This weekend was the big day – Miss 5′s birthday party! My own first memories of birthdays past began at my fifth birthday. I remember mum making a “Dolly Varden” cake from the Women’s Weekly cookbook, complete with faux Barbie inside the cake. I remember receiving the coolest gifts from my friends and family; my first “lipstick”, a set of fashion plates (which I have since recovered via the magic of eBay) and a special dress with matching hair ribbons. As I thought about my own fifth birthday, it occurred to me that so much of what happened on that day and the type of gifts I received, have gone a long way to shaping who I am today. And so it was that I decided that this birthday had to be a cracker for my own daughter, something that she would remember for the rest of her life as a fabulous pink dream.
All these intentions are well and good, but just how the heck do you pull something like this off without a team of event organisers and caterers at your finger tips? Here are my tips for making your own Unicorn Pony Party.
Pick Your Colour
When you’re a five year old girl, you just can’t go past pink. Sugary sweet it can do your head in, so pick your shade wisely. We decided that “Musk Stick Pink” would be our shade of choice, and then applied that to everything we possibly could. It helps if you already have a bit of a colour theme to your home decorating and can scam pieces from your own collection to help pump up the ambiance. I brought out every pink table cloth, bowl, picture frame, flower and outfit I possibly could. Even Mr SKM got in on the act wearing a pink and red shirt!
Carry Your Colour Theme Through to the Food
The easiest way to make your party table look fancy is to carry you colour theme over to the food. When your catering for kids, this is 100 times easier than trying to come up with adult versions of coloured food! So we had every pink and white lolly we could think of, musk sticks, marshmallows, jelly snakes, white chocolate cover red licorice… enough to make your teeth fall out just looking at it. Savoury food was covered by those ever popular “little boys” also, reddish in colour, and the usual mini quiches, pies etc.. and for desert (as if all those lollies weren’t enough) mini pavlovas with pink whipped cream and raspberries.
Pink Cake Too!
Rather than staying up till midnight the night before, creating some elaborate confection that was way above my culinary skills, I decided to stick to cupcakes again this year. I still haven’t gotten the hang of that perfect icing yet, and spent much of the previous evening licking strawberry frosting off my elbows as the piping bags continued to burst mid swirl. They passed the taste test with flying colours though.
Goodie Bags!
Every good party comes with goodie bags, but after such a sugar laden day, I didn’t think that sending people’s children home with yet more sweets would be the best idea. As some of you know first hand, mixing both sugar and red food colouring is akin to baby crack, so sending them home with yet another stash would have probably seen me relegated to parental purgatory. The goodie bags are a fun, cheap and easy way to win good party points with all your guests. Once again, make sure to stick to your colour theme, but think of things that can be used over again and aren’t simply going to break or end up in land fill. They needn’t be expensive, but just make them look pretty!
For our stash we put together little pink organza bags containing My Little Pony makeup sized bags, super cute doggie sticky note pads, scented erasers shaped like cookies, and a little Cuppa Chup lolly pop.
The Piece de Resistance
All the best parties have one event that makes them the stuff of legends. The stuff that shapes memories and imagination. When I was asked for a Unicorn Pony for her birthday I knew I had a challenge on my hands. But with the magic of the internet, a little saving up, some glue and glitter; I managed to work a miracle.
Behold – The Unicorn Pony!
And now after all that, I plan to retire from partying for at least another month… until Miss One turns Two!
It’s just perfect. Dark, spiced and a...
Aw so cute! what a fantastic party that would be for a 5 year old. Well done SKM.
Oh what a lucky girl!!
I bet she had the best time!
I had two birthday parties as a kid and I remember both of them perfectly to every detail.
I bet she will too!
What a lucky girl! Great job in putting together such an awesome party!!
Maybe you could help organise some of our parties… capes are a must!
Oh my god a real life unicorn pony. I am freaking out!!!!!
SO COOL!
x
This is awesome!!!
Looks amazing! Love the unicorn
I’d be happy for a party like that!
What an awesome party. Arielle has seen the pics and now she’s really bugging me for a PINK party.
My past five-year-old self is so freaking out right now…
I didn’t know you had a miss 1
Party looks great by the way
Oh my! a unicorn! that is such a lovely, sweet surprise! you know that you’ve set a benchmark for all her future parties don’t you? ha! you’ll be back there, swathed in glitter, doing it all again next year…
Well done! this looks truly spectacular! i bet she had the best time. extra points for the unicorn.
Even at 21yrs, I honestly can’t imagine a better way to spend my birthday than surrounded by pretty pink things, and a UNICORN to boot! what a wonderful party. well done, it looks like you made Miss 5 very very happy indeed
(cant wait to see what you come up with next)
So adorable! My bday is Friday and I’m wishing I could find a reason to justify this at 26! Cupcakes are totally okay though, right?
Awww that’s SOOOO CUTE!!!!!!!!!! I need to befriend your daughter and fast! What’s the theme for next year??
XXASAB
really lovely SKM
lucky girl!
could you put this link out for me Candice?
if anyone is reading this and thinking WOW in the UK, I actually run my own DREAMPRINCESS company, based in Lincolnshire, I can make dreams come true.
How Fabulous!!!
My 5th birthday party was a pink extravaganza also. Pink dress, pink necklace, pink strawberry shortcake lipstick (which my 1 year old baby sister ate while I was at school, causing my mother to have to rush out and buy me a replacement!!). And it was all topped off with a strawberry shortcake cake with the doll adorning it of course.
I think you’re right about 5th birthdays. They’re the one you always remember.
Sounds like you did an amazing job for your little girl
That looks like such a wonderful party.
Greetings (from Chicago, Illinois, USA)!
I stumbled upon your site a few weeks ago. And, I LOVE your writing. As a new first-time mom, it’s been difficult to feel glamorous; most days, I feel like a walking zombie. I find you to be quite inspirational. Thank you!
Congrats on a fabulous job on Miss 5′s birthday party!!! She will treasure that birthday party in her memories for many years. And, a unicorn!!! That is GREAT! You’re an awesome, mama!
Take care,
Melissa
So…. I have a birthday in a month can I leave my pink party organizing to you !!! ……….. I want a unicorn.
How positively fabulous for Miss 5. The other parents will never live up to it, you may have just started you own party planning business.
OMG Fashion plates! I had those too. (rushes to ebay to buy a set).
This is the stuff of little girl’s dreams…
unicorn pony, wow, so cool!!!
i love the mini pavlovas too!
happy birthday miss 5!
Super Kawaii Mama; Can I hire you to plan my 24th Birthday this year?
Pleeeeeeeease???
Xx
Wow Miss5 is sooooooo lucky! A real unicorn all of her own, so cool! How did you do it?