I firmly believe that behind every loud wild child, is a quiet and collected best friend. At least, that is the story of my friendship with Hannah.
Hannah and I grew up a street apart and attended the same school. I still remember walking into my English class and noticing her sitting so calm and collected at the desk. Her papers, pens, and notebook were all organized while mine were sprawled everywhere. She was reserved but kind and I knew from the second I saw her, I wanted to be her best friend. Thus leads us to 14 years of Hailey telling Hannah she is her best friend.
While the days of jumping on the hay bales on my family farm are over, the memories have continued. We graduated college, moved, experienced different cultures & countries, and dappled in different jobs, but the one thing has stayed the same: Hannah is my best friend. She is the kind of friend that offers perspective, gives wise counsel, and will forever listen to your silly drama.
In honor of Hannah's birthday, I wanted to create an evening that reflected Hannah's qualities: peaceful and classy. It was decided that the kind of celebration that would mean the most to Hannah would be a small backyard birthday surrounded by her closest friends.
The Tablescape
Inspired by the sunset, I set out to design a tablescape that reflected these serene colors. I started with the sunset tapered candles and built the table around their colors. Tiny glass vases with fresh flowers lined the bottom of the candelabra. The tablecloth was a pretty yellow and white pinstripe...SHOWER CURTAIN! It sounds silly but it was the perfect length and waterproof! Any droplets that hit the table immediately dispersed to the ground below. To make the yellow pop, I added a bit of dusty blue tulle as the runner.
I selected dinner plates that had blue florals dancing around the edges. I paired the plates with gold cuttlery and dainty champagne glasses.
The Banner
After combing both the web and local stores, I realized that if I wanted a banner that reflected sunset colors, I would have to design it myself. I purchased three disposable tablecloths and cut them into strips. I then tied the strips to a small rope and repeated the process with all three colors. I love the Ombre effect and am honestly impressed how easy it was to create.
The Pink Cake
No birthday celebration is complete without a show-stopping cake, and for a sunset-themed party, the pink cake took the center stage. The cake, adorned with ombre layers of pink frosting mirrored the hues of the fading sun. I embellished it with white flowers to incorporate the classy garden vibe. I displayed the cake on a vintage gold plate stenciled with gold flowers, bringing the entire vision together perfectly.
Watching Hannah's face light up as we laughed over dinner and cake made the entire evening worth it. Besides the humidity, everything went according to plan and sunset in the garden was a complete success! I highly recommend dressing up your backyard and designing your own backyard birthday celebration!
