Party Planning II

So, I guess I have parties on my mind lately! I have been thinking for awhile of what I want to do for my boys with their birthdays this year. My youngest (turning 1) we will probably just have our small little family celebrate together. However, my oldest is turning 3 and actually has an idea of what's going on, so I would love to do something fun and special! But, being 3 he still really doesn't care much about it. Also I have been trying to think of how I could make birthdays special, but not totally self-involved. My conclusion was we would throw a party, but ask people not to bring a gift and instead they could put that money towards a donation to some organization. This year I was thinking I would do a firefighter theme and then donate the money to the local fire station. I would like to think that maybe, just maybe I could invoke a sense of charity and helping others just for the sake of helping and not looking for what we get in return.
The only thing I have thought about doing for this is the invitation... I was thinking it would be SO fun to take my boy to the fire station and see if someone will let him put a hat and jacket on for a couple of pictures... then I'll make a custom card using his cute face!
OH! I have of coarse thought about decorations a little... you know I have to have nice bright red balloons!

I have until July, so we'll see what all I end up actually doing... especially since our family is still some what transitional right now. Hopefully by then we will be more set as to where we are living and will actually have friends to invite (not just family).

Party Planning I

Next month I have another niece who will be born and now that I live nearby I can throw a baby shower!!! We are going to do the shower after she is born, then everyone gets to meet her too (BONUS)!
This is their second girl, but the first stained a lot of her dresses... so I decided a great theme for the party would be Clothes! For the invitation I think I will make it look like a paper doll and invite everyone to bring some cute girlie clothes to dress the baby as their gift! And as part of the decorations I will have a string hanging (like a clothes line) with clothes pins attached. That way after the gifts are opened we will hang the clothes up to add to the decorations!

For decorations I am also planning on making some of these Hanging Pom-Poms in pink and some other color, I haven't decided what color scheme to have yet!

And check out this cake:

I think I might try to do something kind of similar... it doesn't look too hard... and I already have some fondant made!
A couple things I would LOVE to have, but I have to check how expensive it would make things.
I would love to have some Organza fabric to drape around the food table, like this:

And don't you just LOVE how it looks with the lace table cloth? Another item I would LOVE to have!
I have this new love of orchids lately... and I would love to have two potted orchids to have on each end of the table. And champagne style flutes would be fun too. We will definitely have to see what all I can pull together!
Since I do photography I was thinking I would try to get some super cute newborn pictures and have at least one up on display.
Aside from decorations... there are always the fun games to play! There are SO many games out there that this is something I am going to have to think about. But one thing I think I will do is fill a baby bottle with candy and have people guess how many pieces are inside.
Any of you have a favorite baby shower game?