Madi's Rainbow Beach Party

Hello! Hi! How are you!? (Dori is my favorite Pixar character!)

What started out as a music diva/fashion show party...

Turned into a Rainbow Diva/Beach party!!

I scoured Big Lots, Walmart & the dollar store for anything in all shades of rainbow. I have a tendency to go overboard but decided this time to leave the house with only as much cash as I budgeted for the party and when the funds were gone the shopping was done!

My dear friend Coco made this incredible cake:

Here are some cute party shots...

i heart cupcakes

Could there be any better party backdrop than the ocean??? I think not!

I'm normally such a stickler for perfection. A place for everything and everything in it's place kinda gal. But I really made an effort just to put everything out so the kids felt comfortable just diving in!

The morning of the party was nerve-wracking because the tables at the beach are first come first serve. I set my alarm for 6am only to wake up and feel rested....? When it dawned on me to look at the time I reach over to my cell and it was SIX FIFTY NINE!! Oh DEAR LORD!!  I jumped out of bed and in a whirlwind fed my sleepover girls, made about 3 pounds of buttercream frosting then frosted 72 cupcakes, packed up all the food and necessities then we were off on the race to score a spot!! When we left home with a truck full of goods, that my darling bf told me we could live off of for a month, the skies were dark and gloomy (as was the forecast). Then as we neared the beach exit there was still heavy cloud cover.  We made a few turns into the windy road we know so well and as I chanted to my favorite Sun God that never lets me down....Woot! Woot! I saw a glimpse of sunshine!! My heart leaped out of my chest in excitement then dropped again at the thought that if it were sunny... there was a higher chance the tables w/BBQ's would be gone.  We got there and our intended location was ALL FILLED UP!! In a panic I started eye-trolling the area trying to come up with a plan (with no tables or BBQ in tow) what was I going to do???? Then there it was like a shining beacon....  In my head I heard "AAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!" like the heavenly gates opening up. One lonely table behind Pirateship Park on a small-hilled grassy area near the bathrooms, right next to the park and with a complete view of the entire shoreline! Now to alert the media our local had been moved!! I texted, FB'd, tweeted and called!! I couldn't dare let someone walk the beach looking for us!! Of course this table I found did not house a BBQ for our hot dogs but my dear friends, David & Mary Beth, came to the rescue with their gas burner, pot & tongs! Voila! We now had everything we needed to make this party a success!

I madly pulled myself and my party goods into high spin to crank out in just over an hour a party that others would be dying to attend!! I knew I was on the right track when each person that passed me by had to stop and talk about how "great this looked" or "tasty that appeared." ((grin))

At 10:47a.m. the rainbow twizzlers were in place, toys strewn across the lawn, beach chairs up and me with a diet pepsi in hand to enjoy the view of our beautiful coastline for just a few minutes before things got crazy.

My wonderful Momma came with the kids and Madi RAN up to see her party in it's full wonder! She was so excited & couldn't stop smiling. For the first hour or so we just let guests mingle and munch. Tom started up the hot dogs while I entertained & started up a few activities. Since we were at the beach I really only planned for a few fun things to do and a scavenger hunt. I figured that way our guests could enjoy the family beach day they were invited to but not stuck at the party table the whole time.  It worked out great! If you would like a list of my party games or any other party details, send me an EMAIL and I will be more than happy to share with you!

I think cupcakes made their heart smile too.

A very pleased birthday girl!

And I apologize because I really thought I was behind the camera the entire day but it turns out I missed all the hula hoop contests, tug-of-wars, jump rope, frisbee, scavenger hunt, etc. etc. (Mostly because I participated! heehee)

Here is the Scavenger Hunt List:

You can download your free copy HERE

My intention for the hunt was just to make it fun so everybody was a winner! Can you say BUBBLE WANDS!!!!

BUBBLE WANDS!

And our great friend David, aka Ranger Rick, found a great tide pool spot that was a total hit with the kids too!

At the end of the day I think everyone really enjoyed themselves and just as one friend pulled out the last water while another pulled out the last root beer I smiled inside knowing I planned just enough.

Do me a favor!

The party favor was a giant tube of colorful candy (sorry parents hehe) with a "Beach Pass" certificate that entitles each child to schedule another play date at the beach with us, as well as, a LARGE SNO-CONE (my kids huge favorite of each beach day!). I figure that prolongs the fun and gives us all a reason to get together again!

I didn't mention anything about our Pre-Party Sleepover but I'll blog about it later ....

Tootles, TJ