Langdon’s Canadian Arctic Theme 1st Birthday Party!

A random theme for a first birthday party, but I’ll get into it…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sorry for the delay in the post for such an important event!  But oh dear readers….what a sh*tty month it’s been.  Birthday prep, the big day, then 7 days of a stomach virus + then Langdon bit his tongue going up the stairs, resulting in crying for 2 days straight + now trying to sleep without his pacifier.  Let’s just say I’ve been mentally checked out by 8pm every night this month.

Ok, enough cheese with this wine!  Festivities commence!!!!!!  The reason for the Canadian Arctic theme party was – our favorite books to read have been Baby Beluga + Mama Do You Love Me.  They both feature arctic animals like puffins, walrus, polar bears, etc.  Langdon goes gaga for them.

We have been reading these books together constantly since he’s been a bitty wee thing.

But I was having the darndest time trying to figure out a beluga theme birthday.  Hand cut out beluga invitations?  Beluga party favors???  It was all getting too specific!  So Canadian Arctic it is!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Address + email smudged out for all y’all stalkers out there!  I kid!  Actually…totally serious.

Originally it was going to be family only, a cupcake + one candle.  But my sister cursed me by stating, “Shelli he only turns one once”.  Cue the first stages of madness!!!!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pin, pin, pin, pinterest!!!!  Every night Jeff would come home from work + shudder at what stage of hysteria he would encounter when he walked through the door.  Crafts, scissors, glue, glitter, yargh!!!!  And luckily for me my sister came into town ahead of time just to help me with the party!  She had to mediate between Jeff + I a couple times – but she’s used to it!  I couldn’t have done ANY of it without my sister!  Well, Psycho Town payed off!  Enough dialogue, on to the magical day!

Beloved grandma with Langdon + his snowflake balloons!!!

By the way, my mom is transitioning from her Morticia black hair to age appropriate grey!  Doesn’t she look glowing?!

I ordered the crown off Etsy + made a stencil for Langdon’s onesie + applied fabric paint.  Jeff looks a little more disheveled than his usual Lumberjack disheveled self.  That’s because inside was a stomach virus brewing.  Just ripe for transferring to his unbeknownst, innocent, poor, merry son who just wanted to celebrate his first year on this earth.

Mom made her famous California rolls, Dad did the tuna finger sandwiches + Princess Auntie was savior to us all.  My friend My-Van came over early to help with set up.  I had a plan + knew exactly what she would excel in.  She was my “food stylist”.  I repeatedly stated, “Don’t worry – My Van will figure it out.”.

Check out her exceptional blog, Planq Studio!

Ta-daaaa!!!  I bought a bunch of glass dishes + plates from thrift stores, cut out the banner from kraft paper + vinyl stickers + silver glitter tape, + bought the super cute wooden polar theme toys from Mielasiela on Etsy – direct from Lithuania!

I’m so grateful that My Van stepped in with the food display!  She brought depth, height + other creative gestures that I was too distracted to think about!

I bought a ton of white flowers that my sister + I arranged throughout the house + vittles that went with the snowy, white theme!

My absolute favorite duck prosciutto + truffle salami from Oyama Sausage on Granville Island!

Delicious cupcakes made by my buddy Tiffany (which my dad could not get enough of + said they were better than Sprinkles!), with silver glitter tape pendant flags that My Van + I made!

Baguette, bruschetta + hummus.  I bought a snowflake puncher + we sprinkled the snowflakes around the table.

Wooden forks that I mind numbingly hand cut + stuck silver glitter tape to the ends.  Yes, I went temporarily insane.

Glacier melt blue punch!

I traced polar animals onto vellum which My Van + I hand cut one night while having girl talk.  I am so grateful for all her help!  Stringing them on butcher’s twine was a beyotch.  The snowflakes were cut by Jeff’s family after dinner.  Who says you can’t bond over snowflakes?!

My sister laid down washi tape + stuck Langdon’s monthly chub chub photos on the wall!  Our photo printer was broken, I was in a rush + unfortunately had to get the pictures printed up at the supermarket.  I was bummed about how it cropped the photos, but c’est la vie!

I’m a loser + forgot to take pictures of all the gift bags in their glory.  I stamped white snowflakes on kraft bags, put a little thank you sticker on them + stuffed them with white tissue paper.  Inside were Baby Beluga board books + little plastic arctic animals!

Oh my lord, enough already!  On to the party!

No, Jeff’s not holding Langdon’s twin sister.  That’s Langdon’s girlfriend Madison!

Congregating around the food!  Uncle Tom rigging a light!  I love having handy relatives!

Langdon flanked by his two very tall bodyguards in black.  “Heh, heh, heh.  Come closer if you darest take audience with me.” so says King Langdon.

First loyal subject!  “King Langdon!  My crops nary survived the bitter winter!  And we are nothing but bones!  What say ye, your Majesty?!”.

You don’t want to know the reply.  A cruel ruler, this King.

Princess Auntie baked Langdon a baby friendly smash cake!  His audience loved watching the mess that ensued!

It wasn’t long before somebody wanted to get his party on.

The King with the Fayles.

And looking like he drank a little too much mead with the Nishinos.

It was non stop party baby mania inside.  Drinking!  Screaming!  Eating!  Squealing!  Smashing things!  Revelry!!!

It was all so worth it.  People say your baby won’t appreciate everything that goes with a first birthday but I disagree.  Langdon had a blast + the best day ever.

The next day he was still on top + proudly declaring, “I’M ONE!!!”!

After that photo, the stomach virus set in + it was a snowball effect of other maladies to come.

Moms say, “Oh, doesn’t that first year go by so fast???  You blink + they’re one!”.  Um, no.  I’m going to be totally honest in saying, THIS HAS BEEN THE LONGEST YEAR OF MY ENTIRE LIFE.  Of course it’s been the most amazing year, but I literally feel like wood pulp mashed down from an industrial processor.  And every day brings another hurdle that I struggle to jump.  Langdon + I have more fun + laugh together more than ever, but we are trying to make it day by day.  I love you Langdon, you are the best thing that’s ever happened to me, ever.  We can do it together!