Bright As The Sun, Danica is 1

Jul 18

Backyard June celebrations are the first of the outdoor fun months so what immediately comes to mind is sunshine, summer sweets and a cool glass of lemonade. What made this day even more special to me is I had the pleasure of hosting her beautiful mommy's shower in my home, and here we are celebrating twelve months of milestones in hers.

What mattered to Nicole - good food and plenty of it, comfort and a perfectly matched suite for the citrus inspired celebration. So, guests chose from their selection of delicious options from a family-owned burger bar, sat under a tented seating area cooled by lush green ferns with citrus decor and beverages from the bar stocked with ice cold beer, strawberry lemonade and fruit-filled sangria.

Inside, guests enjoyed a selection of tiny desserts for Danica including mini apple pies, cheesecake shooters, brownie bites, strawberry cupcakes and Rice Krispy treats from Help Yourself Sugar. Lemons, limes, pineapples and gold could be found everywhere you looked with personalized pretties like Danica's name in gold on cake pops.

Outside, kids bounced the day away, painted their faces and enjoyed popsicles and occasional trips in and out of The Happen Booth. Parents had a variety of henna designs to choose from with Lynette, Nicole's sister, while the kids were entertained by Felissa, the best game player we know.

My favorite part of any themed celebration is when guests participate and dress the part like these beauties:

Danica's big brother Alijah was quite the ham, and host:

And finally, let's talk about the birthday girl's choice in shoes! These gold Mary Jane influenced moccasins were gifted to her by Ivory Kate (one of my favorite shoemakers for the tots). They were perfect because they match her mommy's retro style and are practical and comfortable enough that there were no tears and all smiles for her happy day.

For more, click through the gallery shot by Tiffany Kyees. Keep an eye out for the handmade citrus suede centerpieces made by my team and the personalized plate clings sent our way from Create Ur Plate! Think paper dolls for your party plates - an inexpensive, fabulous way to treat your table settings to something extra. Also, our go-to girl Auntie Apple prettied up Danica's smash cake with edible bunting cookies in gold and Herick from Happen set up lighting for the family staying afterwards for cocktails and pizza when it cooled down. On the way out the kids grabbed their pails for fun in the great outdoors complete with sunnies, personalized lip balm, Pop Chips, sand toys and paddle ball.