Monday, August 3, 2009

Candyland Birthday Party!

i would just like to warn you..you are about to experience A LOT of pictures..haha!  i couldn't help myself.  i gathered pictures i took along with my sister, melissa, and friend, sarah (thank you so much girls!).  i feel like each picture offers a little something different. ;)  there isn't a rule that puts a limit on pics, right? haha!  and they are not in any particular order.  as i went to organize everything, and make it more "flowy" i got overwhelmed and quickly realized i would be here for hours..haha!  i figured you guys wouldn't care. ;) now with that being said...

let's follow the path to candyland!
i set out a display to welcome guests



my sister, melissa, made these adorable wreaths for me
this display was to the right as you entered...it consisted of a "buffet" of candy...i had plastic candy bags set out for guests to load up on their way out...
ella's birthday collage
ella is 3!! :)
i made this frame to display my little candy princess ;)
and it also consisted of favors to the right

each kiddo left with a big lollipop, a tootsie roll bank, skittles lip smacker...and a toothbrush!!  it was the least i could do for the parents..haha! ;)
the birthday girl...
up, up and away!!
i loved using chalkboards throughout the party...i decorated this one as well...it was the menu for the day!
treats and goodies!
the ever so popular pretzel sticks!

i made sure to tell guests as they entered that EVERYTHING was edible..and to feel free to eat from any displays, arrangements, centerpieces, etc. they fancied..nothing was off limits!

the cones on display were for the kids...i decideded to forego the traditional cake (if they wanted cake instead, there were cupcakes aplenty) and do ice cream cones/ice cream and hot out of the oven cinnamon rolls/ice cream for the adults.
cupcake kabobs...i have seen these on a couple of different blogs..and i can't remember them right now...sorry about that.
i made a couple of arrangements of bright flowers
one of the drink stations..lemonade and iced tea...and the candy topiary (see tutorial here)
i made this frame as well..i love personal touches
licorice for straws...doesn't that just bring you back to childhood?




chocolate dipped peanut butter cookies and sugar cookies with pink frosting..yum! :)


one of the banners i made


remember that banner i mentioned in an earlier entry from hearth song?  here it is :)  i attached the cupcake and candy..and cut out a 3 to hang.


another drink station...homemade pink lemonade thanks to melissa!
bottled izze and coke
i had so much fun making all of these arrangements

candy lanterns :)  i first saw this idea on hostess with the mostess
ella loves bubblegum..any gum actually..so i made sure to use a lot of bubblegum in the centerpieces.  i got a lot of the candy/bubblegum from candywarehouse.com



picnic area (after the kids got into it..haha)
melissa made these adorable gum drop wreaths too...there was two on either side of the kids table
lots of candy pillows throughout..i bought some of them from candywarehouse.com and some off of ebay.

taking it all in ;)

i made lollipops to put throughout the yard

for the princesses ;)
the kiddo's table
chocolate drizzled popcorn, cheddar popcorn, and cotton candy!
luke sneaking into one of the centerpieces..haha

the family :)
enjoying his candy necklace..and always a balloon in hand

i made little candies like this to throw around the picnic area
ella was so spoiled!





another chalkboard creation

i found this big chalkboard at home goods and wasn't leaving without it! haha!
so simple..so fun!  i just used plain ol' regular chalk with this one.  this was also in the entrance
another banner i created..first time actually making banners and they were so fun to make!
i made a candy tree...





chocolate dipped marshmallows
the letters hanging are the letters i decoupaged (see them up close here)  naturally the wind had to kick up when we were taking the pics..haha!
candyland banner


face painting station...again, another chalkboard that i simply drew "options" on with chalkboard markers :)
the picnic area...i threw down a blanket, candy pillows, and picnic baskets filled with fun activities for the kids...chalk, ice cream cone bubbles, balls, squirt guns, etc.

i put beach balls in the jumpy for the kids to play with
i always splurge on coke bottles for ella's birthday parties.  it's become a tradition, and i never have one leftover.  something about a refreshing coke (in a bottle) on a hot summer day :)
one of my favorite pieces.  i found this hanger tree at an antique store..i knew i could do something with it!  i decided to poke the "branches" into gumballs.  i loved the way it turned out
m&m's anyone?


