Liberty Print Cake Topper / Rainbow Cake / Vintage ‘Elysian’ Liberty Print fabric as tablecloth / DIY Floral ‘P’ Monogram made with The Trove Cambridge at #CamMama
Kids’ Parties. Love them or loathe them, if you have children you’re going to be attending them &/or hosting a lot of them for many years to come. Personally, I’m in love with the idea of & ideas for them – oh, so many themes! – even if the reality turns into a swarm of sugar-fuelled chaos.
When it came to celebrating Poppy’s First Birthday I was determined to host a get together. She’d had a rocky time throughout that year with her health & her condition so we wanted to gather all our friends & family together to mark the occasion in style. I’ll admit it was completely self-indulgent; no baby actually remembers the event itself, do they? Yet she’ll always be able to look back on the photographs & keepsakes from her very first party.
Poppy Elena wore a Liberty print dress from Cyrillus with shoes by Bloch & accessories c/o Monsoon. I wore a dress from the Uniqlo x Liberty Collaboration (out of stock).
The party theme was a ‘Flowers of Liberty’ celebration inspired by a love of Liberty prints, florals & Spring with decor from the first Meri Meri for Liberty collaboration. They’ve just released yet more additions to the gorgeous collection (possibly even prettier & all the pieces would work together beautifully for a ‘mix & match’ look) so I thought it would be the perfect time to share details from that day with lots of ideas you might be able to use for your own celebrations. Though it seems like only yesterday, we’re fast approaching her Second Birthday in April so I’m already busy making plans for a Circus themed celebration. Watch this space!
Inspiration
You can view my (P)inspiration here
I started out by creating a Pinterest board (initially secret) to pull my ideas together & started stocking up on party decor well in advance. The Meri Meri pieces were understandably very popular & many items went on to sell out, so preparation was (& is) key. I ordered directly from their website, Liberty itself & lovely independent stockists like Molly Meg to get hold of the range ; I predict the latest pieces are going to sell out fast!
Just some of the range that I purchased for the party – mostly in namesake ‘Poppy & Daisy’ print. All of these items are still available as part of the wider collection.
Indie & Pop Party Picks
All items available from Meri Meri & also available at MollyMeg
The range is really extensive & now incorporates more stationery as well as decor, so it’s great for a little dose of Liberty print loveliness for lots of occasions & great for gifting or crafting (if you’re that way inclined). The decorations are well made so can easily be used again for other events or in a Nursery, Playroom or childs’ Bedroom. Not just for kids though – personally, I can’t resist!
For other Liberty Print decorative items then do check out independents The Paper Rainbow Company (just down the road from where I live) & Emily & Heath who both hand-make bespoke banners amongst other gorgeous items & monogrammed clothing.
Stationery & Party Bags
I used Liberty Notecards with a DIY designed printed insert for the invitations as well as creating a private Facebook Group so I could include online links for travel & RSVPs. I also used these cards to write hand written Thanks afterwards.
Scraps of Liberty fabrics to attach monogrammed luggage labels to the children’s party bags. I still use these alphabet stickers all the time.
I made each child a little framed monogram using Liberty fabric squares & then glued on little wooden letters from my local Craft store. I popped in some treats by Organix & BEAR, Sticker sheets from Jonathan Adler, Bubble wands, Poppy Seeds & beauty bits for all the Mums from Elemis, Lush & Abahna – these went down very well!
As the date neared I also found inspiration & borrowed ideas from the aptly timed posts by fellow Liberty print lovers WIT & Little Look. Poppy & I were due to attend Laura Fantacci‘s #WITxBonpoint Afternoon Tea but ill health had meant we couldn’t attend. I stole some ideas for the catering displays & favors from these beautiful events & recreated them on a budget.
We chose a simple, local Church Hall as our venue, complete with mock tudor beams – very Liberty-esque. A large open space offering plenty of room for games with a little kitchen facility. We filled it with lots of paper pom poms, large white balloons, confetti balloons, Spring flowers & a mixture of music to keep both adults & little ones entertained.
Poppy Seed Pod favors for all of the guests labelled with ‘Watch me Grow’ & ‘Help Me Grow’ using my trusty DYMO label maker & luggage tag labels (I popped a planting guide on the reverse).
Food
Something for everyone: As we were catering for adults & children from babies to teens we had lots of savoury finger foods & sweet treats. It was a mix of local market produce, supermarket & homemade items.
Modern & Retro classic buffet fayre. I used lots of vintage trays & glassware as well as crockery from Charity Shops, Wilko & Great Nana’s cake stand.
We went a bit OTT with the food (these shots were taken early on & the food just kept coming thanks to my family & friends) but I wanted it to be indulgent & fun with plenty for all ages. I come from a family of feeders. We eat very healthily in general & it was mostly for the benefit of all the big kids in attendance 😉 I’m not quite as keen to incorporate so much sugar into the next party as it will be a gathering mostly of already very energetic toddlers!
Outfits
Poppy Elena’s First Birthday Party Outfit
Ever since P was a newborn she’s been bedecked in all things Liberty & lots of florals. I was one of those ‘buy everything neutral’ types opting for lots of whites, greys, navy & my own beloved stripes & denim. Despite (or inspite of) my best efforts & personal Tom Boy tendencies, she’s just incredibly drawn to very typically feminine florals & sparkles. In fact, her influence has rubbed off more on me! Both our wardrobes are now a fun mix & I can’t wait to see how her personal style develops over the years. Not yet 2, she already knows her mind when it comes to her outfits.
1. Fairy Hat by Zara Kids (out of stock)
2. Baby Niamh Cardigan by Monsoon (£19)
3. Cathy Liberty Print Dress by Cyrillus (past season but lots of beautiful styles available here, here & of course, here)
4. Bloch Baby Sirenetta Shoes at Wild & Gorgeous (£26)
There’s a few more photos over on my Instagram & you can view the hashtag #poppyelenaisone Have you hosted a child’s Birthday Party or will you be hosting one soon? I’d love to hear your ideas & tips too!
S & P x
INDIE & POP 