On The Night You Were Born Party {Part 2}

On the Night You Were Born Party {Part 1}

McKinley, my youngest son's birthday was coming up. Originally I had planned on doing a Neverland themed party. So for a few months, I was looking for ideas for that. But over those few months, McKinley and I started a bedtime tradition of reading his favorite book every night. The book . . .

On The Night You Were Born by Nancy Tillman

We read that book out! Seriously. I know it by heart and have even been known to make up songs using the words of the book as the lyrics. So after some reconsidering, I changed his party theme. (Surprise, Surprise)

So I started my planning process over again. But this time, I didn't have as much luck finding inspiration online from other parties. I was baffled, that being such a popular book that there wasn't really anything out there! I thought for sure there would be at least a baby shower or a first birthday that had used this theme.

What I did at this point was use the book and the artwork for inspiration. Now, the artwork is gorgeous! Like seriously, someone needs to buy the book, rip out the pages and frame them in a baby's room gorgeous! [I can't believe I didn't think of that] So it was fairly easy to find inspiration.

Here are some photos I snapped as I was setting everything up . . .

Fabric Backdrop - Joann Fabrics (Lucky it looked just like the night sky in the book)

Gold Letters - Cut outs with Cricket

Moon - DIY using tissue paper, Elmers Glue and Water

Table Cloth - White King Sized Sheet

White Fur Table Clothe - Joann Fabrics

Paper Plates/napkins - Target (again, lucky find that they matched the book perfectly)

Gold Cake Paper Plates - Walmart

Polar Bear Centerpiece - Scanned book and had blown up at Sam's Club Photo

Cut it out and taped it to a paper towel holder

Frog - Hobby Lobby

Crystal Glasses - MINE ; )

Gold Clock - Pier One Imports

Wooden Crate Box - Hobby Lobby (flipped over to put cake on)

Gold Tiered Server - Goodwill

Everything else I either had and don't recall where and when I purchased it. Over the years I have accumulated so much from parties and events that I am at the point now that I get to just reuse them over and over again! And I also like to use things that I already have around the house. Like the gold clock for instance . . . it was in McKinley's room. The wooden crate Box that I flipped over to put the cake on . . . that held our popcorn and napkins in our Movie Themed Basement. The white fur that resembles the snow in some of the artwork is actually used for newborn shoots in my photography business. As well as the white king size sheet!

And my rule about purchasing new things for party decor is that I HAVE to be able to use it in my everyday life! The frog that I purchased in the Spring Decor at Hobby Lobby is now in my garden! 

Cruise Ship themed dessert table

This year's theme for the Teacher Appreciation Luncheon at my sons' school was a Cruise Ship.

I was stumped! Seriously. How in the world do you decorate like a cruise ship? And after

looking all over the web for inspiration, I still had no clue.

So then I started to think . . . "What is on a cruise ship?"

•Nautical flags

•Bright blue water

•Wine/Champagne

•Well dressed crew

•Towel animals

So that gave me something to go off of at least.

I went to my local Joann Fabrics store and picked up yellow, blue, red, white and black felt. 

Felt is very inexpensive and easy to work with as it doesn't fray. Following the nautical alphabet flags that I found online, I made about half the alphabet flags using nothing but scissors and hot glue. I used a white rope to hang them on!

Then at about midnight I was online watching video tutorials on how to make towel animals like they leave in your rooms. I have to say, my elephant turned out pretty darn good! I also wipped up some food label cards with two little anchors on them!

I really didn't have a plan as to what the layout of the table would be. Mainly because it was super late at night and I didn't feel like "mapping" it out. So I winged it. I just brought a whole bunch of stuff that went with a travel/cruise ship theme.

•Two globes

•Some grassy plants

•Empty Wine Bottles

•The DIY nautical flags

•Towel Elephant

•Skipper Hat ($10 at Party City)

•Fabric with a water pattern on it (Joanns)

•Left over rope from the flags

•Vintage Suitcase

•Burlap for table cover