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Main Man Turns One!

Happy One Year, Prince-face! I cannot believe how fast this year has flown by. So fast in fact, that I am 2 months late writing this recap of Asher’s modern first birthday party. It seems like in just a blink of an eye I went from leaving my 38 week checkup to head down to labor and delivery for some “tests” to having a handsome, cuddly, adorable. affectionate, silly, moody, flirty, hungry, stylish 14 month old. A 14 month old that has rocked our world and changed our lives in the most amazing ways possible…something we could not begin to fathom prior to parenthood. A 14 month old that has become my WHY…my motivation to be a better mom, wife, inspirer, and leader. He’s my style muse, my little comedian, and my daily inspiration. The way he looks at me with those gorgeous eyes absolutely melts me, and his relationship with Ryan (they are BEST FRIENDS) gives me more feels than I ever knew existed. His love for life, his laugh, and his kisses are infectious. So, as he approached his first birthday we knew we wanted to throw him an all out bash to celebrate what an awesome kid he has become.

So, without further adieu, here is Asher’s black and white modern first birthday party aka Main Man Turns One! PS, this post is LONG, so I will post the pictures first. If you are interested in the details, keep reading! Also, if you are local, I have 2 discount codes in the post for catering and floral design.

THE PERFECT MODERN FIRST BIRTHDAY PARTY

Looking for a bit of inspiration for your little ones first birthday? Birmingham Lifestyle Blogger Lindsey from Life Lutzurious is sharing her top tips on creating the perfect black and white modern first birthday party.

Blogger Lindsey Lutz from Life Lutzurious's son's first birthday party with 36 inch confetti balloons

Looking for a bit of inspiration for your little ones first birthday? Birmingham Lifestyle Blogger Lindsey from Life Lutzurious is sharing her top tips on creating the perfect black and white modern first birthday party.

Looking for a bit of inspiration for your little ones first birthday? Birmingham Lifestyle Blogger Lindsey from Life Lutzurious is sharing her top tips on creating the perfect black and white modern first birthday party.

Looking for a bit of inspiration for your little ones first birthday? Birmingham Lifestyle Blogger Lindsey from Life Lutzurious is sharing her top tips on creating the perfect black and white modern first birthday party.

Looking for a bit of inspiration for your little ones first birthday? Birmingham Lifestyle Blogger Lindsey from Life Lutzurious is sharing her top tips on creating the perfect black and white modern first birthday party.

Looking for a bit of inspiration for your little ones first birthday? Birmingham Lifestyle Blogger Lindsey from Life Lutzurious is sharing her top tips on creating the perfect black and white modern first birthday party.

Looking for a bit of inspiration for your little ones first birthday? Birmingham Lifestyle Blogger Lindsey from Life Lutzurious is sharing her top tips on creating the perfect black and white modern first birthday party.

Looking for a bit of inspiration for your little ones first birthday? Birmingham Lifestyle Blogger Lindsey from Life Lutzurious is sharing her top tips on creating the perfect black and white modern first birthday party.

Looking for a bit of inspiration for your little ones first birthday? Birmingham Lifestyle Blogger Lindsey from Life Lutzurious is sharing her top tips on creating the perfect black and white modern first birthday party.

Looking for a bit of inspiration for your little ones first birthday? Birmingham Lifestyle Blogger Lindsey from Life Lutzurious is sharing her top tips on creating the perfect black and white modern first birthday party.

Looking for a bit of inspiration for your little ones first birthday? Birmingham Lifestyle Blogger Lindsey from Life Lutzurious is sharing her top tips on creating the perfect black and white modern first birthday party.

Looking for a bit of inspiration for your little ones first birthday? Birmingham Lifestyle Blogger Lindsey from Life Lutzurious is sharing her top tips on creating the perfect black and white modern first birthday party.

Looking for a bit of inspiration for your little ones first birthday? Birmingham Lifestyle Blogger Lindsey from Life Lutzurious is sharing her top tips on creating the perfect black and white modern first birthday party.

Looking for a bit of inspiration for your little ones first birthday? Birmingham Lifestyle Blogger Lindsey from Life Lutzurious is sharing her top tips on creating the perfect black and white modern first birthday party.

