"All of life is the exercise of risk." ~William Sloane Coffin
Longtime readers of A Little Loveliness may remember some of the sweet celebrations we have held in honor of daughter Emma's birthday. From welcoming princesses to our castle for a Cinderella tea party to evoking the charm of Paris at a French Patisserie Tea Party, we have made our share of beautiful memories over the years -- often during over-the-top, feminine fetes.
Well, at 11, this sweet and sassy girl wanted to go over the top again -- but with an action-packed party at a new climbing facility in town.
The Girl Rock Climbing Party Package from Jessica's Invites gave us everything we needed for planning an afternoon of adventure, including invitations, cupcake toppers, straw flags, bottle wrappers and more. I loved the pastel palette of the original designs, but Emma was able to customize the suite to her taste for more vivid hues. I must admit, the vibrant look of the invitation above certainly fits the look of our venue, High Point Climbing and Fitness in Birmingham. This state-of-the-art facility opened in December 2016, and Emma could not wait to visit.
Doesn't this kids area look like a blast? During parties, guests climb for two hours then have use of a party room for thirty minutes. Here are a few of the goodies we had ready for our birthday girl and her friends.
Since Emma does not like cake and could not think of a dessert she would like to serve, colorful candies seemed like the way to go. Tubes of Sixlets from the Easter section at Walmart offered a bit of chocolate in shades that matched our theme.
Emma's snack of choice was White Cheddar Cheese Smartfood Popcorn -- one of our favorite healthy indulgences of late! One party-size bag yields about eight 2-cup servings, which I scooped into clear party bags and tied with strands of curly ribbon.
Festive suckers from Walmart added swirls of color.
And sparkling waters were perfectly refreshing!
Emma has been taking gymnastics for the past year. Several of her gym pals joined us for the day, and I was impressed watching these little athletes in action. Above, Emma tackles the gray wall and two friends race up a brick facade.
This net was also a prime spot for racing. After exploring this area, several of the girls were eager to strive for loftier goals in an adult room.
Above, Emma reaches the pinnacle in the adult room!
This view from across the room offers a better perspective of this feat. Several of our party participants reached this peak of 55 feet! It made me a little dizzy just watching them climb so high, but I was happy to cheer them on to victory.
This year Emma's cup of tea looked a lot more like a sports bottle than a china cup, but it was fun watching her meet new challenges with an exuberant spirit. As always, I feel privileged to watch her grow and determined to support her every step of the way.
"To live will be an awfully big adventure." ~J.M. Barrie
