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happy friday + ruby’s 2nd birthday party!

Oh Joy | Ruby's 2nd Birthday Party

Oh Joy | Ruby's 2nd Birthday Party

A couple weekends ago, we celebrated Ruby's 2nd birthday in a local park with friends, food, and amazing weather. It was a morning full of Ruby's favorite things: balloons, sunglasses, pancakes, and bubbles.

Oh Joy | Ruby's 2nd Birthday Party

Oh Joy | Ruby's 2nd Birthday Party

Oh Joy | Ruby's 2nd Birthday Party

Oh Joy | Ruby's 2nd Birthday Party

Last year I hung a ton of decorations from trees and branches, but it took so long to get everything up and taken down that I wanted to keep it more simple this time. So this year I decided to use decor that our little guests would also want to take home (less clean-up at the end!) and got a bunch of mini gold #2 balloons.

Oh Joy | Ruby's 2nd Birthday Party

Oh Joy | Ruby's 2nd Birthday Party

Oh Joy | Ruby's 2nd Birthday Party

Oh Joy | Ruby's 2nd Birthday Party

Oh Joy | Ruby's 2nd Birthday Party

We bought a bunch of inexpensive kids star and heart sunglasses, and everyone had a fun time wearing them during the party!

Oh Joy | Ruby's 2nd Birthday Party

Oh Joy | Ruby's 2nd Birthday Party

Ruby loves pancakes, so we decided to celebrate with breakfast food. We love food trucks and the Buttermilk Truck came and served egg sandwiches, mini donuts, and their famous red velvet pancakes. 

Oh Joy | Ruby's 2nd Birthday Party


Oh Joy | Ruby's 2nd Birthday Party

There are no words to express Ruby's glee over bubbles. It's just magic. Get one of these bubble machines, and kids seriously go nuts over it!

Oh Joy | Ruby's 2nd Birthday Party

Oh Joy | Ruby's 2nd Birthday Party

Oh Joy | Ruby's 2nd Birthday Party

Oh Joy | Ruby's 2nd Birthday Party

We had a Flipbooth at the party which makes little take-home flip books from a 6 second video recording. Both the kids and adults loved it, and it's such a fun favor from the party for the big kids and little kids alike. We made a fun striped backdrop using leftover contact paper and foam core the same way that I decorated this door in my office.

Oh Joy | Ruby's 2nd Birthday Party

Oh Joy | Ruby's 2nd Birthday Party

Oh-joy-ruby-second-birthday-cake-4

Ruby has been really into sprinkles lately, so we had a confetti cake with chocolate chips and mango curd (her favorite fruit!) made by Matchbox Kitchen to combine all her favorite things into one pretty stack of cake. 

Oh Joy | Ruby's 2nd Birthday Party

Oh Joy | Ruby's 2nd Birthday Party

It was a fun morning of sunshine, fun, and celebrating my favorite girl. Have an amazing weekend all!

Photos | Casey Brodley

Location | Mayors Bicentennial Park in Glendale

Food | Breakfast by Buttermilk Truck

Cake | Confetti cake with chocolate chips and mango curd by Matchbox Kitchen, Neon pink lucite "2" cake topper by Little Cat for Sweet and Saucy Cake Supply.

Decor | Balloons from American Celebrations (they are almost sold out but I have 10 left if anyone wants them), striped picnic mats from Wenzel.

Photo Booth | Flip books by Flipbooth LA

Disposable Tableware | Plates, cups, and napkins from Shop Sweet Lulu; glitter utensils from Creative Converting.

We Wore | My dress is vintage past season from Anthropologie, belt is vintage; Ruby's dress is by Wolfechild, tights from Gap Baby, sandals by Pons Avarcas; Bob got egg yolk all over his shirt so he's not wearing his own shirt here ;P 

84 comments

  1. Love it! I’m going to keep things simple for the twins 2nd birthday as well…easy + fun! Love the mini balloons + lucite cake topper!! Happy Birthday to Ruby!

    Reply

  12. Happy Birthday!! Such a cute little birthday party!! I love the bubble machine, pancakes and the backdrop for the pictures with those awesome glasses! Such cute ideas 🙂

    Reply

  18. so cute!!!!!!!! i need to find a park in buenos aires where i can do something like this for coco´s 2nd birthday next january, i´d love the leftover balloons if only i was neerer.
    cheers! to happy times and building memories as beautiful as this!

    Reply

  20. That cake looks PHENOM. Mango and funfetti…a great combo!
    Thanks for sharing the sunshine (winter is rapidly approaching up north). Happy belated birthday to Ruby!

    Reply

  24. Did you have to heat seal the balloons?
    The party looks like it was so much fun for Ruby and your friends/family, too. Great way to celebrate!

