McCurdy McMemos: Happy 7th Birthday Katelyn!

I can't believe Katelyn is already seven! This year Katelyn opted for something a little different for her birthday party. We had it at our house with just a few of her close girlfriends. It was a lot of fun, and surprisingly, very little stress! She is quite the party planner, and as such, was very specific about the details of her party:

Fashion show--she picked out the songs she wanted as background music and she also requested that we clear out the toys/clutter in the playroom so as to have sufficient space for the fashion show
Chocolate cake with homeade chocolate fudge frosting--she even picked the recipe she wanted me to use. I have no idea where she gets her attention to detail. :)
Dance party--she picked out the songs she wanted to dance to
Tea party--we substituted pink lemonade for tea, but still used fancy tea cups...and since its just not as concise or fun to say "pink lemonade party," we still called it a tea party
Fun Craft--Note: Always test your craft ideas out before you have a group make it
Fancy party favors--necklace, bracelet, mini princess wand, and pastel lollipop
Dress up--everyone shows up wearing their favorite party/fancy/princess dress
Lunch menu--Pizza and watermelon (I also added baby carrots because I'm a mom, and I felt the need to provide a balanced meal)
Pink and purple color theme
Game--one she learned from cheerleading camp this past summer
Open gifts--Note: At all of Katelyn's parties up until now, we have asked people to bring donations to a local charity of Katelyn's choice in lieu of gifts for her; although she would always still receive presents from family that she would then open on the morning of her actual birthday, she was ready to open some gifts from her friends at her party this year! I'm surprised she held out for as long as she did!
No boys--Not even Daddy (even though he's technically a man); Dave actually took Anna on a date during the party, so they got to enjoy some special time together, and Katelyn had some focused time with her friends
No adults--except mommy, of course; this was our first time to do a "drop-off" party, so all of the girls were dropped off at our house by their parents and then picked up when the party was over

At first I wondered how I was going to fit all these things into a two-hour time frame, but being the awesome party planning team we are, Katelyn and I managed to pull it off! In the end, we had a great time, and it was everything Katelyn wanted! We love you Katelyn Rose McCurdy, and we praise the Lord for blessing our family with you! You are a source of much joy and laughter for all of those who meet you!

Party favor bags and party agenda (as planned by Katelyn)

Katelyn's welcome sign for her guests

The grand party entrance

Entryway party decor

The playroom/fashion runway

Dance party

Fashion show--they paraded two by two through the double doors

Video: Fashion Show

A curtsy on the fashion runway

Group picture!

Group hug!

The (failed) craft: Decorating white dinner plates with sharpie markers. Bake for 20 minutes in oven at 350 degrees and the artwork is set. Easy enough? All the artwork washed off the minute water touched it. Oh well! Thanks for coming to my party...here's a free dinner plate!