as you can see, i put pictures of ella (from her candyland shoot) throughout the party

ella loved walking the candy path that went from the front yard, through the house, and out through the backyard and ended at the castle of course! ;)


running around with balloon and cotton candy in hand!  exactly what you're supposed to do in candyland, right? haha!
enjoying that refreshing coke ;)
here the path continues outside..
and ended at the castle!
or the jumpy that is ;)  i was so excited that i found a candyland bounce house!


enjoying some lemonade with a licorice straw
even annabelle, our dog, was enjoying herself in candyland..haha
the face painting was an absolute hit with the kids...what 3 year old doesn't love paint?!
one of the beautiful displays from our caterer, kenny (debran's blog if you want to contact her husband for catering)
ice cream cone bubbles!
naturally she had to stop off to play a little candyland
having a blast with her friends

squirt gun fight!!

ella ringing the dinner bell!
the food was absolutely DELICIOUS!!  smoked chicken
bbq chicken salad
sweet corn and green bean salad
baked potatoes with ALL of the fixins!
chicken breast 
pasta...everything was so, so good!
time to make candy necklaces!

i used different types of "o" cereal...fruit loops worked the best.  the kids loved it!
averie's art to the left...ella's art to the right..haha!
next up was the candy walk (think musical chairs) to the song, lollipop! :)
too cute to watch!
kaelyn won...her prize..a candyland game of course!
ella's big cupcake!
so excited!
happy birthday to you....
serving up the ice cream cones

as i mentioned earlier, the adults had cinnamon rolls for dessert. melissa made pans and pans! here they are about ready to go into the oven! we served them straight out of the oven..and added ice cream to the side.  heaven is all i have to say!  see recipe here.  we had a lot of leftovers so some guests left with their own pan of cinnamon rolls to go!

present time!  she was so excited!
a martha stewart banner (bought it from michaels) i assembled
the party went into the night since we changed the time of the party from 2 to 4 (since it has been so hot).  so we lit up the tikis!  great for summer night lighting!
and our patio twinkle lights...everything always looks so magical at night..so i thought i would share a final couple of night shots and the mess!! haha!





ahhh...we made it! haha!  

  after months of planning this party, it was so exciting to see it all come together.  the party was really fun and a lot of fun to plan!!  i hope it offers some inspiration to all the candyland party planners! ;)

81 comments:

Gaggles N Giggles said...

I love all the detail. You really did a great jod. I love the candy wreath.

Bethany said...

UMMMMM!!! I am speechless!! I just threw what I thought was an over the top bash for my sweetie who turned three in July but this was AMAZING!! I absolutely LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE every single little detail!! You truly did a fabulous job and I KNOW beyond a shadow of a doubt you will inspire many others out there!

Glad I didn't know there are Candyland bounce houses! We live in AZ and it was 115 the day of the party...way too hot to go outside and especially to bounce, but I would have wanted one!

Love the chalkboards and frames! And the gumdrops wreaths! Really...there is nothing NOT to love! It is all perfection!

Now I have a question for you...what are you planning for her fourth birthday? Maybe I am doing the same theme for my daughter and we can bounce ideas off of each other!!

jessica said...

thank you so much!! :)

bethany-totally know what you mean with hot weather and bounce houses...we thought the same thing..but then we changed the time, and our backyard becomes really shady so we thought we would go for it! fortunately, it actually was really nice out!

now, for her 4th bday. i was set on an alice in wonderland type tea party. but now i am open to options because i feel bad for all of her little boy friends..haha. so i guess i will see. i am starting to plan my son's bday which is in march. i want to do a carnival/circus theme. what theme did you decide on?

oh, and your party was one of the cutest i have seen!! i loved it!

Kati said...

Can you do this party again in a couple of weeks so I can actually eat all the delicious food and goodies I couldn't even look at the day of the party?!?!? HA HA HA

Also, I saw that chalk board at the Temecula Home Goods like a month ago...I almost bought it...when I decided not to I truly did think, "I bet Jessica will find this and get it!" HA!!!! I was right!! :)

Great party!! :)

Bethany said...

