{Invitation Showcase} Good Luck, Charlie Birthday

Some chidlren's birthday party themes are easy to bring to life!  The birthday girl loves Charms Blow Pops so you host a Candyland party or the birthday boy loves Tonka trucks so you host a construction party.  Simple and fun parties to plan.  But what happens when the birthday girl loves a favorite TV show because one of the actresses wears fashionable clothes, sings, dances, gets into lots of silly mayhem ... and documents it all in a video diary for her little sister?  Yeah, exactly  ... good luck, Charlie!  

This party is one of my latest party challenges.  We ultimately decided on a hip-hop dance party for a dozen fashionable little girls and the older sister will be responsible for the video diary!  Should be fun ... and simple!

To create the invitation for the birthday party, I worked with Paula of Frog Prince Paperie.  Fortunately, she's seen the TV show and with a little guidance, she designed this super cuter invitation that mails this week.

What's great about this invitation is that I have a color palette and defined look and feel for the party, which will make decor purchases a lot easier!

Have you been challenged to create a child's birthday party based on a TV show?  If so, please leave a comment to let me know what you did to bring the show to life!

{event showcase} Harry Potter 9th Birthday Party

When my daughter expressed an interest in Wizards (101 and Waverly Place, that is), I suggested the fantastic world of Harry, Ron and Hermione.  Reading together was time well spent and she enjoyed their adventures as much as I.  When it came time to celebrate her birthday, she quickly decided on a Harry Potter theme party ... and I pulled together a few ideas to create a fun wizardry experience!

The birthday party was inspired by Hedwig, Harry Potter's Snowy Owl.  My daughter loves animals and thinks it would be really neat to have an owl for a pet! 

The Snowy Owl, pictured above, was a $.99 sale item in the post-Halloween bin!

Guests received their party invitation via Owl Post.  Invitation designed by Jill Means Design, who I discovered on the One Charming Party blog.

Welcome! A Magical Celebration is in Progress!

Decor was minimal.  I relied on owls, newspaper print and the Griffendor House colors' burgundy and gold.

The prominent party space was The Great Hall (aka my dining room)! 

My goal was to recreate the Hogwarts' Dining Room without tremendous cost.  Therefore, I relied on color (burgundy and gold), texture (shiny gold and newpaper fans) and a few props (my collection of HP books and floating gold candles - by far, my favorite decor element!).

When the guests arrived, we did experiments to see if they were a wizard or muggle.  Children with fizzy concoctions were wizards.  Game inspiration and instructions may be found here.

Our Potions class was complete with Dragon Warrior Eyes, Blood Oozing Skulls and Snake Fangs (all post-Halloween candy), as well as Phoenix Feathers, Truth Serum (vinegar) and Elixir of Life (water).

Once the children were all confirmed Wizards, we sorted them into two houses.  Sorting was done by the color of their drink - blue or red.  A splash of food coloring was put in their cup beforehand and covered with ice.  When water was poured in the cup, the color was revealed.  This great idea was discovered here.

Once the children were sorted, we played a fun game of Quidditch!  There were neither brooms nor flying; instead, we took a Harry Potter quiz.  The team with the most correct answers selected a Seeker to find the Golden Snitch - gold foil wrapped Ferrero Rocher chocolates with wings!

After an exciting Quidditch game, the children made their own tissue pom owls, which was more challenging than I anticipated but they enjoyed the activity.  Then, we brought out the camera and had tremendous fun with the photo booth!  I purchased a big poster of Ron and Harry in the flying car (Chamber of Secrets), cut a hole in the center and invited everyone to take their photo.  Some kids were better actors than others?!!

Completely entertained and immersed in the wizardry world of Harry Potter, we then had cake - a Snowy Owl Cupcake Cake made by Chrissy at We Take the Cupcake.  No doubt, it tasted as awesome as it looked!  Our family loves Chrissy's frosting and I truly enjoy working with her!

As children left, they received a goodie bag of Honeyduke's Candy - Harry Potter Chocolate Frog and Bertie Botts Every Flavour Jelly Beans.



Have these photos and invitation, decor and entertainment ideas inspired you to host a Harry Potter birthday party?  If so, please leave me a comment to let me know.  Also, let me know if you have other HP birthday party ideas to share!

Thanksgiving Treats that Kids will Gobble Up!

If you are hosting children for dinner this Thanksgiving, consider one of these super adorable - and easy to make - treats.  I guarantee that everyone, not just the kids, will gobble them up!

Rice Krispie Turkey Pops

via Kelloggs

Little Gobblers

via 7thHouseontheleft

Oreo Turkeys (with Reese's Peanut Butter Cups!)

via OurBestBites

Do you have a favorite turkey treat?  If so, please leave a comment to share it with me!

