Just Ducky -1yr- Blue Table Covers Yellow Streamers

We celebrated my daughters first birthday Saturday April 19, we chose rubber ducky for the theme because my daughter is so wild a about rubber ducky's. I made the invitations using my computer.  The front of the invitation read like a newspaper, on the left side I wrote the name of the "newspaper" "baby's year in review".  On the top I wrote in large print Extra! Extra! then in smaller print (child's name) is turning one!  under that I had a picture that was taken in the hospital of my daughter when she was first born and captioned that with Then: April 19, 2002 Under that picture I had a second more recent picture of her that was captioned Now: almost one year later. 

Everything on the cover was set over a bubble background.  When you opened the invitation, on the left side was a picture of my daughter in a bubble bath surrounded by several rubber ducky's. I set that on a yellow background and captioned that underneath with, (child's name) loves baths, almost as much as her rubber ducky's.  Above the picture I wrote Rubber ducky, you're the one! You make bath-time lots of fun! I felt this was a good way of introducing the theme of the party.  On the right inside of the invitation I wrote in orange (set on a yellow background)Almost one year ago on April 19, 2002 a little angel blessed our lives. We named her (child's full name). 

In the past year she has learned so much, how to drink from a cup, feed herself, crawl, almost walk, talk, laugh, and love.  Now she is calling on all her favorite friends and family, tohelp celebrate a wonderful pat year and a big kick off for the next.  Your presence is requested at the very first birthday party for (child's name)  Day and date,  time, location. The envelopes for the invitation had a picture of a rubber ducky on them as well. Along with the invitation I mailed post cards that I had printed a picture of my daughter on. 

At the top of the post card I typed "Our hopes for you (child's name") I attached a note asking that everyone write a special message for my daughter, weather it be a funny family story or a hope that they have for her future.  The idea behind this is that all the cards will go into a home made time capsule (a large tin can covered with white poster paper and several pictures of my daughter, the "time capsule will then be opened by her on her 18th birthday.  I plan to add new notes to this each year.  

For the decorations I started off making ducky hats. Which consisted of a plain yellow party hat that I glued wiggle eyes to, I made duck bills from stiff felt and glued them on I then topped each hat with yellow feathers I bought at the craft store. I found that hot glue worked best for assebling the hats.  

I made a center peice using a small wooden planter bucket spray painted white, I placed in that a stuffed bear that was dressed in a duck suit, I put white pearlesent easter basket grass in the bucket around the bear to represent bubbles.  I propped the bear to make him look as though he were enjoying a bubble bath and placed a rubber duck on top of the easter grass.  I tied white and blue helium balloons to this  representing more bubbles.  

On the cake and gift table I used blue plastic table clothes and yellow and orange streamers. I also floated blue and white helium ballons from these two tables.  The rest of the table I tied orange and yellow helium balloons.  On each seat for the children attending the party I placed either a yellow or an orange balloon on a stick. 

The other favors were tattoos I made on my compter using specialty paper they said "Happy 1st Birthday (childs name)surronded by little ducky's. I made a special one for my daughter that said happy 1st birthday to me. I also gave out bubbles and yellow party blowouts to all the children who attended.   The tables for us to eat at were blue so I placed yellow place mats in front of each person to tie the tables in with the theme a little more.  I also floated blue white orange and yellow balloons from these tables. 

We had three cakes, the large cake for all the guests was iced white with two rubber ducky's on top surrounded by blue icing that was made to look like water.  The baker also trimmed the cake with blue icing for more water.  They wrote in blue "Happy 1st Birthday (child's name) I placed duck shaped candles around the wording. The second cake which I also got from my local bakery was a small 5" round cake that was yellow with the face of a duck made with icing.  The third cake, was for my daughter, I made this one myself using a 3-d duck shaped pan. (I received many compliments on that.) I served the cake on yellow plates. Except for my daughters wich we placed in front of her and let her dig into.

The party was at a local resturant we served our guests chicken wings pizza and soda.  I also made a blue punch and floated rubber duckies in it.  Everything for this party was a big hit from the invitations to the punch.  We all had a really good time and everyone is looking forward to next years party to see what I will come up with.