My girl, a party, some clown pops, a carousel cake and a photobooth

Tomorrow, this gorgeous girl turns three!

Yesterday we celebrated with a little person circus party (tomorrow night it will be a family affair)

I was at my disorganised best (one day I will find my long misplaced sense and ability of time management and order)... I had many moments of doubt as to whether it would all come together or be one big dismal and chaotic mess... I had cooking disasters, planned party activity misjudgements, a colour scheme decision that caused nothing but angst (surprising considering they were really mainstream nothing out of the ordinary), orders for party wear not arrive in time (and you can bet my house it'll arrive in tomorrows mail now that the party is done and dusted), and just not enough hours in the day...

but it all turned out well in the end and most importantly my little lady had a great day with friends and family that I just know she adores!

I think my problem is I get a picture in my mind of how I want everything to look and be for the day and that picture is sometimes a little overboard or unrealistic! I mean what three year old seriously gives a second thought about colour co-ordinated candy, napkins, tableclothes or even the detail on the cake so long as there is cake?

Speaking of cake... here 'tis:

(and yes those horses do look familiar... I forgot to add to my list of pre-party disasters the fact that the horses I decorated and painted just did not make the grade this year and at an ungodly hour on the morning of the party I was rummaging about, then dusting off the horses I'd painted, saddled and reined and glitzed up for my big girls party a couple of years ago).

*Sigh* I truly felt jinxed at many (MANY) points during the party prep!

I do quite love how it turned out - I just don't know if appearance matches the time input on this baby though! Again, most importantly the little one loved it! Nothing beats the sparkly way their eye's light up when they see the cake for the first time all finished!

When I manage to work out the video editing program (which is being unco-operative at the minute) I will post a little video of the cake in action... I'd set it on an automatic rotating disc so that it actually rotated as well... to add to the whole carousel effect - and yes I do believe I mentioned already my tendency to go just a tad overboard for birthdays... but as a mum I do take quite seriously my title (self-appointed of course) of Chief Childhood Memory Creator for my little munchkins!) 

And so here's a few other party related pics...

The clown pops... these pops gave me a little grief this time round - have made pops quite a few times now and not ever had dramas but honestly jinxed I tell you... I'd had a massive production line going making about three times the amount you see below only to be afflicted with cracks, sliding pop heads (down the stick that is). I managed to salvage this motley bunch by reattaching hats and more hair to cover the cracks... I love their little faces and how when I look at this photo they look like they've got all different personalities! 

And just so you know, all the time spent on these and I left them at home in the fridge!

They didn't even get a showing at the venue!

But never mind I have a feeling they are going to 'pop' up at the family birthday dinner tomorrow.

My hastily thrown together 'photo-booth' and dress up station...

My gorgeous birthday girl xo

What you can't see is the little wooden blue stool that I painted (and repainted) for this whole scene... check out my instagram if you want to admire (tongue in cheek obv.) my awesome spray painting abilities!

More photobooth...

Big Little Miss M and gorgeous City Cousin (here on in designated the psuedonym C.C)

and more...

Pity Big Little Miss M had lost interest in posing and was nowhere to be found! Feels all sorts of wrong to have a family pic like this but without all of us in it... I've decided to maybe try a recreated photo session with all of us... maybe tomorrow on her birthday I'm thinking!

Still more...

SIL and the super cute CC ;) Huge commitment from SIL who travelled a round trip of 4hrs when she quite literally could have bub no.2 at any stage... My girls love their awesome Auntie and cousin!

Pinata time...

Do you ever find it a little odd or troubling that we encourage our kids at parties to belt the you know what out of a poor unsuspecting clown with a great big baton until his body is quite literally severed from his head and flung across the room and then instantaneously pounced upon by the kiddos with a raging display of pack mentality all in order to load up, stash and secure as their own as much candy as possible? Whilst we then try to teach them to share and be kind and to not hit etc etc... Hmm... thinking too much I think. I LOVED pinata's as a child and I turned out alright... 

I think :P

The take-home party treat boxes...

And that's it for now... more coming soon.