A Very Hungry Caterpillar Birthday Party

In addition to the invitations, I also helped out with some of the decorations for Emmett's first birthday party. Chau found a local baker who did such a fabulous job with the beautiful cake, smash cake, and the cutest cupcakes ever! Chau and her sister also worked really hard to put all the extra details together, and her mom and extended family made tons of homemade Vietnamese food that was so delicious. Let me say, this family knows how to throw a party! And I have to mention that Chau and Quoc have a gorgeous home that is just perfect for throwing parties. :) 

For Emmett's birthday present, I decided to make him a felt version of The Very Hungry Caterpillar that included felt pieces of all the fruits and junk foods that the caterpillar ate. I'll share more details and a printable DIY in a follow-up post. :) 

the birthday boy

Pin the caterpillar on the apple

Photos courtesy of Julie Wan

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Dean + Jade's Birthday Party

Dean and his friend Jade have birthdays a few days apart, so Jade's wife Natalie and I decided it would be fun to throw them a joint birthday party. The two of them just finished up their midterms this week too, so it was  double the reason for celebration! Here are a few pics from our birthday extravaganza. 

Happy birthday, Dean and Jade! Hope you guys enjoyed your party. :)

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DIY Superbowl XLVI Party + Printables

I'm not really a football fan, nor do I know much about the sport at all. But I'll take any opportunity to throw a party. :) So, when my husband suggested having a small Super Bowl party for his study group buddies, I said, "Sure, why not?"

I started researching the teams to find out the colors and what their logos were, and I must say I was very disappointed when I found out that both teams have the same exact team colors. That doesn't make for a very exciting party, now does it? :P

Well, I worked with what I had, and it actually looks more like a coordinated, well-matched party than a SuperBowl rivalry. I'm not sure if that's a good or bad thing. Anyway, feel free to download and use for your own parties! Use both teams' printables or just cut out the one team you're rooting for if you're feeling particularly competitive. :)

*Thanks to Brands of the World and the Noun Project for the free vector files!

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Hoi's Bridal Shower Details

I'm back with some pictures from Hoi's bridal shower today! The other bridesmaids and I had a lot of fun putting this shower together for Hoi. And I was dying for an excuse to use a giant balloon. :)  Did you know you can buy them at Party City? They come in a pack though, so you'll have to purchase the pack and then ask to get them blown up. Note of warning: stay away from pointy trees. I learned this the hard way. Let's just say there were supposed to be 2 giant balloons.

Anyway, here are some detail shots from the shower. I'll follow-up in the next few weeks with some specific DIYS for items I made for the shower (penant banner, stripey straws, tissue paper flowers, ribbon lei!).

mimosa station with mango, cranberry, and pineapple juice

Hoi loves the cheese fondue from Olive Garden, so we found the recipe online and replicated it for her shower with lots of fun dippers.

for favors, we had Burt's Bees mango chapstick and fun products supplied by Johnson & Johnson (where Hoi works)

And here's a final pic of the whole group! Thanks for letting us celebrate you, Hoi!

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A Mango Birthday Party in a Box

One of my dear friends had a birthday this week, and because she lives all the way in New York, I decided to send her a birthday party in a box - a mango-themed birthday party!

The box contained everything she needed for a mango birthday extravaganza: a birthday garland, balloons, teeny tiny party hats, confetti, mango gummies and candy, mango cakes, and candles.













Hope you had a splendid birthday, Hoi! :)

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