When I started working with Carolyn to plan her son’s second birthday party here in Calgary, she was so excited, but had no clue where to start. Coming up with a theme to run with was overwhelming to her. So, I walked her through everything from concept to design.
First, I proposed 4 birthday theme ideas with mini mood boards of what these could look like. From there she and her husband selected one, which was the little camper/adventurer theme.
Once we had the theme set, they were happy to let me run with the creativity. I knew this would be a party for both children and adults, so I wanted to create a space separately for the littles to enjoy too!
In the upstairs bonus room, I created a fun “Camp Ellis” area where the kids could hang out in the stylish Modern Tipi teepee, play games, hang out and munch on some yummy snacks. The kids had giant colouring banners and an indoor fishing game along with countless teddy bears to play with (or toss at each other!) And how cute is that custom banner from amartincreative? I love how this turned out!
In the main area, I set the food table to incorporate all guests. I worked closely with Carolyn to set the menu and drink selections to ensure a cohesive feel that would remind people of camping. We served homemade chilli, mini pigs in a blanket, pretzel (twigs), and veggie sticks. I set up a trail mix station for the kiddos (and possibly some of the adults) to create their own fun snacks! This was so fun to make and super easy (and cheap) to do! Guests also enjoyed signature themed drinks of Lavender Lemonade and Infused “Beary” water which consisted of mix berries and fresh mint.
And of course, every party needs some dessert! Pretty Sweet Bakery worked closely with us to provide the delicious mini s’mores donuts, raspberry jam jams cookies and a stunning cinnamon caramel apple spiced cake.
I love making the guests feel special, especially the mini guests. I mean who didn’t love seeing what was in your goodie bag when you were a kid? I know I did! To keep with the Camp Ellis theme, each kid received a small s’more kit ready to be roasted and devoured. I also created the cutest mini hobo packs filled with camp themed stickers, bubbles, bear shaped ring pops and a custom Camp Ellis cookie, courtesy of Pretty Sweet Bakery.
Now, who wants a s’more?!
