Last Friday (February 4th) we celebrated Emilio’s first birthday. There were balloons, cake, and party hats. As for the theme, however, it requires some context. We had the hardest time coming up with a boy name during my pregnancy. Honoring my dad was very important to me, but he “went by” a different name from what he was assigned at birth so it wasn’t top of mind. About a month before my due date, I crowdsourced my Instagram audience for recommendations, and one of the submissions was “Emiliano.” Immediately I began researching variations as my dad’s name was actually Emil. Emilio was perfect because it would honor my dad as well as my Spanish heritage! So what does this have to do with Emilio’s birthday party you may ask?! Well, Emilio Pucci was an Italian fashion designer synonymous with colorful prints that I have always admired. As a play on words we threw Emilio a “Poochi” party!
The Process
Emilio Pucci, aka the “prince of prints” had impeccable taste in color. I picked some of my favorite Pucci hues and created a vision board using Canva. Regardless of the theme, this party planning practice will make your life waaaaay easier when you approach vendors. I simply sent the balloon artist and cake designer my palette, and they color-matched the two perfectly. As for the poochi part, we tied in (no pun intended!) puppies by incorporating twisted balloon dogs. Sticking to the scheme of things, I added pops of shimmering gold, a photo backdrop, and pastel floral arrangements. I LOVE how it turned out, but more importantly, Emilio had a very sweet day. I am already brainstorming Emilo’s Poochi Party 2.0 – can you tell I am a first time mother?! LOL.
The Outfits
As for our attire…it is shockingly difficult to find little boy’s pastel clothing – maybe it is just the time of year. I discovered “Dad and Me” outfits on the Children’s Place website, and the quality surpassed my expectations! I chose lavender gingham shirts for the boys and oxford dress pants for Emilio. This will not be the last time I order from the Children’s Place. They looked adorable if I say so myself! Finally, the time has come…I’ve been waiting for a special occasion to invest in my very own Pucci piece. I decided on a scarf because they are so versatile. You can tie them into a top, wear them in your hair, or adorn a purse with one. I tied my latest prized possession into a halter top (tutorial coming soon) and paired it with periwinkle flare pants. For years to come whenever I wear my Pucci scarf it’ll remind me of Emilio’s special day.
The Vendors
No birthday party is complete without balloons and cake. I used Sparky’s Balloons for my 30th birthday celebration and they were reliable, so I hired them for this event too. The online ordering process was very easy. If I can avoid a conversation with someone and do it all myself your business will have my patronage for life. They outdid themselves with this assignment, and three days later the number one column is still standing and cuter than ever. As for the cakes, I cannot say enough about Shiva Cake design. She was able to accommodate me with relatively short notice and she DELIVERED! Not only were the cakes works of art, but they were SO delicious. This was the first time Emilio indulged in a sweet treat and it lived up to the hype. His “smash cake” was vanilla buttercream flavor and featured whole banana slices. The adult cake was the same except we opted for chocolate. I’ve been eating cake all weekend and never felt “stuffed.” Somehow these cakes are light and fluffy but PACKED with flavor.
Shop the Post:
They Boys Outfit: Baby Shirt | Adult Shirt | Emilio’s Trousers | Jonathan’s pants
Emilio Pucci Party Decor: “1” Cake Topper | Crown | Custom Plates and Napkins | Sequin Table Cloth | Gold Letter Balloons | Water Color Letter Banner
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