For Gavin’s third birthday this past winter, I put together a “Love You to Pizzas” party with our closest friends and family! Having been a crazy year between life and work, we decided to do a slightly smaller event than I’ve done in the past… but I’m thrilled with how it turned out regardless! My family tells me that it was still insanely over the top, so I’ll leave that up to you to decide :)

My favorite area of the party was the kid’s table! I wanted it to feel like a slightly more elegant version of sitting down at Pizza Hut in the late 90’s. Think pebbled cups, activity placemats, and plain white plates (like you got at the buffet — if you know, you know). The highlight? Each place setting had a 3D pizza that was actually a mini pinata full of candy!

I also added a chef’s hat and apron for each child as all the guests were able to make their own pizzas! I set up a huge station that had almost any topping you could think of — from all the meats and cheeses to veggies and even pineapple (which is crazy to put on pizza — I will die on this hill). I loved seeing all the unique creations as I put them into the over and each one turned out better than the last!

I, of course, cannot forget that we had a HUGE dessert table! We called it Gavin’s Italian Bakery and filled it with so many delicious treats. Everything from cannolis and tiramisu to italian cookies and cakes. My favorite part, easily, was the cake and cupcakes made by my super talented mom! She’s made all the cakes for the boys’ birthday parties over the years and is constantly outdoing herself! This year she make “gelato” cupcakes, which were just traditional cupcakes in gelato cups but she made the frosting look so gelato-like! And the cake! You’ll have to just see below but essentially made an entire cake look like a bowl of spaghetti — complete with meatballs! I’m convinced there is simply nothing she can’t do or create!

My final “station” was an Aperol Spritz cart! This drink was all the rage over the summer, and since it has an Italian twist, we simply had to have it for the party!

I always love creating these special events for the boys! Happy third birthday, Gavin!