I’m almost in tears writing this — Arlo’s first birthday is less than two weeks away. I finally settled on a theme and wanted to share the inspiration and plans we’re putting together. The theme is: “To Infinity and Beyond!”
To be clear, this isn’t a Toy Story party. I wanted something meaningful that feels like us. After repeatedly shouting “To infinity and BEYOND!” at Arlo to get him to lift his hand (his favorite little move), the idea clicked. It suits our family’s love of Pixar moments and gave me a chance to design a fresh take on a space-inspired celebration.
I tend to dislike the typical dark, starry space palette, so I’m flipping it into something bright and cheerful. Expect rockets, planets, and stars paired with blue skies, fluffy clouds, and rainbows. With Andy’s blue-sky wallpaper as part of the backdrop, the colorful, sunny approach felt right. We’ll be embracing a full spectrum of colors to make the day feel light, playful, and joyful.
Invitations were my first priority — I’m a stationery fanatic and rarely get to design custom pieces, so this felt like a treasured opportunity. We worked with Printerette Press and the letterpress invites they created are absolutely beautiful; I cried when I saw them.
Most of our paper goods came from Bonjour Fete, a gorgeous party shop in LA. They’re also helping bring some of the larger décor ideas to life. Originally we planned to host at home, but our yard isn’t ready for guests, so we’ll be using a lovely LA event space instead. I’ll share details after the party.
Mint Cups | Rocketship Cup Stickers*
(*These originally come with silver cups; I swapped them for mint ones.)
Rainbow Plates | Cloud Napkins
Wood Rocketships | Star Plates
Yellow Serving Tray | Scallop Napkins
Giant Bouncy Balls | Balloons
Playhouse
At the venue we’ll have a few balloon installations — think planetary clusters, a balloon rocket, and maybe a balloon rainbow — to keep the visuals playful and full of movement.
For sweets, Alana Jones Mann is making a couple of her distinctive shag cakes, and our talented baker Theresa will create rocketship cupcakes for the kids. I’m planning a little DIY for those cupcakes and bought a rocket cookie cutter to try making a special birthday candle for Arlo. Fingers crossed!
Food-wise, I wanted to go with a Pizza Planet–inspired pizza spread, but an affordable option wasn’t available, so we settled on tacos instead — still a crowd-pleaser and easy to enjoy outdoors.
I’m decorating wooden rocket toys and a play rocket in bright colors and picking up those large rubber bouncy balls that look like planets for kids to play with. We also grabbed a Pixar coffee table book for guests to sign as a keepsake, and Sugarfina is creating custom candy favors that match the theme.
Party planning can be stressful because I care so much about the details, but I’m genuinely excited for this celebration. We didn’t have a baby shower, sip and see, or many typical baby gatherings, so this first birthday feels especially meaningful.
I’ll share photos and the full recap after the party, but I couldn’t wait any longer to reveal the theme.
Photos by Jeff Mindell