Our dining room reminded me of a fluffy pink cupcake for Mary Ashley's recent birthday party. The dining room table usually stretches the length of the room, but removing a leaf and tucking the table into a corner gave us room for several different party stations. It was not possible to get a shot of the whole room, but I can give you a little tour through the images photographer Allison Hilyer captured of different vignettes in the room.
The front corner of the room, defined by a rug and pink paper lantern
, held an apron for each guest.
After the girls chose an apron, they moved to the next station to decorate a chef hat. The back corner of the room housed a play area with vintage pink kitchen
, polka dotted table (Home Goods) and baking-themed toys like a mixer
and cupcake set
.
The left half of the room was a sweet gathering space for the girls to sit and enjoy the fruits of their labor. (Paper lanterns available here in our color scheme of pink
, green
and yellow
.)
The girls returned to the dining room, favorite cupcakes in hand, to sing happy birthday and enjoy a sweet snack.
For this frothy pink tablescape, I used the tablecloth and runner I made for Mary Ashley's "Strawmary Shortcake" 4th birthday. The centerpiece was a large silk floral cupcake, my alternative to a baked cake this year.
Paula Deen's Dot Crazy plates were just right for our cupcake party, paired with Joe's late grandmother's Fostoria, paper napkins from Target, and tags designed by Katy Larson.
Pink, green and yellow striped and polka dotted straws from The Sugar Diva were even cuter with personalized labels from Katy.
A beverage table in the back of the room held extra glasses and straws for our cupcake bakers, who worked up quite a thirst in the kitchen.
Strawberry, regular and chocolate milk were the perfect accompaniment to our birthday snack of cupcakes and fresh strawberries. (Carafes from Publix.)
The girls had their fill of milk and cupcakes as the sun was setting on our afternoon together.
Our dining room had such a lovely pink glow I could not help smiling each time I entered the room -- but especially when I caught a glimpse of the most beautiful part of the room:
The Birthday Girl!
Stop in tomorrow for cupcake party favor ideas, the sprinkles on top of a memorable afternoon.
Photos used with permission of Allison Hilyer Photography
