My mom and cousin share a birthday month so we often celebrate their birthdays together at our house. It was our first family birthday party for the summer (we have a few more coming!) so I usually am inspired to do something festive and different to celebrate them. So this year I decided to style our Easy-Up as a shaded dessert area. It gave the space a secluded party spot that everyone seemed to enjoy.
For dessert, I decided to serve a sundae bar. We were hosting two parties in one weekend so I decided to make the food prep as easy as possible on myself. Nothing like pouring a ton of toppings into bowls to make a birthday party have a certain childhood fun nostalgia.
I baked a few cupcakes and brownies to go with the ice cream. Unfortunately, it was pretty hot that day and the cupcakes ended up getting really hard. I found a hidden cupcake behind the toppings that someone tried to eat but could not get their teeth through! I was mortified but everyone laughed and didn't care!
I hung every party banner I had and set up the outdoor furniture to create a little canopy party hangout.
I have been on the hunt for these Mexican party banners and finally found one on a cruise we went on this summer. They add so much color to our outdoor lights.
The garden area I planted this spring is starting to fill in.
We set up our family size kiddie pool for the kiddos to play in. This is always such a hit plus the adults get to sit back and chat for a little while the kids are busy playing.
For the sundae bar I grabbed some fruit and decor I had around the house to add color and depth. Anything that was bright was free game!
I also provided waffle bowls for the sundaes.
For the table, I used a roll of wrapping paper as a runner. Mismatched colorful napkins and straws added to the birthday party feel.
I was so consumed with the Easy-Up that I ran out of time to make a centerpiece for the table. Usually I would cut a few flowers from the garden but it was one of those defining moments where I just had to let it go. Nobody noticed and instead enjoyed the canopy instead. A little imperfection for the sake of giving details to something else.
We recently invested in a new set of slow cookers. We used to have a smaller appetizer one with three bowls. Over time I realized that they were just too small for our usual entertaining. So these new Crock-Pot Hook Ups are a dream come true! They plug into each other so you are only dealing with one chord and they come in a variety of sizes. They are perfect for the type of large entertaining we do plus their streamlined design looks nicer in my opinion.
We have had such weird weather in Northern California this year. Some days are super hot while other days are breezy and cool, it is starting to feel like fall. We have been so fortunate that the days we have hosted parties, we have been blessed with fantastic weather. I love seeing the banners blow in the wind!
Our family has always celebrated birthdays including our extended family that lives in the area. We do not have a ton of family outside of that so it is nice that they live close so we can see them for birthdays and holidays throughout the year. Because in reality, without these get togethers, everyone is just so busy that we would barely see each other.
Brent apparently always sits this way at parties!!!
As kids continue to be added to the family, it is so fun to see our little family grow.
The birthday girls before making their ice cream sundaes!
We are always such early birds, ending the party before dark. But I always try to take in the mood lighting before we completely clean up. Come later this summer and fall we will get to enjoy the lights a little more as the days get shorter.
Another successful gathering of family getting together to celebrate one another. I love all the decor and the prep of having parties but making the time to bring people together is the real blessing. Even if I am busy bringing food out and taking pictures, knowing I am providing a place for people to connect fulfills my heart so very much.
