Sunday, September 23, 2012

Caroline's Ballerina Birthday Party


Our sweet little girl turned four years old this summer.  I say this every year, but seriously - where has the time gone??  This year was especially fun because we let her choose her own theme.  She absolutely loves ballet and ballerinas, so when she said she wanted a ballerina party, I was very excited.  She just completed her first year of ballet, and we recently attended her recital.  Can I just say that it was the sweetest thing ever, and I may or may not have cried like a baby the entire time she was on stage??


As it tends to do, however, life got in the way this summer.  I had all sorts of fun and girly ideas for the party, but sadly I didn't get to execute them all - Caroline's birthday was smack dab in the middle of my terrible morning sickness, our house hunting, and several doctors' appointments.  So needless to say, I wasn't really on my "A-game."

However, everything still came together and looked super cute and girly.  I went with pink and gray for the color scheme, inspired by the invitation:


Her party was at 2 pm, so in lieu of serving a full meal, we went with kid-friendly snacks and girly sweets.  The easy and low-maintenance menu included:

chocolate and vanilla cupcakes
chex mix
yogurt-covered pretzels and graham cookies
vanilla meringues
Pirate's Booty Popcorn
hot caprese dip with toasted baguettes (not pictured)
fruit tray

As I mentioned before, I wanted everything to be frilly and girly, so I decorated the table with white linens, white and silver serving dishes, and pretty pink flowers.  Caroline loved the flowers and food table!  I served the chex mix and yogurt stars in little snack cups, and they were the perfect size for the kids to just grab and go.


Caroline has quite the collection of dress-up clothes, so we had them out and available for her and her friends to try on and dance around in.  We also cleared out all the toys, area rug, and small furniture from our living room to allow for plenty of space for dancing!  I bought enough wands for each child to have one (and take home), and they all loved dancing around with them.

(Baby Smith photo-bomb!!)

Caroline was super excited to wear her ballet costume from her recital, and the other girls loved wearing their ballet clothes and costumes as well.  For those who weren't as interested in dancing, we set up a coloring station in our dining room, complete with several different ballerinas to color, stickers, and little jewels for decorating their masterpieces (sorry, we didn't get a picture of the set-up though!).

After a few songs and games, the fun began:  cake!  Caroline doesn't get birthday cake at most parties due to her egg allergy, so she was super excited to eat a pretty cupcake.  Note:  long hair, tulle, and fire do not mix well!

Caroline loved her ballerina dance party, and I think all the kids had a great time as well.  I still can't believe that she's four years old already!  And because I think she is the cutest thing ever, I can't resist sharing one more picture from her recital:





15 comments:

Nicole, RD said...

She is so, so cute! What a perfect theme and beautifully done :) Lucky girl!!

Moviegirl03 said...

Looks fantastic! In the midst of moving, and having morning sickness you still put together a beautiful party.

Anonymous said...

I love it! She's adorable. :)

Rachel said...

Oh my gosh!! That birthday party is just the cutest thing ever!! She is truly adorable.

Winnie said...

How darling is she! My neice Amanda is 8, and has been doing her ballet since age 3. I love going to her recitals and bringing her roses. She would love your party! I love the ideas you have given me.

smunchimunch said...

What a cutie! Looks like the perfect party for your now 4 year old ballerina. =)

Tesei said...

Congratulations on the party and on your little ballerina :)

Lindsay {life and kitchen} said...

The party table is beautiful! And, of course, Caroline is adorable :)

Kelsey said...

Josie, what a sweet party for your sweet girl! I hope and pray I'll have a baby girl who will love ballet as much as Caroline and I do. I would love to throw a party just like this one. And have I told you my first ballet costume looked almost identical to Caroline's?

Angela @ AnotherBitePlease said...

That is so sweet...we just had opposite at our house...all boy Pirate Party :-)

Anonymous said...

Hot Caprese Dip? Care to share that recipe? sounds interesting!

Jessica @ Sunny Side Up said...

Such a beautiful party! Caroline is so, so adorable!

Angie said...

She is too stinking adorable! Great job on her party. I can't imagine planning a party with a soon-to-be 4 year old, baby and two more LOs on the way. I admire your drive!!

elly said...

Everything turned out SO pretty Josie, I love it! Caroline is the cutest.

Erin Schaafsma said...

This is such a lovely dessert table! I've shared in on my blog in a discussion about such tables. Check it out: http://cakesbyerin.ca/diy-candy-tables-and-other-desserts-tips-on-making-your-own/

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