It seems fitting that the first Petite Lemon in Real Life post of 2015 is about a 1st birthday party. As a follow up to last year’s Design Dilemma post (here), we have the details of Grayson’s star-themed pink, silver, and white party.
Tell us about Grayson’s party outfit:
I’m a big cupcake fan, so I fell in love with the new Cupcake Cheer 1st birthday shirts and asked to have her tee’s colors customized so they would match the party’s color scheme, which was inspired by her personalized growth chart. Of course a pink tutu was the perfect addition, as well as a sparkly pink party hat from Little Blue Olive.
(Grayson’s party outfit and her Shooting Star personalized growth chart which inspired the party’s colors and theme.)
(Grayson modeling her Cupcake Cheer birthday tee)
How did you incorporate the colors and theme into the party’s décor?
I found the coolest customizable party banner at Party City that happened to be pink, gray, and silver with stars that actually let me spell out “Grayson’s 1st birthday.” I’ve since hung the “Grayson” part of the banner in her bedroom and I will be able to use the banner again for her future birthday parties. I added some silver stars to the wall and wrapped a silver star garland around the cake plate. The rest of the tableware was pink. For the party favors, I placed chocolate covered, star-shaped cookies into a cup personalized with each guest’s name along with straws filled with pink strawberry milk dots, all wrapped up in a clear favor bag decorated with stars.
Sounds nice. Did the party go off without a hitch?
No, this is real life after all! I tried to have as much done as I could the night before the party since it started at 10:30am and I didn’t want to be stressed out. You know what they say about the best laid plans – ha! I had visions of a gorgeous cake covered in ombre pink frosting roses. My mom made the roses, which were so pretty and looked great covering the entire 3-layer cake I baked – for about 5 minutes. Then they started melting and sliding off the cake. I went to put it in the freezer to firm everything up and the whole cake slipped and fell on the ground! Totally ruined and it was 10pm.
The next day I had to run to the grocery store to get Grayson a cake and since it was the Sunday before Christmas, every cake in the bakery was red and green with a holiday theme. Except one cute little white cake with colorful confetti sprinkles. It ended up being delicious, was the perfect size, and looked adorable next to the cupcakes I had made. Phew!
What lessons did you learn?
Keep it simple!! The easiest menu items, like the fruit tray, store bought macarons, and the powder sugar dusted cookies made with puff pastry and a star shaped cookie cutter, were also the most popular. And my 3.5 year old son used them as decorations for his cupcake too!
Thanks for sharing, and for including one of our 1st birthday shirts in Grayson’s celebration!
Have any of our personalized baby gifts been a part of your little one’s life events? Whether it’s personalized onesies for a baby shower gift, 1st birthday shirts for a party outfit, or personalized growth chartsto mark a milestone, we want to hear about it. Please email us at buzz @ petitelemon dot com and your story may be our next Petite Lemon in Real Life feature.
Petite Lemon in Real Life Recap
This year we started a series of blog posts called Petite Lemon in Real Life which brought real stories of families who have products from our line of personalized baby gifts and shined a light on how their personalized growth chart, big sister tshirt, big brother t shirt, etc created a treasured memory or helped make an event even more special.
We got to meet Sophie and Brock who celebrated their sibling bond with the Patterned Delight Big Sister Tshirt and Little Brother onesie (here), as well as Evangeline and Calvin in their matching Kids Play Big Sister Tshirt and Little Brother onesie (here).
Of course, it wasn’t all big sisters. We also met Jack in his Merry Menagerie Big Brother T shirt and his little brother Luke in the Color It Up onesie (here), and learned how adoption created a beautiful family with bros Jake and baby Weston, looking adorable in their matching Under Construction Big Brother T shirt and onesie (here).
We saw how Jake has grown up alongside his Monkey Pals personalized growth chart (here), while Sarah of Merely Mother’s little girl got to put her personalized growth chart in her own room when they moved from a small rental to their newly bought house (here). And seeing Eddie, who was born 12 week prematurely and faced some big obstacles, looking so strong and happy next to his personalized growth chart, really made us smile.