Hi Jessica!! So for Gentry's 4th I am thinking something along the lines of fairy-ish. But not pastel, soft colors and such...bright and cheery instead! I want to incorporate mushrooms (but hot pink ones) and little gnomes here and there...so kinda forest-like, but still very glam and girl. Does that make sense whatsoever? A friend sent me some links and I did a little research on my own and have TONS of things bookmarked!! If you ever want to chat through email, mine is bethany.m.graham@gmail.com

Feel free to drop me a note anytime! If you are interested I'll gladly share my links!

Huntler is going to Legoland instead of having a party so I am good to go until next July!! LOTS of time to plan!!

Amy said...

Oh my gosh...adorable! I got to your blog through Genn's blog and I love all of your cute ideas. I had a candy shop birthday for my daughter's first a while back and I wish that I had some of your ideas then. Great job! On a side note, is there an Erica in one of your pictures? I think I went to college with her. Haha small world!

amy & lisa said...

Wow, wow, wow! Great party. Lots of work!
I'm going to be doing a 3rd birthday candy party in October. I now have some more great ideas! Thanks for sharing. :)

Have a great day.
Lisa

Sarah said...

wow! thank for posting all the picture. Gave me so many ideas for my daughters candyland party. loved your parties can I come next time! hahaha! j/k

Melissa @ Silly Bee's Chickadees said...

I luuuuuuv pictures. The more the better. Everything looks so fun! My favorites: the candy wreaths and topiary, the toothbrush idea!, the candies hanging from the ceiling and the cotton candy cones. The candy's hanging from the ceiling remind me of Christmas decorations from my mom's porch that we used to have as kids. We made Hershey kisses with foil, giant candies like yours, and peppermint candies. I "served" cotton candy at my sister's bridal lunch and it was the first thing to go!

Melissa @ Silly Bee's Chickadees said...

Ooops- I forgot to mention I saw your party on Creative Parties and Blogs and followed you here!

Delia said...

I'm also planning a Candyland party for my 2 daughters. Love your ideas...thanks for sharing!!! I am also wanting to facepainting, but don't want to have to hire a professional. Any suggestions on how I can do this myself? Thanks!

jessica said...

Thanks delia! I felt the same way with the face painting so I had a close friend do it. The kids don't really care they just love it. Then a few of the older kids ended up taking over and painting the littler ones faces. It was an all around hit! Good luck! :)

Delia said...

What kind of paints did you use? All the websites want you to buy "professional" face paints, but I that's just too complicated for the simple designs we'll be doing. Just regular acrylic paints?
I just saw the invitations you made for this party. Very creative!

Jacqueline Vargas said...

WOW! you did a fantastic job!!!!I would love to host a birthday party like this for my daughters 2nd birthday. Are you planning to sell any of the "candy" pillows?!?! I would love to take them off your hands =) And any other items you'd like to sell so I can create a yummy candyland for my little one!
eddieandzudannie@gmail.com

urimages said...

awesome awesome...
i am using the same concept for my daughter's first birthday !!!

Dani said...

SUPER CUTE party! Im all about the details also and you did a fab job!! Im planning a Candyland Party for my Daughter in April (how I found your blog) and you have definitely inspired me! GREAT JOB!

Melissa said...

hi!
i love love love the pictures of this party! looks like so much fun! i am thinking of doing something similar for my daughter's birthday. how did you make the candyland path?

Kristy {the purple pug} said...

Seriously AWESTRUCK over this party. There are a lot of Candyland themed parties floating out there nowadays..but... This party, without a doubt, is the most unique, beautiful, inspiring, whimsical, detail driven party I think I have ever seen. Breathtaking and clearly an enormous amount of thought, time and talent...Very inspiring and an absolute perfect presentation..LOVE to infinity!

AHHA Party Designs said...

Just curious, as to which spacewalk company you went with. I live in Louisiana and am hoping you used one of the national companies. I can't seem to find anyone with a Candyland Bounce House yet I am determinded since I am doing the candyland theme for my daughter's 3rd birthday as well!! BTW, I love everything you did...you are truly an inspiration.

Anonymous said...

