Juno's party: {the party favor}

What's the most important part of a kid's birthday party?

Birthday cake!

I wanted to send Juno's guests home with a little taste of the joy and innocence of a child's birthday, so I decided to make cake batter bark. Mmmmmm!

Jason's mom gave us this adorable suitcase when we got married. It was filled with all of Jason's kindergarten and elementary school papers and projects. The girls love looking through Daddy's artwork! This suitcase was perfect set by the front door with the party favors.

Doesn't that look scrumptious? (Ask my butt, it will tell you that it is scrumptious)
If you've ever made any kind of bark, you will know how simple it is.
1. Prepare a cookie sheet by covering it with wax paper or freezer paper.
2. Melt one bag of semi-sweet chocolate chips over medium heat until smooth and glossy. I know that most people say you should use high quality chocolate for melting--I have found that store brand chocolate chips work just fine! The secret is you have to buy semi-sweet. Milk chocolate just doesn't work. When the chocolate is smooth and glossy, use a rubber spatula to spread it across the cookie sheet. Stick the cookie sheet in the freezer for about 20 minutes to let the chocolate set.
3. After the chocolate has set, melt one package of vanilla bark over medium heat until smooth and glossy. Stir in dry cake mix--yep, just straight out of the box! I used about 1/3 of a cup because I really wanted to taste the cake flavor. Carefully spread the vanilla bark over the chocolate layer and sprinkle colorful jimmies all over.
4. Put the bark back in the freezer until set, and then break it up into pieces. Perfect for gift-giving!

PS: Jason's awesome aunt Margaret took all these party pictures for me. Thanks, Margaret!

Juno's party: {the activities}

Since we were having such a huge age range at this party (a bunch of little kids, some teens and tweens, and adults), I just put together a few little activities people could do (or not do) as they mingled and ate.

One of the traditions I am trying to start is a service project at each child's birthday party. Juno's service project was a no-brainer: we made cards for patients at Primary Children's Medical Center, where she had surgery earlier in the year. My kitchen counter was dedicated to this activity, with blank cards, a box of crayons, and tons of stickers to inspire our guests. I have a neighbor who is a child life specialist at PCMC, so the day after our party I rounded up all the decorated cards and dropped them off at her house for her to distribute to her patients.

I also used the counter to display some Juno-memorabilia: her hip abduction brace and scrapbook...

... and one of my favorite pictures of her and her body cast.



The other activity I had at the party was a photobooth. Yes, very trendy, but also fun. I provided this basket full of props (funny glasses, masks, headbands, a heart wreath, an empty picture frame, a clown nose...), a backdrop, and a camera, and everyone took pictures. I think everyone participated! I can't wait until Juno is old enough to appreciate the funny pictures her relatives took at her party.

I made the backdrop by painting a chevron pattern in party colors on a cheap plastic tablecloth from Wal-Mart. Cheveron is not fun to paint and I wanted to give up, but my friend Danielle gave me some advice and she has a great tutorial on her blog--so I made it through.

Juno's party: {the food}

I served carnival inspired finger foods, cupcakes, and lime water. Simple, easy, and delicious.

Pigs in a blanket: canned crescent roll dough wrapped around cocktail sausages

Homemade soft pretzel bites: I used this pretzel dough recipe, sans hot dogs, and just rolled them into balls instead of twisting into pretzels. Served with honey mustard dipping sauce.

Caramel apple slices: Instead of serving apple slices with caramel dip, I made several caramel apples and used my apple corer/slicer to slice them.

Chocolate covered peanut butter pretzels: I covered PB Ritz Bits in melted chocolate and let them set up. Mmmmm....

The green serving thing is from DI. It didn't come with the plates/dishes that go in it, so I bought some old tin pie plates and glued them in place.

I carnivalized my glass cake stand with a scrapbook paper pennant banner. The cupcakes are Funfetti with Funfetti frosting--best frosting ever. I made the cupcake toppers by printing out a black and white picture of Juno and cutting carefully around her face. Then I glued a scrapbook paper triangle on her head, added a tissue paper pompom at the top and some trim along the bottom, and then glued everything onto popsicle sticks. The other cupcake toppers are simple pennants made from the same paper as the banner and the hats.

Still can't believe she's one!!!

Juno's party: {Hip Hip Hooray!}

I think I have a serious problem.

I started planning Juno's birthday party in April. Yes, seven months before her first birthday, I had already picked a theme and started hashing out details.
In my defense, April is when Juno had surgery and went into her body cast, and thinking about her birthday party was an escape for me and a reminder that our situation would come to an end.
Maybe the best thing that has come from Juno's journey with HD was this awesome party: Hip Hip Hooray! Get it? Hip Hip Hooray? Because she has hip dysplasia!! After all we've been through this year, I wanted her first birthday party to be a celebration of her triumph over crummy hips.

I had a basic idea of the color scheme I wanted to use, and when I found this adorable dress, that cemented it: chocolate brown, sunshine yellow, cherry red, sky blue, and grass green. The dress came with some awesome striped tights in the same color scheme and then I added the hat just because it was cute.

I re-used the pennant banner design from our sidewalk chalk party earlier this year.

I wanted this party to be a cross between a carnival inspired party and the quintessential children's birthday party: paper lanterns and pompoms, sprinkles and birthday cake, clowns, balloons, and vintage toys. I actually had quite a few things on my to-do list that just didn't happen, like this balloon wreath, but I think I still managed to capture the essence of childhood.

I got that GIGANTIC green lantern for $8 from Urban Revivals in St. George. Why oh why is that store so far away?? The yellow and blue lanterns were bought for $1 each at Joann's and I made the red and brown pompoms and hung everything with fishing line over Juno's high chair and the food table.

Don't you just love that awesome high chair?? I searched in vain for a wooden high chair at thrift stores, so I borrowed this one from my friend Leah. And it was already the perfect color!
I still have several posts about Juno's party, so I hope you haven't already lost interest!
*Linked up at House of Hepworths!