Knowing that our personalized onesies and tees made celebrations, like Jenny’s baby shower (here), and twins Graham & Eric’s 1st birthday in their matching My 1st Birthday shirts (here), even more special is truly the incentive to keep designing for our line of personalized baby gifts.
We can’t wait to feature more In Real Life stories of our customers’ kids in their personalized baby gifts in the New Year. If your wee ones receive a personalized growth chart, big sister tshirt, big brother t shirt, holiday themed personalized onesies or tees, etc for Christmas or Hanukkah, please send us a picture and some info to buzz (@) petitelemon (.) com.
Design Dilemma: Grayson's First Birthday Party
With a birthday at the holidays, it’s really important to make sure baby’s celebration is all about them, not the holiday they share it with. And when the party takes place in a house that’s already been decorated for Christmas, making the party décor feel special is imperative. That’s the dilemma our blog contributor Noelle is facing for her baby girl Grayson’s first birthday party next week.
Like Grayson’s nursery, the party’s color scheme is pink and white with silver stars. Earlier this year she wrote a post on big sister shirts and welcome cakes (here) and was inspired by the pink ombre rose cake, which is fitting since Grayson’s middle name is Rose. Noelle has convinced her mom to make one for the party and plans to serve it on her favorite vintage square cut crystal cake stand.
She has more party and décor decisions to make though, and because we always get such great feedback from our dear blog readers on our line of personalized baby gifts, we thought we would ask for your help and have you vote on a couple of options Noelle is considering.
Of course, Grayson will be wearing one of our 1st birthday shirts on her big day and Noelle is torn between these two. (Shown: 1st Cupcake and Birthday Girl 1st birthday shirts)
Noelle fell in love with the birthday hats and crowns from Little Blue Olive when we did a giveaway with them earlier this year. Which of these two glittery hats should she choose?
To piñata or not to piñata? (Party City)
For the dessert table, should she go with a Hot Pink or Light Pink Tablecloth and what about adding a clear silver star tablecloth overlay? (Oriental Trading Company)
Please let us know your feedback in the Comments section, we’d love to hear your thoughts. And we’ll be sure to do a follow up with pictures from Grayson’s first birthday party.
Birth Announcements
Planning a photo shoot to announce the arrival of your newborn? We think dressing babies up in personalized onesies that coordinate with the color and/or design of birth announcements adds the perfect customized touch.
Here are some pairings of personalized onesies and birth announcement cards to give you some inspiration when planning your own special pronouncement.
And if this isn’t baby #1, a group shot with matching little bro/sis personalized onesies and big sister shirts or big brother shirts is another sweet idea.
FUN PROJECT: Thankful Printables
We are so thankful for our fabulous Creative Director Hillary and all of the amazing designs she creates for our line of personalized baby gifts. We love her and her talents! We also love that in addition to coming up with super adorable designs for our collection of personalized growth charts, big sister shirts, big brother shirts, and 1st birthday shirts, Hillary comes up with fun – and free – projects for our beloved customers to do with their wee ones.
And since Thanksgiving is a time to share what you’re thankful for, Hillary created these fall leaf shapes that can be printed out, written on, and then strung up as a garland or used to decorate a mantel or tabletop.
Supplies:
leaf template prints
scissors
string/yarn/ribbon
gather fall leaves
printed photos
clothespins
frame (optional)
Instructions:
- Download the leaf templates here and print out
- As a family, write down what you are thankful for on the leaves and/or have the kids draw pictures.
- To use as a garland, hang up your string either in a frame, on the wall or across a mantel, then use clothespins to clip clusters of real leaves, family photos, and your “thankful” leaves.
Thank you again Hillary for all that you do to make the best personalized baby gifts and fun freebies for our customers!
Our Holiday Themed Personalized Onesies & Tees are Here
We love this time of year when the holidays just flow one after another. We also love that we get to bring our cheerful holiday themed designs back into our line of personalized baby gifts!