I admire the amount of work, preparation, and planning that must have gone into a party like this. For that, I am absolutely in awe. However, I struggle with the questions these types of events raise for children and parents of children. In the era of financial recession, education over good eating habits and health, one has to wonder is a "real" candyland worth it to a 3-year-old who would just be as content to enjoy the company of friends and parents as to injest their weight in sugar?

jessica said...

melissa-for the path i just used construction paper and tape! i had found some sticker decals online that i just stuck on randomly throughout the path like the actual game. super easy!

sweet bites-i used a local bounce house company in town. i was surprised i even found it there..it wasn't even listed as an option on their website. it wasn't until i called and told them my theme that they mentioned they had one! good luck!!

and thank you to everyone for your sweet comments!! :) i really appreciate it!

Unknown said...

Sugar heaven! Great details! Really put a lot of work into that!

Kim @ http://frostmeblog.blogspot.com

Rachel Jones said...

GREAT party!! I have one question for you...where did you get your cupcake stand from? It love it. Very feminine and adorable. Thanks so much! :)

jessica said...

Thanks rachel! And I found the cupcake stand at homegoods..I love it! :)

Mary Catherine said...

darling party!! where did youg et the cute ice bucket in white and green?

ER said...

What an awesome party! You're little girl will never forget it. I'm starting to plan my child's party & you've given me several ideas. Thanks

Samantha said...

LOVE your ideas! Where did you get your daughter's skirt???? ADORABLE!

News From Our Nest said...

Great job, this is the best candyland birthday party set up I have come across! I'm planning on doing one for my three year old next month, not sure I can accomplish it on this same scale though!

jessica said...

mary catherine (sorry i just saw your comment!) i got the ice bucket at target.:)

and samantha i got ella's skirt on etsy. if you want me to look up the seller let me know!

Anonymous said...

WOW...I LOVE every detail your incoporated into the planning of this Candyland party! I'm doing the same theme for my daughter's b-day in July!

How did you go about making all of the various centerpieces. I love how each one is different, yet absolutely adorable! Where did you buy most of the decorating supplies? Also, did you make the dipped cones, chocolate covered treats, etc? If so, do you have recipes you used? Thanks so much!

Anonymous said...

WOW...I LOVE every detail your incoporated into the planning of this Candyland party! I'm doing the same theme for my daughter's b-day in July!

How did you go about making all of the various centerpieces. I love how each one is different, yet absolutely adorable! Where did you buy most of the decorating supplies? Also, did you make the dipped cones, chocolate covered treats, etc? If so, do you have recipes you used? Thanks so much!

Unknown said...

I love this whole idea. I am linking this to a blog post I'm doing about great party ideas. Hope that is okay!

Jami Schoettler said...

WOW!! I love this party. I totally want to do this for my daughters 1st birthday, who's name happens to be ELLA BELLE haha... This is just amazing. How did you find time to make all the yummy stuff and CUTE decorations? Simply wonderful.

Anonymous said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Ally said...

This party is incredible. My twins are turning 2 in November and for the last 3 months I've been looking for ideas. Many of your ideas are the same as mine and then of course you have so many more! Thanx for all the inspiration. As it will be high summer in South Africa in November, I'll also be doing loads of home made lemonade. Where did you find that fabulous glass lemonade jar? I think I love that more than anything else lol. I also love love love the candy topiaries.

Thanx so much for all the great ideas! Your kids are truly lucky to have such an amazingly creative mom! :)

Briana said...

ALL i can say is AMAZING. you should definitely be a partyy planner or something..OMG! im gonna make my daughters first birthdayy POSSIBLY a candy land one..but not forsure since she wont be able to enjoy much candy.but 3 sounds like a good age if not! Thankyou for sharing this, i got lots of ideas from this. I don't think i've found a more helpful page yet until yours :)

Sarahw/3kids said...

Amazing! Tell me I can do this on a budget! :) Thank you for sharing this, I have gotten some great ideas. You can't find Candyland theme items from most party retailers so it's nice to know we can come up with our own stuff. I'm totally jealous of your creativity!

Erica said...

I was so excited to find this post! I can't wait to incorporate some of your amazing ideas at my daughter's Candy Land party in November. How long did you start working on things beforehand?

Ann Spellman said...

I make cakes and my daughter called me and said she wanted a candyland cake so I went looking and found your party. It was so so wonderful. I'm planning my 50th birthday party and I'm planning on a candy bar.Now I just want it even bigger. Ann S. from Ga

Anonymous said...

