Princess Birthday Party

My daughter celebrated her 4th birthday this year with a Princess Party. She has been talking about her "princess party" for almost a year. There was no getting around it; there was GOING to be a Princess Party.

The Invitation

The Decorations

Party Favor Purses

The stash: mini-notebook and Disney princess crayons, various Disney princess stickers & pictures, paper ring, organic lollipop, and nail accessory stickers.

The Royal Banquet

chips, olives, salsa, strawberries, blueberries, grapes, vanilla cupcakes, organic raspberry lemon-aid

Side note: I cringe and could almost cry when I look at the cupcake toppers. Someone (there are a few potential culprits) who was kindly and graciously helping me with last minute touch-ups finished off the cupcakes using the castle picks, not the crown picks that I started using (so they don't match!) I know it's terribly inconsequential, but I cringe, nonetheless. (I didn't even notice it until I got the pictures back.)

The Party Begins

Who's that knocking at the door?

It's Sleeping Beauty, coming to wish "Belle" a happy birthday!

She even brought her a birthday present, a beautiful initial necklace from gremadcha. Sleeping Beauty stayed for awhile, helping the little princesses with their crafts and posing for pictures with each of them.

(Sadly, Sissy had gotten over a cold or something that week, had been feeling fine for a day or two, then woke up the morning of her party feeling a little under the weather again. So she has sleepy, puffy eyes in her pictures.)

She had been very clear from the start that one of the main activities she wanted at her party was DANCING. So that is what they did. I had put together a playlist including:

1) Part of Your World, 2) A Whole New World, 3) Once Upon a Dream, 4) I See the Light, and 5) Beauty and the Beast.

The Craft

When the girls got to the party, they colored these little princess pictures (and ate their snack) while they waited on everyone to arrive. A funny story: Sleeping Beauty leaned over and asked my niece C (who is working on her treasure box here) what she was coloring, and C very simply stated, "You." She was, in fact, coloring a picture of Sleeping Beauty.

Another cute story about Sleeping Beauty (somehow I don't have a picture of this!): my 2 year old nephew P LOVED her. LOVED her. He did not want her to leave and cried when she walked out the door.

Each princess (and prince - obviously, my 10 year old son was not going to miss out on a craft opportunity) was given a heart shaped cardboard box to decorate, using markers, crayons, stickers, and jewels.

After her box was decorated, she could fill it with "treasures," which included shiny stones, jingle bells, craft jewels and flowers, pink fairy godmother dust (actually cake sprinkles), and other assorted shiny or pink goodies.

I knew that filling the boxes would be a hit since my daughter loves "filling things." Especially if those things are shiny or sparkly.

all of the little girls at the party with Sleeping Beauty

Mid-party costume change! Birthday girl gets to wear two different costumes during her party. She is wearing her new birthday necklace, too.

My niece G also dressed as Rapunzel. Have you seen the movie? Rapunzel uses a frying pan as her weapon.

The Cake

I'm sure people wonder why I don't just go buy a cake that's much cuter than this one - but since I do not eat eggs, dairy, or artificial food coloring, I have to bake it myself (and I'm not a cake decorator!).

I got this idea from Eclectic Musings. Hers is much, much cuter, of course! I was rushing at the end and was having a hard time with my sandwich baggie as a piping bag. I liked the idea of using a cut-out cookie to decorate the top of the cake, regardless. I wanted to use Rapunzel because my daughter's hair is so long, and she talks about Tangled all of the time.

Thankfully, my kids are very gracious and love their Momma's feeble attempts.

Opening Gifts

opening the tutu made for her by cousin G and aunt Michele

opening the mom/daughter devotion book I got for her

my kids mixed with

all of the cousins on my side of the family

After the rest of the party-goers went home, I packed up some princess crown nut butter and fruit spread sandwiches,

and my sister-in-law Michele and I took Sissy, Dash, and my nieces W, G, and C to see Tangled, which was fortunately still playing at the theater.

Party supplies:

invitations, paper lanterns, plates, napkins: Hobby Lobby

plastic Tangled cups: Wal-Mart

window birthday signs: Hobby Lobby mixed with homemade

party favor boxes: Hobby Lobby mixed with Wal-mart ribbon and other accessories

birthday princess hat: Party City

crown cookie cutter, cupcake wrappers: Hobby Lobby

napkin holder & stand-up princess cut-outs: Disney party pack from local store

other: tulle, fabric for tablecloth

cake, cupcakes, & frosting: Dr. Oetker's vegan, organic vanilla mixes

interior design consultation & implementation: Cary Murphy :)

Link-up: ABC and 123 Show and Tell