Leighton is and has been obsessed with puppies for probably a year now. We have a 6yr old Rottweiler named Coco who is Leighton’s best buddy, so it’s easy to see why she has such a strong love for dogs.  She also loves to jump, and she’s constantly got cake on the brain (you know who her mom is, right?)… so when it came time to start planning her 2nd birthday party, a puppy PAWty with cupcakes and a bounce house was a no-brainer. She wore a black polka-dotted dress as a nod to Dalmatians, and by the end of the night, it was completely covered in sprinkles, icing, and Doritos. Just as it should be, right?

I spent many nights perusing Pinterest for puppy party ideas, and I found so much cute and clever inspiration. I took some of my favorite ideas and gave them our own little spin, and I’m so thrilled with how everything turned out. Party planning is such a labor of love for me, and it makes me so happy to get to do these fun things for Leighton and share them with our loved ones.

We decided to host her party one evening over Labor Day weekend. Dinner consisted of a hot dog bar and the yummiest BBQ smoked by Craig, fruit salad, veggies, pasta salad, baked beans, PAWtato chips, and Graham cracker bones. We got our favorite cupcakes from Smallcakes and added little sugar bones as toppers. One of my friends has a “cookie lady” she uses for all her events, so I had her make a variety of dog-inspired iced cookies… including dog bones with #llcoolhayes written on them! My mom also tried her hand at making cake “pups” for the first time, and they were a huge hit — every single one was eaten!

We set up a puppy adoption station for her little friends to each pick out a stuffed puppy to take home (complete with an adoption certificate). Leighton appropriately named her puppy “Cake.”

The clear favorite of the party, though, was the giant puppy bounce house in our front yard. The weather was perfect and beautiful, so most of our guests stayed outside during the party to enjoy the cooler temps and watch the kids (and some adults) jump to their hearts’ content. Leighton was just a little sad when she woke up today to see that her bounce house was no longer here.

We had the absolute best time celebrating our favorite almost two year old with our families and so many of our friends. Life is so much better with our loved ones in it, and we are thankful to everyone, both near and far, who has helped us with raising and loving Leighton over the past two years!

Leighton is obsessed with cake, so she was pretty thrilled when it was time for the birthday song and her own personal cupcake. She even “blew a whooshing breeze” (a line from a favorite book that has taught her how to blow) to blow out her two birthday candles. 🙂

After all the party guests were gone, we hopped in the bounce house for a little family jumping before it had to go away. I think this photo pretty perfectly sums up Leighton during her party — a total blur because all she did was jump and play. It was the pawfect pawty!

***For anyone who may be planning a puppy birthday party soon, here are the source links for some of our favorite party things!

Party sources::
Invitations: Pretty Parties and More on Etsy
Cupcakes: Smallcakes in Smyrna, GA
Dog bone cupcake toppers: Cranky Cake Toppers on Etsy
Custom cookies: contact for info if local to Atlanta
Hot dog menu: Pretty Parties and More on Etsy
Plush puppies: Oriental Trading
Adoption certificates: Whitetail Designs on Etsy
Puppy party blowers: Party City
Chalkboard easel: IKEA (painted mint green)
Wreath: DevinsDecor on Etsy
Birthday dress: Vivie and Ash
Headband: Zozu Baby