Easter 2014

"The happiest moments of my life have been the few which I have passed at home in the bosom of my family." ~ Thomas Jefferson

Fairy Sparkles: Emma at 8

"Fairies are invisible and inaudible like angels. But their magic sparkles in nature." ~ Lynn Holland

"Buttercups in the sunshine look like little cups of gold.

Perhaps the Faeries come to drink the raindrops that they hold."

~ Elizabeth T. Dillingham

"Hand in hand, with fairy grace,

Will we sing, and bless this place."

~ William Shakespeare

"And as the seasons come and go, here's something you might like to know. There are fairies everywhere: under bushes, in the air, playing games just like you play, singing through their busy day. So listen, touch, and look around -- in the air and on the ground. And if you watch all nature's things, you might just see a fairy's wing." ~ Samuel Smiles

"Garden fairies come at dawn,

Bless the flowers, then they're gone."

~ Author Unknown

Ice Cream Party Favors

Simple, sweet favors were the sprinkles on top of Emma's recent ice cream party.

Plastic Ice Cream Dishes (12)

Sugar-cone themed bowls and spoons made fun, economical parting gifts at Emma's Ice Cream Parlor. Sold in sets of a dozen, each girl's favor was just over $1. Click the product link above to find out more!

While our older guests used parfait glasses for their sundaes during the party, our littlest friends gathered at this petite table set with extra bowls and spoons.

Printables from hello love designs added nostalgic charm to the tablescape.

I loaded a nearby tiered server with ice cream bowls -- filled with a scoop of pink paper shreds and finished with a lollipop (the cherry on top) -- and let the girls choose a bowl and spoon at the close of the party. I hope they think of Emma each time they enjoy an ice-cream treat!

Thanks for joining us for Emma's sweet celebration! Find our menu here and decor here. I will be sharing a few photos of the Birthday Girl in my next post.

Photos by Nathan Prichard. Used with permission.

"Always serve too much hot fudge sauce on your hot fudge sundaes. It makes people overjoyed, and puts them in your debt." ~Judith Olney

Easter Blessings

Happy Easter from the Lester Family!

Ice Cream Party Buffet

For Emma's recent birthday party, we invited friends to join us for a trip to Emma's Ice Cream Parlor. Since the Birthday Girl doesn't like cake, we made sundaes with all of her favorite toppings.

Printable designs from hello love carried our pastel vintage look throughout the celebration.

Laden with candies, cookies and sprinkles, our buffet held tempting surprises for all our guests.

Tiered servers covered with doilies and sprinkles held parfait glasses, perfect for making sundaes.

I didn't have enough sundae glasses for all our guests, so my sister-in-law Shana let me borrow her set, which belonged to my mother. This added a sweet element of nostalgia.

I made these cupcake toppers on lollipop sticks, intending to slip them into the girls' sundaes, but they looked so cute clustered in an extra sundae glass that I left the little bouquet on the buffet.

You can never have enough sprinkles!

The girls were eager to sample our sweet treats!

A vase of sugar cones offered an alternative to a sundae.

We served ice cream and wet toppings in the kitchen, then let the girls finish their cool creations in the dining room.

The Birthday Girl was first in line, of course.

After she fixed her sundae, we sang "Happy Birthday."

(Trick candles = Big Hit in the 8-year-old crowd.)

As soon as Emma blew out her candles, we served the other guests. Cousin Kadence saved her sundae from dripping. Isn't she a sweet princess?

Cousin Bailey contemplates her ice cream cone. Such a cutie! 

Eliminating the homemade cookies and ice cream I had originally intended to make ensured this was a relaxing party for me and my family. Often Joe will take the children out for a meal while I finish last-minute party preparations, but simplifying my plans allowed me to join the group for lunch at our favorite bakery-cafe. If the extra family time was the whipped cream on our festive day, then coming back home to celebrate with friends and family was the cherry on top.

Photos by Nathan Prichard. Used with permission.

"Once in a young lifetime one should be allowed to have as much sweetness as one can possibly want and hold" ~ Judith Olney

Emma's Ice Cream Party

"Ice cream is happiness condensed." ~ Jessi Lane Adams

We celebrated Emma's 8th birthday with an old-fashioned ice cream party a few weeks ago, and I have to admit, this was one of our easiest themes to date. But it was also one of our most enjoyable. Our schedules are so full now with work, school, church, and extra-curricular activities that it makes sense to simplify our celebrations. It is difficult for me to let go of grand ideas for taking our parties "over the top," but I have discovered that Joe and the kids don't miss those details at all. I did not prepare any food for this party, which allowed me to focus on making the printables and decorating our tables. The Ice Cream Parlor party collection from hello love designs gave me the soft palette and vintage charm I was looking for. Here is a peek into Emma's Ice Cream Parlor.

I will be dishing about our ice cream in my next post, so stop by for a scoop of fun!

Photos by Nathan Prichard. Used with permission.

"There's nothing wrong with me a little ice cream won't fix." ~ Author Unknown