{event showcase} Let the Ghoul Times Roll Halloween Party

Halloween came early for the Dorfman ghouls ... err, girls and their friends!  Last Saturday afternoon, which was a great day to play outside, 35 kids and half as many adults joined us for our annual Boo Bash.  This year's theme was Let the Ghoul Times Roll, a Mardi-Gras inspired Halloween party for little ghouls (princesses, zombies, wizards, witches and superheros, too) complete with beads, masks, donuts (in lieu of beignets) and live jazz music.  It was like a spooktacular New Orleans festival!

Below are the details. You may want to bookmark this party for next year!

I don't like to brag ... but isn't this the cutest party invitation?!!!  I love the ghouls!  Once again, the talented ladies of Frog Prince Paperie designed the invitation and adorable coordinating printables.

While the party was held outdoors, I did decorate the front door with this fantastic fabric from Joanns.  It is decorated with little ghosts wearing masks, including some Mardi Gras masks.  The hanging plastic ghost is a perrenial favorite decoration; I just added beads from my girls dress-up box.

No surprise, the snack table was a big hit with these hungry ghouls!  Ghoulishly Good Treats included:

Assorted donut holes

Cheese-flavored popcorn

Red Delicious apples

Candy corn

M&Ms

Half Pint Bottled Water

Assorted Little Hugs Juice

Starbucks Coffee

Hot Apple Cider

In addition to the colorful food, I used existing Halloween decorations, including old fabric remnents, to create my display.  I hand-stamped lime green paper sacks for popcorn bags.  Served drinks in a witches cauldron.  Used glitter cardstock to create a simple "banner" backdrop.

Guests' favorite decoration - the Boo Cups!  They are easy to make.  Just attach googly eyes to the white cups and serve! 

There were two craft stations to keep children busy and creative.  They could decorate a mask with feathers and glitter glue and string candy necklaces. 

Both activities were well received.

I also had plenty of orange, green and purple beaded necklaces for the children (and adults) to wear!

The highlight of our Mardi Gras-inspired Boo Bash was the musical entertainment!  Pablo Grabiel and his friends from DC Music Entertainment filled the air with lively jazz music ... and some familiar Halloween songs, too.  In particular, they encouraged the children to sing Ghostbusters and dance the Monster Mash.  Other Halloween hits included:

Witchcraft
Thriller
Adams Family
People are Strange
You Put a Spell on Me
Let the Goul Times Roll
Purple People Eater

Additionally, they showed the kids how to make spooky sounds on the instruments!

The music definitely appealed to kids and adults of all ages!  I received many positive compliments.

Each year, we conclude the Boo Bash with tractor rides!  It is the most antcipated portion of the party; guests line up to take a ride ... over and over!  This year, my husband got a new ... and bigger ... cart and faster tractor ... so the rides were more thrilling for the kids.  He zips them around the property and when the ride is over, they hop back in line for another turn.  It's like being at Kings Dominion (or other amusement park with rides)!!

So that's the scoop on this year's Boo Bash!  The Ghoul Times definitely Rolled; we had a great time and I hope that I inspired you to shake up your traditional holidays with a few creative twists!!  If so, please leave me a comment.  I'd love to hear from you!

{event showcase} Pixies & Pirates 5th Birthday

Does your little girl love wings, wands and tutus ... and perhaps a certain water fairy?  Mine, too!  Like a butterfly, she seems to flit from place to place and like Tinkerbell's friend, Silvermist, she has a talent for water ... the amazing talent for jumping in puddles, splashing in the bathtub and more!  She also loves watching Jake and the Neverland Pirates on Disney.  So when she insisted on a Silvermist birthday party, I knew just what to plan ... a Pixies and Pirates theme!

Below is my interpretation of this theme.  I hope you are inspired to create your own [Water] Pixies and Pirates birthday party!

The invitation designed by Little Pig Press

 

The birthday girl in her Silvermist blue tutu and not-so-matching pink/purple wings, headband and wand!  Each girl received a fairy costume (from Once Upon a Tutu)... and they thought it was great fun to mix and match the colors!

A splash of elegance for the adults table!

Saphhire blue and turquoise linens on a white tablecloth (from BBJ Linens) quickly created the water element for this party.  I embellished the table with seashells, fish netting, coastal driftwood ... and Pixie Hollow dolls!  I completed the look with my personal collection of fish silverware and glasses !

Ahoy Matey!  This pirate's ship table was set for kids!

I purchased a pirate's ship kit online (from Wants and Wishes) and added a black linen.  It was the masterpiece of the party; the kids loved their ship!  To complete the look, I added red napkins, a treasure chest of Pirate's Booty snacks (bottom left photo), a bottle of seashells and scattered plastic gold coins.

