Fashion Show Birthday Party

My daughter Andy loves to dress up. No joke, she has at least 2 "outfit" changes a day! She is quite particular about what colours she wears - definitely no browns allowed and black is OK in small doses.  If this is what she is like now, I can only imagine what we are in for when she is a teenager! That being said, I am actually quite excited to see how she "plays" with colours, styles and textures when she is older.

When it came to planning her 3rd birthday, there was no doubt that we were going to do a fashion show. Complete with jewelry, hair accessories, a rolling rack with dresses and the party favourite, makeup.

Ryan went for the smokey eye look, and made a bold statement with a bright pink lip.

 Showing off her bling.

 Time to choose an outfit.

Getting ready to strut their stuff on the runway!

 The pose off.

 The after party.

The beautiful birthday girl, who opted for the natural look.

The party was a hit and Andy had such a wonderful time with her friends.  I have a feeling we will be doing another dress up birthday in the future.

Mod Podge

I did it! I finally purchased some Mod Podge.  I guess this was next step to becoming a legitimate crafter, ok, maybe not legitimate, but close enough!  It's no wonder that Mod Podge is a true crafting staple and no doubt found in every craft-onistas closet. This miracle 3-in-one product is a glue, sealer, and finish, all in one retro looking bottle. And that's not all folks - you also have a choice of finishes: gloss, satin, and even sparkle and fabric versions!  A whole new world of crafting possibilities has opened up for me. Cue heavenly music.


So for my first mod podging(?) I made a cute little frame for one of Ryan's friends who was turning 4.
I bought some pretty scrapbook paper, a wooden frame, a small wooden flower along with some sponges.

Another reason why I love this stuff, it's foolproof! Which is great for an unskilled and impatient diy'er like myself. 

And...voila! My very first attempt at Mod Podge was a success!

And to add a touch of personalisation, I added a felt K to the centre of the frame.

Plus, I made a cute little card, appropriately with 4 candles - yes, I even used Mod Podge to glue the candles on!

A fun and easy birthday present.

Now...what shall I Mod Podge next?

Mermaid Birthday Party

Here are some images from Ryan's 4th birthday party.

A perfectly framed mermaid!

Under the Sea Buffet

The green "net" in the back is actually a curtain panel that I picked up at a local thrift store.

Under the Sea

The little "jellyfish" were made by simply draping decorative paper to the bottom of round paper lanterns. They only looked liked jellyfish when the wind was blowing. They were cute none the less!

Take a Dip!

Treasure Trail Mix

A mixture of fish crackers, yogurt covered raisins, slivered almonds, sesame seeds, fish candy, blue jelly beans and rock shaped chocolate.

Seashell Fruit Cups

I used silver food paint to give the ice cream cones a shell like appearance. Then filled them up with fruit.

These crowns were super easy to make. Click HERE for the tutorial.

The unbreakable piñata!

The birthday girl listening for mermaids

Lovely mermaids

Instead of a goody bag, each one of Ryan's friends left the party with their very own mermaid dress.

Click HERE for more information on how to make a mermaid dress.

The beautiful cake!

After hours of searching online, I came across a cake just like this on Pinterest. I loved that it was simple and beautiful. So I had a local bakery - Celebrate with a Cake - recreate it for me. I think it turned out perfectly! In the top tier, the cake was even blue inside.

Me and my girls

The mermaids enjoying their cake.

Taking a break on the swing

taste the rainbow

Yesterday we celebrated my youngest daughter Andy's 2nd birthday.  Of course, we threw her a party.  It still boggles my mind how much effort and time goes into planning and prepping our children's birthday parties.  She's only 2 for goodness sake. Does she really need an elaborate spread to celebrate that fact?  If you think about it, until the age of 6, when they start to remember their birthday's, the day they were born should really be a celebration for the mother. After all, we are the ones that did all the work! Plus it really is a momentous day for us - and our bodies.  Besides, I always love days that revolve around me - and cake!


Now, onto the party.  Thanks to a friend of mine who sent me this link about how to make a rainbow cake, Andy's party "theme" was born.  Before you get too excited, you aren't going to get any knock-your-socks-off party tips here.  I am no Martha Stewart.  Far from it.  There are some ridiculously talented moms out there that throw these incredibly detailed theme parties that would put any professional party planner to shame.  I am NOT one of those moms. Yes, I like to craft - as long as it's simple and doesn't take longer than an hour to accomplish, and yes, I like to be creative - maximum impact for minimal effort is how I roll.

The cake:  As long as it tastes good, it really doesn't matter what it looks like.  I have tasted cakes that looked absolutely beautiful and were dry or flavourless.  My cake wasn't pretty on the outside.  I hate icing cakes.  It requires a skill that I apparently don't possess.  But who cares when the inside of the cake looks like this!

uneven & poorly iced

rainbow bright

 The decor: I kept it simple....white balloons as clouds, umbrella centrepiece, rainbow inspired fruit plate, coloured ice cubes... ridiculously simple.

    

The activity: Quick. Easy. Mess Free!  

Rainbow wands.

so easy a 2 year old could do it!

Will Andy remember this birthday? No, but I will. Proud to watch her grow and develop. Cherishing every moment and milestone. Enjoying her strut around knowing the day was all for her.  Everyone had fun, and the cake was a hit.  I guess, in the end, the party really was about me, and my cake!