I really wanted to stretch my creative wings and step out of the box to create a design that was true to my son’s personality. From the moment I could feel Ante in my belly, he had a strong response to music. It seemed like he was constantly rocking out! Born with a jet black mohawk to boot! Cool wasn’t even the word. Too bad, we had to give him a cut before his 1st birthday bash but his locks were impossible to maintain! So from the beginning, Ante was our little rockstar! I played around with the idea of a rock & roll theme for months before I actively started planning. I wanted it to be modern and edgy but still feel like a kids party. Ironically during many sleepless nights of miserable teething bouts, I decided to take on a major DIY project. I wasn’t sleeping anyway, right? Studded leather (faux) placemats! The entire tabletop design vibed off these babies. It was labor of love, each one handmade but the end result was well worth it! I paired these with vintage vinyl record menus set against gold napkins and square plates. The place settings were finished off with sumi wash place cards. Dark and moody florals loosely composed in matte black vases softened the tablescapes and gave the space pops of unexpected color. The lucite chairs accented the room, while the beautiful color and texture of the forest green velvet linens took the spotlight. I incorporated many elements from the tablescapes into the dessert display. A leather vinyl backdrop, pyramid stud cakes and rock candy were displayed amongst vintage amplifiers for a fun and eclectic look. Best of all, we celebrated with our dearest people with delicious sips and bites at our favorite local restaurant while jamming out to my cousin’s rock band. I couldn’t think of a better (or cooler) way to celebrate my baby boy’s first year of life!