Looking for a bit of inspiration for your little ones first birthday? Birmingham Lifestyle Blogger Lindsey from Life Lutzurious is sharing her top tips on creating the perfect black and white modern first birthday party.

Looking for a bit of inspiration for your little ones first birthday? Birmingham Lifestyle Blogger Lindsey from Life Lutzurious is sharing her top tips on creating the perfect black and white modern first birthday party.

Looking for a bit of inspiration for your little ones first birthday? Birmingham Lifestyle Blogger Lindsey from Life Lutzurious is sharing her top tips on creating the perfect black and white modern first birthday party.

Looking for a bit of inspiration for your little ones first birthday? Birmingham Lifestyle Blogger Lindsey from Life Lutzurious is sharing her top tips on creating the perfect black and white modern first birthday party.

Looking for a bit of inspiration for your little ones first birthday? Birmingham Lifestyle Blogger Lindsey from Life Lutzurious is sharing her top tips on creating the perfect black and white modern first birthday party.

Looking for a bit of inspiration for your little ones first birthday? Birmingham Lifestyle Blogger Lindsey from Life Lutzurious is sharing her top tips on creating the perfect black and white modern first birthday party.

Looking for a bit of inspiration for your little ones first birthday? Birmingham Lifestyle Blogger Lindsey from Life Lutzurious is sharing her top tips on creating the perfect black and white modern first birthday party.

Looking for a bit of inspiration for your little ones first birthday? Birmingham Lifestyle Blogger Lindsey from Life Lutzurious is sharing her top tips on creating the perfect black and white modern first birthday party.

Looking for a bit of inspiration for your little ones first birthday? Birmingham Lifestyle Blogger Lindsey from Life Lutzurious is sharing her top tips on creating the perfect black and white modern first birthday party.

Looking for a bit of inspiration for your little ones first birthday? Birmingham Lifestyle Blogger Lindsey from Life Lutzurious is sharing her top tips on creating the perfect black and white modern first birthday party.

Looking for a bit of inspiration for your little ones first birthday? Birmingham Lifestyle Blogger Lindsey from Life Lutzurious is sharing her top tips on creating the perfect black and white modern first birthday party.

Looking for a bit of inspiration for your little ones first birthday? Birmingham Lifestyle Blogger Lindsey from Life Lutzurious is sharing her top tips on creating the perfect black and white modern first birthday party.

Looking for a bit of inspiration for your little ones first birthday? Birmingham Lifestyle Blogger Lindsey from Life Lutzurious is sharing her top tips on creating the perfect black and white modern first birthday party.

Looking for a bit of inspiration for your little ones first birthday? Birmingham Lifestyle Blogger Lindsey from Life Lutzurious is sharing her top tips on creating the perfect black and white modern first birthday party.

MODERN FIRST BIRTHDAY PARTY TIPS

INSPO + MUST HAVES

So, what was my inspo? Asher is not one of those kids that has a favorite TV show, toy, cartoon character, or stuffed animal. His favorite things are a little [should I say] different from a lot of kids his age. I knew I wanted to incorporate what he loves the most (food and parents ha) with what he is known for amongst his friends and family. While I searched high and low for a “theme,” I simply couldn’t decide. One morning around 1am, I had an epiphany: we didn’t need a theme…we only needed a party that was cohesive, revolved around his favorite things, and celebrated all things Asher! His favorite colors are black, white, and metallic. Also, he is our “foodie baby,” and loves to eat everything in sight, so we somehow wanted to incorporate his favorite foods. Lastly, no one actually calls him Asher. He goes by Mini, Main Man, Asherman, Prince-face, Brat-face, or Mini Fluffs…so we wanted to make that a focus was well.

So, what were our must haves for a modern first birthday party? A custom logo, amazing food, a modern, cool kid design (centered around black, white, and metallic), a signature cocktail (for the adults of course), play stations for the kids, a Photo Booth, good music, a video dedicated to Asher, and a cake + smash cake combo.

