Ashlyn's Turning 3! ... in September

Yes, Ashlyn's birthday isn't until late September. We have something kinda cool planned for her actual birthday, but we wanted to be able to celebrate with her friends before we left. :)

Here is the birthday girl ready for her guests!


And she wanted to have a Rapunzel braid.


We had a face painting "station" in the bathroom. (It's a butterfly... it came out really light in the picture. She later had a flower on the other cheek that our friend Alicia put on her.)


The theme for the party was a Royal Garden Tea Party. We had to modify it a bit because we had all our stuff packed up on Thursday and really only had the minimum stuff we needed. I had ordered these napkin rings and I think they added a nice touch.


We had a Subway platter for the parents and I cut out peanut butter and jelly sandwiches into butterfly and castle shapes for the kids. I also dipped some strawberries in pink candy melts and put some sprinkles on them.

Here is Ashlyn's cake. It isn't perfect, but it's the first time we ever fondanted a cake (a friend and I have joked about putting together a baking dictionary because "caking" and "fondanting" are real words to us).


Ashlyn didn't want anything to do with blowing out her candle or anything for some reason.


But she was okay with helping when it came to eating it!


Ashlyn and a few of her friends playing ring around the rosy.


The kids playing (this picture is only missing two of the kids who came a little later).


More of our guests (including the missing ones from the previous picture). You can also get a look at the loaner furniture they give you here after they pack up your stuff (or before your stuff gets here, if you've just moved here).


The kids also colored some flower pots to take home. Among other things there were flower seed packets in their goody bags so they can grow them in their pots at home! Overall I think it was a pretty fun party. It seemed like all the kids had a good time. :)