Hey there princess!
This past weekend, we held my little boy's first birthday party at our home. I started planning his first birthday party the second I knew I was having a little boy. Since we live in Texas, and my little boy's name is Davy (like Davy Crockett) I thought a rodeo theme would be absolutely perfect. We had such an amazing time, and I am so excited to be able to share all of the details!
If you've been following me and my parties, you'll know that my top tip is to recycle party themes year after year. Luckily for me, I hosted a homecoming party that had a rodeo theme about 6 or 7 years ago, and I also cohosted a bridal shower with a Texas theme about 5 years ago. I invested in some nice items for those parties, like mason jar drink dispensers, an ice bucket, a beverage tub, and several platters and trays. I used these items as a jumping off point for this first birthday party, and spent several months collecting new items to make this event special and unique.
One of the new additions to my western collection was this table square that my mom made for the party. We found this incredibly cute fabric with little cowboys on it and paired it with a red gingham accent fabric. My mom graciously sewed the table square for me (since sewing is not my gift, but she is great at it!), and I think it really is such a show-stopper! Personal touches like these can really elevate a party, and now I have a beautiful piece with a sentimental story that I can use in future parties!
This table is where guests set their gifts, and it also held Davy's baby book that everyone could look through and enjoy all of the memories from our first year with him.
The weather on the day of the party was a little chillier and windier than expected, so we brought all of the decor and lunch table inside and set up in our living room. I absolutely loved the banner that we attached to Davy's highchair. This was handmade by an Etsy seller, and is so adorable! I was incredibly impressed, and I was able to get a few windswept photos of Davy in the garden.
Another one of my favorite decorations was a banner that I purchased off of Etsy (link here) where I was able to put all of the photos of Davy that I took each month together so that everyone could see how much he had grown over the year! It was amazing to see, and I am so grateful that I took those pictures even though it was super hard sometimes with a wiggly little baby. I plan on keeping the banner up all month so that I can enjoy it and the photos of my little boy.
Headed back to the kitchen table, I made Dr Pepper floats for everyone since they are always a crowd pleaser. It is also a little nod to our wedding reception which was held at the Dr Pepper museum in Waco and we served our guests floats from their soda fountain. To help these feel a little more festive, I added silly straws that I found on Amazon (link here) and also had these adorable western cocktail napkins from my mom.
Also on this table, I put this really fun art print that I purchased from Etsy (link here) that I will be hanging in Davy's room later this week. I love the quote, I love that it is from Davy Crockett, and I love that it can hang in his room as a reminder of this fun day! Another fun piece of table decor is this kid's cowboy hat that I found on Amazon (link here). This was a fun thing to have Davy wear later in the day until he was totally over it.
Now for the real focus of any party - the food! We had Rudy's cater meat, corn on the cob, and beans and I made macaroni and cheese, marshmallow popcorn, dip in a bread, Dr Pepper cake, cowboy cookies, and firecracker Cheez-its. I also purchased chips, watermelon, lemonade, Chicken Express sweet tea, and bottled drinks to supplement everything. Now, there weren't tons of people at this party, but I am a big believer in it being better to have too much than not enough.
Also, I have to call out a few of the serving pieces in the above photo, because I love them! The striped bowl is from Happy Everything by Coton Colors (linked here) and the Texas attachment is detachable (linked here). I received the bowl as a gift several years ago and it is one of the most used items in my home. I have different attachments for each season, and it is always out on my counter. Inside the bowl I have Mallow Magic popcorn - if you've never had it trust me... it is delicious - with cowboy sprinkles.
Peeking behind the bowl is a tiered galvanized metal stand that I borrowed from my mom (link here). On it, I stacked some firecracker Cheez-its that I whipped up (a family favorite), cowboy cookies, rice Krispy treats, star shaped cheese crackers, and Dr Pepper cake. Instead of having a single flavor of birthday cake, I thought it might be a nice change of pace to have a few different dessert options. If you're interested in recipes - let me know!
Next to all of the snack-esque items I had the sides for everyone to choose from as well as the barbecue. Rudy's is always a crowd pleaser, and it makes great leftovers! I also made baked macaroni and cheese for the first time from a Stovetop Kisses recipe that I found online (click for recipe). It was incredible! There was something for everyone with this meal, and I was so pleased with how it all turned out.
Also, I had these paper napkins custom made on Etsy, and they turned out so cute (link here)!! I was so thrilled with this entire spread, and it was a big crowd pleaser.
It isn't a party without a nice drink set-up. In my family, sweet tea is an absolute requirement. Typically, I would make the sweet tea myself, but in the interest of saving time and reducing stress, I bought a couple of gallons of tea from Chicken Express. If I'm totally honest, I think their tea is the absolute best, and it has been such a treat to drink it throughout the week in the afternoons.
Both of the drink dispensers are from Target, as is the beverage tub. I purchased them probably about six years ago, but I am sure that there is something similar available now! Below the drink dispensers I put down some red and white gingham wax paper that I found on Amazon for a pop of color (link here). The bucking bronco kitchen towel is from Etsy and I absolutely love the retro-look of the image (link here).
The big plus side of eating in the living room was that we could keep watching the Davy Crockett movie while we ate. The napkin rings are from Arthur Court and were a Christmas gift from my husband along with the cowboy napkins. The plates that I used are enamelware from Amazon and they were so fun and western-feeling (link here). There in the middle of the table is my family's favorite guilty-pleasure treat - dip in a bread. I am not sure if this is a popular dish for other people, but if you're interested in the recipe, please let me know and I will share it!
After everyone had their fill of lunch, we made our way to the backyard where thankfully things had warmed up and it was time for cake! My mom had the cutest custom cake topper made and I bought a classic sprinkle cake from HEB for Davy to smash and enjoy. We changed him out of his nice clothes and put him into an oversized shirt that my parents got him on a recent trip to the Alamo and he dug in!
At first, he wasn't totally sure about what to do with the cake, but once he got started he loved it!
My heart is totally bursting! These are such happy and cherished memories and I am so grateful for my sweet one year old boy!
At the end of the day, the most important thing to keep in mind when hosting a party is the people that you are hosting it for. From the music to the food to the entertainment, everything should be catered to the people on your guest list. For me, this party was the perfect blend of casual and creative. Not every moment will be Pinterest perfect. Naps will be thrown off and messes will be made, but at the end of the day everyone had a great time and that is what is most important!
Sparkle on!
