Birthdays Archives – Page 4 of 16

No longer a toddler- my kid turns 4!

August 7, 2015 5 Comments A Well Crafted Kid

I should have admitted this to myself about a year and a half ago… evidently the toddler years end around age 2 1/2. I’ve been holding onto that term “toddler” because I am not quite ready to admit my little guy is growing up. I’m in love with each and every stage he has leaped right through. I’m happy he is growing up. It just seems so fast!

Four years ago today I was in labor waiting to meet my little man. This weekend we will be celebrating his 4th birthday. How does it all happen so quickly?

I’m of course in the midst of planning his 4th birthday party. Last year we did a simple pizza party with friends and family and I don’t think I even took any photos because I was just enjoying the day. This year, being his last birthday as an only-child, I wanted to do something to make it a little more special. I don’t believe parties have to be big or elaborate to be special, so it is still a small pizza party with friends and family. But, we are pulling out a few special items to help give him a few moments before little brother gets here and the attention gets shared.

This year we are doing a “rock n’ roll” themed party, because my kid is completely rock n’ roll. He loves music, clothes, the spot light, mohawks, and just “rocking out.” Our gift to him, which is larger than any gift we would normally give, is actually a double gift in a way that it is going to be our way of continually and intentionally connecting with him after baby brother arrives. He will be getting drum lessons from his drummer uncle and then my husband and I will take turns going out and practicing with him on his brand new set of drums. We will get half an hour to a full hour of one on one time with him and will get to learn something fun and new. We’ve seen him on a drum set before and know he loves them. I hope that he loves this gift!

This little guy grew up on this blog and I thought I’d share some of my favorite posts dedicated to my Well Crafted Kid…

A Well Crafted Kid:

A Well Crafted Kid’s Birthday Parties:

— You are my sunshine first birthday party
— Welcome to Twosville second birthday party
— Third birthday was a pizza party with friends and I didn’t blog about it! For shame. :/

And, because it is World Breastfeeding Week check out my series on breast feeding (both the ups and downs) that was published in 2012 and featured the experiences of several different moms!

A Well Crafted Party

Black, White & Gold Cocktail Party

December 28, 2014 5 Comments A Well Crafted Party

Well, it happened again… I turned another year older. All those that know me know that while aging isn’t my favorite thing, BIRTHDAYS are. This year I let the West Elm party animal appetizer plates inspire a black, white and gold cocktail party that was decadent and slightly silly. I decided to share some photos from the party now because I feel like these might just inspire a fun New Year’s Eve event! Next week I’ll also share the recipes I made for the festive fare.

Read on for a list of DIYd items, resources, menu notes and activities! I’ve linked several items to posts with recipes. There are also a few affiliate links below. A portion of purchases made through affiliate links help support this blog at no cost to readers.

Beverages:

We served the Bourbon Apple Ginger Punch as a signature beverage that was easily accessible to guests. In addition I had the fixings for classic martinis, red and white Hob Nob wine and lots of sparkling wine, including one of my favorite sparklings the Sokol Blosser Evolution Sparkling wine. We also had a selection of non-alcoholic beverages. One of my favorite ways to make a champagne glass feel even MORE special is to add in a lollipop. Either by using homemade lollies or pretty rock candies!

Hors d’oeurves:

The party was slated as a cocktails and cake party… which, of course we had both of those things. But, I wanted more a more savory fare to fill everyone’s bellies. I’m sharing the recipes for many of these items soon.. but, here is the cocktail party menu:

Oysters with Champagne Granita
Oysters with Lemon and Tabasco
Sea Salt Kettle Potato Chips with Crème Fraîche, Caviar and Chive Dip
Italian Cured Meats wrapped around arugula
Apples with Goat Cheese Spread
Artichoke Hearts wrapped in bacon
Chicago Mix Popcorn
Sweet & Spicy Stuffed Peppers

Activities & Favors:

I didn’t schedule many activities for the party as the food and drinks were the main attraction. I did however set up a photobooth area and made a fun game out of the favors. I did “grab bag” style favors and wrapped up several different gifts from which my gusts to choose. I purchased half of the gifts with the idea of “Whatever will be, will be” in mind. Those presents ended up being games of chance, alcohol, and even a Magic 8 Ball! For the other side of the favor area I chose gifts with the idea of a type-A personality in mind and chose good self-help books, journals, office supplies and the like. Before guests left I asked them to choose a gift and got to watch them open the gifts up. It ended up being my favorite part of the night!

Sweet Treats:

I love savory foods… but, at my birthday there is just nothing like a great sweet treat. At this party I served champagne jello squares, chocolate truffles and a layered chocolate cake I purchased at the bakery at Whole Foods Market called the “Chocolate Explosion” cake. It was super tasty!

Decor:

I kept the decor pretty simple. I used the Gilded Dapper Animal Plates from West Elm to inspire the look. Beyond that I put up DIY’d hand-painted signs and LOTS of gold fringe

What is your favorite thing to serve at birthday parties?

A Well Crafted Party

Hey Girl Party Activities: Color Me Yours

October 8, 2014 6 Comments A Well Crafted Party

(Affiliate Links are used in this post. Purchases made from affiliate links help support this blog at no additional cost to you. Thank you for supporting A Well Crafted Party!)

I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again… I’m not a fan of most party games. Making everyone play something silly has never really been in my bag of tricks. I HAVE thrown parties with games before. And, this Ryan Gosling themed birthday party is no exception. (I’ll share our party game very soon!) But, I like to always have an activity or two that doesn’t revolve around a group activity or food.

One of the areas of the party was set up so that guests could easily sit and chat with a place to set their plates and drinks. I then added in an awesome coloring book, “Colour Me Good Ryan Gosling.” I cut out a few of the pages and placed them on the table to encourage guests to color them. Snacks, crayons, and fun DIY party confetti also decked out the area.

Birthdays

A Well Crafted Kid:

A Well Crafted Kid’s Birthday Parties:

And, because it is World Breastfeeding Week check out my series on breast feeding (both the ups and downs) that was published in 2012 and featured the experiences of several different moms!

Beverages:

Hors d’oeurves:

Activities & Favors:

Sweet Treats:

Decor:

What is your favorite thing to serve at birthday parties?

What are your favorite activities for your parties? Have you ever been at an event with a really amazing activity? Comment Below!