Miss J’s Pink and Gold Party

I can’t believe my little girl turns six today. In the blink of an eye she has gone from a toddler to a big girl. How did that happen? The expression, “the days are long but the years are short” comes to mind. It seems like she was only a baby five minutes ago!  This year for her birthday we went with an “easy” theme. I have put on my fair share of birthday parties and covered fairy, pink, rainbow and garden themes. Though they were a lot of fun, when you theme a party it inevitably becomes a lot more work. Given my pregnancy is busting my chops at the moment, and we have a lot going on in our lives, I opted for a simple theme of Pink and Gold. Here’s a rundown of all the party elements:

Miss J’s Pink and Gold Party

Theme:

I am willing to bet that most 6-year-old girls are pretty fond of Pink and Gold, and these two colours just happen to pair beautifully together. Plus, I had lots of pink decorations leftover from my 40^th, which was a pink and mint theme.  I love coloured themes as they are easy and fun. 

Styling:

Easy peasy. Pink and gold balloons, honeycombs, confetti, pom poms and streamers.

Venue:

NASD HQ.

Party guests:

12 of her closest friends from school. Girls only, this time. They all came in pink, gold and “sparkles.”

Entertainment:

The lovely Stephanie from Colourful Smiles came to our house and entertained the kids with disco dancing, face painting and balloon art. She came dressed in the Pink and Gold theme and she was absolutely FANTASTIC. From the moment she arrived she captivated the kids’ attention and she made the birthday girl feel very special. Stephanie was a huge hit and I cannot recommend her more highly.

Catering:

I kept the catering pretty simple this year. Aside from the cake and cupcakes, I went to very little effort J

The Cake:

A three-layer chocolate cake with pink buttercream icing covered in white fondant and pink fondant flowers (after all, Miss J is named after a flower!). I couldn’t work out how to dye fondant gold, so I included some sparkle on top with this cute gold bunting (made with sparkly washi tape). The pink ribbon tied around the bottom makes the cake look pretty as well as hiding my fondant imperfections! If you’re new to icing with fondant, you can read my full post on fondant for beginners. 

Cupcakes: Simple vanilla cupcakes with piped pink buttercream icing and topped with edible pink and gold sprinkles. The gorgeous cupcake wrappers in gold and rose gold added to the theme and came from Illume partyware.

Fairy bread, Fruit cups, Sushi, Sausage rolls, popcorn and chips. For drinks I set up a drink dispenser of tropical juice and allowed the kids to pout their own juice in these cute milk bottles with pink stripey straws. When I emptied the drink dispenser later that day, Miss A said: “I bet you’re looking forward to filling that with champagne once the baby is here.” Ummm…. yes I am!

Party Bags:

Illume partyware provided these stunning pink and gold party bags, along with the thank you cards. I just adore these bags. Inside I filled with the usual bits and bobs, but the hero of the party bag was most certainly the gorgeous tubs of all-natural scented play dough by Happy Hands Happy Hearts. Seriously how sweet are these jars? The clever mum behind Happy Hands Happy Hearts is passionate about encouraging creative and sensory play, something I am very passionate about too. They use plant-based dyes to mimic flavours found in nature and scents that encourage well-being and calm. Check out their stunning range. My favourite fragrance is the lavender. Divine!

Candy Buffet:

Instead of loading up their party bags with sweets, I set up a small candy buffet in the room so the guests could choose and fill their own lolly bags. This was a hit at my 40^th and so I filled a couple of big jars with pink jellybeans and an assortment of candy. Note the vase of  Jasmine, which filled the room with the most beautiful perfume. 

My darling Miss J,

You were born with big, beautiful, “sparkly” eyes. As you were placed on my chest, I was filled with an indescribable joy.  I had just been given the most incredible gift; another healthy baby, another daughter, a sister for Miss A.  You were exquisite. When I was too sick to finalise your name, your dada looked at me and said, “I think she looks like a J.” And he was right –  you were as pretty and perfect as the flower that blooms in Spring. And it was in full seasonal bloom on the 13th day of September in 2010.

Those big, blue eyes continue to sparkle today, lighting up the spaces and people around you. You light up life, my gorgeous girl. I have watched you grow into the most loving, curious, kind and gentle young girl. Enjoy being six – it’s going to a fabulous year. You have almost completed your first year of school and you have done so with great gusto and curiosity. Your teacher’s eyes lit up when she told me you are a “delight to teach.” Miss J, you are a delight to parent. Continue to shine bright, my angel. You’ve lot to look forward to this year, not least of which is welcoming a sibling into our family very soon. How lucky he or she will be to have you as an older sister.

Happy 6th birthday, Miss J, my “curly tops”. 

I love you more than I can express in words. 

Mama xoxoxox