the apple of my eye

My day was made when this party landed in my inbox. Thank you to my new Australian friend, Nathalie, for passing these beauties along! It's days like these that make blogging so fulfilling. 

I not only love the colors of this party, but I love the subtle appearance of the number 5 in some of the elements (like the 5 cents on the cider sign). When I worked at the MS Kids magazine, we would sometimes hide a single object throughout various stories in the magazine- like an apple. It was something sometimes only we noticed, or some very discerning readers. But it was kind of like an inside joke and also provided a sense of cohesion to the issue, as well as a subtle sense of play. I love that kind of thinking in this party idea.

Nathalie writes, "Having boys doesn't mean you need to tread down the pirate, cowboy and superhero party theme path. Think about theming his party around what your child enjoys- what makes him smile...in my case, it was apple pie!

Purchasing small child sized apples from my local green grocer, green toffee apples, serving apple lemonade and of course apple pie with ice-cream could not have been easier. Adding a bit of eco-chic with bamboo cutlery and plates and putting an Imprintables stamp on it made it even more ENJOYable!

We played traditional party games such as bobbing for apples, flying wooden airplanes, sack race and tug-of-war. It kept all of the boys entertained.

One valuable lesson I learned was to have an alternate plan for wet weather. With only one hour before the party commenced, the rain was horrendous. The initial concept of having a 'picnic in the park' was not viable and the venue had to change at home...which unfortunately was not in a state to be hosting a party. Thankfully it all worked out in the end and Travis could not have been happier!

Apple lemonade recipe:

1 bottle of apple juice

1 bottle of pear juice

1 2L bottle of lemonade

Combine; watch the children and mums alike devour this tasty concoction."

Apple of my Eye invitation $4 AD/set (includes personalized double-sided invitation, Kraft envelope, and thank you tag)

Kraft party bag with sticker $3.25 AD

'Enjoy' stamp + ink pad $35 AD

All photos taken by the very talented Kasia (who has an amazing product line herself!)

Thank you again to Nathalie! Anyone else who wants to share their 'party perfect' party with me, please send photos to hickspapergoods@yahoo.com.