TiTi's TuTu's: {Real Birthday} TuTus, Ties, and Teddy Bears

For months now, I've been sitting on my daughter's 2nd Birthday photos. First, I was waiting on the photos, then, I was trying to submit it to other blogs, and then, I simply felt like the moment had passed and I should write it off altogether.

The party was inside my home, which has awful lighting, so it's hard to see the details. My sweet photography student friend worked so hard on them, but the lighting was just too dark. Still, I put a lot of heart into the party and I personally think it came out adorable. Besides, we had a ton of fun!

I decided I don't want it to continue collecting dust. So, I'm keeping it real and publishing it as is.

Hopefully someone likes it!

The deets -

Theme: Tutus, Ties, and Teddy Bears

It was a no brainer than when my daughter, the inspiration behind TiTi's TuTu's, turned two, she would have a tutu party. Ever since she was old enough to walk and talk she would slap her thighs and babble "tu-tu." She loves them! The tie idea came from trying to figure out what her brother would wear. She adores teddy bears, so I had to incorporate those in there.

Food:

The food was simple. I decided to keep the alliteration with the "t" and create a "Tapas Bar" with bite size teddy bear pb&js, teddy bear fruit skewers, pizza bites, garlic knots, and meatballs.

Activities:

As the little guests arrived, they were greeted by either a tutu or a tie at their seat. After getting dressed, they colored teddy bear pictures from a "Build-a-Bear" coloring book using bear shaped crayons. Then, we split the kids into two groups. The boys made bear masks in my son's room while the girls played "Dress-a-Bear" in my daughter's room. Each girl got a teddy bear to dress up in a mini-tutu, shirt, party hat, and other accessories. For the last activity, my adoring husband, who is the BEST party host, read Eric Carle's "Brown Bear, Brown Bear What Do You See?" and led the kids in a dance.

Favors:

Teddy Graham Bar with 4 different flavor bears to mix.

Special Touches:

My favorite of all was the bear garland with photos of my little girl from birth to 24 months. I also had the pleasure of having family come over to help with the party. My son ripped the coloring pages out of the book for the kids to color. It was his "Big Brother" job and he took it very seriously. I loved seeing the ripped up edges on the paper, and you'd better believe I did not "fix" them.

My grandmother, who is nearly 90 years old, also helped stick the kids' names on the favor bags. They were absolutely not perfect- and I loved them! Every time I see a crooked little tag on a bag, I remember her shaky hand trying to affix the paper to the bag. THAT is priceless!!!