Dessert Meets Design: Sweet Birdie Birthday Party and Dessert Table

You know I L-O-V-E a good party, but I was determined not to go overboard planning, decorating, and designing stuff for my girl's third birthday. So, instead of inviting over a million of her tiny friends or renting out a bounce house venue, I temporarily converted my office into the perfect party spot for her birthday party. Her only request was that her closest little friends and a cake be in attendance at her soiree, which photog Sydnee Bickett captured beautifully. 

After I designed the hexagon and faux bois invites and found a great cake recipe, I planned a bash that was full of bright, spring-y colors offset by lots of white and gold accents. I created DIY faux bois color block placemats to bring color and warmth to my white desk for the girls to dine in style. 

Along with sliders, powdered donuts, and popcorn, the girls devoured vanilla ice cream and my strawberry cake. I customized labels with each girl's name to decorate the paper ice cream cups from Sweet Party Shop. I also designed faux bois labels for the milk bottles to add a natural element to the all-white room. Land of Nod's birdie garland and cupcake kit added a bit of whimsy to the dessert table that really kicked up the color a notch. 

The birdie garland also added a fun touch to the faux bois backdrop I made for the photo booth. Lila smiled happily with her sister and friends as she wore the a DIY starburst birthday crown I made for her. Sydnee even managed to snap a picture of us all smiling, which is basically a small miracle.

Credits

party concept, styling, and dessert table: Shauna Younge

images: Sydnee Bickett

birdie garland and cupcake kit: Land of Nod

ice cream cups: Sweet Party Shop
my projects: DIY starburst birthday crown and DIY faux bois color block placemats

Kiddo's Retro Modern Birthday and Dessert Table

Whew! Kiddo's 6th birthday has come and gone. Now that I'm rested up from all that designing, planning, and crafting, it's the perfect time to share some pics and projects. You know me, I had to DIY some cute stuff and design a dessert table to customize her bash, but I didn't want to spend a lot of money. So, I created an inexpensive photo booth backdrop, a retro modern dessert table backdrop, some milk bottles, and a colorful dance floor for breakdancing.

The fab Sydnee Bickett captured all of the lovely details, and I'm sharing tutorials for the projects on Momtastic. I also give my 5 Tips to Makeover a Bland Birthday Venue, which helped us save some money. Check that out, and be sure to swing by to learn to make your own:

DIY Retro Diamond Paper Plate Backdrop
DIY Number Outline Birthday Photo Backdrop
DIY Retro Diamond Color Block Bottles

These little diamond color block milk bottles were another easy, inexpensive DIY. I wrote up the tutorial for Momtastic. Swing by for the how-to.

 

Last year, I made a little cake for her. This year, we had a million (read: 14) kids in attendance, so cupcakes seemed like a more manageable option.

This giant number 6 photo booth backdrop was easy and really inexpensive to make. You've got to check out my tutorial.

 

I danced as much as the kids, and this pic of my two girls dancing together makes me so happy!

DIY Kids Say... Birthday Cake Toppers

Kiddo's headed back to school, and that means birthday parties for classmates are going to fill up our calendar soon. You may remember her faceted 5th birthday party last year. This year, I think something silly and lighthearted might be a fun way to go. Enter these DIY Kids Say... cake toppers, which showcase all the things kiddo's friends like about her. I whipped them up for Momtastic, so you should definitely swing by and check out the post.

Try not to smile over these goofy toppers. Go ahead, I dare you!

Dessert Table: Unicorn Birthday Party

A unicorn party? Seriously? Yes! Absolutely! After seeing this super cute dessert table, I don't know why this theme isn't featured more often on the kid birthday circuit. I mean, who cares about Dora the Explorer and the Bratz when you can have a whimsical, girly fete like this? I stumbled upon this fanciful creation on my Pinterest feed, and I must say, Natalie Spencer Photography did a great job highlighting each and every frilly detail.

pics: Natalie Spencer Photography via on to baby

Guest Desserts: Under the Sea Birthday Dessert Table

I'm warning you now, you're going to totally swoon over this sugar-y, aquatic-themed dessert table. Why, you ask? Let me count the ways.

1) Eboness Belin of Fleur de Lis Events design this bash for her daughter Emerald's 3rd birthday.
2) Her daughter's name is Emerald (so cute!)
3) There are a ton of pretty aqua-hued sweets.
4) Did I mention Emerald?

A ruffle cake, star fish cookies, rock candy, and cotton candy? What more could a little girl wish for? I know, salt water taffy and shimmery gum balls. That's what.

Eboness: I used inexpensive crystals to line the edges of all of the mirrors that the cookies were served on. It transformed ordinary, to "phenomenal"!  

Eboness has a few tips to share for those of you tackling a DIY dessert table: 

- I used lots of clear acrylic risers on the dessert table to add visual interest with varying heights and to make the desserts appear like they were floating underwater.  

- Create your own vision of what you'd like your party to look like first and use that as your guide (Pinterest board, photos on a bulletin board, etc).  Don't be afraid to be different- your design ideas are yours so explore what "you" envision to come to the final result.  

- Start early in planning your party. You'll discover tweaks that need to be made along the way as well as unexpected 'aha' moments that will encourage you to carry on when you are tired, or discouraged.  

Eboness created this Sheer Bliss Chiffon Chandelier when she couldn't find a more sophisticated option in stores or online.

from Eboness: [T]his piece was truly a labor of love. Light and floaty, the chiffon circles offer a dreamklike aesthetic, and certainly transport you to a different place. I offer it in my Etsy shop for others going for the same look. It can be used in a nursery, baby shower, or wedding!

more from Eboness: I created the design on Publisher and printed myself on pre-boxed plain wedding invites.  The border had a satin/pearl finish which played into the theme quite nicely. 

All I can say is, "Wow!" Thanks for sharing this darling dessert table and party with us, Eboness!

Concept/Event Design: Fleur de Lis Event Design and Catering Co. 
Photography: Catie Ronquillo Catie Ronquillo Wood 
Sugar Cookies: A Cookie Jar Cupcakes/Cake: Kroger/Mansfield TX

Do you have a dessert table, recipe, or other sweet idea to share? Check out the Submissions page for details.

Sweet Idea: A Stripe for Every Year

pics via Sprinkle Bakes

Dessert Table: Painterly Party

As a mom, I can tell you that three year olds pretty much go ba-nan-as for anything involving paint, rainbows, and dessert. Imagine a party that incorporates all three! Most kids would explode from excitement. This colorful design by Petite Party Studio is a kid's dream.

Rice Crispies treats pose as paintbrushes dipped in rainbow-hued white chocolate, and paint cans are perfect containers for candy. A cake decorated with cookie paint palettes is a great compliment to the party invites.

pics by Jackie Lindfors Photography via HWTM

Sweet Idea: DIY Smash Cake

I love this idea so much that I did something similar for my little one's first birthday. I knew she'd make a complete mess of any cake that we gave her, so I made a little one just for her. The rest of us happily feasted on cake free of baby drool. This tutorial by Jenny for Hello Bee shows you how to make your very own smash cake.

Enjoy!