a one is fun first birthday bash!

this first birthday bash was near and dear to my heart! the honoree was for my son, cohen! of course i started thinking about his party soon after he was born, wondering what theme we should have, where we should have it, etc. i knew it had to be perfect! throughout his first year, i realized i didn't want it to be themed - i just wanted it to be a fun party, filled with our family and close friends.

my husband's only request for the invitation was that he wanted a crown on it somewhere. inspired by a shirt from zara that cohen was going to wear to the party, i drew out the same illustration for the invitation and signs. tied with red twine and a circle tag, the invitations were sealed in a plain white envelope with a custom design reply address. 'one is fun!' became a phrase carried out on signs and other materials.

the birthday bash was held at the old flagship harold's clothing store on historic campus corner, across the street from OU. this space is very rustic and masculine - perfect for our little man!

guests enjoyed homemade peppermint oreo bark in white paper cups with custom stickers.

what's a first birthday party without a string of monthly photos? strung on jute twine and red clothespins, these pics perfectly popped against the exposed brick wall!

cohen's smash cake was made with love by one of my best friends and pastry chef, kendall. the amazingly delicious carrot cake was topped with red sprinkles, a crown cut out in the middle and of course a sparkler "1" candle! it meant so much to us that she made this for our little one and on top of that, it was so so so good!

the kid's activity area was bustling with fun! we had sheets of paper to color, a castle and bouncy balls! by the end of the party, there were crushed goldfish and broken crayons everywhere and it was perfect! a sign of a good time, that's for sure!

i was able to reuse some fabulous items from cohen's baby shower that my lovely sister and friends gave me. the tassel garland and the custom "CHJ" cups got a second round of use, which worked out perfect for this party!