When Olivia was discharged from the hospital, we followed the nurses orders to stay away from public places for fear of RSV.    When the flu season ended in late April, we decided to celebrate!  I knew that I wanted to do something based on song, You Are My Sunshine, since I sang this tune to Olivia while pregnant and during her time at the hospital.

When I searched Pinterest for inspiration, I came across the tag line, “We’ve weathered the storm and landed on Cloud 9” from this gorgeous party on Bump Smitten.  I couldn’t believe how perfect this little saying was for capturing both the turmoil and joy of the past few months.  Here is my spin on Olivia’s sunshine party.

The Invites

I’ve always loved the idea of sending candy as part of a beautiful invitation.  I spied this elegant invite and knew that I wanted to design my own whimsical version for Olivia’s big day.

I used digital patterned paper, a collection of fun fonts, and a butterfly punch adorned with tiny pearls to complete the look.

The Decor

Tablescape elements: handmade tissue clouds sprinkling raindrops and hearts; a handmade “Olivia” banner constructed from patterned paper, punches, and spellbinder dies; chocolate dipped oreos and assorted lemon treats; fresh flowers; and a fixings for sunshine sundaes!

I fell in love with this gorgeous set of spoons by BellaJacksonStudios that are stamped with the lyrics to the party’s theme song.  They ended up being the perfect serving pieces for all the sundae toppings.

I also made mints for guests to take as favors!  One side featured a flower sunshine burst while the other sported a delicate tulip.

Our bar area was stocked with various lemon flavored drinks and a fun sign announcing our signature concoctions.

This manzanita branch tree functions as a perfect backdrop for displaying special photos and vignettes related to important celebrations.  For this occasion, I hung handmade little frames, gold glittered stars, and a mini bunting banner spelling out Olivia’s name.

Activities

The main event of the party: making sunshine sundaes!  We had a selection of toppings including: chopped lemon cookies, candy pecans, mini chocolate chips, Andes Mint chips, butterscotch/white chocolate chips, and sprinkles!

Since the guest list included mostly adults, I wanted to come up with an activity that would be fun AND still allow everyone to chat at their leisure…  our homemade sunshine dart board turned out to fit the bill perfectly!

Finally, I also set up a station filled with cards to give to Olivia in the future on her 16th, 18th, and 21st birthdays.  I asked our guests to leave our sweet girl a fun message or memory.  These simple cards were made in Photoshop using various digital elements and adorned with rhinestone/pearl embellishments.  I can’t wait to see Olivia’s face as she reads priceless messages from family and friends.  Completing this activity with my grandparents and seeing their handwritten well wishes has become a treasured memory for me, as well.

It was a wonderful day filled with laughter and sunshine for our sweet Olivia.