What was the reason for the celebration?
It was to celebrate my son’s 7th Birthday. Every year I plan an over the top event for his special day. He tells me the theme and I create something super special and unique for his big day!

What is something fun you remembered either about the process or the big day?
The process was quite an interesting one with my little guy! He might be one of my toughest clients. He knows what he wants and is not easily influenced once he decides on his theme. He sees me throughout the year, create magical events for other clients and he is convinced that I’m up for whatever challenge he brings my way.

Anything super unique about the big day?
I knew I wanted his party to be whimsical and fun with lots of color and as much classic/vintage classroom items infused into the design. I wrote a list of everything that came to mind when I think about school and sitting inside a classroom. I wanted it to be as realistic as possible with a whimsical twist.

From the decor, custom items, treats and even the activities. Yes, School was actually in session at the party. Charlie rung the vintage school bell to signal the change of each period to move along the scheduled party itinerary.

Any tips you would share with others planning an event?
Plan your event as far in advance as possible if you can. Once you have nailed down the theme and budget, start the planning process immediately. This gives you the opportunity to capture all the tiny details that will make the event stand out! Plus, planning far ahead is a friend to your budget. You get to purchase party items well in advance, catching all of the holiday sales and discounts leading up to the event date. Not to mention savings on expedited shipping fees

The Location
I specialize in space transformations so transforming our formal living room into the perfect classroom was a no brainer. It was just the right amount of space needed to meet the needs of your typical classroom size. Plus, I invited 5 of his best friends to attend so that I could recreate the shared tablespace that you find in elementary classrooms.

The Fashion
How did you pick your event day outfit?
The event day outfit was centered around a pair of navy blue and cognac suspenders that I fell in love with right out the gate! I wanted the classic book smart look with a cool urban vibe. I paired the suspenders with dark denim jeans, a navy blue t-shirt that read “I Love School” and finished the look with a classic navy blazer. The Birthday boy was preppy and too cool for school!

Party Details
What inspired your party style?
I like to take a theme for what it is and design my event with custom and unique items that aren’t typically used or seen at other parties. I pull in all of the items that make you fall in love with the idea of that theme. That said, having an oversized toy school bus and globe as the centerpiece was a no brainer for me. I knew I wanted traditional milk cartons in the design so I found a modern twist and they made for amazing take home tumblers. They were both beautiful as decor items as well as functional. Other items like the oversized multicolor pencils, the Crayola boxes with folded rainbow napkins as utensil holders as well as the chalkboard placemats on top of bright-colored clipboards were all common school items that I picked and used in unconventional ways to bring the event to life. All of these common classroom items helped to inspire my party style.

Favors?
It took me a while to decide on the favors as I love items that are long-lasting, unique, and are useable for a good while. I decided on school desk briefcases by Melissa & Doug. These were fun and educational and on theme. In addition to those, I also had Pez Crayola Dispenser & Activity Sets as a second favor to satisfy the sweet tooth of the 6 and 7-year-olds in attendance!