I love a festive party so when it came time to choose a theme, I was torn between a few. Her birthday falls two days before Valentine’s Day which would be the obvious theme to many, but that didn’t seem to fit at the time. I kept thinking on it, and my sister mentioned how perfect ‘What a ONEderful World’ would be. But OF COURSE! Travel, airplanes, mother earth, globes and maps would fit into our theme perfectly, and I didn’t need to go out and buy a bunch of centerpieces because it was already in my house as decor! The decision was made.

The Invitation

Nora’s actual birthday fell on a Saturday, the perfect day to throw the party. When planning, I was trying to decide between a late morning vs. a late afternoon timeframe. I know a lot of people opt for a start time right after baby’s first nap, but 4pm kept calling to me. By that time of the day, you’ve literally taken every single toy out of the basket to play with 5x over, you’ve gone to the park twice and have run all possible errands. It’s a great time of day for other friends and families to come by for a couple hours for a few drinks, snack and (cookie) cake!

For the birthday invitation, I found this incredibly adorable template that I couldn’t live without. I edited it in Canva and then uploaded it to Paperless Post in order to send out via email instead of snail mail.

Sips and Snacks 

The food table and bar is almost always the focal point of every party, yes? Yes. I went with cupcakes + travel-themed cupcake toppers, cookies, cookie cake, smash cake, a charcuterie board and chicken nuggets for the table. Honestly, we had a bigger turnout than expected so I should’ve order twice as many nuggets and charcuterie…but ya live and ya learn!

For the cake, it was so beautifully done by local bakery Blue Cake. A word to parents of an almost one-year-old reading this: Don’t be surprised if your baby doesn’t devour the smash cake like you’ve seen on IG a million times before. Nora wasn’t a fan, and there’s always next year! Also maybe opt out of the candle this year. Fire and babies don’t always go together…

As for the adults, we had ice cold White Claws, rosé, red and white varietals and all kind of beer on offer from all around the world. Pick your region of choice!

cake topper / cake stand / travel-themed cupcake toppers

Party Decor

But what to use as the centerpiece? A few days before, it hit me. I’d use my globes alongside some nice flowers to jazz up the center of the table. I added a sheer table runner underneath for a little pop of color. 

What’s a party with out a balloon arch? My sister is the arch connoisseur and did a great job piecing it together a couple of hours before the party. You can find so many adorable ones on Etsy and Amazon. I snagged the ‘What a ONEderful World’ banner off of Etsy alongside these cute downloaded signs that I threw in 8×10 frames for cute signage. The first year photo collage was really cute, but honestly I found myself cutting them out sheer seconds before guests walked in lol. While I would’ve loved to hang them daintily on tiny clothespins to make an adorable banner, there we were, taping them to the wall at the last hour ha! That’s my procrastination shining through and a lesson in party planning – it’s HARD and requires major time and energy 🙂 Lastly, the tulip test tube vase can be found ON SALE here!

vintage globe / mother-of-pearl globe / table runner / balloon arch / What a ONEderful world banner / signage / first year photo template / test tube vase

Baggage Claim

I didn’t go too hard on party favors this year because, well, ONE, but I did want to leave the kids with some treats and even possible activities the following day. I LOVE these plantable seeded recycled cards that grow as well as these vintage suitcases filled with chocolate. The perfect sendoff after the perfect day! Happy 1st lap around the sun, Norabean!

globes that grow / vintage suitcases / signage