yellow handclapper noise maker, bottle of bubbles, 2 pencils (some had owls on them) and a bouquet of dum dum pops. Then at the end of the party the kids parents helped them get goodies from the candy buffet table. I had the popcorn pre-bagged up and then I had clear favor bags with owl party favor stickers on them to be filled with the loose candies. The kids loved it!!! I also bought colored drink cups with lids and straws for the kids to use during the party and then take home with them.

My friend Bridget brought some beautiful pots of hot pink double impatients that we used on the guest tables and outside on the patio tables and outside the entry door.

I had a couple of stuffed owls from Pottery Barn Kids that were used as decoration in a window. We had pink and green plates and napkins. And I got a cute owl canvas from Target that was used behind the favor bucket table.

Emme Claire wore a pretty dress with smocking around the bodice in bright colors of pinks, greens and blue with a matching bow in her hair. While eating her smash cake she wore her bloomers that have an owl appliqued on the bottom with a matching owl hairbow.

After everyone finished eating we sang Happy Birthday to Emme Claire and let her eat her cake, which she loved!!! She ate about half of it and didn't want us to take it away from her! haha! Then we cut the main cake and everyone ate cake and ice cream. The cake was delicious!

Then Emme Claire and I opened her presents. She got so many wonderful gifts from everyone. She was truly showered with presents and love that day!

When the magician/balloon sculpture arrived he started going around the room making balloon animals for all the kids. They really loved that!!! There were balloon animals everywhere! Once we finished opening the gifts he started his magic show! It was great! He was really funny and the kids got to participate a lot which they enjoyed. One of my friends, Jennifer Kerry, little boy Noah was the star of the show! He was so cute! Only 3 yrs old and as brave as can be! He was hilarious up there helping the magician do his tricks!

Then when the show was over the kids and parents filled up there goodie bags and got there favor buckets and went home.

It was a fabulous party! I worked really hard planning it and setting it up! I spent a small forture but it was so worth it! It couldn't have been more perfect! It was the perfect party for my perfect little girl!!!

Now for some pictures!!! These pics are taken by the photographer Karie Potts. www.kandkphotographyonline.com

This picture shows part of the candy table, the gift table, the cake table and some of the pictures of Emme Claire.


The main party cake. Owl and lollipops! So cute!!! - made by Heather Bailey www.socialbitesofruston.com


Emme Claire "blowing" out her candle on her smash cake. The cake looked just like the owl on her decorations! Super cute! And she tore into it! Also made by Heather Bailey of Social Bites of Ruston.


Emme Claire enjoying her very own cake! Yummy!!!


The candy buffet table in all it's pink and owl cuteness!


Mommy, Daddy and Emme Claire before we cut the cake!


Emme Claire in her pink owl bloomers.


Emme Claire's party invitation. Front side. Photos taken by and card designed by Karie Potts of K&K Photography.


Emme Claire's party invitation. Back side.