108 hot dogs
+
72 individual bags of chips
+
58 cupcakes
+
24 boxes of Cracker Jacks
+
4 cases of beer
=
1 damn good first birthday party!
Sure, maybe I spent some money on the ordeal. And maybe I went a tad overboard. After all, I've been planning and scheming for months. But, in the end, it was all so worth it. The party was perfect. I loved every last detail. And I'm pretty certain there wasn't one guest that left after not having a good time!
The spreads - a table for dogs, chips, and Cracker Jacks, another for hot dog toppings, and a third for cake/cupcakes.
Instagram collage in photo on left ordered from Printstagram.com
Since the theme was baseball, I decided to serve hot dogs. Maybe not the most gourmet of foods, but the toppings bar made up for it...and more. Guests raved about the creativeness. It was a huge success.
Hot dog toppings included: tomato, yellow onion, green onion, crushed pineapple, pickles, sweet relish, dill relish, shredded lettuce, bacon, sauerkraut, jalapenos, banana peppers, sweet red cherry peppers, chile, cole slaw, cheddar cheese, Mexican cheese, Fritos, guacamole, and cilantro. Lots and lots of compliments on the idea! And I may or may not have eaten three hot dogs because I wanted to try so many combinations! #noshame
I also typed up a cute little menu with recipes and framed it on the table. Guests could follow the recipes or create their own!
The party details are the parts I enjoy planning the most. Since it was baseball-themed, there were, of course, peanuts and Cracker Jacks, among other things!
From top right, counterclockwise: Grilled hot dogs, hand made labels/scrapbook paper from Hobby Lobby, plastic popcorn containers borrowed from my sister, hand made 'Concessions' banner/scrapbook paper from Hobby Lobby, the toppings bar, glass vase filled with peanuts and hand made felt pennants (another vase filled with baseballs), paper hot dog trays from Target's dollar bin, paper baseball lanterns borrowed from a coworker, paper straws purchased at Michael's, 1-ounce boxes of Cracker Jacks purchased on Amazon, Pale Ale mustard purchased at Boulevard (and other condiments).
Beverages included iced tea, lemonade, bottled water, and an abundance of beer. Did I mention the hubs left mid-party for an additional beer run? You know the party's a success when that happens. Especially when this is how much we had initially...
Personalized monthly photo banner inspired by Etsy and hand made with scrapbook paper from Hobby Lobby. Hung on twine with clothes pins. Framed birth announcement and framed 1-year photo holding the framed birth announcement.
After learning my normal cake baker (the girl who made our wedding cake) was out of town and unable to make Brantley's cake, I decided to take matters into my own hands and do both his smash cake and cupcakes. I followed my go-to white cupcake recipe (found on Pinterest), my mom's chocolate cake recipe for chocolate cupcakes, and used a box mix and Wilton ball pan for the smash cake. Frosting was Hy Vee's buttercream. Who knew they sold that? Thanks to a co-worker (who made a similar cake for her boys' birthdays) and her tips, the smash cake was a success!
He wasn't crazy about his cake. Same story at the 1-year photo session the week before. Clearly, he doesn't take after his sweets-lovin' mama.
High chair banner made from scrapbook paper purchased at Hobby Lobby and double-sided tape. I cut strips of paper to make the 1.
After the smash cake, the little guy had a bath and then a nap. Shelby, our daycare provider's daughter, decided she'd like to finish off the smash cake. You go girl!
Meanwhile, the adults enjoyed our adult beverages and played some yard games, while the kids had fun in the baby pool.
Later when the birthday boy woke up, we opened gifts. And when I say 'we', I mean Craig and me. Brantley had zero interest. He was, however, interested in eating his third hot dog. #likemamalikeson
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| Gifts galore! |
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| Yes honey, I think it'll fit you! |
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| The patient cousins just waiting for new toys... |
Here are just a few more photos from the party. Thanks to our family for making the drives from Iowa and Wichita! Brantley's lucky to have so many family members willing to help him celebrate! We love you all!
A few more notes to remember:
- I ordered the cutest baseball-themed t-shirt for Brantley. It looked like this and was to include his name underneath. After not arriving by our June 29 photography session, I emailed the Etsy shop owner. She apologized, agreed on a $5 credit, and promised to mail the shirt the following day, still six business days before the party. She even sent a tracking number the very next morning. As of Friday (the day before the party), it still hadn't arrived. I sent her a nasty email. She agreed to refund the full amount. I'm over it now, but I was not a happy camper. The shirt still hasn't arrived...
- Despite a cloudy morning with scattered sprinkles, the day turned out to be fantastic! Sunny, not too hot, and not too cool. A perfect July 6.
- As seen on Pinterest, I pre-scooped ice cream into cupcake-lined muffin tins. Most.amazing.idea.ever. The hubs made fun. But everyone else thought it was a genius idea. If you're throwing a party with ice cream, DO THIS!!!
Happy birthday, Brantley boy! It's been an amazing, fun, special, happy, and exciting first year! You bring so much joy to our lives and I wouldn't change it for the world! We love you, B-Man!
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