Invitation
He had received an invitation a while back from a school friend which had the birthday boy's photo on it. He liked it so much and said he would like one like that as well. My point of reference for ideas this time too has been Mamas Like Me - http://www.mamaslikeme.com/2013/06/a-very-mickey-first-birthday.html. I got introduced to PicMonkey and the tip about getting the invitations printed at Walmart - and yes, they included envelopes for free.
My son helped with the design and was overjoyed with the comic bubble concept - he went around for days asking us to read it to him, then reading it himself - to us, to his brother, to himself - I cannot describe how happy I was to have made him happy.
I used two images from the web http://disney.wikia.com/wiki/File:Mickey-Donald-Goofy-The-Three-Musketeers-2b7e8c2f.jpg and http://disney.wikia.com/wiki/File:ThreeMusketeers01.jpg.
Party Supplies
As usual, I spent every spare moment browsing the web for ideas. But knowing that time was sparse, I decided to keep things simple. I talked to my son and he made my choices clear. We decided to stick to a blue and yellow theme with the hat and the cape from the movie to add character.
Since the time I made the Mickey Mouse Pirate Hats, I have not swayed from the idea of making hats using construction paper to fit in with whatever theme was at hand. I bought a pack of construction paper from Costco (http://costcocouple.com/pacon-construction-paper/) 2 years back and we have been doing a lot and lot of craft work but we are yet to run out of it, except for one color. That came in handy this year too.
Blue and yellow balloons, blue plates and cups, yellow table cloth, white napkins and silverware made up the rest of the party supplies.
Decor
My son's toy collection made for the theme decor - Megabloks and Mickey and friends plush.
Costume
Made a cape for my son and got him a sword; and the hat completed his Mickey Mouse Three Musketeers costume.
Cake
The cake was not in theme - but it was made to please my son! I took pictures of my sons' most favorite toys and made a storyboard out of them. My sons' birthdays are a month apart - so the cake was for both of them, though this party for the most part was catered to my older son's fancy - the younger one is too young to care!
Photo cake is the easiest to customize exactly to your needs and budget, in my opinion.
Cake : Torrance Bakery - http://www.torrancebakery.com
Party Favors
My son loves giving - together we chose gifts that were both his favorite things and something I hoped that parents won't have a headache dealing with once the novelty of receiving a goody bag wears off for the children.
A Book (http://www.scholastic.com/parents)
A Pack of Playing Cards
A Pack of Oreos
Packed the goodies in a clear bag and tied in the theme with a Mickey Mouse cut out and a Musketeer cape.
Finale
The execution was a miss. But the fun was spot on. Everybody seemed to have a good time. In the end, that is all that matters!
My son was involved every step of the way and he had absolute fun - both preparing for the party and during the party. He didn't notice any of the flaws that were immediately apparent to me. For once, I didn't sweat it. I saved my attention for the important things - my sons and the guests.
Thank You Cards
