Josephine’s First Birthday Party Celebration

I’ve got to tell you: I’m really proud of myself for pulling this one off. With all the travel we just completed, and lots of other projects in the works that you’ll definitely hear about soon, I hate to say it but Josephine’s first birthday party was just a wee bit thrown together. Invites were sent last minute, all the decor was purchased the day prior, and – gasp – I didn’t have an outfit picked out for the birthday girl until literally 5 minutes before the party. *Insert palm to face here*

Despite being behind on pretty much every aspect in life, I was determined to have a beautiful party to celebrate my sweet Josephine the way she deserved. And I’ve got to say, it all came together nicely!

Zero stress on the day of, even. I owe all the credit to The Present Place, an adorable indoor play place in Ravenswood, which was where the event was held. I wanted it there because the girls had been there to play before on a weekend months back and loved it. It is clean, modern and bright. Lots of greenery hangs on the walls, soft music hums in the background, and it’s the kind of place you don’t mind having a warm cup of coffee while the kiddos are running around freely. (While our turnout was on the smaller side, the space holds up to 50!) Perfect for a birthday party.

Anyways, they were fantastic. I literally dropped off the decor we’d purchased earlier in the day, and when we came back before party time, it was all set up and ready to go. Like a little magician came, waved her wand, and brought it all to life effortlessly. Except that magician was a woman named Alicia, who I’m still not convinced doesn’t have a magic wand. But I digress.

The most important part of all was that Josephine had a great time. She ran around playing with all the toys, went down the slide countless times, cuddled with her grandparents, and of course, dove into her (vegan!) cupcake like a boss. (Shout out to my friend Becca who also brought the best homemade chocolate cupcakes!)

Pictures speak a thousand words, so I’ll let them do the talking from here. Be sure to scroll all the way down to the bottom of this post, where I’ve linked all the details for you to recreate a similar party of your own!
Looking to recreate this party? All the decor was so easy to put together! All the links to do so are below!

Confetti tablecloth – Similar here & here

Floral Bouquets – One on every table! All were made by Gratitude-Heart-Garden in Roscoe Village. Vases for bouquets were all glass ones that I had from home!

Cupcakes – Sweet Mandy B’s in Lincoln Park

Plates, Forks, Knives, Spoons, Napkins – Pink polka dot themed, similar found here

Gold Letter Balloons – These always add the best pop of personality to any event! You can find a ton of options here.

Pink Latex Balloons – Great for table settings, or to put around the party for an added effect. Similar options here.

Circle Dot Garland – This was put on the cupcake table backdrop to bring some cohesion from the balloons to the table. I love dot garland because it’s so versatile for party decor! You can find a ton of options here.

Huge thanks to Present Place Chicago for helping to host such a wonderful event!