Our holiday looks come in all of the different styles of personalized onesies, short sleeve, long sleeve, and baseball sleeve in festive wintery themes, Christmas and Hanukkah designs, and even super cute ones that incorporate your child’s picture.
Here are some of our holiday themed personalized baby gifts.
And don’t forget, with any order of personalized growth charts, big sister shirts, big brother shirts, 1st birthday shirts, etc, you’ll receive 10 Free Mini Cards (ends 11/02/14) perfect for a range of occasions. They’re ideal for adding to any personalized baby gifts.
PL in Real Life: Kim
November is National Adoption Awareness Month and November 22 is National Adoption Day, which are both nice reminders of the importance of adoption and foster care, but adoption is obviously something that should happen and be celebrated year round. This week, as part of our In Real Life series where we showcase children who have products from our line of personalized baby gifts, we place the spotlight on Kim and her adorable sons, the youngest of which was recently welcomed into the family via adoption.
1. What are your kiddos’ names and ages?
Jake is 3 years old. Weston is 6 weeks old.
2. Adoption is a beautiful thing. Who did you celebrate it with?
All of our celebrations include our amazing family.
3. What are some tips or words of wisdom you’d give to families considering adoption?
The adoption process can be a roller coaster of emotions – from the time you choose adoption until the baby is in your arms. Don’t let the disappointments get you down, because you will have them. Choose to enjoy the journey and have faith that your time will come.
4. What are your favorite Petite Lemon products and why?
I love the personalized onesies and shirts!
5. What is your favorite social media platform?
I enjoy Facebook the most because it is how I engage with my family and friends from all over. We have close family in other states and I love the ability to share pictures and videos of our cute kiddos with them.
6. What is your fav blog right now?
www.heartinthehome.org. It happens to be written by my niece but I love it! I love her fun ideas on cooking, decorating and family activities.
7. What is your fave Instagram?
I follow my friends and family – they are the most important people to me.
8. Define motherhood in one word:
Sacrifice
Thank you Kim, we’re always so thrilled to hear from parents of kiddos who have our personalized baby gifts. And aren’t these shots of Jake in his Under Construction Big Brother T shirt and Weston in his coordinating little brother onesie just the sweetest?! Nothing makes us happier!
If your little one has our personalized growth charts, big sister shirts, big brother shirts, etc., we’d love to hear from you! Please email us at buzz (at) petitelemon (dot) com to be featured in an upcoming In Real Life post.
Petite Lemon In Real Life
It’s always fulfilling to hear from our customers about how our personalized baby gifts are a part of their kiddos’ lives. That’s why we started our In Real Life series and it’s one of our favorite types of posts to write. This week we have Erin of Loving Henry blog, who answers our questions about mommyhood and raising a sweet boy who was born 12 weeks premature, which makes marking his growth on one of our personalized growth charts that much more rewarding.
(Caption: Eddie reading his favorite book, Goodnight Moon, next to his Junior Varsity personalized growth chart.)
What is your child’s name and age?
Eddie, age 2
What milestones do you look forward to most?
Eddie was born under very unique circumstances. He unexpectedly came 12 weeks early and weighed only 2 1/2 lbs and was just 14 inches long. And due to his prematurity, he spent the first nine weeks of his life in the NBICU so he could grow, learn to breathe, and learn to eat.
Preemies, especially ones as early (and even earlier) as Eddie, face incredible obstacles. Crucial organs like the lungs and brain are still forming and developing in the womb when they are born and tiny babies expend extreme energy to make up the difference. My husband and I watched Eddie fight each day in the hospital and do his best to grow, but he would have set backs. We waited and tried our best to be patient so that Eddie could be well enough to come home but it was hard. We didn’t know what lay ahead of him or what his life would be like in the future and at times it terrified us.
Thankfully, Eddie’s story had a happy ending. We brought him home when he was 37 weeks gestation and had grown to, what was for us, a very chubby 5 lbs. We eventually realized that each and every milestone Eddie would reach after his scary beginning was worth celebrating over. We were beside ourselves when he rolled over, we cheered when he sat up, and we were positively beaming when he mastered walking. And by the time he was talking and speaking in sentences, we were over the moon. Thanks to him, we don’t take much for granted.
