We're big fans of furoshiki, the Japanese art of fabric wrapping. While it's often promoted as an eco-minded method for wrapping gifts, we can't think of a better way to put some colorful fabric to use than as a carry-all for a little vino and a simple picnic!

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Name: Max & Molly, 1
Location: Stamford, CT

For my twin's first birthday party I decided on a Milk & Cookies theme. Since I have a twin girl and boy, I wanted to stick with a gender-neutral theme. I had seen some cute parties with this theme on Pinterest and liked it because at one they could finally have milk and who doesn't love cookies! Our colors were brown white and green.

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 Last night I was lucky enough to attend a remarkable event — a warm, festive, stimulating gathering in which a family opened their home to over 60 people, some friends, some friends-of-friends, and some several more steps removed (like me). The friend I went with said something like, "With everything going on in the world, this openness and trust is all the more amazing. And encouraging." 

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Name: Kyler, 1
Location: Orlando, FL

For my daughter Kyler's first birthday, I knew I had to do a nautical theme because they are just too cute! Everything was a DIY project since I created everything myself. I wanted to keep the costs to a minimal but still make a big impact.

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Name: Harper, 1
Location: Austin, TX

When our daughter turned one, we wanted to throw her as wonderful a birthday as she was! Inspiration came from her being a June baby, and her birthstone is Pearl. The pearl party was born. 

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On first glance, the events in my new book The Art of the Party are large and extravagant, but the truth is that those events are filled with smart ideas that utilize inexpensive, highly accessible, every day materials that can be lassoed for parties of any scale – even a dinner party for six at home! 

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Name: Casper, 2
Location: La Crosse, WI

We kept things pretty casual for Casper's second birthday, opting to focus on the details to make it a special day. Cas loves animals so we went with a safari theme. 

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Camping in your backyard is a special way to celebrate a birthday, while also enjoying the great outdoors. (It's also really, really nice that shelter is steps away in case of rain or other party catastrophes). Get into the spirit with a campfire, lanterns and — perhaps most importantly — a cake that looks like a big ol' S'more. 

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Name: Daxton, 1
Location: Orem, UT

My little boy turned one, and every mom knows that this is the age when they really love to explore the outside world. So we decided on an explorer theme.

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Name: Ashni, 10
Location: Oxford, MS

This year marked Ashni's last big birthday party (we have them between the ages of 4 and 10), so it was a big deal for her to choose a theme that she really loved. The one thing that she loves most (other than food) is Janelle Monáe. She loves her style and her music, so it was only fitting that she chose to have a Janelle Monáe themed dance party.

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