Olivia's Birthday Party

I am so behind on blogging because we have been busy with a capital "B" these last two months!!! I have a lot of catching up to do with my posting so forgive me for being so behind.

On September 4th we celebrated Olivia's 4th Birthday!!! I can not even believe that four years have gone by. I remember putting together her first Birthday party like it was yesterday. This year we did a butterfly themed party, because (as Brian is my witness) Olivia chose her party theme shortly after celebrating her 3rd birthday and stuck with it all year. She is so my daughter (lol). So, I had a lot of time to plan this party and it turned out very sweet! I love throwing parties on a budget and adding simple touches to make it more personal:-)

The night before the big party Olivia assisted me in the kitchen baking butterfly shaped cookies and delicious strawberry flavored cupcakes (a request of the birthday girl). She loves helping me and she couldn't wait to get her hands dirty.

The invitations we sent out weeks before the party to invite our family & friends to celebrate with us...

Party decorations...

I stamped these menu cards individually & renamed the food with butterfly vocabulary...we had monarch macaroni, caterpillar chips, butterfly kisses, chrysalis kabobs, pb&j wings, cocoon corndogs, and so much more!

We had a butterfly themed cd playing (thanks to Aunt Tay Tay, which has become the birthday tradition) and we had a bug word search for the kids to do. We also had a jar set out for donations to the Butterfly House Botanical Garden.

On Olivia's Birthday party wishlist this year...

a pinata:-)

The table centerpieces consisted of these little wooden butterfly frames I painted pink to match the party and put pictures of Olivia's face in them. I bought jars which I filled with floral moss and sparkly little pose-able butterflies.

The Birthday girl...

Family photos...

Nana & the Birthday girl.

Aunt Katie & Brooklyn in her butterfly themed attire.

My sibilings with the girls.

Outside for pinata time...

Long story short-Olivia had been telling us for weeks before her party that she wanted to wait outside with Nana while we got the party ready and then she would walk in and we would yell "SURPRISE!!!" She was so adamant about this that we decided to do it in the middle of the party when we came back inside after the pinata. It was so funny how she reacted "surprised."

My friend Taylor is an awesome baker and she always makes something for the girl's parties so this year she made homemade butter cream frosting for the cupcakes that Olivia & I made and lemon & chocolate cake balls. She also brought these adorable butterfly sprinkles to finish off the cupcakes. Olivia even decorated her own cupcake.

The dessert table...

After praying over Olivia, we sang "Happy Birthday." One of the sweetest moments was when we were singing to Olivia and she had Brooklyn come over by her so she could giver her a hug & kiss. She never wants her little sister to be left out of anything.

Present time...

Olivia is so expressive and I got a lot of comments of how entertaining she is to watch open gifts. She loves each one more than the last and throughout opening her gifts she would stop to thank everyone for coming to her party and for the gifts she received. It made me so proud that she is so appreciative and feels the need to express it whenever possible.
And Nana surprised Olivia with a big girl bike with training wheels!!!

GG & Papa getting hugs.

Grams and Olivia.

And for the favors we gave the kids butterfly chalk & a butterfly book.

Thank you everyone for coming to celebrate Olivia!!!