Other pirate elements included cookies for dessert (from my local bakery, Patisserie Lille) and a repurposed treasure chest to hold the scavenger hunt loot bags.

After lunch, the kids were invited outside for a scavenger hunt to find the treasure chest of loot.  Each child was given a map (seen in the photo above, from Your Little Cupcake) with these instructions on the back (inspired by this fairy party):

Pixies and Pirate put on your boots;

You’ll be traveling far for some old pirate’s loot.

Follow these clues to an old wooden chest,

Full of the things that you all like the best.

The first clue, if the chest is to be found, is waiting on the playground.

[Encouraged by a sign that read 'Faith and trust, and a little bit of pixie dust ... that is all you need to fly' and some Pixie Stixs, the children flew around the trampoline]

If you want the next clue, you must do as I say;

Gather round in a circle and sing “Happy Birthday!”

Now look for a stump, where a tree used to be,

You’ll find some tattoos waiting from me.

[The children applied an assortment of fairy and pirate tattoos to their arms]

Next, look for some water, to cool off from the heat;

You’re getting closer to finding a wonderful treat.

[It turned out to be a chilly afternoon so the children pretended to launch water balloons at the opposing ship of pirates ... instead of each other.  Plan B was perfect!]

When you find my sweet treasure, you will have me to thank,

But before you can find it, you must each walk the plank!

[The children walked the plank - a piece of wood on two stacks of bricks - with a plastic alligator below]

Then onto the ship deck, near the grill, you will find a small box that will give you a thrill.

Inside the treasure chest were pirate loot bags (goodie bags) filled with Hershey's Nuggets (chocolates wrapped in gold foil), Gold Mine bubble gum, ring pops and rock candy.

A (homemade) sandcastle cake embellished with seaglass, brown sugar for beach sand and Silvermist!

The birthday girl with some of her 'loot'! 

Did this article inspire you to create your own water fairy (and pirates) birthday party?  If so, please leave me a comment to let me know!

{sneak peek} Let the Ghoul Times Roll!

I'm so excited!!  Tomorrow is the first day of Autumn, which means I can comfortably talk about holiday parties ... including the cutest little Boo Bash I'm hosting next month!!!

Every year since my oldest daughter could barely walk, I've hosted a Boo Bash!  Held outdoors with fun activities, delicious treats and fantastic entertainment, it's our family's annual celebration.  This year's theme is Let the Ghoul Times Roll, a Halloween party with a twist of Mardi Gras.  Children will enjoy beading Halloween necklaces and decorating frightful masks, as well as eating mini beignets with apple cider.  The highlight of the party will be an Jazz Trio, who will interact with the children, play our favorite Halloween songs and make spooky sounds on the instruments.  Interesting idea?  I think so, too!

To make this theme really work, I needed a strong graphic image for my invitation and eventually, party decorations.  With a little bit of guidance, the talented ladies of Frog Prince Paperie, Paula and her colleague Renee, designed the invitation pictured above.  Isn't it fabulous?!!! 

Have I inspired you to host a Let the Ghoul Times Roll Halloween party?  If yes, you'll want to order these invitations, now available on the Frog Prince Paperie etsy store ... and leave a comment to share your party ideas!

{event showcase} Party Animals! Birthday at the Zoo

Last month, I produced a party for a sweet little boy's 2nd birthday at the Reston Zoo!  The result was colorful and playful and so much fun.  Here are the details in case you need a little birthday inspiration:

The Reston Zoo is an attractive park with clean pavilions, super staff and great entertainment like wagon rides and animal shows, as well as petting and visiting the animals ... but my client wanted a little more - like festive decorations, catered picnic lunch and nicer goodie bags.  So this is what I created ...

We leveraged the colors and animals from the invitation (top collage, middle photo) and incorporated them into decorations, birthday cake, even the disposables.

To bring the Zoo-fari experience to life, I covered the picnic tables in natural burlap and placed plush animals in red square boxes embellished with fresh tropical greens on top.  I added pops of color with clusters of paper lanterns and a large welcome sign.

As children arrived, they received a safari hat, toy binoculars and animal crackers, as well as feed for the animals which I placed in a colorful striped handle bag from Target and embellished with a "Don't Feed the Animals" tag.

Children were invited to visit and feed the animals before a private wagon ride through the park and then, an animal show at the pavilion.  The Zookeepers brought a baby lama, an iguana and little chick for the children to explore.

After the animal show and much hand sanitizer, guests were invited to a picnic lunch that included assorted sandwiches, sliced fruit and bags of kettle chips. 

