Lily's Purple Princess Pony Party

I think it's safe to say that this was Lily's best birthday yet. She is old enough to understand. Her enthusiasm is so raw, innocent, and real it almost hurts. And so far (knock on wood) she is so grateful and so satisfied with even the most simple things. She's also not old enough to notice when I stash away a few of her presents in our bedroom so she can open them on a rainy day (you'll understand when you see her TWO wagons full of toys).

There isn't a word in the world that can adequately describe her happiness on the day of her 3rd birthday. If only I could bottle up her energy, spirit, and joy.

I had a lot of fun planning Lily's 'horse' party. This girl can't get enough of horseback riding, and even though I consider myself pretty clueless about horses, I'm excited to learn more about this sport so I can cheer her on and encourage her to chase her dreams.

Back to the party. We hosted her get together a the Winston Salem Children's Museum, and if you're in the Triad area and haven't had a chance to take your kiddos here, you're missing out. For the record, any party space in the area is expensive, but the staff were incredibly helpful and our guests had a blast.

Here are some pictures from her big day!

 

 

Until Lily stops asking, I will always bake her cupcakes (or a cake) from home for her birthday. Oh, I found those cute plastic horses in the dollar section at Target. Most of them were unicorns, but it worked.

 

We served trail mix, horse treats (apples & carrots), hay bales (rice crispy treats) and cupcakes. We also gave take-home packs of sweet & salty mix to everyone. Simple, but tasty!

 

 

 

 

A lot of people have asked about the stick horses - yes I made them (with the help of my mom), and not only was it a lot of fun putting them together, but they were a huge hit with our guests.

 

 

The dowel rods came from the Home Depot ($2.88 ea.)

The horse heads are actually socks from the dollar store ($0.50 ea.)

I purchased 2 large bags of poly fill from the craft store with a coupon ($8)

The remaining yarn, buttons, ribbon, and hot glue were all items I had in my craft closet.

 

After stuffing the socks, I hot glued them to the poles and doubly secured them with some yarn. I tried stapling them, but it ripped the sock and the wood was too dense for the staples.

 

I used a plastic yarn needle to thread the ribbons and yarn through the sock itself, and then knotted everything so it was secure.

 

The buttons are tied on using that same method.

 

The ribbon bridles were either hot glued or tied onto the sock using the yarn needle.

 

Although the sticks are long and I'm not sure how 'sturdy' these horses will be after few rounds with a feisty toddler, but I have hope that they'll hold up. Best of all, they weren't all that expensive to make!

 

All in all, Lilyanna Grace had a fantastic 3rd birthday, and we are so grateful for the friends and family that came to make her feel special.