    Reply

  26. LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE everything about Ruby’s party! I love how simple but yet so decorative everything was. ANd hello genius with the foam board and contact paper background! Thanks for all the wonderful tips and the pictures are just plain awesome, looks like everyone had a blast! Wish the weather in SF were great year round to have an outdoor party for the little one.

    Reply

  30. How adorable this birthday party looks… <3 I may add a 'zero' to my 'two' already, but still: This is the party that would make me extremely happy! It just has everything a girl could wish for! Bubbles, confetti cake, a photobooth and red velvet pancakes. You definitely are the best parents everrrr!

    Reply

  31. Everything is just perfect! Love the smiles on everyone. Btw, where did you get your cute striped mats from? Thanks

    Reply

  32. looks like so much fun!!
    i’d love to claim the leftover balloons if you don’t mind sending them down to san diego! let me know and we can organize payment, etc. separately.

    Reply

  33. Such an adorable party! Ruby looks so happy surrounded by the bubbles. Too cute! It’s crazy for me to think I had the chance to meet you at the Pinterest meetup a few years ago in Venice. You were glowing with your belly. Time sure flies. Ruby is just adorable 🙂

    Reply

  34. looking at these photos this morning brought a huge smile to my face. your family is adorable, and looks so in love with one another! happy, happy birthday miss ruby!
    mylettchronicals

    Reply

  36. What a beautiful party–looks super simple and age-appropriate. I hate seeing parties blogger moms throw for their toddlers that are outrageously extravagant, when I’m sure the little tots would just as well have loved some cupcakes and cardboard boxes to play in!
    Beautiful photos, as always!

    Reply

  37. Ok, I’m pinning everything. My son Jack’s second birthday is coming up and I love your ideas. The food truck is genius and makes the whole conundrum of having food set somewhere accessible so easy. Love this all!

    Reply

  40. How much fun, Joy! It’s amazing how grown up Ruby looks here. 🙂
    I look forward to the flipbook booth idea making its way to the midwest in the next year or two. I would just love to try that out! What a great party feature!

    Reply

  43. It looks like Ruby had a lots of fun that day. 🙂 Perfect way to celebrate. I spotted those striped picnic blankets and I’m looking for exact the same ones. It would be so great if you could tell me where they are from. Thanks so much and have a lovey weekend!
    -Ana

    Reply

  44. decor8 brought me here and i am so happy for it!!! your blog (and family) is just gorgeous. thankyou for sharing 🙂 xx

    Reply

  47. That park is so awesome for parties! We have 3 out of the 4 birthday parties for our son there! This last year I filled the park up with giant yellow balls and hung yellow Pom poms from the trees. That location is a hidden gem! Happy Birthday, Ruby! And congratulations on making it 2 years as parents!!!!

    Reply

  54. Happy birthday, Ruby! It looked like such an amazng celebration! Are those 10 extra balloons still up for grabs? My boy is turning 2 next month… I live in Silverlake too!

    Reply

  59. Adorable! Could you provide some instructions on how you joined the foam core together and held it up in the park?

    Reply

  63. Joyeux Anniversaire Ruby! You are a very lucky girl to have such a wonderful party for your 2nd birthday. I whish mine was as cool as yours!
    Lots of love
    xx

    Reply

  68. So cute!! Love the bubbles photo and the gold balloons. Happy birthday, Ruby!! 🙂
    xo kristen genevieve
    sunnywithachanceoflemons.blogspot.com
    bloglovin.com/blog/9906379/sunny-with-a-chance-of-lemons

    Reply

  70. did you already sell the rest of the mini 2 balloons? my girl is turning 2 on 11/11 and these would be so cute for her party!

    Reply

  73. This party was such a great inspiration! Thank you!
    Where in LA did you take them to fill them up? I’ve tried 3 stores in Santa Monica and they’ve all said they can’t fill them up.
    Thanks!

    Reply

  76. Hi Joy!
    I know this is a longshot, but do you still have the mini 2 balloons? I only read this now!
    Aloha~
    Suzanne

    Reply

  81. i really love your blog!! your kids birthday partys are always so unique and beautiful!
    do you maybe know where i still can find the sweetest gold ballons? they are so pretty and my baby girl turns 2 this july 🙂

    Reply

  82. Joy – I love this! Can I ask how you found the noise level at the park? I’m considering it for my little’s 2nd birthday as well. It is so beautiful, did you have music on or were the kids enough to drown out the freeway noise? Thank you!!

    Reply

  83. Hi!
    Noise level was totally fine because it’s set back from the main street a lot. We did bring a speaker connected to our iPhone but you def. don’t need it 😉
    Joy

    Reply

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