"My oh my how the time does fly!"
It was time to celebrate my little man's first birthday and even though I said I wasn't going to do much…I just kept getting ideas that I couldn't resist trying out. I am the definition of "Mamarazzi" and for those of you who haven't heard this term yet the Urban Dictionary defines me as this:
Mamarazzi: Mothers who constantly follow their children around with several cameras and video taking equipment, snapping photos at each turn and documenting each milestone or event with at least two dozen photos and a video.
I definitely have about 2 dozen photos from every outing or milestone and figured it was time to share them instead of just filing them away until I make the end of the year photo book. Being a Mamarazzi is a good thing (someday my kids will agree) and it was time to show off what my little man had been up to all year long. So the theme started to develop based on photos and my scouring the internet for ideas began. I went to Etsy first and found this invitation. I loved the wording in it so I started playing with my own invitation. I love chevron designs right now (along with everyone else) so I started there for the background and started playing around until I came up with the above invite.
My first "big" idea was to make a collage out of the photos spelling "one" similar to the "one" in the invitation. With some white posterboard and lots of black and white photos I got to work. Are you ready to see lots of photos? Because you do know you are reading a blog from a certified Mamarazzi ;).
I had lots of photos that were not used in the collage, but I still wanted to showcase them. So I made my own version of photos drying in the dark room by hanging them on some twine with clothespins. I loved it so much I think we are going to leave them up and change the photos regularly.
I also hung pictures with twine and clothespins above the sliding glass door, but every time I tried to get pictures they looked like dark blobs.
I wanted to sum up all the major milestones and if you aren't a regular reader you might just be learning that I LOVE chalkboard paint for just about everything. I spray painted some $1 foam board and put it behind an empty frame. And, yes, doesn't that diapers number astonish you? The ear infection number isn't a good one either, but really, 2190 diapers?!?
Remember how I love chevron designs? Well , I had to incorporate it into the party since it was on the invite so I found the black and white chevron fabric at a discount store. I purchased 1 ½ yards and put it straight onto the table…no sewing J. With my large black and white "one" photo collage I knew I needed some color. I found the green lanterns at the DollarTree and hung them from the ceiling. I then took a pack of tissue paper from the DollarTree and turned them into some brightly colored rosettes. There are lots of detailed how-to's on the web to make these paper rosettes, but I just folded the tissue paper in accordion style, tied the middle with dental floss (its nice and strong), and started to spread them out and tape pieces into place. I then ruffled up ½ a piece of tissue paper and put it on the middle to hide all the "ugly" stuff. Like I said…lots of detailed directions on the web based on the type of paper and size that you want. It's definitely something to bookmark if you need an inexpensive way to add some color or decorations to a boring white wall like I needed to.
As if there were not enough pictures yet….I had to do a "1sts" wall. I used black and white photos to stay consistent and then glued them onto some white paper. I cut out the paper and placed the photos on to it to resemble Polaroid photos. After the party I am taking them down and putting them straight into a book of his 1sts.
Michaels had some frame decals on clearance for 50 cents – perfect to extend the photo theme out to our deck.
You think this kid is having a good time?
He is in awe of the big candle…
Enjoying his cupcake one star at a time!
If you made it this far into this post, I hope you enjoyed a glimpse into my Mamarazzi files because we all know these were only a sampling of what my camera actually took! Enjoy and hopefully it sparked some ideas for your own party. Imagine doing the "One" collage for an anniversary – the numbers 50 really large with photos from 50 years of a marriage. It would be stunning and such a tribute to the couple.
I think the party planning is done for a while since both boys had their big days for 2011. Now the time has come to organize, organize, organize! I wonder what project I can accomplish tomorrow in between referring my boys game of Tom & Jerry around the house.
Be inspired, get creative, and have fun!
I've linked this party over at Under the Table and Dreaming
