got milk? (and cookies?!)

two years prior, on new years eve, 

i looked at my husband and said 

"this baby is going to be born tonight!". 

she wasn't due for three more weeks, 

but somehow i just knew. 

(pretty sure she was telling me via morse code from the womb; clearly she's gifted.)

either way, i was right; the girl was ready to party, and arrived on new years day. 

so party we have, every year since, and party we will, until she is old enough to be embarrassed by us. 

for birdie's second birthday, since cookies were her favorite thing in the world to eat, i decided on a cookies & milk themed party. 

if you're looking for some budget-friendly ideas for simple but sweet decor and treats, look no further! 

what? 

my pictures are sticking out funny?

so's your face. 

i planned this little party during the craziness of the holidays AND while planning bunny's 5th birthday party, which i mentioned here, and which was featured here. 

i may do a full post on it for you all soon.

needless to say, it was a busy time of year...

but our little birdie deserved a party 

just for her!

her birthday pj's!

(i'm obsessed with coordinating outfits for kids' events. it makes it fun, and of course... the photos are always better!)

 

now on to the party deets...

i ordered adorable printable party labels from anders ruff, and they really made everything come together! more on that in a minute...

when budget is an issue,

or really anytime i find one i particularly like, i love using wrapping paper as a backdrop for food/dessert/gift table(s). 

here, i used target's hot pink stock paper simply taped to the wall 

(be careful where you're taping, i often use painters' tape so as not to leave a mark) 

to give the table a cohesive look.

i happened to spot the polka dot paper in the valentines section, and ran with it as an accent in the cookie jars 

and as a table runner.

i had been searching everywhere for the perfect sized bottles for milk, and didn't find them until after the party. of course. 

(go here if you are looking for some)

...so i improvised! 

instead of going to sbux for my morning coffee, i drank their bottled version over ice for a couple weeks in order to re-purpose these bottles for the party. i simply stuck on the anders ruff labels and added striped 

vintage paper straws!

in retrospect, i should have created a solid-colored backer (a slightly larger square)for these adorable labels; they didn't get the love they deserved. 

i also re-purposed some large glass french lemonade bottles to serve the milk in; we had various options, all organic, of course! 

a sweet anders ruff label with an (uneven) solid  brown backer and some grosgrain ribbon added a cute detail.

the vintage style car on the table is a ride-on toy my girls had received as a generous gift from their grandparents; i love using big elements that add height & interest to a party table, and this car seemed like just the thing!

the large kraft letter "E" sitting in the car is from JoAnn's Fabric store; 

i painted it pink at home.

 

you never know what might take your party to the next level; look around your house and imagine different ways to use items you already own... its fun and free!

the cookie jars i normally use to store 

flours and sugars in my pantry; 

i got them years ago from ikea, and have seen similar jars at target recently.

i didn't have a cake stand as tall as i wanted, so i simply stacked an upside down coffee mug onto my regular cake stand, and then 

put a white salad plate on top.

i ended up buying cupcakes at the market about two hours prior to the party (thank goodness they had the perfect colors!) just in case we didn't have enough cookies... ha!

they are topped with the anders ruff party circles i punched out (with my handy round 2 or 2.5 straight or scalloped edge circle cutters--a must if you make these more than once. total timesaver!)and put onto a slightly larger backer with a toothpick in the middle! 

so easy.

for some reason i felt the need to also make cake pops for the party, and at the time i was still a novice at it. 

but i used edible shimmer, so i feel that more than compensates for my lack of skill! 

and they were delicious, so there's that.

i also measured and cut the polka dot wrapping paper to line all of my white serving platters & trays from homegoods. 

(that store is awesome for stuff like this!) 

while at the store buying the cupcakes, my eyes were doing their usual manic, scan-the-store-for-anything-else-i-might-possibly-need thing, 

and i grabbed some m&m's...

birdie's fave chocolate candy. 

when i got home i stuck them in a clean, cylindrical vase & added some anders ruff love!

are we sensing a theme here? 

my girl loves her chocolate.

and yes that is a gold lame jacket. 

she's two. and it was her birthday.

i also whipped up some coordinating shirts for both girls the night before, and matching enormous adorable headbands!  

(i know. i have real problems you guys.)

this may sound totally bush league, and i'm probably revealing too much here, but i simply printed out a horse silhouette for bunny and hand drew a #2 for birdie that i cut out onto cardstock, traced onto some polka dot fabric i had on hand, and hot glued them onto white long sleeved t.shirts they had in their closets. 

i know! 

but it looked really cute, and after many washes and wears, they still do! 

(i totes expected them to fall apart immediately after the party, too.)

the headbands were created from small fabric circles that i cut out, rolled into rosettes, and hot glued onto a large cardboard backer, then glued onto headbands/barettes we had lying around. swarovski crystals are, somehow, everywhere in my house. i glued one in the center of each flower for good measure. 

i wore one, too. 

sorry. really i am. 

my sweet girls. 

probs moments before their sugar crash.

oh! and obvs i made tissue paper poms and hung them from the ceiling with fishing line; 

if you need a tutorial, google it. 

there are a zillion and they are super easy. 

they're also everywhere, and if you need some inspiration for different ideas, 

i'll hook you up next week.

if i'm doing water bottle labels, i really like to use the archer farms brand from target, as they are smooth and just look better.

but of course you can use any brand 

and cut to fit!

the lovely ladies at anders ruff did a great job on the printables, and they really tied everything together; if you don't know about printables (etsy is my fave place to get 'em) you really must check them out! 

they are a fun, affordable way to take an informal event to the next level.

thanks maureen & adria!

if you have questions on anything above,

(or anything philosophical in nature, having to do with indigenous amazonian lizards, or where the world's largest rubber band ball is located; pretty much anything but a math question) please feel free to comment! 

xo