THE FOOD

Food is very important to Ryan and me and is a huge part of our lives. Going to dinner, cooking (Ryan, not me…if we are being real here), shopping at the farmer’s market, and drinking wine are some of our favorite things to do together. So, we said from day 1 that we wanted Asher to enjoy doing these things with us. We never gave him “baby food” and pretty much just fed him what we were eating as soon as he was old enough. Little did we know he would become quite the foodie. Octopus Romesco, steak, pork tacos, dark chocolate, salmon, veggies, and honeydew are some of his favorite foods. Because modern first birthday parties are for the parents and not the child (let’s be honest here, folks) and Asher is a food monster, the menu was a top priority!

I tasked Ryan to choose the caterer. He was to find 3 options, and we would select the final one together (can you say micromanager?). When we discovered Tre Luna, we were SOLD. With over 20 years of experience, this husband and wife team offers a unique value proposition by providing specially designed menus created just for your event. In essence, they bring the restaurant experience to you. What we loved about them is their commitment to provide locally sourced food whenever possible. They also set up and broke down the entire event, as well as provided a server to maintain the party. They do have simple food delivery options, but I was interested in their full service option due to the number of people that would be attending. It was also important to me for us and our guests (i.e.: our moms) to enjoy the party without feeling the need to pick up and tend to the food the whole time.

The food was set up beautifully and was insanely delicious. Without even asking, they had one of their employees design these beautiful menu chalkboards to describe each dish. So what did we eat?! I knew we wanted local, seasonal ingredients that were both adult and kid friendly. Our menu included chicken biscuits with local honey, mini burgers with a homemade pickle, . For drinks, we served beer, wine, lemonade, water, and a signature cocktail: a Paloma, which was a nod to Ryan’s favorite drink, a margarita.

Ryan and I typically throw 2 parties a year, and we have already decided this is who we will use again, hands down. They will work with all budgets and sizes of events. One of the cool things they do is “Chef at Home.” Planning a dinner party or an intimate date night? Skip the cooking and let them do the work. Ryan and I have done this before, and it makes for SUCH an enjoyable evening! It’s a great concept for Friendsgiving or a couple’s Valentine’s Day dinner party or whatever. Erin and Brian have been kind enough to offer my readers a 10% discount on events booked through the end of the year. Visit their website www.trelunacatering.com to book your next event, and make sure you mention Life Lutzurious when scheduling to receive the discount!

THE INVITATION

This is what sort of got my creative juices flowing. One of my dearest friends Carrie Beth (www.sugarbdesigns.com) is an AMAZING artist. She watercolors, creates custom cards, commissions artwork, you name it. I enlisted her to help me with a picture of Asher wearing his [my] favorite outfit. This would sort of be the primary focus of the event, since everything was OF COURSE all about him. I would incorporate his MAIN MAN nickname and baby batman symbol, the Swiss cross (I used this all over his nursery), and the details of the party. She created the CUTEST image, and I designed the rest of the invitation using Indesign.

FLORAL

Now onto the FLOWERS. Oh my gosh SWOON. My good friend Heather from My Life Well Loved referred me to Sarah Woodall from Gold Leaf Floral, and as soon as I saw her work, I fell in love. So, what was my inspo? Of course, I wanted some sort of modern plant design. I sent her pictures of cacti, succulents, and sedum, and let her know the overall theme of the decor. I wanted it to be simple, yet striking. I also requested garland to hang loosely down the side of his banner. And wow, did she over deliver. She hand-wired the most beautiful plants in CB2 vases to create a modern aesthetic. It was beautiful, yet not too girly. She added pops of yellow and various shades of green to create interest and varied the texture using different types of cacti and succulents. Just like Tre Luna, Sarah is offering a  to all of my readers 10% off holiday floral arrangements using code LIFE LUTZURIOUS when booking.

THE CAKES

What’s the most fun part of a first birthday party? The smash cake, of course! I had a 7×6 banner printed of the logo to serve as the backdrop of the cake smashing. As I mentioned earlier, Sarah designed the most beautiful garland made of eucalyptus, succulents, and sedum. This tied the garland together with the tabletop arrangements perfectly and created a soft frame for the banner. I positioned his high chair to the left of the image to create the dedicated space. My inspo for the cake was a tall, skinny cake, rather than your typical smash cake. I wanted simple, yet striking again. Silver and black icing created the perfect hint of ombre. For the main cake, I wanted to tie in the Swiss crosses with the silver details. I found the CUTEST cake toppers from The Roc Shop (click to shop). They were modern, yet whimsical with the ultimate “cool kid” vibe. HUGE thanks to Carrie Allen for creating the perfect cake for Asher’s modern first birthday party. You can email her HERE.

