aSalaam uAlaikum and Good Evening My Stylish Sisters!
It is so hard for me to wrap my head around, but my first born princess just turned four this past week! Subhan'Allah time flies so fast, it feels as though I just brought her home from the hospital!
This year I really wanted to do something over the top and special for her, as she has been super patient and wonderfully loving toward her little sister mash'Allah. Sooooo, I decided that I would throw her a carnival themed party!
Of course not just a carnival themed party (oh no, that would have been wayyyy to simple) but a Lalaloopsy Carnival-themed party.
What made it so complicated is that there are NOOOO Lalaloopsy birthday decorations! None....zip...nada...zilch. I searched EVERYWHERE, but no one has decided to make any decorations with these slightly creepy, but super cute, button-eyed dollies.
Soooo...I had to make them all. Alhamdulillah there is such thing as Etsy, because those stay at home small business-owning moms are GENIUSES! I was able to get the PDF files for a custom made Lalaloopsy birthday banner, as well as other decorations, and I took them to the local printer to have them printed out. I was also able to find an adorable Lalaloopsy shirt, a custom-made Lalaloopsy inspired top hat, and some super funky leggings and arm warmers for the princess to wear to her party.
All in all I think the party was a huge success. We had way more kids actually attend than I had planned on, but they were all mash'Allah super patient and cooperative. A family friend rented a cotton candy machine and snow cone machine, and my BFF brought a custom made Lalaloopsy pinata. I had made six games for the kids to play, complete with carnival tickets they turned in at the end of the party to get their goody bags (which were actually old fashioned popcorn bags tied with a ribbon). The best thing about a Lalaloopsy inspired birthday was that if nothing matched, it was OK because the dolls are a hodge podge of patterns and fabrics!
Here are a few pics from the event. Insh'Allah they give a bit of inspiration for any future carnival shindigs you may be throwing!
The Cotton Candy Machine
It took a couple of tries until you could make a decent-sized cotton candy stick without being burned by flying bits of melting sugar. But it was yummy!
Home-made Photo Booth
We had clown noses, googly eyes, funny glasses, buck teeth, masks, and top hats available for the guests to use in their photos. I made the phone booth out of a refrigerator box that I got from the local hardware store.
The Games!
We had 'Lasso the Giraffe', 'Shoot 'Em Down', 'Krabby Patty Toss', 'Plink PlankPlunk', 'Guess How Many', and 'Ring Toss'. Every single game was entirely made at home by my family and I.
Streamers Galore!
The decorations were nice and simple. Colorful streamers, mis-matched balloons, and plenty of bunting set the carnival atmosphere.
Lots To Eat
We kept the food simple. Mini cheeseburgers with tons of toppings, hot dogs, potato salad, macaroni salad and corn on the cob. It was the perfect carnival food, and great for young picky eaters.
Something Sweet
I ordered these adorable Lalaloopsy stickers off of eBay, and then attached them to a bunch of gourmet lollipops. These cute waffle cone looking cups were from the 99cent store!
So Much Fun!
Full to the brim with cotton candy, snow cones, popcorn, and candy! I'm sure the parents loved me by the time they all left! LOL
The Cake!
I just made a simple white cake with three layers. I used fondant to make the diamonds, and candies for the dots. The Lalaloopsy sugar paper melts I got from eBay. They were so easy to use! They just disappear right into the frosting so it looks like they are airbrushed on! I also made the bunting topper out of scraps of the fabric I used for her big decorations.
The Cake (again)
The inside of the cake. It was yummy!
Alhamdulillah everything turned out well for the party, although it was a lot of work, and NOT a lot of sleep, it was well worth it to hear all of the kids rave about how much fun they were having. My husband swears, though, that he can't handle another party like this next year, and he's insisting we just go on a cruise as a family instead. Hmmmmm...I'll have to think about that one.
And now....to get ready for Ramadan!
Ma'Salaama and Party On!!
Fashionably Yours,
The (Only Two More Days!) Mujahada in Prada
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