Last year’s Instagram party was such a hit that I got my knickers in a twist for a theme this year. I know, I know I don’t have to do a theme party. But then again I don’t cook, so this is my annual showcase for the Best Mommy Award. As I was saying, when the time came to select a theme for the 14th Birthday, I chose the only place in the world that I was dying to revisit. Anyone who knows me knows of my French Connection. And so, it was no surprise when we decided it was to be An Evening in Paris Birthday Party.
With the theme neatly tucked under my creative arm, I set about drafting the blueprint of the party plan. The invite was to be on a WhatsApp Group, and so I thought of making a little audio-visual treat. Think Paris and images of the Eiffel Tower come to mind with La Vie En Rose playing softly in the background. A combined effort from Google, MS Paint, PicsArt, YouTube & I Movie resulted in the invite below.
The Paris Birthday Party needed a Parisian cafe.
I decided that the moment the kids stepped onto our apartment floor, it should set the tone for the party. So, I started with the foyer. An Eiffel Tower Decal, purchased online, made it to the wall opposite the elevator with pillar candles at the bottom, adding to the ambience. I got the idea of making a street sign from here. A paper printout was stuck on cardboard which was then hot glued to an old curtain rod spray painted silver. Embellished with a pink and silver bow and decorated with greens, we were ready for a warm welcome. Balloons in the alley added to the festivity.
The Paris themed party colours were largely pink, black, white and silver. The living room was given a quick fix makeover to make it as Parisian as possible. Chanel and fleur-de-lis cushions dazzled below the tree of life as a framed Eiffel Tower sat beside fresh lilies right opposite. Sheer curtains in pink ombre were the perfect backdrop for the birthday banner made with doilies, pink glitter paper, silver thermocal letters and black satin ribbon.
Next was the dining area. The large canvas painting above the dining table was covered with silk cloth and served as a beautiful backdrop complete with paper fans, doilies, bird cages (which were my old curtain holders) and flowers. A birdcage decorated with plastic flowers and faux pearls served as the centrepiece while a cute little easel with a board was perfect for the cafe menu. A black chandelier purchased from a party store completed the picture perfect look as fairy lights ran across the room shining like a thousand stars.
The wall opposite the dining area has a faux mantlepiece which had the New York City skyline last year for the birthday. This year it became an ode to the most beautiful woman. I ordered a print of the Mona Lisa, got an ornate golden frame custom made and voila we had our masterpiece. My souvenirs from my trip to France 29 years ago combined with DIY puzzles ordered online became the focal display table. And I think with that we were as Parisian as we could get.
A patisserie catered the food – Croquettes, croissants, cutlets, bread rolls and tarts were on the menu for the day. The cake was thanks to Gauri Kekre of Lil White Oven fame. She managed to charm all her young patrons yet again. The design was simple, the birthday girl next to the Eiffel Tower while the base of the cake was a shopper’s delight. Pretty much PARIS, no?
The giveaways had to be stylish, so we had nail polishes with handmade tutus for the girls and wristbands (thanks to the Godmother) for the boys. Aishwarya Lahiri Khanna made the most delicious Eiffel Tower shaped chocolate pops which were an instant hit.
For games, the young adults were given the meaning of their names in French, and they had to guess who was the person. We also had Dumb Charades and all the movies, you guessed it, were French or Paris inspired. A little bit of dancing and a whole lot of fun, all in all, we had a blast and the birthday girl was on top of the world.
La vie est belle. Au revoir à bientôt.
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