About Me

Hi!! I’m Laura, a single mom to a dirt bike and MTB loving boy and owner and operator of this party decor shop, Declan & Smith. I started this shop almost ten years ago right after my son was born and it is, of course, named after him. While planning my son's first birthday party, I found amazing birthday decorations on Etsy, but not one shop sold all the items that I wanted. Paying shipping for each individual item did not agree with my budget. I saw a need and jumped in to fill it! My shop was borne out of a desire to offer multiple decorations for one particular theme for the mommas who love to go all out (like me!) or the mommas who want one main decor item. The primary goal of my shop is to design and offer all of the coordinating decorations for a certain theme. From birthday banners to cake toppers to food tents, high chair banners, cupcake toppers, cutouts and custom invitations, I hope that you find something here that you love! I'm always working on new designs and I hope to add new themes to my shop in the months to come. If you don't see the theme or item you need, just shoot me a message. I'll be happy to design it for you! 

When I’m not mommin’ or crafting, I can almost always be found reading. I fell in love with fantasy books in middle school and then stopped reading fantasy for over ten years after high school. College was stressful as many know so I fell into reading quick reads that fulfilled my love of reading but didn't demand hours of my time. Last year, I read A Court of Thorns of Roses after my hair dresser recommended it. I immediately tumbled back into the world of fantasy and I haven't looked back! I'm currently working my way through Throne of Glass which I'm obsessed with! I'm actually in the middle of the tandem read of Empire of Storms and Tower of Dawn while starting the series over again via Audible. Crazy, I know! 

I also love to travel! Exploring new places is my dream life! While we only get away once or twice a year right now, in a decade you will find me exploring new cities for weeks on end!

For a glimpse into my life and behind the scene photos of my design process, sneak peaks of new products and how I manage working from home while being a single mom, head over to my Instagram @declanandsmith. I took a looooong break from social but I'll be back soon!