"The days are long but the years are short . " ~ Gretchen Rubin
I think it's true. I can't believe that a year has passed since I first craddled a little baby in my arms. Yes, my daughter recently turned one and we held an owl themed backyard party to celebrate it.The owl idea came from a close friend of mine whose son was born just a day before my daughter. I thought it would be awesomely unique.Her son, in turn, was going to have an elephant theme.
I love seeing little girls dressed as princesses but I wanted something different for my daughter. Later on, another close friend who worked with me tirelessly through the preps suggested to add a tiara and make the theme an owl princess. An owl princess theme it is. The major colors were supposed to be pink and lime green but it eventually became a myriad of colors.
I liked what owls represent: wisdom, strength and aspiration and wanted my little daughter to have them too.
When the theme was decided, we looked for a venue. We found one that was quite spacious and near our area but it was expensive. I wouldn’t pay P35,000 for a birthday venue, would you?
So, we decided to have a homemade backyard party. In reality though, we used the front yard. I dunno why but backyard just sounds way cooler. I then started looking for owl party ideas on Pinterest. (Too see my owl themed boards just click here) For hours, I browsed through pictures of vibrant owl themed parties and diy party decors. Here are some of our inspirations:
Whimsical Printables
Precise is nice
Pam's Party and Practical Tips
The ideas were just swirling around in my head for several days. Luckily, my dear friend and wedding planner, Mishi Santos-Tolentino of etc handmade goodness was there to conceptualize the look and also help bring these party ideas to life. The process was quite arduous but I find myself fortunate to have people such as family, friends and in laws to help in making these DIO (do it ourselves) projects. They helped in making pompoms, cutting and babysitting my little one.They even supplied me with owl stickers and decorations! During the party itself, all hands were on deck to make the party a hoot!
Let’s start with the ambiance. My father in law suggested that we hang a lot of balloons above the party area. It looks a lot more festive doesn't it?
Now let's take a look at the stage. We had planned an elaborate backdrop consisting of gold circles, pompoms, banners and ropes. Unfortunately, due to time constraints and miscommunication, we weren't able to execute our stage look well. Nevertheless, everything was a labor of love.
To make the stage lively, we dressed it up with banners and lanterns. For the cake area, some of the lanterns were made into owls.The dessert bar on the left has an assortment of candies and baked goodies. The "1" standee on the right was made using carboard and scrap fabric.
As the centerpiece for the dessert table Mishi thought of having a cake with a crocheted owl topper.Remember, the amigurumi owl I made?She embellished her tiara with pretty little gems.Hoot hoot!
We also made use of free printables ( I must confess, I'm getting addicted to these). The birthday was made using printables from How to nest for less.
The cupcake toppers were also free printables from One Charming Day. As for her lovely owl princess cake and sweet pastries, I'll focus on them and the other party suppliers in my next post.
I also wanted to make a chalkboard poster but used the back of an illustration board. I used dry erase crayons so it won't smear .
For the guest tables, we had three set ups. Each had owl and yarn features. The mini buntings can be made from a variety of printables you can find on Pinterest. We weren't able to take great pictures of the table settings so here are the mock ups instead.
To keep up with the theme, we also wore clothes with owls. Mishi made a boutonniere for my husband while I got a blouse from Divi. It looks exquisite doesn't it?
Owl Boutonniere by Mishi Santos of etc handmade goodness
The birthday girl had two outfits of different shades of pink. We had a neon pink dress printed with an owl design at Circle C for a little over P100. Not bad right?:)
I must say even if the plans weren't executed perfectly, I enjoyed the process immensely. Yes, there were a few times I asked myself why did I choose to do things by hand when it'll only last for only a few hours. There were also stressful times during the party planning and party itself. But why make a big fuss? She'll be turning one regardless of the celebration.She doesn't even grasp the concept of a birthday party yet. It's because I love her, we love her, we will always celebrate having her. We will always celebrate the day God transformed us from being just a husband and wife to parents.She is such a joy and blessing in our lives.
I think if you have the time make DIY projects and people to lend a hand, go for it! It'll cost less and be more meaningful for you and family.