Planning a First Birthday Party: Decorating

If you know me, you know I am very adamant about this...we will not be throwing over-the-top birthday parties for each child year after year. We're keeping it simple, hosting a party on a Sunday afternoon, and hopefully keeping presents to a MINIMUM. I'm not cooking or baking a THING (more on that next week). But I am a hopeless fool in the decorating department, so some decorating accidentially happened.

All it took was a little 'undecorating' of Maverick's room, a quick rummage through his toy box, and BAM! We have party decor! FREE and EASY!

When Maverick had his newborn/3/6/9 month pics, I turned each photo session into a portfolio-style book. It took me about 20 minutes per book and I always orderd them during a 50% off sale. I wanted these pictures in book-form, but it also makes sense to display them for family to look through during the party! It's so fun to see how much he's changed, and it's easier when they're all side-by-side.

Scrabble letters are back at it again. I know this is a shameless, overused Pinterest hack but I can't help it. I have them, they're easy, and they're cute.

Ooooookay HERE'S what I'm most proud of. I printed all of Mav's monthly Instagrams on a website called 'Prinstagram'...it's a small printing business in California that specializes in printing Instagrams in different sizes and quantities. It definitely won't be the last time I order from them. Anyway, their website connects straight to Instagram and I just picked the ones I wanted, went with the larger picture-size, and they were at my doorstep in less than five days. It cost me about $25 (with shipping), but the quality is great and the photo paper is nice and thick. I stuck them up with turquoise washi tape in less than 10 minutes. This was where 100% of my party decorating budget was spent.

This raccoon painting HAD to make an appearance at the party because it's one of my favorite things, painted by our amazing and talented friend, Kristin. You can check out her Esty shop here. I just swapped it out with a different canvas I had propped here and it easily adds to the party theme.

I've seen a couple different mom's/bloggers/friends on Facebook do this and it seriously could NOT have been easier. I dug out the pictures from the past year that I had used in frames, but gradually changed as we had new pictures taken. I taped them to this chalkboard door in the shape of a '1.' Outlined it with chalk. Hung Mav's coonskin cap on the doorknob (not pictured)...and instant party decor!

We have never purchased a stuffed animal for Maverick, yet somehow he has a toy box FULL of them. I don't mind because they are all gray raccoons (so they match his room) and they became decorations this week! Along with some of his Chester books...which match the theme too. I liked pulling all this stuff out because each item is from someone special, many of whom will be at the party.

I'm pretending he's still a baby, this shelf needed some height, this sign was from one of my baby showers and was too cute not to use. That was literally my decorative process for this picture. Not exciting, but easy.

This stick has been hiding in Mav's closet for the past year just DYING to be brought out and used for something. It was another decoration from one of my baby showers (so zero crafting involved for me), and it's so perfect.

There are a few other things hanging around the house, but these are the highlights. It took me exactly one morning nap time to get everything out and arranged...that's right, less than one hour. Plus some assistance from Jamie. And as silly as it seems, I really liked decorating five days early, because it's given me a lot longer to enjoy it!

Morning nap is over, so I'm back to celebrating my one-year-old NONSTOP today. :)

MmB