Vintage Bookstore 12th Birthday Party PART TWO

Cameron's Vintage Bookstore Birthday Party!

THIS IS PART 2 OF A TWO PART BLOG SERIES.  SEE PART 1 FIRST.

Again, trying not to confuse you all too much.  Here goes...  This year our oldest son turned 13 with a donut celebration!  LAST year, on his 12th birthday I threw him a book party at a vintage used bookstore, followed by a fall dinner picnic outside.  I NEVER posted any of those pictures.  Sometimes I do that.  Yep. Even though I share millions,  I still have files of pictures that I don't share because time slips away. However, I REALLY wanted to make a goal to share these photos because it was such a fun party with treasured moments!

A YEAR later, I'm sharing Cameron's 12th birthday celebration in photos and story.  He is our book lover, and October is an appropriate cuddle-up and read month,  so this was the ideal party theme.

Vintage Bookstore Birthday with a Fall Picnic

Part 2,

the party at the bookstore

(see part 1 too: Boxed Soup Dinner Picnic)

Our oldest son, Cameron, is your classic nose-in-a-book, chess playin' kinda kid.  He loves and appreciates books more than most anything else.  He is the child missing from the room, only to be found underneath the table, lost in a book, the one who started reading Classics before he was 10, and the child who sits over your shoulder, trying to read whatever you're reading along with you.  

It only made sense for his 12th birthday party THEME to be books!  I found a little used bookstore, insulated with books, that smelled like an ancient library to host his party at.  It was called "Twice Upon a Time".  Charming name.

Inside this vintage bookshop were rows of story books, old Persian rugs sprawled on the floor, and a few mismatched pieces of antique furniture. 

It was a quiet birthday party on a cozy fall day.  Boys dressed in their warm party sweaters, ready to discover books, celebrations, and cake.

I found a hidden nook to set up our family party gathering.  I used their antique furniture for our table and chairs and I used the bookshelves for a perfectly decorated backdrop. 

I wanted the party colors to mirror the color tones of the inside of book pages: antique white, black, and neutrals.  

I used classic books as decor.

Birthday candles hanging...

And I lit candles on top of random stacks of books.  The candles were wrapped in book pages.

For snacks, I made cones out of book pages and filled them with chocolate covered almonds.

I also made itty bitty books to use as food labels and created fun play on words for candy:

"Reading makes you Smarties" for Smarties candies

and

"Cozy Bookworm" for gummy worms.

I made more itty bitty books and scattered them about the party decor:

Another element of the party decor was a chalkboard photo timeline of Cameron's life in storybook form.  I always love to add personal photos to party decor.

For party favors, I made simple bookmarks, again using the color theme of the b&w tones of the inside of books.  Each bookmark had the guest's initial and under that was a famous quote about reading.

For ALL birthdays, I love to incorporate their gifts into the party theme and decor!  Someday I'll do a blog post all about that! The boys' gifts always match their party theme and I use the gifts as part of the decor too.  We gave Cameron this hardback classic, creatively wrapped in bookprint:

My parents gave the "slam dunk" gift to match this party theme! They gave Cameron a Kindle.  He was in love and so excited!

I baked a homemade three layer brown sugar cake with a caramel topping for his birthday cake.
 Recipe via Martha Stewart Living

Make a wish, or 12...

Brown sugar layered goodness

Unlike most parties, this was a VERY quiet party.  After gifts and cake, the boys wandered around the bookshop and got lost in stories.

And no, NONE of these photos were staged!  Just total adorable moments. ;)

We did have some silly fun, trying on reading glasses too!

It was a very Happy 12th Birthday for our

favorite bookworm.

Don't forget to see PART ONE of this party: 
Fall Picnic Boxed Soup Dinner

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This post is linked to: Under the Table & Dreamin, Nifty Thrifty,  Made by You Monday, Met Monday, Tuesday Tutorials and Tips, HOMEWORK: Be Inspired, Tip Junkie, Get Your Craft On, Works for Me Wednesday, Snap Creativity, Organize and Decorate Everything, Transformation Thursday, Tablescape Thursday, Strut Your Stuff, 36th Ave, Foodie Friday, I'm Lovin It, Tickled Pink, Friday Flair, Be Different Act Normal, Funky Junk Interiors, Weekend Wrap Up, Six Sisters Saturday