A Memorial Day Birthday

When your birthday falls on Memorial Day weekend, the color scheme kind of becomes a no brainer. Since red, white & blue feel masculine, I figured "why not"? I added a little khaki to keep it from feeling too on-the-nose. My motto is "go bold or go home," so I like to mix patterns to give visual interest. Our toddler wanted to get in on the action, so I bought a roll of craft paper and we painted the table runners & overlay. He was so proud of himself! The craft paper was also used to make the pouches that held napkins & utensils. Red carnations were displayed in burlap wrapped mason jars. Casual and cute! Fabric strips were used to make the bar "table skirt" and buffet backdrop. Nothing says "summer" like watermelon and lemonade, so I made Watermelon Margaritas and Rosemary Vodka Lemonade for the big kids to enjoy-- out of mason jars of course. Star cupcake toppers, a flag pennant banner and "Happy Birthday" sign added festive flair to the desserts, which included red velvet cake and blueberry pie.

• Desserts

  Red velvet cake, blueberry pie, mini cupcakes and homemade berry ice cream.

• Activities / Games

  Adults got to catch up while the kids played croquet and basketball. One girl even tried skateboarding-- in the house. Um, she's banned for life.

• What People Ate

  We grilled up typical bbq fare for the kiddies- burgers, dogs. For the parents, we had fish, tri-tip kebabs and ribs for the birthday boy.

• What People Drank

  The over 21 set had a lot to choose from: Watermelon Margaritas, Rosemary Vodka Lemonade, beer, wine, etc. The kids had lemonade, milk, juice, water, and so on.

• Sweet Pea Parties

  Party Planner

  http://www.sweetpeapartiesla.com
  [email protected]
  310-350-3525

• Hotcakes Bakery

  Cake designer

  The red velvet cake and blueberry pie were to die for!http://www.hotcakesbakes.com
  [email protected]

• Sprinkles Cupcakes

  Cupcakery

  http://www.sprinkles.com