Absolutely LOVE it! My daughter will be 13 and I'm planning a Candy Land Party. I was just thinking about having a bouncy. It's not until January but I've already started planning. Thanks for sharing.

kids birthday party games said...

wow..what a great decoration for a kids birthday party...
i am feeling geed to be here because i love birthday party...

abbey said...

I was speechless after looking at your pictures! I love them all! I teach kindergarten and I'm planning on doing a candy theme, and your pictures have given me so many ideas! You're so talented! Thankyou!

Circus Peanuts said...

These decorations and goodies look amazing, you did a really nice job on putting this together. Thanks for sharing!

Kristi said...

Your birthday party is still inspiring...two years later :) I'm planning a candyland birthday party for my soon-to-be five year old daughter in October. I'm trying to find a good idea for invitations. Did you custom order your invitations or make them yourself?

jessica said...

Kristi-my sister, Melissa, actually made them for me. Her email is Melissa@huckleberryprairie.com if you want to ask her how to create your own :)

Daisy said...

hi,
absolutely love your pictures, ideas, creativity, everything!! I wanted to ask you about your invites, im trying to make something myself for my three year old daughter and i wanted a little idea with the invites, i was leaning somewhere towards a lollipop invite. Any suggestions??

Daisy

Maddie said...

Thank you so much for your awesomely cute ideas! I am a 17 year old girl who is helping to decorate for a youth dance for my church with the theme of candy land. I will defiantly be using some of these ideas. :)

Anonymous said...

What a SWEET party. you did a fantastic job.Id like to know where you found all the toothbrushes? Didi you order in bulk? Please email me
missloveltiff2@yahoo.com
Thank you so much!

Anonymous said...

Did you have insulin on hand, cuz these kids are headed for a diabetic coma

Anonymous said...

Absolutely Beautiful!

Samantha said...

I'm planning my daughter's 3rd birthday party (have been for months) and am so inspired by your blog! You did such a wonderful job and everything turned out absolutely amazing! For everyone else who's planning a Candy Land party I found an awesome Gingerbread cardboard house cutout that I'm setting up and the kiddos are going to build gingerbread houses (purchased on clearance after Christmas). We're also doing a Lollipop Painting Patch and I'm hanging up a huge sheet of paper for the kids to paint on (with big lollipops stuck all around). Hope my ideas will help add to this amazing party here:)!

Caroline@Creative Party Themes said...

WOW! What an amazing party! That is a lot of candy! Every inch of your home looked amazing. I really liked how you welcomed your guests right off the bat with the Candy Land entrance. Beautiful.

Anonymous said...

I'm planning my daughters 2nd birthday and wanted to do Candy Land theme, do you think 2 if to young for that? Should I wait until 3 or 4? I LOVE everything you did, its looked great!

Anonymous said...

Wow amazing party!!!! Thinking of the same theme for my daughters 3 birthday, thank you for the inspiration :)

Amanda said...

All I can say is WOW!! Wonderful Party and looks like EVERYONE had alot of fun!! Thanks for all the great ideas!!

Kids Birthday Party in Orlando said...

Wow it's an amazing birthday Party. The whole decoration is stunning, especially birthday cake design is superb.

Anonymous said...

Very nice party with detailed ideas. I myself throw really big parties as well. I just geve my youngest son who turned 5 in September a big carnival theme party. I rented rides and everything. I also gave my 14 yr old son a money theme birthday party in November. I know candy land seems more like a girls theme but my 5yr old son loves the candy land game. I was thinking about giving him a candy land theme party for his 6 th birthday. I was looking for ideas that's how I came across your pictures. I love them all

Unknown said...

Hey I my friends I tell you something can you give me answer please.Planning for any big event or any other special occasion can become overwhelming, especially if you do it without any proper layout. If you contact Party Corner for your next Party, then Party Corner can give you a handy checklist to help coordinate all the exciting details that will make your event spectacular.
Tampa Party Rentals

KellyW said...

Everything looks great.
What did you use to make the color path in the first picture - and to make stick?

thanks

Unknown said...

