I had this random conversation with a woman once after telling her I was having my daughter’s birthday party at home (as I have always done). She said, “Why bother when you can just do it someplace else?” Why bother!? This question still blows my mind. I know having a birthday party at home is not  every one’s cup of Hawaiian Punch but  that’s how this mama rolls. Childhood friends still recall my wonderful at home parties. Truthfully, I would rather drink warm, cheap gin than to ever spend another minute in the germy party place with a giant cheesy mouse. But that’s me.

This year my daughter turned 8 and she wanted a “Cooking” party, which we did with a Parisian theme.

Here’s how the party went down:

Arrival:
As the kids came in, I had markers, 10″x10″ sheets of scrapbook paper , stickers and scissors for them to make their own placemats.

Cooking:
When all of the kids had arrived and they were done with their placemats I divided them into 3 groups.

1. Group one went into the kitchen and made crepes. Each took a turn at the stove (with an adult). The crepe fillings were chocolate chips, jam, powdered sugar, sliced turkey and cheese
2. Group two worked at one end of the dining room table making Stuffed Crescent Rolls, filled with the same options as the crepes with the addition of cinnamon and sugar. The girls had no problem identifying their creations as they came out of the oven
3. Group three worked at the other end of the dining room table making Bruschetta, topped were chopped tomato, cream cheese, sliced cucumber, basil leaves, sliced turkey and cheese.

The kids worked rotated stations and ate and ate and ate (this was lunch).
Everything was nut and egg free with the exception of the crepes which are made with eggs

The Toast:
When lunch was finished the girls helped clean up and I had them sit around the dining room table. They each got a plastic wine glass with soda and cranberry juice garnished with a strawberry. Each girl went a around the table and gave a toast to the birthday girl. At the end my daughter gave a toast to all of her friends. The toasting thing was a big hit. Then we had cake, opened presents and it was time to go home.

The How To’s Of The Party

The Cake: My mother, who created the cake,  made white, chocolate and strawberry cakes (from a box mix) in four different sized round cake pans. You can make homemade frosting or simply buy vanilla frosting and tint it with food coloring. The bottom layer was decorated with a piece of pink and black grosgrain ribbon (removed when we cut the cake). The second layer was decorated with a piece of black sequined trim. You can get fancy like my mother did with the frosting or just use ribbon or pink, white and black candies to decorate the rest of the cake. I borrowed a mini Eiffel tower from a friend’s collection and put it on the top.

The Favors: Le Bakers Dozen in Montclair will make about any shaped cookie you like. They put them in lovely cellophane bags and tie them with matching ribbon. I made the flower barrettes and clipped them onto the cookies.

The Decorations: I used hot pink and black  throughout. I just criss crossed the room with crepe paper streamers securing them with T-pins in the corners of the room. Pink and black balloons were tied with pink curling ribbon and attached onto the T-pins in each corner.

Instead of searching the party store for Parisian themed napkins I bought an Eiffle Tower stamp from the craft store and we just stamped the plain pink napkins.

I found these great  hot pink tissue paper  “flowers” to hang from the light fixture. The tablecloths were inexpensive plastic. First I put down the hot pink one and then cut the black table cloth into a 12″ wide runner. I cut the rest of the black table cloth into 9″ wide strips and tied them into giant bows.  I glued them to the corners of the table. My daughter put pink roses in a vase surrounded by mini Eiffel Towers and Viola!

Questions? Just Ask Holly in comments.

The party was ooh, la, la, c’est magnifique and created lasting memories! What’s your favorite birthday party memory?

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