What are some tips or advice you’d give to a new mom with a preemie?
My biggest piece of advice for preemie parents is to be present. Attend the daily rounds on your baby. It can be hard to make it in time each day but it is worth it to know every aspect of your child’s treatment and what will come next. Along with that, ask questions. Ask, ask, and ask some more. Familiarize yourself with your baby’s medications and oxygen levels and give honest feedback to your child’s healthcare providers.
Get to know your baby’s doctors. Take the time to talk with them and let them know that you are an active part of your baby’s recovery. But even more than that, find nurses that you trust and feel comfortable with. They will be the ones who will be with your baby most and they will be your eyes and ears when you can’t be in the hospital. Once you find the ones you absolutely adore, don’t let them go and let them know how much they mean to your family.
What are your favorite Petite Lemon products and why?
Our family loves Eddie’s colorful growth chart. He talks about each sport when he sees it and I think it will be a fun keepsake for him as he gets older.
What do you enjoy most about Instagram/blogging?
I am a big fan of social media largely for the fact that it helps me stay connected with family and friends that I would otherwise hardly ever hear from. And for my family in particular, our blog has become especially important for us to share stories about our children, our marriage, and our adventures. It is a nice time capsule of our lives and I hope our kids will enjoy reading it when they have families of their own.
What is your fav blog right now?
I have many blogs that I follow religiously but the one that always sticks with me is www.martawrites.com. Marta is a personal friend of mine but even if she weren’t, I would still gravitate to her blog and her IG profile. Her writing is thoughtful and polished and I’m continuously inspired by her devotion to her faith and her family.
What is your fave IG?
I like following @realbrookewhite. She’s a musician and a business woman but she’s a mom first. I appreciate that she isn’t afraid to share honest posts about her worries and insecurities.
Define motherhood in one word:
Contentment
Wow, thank you Erin for sharing such an incredible story. We loved your advice on being present, it’s good advice for all of us parents who are often so distracted by a million things, and we’re so glad Eddie is using one of our personalized growth charts to record his amazing milestones.
We’re looking forward to sharing more In Real Life stories with our personalized baby gifts with our readers soon. If you have a story to share, please email us at buzz @ petitelemon (dot) com.
Happy 1st Birthday June!
As our fabulous Artistic Director, Hillary creates many of the designs in our line of personalized baby gifts, from big sister shirts and big brother shirts to 1st birthday shirts and décor. Her adorable daughters, Lily and June, offer lots of inspiration and are important members of the Petite Lemon family. So we thought we’d take a moment to wish June a very, very Happy 1st Birthday.
Happy birthday wishes to you June! We’ve seen you go from wearing our personalized onesies to modeling other tees in our line of personalized baby gifts and we know you’ll continue to be one of our most favorite models.
(Shown: Striped Number, Watercolor Fun, So Cute, Play Party Hat 1st birthday shirts)
Which of these Hillary designed 1st birthday shirts do you think June should wear for her party?
Welcoming a Little One Into the Family
Babble recently wrote a nice story on how parents can “trick” kids into liking the new baby. While we’re not crazy about the idea of “tricking” kids into things, as parents who have dealt with this transition, we totally get what they’re saying and appreciate the various ideas.
Of course, as designers of big brother shirts and big sister shirts, we completely agree with #3 – Get Them a Gift. We’ve used a big brother tshirt or big sister tshirt to help a new “big” get excited about welcoming a “little” and seen how helpful they can be in starting to establish a sibling bond.
(Shown: Only Child Expiring Big Brother T shirt; Something to Say Big Brother T shirt, Taped Up Big Sister Tshirt, I’ve Been Promoted To Big Sister Tshirt)
Another great idea they suggest? Read them stories about siblings. These stories not only help prepare kids, story time is another wonderful way to bond with your child. At this sometimes anxiety ridden time, reading together is perfect for a little one-on-one time.
Want to read more tips from Babble? Click here for the whole article by Lauren Hartman.
