Smarty Parties: The Dean's List

Pin It Well, as much as I tried to deny it, my little tater tot turned one this month. We celebrated with this little play on his first name.

Mock-up of the report card-style invitation we sent out.

I had said I was going to try to stick to items that I could scrounge up around my house and/or borrow from friends and family, and for the most part, I succeeded! I think the only things I bought (besides food) were cardstock for the banners, thrift store neckties, a navy sheet and little mini chalkboards.

Here is the table o' goodies, before we moved it out of the direct sunlight. I really wanted that brick backdrop, but we had to relocate so everything wouldn't melt.

The trophy cup is my sister's (in addition to being glamorous and successful, she is a seriously good golfer); the globe (and another one elsewhere in the party) is from my grandmother's; and the luggage, typewriter and books are mine. I tried to make the banner look like collegiate pennants.

I used one of Seth's belts to make a "book strap" to go around some of my cuter (and color-appropriate) books. I attempted apple cake pops. Some of them looked like apples, and . . . well, some of them really benefited from this chalkboard sign explaining what they were.

My mom made this incredible cake that looked so much like old leather books! It was so gorgeous that I didn't want to cut into it (fortunately, it was also delicious, which eased my guilt a little).

Favors (just little bottles of bubbles--most of our younger guests were two and under), were in brown, lunch-bag style sacks with coordinating name pennants.

My in-laws had this amazing vintage school desk and chair, just hanging out in their basement. We put some little school-ish props around it and tried to coerce the young'uns into having their pictures taken nearby.