Berklie's Birthday and the Blue Umbrella

So... Berklie wanted a "Blue Umbrella" birthday party...  what?!?!?!   yes.  If you do not know what I am talking about then go to youtube and look up the Pixar short titled "The Blue Umbrella."  It's only 5 minutes long and it's super cute...   but how to make a three year old's birthday party theme around it?  I'm creative, but that's a stretch for me!

Fortunately she's about as indecisive as I am, so, the theme changed a bunch:  Blue Umbrella, Tinkerbell, Frozen,  etc...  We had it at a place that does bounce house/ inflatables, so there really wasn't much to do as far as themes and decorating... but in the end she ordered a WallE cake & requested a "Blue Umbrella" costume.    We compromised and she let me make her a dress, not a costume... and yes, I know the pictures are showing a cute little red dress, but go watch the Blue Umbrella, Berklie and London like the 'red' umbrella in the Blue Umbrella... confusing, I know, but this is what satisfied my complex little three-yr-old!

March: St. Patrick's Ruffle Skirts

So, right before St. Patrick's Day, London's preschool had a "rainbow" day where they got to pick what color was their favorite, of course London changed her mind 80 million times.  So we opted for a rainbow striped skirt... and if London was getting a skirt, Berklie insisted that she got one too!

Frozen Birthday Party

Ok!  So I finished up London's Frozen themed birthday.  We were originally planning on doing a party just at the house like all the parties we've done before... but then we suggested having cake outside the theater, then going and actually watching the Frozen movie with all of her buddies!  She was very excited (imagine lots of squealing)!  This idea was genius because it cut out a lot of stress and planning on my end. 

For the cake we just purchased a cake from Vons, it was a "snowboarding" theme, and I asked them to leave off the snowboarder, and when we picked it up I quickly added "Frozen" figures.  I got the figures at Walmart from a "busy book" that they sell (comes in Frozen, Princess, Disney fairies, etc...)

I decided to focus mainly on the favors since that'd be the thing going home with all her friends.   So here are my Anna/Elsa flip dolls:

Anna / Elsa flip doll

Anna / Elsa Flip Doll

 

This was the most enjoyable birthday party for me.  I literally had no stress and I got to enjoy celebrating with my kiddos!   London and the 5 other girls that joined her also had so much fun watching the movie and dancing outside the theaters... and inside the theaters... I apologize to anyone who may have been in our theater and had a live musical performance from 6 preschoolers! 

One thing I would have done differently (courtesy of my sister's creativity):  Purchase a bag of the "fun sized" m&ms and then make and attach little tags that said, "London is celebrating her 5th birthday.  We apologize in advance for any extra noise.  Enjoy your movie and a little treat from London!"  then pass out the m&ms to the movie theater goers who were in the same theater as us in the seats surrounding us.

Birthdays Past

So, I am getting ready for my oldest to turn 5!  She has requested a Frozen party... we'll see...


I was remembering the past birthday I did for my youngest when she turned two and I thought I'd post pics of her Minnie Mouse party this past June (2013).

I made the three girls (my two, plus my niece) each a polka dot circle skirt & a headband, and then I purchased tank tops from Target (I think). 

 headbands: I purchased plain black headbands.  Then I made and attached a polka dot button flower.  The flowers turned out bigger than I had anticipated, but it ended up working out.

 For the party favors I ended up creating little activity purses.  I spent a chunk of time on these since there were only 3 kiddos coming to her party.

I bought cardboard purses from Hobby Lobby, then I modgepodged Minnie/Mickey Mouse scrapbook paper to the outside of the purse and printed off a sheet with each girls name on it and stuck it in the picture window on the front of the purse.

When you opened up the purse it became a little house for Minnie Mouse and her kitty.  What I used:

-red paper & black duct tape for the tiles.
-an empty spool & wooden circle for the table.
-green fabric & ribbon flowers for the garden.
-white felt with a sheet of magnet underneath for the flooring
-and a bed for Minnie Mouse made from an Altoids' container!

I made Minnie & the cat & the cat bed from felt and I hand stitch it all.  I made Minnie's bed from fabric & felt and batting.  Her little yellow blanket was even hand quilted!  

 

 

My girls loved getting these and played with them a lot... at first... until the center crease of the cardboard purse became weak (since it is just cardboard) and tore!  Next time I invest the time, I think I will also invest the money and purchase wooden or tin purses... I'm pretty sure I've seen both in craft stores.

 

Oh well, enough reminiscing... on to the current birthday at hand... Frozen.

Mermaid Flip Dolls

So these are the little flip dolls I made for the girls for Christmas this past year.

 

Each girl's doll had different colored hair: light brown, red, and brunette.  I did this so they could tell them apart (no fighting or accusations is a plus!!!)  On one side they are princesses, flip them over...

 

...and they are in a hula dress (as my 5yr old has called it.  Then fasten the skirt with the loop and...

...now they are mermaids.  

 

My five year old's doll is very well-loved.  My 2.5 year old has shunned her brunette doll because she wants the one with red hair.   I may be revising her doll soon and doing a hair transplant since she makes it clear she wants her to look like big sisters.  And I'm not sure how my niece enjoys hers.