Cole's Birthday Party

i've always loved to entertain and plan parties. now that i have kids i'm excited to be able to decorate and create themes for their birthdays.  i want them not to be so much about gifts, but about making them feel special and creating great memories.  i love trying to make my backyard feel a little magical and the best part is sometimes all it takes is a dilapidated cardboard train and several mini flashlights to make that a reality.  for my his third birthday it was all about trains...

i love Etsy and i got much of my inspiration and party items there.

here's what i found and where i found it...

REVOLUTION46R46
caboose onesie for my little guy and the personalized engine three tshirt,
and why get one when you know two train loving three-year-olds

DoodleDooz - my son loves bow ties so when i saw these clip-on ones i thought it would be adorable added to the shirt. i also requested a smaller size for baby brother and they were darling.

and these hats are what started it all!
available in the Target party favor aisle

Aero1Toys
this was on the table choo-chooing around the cake and i love that it is hand made.

WilsonGraphics
this wall decal with a number 3 already on it was perfect.
i ordered a couple other decals for my son's room and they turned out great. i will be featuring those in an upcoming post.

i'd like to thank pinterest for this idea. 

and finally i want to give a shout out to my sister rachel for this amazing cake and cookies!
she's a whiz in the kitchen.