Saturday, June 27, 2009

Happy Birthday, Clara!

Clara has turned one year old! We invited some family members over for a daisy-themed birthday luncheon this afternoon. It was a great success, and it didn't break the bank! The key to planning a party on a budget lies in the little details. These tiny touches do not have to cost much, and might not even take up a lot of time, but are done with love and intention.

The paper daisies hanging from the ceiling came from Big Lots and cost just $2 for the set of 3. The fresh flower bouquet came from our local grocery store. It was filled with yellow carnations, and of course daisies! The napkin rings were made of ribbon with a piece of cardstock attached to serve double-duty as placecards.

In our household, Mark is the baker, and he baked and decorated this cake all by himself. Fresh flowers are a beautiful alternative to icing flowers, and no cake-decorating class is necessary.

Tea sandwiches are a great way to make your guests feel special! I wrapped these in waxed paper to keep the bread from going stale, and also to dress them up a bit.

All this attention made for one very happy little girl!

Simple First Birthday Luncheon Menu
Selection of Tea Sandwiches (Ham and Swiss, Turkey and Provolone, Cucumber and Cream Cheese)
Bacon Ranch Pasta Salad
Fruit Cocktail (Fresh Watermelon and Blueberries served in a Martini Glass)

Drinks
Lemonade, Ice Water, Coffee, Tea

Dessert
White Birthday Cake with Lemon Icing


Tips to Cut Costs:

Keep the Guest List Small -- By keeping our guest list small, I was able to use dishes instead of paper plates, glasses instead of plastic cups, and silverware instead of plastic utensils. This is both budget-friendly and good for the planet.

Skip the Soda -- Lemonade, Iced Tea, and Water are great, inexpensive alternatives to soda.

Late Afternoon Works Best -- To avoid having to serve a meal, schedule your party to begin late in the afternoon when guests have already eaten lunch.

15 comments:

Kirsten said...

Beautiful decorations and food! :)
Hope you all had a great day!

Jenny said...

This is all really cute! I'm making mental notes of everything for the future! :)

Frances said...

Beautiful celebration! I agree with the fresh flowers being the perfect cake decorations. That is what I had on my wedding cake and it was gorgeous!

Happy Birthday to Clara!

Valerie @ Inner Child Fun said...

@ Frances -- We had fresh flowers on our wedding cake too! You know what they say about great minds... ;-)

Stephanie Griffith said...

Happy Birthday Miss Clara! What a pretty party theme!

Mama King said...

What a beautiful sunny party! The decorations looked so bright and cheery and of course so did Clara! Looks like a perfect day!

I gave you a blog award today :-)

Covered In Crafts said...

I love it! It's so sweet and pretty!

Bobbi & Noe said...

This party is my type of birthday! Omgoodness it is too cute! I love daisy's. Yellow and daisy's were my wedding themes. Great job!

Valerie @ Inner Child Fun said...

@ Bobbi -- Wow, you must have had such an elegant wedding! Once this room was decorated, I loved how cheerful the yellow and white looked. So much fun!

Valerie @ Inner Child Fun said...

@ Mama King -- Oh wow, thank you so much for the award!! That is so cool!!! :-)

Heather said...

Oh the cake is rockin! Tell your hubs he did an awesome job!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY CLARA!!! HOPE YOUR FIRST BIRTHDAY WAS AWESOME!!!

Anna said...

Happy Birthday Clara! Every thing looks so cheerful, she must have loved it.

MaryAnne said...

Looks like a lovely summer party!

Night Owl Mama said...

awww happy first birthday sweet little girl

Christy Killoran said...

That cake is pretty too! My husband would love a lemon cake.

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