Violet's First Birthday

Cute things for a backyard party

“It was amazing. A total dream, perfect day.”

“What made it so special?”

(A recap conversation over the phone with a friend. I appreciated the opportunity to reflect on what made it so, after spouting out nearly the same answer to everyone who asked.)

Well, there was good food, to start. Always important! But the whole set-up, making it beautiful, while this is something I enjoy doing so much, it really does affect the outcome of the event. It’s not about getting the perfect Instagram photo, but rather it’s about creating with love, and allowing your guests to feel that.

The weather was perfect, hovering somewhere around 80 degrees, mostly shaded by trees, the air just vibrating with joy and togetherness. So many friends reunited, many up from the city for the day, so many babies and so close in age! And this was the best thing about the day by far: all of us simply being together.

When I first thought about what I wanted to do for Violet’s first birthday party, I knew I wanted to do it in our backyard. Something simple, classic — beautiful, yes — but still homegrown, if you know what I mean. A few fun things to do for the babes, and for the food, a picnic vibe. I landed on a flower theme, as she does love them on top of the fact that our little queen is named after one herself, while also playing off of her “enchanted garden” nursery.

Starting with this digital invite, which I purchased on Etsy and sent through Paperless Post. A little tip in case you can’t find what you’re looking for there.

Next I always like to create a mood board on Pinterest, where I pin all of the more aesthetic details for the party. I am a very visual person and this helps me bring everything together. I find that the theme or mood develops as the board does.

I knew I wanted to serve food on our big outdoor table, so I began looking for a new tablecloth — I was thinking gingham from the start. Heather Taylor Home has all the best ginghams and stripes and this honeydew version was perfect.

Then, I found these sweet wicker mushrooms, which I especially loved because I knew I’d be able to use them somewhere in the house afterwards. (Right now they have found a home on our bookshelf wall in the meditation room.)

I ordered the flower plates and napkins from Meri Meri, always a go-to for cute disposables. For drinks I am partial to simple clear plastic, which I think works well for everything from water to wine to cocktails. I know it’s not the most environmental choice, but for larger parties it’s just so much more practical.

I knew I wanted to do lavender lemonade from the beginning so I got this mason jar-style drink dispenser, which I liked because it has the larger capacity and also the insert for ice. Next time I think I will put it on some kind of riser if I can find one, maybe a basket if it were flat, as I think it looks just a bit nicer when it’s not pushed to the edge of the table.

(More details on the food and recipes next week, for paying subscribers 🍒)

Next I was thinking about what kinds of outdoor activities I could find for the babes. I found this play tent (they are now sold out of the lilac) and also got the matching tunnel. Both were a big hit with the kiddos, and things we can continue to play with (that also store easily).

I tied balloons at various spots throughout the party, like here on the tent, and in the back you can see them on the horse stables. I like to buy my balloons on Etsy where they have the best color selection and also offer the larger sizes. This was where my Pinterest board came in handy, so I could select the right colors. I did mostly lilac as well as some blush and a burnt orange. We tied a few near the entrance to our house too, to welcome people in and let them know they were at the right place.

We also tied them to this cute wagon, which was an investment but one that made sense as I knew we’d use it forever. These Amish-made wagons are high-quality and come in a few different colors, including purple (!) but I went with the hunter green, as I felt it was more classic, and was happy with my choice.

Ladybugs fit right into the flower/garden theme, starting with this car that all the babes loved. These little cars are quintessential childhood, you probably know the classic red and yellow but who knew that you can also get a dinosaur, a fairy coupe, even a princess truck?

I then found these baby ladybug beach balls, after discovering that Violet really liked a beach ball she found hidden in a storage bin (which funny enough was given to me by my doula when I was pregnant, to sit on and improve my posture). I liked the idea of mini beach balls around the tent and tunnel, sort of like a ball pit. Plus, the babies could take them home as favors.

That was in addition to the potted African violet plants I got for each family as parting gifts. I got these at a local greenhouse/nursery in a grocery store, one of the many benefits of life in the country. 🌾

I mentioned moving the dining chairs out into the yard to create little seating areas, one of which you can see in the background of the photo below. I found these folding bistro tables which worked perfectly. This helped spread the party out and allowed us to create more conversational seating. The tables were inexpensive and will be easy to store for future parties, though at least one is already proving useful as Daddy has been keeping it on the porch where he likes to work sometimes.

I laid a big lilac Turkish blanket on the lawn to create more seating and a play area for the babies. I placed some flower- and garden-themed board books (my fave here) on the blanket, as well as some musical instruments. I also found this cute wheelbarrow and gardening set which Violet will be able to enjoy for years to come. I also added a couple of these jute floor cushions for additional seating, which I am now happy to have for meditating outside.

Hope you enjoyed this peek into our unforgettable celebration for Miss V! See you next week for the rest.

x Sarah