  

My camera died before lunch so I didn't get photos of the picnic buffet or desserts but these adorable fondant animals topped the 8" smash cake and cupcakes; you should have seen the piggy's squiggly tail!  Assorted cookies and bars were also offered.

As children were leaving the party, they received a goodie bag filled with an animal coloring book with animal shaped recycled crayons, an animal paperback book and trinkets from the Zoo.  The goodie bag is a gift tote (again, from Target) embellished with a strip of burlap, red curly ribbon and a  yellow notecard.  Super easy!

Contributing vendors included:

Reston Zoo

Windows Catering

Two Sugar Babies

So what did you think of my client's enhanced Zoo party?  Did it inspire you to celebrate at the Zoo?  Please leave me a comment to let me know!

Back-to-School Bash

Been back-to-school supply shopping yet?  It's an overwhelming experience, especially if you bring your child(ren) along!  If only I had seen this charming back-to-school dessert table beforehand, I would have been amused ... and seen the endless cartons of supplies from a whole different [party] perspective!

If you're hosting a back-to-school bash, then click here for more clever inspiration, including a tutorial for making the pencil cake.  My favorite detail is the pink eraser candy; what is yours?



{sneak peek} Pixies and Pirates Invitation

I can't contain my happiness!  I received these invitations for my daughter's "Pixies & Pirates" 5th birthday party! They are super adorable, especially the touches of glitter, which the scanned image does not do justice.  These invitations were designed and embellished by Jane at Little Pig Press. 

A sprinkle of fairy dust,

Lots of swashbuckling fun;

Kyra can't wait for her

 5th birthday to come!

The party is next month, just after the girls go back to school!  Until then, I'm busy ordering wings and wands, as well eye patches and swords ... and talking my husband into making a cardboard pirate ship ... so the kids can walk the plank!  More inspiring details to come!

{sneak peek} Calling all Party Animals!

I'm so excited!  I'm producing a sweet birthday party for a little boy!  As a mom of 3 little girls, I plan a lot of children's parties - princesses, dress up, build-a-bear and currently, pixies and pirates, which is almost a boy theme, kind of like the Star Wars Glam party back in March - but this is my first all-boy party and I'm excited!

The party will be held at our local zoo next month.  My client selected this adorable "Party Animals" invitation from Tiny Prints.

To enhance the party experience, I've been thinking about festive ideas like:

 Balloon animal table centerpieces from a sweet Barnyard-themed 1st birthday party I produced two years ago.

Zoo animal fondant cupcake toppers from Two Sugar Babies!

Animal Cracker recycled crayons as party favors from Ivy Lane Designs.

So, who's ready party?!  Do you have a party animal suggestion to share?  Please leave me a comment!

Candy Decor for a Sweet Party

Somethings just put a smile on your face ... like these photos of a 'Land O' Candy' party from Parents.com [via Tip Junkie Parties]! 

The colors are so bright and cheerful!

"Lollipops" made from cellophane wrapped balloons on a stick! Genius!

"Hard Candies" made from cellophane wrapped paper plates! Too clever!

"Sugar Trail" made from 12x12" scrapbook paper.  I wonder how long it would last?!

What are your favorite candy decor ideas?  I'm kind of liking this theme for my daughter's 5th birthday in the fall and would love some more bright ideas!

Star Wars Glam: DIY Light Sabers

I've been remiss in blogging lately!  I was preparing for the 16th Annual Capital Awards Ceremony hosted by the Greater Washington, DC chapter of the International Special Events Society (ISES DC for short).  The event was held on Sunday evening at the AFI Silver Theatre and Cultural Center in Silver Spring and was part of a much larger, over the top Gala hosted at the Silver Spring Civic Building at Veterans Plaza.  Despite a few glitches, like missing awards determined 2 hours out, the Awards Ceremony was awesome.  I look forward to sharing the highlights next week.

At the Awards Ceremony, I had the good fortune of working with "Princess Leia" again, only this time she was Ava Gardner ... a la Glamour Gal who passed out awards on stage.  It was awesome!  We reminsced about Jedi Training ... remember this:

If you are hosting a Star Wars party, you need light sabers, correct?!  While you could buy light sabers that really glow, I made them from inexpensive pool noodles decorated with duct tape.  Yes, for about $1.00 each, I made light sabers that held up at the party and are still going strong in the play room!

How to:

Cut one (1) pool noodle in half

Tape the cut edge with grey duct tape - about 6" deep - to create the holder

Use black electrical tape to embellish the holder

Use colorful duct tape to further embellish the light saber

So, if you had a light saber, how would you decorate it?  Polka dots? Stripes? Rainbow of colors?