@MerseneStudios "OG birthday with a Fancy Nancy touch"

My husband and I had mixed feelings about what to do for our son’s first birthday. There’s so much pressure on one for some reason, but no matter where we landed, I knew I wanted it to feel nostalgic, colorful, and magical, full of pure childhood whimsy. 

Someone described what we came up with as "OG birthday with a Fancy Nancy touch," and I think that lands it perfectly.

As an interior designer and creative director, I borrowed from my own world when it came to decorating. For me, it’s always about layering color, texture, and scale until something special emerges. I grabbed most of my supplies from Target and Amazon (all linked here) and created a quick video showing how I styled everything, which can easily be adapted to different vibes or themes.

The best part, of course, was seeing the babe light up surrounded by so many people who love him. He was drawn to the sparkles and the color, but mostly he just wanted to dig into the cake his yiayia had made him. I hope when he’s older, he’ll be able to look back at the photos and feel how deeply and completely we love him.

Photo credits: Mersene Studios and 309 Productions