A Boo-tiful Birthday Party
This week we celebrated Rory’s fourth birthday. He loves Paw Patrol, and I had every intention to throw a “Paw-fect Party” centered around the cutest pups in town. However, Rory had different plans. The week before his birthday he told he was hoping we could do a “ghost-themed” birthday party. One thing I have learned this year is that change happens and it’s best to just go with it, so we did. With only a week to get ready for the party, there was a lot to do. And in the end, it turned out pretty perfect. While this party was centered around Rory’s birthday, you could easily use these ideas for a Boo-fest, Halloween Party, or a Ghostly Girl’s night in.
The Cake
No birthday is complete without a cake. I love to make cakes, but when I have to do multiple layers—and I’m short on time—I turn to experts. For this cake I called Safeway and asked them if they could bake three vanilla round cakes, unfrosted. Not only were they consistent in size, but it made my life so much easier. However, I am picky about my frosting, so I opted to make it myself, which gives the cake a home-made taste and style.
The day before the party, Rory and I made the ghost decorations for the cake using white melting chips. The process was fairly easy:
First, you lay down parchment paper to use as a base for making the ghost. Then melt the white chocolate chips according to the package’s directions. Using a spoon scoop out enough white chocolate to make a small round circle. Using a round-tipped paint brush pull down the white chocolate into an abstract ghost shape. Next, add Wilton round sprinkles for eyes and a black licorice Jelly Belly cut-in-half for the mouth. Let them sit for an hour to harden. Once completed, place on parchment paper in a ziplock bag or in an airtight container until you are ready to use.
The day of the party we frosted the cake with the home-made pink-colored frosting and used gold sprinkles to add a splash of dimension. The final step was adding the white chocolate ghosts we had made the day before. The result is a whimsical and spooky little cake covered in friendly ghosts. Perfect for Rory’s obsession with the little spirits.
To make it “birthday official” I added gold candles and a #4 topper. The cake was a hit.
The Balloons
I absolutely adore balloons and the new trend of cascading balloons excites me. With a little coaching from my friend Ashley, I decided to give it a try myself. She makes lovely balloon arrangements and I interrogated her on the tools and techniques she has used to make such stunning displays. She guided me to the balloon tape used for attaching the balloons together. This isn’t sticky tape, but more of a plastic ribbon with little holes in which you insert the balloon’s nipple. She also showed me how to attach smaller balloons to the tape to fill in gaps and create a fuller look.
I purchased a kit from Amazon that included the balloon tape, along with a roll of sticky dots to attach additional balloons in the gaps.
To save myself from the lung workout of inflating dozens of balloons (we opted to not use helium), I purchased the Balloon Buddy by zephyr. The Ballon Friend has a small fan that activates when you push a balloon down on top and it quickly—and effortlessly—fills the balloons. My husband was skeptical, telling me “we have an air compressor in the garage that can do the job.” I wanted something that I could use anytime, anywhere. My husband ended up using the Balloon Friend, and now—he’s a big fan!
To attach the balloons to the wall we used some ribbon and a couple of pushpins. The overall look was exactly what I wanted. The only thing I would do differently would be to add even more balloons. Rory’s big sister, Keeleigh, made the adorable hand-made ghosts which added to the theme.
The Table
If you have followed me for very long, you know I love table design. There is something so welcoming about sitting down at an inviting table.
For the party I decided to do a black, white and orange theme in anticipation of Halloween—it also fits the ghost theme perfectly. These are the quintessential colors for an event such as this. The black and white buffalo table cloth sets the back drop nicely. I have been obsessed with the adorable melamine gingham plates from Target, and the pastel peach colored ones were a perfect fit. White napkins with silver napkins rings are elegant and simple, allowing the rest of the decor to stand out.
Adorable, freshly baked and frosted ghost sugar cookie on each plate serve as an accent and a souvenir for all of the guests. I went with classic twine to give it a pumpkin patch feel.
I love to decorate with white roses and they didn’t disappoint as a center piece along with white pumpkins and clear candle sticks in various heights. Etched glass stemware was the perfect addition to complete the look.
The Decor
A gift table is a must at every party. I typically use flowers as a backdrop to accentuate the wrapping paper, however, this party demanded something a little different.
When I spotted the adorable light up ghost and tweed pumpkins from Target, I knew they were the perfect compliment for the cake and gift table.
The party was a huge success. This year we kept it small with only family attending. I wore a white dress to appear ghostly and all the other attendees wore white as well. Rory wanted to wear jeans and his blue t-shirt. It was a ghostly bash and we even had a “ghost-sighting” in the courtyard thanks to Uncle Matt and a white sheet! It was an intimate and sweet party. Just perfect for our newly turned four year old.