PARTY FAVORS + CUSTOM PARTYWARE

Who doesn’t love a good party favor? I mean, if you are going to drag your ass and your kids to a birthday party, on a SATURDAY, you might as well get some sort of parting gift, amirate? TIP: Keep it simple, cute, and delicious. The BEST party favors are favors you can eat. I enlisted the help of my friend Sami, who owns Whisk Cookie Company to make her oh so delicious and adorable cookies for the favors. One cookie was the image of Asher, one was a Swiss cross, and the other was the baby batman-looking Main Man symbol. See how you can tie it together so easily? Additionally, I had tattoos made by Love and Lion out of Nashville, incorporating the same symbols, and lastly, a custom koozie for the adults. See, something for everyone! Each party favor cost approximately $5. Not too shabby and well worth it to say THANK YOU for dragging your ass to our party. 😉

Another way to tie everything together? Personalize you event with custom cups, napkins, and coasters. I mean how adorable are each of these items? I chose wooden cutlery and plates to stick to the modern, Scandinavian theme, and used his “symbols” on everything from the napkins to coasters. The cups were small enough for the kiddos to hold but large enough for the parents’ cocktail (s).

MODERN FIRST BIRTHDAY PARTY PLANNING CHECKLIST

Now that I have written you a novel…shocker…I think that about does it. There is SO much more that went into this party, but honestly, I am tired of writing, and you guys quit reading 20 minutes ago. HOWEVER, is this something you guys would like to see more of in the future? While I love fashion and could write about fashion all day, I am here for you guys. I want to help you plan the most fun party ever, so I am going to provide a party planning checklist. The caveat: I need you to sign up for my newsletter.

As the blog continues to grow, I am trying to provide stronger, more relevant content. While I am sure my crazy, fashion forward style gets clicks, I started this blog to motivate and inspire. If I am already doing all this work to plan outfits, parties, trips, you name it, I might as well share it, right? SO, here is what I need you to do. If you want to receive the modern first birthday party planning checklist, please SIGN UP HERE. I am testing out a few ways of delivering this, but I will make sure you receive it in the next few days. I may also have an option for you to choose what types of content you receive: fashion, party, travel, baby. Does that help? I absolutely hate getting newsletters that are irrelevant to me, so I want to make sure I am meeting your needs.

ANYWAY, if you have any questions about Asher’s modern first birthday party, please let me know. We had SO SO SO much fun, and I wouldn’t have changed a thing. It was a great excuse to celebrate our MAIN MAIN with his modern first birthday party and of course, have fun with all of our friends and family. Remember, if you are local, there are two discount opportunities for you to receive. I am linking where I purchased everything else as well.  Thanks so much for reading and for your continued support! For more Asher, make sure to follow our Insta-stories!


Photography: Rachel and Noah Ray | ‘Main Man’ Invitation: Lindsey LutzAsher Drawing: Sugar B Designs | Event Consulting: Cake & Confetti | Temporary Tattoos: Love and LionSwiss Cross Teepee: RH Baby & Child | Swiss Cross Photobooth Backdrop: Society 6 | Main Man Logo 7×6 Banner: The Original Step and Repeat | Main Man and Number 1 Silver Cake Topper: The Roc Shop | Florals and greenery: Gold Leaf Floral | Decorative VasesCustom Cups, Napkins, Coasters | Plates and Cutlery: Amazon | Food: Tre Luna Catering | Cakes: Carrie Allen  | 36″ confetti balloon: Etsy | 36′ black balloon: Etsy | Asher’s HighchairAsher’s Outfit: Buffalo Plaid Vest, Denim Shorts, Adidas Sneakers, #1 Tank | Lindsey’s Outfit: Black Jumpsuit (only $126), Platform shoes


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