Y’all know that hosting a birthday party takes serious time and planning.  I started putting stuff together for Eliza Jane’s big ONE party over a month ago.

Mid-July I made my big purchase at Michael’s {using a 20% off entire purchase coupon!} and came home with all this “loot”!

I had planned out everything I wanted to do, somewhat based on pins I’d added to my “1st Birthday” board on Pinterest.

First thing was first, the Birthday Banner!

I had purchased these banner paper pads from the Recollections, um, collection at Michael’s.

After sorting through the various designs, I figured out the banner design and pattern.  I laid everything out, counting my number of pennants for the “Happy” and “Birthday”.  I had to play with it a few times to figure out which patterns I liked best, where.

Then I got out my silver glitter letters.  I just realized I’ve not told y’all the “theme”!  Well, there’s no real theme…just pink and silver/silver glitter with white.  So here are my glitter letters.  I mean, after all, every little girl needs glitter on her first birthday, right?!  Right!

And I placed the letters accordingly.  Y’all know it was harder than it looks.  There’s all this placement consideration, especially where stripes are concerned…

 

So then I stacked both banners, in order of pennant, and stuck them in the birthday decor drawer in the dining room and it sat there until about two weekends ago.

I’ve decided over the last couple of years that any party or event we have at our home, where lots of decor things are needed, I dedicate a drawer in the buffet in our dining room to said decor.  It’s made my life MUCH easier in being able to find everything for that event in one spot.  I’ve done that for birthdays, Dana’s baby shower and our Welcome Summer party.

Here’s the drawer as it looks tonight!

 

Anyway, now that I’ve shown you some of the birthday decor secrets {shhh!!!}, back to the Birthday Banner!

So two weekends ago we had lunch at Bonefish for my father-in-law’s birthday…Reynolds was so excited about everything he refused to take a nap once we got home.  Side note, who knows what it’s like to have a toddler who refuses a nap?!!?!?!?!?!? “Momma, I no take a nap” he kept saying, looking at the monitor on the wall.  “Sister crying, Momma!!” Even though sister was passed.out. in her crib!

So finally I thought, he could help me, I’ll go get the little man.

He did help.  He LOVES to climb on the stool.  So I let him climb the stool, while I used a chair to hang the banner.

Please excuse the state of our home that day…Mr. Monkey had had a rough afternoon {laying at the foot of the stairs}.  Ooop!  There’s even a sneak peek at the mantle! ha!

The banner fell about 4 times – washi tape doesn’t hold anything really…and as much as I didn’t want to use push pins to hold it up, I had to.

So this is what you see upon coming up the steps to our home, and entering the foyer.

I can’t wait to show y’all the rest…stay tuned for tomorrow and the big day on Saturday!