So I just had to share the pictures from the momentous event -- his party (held July 16)! When I first started planning the party, I envisioned it enormous, with catered food, bounce houses, fireworks, a three-tiered professionally designed fondant-covered cake, something magazine worthy. I wanted it to encompass the relief and joy that we are experiencing, after having endured such an arduous road to his pregnancy and his life... and such a challenging first year of life too (colic, his despising sleep longer than one-hour stretches, tortuous teething, food allergies, but of course it got better after 7 months!). But then I thought about the point of a party -- a simple celebration of the people in your life that make it worth living. So, I scaled down my vision (honestly, my budget wouldn’t have allowed that crap anyway), and came up with an American Boy party: antique boy toys, retro candy, a casual farmlike Americana style, classic American food. Being such a girly-girl myself, this was the best I could do at not adding lace or frills! :)
The Whole Spread!
My favorite photo of the decor: an antique iron truck carrying Whirlypops!
I made 68 of those cupcakes! Lots of work! I was frosting them just minutes before the first guests arrived. I used the Magnolia Bakery recipe, which seems to always work well :)
Side angle! The 1980s gumball machine really "made" the look of an old candy shop.
Some of the food! All of it was homemade. Here was the menu:
Baked Mac N Cheese
North Carolina Pulled Pork
Apple Pie
Lemon Meringue Pie
Potato Salad
Creamy Coleslaw
Cupcakes
Not homemade: Cheerwine, IBC Rootbeer, Old Fashioned Coke bottles, tons of candy
these drinks were later labeled -- lemonade and iced tea!
Happy Family
My cutie pie through the months. Jeff created his own Photoshop action for this.
I made this wreath, including designing the prints on the paper, but I got inspiration for this project from another party I found online a few days before our own party!
Here’s the Vendor List, in case you’d like to throw an American Boy party yourself! I’m also willing to rent out the antique pieces that I bought.
I, of course, made all the Paper Goods from scratch. They included: the invitations/envelopes & thank-you cards, all food labels, Lochlan's high-chair banner, skewer flags for the fruit, trash/recycling signs (not pictured), and the wreath was my own creation too -- down to the little "welcome" flags made with my own paper designs! If you'd like to buy any of it, or a custom version of it, contact me through Sugarcoat Paperie!
Wall Banners: Custom made by HerBeautifulLife on Etsy.
Tablecloths: Upholstery fabric cut from rolls at Ikea.
Brown Paper Runners:Contractor's paper from Lowes ($7 a roll!)
Striped Dishcloths: Ikea
Galvanized Cupcake Stand and Silverware Caddies, Antique Pepsi Crates: Pottery Barn. I bought the cupcake stand literally TWO days before the party, after I saw it and loved it on Holly Mathis Interiors blog that also did a patriotic party!
Penny Jars with lids: Target
Decorative candy canisters and drink-straw holder: HomeGoods
Galvanized mini-buckets (that held the candy bags): Hobby Lobby.
Scalloped paper plates/napkins/cupcake toppers, Drink Dispensers, Drink Chalkboard Labels: Sur La Table
Lochlan’s personalized Bib: Custom made by LizaLane on Etsy.
Paper Drink Straws: HeyYoYo on Etsy.
Mason Jars: Can be found at Harris Teeter or WalMart, depending on when they're in stock!
My dress: Forever21 ;)
Antiques were bought from random shops in Virginia, and a few were borrowed from parents. They were as follows: gumball machine, 3 toy trucks (one was new from ebay), tinker toys, Playskool pull toy, baseball, checkerboard tray.
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