Birthday Parties

Moustache and Bowtie Birthday Bash

April 4, 2012

They are finally here! J’s birthday pics! Sarah, Labour of Love Photo, did a really fantastic job with them and we had such a tough time picking our favorites. I can’t thank her enough for capturing our little guys 1st birthday and our little celebration.

If you bare with me, this post is full of lots and lots of photos, from details to the shenanigans, to love and laughter. I’m so excited to finally be able to share it with you all.

So without further ado…I present baby J’s “Moustache and Bowtie Birthday Bash”!

Photography by Labour of Love Photo

Michael and I wanted this party to be 100% done only by us. No catering, no event coordinators, no print-shop invites or paper details.

We started planning back in October. It started with a theme and a color scheme. The rest came organically….and some killer delegation skills came in handy too {hint hint *wink wink}.

Michael was in charge of creating and designing all the paper goods: invitations, food cards, drink menu, water labels.

My mom was in charge of making all the food for the savory table: mini chicken pot pies, caprese sticks, sandwiches, glazed meatballs, mini pizzas, mini quiches and egg salad puffs.

Sarah, Labour of Love Photo, was in charge of taking lovely pictures.

And the rest I took upon myself. Baking, decor, favor bags {only the crafting of the paint etc…the stuffing of the bags was all Michael…as were the purchasing of the contents}, the polaroid guest book, crafting the props….and so on.

It was a lot of work but I think it paid off. We had a really amazing time and aside from the party room being ridiculously hot, we think it couldn’t have gone any better. We loved having our favorite people around us to celebrate J’s birthday and our first year of parenting. Spending that time with family, friends and babies was a total blast.

Photography by Labour of Love Photo

19 Comments | Category: Birthday Parties, Featured, Real Life | Tags: bow tie party, first birthday party ideas, moustache and bow tie birthday bash, mustache party |

Party Planning {The One Week Countdown}

March 1, 2012

I cannot tell a lie, I am pretty sad these days. J is turning 1 next week and I am feeling all sorts of emotions, and sadness being one of them. So in an effort to turn up my spirits I decided to revisit my party planning pinterest board.

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7.

As excited as I am for his party, this next week will not be easy, and I’m sure that by next Thursday I will be a complete mess.

But stay tuned for a very special baby J giveaway to be announced next Monday!

9 Comments | Category: Birthday Parties, Featured, Real Life | Tags: baby J's birthday, planning board |

Women in Business: Interview With Esther from Beading Buds

February 9, 2012

I have to admit that pre-Bluebird Kisses Blog I didn’t know too many women who ran their own business. I was very much in my own little bubble…that is until I started this blog and began connecting with other moms. I quickly realized just how many amazing, smart, talented and savvy moms are truly out there in the world. Women who, in my eyes, do it all…they’re moms, wives, grandmas, business owners, editors, marketeers and designers. I love hearing their stories and learning from them.

Meet Esther Czyrski, founder of Beading Buds and lovely sponsor of Bluebird Kisses.

I met Esther last December at a Christmas party and recently I had a chance to sit down and ask her a few questions about her business.

ME: Where did you get your inspiration for Beading Buds?

ESTHER: A coworker asked me to do a party for her daughter because she knew that I created and designed jewelry, and then guests at the party wanted their own party and through word of mouth I kept getting more and more parties and the rest is history!

ME: What do you love most about Beading Buds parties?

ESTHER: Being a part of a child’s most special day of the year, I am always at
happy occasions helping to make children happy.

ME: If there’s one thing you can tell people about Beading Buds, which they can’t find on the website, what would it be?

ESTHER: The beading really does keep children entertained for an hour! Most moms are skeptical, but cannot believe how much the girls love to bead! Parents always tell me that a Beading Buds party is the easiest party they have ever done because we really do all the entertainment so the mom and/or dad can just hang out and enjoy themselves.

ME: With two little girls at home, how do you manage a successful business and a balanced home life?

ESTHER: My husband! He is my partner in business and parenting and helps me with both so I can get it all done.

ME: How has motherhood influenced your business?

