Ever since Ava was little, she has been completely in love with puppies. Even as an infant her first comfort objects were stuffed puppies; a Pluto and dalmatian from the Disney Store to be exact! So it was only a matter of time before my daughter picked a birthday party theme to match her love and enthusiasm for her favorite animal.
For Ava's 7th birthday, she wanted to have a "puppy pawty" and she really wanted her dad and I to buy her an actual puppy. Well, the puppy party was easy to agree to, but the actual puppy...that took a little more thought. Though after some deliberation, we decided that we would surprise her with a puppy for her 7th birthday and he would be the guest of honor at her party.
When deciding on the look of her party, I wanted it be cute and
modern, but also work with many of the party items I already had in my
supply closet. I mean, why buy more things when I already have so much
to choose from? So really the color scheme came about when I decided to use the tablecloths from last year's Super Mario party. After I knew I wanted my palette to consist of red, black, brown/tan, white, with accents of blue....well all I had to do was start designing the printables and sketching the tablescape.
I love the look of kraft paper! For this party it was the perfect paper for my printable decorations since it could be seen carried throughout my party decor. I used it on my backdrop, for the dog houses (i.e. boxes), and with the doggie bags. Not only does it look great, but it is so accessible...you can find kraft paper items at all the stores!
It should be known that I don't make my kid's cakes....I actually don't make cakes at all! They just aren't my thing. Every year, a very talented baker, takes my vision and turns it into the most beautiful work of cake art. This year, since I planned on creating a dog house backdrop, I wanted the cake to look like a dog bowl. Once again, she outdid herself, and the cake was absolutely perfect!
What would a puppy pawty be without dog treats and puppy chow?! Therefore I filled jars with Scooby Graham Cracker Snacks to look like bone dog treats and my best friend made the most delicious puppy chow.
Ava made a very specific flavor request when deciding on her birthday cupcakes. She said she wanted a vanilla cake with a cherry buttercream frosting. So of course, I had to make them just for her...but I had to puppify them a little, so I adorned them with a white chocolate bone. Very cute and super easy!
When I designed her decorated sugar cookies, I knew right away that I wanted to create a set that included puppy faces, bones, paw prints, and her age. So I did just that! Now, just don't ask me what breed of puppies I created, because I have no clue....but aren't they cute?!
My best friend also happens to be a very talented baker and so when I need intricate cake pops, I turn to her! This year she made the most adorable puppy face cake pops! But not only are they the cutest things you have ever seen, they are the most delectable dessert you will ever taste!
Chocolate covered Oreos are a must at all my parties and I was very excited to finally make paw prints!
When having a child's birthday party, it is important to have activities ready for them so they stay busy and engaged! I love for all my activities to revolve around the party theme, so this year I planned to have all the guest turn into puppies. So when each child arrived, they received a pair of puppy ears and was sent to the face painting table to get transformed into the puppy of their choice. After that, I had each guest "adopt a puppy" and decorate a dog house for their new stuffed animal.
I enjoy designing tablescapes! I usually get carried away....but how can I not when I have such a fun theme to work with?! I loved the dog house boxes so much, that I decided to use them as the centerpiece for the tables...not only do they look cute, but I didn't have to do any extra work! Each place setting contained a dog bowl with a waxed paper liner so that the kids could actually eat their lunch in their bowl, as well as a dog bone water bottle that they could fill and drink from at the party. These also worked as party of their party favors and they got to take them home. Inside each bowl I also placed a "doggie bag" so that when they broke open the piñata they had a place to put their candy, but they could also use the bag to take home treats from the dessert table!
Not only is it important to have activities for kids to do, but games are also essential! So every year I love to do a "pin the tail on the donkey" game, but I like to create something that goes with the party theme. This year they pinned the dog tag on the puppy.
I never have a birthday party without piñata! I found the cutest dog bone on Amazon...and let me tell you that it was one of the sturdiest piñatas we have ever had!
One of my good friends works at a pet rescue, so when she started working there I introduced Ava to the shelter. Ava immediately fell in love with the place and she told me she wanted to work there when she grew up. So part of her party included a donation table that guests could contribute to if they so wished to help her favorite charity. We were overwhelmed with the response we received from family, friends, and guests, and she was able to donate a substantial amount of items to assist the shelter.
I love to serve fresh lemonade at my parties....it is also very cost effective for me since I have a lemon tree in my backyard, but for this puppy party I wanted to spice it up a little, so I added some flavoring that could be added to the "toilet water".
Etsy is such a fabulous place to find party items. I came across paw print straws a while back and knew that I would use these for Ava's birthday party. They were the perfect addition to the lemonade bar!
For the adults, I included a little flavoring as well...but as you can see it was only for the grown pups.
When deciding on the menu for the party, it was obvious we had to have a hot dog bar! But wouldn't you know, it was the "pupcorn" that the kids loved the most!
Here we all are with the newest member of our family. His name is Rory and he is the perfect addition!
It is still hard to believe that my little girl turned 7. It is true what they say about time flying by quickly!
My friend and colleague is the most amazingly talented painter, and she did the most incredible job painting the kids faces to look like puppies!
I stationed the dog house decorating next to the face painting so that the kids could do an activity before or after they got their faces painted.
Pin the dog tag on the puppy was fun....but I suspected that the birthday girl was peeking just a little!
I thought it would be fun to go a little old school and have the kids play musical chairs. Turns out that this game is timeless and the kids loved it!
When I was looking for a piñata, I knew I didn't want to choose a dog piñata because who wants to beat a dog with a stick, so it is important for me to always try and find a design that is of an inanimate object. So when I came across this bone piñata online, I knew it was the perfect for the party. And boy did they have fun hitting it!
Aren't these puppies the cutest?! Here are all the kids giving us their best puppy faces!
This was a "paw-sitively" fun day that Ava was able to spend with her friends. We had a doggone good time celebrating Ava as she turned 7.
Happy birthday beautiful girl, you are "paw-some" and we love you!
Cake by Natalie Laskarides
Cake Pops and Puppy Chow by Gabby Noriega
Face Painting by Ariana Enriquez
