The Last Princess Party

I've noticed a lot of bloggers taking breaks, or writing less than normal--does that happen every summer?  Well, for me it is just that I got busy and I lost my words all at the same time.  The busy was nothing special--just having DH's parents visit, and finally starting some home-improvement and cleaning projects, and jumping back into summer school for a few weeks.  Really nothing all that interesting to share. Time is just slipping by so quickly--I can't believe the summer is halfway over! As for the losing the words--I dunno, it just seemed like there were plenty of thoughts in my head, but none worth writing down. And I've still been kinda tired--not quite over the hardness of this past Spring.

But we did do one really fun thing since I last wrote, that is totally worth sharing:

The Happy birthday girl, flanked by the twin daughters of my dear Becky.

The third and final Princess birthday party!  "Princess" has been the theme for all 3 girls' 8th birthdays, and each one has been different, all good in different ways--but this one was my favorite.  Happy turned eight the first week of July, and we planned a party outdoors at a local park.  Really nothing fancy--just good friends and imagination!  Of course we invited all our friends to come dressed up as princesses, and it was so fun to see how many of the girls went international.  We raided our dress-up collection--in other words, did not purchase a thing you see in these pics--and I think the costumes all turned out so great!

Maid Sunny, wearing the Madrigal costume my mother made for my elder sister Rebecca back in high school, with vintage costume jewelry we inherited from my grandmother and friends.

Merry-san, in the kimono and clogs my mother received as a gift from a Japanese pen-pal back in the 1950's.  We inherited it last summer, when I was helping my parents sort through their house in preparation for moving--also when we brought the Madrigal costumes and prom dresses and all kinds of other fantastic dress up back with us to CA. 

Prince Smiley--um, Serious 

 

 

We had the party at 6:00 p.m. so that Daddy could come after work, and so I did not have to actually have real food to serve (although a friend sweetly brought chips and salsa to add to the table).  Happy had decided she wanted a white, three-tiered wedding cake for her birthday party.  I decided since the party was going to be so simple, that I was up for the challenge!  I made a three-tiered "Boston Crème Pie," which was the favorite kind of cake my mother used to make for our birthdays when we were kids.  It's basically a sweet white cake with custard layers--mmmmm.  I had no clue how to transport it frosted, though, so I gave it a quick whipped-cream frosting there at the park. 

I suggested fruit to go on the cake, and those she picked ended up rather patriotic--appropriate for the week.  So the final product is not exactly wedding-ish, and is not even all that pretty, but I was just glad it was structurally sound! 

 

 

With the cake we served wedding punch--raspberry sherbet and ginger ale.  Happy and I together made a berry ice-ring to float in the middle. Looking at it now, I think I put the ring in upside down.  But it complemented the cake--and made the birthday girl feel special, which was the goal.

 

 

Traditional birthday activity--reading a story.  This one is called The Seeing Stick, and makes me cry every time I read it. Yes, including at the party. Good thing I had so many eager readers to help me finish. : )

 



 



Becky's girls Miss C and Miss K knew Happy would be wearing this princess dress, which my mother had made for Sunny years back--and so they sewed a dress for Happy's Addy doll to match!  How adorable and clever is that?!

 

 

I just love all the candid girl moments going on.

The party consisted of four simple activities: princess/prince "portraits" (I took everyone's pictures to share with the mommies later), the story reading, then food, then princess charades.  The charades were so cute--the girls had to act out different princesses/queens for us to guess.  And while we did have plenty of Disney princess in there, we also threw in famous characters like Sara Crewe (The Little Princess), and The Princess and the Pea, Esther, The Queen of Hearts, Princess Buttercup (The Princess Bride), and Queen Susan (The Narnia Chronicles). 

I have really enjoyed these themed birthday parties that became tradition, so each girl got to have one of her very own--so far the "Fairies in the Forest Teaparty" at age 5-6, and the "Princess" party at age 8.  DH is adamant that Smiley will not be a Fairy in any Forest, so I'm going to see if he and Smiley will go for a Wood Elves party--as in Tolkien--instead!  ; )  Normally the child's first party comes his or her kindergarten year, which would mean this September, but I'm thinking Smiley will be getting his first party next Fall, because I just can't pull off three parties in as many months!  Because you see, Sunny turned 12 last November, so she is overdue for her party, which I just could not pull off during the school year--because she is dreaming of a pioneer themed party, and sleeping outside in a "covered wagon" and me cooking a dinner of beans and cornbread and then a breakfast of flap jacks the next morning, all over an open fire! We'll see what we can pull off for this party later this summer . . ; )