26 Feb 30th Birthday Party Report

I usually don’t have a big birthday celebration for myself, but the 30th deserves a huge toast!  On February 25th, we hosted a birthday party to cheer to the new decade. It was honestly a good excuse to see my friends and family who supported me through thick and thin 🙂 I listed the details below for your inspo!

Invitation / Theme

Like last time, I used my go-to service, Paperless Post, for the party invitation. Because I wanted to use GIF, I went for the flyer option for the first time. I love how easy it was to customize and keep track of RSVP! I have probably said this many times, but The Devil Wears Prada is my all-time favorite movie. I find myself sympathizing with the characters’ way of living, and there are so many lines that are just iconic. I didn’t see any party with this theme, so I couldn’t draw any inspiration but it was fun to bring out what I envisioned for the party! I will share more details of the décor and food below!

Decoration

For the photo backdrop, I once again used my good friends’ event service, S&D Events. She did the backdrop for Katya’s 1st birthday party as well and it was so gorgeous! I am glad I went with her again as her turn around time is so quick and she makes my vision come to life! The Devil Wears Prada does not have obvious symbols that I associate with except the devil, but I wanted something sweet instead. In the end, I went for a big bow made with balloons, which I think is fabulous 😉 She also incorporated some roses on the backdrop by making them hang with strings. I always love to include some flowers in the party décor.

For the photo prop, I got bedazzled devil’s ears from Amazon so guests can wear them if they wish. I was a literary devil that wore Prada with my strapless black Prada dress 😉 The rest of the table setting is listed below, including my favorite utensil holder and cake stand.  

Farmhouse ceramic triple utensil holder by Mud Pie (exact here)

Clear plastic cutleries by Amazon (exact here)

Clear plastic party plates by Amazon (exact here) 

Black paper napkins by Amazon (exact here)

Black rectangle tablecloth by Amazon (exact here)

Bamboo appetizer skewers by Amazon (exact here)

Clear plastic cups by Amazon (exact here)

Clear plastic champagne flutes by Amazon (exact here)

Clear plastic martini glasses by Amazon (exact here)

Black Birthday Candle (number 3&0) by Amazon (exact here)

Black glitter cake topper by Amazon (exact here) – I cut off “30” and “Flirty” myself
“Eat Cake for Breakfast” glass cake stand by Kate Spade (exact here)

Champagne Bucket by Crate & Barrel (exact here)

Antique brass and glass condiment dish by Williams Sonoma (exact here)

Brass shaker and tools – gifted (similar here)

Food / Birthday Cake

Because the party was between lunch and dinner time, I only made small bites. I actually planned it to start at 2pm to avoid preparing the main course hehe.  I had caprese bites, garlic butter bread rolls, charcuterie board, baked brie cheese board.  The Caprese bite was so easy as I just needed to assemble it using the skewers. I think at this point, I am pro at making charcuterie boards since I made them so many times to satisfy my eyes and hungry belly lol. Garlic bread and baked brie cheese board were the easiest to prepare because I just needed to throw them in the oven 🙂 Garlic bread was the first one to be gone even I had 2 bags of it. And I got this super yummy baked brie cheese board from Goldbelly which just came in 2 days. They are always super convenient and so presentable. The box it came with was oven safe, so I didn’t need to prepare anything.  I don’t know about you, but “More cheese the better” is my party mantra haha.

For dessert, I had The Devil’s Wears Prada cookie, and birthday cake. I was one day searching for the perfect cookies for my birthday party and came across “Sweetz by Veez.” I contacted her to inquire about the price, which was so affordable and she was so easy to work with. I just told her the theme of the party and a few things I want to incorporate, like my favorite quotes from the movie. I think I ordered 2 dozen and it came with 9 different designs, which I gave her full design creativity. I love how these cookies turned out and now I cannot think of a party without custom cookies! Same as the baked brie cheese board, I ordered my birthday cake from Goldbelly, which is the red version of Katya’s birthday cake. The red-colored chocolate cake was perfect for this occasion as the theme color was red and black. The Rose design was also a simple yet perfect addition to the party. The cake also came in just 2 days as scheduled. Goldbelly never failed to deliver on time, so it was one less thing to worry about.

I had many drink options, including White Claw, a variety of soda, water and coffee, and, most importantly, Bellini and Espresso Martini. “Coffee & Cocktail” was the sub-theme of the party, so some caffeine and cute adult drinks were a must. Bellini was pretty easy to make as I just had to mix peach puree and champagne. The biggest star of the party was the espresso martini. I watched a few YouTube videos to learn how to make an espresso martini, practiced a couple times and altered the portion to make it the way I like. I will probably share my version of the recipe as everyone asked for refills and 1 person had 6 of them 😉 My arms were slightly tired from shaking the drinks but it was well worth it knowing my guests enjoyed it hehe. This is my new favorite drink because it is a successful marriage of both coffee and alcohol!

Thank you for reading all the way! I hope this detailed report would be helpful if you are planning a similar party in the future. I would love to know your thoughts on the theme, so let me know in the comment section! Cheers version up to Fatima 3.0!

Hi chapter 30!

Fatima