Shirley's Party Advice Part 7 - how did they all get so big...

[stealthsquiggle]

Part 7 - link to previous one to follow!

slp - depends how assertive you feel about following up - some reply straight away, others not at all. I tend to chase with about 10 days to go and have been known get my DC to tell their friends that I only make party bags for those that have replied

Hello. I made a mermaid out of flower paste yesterday for top of cake - but despite a few cocktail sticks she needed propping up against a mug... As icing hardens, is she likely to stay up? Or shall I just make a big rock for her to lean against?

Having loads of fun making stuff for this party :-)

Well done for sport relief cakes, ballet bag and Lego party too

Update. I think she will be ok. No disaster when I took mug away!

Sorry for not being around. I am properly mojo-less at the moment.

Need to make a dairy free cake for DNiece and am totally stuck

I'm so un-inspired, I'm actually considering buying one!

Oh don't worry. I am sorry I don't know about dairy free cakes. But sure someone will pop up to help - hope you feel better soon.

Im loitering whilst sorting the house. You made dairy free cake last year, cant you do the same recipe?

Baking the cake will be fine. It's decorating the thing that's worrying me.

I think I may just make a fish as we're all going to the Sea Life Centre

Fish would be good or a turtle! When are you going? Ive got a 40% off entry voucher here in my hand. Valid til 31st july. Not valid during octonauts/moshi monster events. Maximum of five people.

We're going this Saturday. I've already booked tickets too

You should go. The Birmingham one is good.

Ive been to brum and great yarmouth ones but i just realised dd2 hasnt been. Maybe i will then!

Right, I've decided what cake to make. I'm going to forego all of the decorating hassle that I can't be arsed with and just make a lemon and poppy seed cake in my pretty ring tin. I'll drizzle it with icing (maybe in a couple of colours), possibly get some sparkly glitter dust and then get some "Happy Birthday" candles and a number 2 to stick around the edge.

It'll be pretty, tasty, easily dairy-free-able, easy to transport to Birmingham (DH is already there so it's going to have to survive in the passenger foot well on it's own while I drive us over) and will relieve my stress levels.

Done.

Now - I need to sort out plans for Scilly without DH next week

Sounds perfect blatherskite. Have a nice day out.

My DD's party is on Sunday. Think it is all under control but quite a lot to do tomorrow... Fingers crossed.

Would it be too early to bake the cake this evening to give more time for icing and decorating tomorrow?

Lynx sorry you didnt get an answer yes you could have made the cake no problem last night so hope you managed it.

The party went well. Thanks for all your advice.

For others who may end up scanning this for ideas line I did initially - this was a party for 20-odd mostly 4-5 year olds.

They loved crafty stuff at the beginning - half an hour of colouring masks, decorating biscuits and digging for treasure in sand pit. This bit was quite civilised (!)

Then we did general dancing and some musical statues, followed by party tea.

Pass the parcel was hilarious because they lost interest after they had opened their layer and so at the end my Dh was just giving the parcel to kids who hadn't had a turn whilst the rest had a great time chucking the torn paper around! They never got to the present in the middle but didn't care! Similarly for "pin the fin on the shark" they just wanted a go - not to see who won - which was fine!

G

Whoo

Oh my phone is being annoying. Sorry.

Last bit - they loved generally going wild with balloons and the piñata at the end.

My Dh and I definitely needed the help from our 2 helpers and it was great that a few mums stayed and helped too. Just stuff like making sure kids had food they wanted, helping them do the activities, clearing up when one thing finished and moving on to something else, taking kids to toilet.

The under the sea cake was a hit [proud of myself!!!].

Lynx you have to post a picture of the cake. Its the law here.

I think I have managed to put it on my public gallery.

Oops. This has fallen off my active convos.

Hey everyone :)

Back from holiday and in need of a week's rest to get over it! All of us got a tummy bug while we were away so I've got a mountain of washing to do and lots of sleep to catch up on!!

Got to get sorted though as DD missed her 2 best friends having a joint princess birthday party while we were away and - to stem the tears when she found out - I promised her a princess tea party with the 2 girls once we got back so they're both coming over on Wednesday. I wondered if anyone had any quick and easy ideas for a princess tea party for 3 little girls? I was thinking I might try to do stealth's party ring tea cups and some teeny sandwiches...maybe good old biscuit decorating too....what else could I do?

Hello mate, where did you go?

We're only on day two of the holidays here. Ready to shoot myself already! Although I stocked up at the craft place in readiness.

Stealth - that fat face style bag was brill by the way if you pulled that off. Lurked on your thread. Is it on your photo feed so i can see your latest creation.

Blathers. Princess tea party. Erm without looking at pinterest initial thoughts. Does she watch Sophia the First?
Thats all princessey party stylie any ideas to be drawn from that. Im thinking costumes, teeny sandwiches, cake decorating rather than biscuits. Swirly buttercream and glittery sprinkles. Are you any good at hair? My rapunzel party the kids loved loved loved having french plaits etc and stuck flowers etc in it. Back then i was shite at hair but now im the bollocks so I could easily do it myself nowadays. Could you? I may have flowers on pins left over but im not sure. Bracelet threading?

We went to the Isles of Scilly and popped past St Michael's Mount and the Eden Project on the way home :)

Party is today! I've made tiny sandwiches from Milk Roll and filled a posh "crystal" dish I got given when my Grandma died with hummus, breadsticks and veg sticks (not usual party fare I know but I know my audience with this one and it'll go down well) I've also dug out a 3 tiered cake stand I was given a while ago made from patterned plates and filled it with chocolate crispie cakes topped with princess rice paper pictures, those party ring/marshmallow teacups that stealth made and will fill the top with strawberries and grapes. I've put pink tents in the garden, bought cheapo butterfly 'glass' painting kits from Tesco and got a mini 35 piece Princess jigsaw for £1 each from Tesco too for a take home gift/emergency thing to do.

DD is also resplendent in her princess dress.

They're only coming for a couple of hours so that should be plenty.

Have a tiny panic in that one girl is bringing her big brother and I have nothing for him. Time to dig through the emergency birthday party gift cupboard I think!

Ive absolutely cracked up laughing now " oh no ive got a last minute party what can i do..."

Well ive done this and this and this and this and this....

I thank I may have my mojo back DW

They all loved it.

Glad to see the blathers mojo is back - impromptu princess party looked great.

DW - yes, Fat Face style bag is on the flickr feed, as are the storage tubs/ egg hunt bags I did for the DC.