Thanks for sharing this post I also share with you some tip hope you like. Over and over we hear the nightmare stories of small party rental companies that have not delivered what they promised, have delivered them late or have supplied rentals that are not in working order. In addition, you will often find add-on expenses that you never saw coming. If this is a special event, don’t take any chances, go with the best.
Tampa Party Rentals

Anonymous said...

GORGEOUS. Great job. How did you know how much candy to get? Trying to figure out for a Sweet 16. We're not serving food, just sweets. Do you think 1/2 a pound per kid is enough?

Children birthday parties said...

I like your candy land birthday party post. Its amazing and too interesting. I love all party events especially birthday parties. Birthday party is one of the most important day for every person in this world. Kids are also like birthday occasions very much and your suggestions are perfect to make their birthday parties memorable and funny.

Anonymous said...

I feel like maybe you didn't spend ENOUGH money on this party.

Anonymous said...

love it....i wanna do it also for my daugthers bday

Anonymous said...

Where did you getbher "Candyland" banner? Please email me! Thanks!
qtiesfactory@yahoo.com

Unknown said...

This is very essential blog; it helped me a lot whatever you have provided.
InstaStyle Photo Booth Rentals

Unknown said...

wow..amazing post on Party Planners . love that you did everything

Anonymous said...

Continue the good work; keep posting more n more n more. Brandon L. Jones Photography

Anonymous said...

congratulations guys, quality information you have given!!! derbykids entertainer

Unknown said...

Beautiful Candy buffets. Amazing!
Nice post....

elson cade said...

Bricks 4 Kidz Singapore offers an unique educational LEGO® model building for children between the ages of 3 to 12 years old. Bricks 4 Kidz is the highly popular children’s edutainment program from the United States is now in Singapore!Bricks 4 Kidz offers an unique educational LEGO® model building for children between the ages of 3 to 12 years old. Both children and their parents can benefit from a host of education programs built around the company’s proprietary model plans, designed by engineers and architects, with exciting themes such as space, construction and amusement parks. It’s not a lesson. It’s not a school. There is no homework. It is a creative environment where kids benefit intellectually through quality play and most importantly, fun! We serve Creative Enrichment for Children ,Birthday Parties, Kids at Work Events, Junior and Advanced Robotics, LEGO freeplay and Creativity.

Unknown said...

Using Candyland as the motif of the birthday party, makes you the coolest person ever. I totally grew up with that game. What kid wouldn't want a birthday party around the theme of candy. Isn't that what kids are made of these days.
http://www.alderleyhire.com.au

Matt Voges said...

If you want to arrange a party into summertime, there is no more fun and excitement than rent a water slide game into your own backyard. The popularity of water slide is growing and child's love it very much.

kristinahojholt said...

Thanks , I've just been searching for info about this topic for ages and yours is the best I have discovered so far. But, what about the conclusion? Are you sure about the source?
where to rent a photo booth for a party

Cheap Party shop said...

Simple and wonderful Post. This is the first time I am visiting your site. If U want more info about kids birthday party in detail visit
kids birthday party | kids party decorations

Unknown said...

I found your this post while looking for information about blog-related research ... It's a good post .. keep posting and updating information.wedding photo booth brisbane

Cheap Party shop said...

Simple and nice info about Kids Party Supplies and if you want to know more about different kids party supplies and decorations to celebrate & enjoy with your kids and family with different party themes & balloons and shop them online Visit

Kids Party Supplies

Unknown said...

This is stunning! I am passed up the type of this astounding.I've perused a great deal of articles, however this is one of the best ones that I've perused. Keep on providing more articles this way.brisbane photo booth hire

Cheap Party shop said...

Nice and Simple article about kids party decorations and if you want to know more about different kids party supplies and decorations and shop them at low cost Visit

Emoji Party Supplies

Cheap Party shop said...

Nice and Simple info about Kids Party Supplies and if you want to know more about kids party supplies and decorations to celebrate & enjoy with your kids and family and you can shop online at low cost you can visit

Kids Party Supplies

Allyseek said...

Allyseek is a global matrimony website intended to help you find your life partner. The matrimonial platform connects people from different nationalities and races from anywhere in the world. Trusted by millions of Brides & Grooms globally. Register FREE!.
Visit: Bahrain matrimony