Grace's 4th birthday party

I have dreamt for a long time how I would organise the perfect fairy garden party for my very own daughter. I've kept a list of things over the last few years and finally I've been able to use all these ideas. I contemplated doing it last year for her 3rd birthday, but thought that she still might have been a little young to really get it and appreciate the thoughts behind it.

This year was perfect timing though. We've spent the last few weeks getting the area ready, fine tuning the food lists and organising games. She is just as excited as me, and has loved the whole process of transforming a patch of dirt into her own special sanctuary.

The fairy garden had to be built up with rich, organic soil as our old soil has a lot of clay. To avoid Duane accidentally whipper snippering off flowering plants, we edged it with some foot high bamboo. I cut down an arch, so it's only just over 1 metre tall, to put in the middle. Then Grace & I picked out a few plants to start the garden. We chose some long-living daisies, lavender and some ground covering gardenia.

Grace woke this morning and came bounding out of her room, asking excitedly if it was time for her to finally be able to get into her party outfit (5.30am, mind you!) She was beside her self with the anticipation of a combination of wearing her new shoes, twirling in the pettiskirt, eating all the yummy party food and also having all her little friends coming over to celebrate.

I gave her the beautiful birthday crown that I had made, and she wore it for most of the morning. It's something special that she'll only be able to wear on the week of her birthday, once it's over, it'll be packed away for the next year.

We bustled around putting all the finished touches on the food, cleaning up the mess and setting up the outside area - ready for the 16 under 4's to descend.

Wendy and I had been busy baking lots of yummy party food. I wanted everything to be tiny-mouth size, just big enough for little mouths to devour in one bite. There were egg & bacon pies, sausage rolls, star and heart shaped sandwiches, crackers and dip, caramel slice and yummy apple slice.

Also on the menu were tiny babycinno's:

Dainty little hats:

Butterfly and star fairy bread:

Mini scones with jam and cream:

A childhood favourite - Honey Joys:



White chocolate rocky road:

And, of course the cake:







I love, love, love making a very special cake each year for the kids. Normally they help choose and make it with me, but this year I decided to do it all in secrecy, so even Grace was surprised when it was time to bring it out at the party. She loved it, telling me it was perfect and so pretty. It was a fairly easy cake to make, except now as I look back at photos I realise how crappily I did the icing. However, as I was icing in the late hours of the night due to a mixture malfunction - it doesn't look too bad.

Note to self - Weight watchers margarine cannot be whipped to make butter cream icing. Seems all the disgusting chemicals in it makes it all separate once icing mixture is added. Thank heavens for late night supermarkets and willing & compliant husbands.

I kept the party games fairly simple and only involved those that would follow instructions.

We had pass the parcel:


A marshmallow spoon race:





Which the birthday girl won, no it wasn't rigged.


There was also a fairy hunt, which led the children all around the front yard and finally to some glitter. The last fairy asked them to each take a turn walking around the fairy garden, and to sprinkle some glitter as they went. This was a huge hit with the kids, each lining back up again and again to sprinkle more fairy dust.

~~We're going on a fairy hunt~~

~~Each having a turn at sprinkling the fairy dust~~

I'd been hoping to make up little pots with seeds as party favours, but time got the better of me and I succumbed to lollies. I did jazz them up a little, putting them inside these cute little metal pots and making quick dolly peg fairies to go on the side.

Grace received so many beautiful presents for her garden. She was absolutely spoilt, and now her gorgeous garden is overflowing with beautiful flowers, statues, butterfly's, gnomes, fairies and even a metal chicken! Grace & I are going to plant everything in tomorrow, and then fill in any gaps with other plants. Already she is asking to visit her garden first thing in the morning and throughout the day - it really is her special place now.

She was also spoilt with a few non-garden presents. A cute rainbow rash vest, a perfectly suited Grace book called Fancy Nancy, some lovely jewellery, a mosquito net for her bed, some butterfly's that have been hung on her wall and 12 hanging fairies that have been given a home along her curtain rod. She was spoilt rotten.

~~Beautiful lisianthus plant from Jen & the kids~~

~~One of the many stepping stones from Grandma & Poppy~~

~~One of the beautiful glitter fairies that have moved into the garden~~




~~The fairy garden with all the lovely presents~~

As grace had farewelled the last guest and the front door was closed, she turned to me and said, "That was a WONDERFUL party, thanks Mum"

And all the stress of organising her party was washed away, as I looked into the eyes of a very grateful and appreciative little girl. It was all worth it for that moment.

She then grabbed the lego bucket, shoved a cushion into it and promptly fell asleep, absolutely exhausted and yet content.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MY BEAUTIFUL GRACE