You know how kids’ birthday parties are, right? Venue, theme, decor, balloons, streamers, pretty hanging things, party bags, games, activities, cake. OH, THE CAKE. Back in my time, we’re lucky to get a tacky 2-D one with a deformed dinosaur that looked like Barney’s mutated half-cousin. These days, the cakes are jaw-dropping and I won’t be surprised if in another couple of years, kids will be having life-sized cakes that will sing and do cartwheels on cue.
It’s crazy having to put together a party and I’m glad they only come around once a year. Plus we usually make it a combined affair so we only have to go through the madness once.
This year’s birthday bash for the kids happened yesterday and let me just say that I’ve never been to a more awesome party in all my 30 years.
First of all, the venue. Prior to the party, we sourced for over a dozen venues all over Singapore to find a suitable location. We wanted something cosy, chill and preferably outdoors (but not too hot) where the adults could enjoy a nice afternoon tea. But most importantly, we needed a place to contain the mayhem and keep the kids entertained.
So when we visited Seb’s Bistro & The Playhouse at Rochester, we fell in love with the beautiful al fresco dining area with lush surroundings. That there was an entire 2-story air-conditioned playhouse right next to it made it a winner. It was perfect.
Being as aesthetically-challenged as we are, decor usually means going out and buying a bunch of balloons, some banners and taping them randomly to the walls. But we got smart so instead of struggling with the decor and party planning like we usually do, we handed over all the planning to Jen and Van, the lovely ladies from Party Perfect.
Best. Decision. Ever.
All we needed to do was to pick a theme and let them do all the work. The kids are still in their pirate phase so this was a no-brainer…Scallywags and Buccaneers, Ahoy!
When we arrived, it was like stepping into a pirate wonderland, which is the nice kind made for cute little pint-sized pirates. There were gorgeous pirate loot bags, a pirate ship with cut out figurines, personalized pirate cupcakes, pirate hats, a treasure chest, pirate cutlery, pirate balloons, and pretty hanging pirate cloth things.
In addition to the dining area downstairs, The Playhouse also allocated the 2nd-floor party room for the kids to hang out.
The folks at Seb’s Bistro take their parties very seriously so they don’t just leave the kids in the room on their own. They pull out all the stops to make sure the kids are engaged and having fun, which is a tall order considering that we had kids ranging from aged 2 to 10.
Meet Imran, an incredible party host. He conducted the games, sang songs, made them dance, got them to do silly actions and did a spectacular job of keeping the kids entertained.
We also had Queenie from Artybody work her body-painting magic on the kids during the party. Ok, seriously, her work is amazing. Each person she paints is a stunning piece of art and she’s able to do anything from superheroes to sparkly princesses. I’ll never forget her epic Hulk creation during Happee Day almost 2 years ago.
The paints are totally safe for kids as she uses only professional face paints which are U.S. FDA-approved, as well as cosmetic-grade glitter and stickers. They were able to last the entire afternoon and washing off was really easy. We just had to rinse with water and a gentle cleanser, so no painful face scrubbing involved.
Just look at this final product on Tru’s hands. Consider my mind blown.
Kirsten naturally went for a princess look and she was so pleased with her “pretty princess paint”, as she called it for the rest of the afternoon.
Remember how I was saying that the cakes are out of control these days? I’ve seen some unbelievable cake creations in the past couple of years but this, ladies and gentlemen, this masterpiece by The Patissier totally takes the cake.
I’ve heard some really amazing things about The Patissier, like how their head baker and co-owner was trained in the time-honored techniques of the great French patissiers at the Cordon Bleu, London. That their designs are a joy to behold. And that their cakes taste even better than they look.
But nothing prepared me for this cake.
Believe it or not, almost everything is edible. There’s the giant pirate ship made out of brownie and icing sugar, the pair of pirate figurines, the palm trees, the gold-dusted skulls, the gold doubloons, the treasure map, the chest of jewels, the sea animals and shells all on a gorgeous seawater cake board.
Then at the bottom were 5 x 500g mousse cakes made up of 3 separate flavors: Chocolate Dream, Strawberry Delight and Mango Madness. All 3 flavors were ridiculously delicious, which explains why they were all gone in record time.
Here’s Kirsten still admiring the cake while munching on her fries.
We had the most fabulous time and a heartfelt thank you to everyone who made it possible. As well as all the friends and family who took the time to come by.
Till next year, mateys!
Angie June 25, 2012 at 10:09 am
What an Awesome Pirate Party! :) I agree the party planners did a fabulous job, it’s really tough having to coordinate everything and still be a gracious host on party day. We shall consider them for our daughter’s partes in future! From the photos, the kids had a blast! Thanks for sharing and Blessed Birthday to Truett and Kirsten. :)
Daphne June 25, 2012 at 2:55 pm
Exactly! It was nice not having to worry about the planning and decor and coordination so we could just chill out and enjoy the party. And Jen and Van amazing to work with!
Daphne Maia June 25, 2012 at 10:52 am
hehe this was my wedding venue! :D <3 love the place. happy birthday to the kids! (are their birthdays in the same month?)
love the pirate decor n props! and ohmygod the cake!!
