Up, Up, and Away

Balloons have long been synonymous with parties, but lately they've been popping up as delicious desserts, not just dated decor.

This bright red heart balloon appears to take flight above a white-on-white, simple cake by Hello Naomi.

These Cookie Crumbs balloon cookies would be a cute favor for a mom-to-be who's expecting a girl.

Cocoa Confections offers custom chocolate lollipops. Choose colors to coordinate with your event palette, and people will assume you spent a lot more than you did to tailor make them.

There are even some great cards to invite guests to the party. These watercolor cards showcase the balloon theme without being cutesy or childish.

Jen of Green Wedding Shoes even created this balloon-centric inspiration board based on the movie Up! Can't you just envision a dessert table inspired by this collage?

Have you noticed balloon party themes popping up elsewhere? I think the challenge is to take a classically childhood icon and turn it into a more mature party element.