Having all the little details coming together to culminate in a beautiful celebration surrounded by the important people in our lives? This is the good stuff.
For months I dreamt of a vintage theme for my daughter’s first birthday party. My grandmother, and Nora Charlotte’s namesake, inspires me so much and I wanted to honor her with this party. When it was over, our photographer, Amaree Davis, who did not know the backstory, commented on how well the party fit my daughter’s name. I was over the moon to know my dream had truly become a reality!
I decided on a vintage rose theme specifically, with little birds thrown in just because. I was so pleased with the subtle color palette of light and dark pinks, teal and light green, and creams and whites.
The turning point in the planning came when I found Greenhouse Picker Sisters through a friend. It was so fun to pick out anything and everything I wanted for this special day…a beautiful farm table, rose settee, upholstered chairs, wooden chairs, trunks, accent tables, suitcases, crates, china, silver, mason jars, cake plates, frames, lace, and the perfect vintage decor. I had Amanda with Greenhouse Picker Sisters help me style the event and she brought my vision to life in a way I will forever cherish. One of their wooden chairs reminded my grandmother of a chair she had as a child. To be able to take her back in time was another unexpected gift from the day!
Family, friends and neighbors were surprised from the moment they walked up to the house. We created a welcome scene on our front porch to set the tone for the party.
The first thing guests saw when they walked inside was the study, which we turned into the focal point. Using a farm table, we created a beautiful display for the smash cake and other dessert. It also served as the backdrop for pictures with our family and friends.
In the corner, we brought down my great-grandmother’s chair from our master bedroom and added an accent table and decor to complete the look. In the dining room, we used the old wooden chairs to allow for additional seating. I created four extra seating areas in the living room and breakfast nooks: one with a beautiful rose sette and upholstered chairs, and three with our dining room and kitchen chairs. Each space had a trunk, crate, and accent tables for mason jar drinks. Fortunately, I already had a vintage high chair. Setting it in front of the fireplace made it the perfect spot for everyone to view the cake smash. And it recreated the set-up we had for my son, Owen’s, first birthday. Guests ate from beautiful rose floral mix-matched china and silver flatware, another way of harkening back to my grandmother’s time.
I also loved decorating the party with DIY details. I hung tissue paper pom poms (made following a Martha Stewart tutorial) from our chandeliers.
The rose patterns I found by The Graphic Box through Creative Market fit the look I wanted perfectly and was used for the custom invitations and paper decor details I executed. I used a template from the Potterybarn Kids blog to create a pennant banner at the fireplace (where the cake smash took place).
A dear friend, Nannette, helped me with the Happy Birthday banner. Her daughter, Sage, sewed our “Happy 1st Birthday, Nora” message onto a burlap banner. I hung it from our living room curtain rod. They also made a “ONE” banner that fit perfectly on the front door. (And surprised me by creating another burlap banner in the same way with Nora’s monogram.
I used a two inch circle hole punch from Michael’s to create garland hanging from the curtain rod above our sliding glass door – a fun and unexpected way to decorate the area by the food.
I bought a wooden letter “N” from Hobby Lobby and painted it in a pink that matched the color palette. It is now a part of the gallery wall in Nora’s room. I love the idea of repurposing party decor!
Inspiration is all around us. My favorite crafted detail was the pennant banners I made to hang throughout the study (using the same template for the fireplace). I was inspired by Mr. Carson’s and Mrs. Hughes’ wedding in Downton Abbey. The schoolhouse where they held their reception had white pennant banners hanging everywhere. As soon as I saw it, I knew that’s how I wanted our room to look. I was so happy with how it turned out.
It meant so much to me to celebrate this big day with our family, friends, and neighbors. I am so grateful for their love and support and was so moved to have everyone there. Thanking them was an important part of the day. I made Oreo truffles. I was thrilled to find gift tags that matched the shape of the invitation and then wrote each guest a personal note on the back.
I loved every moment of the party. But my favorite moment was Nora sitting in my grandmother’s lap. In her mother’s chair. I am so thankful to Amaree for suggesting we do that. The expressions on my grandmother’s face. Nora looking up her. Nora’s tiny hand resting on hers. It was the culminating moment.
Bring loved ones together to celebrate life and love and magic happens. May it be so for you, too!
Warmly,
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