The Design Director's Hello Kitty Party

When my daughter picked "Hello Kitty" as the theme for her 5th birthday party, I was almost angry. Hello Kitty? It's cute, but she doesn't even know anything about Hello Kitty! It's not even a toy! It's just marketing! (of course, I said none of this to her...) I had just hoped for something that offered a little more of a chance at creativity with party planning... fairies, ballerinas, tea parties... ANYTHING but a marketing ploy! Alas, but a princess must have her wish when it comes to her 5th birthday. (It's the first birthday I had that I remember, so it carries a lot of weight with me)I immediately went over to www.birthdaypartyideas.com - which is not the prettiest or sleekest site for users, but it has a lot of information and lots of ideas. After checking out the Hello Kitty section for ideas, I settled on making big bowed headbands for the girls (by attaching pinched felt rectangles to headbands with glue) and some coloring sheets. Nothing glamorous, though they loved the headbands and wore them the whole party... M even wore hers to church today.
I found some of the standard issue HK plates and decor items and then found some HK-esque fabric to sew into little goodies for the girls. Last year's princess party included yoyo headbands for every girl in their goodie-bags. I like to put something handmade each time... so this year it was cloth napkins for their lunchboxes, all wrapped up with a cute little tag that explained what they were.

What really took the cake - okay, it WAS the cake - were these cakeypops that my buddy Kellie (whom you've met here before on sewing nights... aprons, SEWING SEEDS, crafty nights) made. I'd simply told her that I would love to commision her to make some of her cute cakeypops - READ... these are cake and frosting on the inside, not ice cream... in pink with sprinkles, or something that would match the HK theme. oh no... this girl went to town and found a recipe to make the HIT of the party. I'm not kidding, even my dad was eating one with much glee.
Kel outdid herself and now I am trying to convince her that she's got a side business if she wants one. Mimi and her friends were over the moon about the pops. (okay, I was too) And my sis-in-law was overheard on the birthday video already making plans to hire Kellie this January.
The party was low-key (even though the sugar content was a little high for me) and I ended the evening so happy - even if I am still sick - finishing up a scarf I've been knitting for a few months while watching Glee with J. Overall, that makes a great day and I know that Mimi just loved it.

I just loved seeing her surrounded by her most favorite special friends... She was truly loved yesterday and she just glowed from it.

(special thanks to my sis-in-law Jen for awesome photography, as usual!!!)