Life in Navy and White: Isla's navy and pink party

I'll be the first to admit that, with over 1,600 pins, I'm a bit of a Pinterest junkie. That being said, it's probably not surprising that I started a board for Isla's 2nd birthday party way back in February. I was immediately drawn to pink peonies in blue and white vases, and when I saw blue Mara Mi napkins and pink plates on clearance at Target, took that as a sign. I really love Pinning inspiration images and I'm in love with the idea of a really elaborate party, but honestly I kind of suck at the execution. It's just too stressful for me, and by wanting everything to look perfect, I miss out on actually enjoying the moment. As long as I get a few good pictures and everyone has a good time, I can chalk that up to a successful party.

Originally, I wanted to have an actual meal and set things up outside, but Mother Nature didn't cooperate and it was overcast, cold and rainy. We scrapped that plan and decided that a smaller set up on the porch would be the only option. We went with cake, animal crackers, cookie butter, and strawberries. The cake was the Tres Leche from Cafe Latte, the most amazing restaurant/bakery just down the street (recipe here). It was so delicious, and I definitely want to make that a birthday tradition. To drink, I again put my trust in Trader Joe's and got their French Market Sparkling Lemonade. It did not disappoint.

The decor was also super simple- $10 in Trader Joe's flowers (I swear this is not a sponsored post, but I wish it were!!) arranged by my mother-in-law, some of my blue and white vases, a runner made out of Target wrapping paper, various accessories we pulled from my house (including my Z Gallerie parrot that also made an appearance at her 1st birthday--might need to make that a tradition too!), and a tissue tassel garland my sister in law helped me make. Oh, and all the balloons are from the Martha Stewart line at JC Penney. The gold 2's were pulled from two "2013" packs I snagged for 97 cents after the new year. I am kind of excited I'll have the 3's for next year too (you've been warned!!). The huge pink ones were $5 for a 2 pack. The balloons were so cheap, but made a big impact. I am officially in love with oversized balloons.

While it wasn't elaborate, I thought the colors looked so pretty together. Peonies weren't in season yet, but the backup TJ's blooms were a great (and cheap) replacement and I loved that the snapdragons had almost an ombre look. Kind of a nod to Isla's Janie and Jack (fav kid store ever) top and the striped candles I stumbled on in the final hour at Target. And the rain was the perfect excuse to get more mileage out of her pink Hunter's. I really can't get enough of her in those boots. They look adorable with everything.

Most importantly, her little party didn't break the bank and Isla had a blast. My hat's off to the moms and dads who are able to pull off really involved children's parties without turning into complete psychopaths; I look forward to enjoying your months of preparation and planning :) But for us, we'll stick to the basics...and buy big balloons!