the PERFECT PAWTY

FAMILY

May 28

My oldest, Harlow, turned 6 and since the day after her 5th birthday party, she talked about having a dog themed birthday party.  I really try to base their parties after their personalities and interests — and if this party doesn’t scream Harlow!

My previous home was much smaller without a yard, so I always threw parties at various other venues.  Not only are you limited in the type of decor and setup time — it takes a village to get everything there and back!  Beyond thrilled to now open up my backyard and throw a party.  And best part, it's free!

I knew I wanted to incorporate these adorable dog figurines as toppers, so the cake design was really about creating a fun pattern.  I wanted a variety of texture, so we layered in candy pearls, edible foil and actual paw prints into the buttercream icing.

This little guy at the front of the cake represented our very own mischievous pug, Cooper.  (Notice he's already taken a bite out of the cake.)  This was a fun way to personalize the cake.  Each dog breed represented a dog Harlow knew and loved.

I get that this party is a little extra to most, but it's actually my idea of being relaxed and low-key.  There was a time when I would cater on-theme food assortments.  But I've now jumped on the pizza and  juice box train!  What have I been missing??  This allows me to just focus on the fun design elements.

You always have to be flexible with party planning. Nothing ever goes as intended.

I bought small plush dogs for the adoption station, but once I placed them inside the fence, they looked ridiculously small.  We could not stop laughing at how sad and underwhelming it appeared.  Luckily we had these doggy balloons tied to the kids chairs.  So we switched them out and used the soft dogs as  table decor.   Kids are going home with them no matter what, so win-win!

The major highlight of the party was the mechanical bullDOG!  I mean, come on!  How fantastically awesome and hilarious is this thing??   We even pushed back the party to accommodate this rides availability.

They were delayed in the setup.  But this ride was epic, so it was going to be worth the wait.

So we waited.  And waited… like an hour in.

Ultimately we were told that this bulldog — didn’t fit the mechanical base contraption and it wasn’t safe.  Luckily, they had a bull replacement on the truck.  Unluckily, I had to fight them for any kind of compensation for delay and ride issues.  Here I am above trying to get a hold of the company who had the WORST customer service.

Breathe.

Nothing goes as planned, remember?

So okay.  I had to accept it.  We now had a random mechanical bull for a dog themed party.  Ha! Even though I was upset about the premium price tag of this faulty ride, smh.  It was a hit with the kiddos!  They had so much fun and I’m sure they will remember this party forever!

I love to be able to throw these fun themed parties.  It really documents their personalities with each year.  Now that Harlow is getting older, she likes to help design the decor and actually set up before hand.  Her favorite part is setting up the goodie bags for her friends to take away.

Such a fun, fun party for my dog-loving girl, Harlow!

Photography: Renee Yao of Nae Yao Photography

Pro Tip:  Amazon will usually be your best bet for a one-stop-shop, along with that free Prime 2-day shipping!  But always run a price check.  A lot of sites sell the same items, and $10 here and there add up.  Always cross reference and consider tax and shipping costs.  Here's my party list to shop the look:

Party Favors: Bags, Dog Ears, Plush Dogs, Paw Bubbles, Key chains, Bone Candy Necklace.

Balloons: Let’s Pawty, Bones and Paw Print Garland, Walking Dogs

Cake: Frosted Fantasies, Doggy cake toppers

Attire: Harlow’s $10 Doggy Skirt *suggest to size down

Shop the Party Essentials

1. Let’s Pawty Balloon Garland

Set the tone with this balloon banner. Comes in silver, gold and rose gold.

2. Puppy Sugar Cookies

Plan ahead. Order out a minimum of 3-4 weeks from party date, depending on the vendor.

3. Bone Sippy Cups

Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.

4. Paw Print Backdrop

Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.

5. Doggy cake toppers

An easy wow factor is to add these adorable dog figurines. Pick out your quantity and breed and this vendor will customize their party outfits to your liking! Bonus: She does number flag, gifts, miniature donuts and more!

6. Paw Print Floor Decal

These fun temporary stickers can also be applied on glass or wall surfaces for decor. I used them as signage to direct people to the party.

7. Paw-ty Graphics

Easy way to elevate a party to look custom. For $10 you can get an entire suite to download. Just bring to an Office Depot or your personal computer for print.

8. Fence and Plush Dogs

To make an adoption area, I purchased two sets of the fence. In hind sight, I should have duplicated the dog order as well to look full.

Easy decor add-ons are with quick graphic downloads from Etsy vendors.

Found this really cute skirt for Harlow’s birthday look. Only $10!

I used paw print decals to direct everyone to the yard. We didn’t even have all the floor boards down in our house at this point. So the interior was not an option!