A Birthday in Paris {almost}
Since I couldn’t load up my sweet 7yo and her closest friends for a trip to Le Tour Eiffel, we brought it to Texas. And, might I add, we had a total blast! The idea was born last December, as I was perusing the sale bins at Pier 1 after Christmas. I found the cutest pink Eiffel Tower coin banks and thought, “Boy, that would make a fun party.” The rest is history.
Anna-Laura is ALL GIRL so we used her signature color of pink throughout the party. As much as I love pretty, I also am a fun of function. If the girls we invited aren’t having fun, then the party is a total bust. I scoured Pinterest, Google and Etsy and found just the right combination. Ultimately, I wanted Anna-Laura to have a blast and enjoy being with her friends.
I also wanted her to remember the little details of the party. My mom did that for me and I still remember, and am grateful, for all the details she remembered. The little things do matter. I believe they are a sign of love. I forget what story I read, but there is an artist, working on a painting in a church. He’s adding details that no one would ever see. Someone asked him why, and he replied, “God sees.” While I don’t think God cares much if the party favor bags are in alternating colors, I do think that the effort we put into things shows the people we love just how much we care for them.
My good friend and neighbor, Jayme of Jayme Marie Designs, created all the printables for the party. She did a magnificent job. I had a million things going on this spring and decided to ask for help. Jayme, thank you for helping me make the details so gorgeous. My other neighbor, Candace, helped with all the French translations – merci! (I know, talented neighbors, right?) My mother-in-law helped with the assembly the day before. I’ve said it before, I cannot do a party without her help! My mom and sister-in-law left John Paul’s championship game to help me get the house ready for the party girls. It was a total bummer that the two events overlapped, but I did get to see John Paul get one nice hit! And, Scott put up with me on party day. That man is a saint.
On to the pretty and the details…
As the girls arrived, they received their Paris passports. After completing each station, they were stamped. However, our customs agents were much nicer than those in Europe. Who knew that the passports and their respective stamps would be the hit of the party?
Station #1: Make-Your-Own Eiffel Tower. I had high hopes, but our towers were looking pretty dismal. I’m not sure how it came about, but the girls ended up making some fabulous crowns with those silver pipecleaners. And I still have the glitter on the floor to prove it!
Station #2: Pin the Butterfly on the Eiffel Tower. A party classic. Let me just offer this. If you’re looking for a game, loved by all ages, just do “pin the ____ on ____”. Your guests will adore it. The butterflies were no exception. We had a few technical difficulties getting the tower to stay put, so I enlisted my dad to help while Will was more than happy to do the spinning before each party girl pinned her butterfly.
Station #3: Photo Booth. We gathered up a feather boa (the hottest item, hands down), a hat and a sweet parasol for the girls to use.
Station #4: Crepe Making. Admittedly, I had some skeptics on this station. Scott was sure it would be a disaster and my mom was convinced it would take too long. I persevered and it ended up being so much fun. Fortunately, those crepes cook – quick – and Scott did a few test runs before the girls came in to help him flip them. As the girls ran outside to find their seats, Scott added some yummy strawberry filling and we began the brunch. Afterwards, Anna-Laura told me her favorite thing was “making the crips”. HA. They were pretty delish.
With the promise of a Sonic slush, I was able to recruit two very handsome waiters to help serve brunch. I thought they might give me grief about putting on the ties and serving the girls, but I have to say, they should go interview at a 5-Star establishment. Those two were awesome. The boys really got into it; they were helpful, happy and I think they genuinely had a good time. I was so incredibly proud of them!
Just as we were munching on macarons and Eiffel Tower cookies, the parents arrived and the party came to a close. The girls grabbed their passports and pink Eiffel Towers and said adieu. I took a quick look over my shoulder and saw lots of girls giggling, eating and having a good time – all in our backyard. No doubt, that moment is one I will carry with me a lifetime. Maybe someday, she and I will make a trek to the “real” Paris, but for now, the backyard was pretty sweet.
Happy birthday, Anna-Laura!
Macarons by La Boite Cafe
Eiffel Tower cookies by Polkadots Cupcake Factory
Printables by Jayme Marie Designs
Photo Booth props from our closet and our neighbor, Candace!
Flowers from Central Market
Party favors from Pier 1 Imports and Party City
So- when are you going to plan MY birthday party… my kids WISH you were their MOM!!
Oh, I would “totally” do their parties. So many fun options: fishing, TWILIGHT, skiing, s’mores. And, your party would be a blast, too 😉
Kathryn,You knocked this out of the park Lady! I am in love with your amazing details and styling and your pictures turned out so fabulous!!! So AMAZING!
You made the party come to life, Jayme. We should go into business together! You’re welcome to any of the photos! Clare asked, “Mom, can I have a Paris party when I’m 7?” Guess I get to do it again – yea!
Sounds like an amazing party full of priceless memories. Such a lucky girl to have such a great mom!
Thank you. I loved every moment!
[…] over to – wait for it – Pin the Cherry on the Cupcake. I told you it was a party favorite, remember my advice from Paris? This time, I got smart and used foam core, painted the cupcake using some acrylic craft paint and […]
What an amazing party! All the details are great. Any tips you can offer on the pin the tail on the Eiffel Tower game? I’m not a great artist but I guess I can give it a try, I don’t where to start lol.
I sketched the Eiffel Tower (using the art on the invite, but I know you can google a simple sketch) using a pencil on butcher paper. Then, traced over it with a Sharpie marker. In hindsight, I wish I would’ve bought two foam core boards, taped them together on the back, then sketched and outlined the tower. I had a heckuva time getting it to stay taped on the fence. You can just punch two holes in the top corners, string ribbon or twine through them and then hang it over the fence. I wasn’t too exact in the sketch. It doesn’t need to be perfect, just identifiable! For the butterflies, those were just cut out of cardstock and then I bent pink pipecleaners down the middle and used double stick tape to stick them to the paper. Good luck and have fun!
Thanks for the tips Kathryn, I really appreciate it….I think I’m going to try the foam core board idea. 🙂
Let me know how it goes!
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I was just looking through your archives (I’m a faithful reader) and when I saw the comment about “adding details that no one would see”, I was excited because I’m reading Pillars of the Earth. Such a great ideal for life. Thanks for all your inspiration!
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