Maren's Polka Dot Party

I have been looking forward to planning a first birthday party for many years. We prayed and waited for our little lady, and this celebration of her first year of life was a joy and delight for us, along with many friends and family. Considering our move into a new house, which took place just a month before Maren's birthday, we decided to keep things relatively simple, and to enjoy a 'polka dot picnic' with all of our closest friends and in-town family. Here is a tiny peak at how we celebrated Maren's first birthday!

I made this sign using my trusty Cricut machine. I made it neutral enough in order for it to be 'recyclable' for future parties.


I baked chocolate chip cookies ahead of time and stored them in the freezer. They came out to thaw the morning of the party, and were all ready to go by the time the guests arrived. We had a huge party, and cookies were an affordable way to say 'thank you' to our guests.


I bravely decided to bake all of the cakes, and they were a huge hit! I used boxed mixes, yellow and devil's food cake from Duncan Hines, followed the high-altitude directions, and they were delicious. The frosting was homemade, and I decorated with simple, pink polka dots. The serving tables were decorated with a variety of circles cut out from scrap paper I had on hand.


I also made Maren her own party hat, which she managed to keep on for about 3 minutes while she dug into her cake. ;)


What's a first-birthday-party-post without a picture of the guest of honor enjoying the long-awaited cake? Our little lady was not a bit shy when it came time to indulge in her chocolate yumminess!