ESTHER: I’m able to relate to the children and moms better, when I first started out it was all about the beading, now it’s more about entertainment and making sure the mom and daughter are both happy and
have an amazing experience.

ME: Cook or takeout?

ESTHER: Supperworks, so I guess a combo of both!

Thank you so much Esther for putting up with all my questions!

You can learn more about Beading Buds on their website and follow them on Facebook to learn more about upcoming parties in your area and ways you can get involved!

Leave a Comment | Category: Birthday Parties, Mom & Baby | Tags: Beading Buds, beading party, children's birthday party ideas, kids birthday parties |

Beading Buds!

January 24, 2012

A few weeks before Christmas I was invited to attend a mom’s group holiday party with a good friend of mine.

There I met Esther, super sweet momma to two beautiful girls and the creator of Beading Buds, a traveling beading party! Doesn’t that sound fantastic?!

Being a momma to a little boy sometimes I forget about all the super cute fun things little girls love to do, yet I know so many of you have little girly girls on your hands that love to dress up and look extra fancy. I think the idea of having a jewelery-making party for the little princesses in your life is just fabulous, don’t you!?

I can just imagine the loveliness, the crystals, the beads, the tutus and all the pink ruffles! Ok maybe I’m getting just a little bit over excited thinking about the possibility of having a little girl in the future to join little baby J.

A jewelery party would also be a great spin on the classic baby shower. So if you want to learn more about Beading Buds, head over to their site here, and their Facebook fanpage here and read all about the fantastic work that they do.

And if you want to see a Beading Buds party in action, check out the video below. I’ve definitely pinned some of these photos for future party planning inspiration!

Leave a Comment | Category: Birthday Parties, Mom & Baby | Tags: Beading Buds, jewelery party, kids party ideas |

Fabric Banner for Baby J’s Birthday

January 18, 2012

We picked up baby J’s first birthday party invitations last week and seeing them really got my creative juices flowing. So I officially kicked of the baby birthday planning marathon this weekend with a project and some much needed assistance from a couple of really crafty ladies {Maaike and Andrea}.

We began the process of making a fabric banner which will act as the backdrop for the party dessert table.

1st I bought different fabrics {a few too many} – while Maaike suggested I scope out thrift stores for old sheets that fit the bill, I unfortunately was scraped for time so I headed to the closest fabric store instead.

2nd I purchased thick rope…too thick. I should have maybe gone down a size, but that’s ok.

3rd we ripped the fabric lenghtwise into long strips {note we cut a little of the top of the fabric then ripped all the way through}

4th we started tying the fabric in a “tie” fashion, beginning with alternating neutral colors.

5th we added colored pieces in between to give it a pop of color.

that’s it! easy peasy. And while you will have to wait until baby J’s birthday post to see the actual finished product I wanted to give you a little sneak preview {and some cute shots of the little guy trying to help}.

1 Comment | Category: Birthday Parties, DIY, Inspirations, Resources | Tags: baby birthday party ideas, fabric banner DIY, how to make your own fabric banner |

1st Birthday Party Planning – First Installment

November 30, 2011

Yes you read it right…baby J might only be 8months and 3weeks old but I am already deep in the birthday planning trenches.

Thank goodness for lovely Pinterest so I can at least bring order to the crazy.

I can’t even believe that in exactly 100 days my little beaner will be 1 year old! Wow! {in case you are wondering what is going on in this picture…he was helping me work from home on Friday by attacking my computer cord…totally unsafe but I was keeping an eye on him}.

…no I did not dress baby J in the dark. I really did love all the colors that he is wearing…even if the teal pants are for girls…I just didn’t realize how they looked together until this very moment.

And so my planning for his birthday party has begun. Thus far I have:

{a} nailed down a theme – “moustaches and bow ties”

{b} booked a photographer

{c} decided on a venue

And I managed to scrape together a few inspiring photographs and articles as well. Here’s a sneak peak of what’s really going on in this brain of mine.

{chocolate banana pudding / pancake brunch / teal and pink shower / denim accents / guinnes cake / bow tie baby shower / rustic party / moustache circles / nutella macarons}