Early October, my favorite little man turned One!

Although it was peppered in between a few lovely fall client weddings, I still managed to whip together a little celebration in honor of the perfect creature that changed my life forever.

Carter was turning 1 – and let’s be honest….what are one-year-olds really into?!  Carter isn’t yet into trains, or trucks – could care less about Sesame Street or scooters.
However…he does have One True Love….Our beagle (mix), Illiebelle!And so, an Illie-theme was quickly established!

My amazingly talented artist friend, Liz Dixon, designed the invitations for us.
What ended up being a single, oversized balloon let guests know they were in the right place (alright, so we started with two balloons…..)

Similar to a pair of wreaths on the front doors of my in-laws, two Illie silhouettes (also created by Liz) were the first to welcome friends and family.

The birthday boy posed with momma and daddy in front of the dessert buffet.

The party was called for 1:30pm, so while guests weren’t expecting a full meal, I prepared a food buffet fit for adults and kiddos alike.
For the elders, I had a bruschetta bar with four different flavors – marinated skirt steak, arugula, caramelized onions and gorgonzola – BBQ pulled chicken – tomato, basil and fresh mozzarella – seasonal honeycrisp apple, ricotta, crispy prosciutto, parmigiano reggiano and honey drizzle.  I also made a farro salad and a fall salad.
Bowls of cheerios, yogurt bites and Plum Pouches kept the kiddos satisfied until desserts.

Stickers made on zazzle featured Illiebelle’s silhouette (also created by Liz!) and adorned paper cups for the bevvies.
The kids weren’t the only ones that had fun…champagne cocktails and beer were on hand for the older kids.

Carter’s Corner featured toys galore!

The dessert spread was positioned in front of a collage of paper fans and featured treats from Sweet Mandy B’s, green and blue candies, legendary peanut butter squares made by my mother in law, and of course a cake made for one happy little boy.

Of course Carter needed a wardrobe change before his Smash The Cake experience!  I had his bloomers, suspenders, bow-tie and hat made on etsy.

Little Man demolished what was nearly 1/3rd of the Sweet Mandy B’s cake!  (His sweet tooth comes  from MOMMA!)

Guests took doggie-bag favors home with them…Puppy Chow made by my mother in law and cookies decorated with Illie’s silhouette.

And coordinating stationary let our generous friends and family know how much Carter appreciated their thoughtfulness.

I have always LOVED hosting parties – and to be able to throw one for my SON (ah!) was a pretty amazing experience!