Shirley's party advice part 6 - don't be afraid to interrupt us!

[Tinkerisdead]

Okay, this is shirley's party advice part 6. Shirley ducked out a while ago and you'll notice us chatting about all kinds of stuff whilst we wait for party planners to barge in.

So, don't lurk, jump in and chat. We'll give you any advice on parties from costumes to cakes....

stealth no hardcore tomboys that I know of...

Basically - DD1 wants a fairy party. But wants to invite some boys. Hence I thought of adding pirates and she was happy with that idea. Am I going to run into all sorts of issues here??? Now I am feeling paranoid. Wanted to make everything as themed as possible but now even my idea for a pass the parcel prize seems wrong

Also...

Last year I made my own invitations on publisher and was quite pleased with them. Trying to do the same for Fairies & Pirates and not happy with results. Any thoughts on combined invitations? Or else I have found separate fairy / pirate invites that I can buy and send, but then I have the gender issue again! Bah! I didn't think I would run into these kind of problems - the kids are only 3 & 4.

Too much self doubt (and I can't even eat chocolate as I am dieting) better go to bed.

If the PtheP prize is girly, just for it so that a girl wins. Sorted. .

I did a princess invitation with a sneaky pirate peeping in the the bottom.

Don't worry about the gender politics - if your DD wants a fairy party, she should have a fairy party. The DC won't care, honestly.

I would scan my invitation for you, but I'm not home and not sure it's on my laptop.

fix the PtheP

Thanks! I will plough on. Party not til 1st Sept anyway!

It was on my laptop - now on my MN photos, hopefully.

Aha! That's great thanks, it gives me a bit of an idea how to lay it out - my only other thought was buying some pirate stickers to stick on.
So I presume it was your DD who had a princess & pirate party - and I have to ask, did she go as a princess or a pirate??

She went as a princess (it was her 3rd birthday) but since then she has opted for pirate, although those have been pirate and princess rather than princess and pirate (birthday children in question were boys)

DD has a dressing up dress which is reversible - princess on one side, pirate on the other - very handy

Hi all, just off to catch up on the thread as not been on for a bit.

PANIC!!! DSis asked me late last week to do DNiece's birthday cake for this Saturday. I said yes and then promptly forgot about it!

I need ideas for a music man/dinosaur themed cake I can make quickly and easily quick...!

Oops.

Dinosaurs in a mud pool, like that piggy cake? You could add big primeval forest leaves to chocolate fingers up the sides?

What sort of music man? A drum? How old is DN?

DN will be 3. I've got to make the cake as smaller DN will be eating it too and she's the dairy allergic one so I can't just buy one and decorate it to the decoration has to be easy!

Music Man is a toddler group style singing and dancing with easy instruments type. Party is mostly themed around him but DN loves Dinosaurs - and cars - too

A drum could work....

Something like this

or this

or this

Ideas on how...?

Yes, like those.

Is DN2 ok with fondant? If so, it's pretty easy, really especially if you borrow an extruder

I think fondant is dairy free. Better check....

Fondant is dairy free i just checked the packet..cant believe shes 3!

The extruder probably a bit thin even on the biggest hole. If you use a cake smoother to roll icing into a sausage you get a much smoother uniform "rope" than rolling with your hands. Use a pizza cutter to cut all your shapes out cleanly and then stick all your "sausages" on as edging. A drum like that is easy. Esp if you cover something for the beaters like dowel or lollies rather than trying to make them.

But i know your not mad on fondant.

I saw loads that had just used lollies as beaters

Just phoned DSis who is happy with a drum cake so we're good to go. It's going to need to be big though as there are 17 kids plus adults!!

I'm thinking nice, safe, dairy-free cake for the kids.....and something off the shelf in M&S for the adults!

I love those cheap choc traybakes that are littered with sweets for kids hmmmmm but im sure you want something refined.

Im off to the isle of wight again for two weeks on sat, was meant to be a week with mil and dh's nan having the second week but now nan is too poorly so we're having their week too yippeeeee (not yippeee for nan tho!)

Harriet - cocktail sausages.

My DC go at hummus because chick peas on any form are banned from our house by me but I might aware that it is a party staple in many places (not here).