A first with a 1st

So, my first 'proper' blog post begins with another first! My little boy turned a year old last month, and what better way to mark it than with an 'arrgh-some' pirate-themed party. I was SO excited, and immediately began planning costumes, decorations, party invitations and my biggest challenge - a homemade cake! My first stop for invitations was Nitwit Collections - I love these guys! The designs are gorgeous and you can always guarantee a lovely finish when using the collections (plus Jeff and Mary Fran are super friendly!) As predicted, the Land Ho collection was perfect for what I wanted so I downloaded Serif PagePlus and set about making my invitations.

As you can see, I was so excited about my design that I gave all the invitations out without actually taking any photos - something I will need to get better at for this blog. Duh. BUT, here at least is my design. I printed it onto lightweight cardstock which I then glued to an A6 kraft postcard. I also designed a map-themed reverse featuring the party venue details (which was actually my mum's house!). It set the tone perfectly!

My party bags featured the same Nitwits design, but I actually managed a photo this time - unfortunately AFTER the event, so the bag is all wrinkled and not in its former pristine glory, plus the photo is a bit rubbish too. I taped it shut with some funky craft tape, and inside it lurked some chocolate coins, a pirate flag (perfect for waving about, as babies like to do!), a mini hard-backed book and a brightly coloured bath boat. Perfect. Next time? The cake!