Mel & Liza: Truly Homemade

Two years ago Mr. H made his appearance at Beth Israel Manhattan, and this last week Jake and I celebrated his birthday. I must admit, I could think of hundreds of birthday parties for girls, but when it comes to little boys, I was out of ideas. Of course, I could have gone a very commercial route, but somehow an Elmo themed party was not getting me too excited.
So I turned to Paper Presentation (18th St. btw 5th and 6th Ave) for some inspiration. This is a fabulous paper store full of great looking paper, so I knew I was bound to be inspired by something-- I was running out of time with 72 hours remaining.

Lucky for me I found this wrapping paper and from there I was on my way to our Homemade Party. I always say to think outside of the box, and using high quality wrapping paper is a fantastic way to add texture to your event.

Henry has a love for cowboy boots, horses, barnyard animals, and ballons. So, I worked hard thinking of ways to combine all of these fun ideas together. First off, the invitation was important to get just right. My dear friend Jane, from Plain Jane's Cards sent me these perfect invitations. I just told her he loves ballons, horses, and is all boy.

Could they be any cuter?? Check Jane at plainjanescard.wordpress.com-
She is AMAZING!!!!

Just a bit of a side note. I LOVE blogs, but sometimes you see parties and images of events and you think, really? Thats a quick DIY, and it's inexpensive- who are you kidding??
Now, I am telling you Henry's birthday was truly simple, good looking, and sentimental. Most importantly, the event did not stress us out, which I think is key when celebrating milestones.

The Low Down; a few tips on keeping it truly simple and homemade.

Uno: Ballons

Ballons are so inexpensive and bring a sense of occasion to any event. Plus Henry LOVES ballons, so when he walked into this room he burst with excitement.

I also say when you are planning a party, keep it personal. Last summer when we were in Tucson, I picked up these fun traditional Mexican banners, and they were the perfect addition.

Dos: Color

Color is everything. I think if you have a fun coordination of color, life is brought to any event. Lucky for me, my friend Frances Bailey of 400sqft.blogspot.com has given me bright fabrics and serving platters. In the end the room was covered in blues, reds, whites, oranges, and a bit of green.