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Daphne June 25, 2012 at 2:56 pm
Ya I saw your pics! It’s a brilliant venue. Their birthdays are in June and July – close enough to combine heh!
Daphne Maia June 25, 2012 at 2:59 pm
hahaha and finn is due in aug right? so that means u can celebrate everything in jul nxt time. HAHAHAHA. if u planned this, i say: very smart. if it wasn’t planned, u’re damn lucky! hahaha.
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Daphne June 25, 2012 at 3:07 pm
Hahaha yeah June July August! Nope timing was not planned at all! And we will definitely do a mega combined for all 3 kids next time. Now I just got to make sure the fourth one is also born around the same time.
Daphne Maia June 25, 2012 at 3:13 pm
WHAT?! You haven’t even delivered ur 3rd and u’re already planning the 4th? NOOOOOO.
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Daphne June 25, 2012 at 3:16 pm
LOL I’m very efficient that way. It’s all according to the grand plan to have the last one right after this one. Notice I said the last one because after that I’m going to close shop. Permanently.
Jean June 27, 2012 at 5:53 pm
Four? You should be MCYS’s poster girl.
Daphne June 27, 2012 at 6:56 pm
LOL lots of people have 4 kids… I used to want 7 but that’s never going to happen.
Elaine June 25, 2012 at 10:53 am
Wow, that looks like one incredible party. Happy birthday to your little pirates!
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Daphne June 25, 2012 at 2:56 pm
Thanks Elaine!
Abby June 25, 2012 at 10:54 am
My Gosh, I am out of words. It looks absolutely awesome. You guys are awesome too throwing so many things all together for the kids. Can I be invited for the next year party please?
Daphne June 25, 2012 at 2:58 pm
Hahahah we do love our parties around here. :)
leslie June 25, 2012 at 11:13 am
This party theme decor is way too cool! I’m sooo inspired to plan for my babes’ next party!
Daphne June 25, 2012 at 2:59 pm
It was all very thematic and colorful, even the black pirate balloons and all the buntings. I definitely wouldn’t have been able to put all that together myself…
Regina June 25, 2012 at 11:36 am
Ooh!! Looks like the kids had a blast!
Thanks for the resources and links as well. There’s nothing I would love more than a ‘fuss-free-for-Mummy’ party!
Happy Birthday Truett and Kirsten!
Daphne June 25, 2012 at 3:01 pm
Thanks Regina! Always good to have someone entertain the kids so the adults can chill out and relax a little.
Katriina June 25, 2012 at 1:23 pm
OMG! Unbelievably awesome. All of it. WOW!
Daphne June 25, 2012 at 3:02 pm
Thanks Katriina! :)
jaime June 25, 2012 at 1:42 pm
its not easy to pull off a different gender party into 1!….kudos!
saw u at drypers on sat …u look really slim..dont look preggy at all!
jaime June 25, 2012 at 1:44 pm
btw..who did the photography…party event photography tends to be my biggest headache without spending a bomb..
Daphne June 25, 2012 at 3:06 pm
Oh I didn’t see you at the Drypers event – would have loved to say hi! And I took all the photos with my trusty DSLR, which is why I’m not in any of the shots.. Not professional standard but good enough for DIY. :)
Jaime Chan June 26, 2012 at 2:42 pm
i was struggling with the stroller and a 15 months old..so didnt stop by to say hi…
dont u need to entertain the guests at the party? i also trust my own phototaking..but many a times i cant indulge in my trigger happy mode coz i am part host so need to entertain the kids…
btw , nice pic!
lilsnooze June 26, 2012 at 3:25 am
Awesome theme party! Blessed birthday to your (not-so-baby)babies!
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Daphne June 28, 2012 at 12:29 am
Thanks babe!!
Andrea June 26, 2012 at 8:22 am
Thank you for the great party! The kids had a blast and we are super happy with some time away from them mohahahahaaha! Pink tiger declined to wash her face until she showed it to everyone at grandma’s, and insisted I send a photo to her teacher… Again, THANKS! You guys really know how to throw a party!
Daphne June 28, 2012 at 12:31 am
Thanks for coming by, Andrea! Pink tiger too cute la, although I was surprised she didn’t go for something princessy.
Elizabeth June 27, 2012 at 10:09 pm
Awesome! Happy birthday, Truett and Kirsten! Question is: did it burn a hole in the pocket?
Nice meeting you at the Drypers event!
Daphne June 28, 2012 at 12:33 am
Was nice meeting you too, hope your kids had fun!
Haha it was a super massive big hole, but we only do it once a year, and a combined one at that.
Susan June 28, 2012 at 1:38 am
What an awesome party it must have been. Now I’m panicking at Sophie’s birthday that’s coming up in about a month’s time.
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mico June 28, 2012 at 3:25 pm
Daphne,
Share the cost of the party ?
Summer June 29, 2012 at 12:59 am
This party looks awesome! It’s kinda great having the kids’ birthdays close to each other huh. =) Happy belated one to dear Truett and Kirsten! =) May all your wishes come true!
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Alethea November 25, 2012 at 12:54 am
Wow such an awesome party. I love the face paints and the amount of detail that went into the theme :) xx