This past weekend we celebrated EV turning 4 with a fairy garden birthday party! Last year when I asked, she wanted to have a strawberry party which you can read more about here. This year when we discussed how she will be turning four, I asked if she wanted to have a birthday party, and if so what kind. Without hesitation she said she would like to have a fairy party. EV is my little nature lover. She’ll spend every moment she can collecting flowers, nuts, rocks, insects, and never misses a flower to stop and smell.
I first designed the invitations through Paper Culture. Going with the theme and EV’s love for nature, Paper Culture has the lovely eco mission of planting a tree for every order! They have a wonderful selection of designs and amazing customer service. I love that Paper Culture sources sustainable materials and is certified as a green business.
Having a winter birthday in upstate NY for kids can be challenging, being outdoors is pretty much out of the question. I did some brainstorming and decided a greenhouse would be the perfect place to host a fairy party for a nature loving four year old! After some searching I came across the Carol Watson Greenhouse, and immediately knew after seeing a few pictures it was perfect. The venue took my breath away when I visited for the first time, and I cannot speak more highly of Carol and her staff! It’s clear decorations were not necessary, but I did display something super special.
I came across Hannah the owner of Sandpiper Lane on instagram and fell in love with her work. She commissioned such a beautiful piece for Elin that I know will be cherished forever, and is already displayed in her room <3. I love that she is a local mom and art teacher in CNY!
For rentals, it was not even a question to call my friends over at Pretty Little Vintage. I was a bridesmaid in a best friends wedding over the summer at the Inns of Aurora. I was blown away by the pieces in their inventory and their natural ability to bring to life a vision you have in your mind. Pretty Little Vintage can transform any space into a dream with the most beautiful and unique pieces. All of the furniture down to the pillows and giant Jenga were rented through them. Head here to check out their ever growing line of inventory for all types of events!
I came up with the idea for the kids to plant flowers as an activity, and Carol one upped me and said it would be a great idea to have them paint the pots as well. If you know EV, or follow my instagram stories, you have seen how often she paints so this could not have been more fitting. They had a great time doing this, I literally put a dot of red/yellow/blue washable paint on a paper plate with a paint brush for each child and let them have at it! The PLV farm table top on the floor with the rug and pillows was the perfect place for the littles to gather, eat and create together!
The Gingersnap bakery did EV’s birthday cake, it was stunning and absolutely delicious! Vanilla cake with fresh strawberries and buttercream frosting. I was going to put some florals on the cake but being under the floral spell in the greenhouse the cake looked so simple and beautiful on its own! It was so delicious!
The donuts were from Glazed and Confused, which were a huge hit, perfect for little fingers and a great option for a brunch event (huge bonus that they travel well)! They are made from scratch in batches of 30, I think my son ate 3 of them that day haha! They have so many different flavors to choose from and love that they can provide vegan, and gluten-free options as well!
As for the cookies, my mother in law picked up flooding as a hobby while making cookies for church last year, and let’s just say I will never buy sugar cookies again! They are the most beautiful and delightful sugar cookies I have ever seen or tasted! When she asked me if she could make cookies for her party it was a no brainer! She spent so much time creating these beauties and even roped in Grampy to helping out too. They were almost too pretty to eat and were sent home with guests as a favor along with fairy wings! I may just have to do a blog post in the future featuring Grammy’s cookie process!
For food other than sweets I ordered sub and wrap trays from Wegmans, Grammy made her go to sausage bread, my mom made a delightful and refreshing fruit salad (EV and my favorite!). Lastly, I ordered air pots of coffee from Shamballa an adorable local coffee shop in town!
You can shop EV’s adorable dress below, she just adored it.
My dress is linked here, a perfect spring/summer staple. It’s from Glow Fashion, an online boutique that recently launched. The owners Danielle and Rebecca are sisters (local to the Syracuse area) and have 7 adorable littles between the two of them!
EV enjoyed every second of her whimsical and gorgeous Fairy birthday Party! She is my kind of gal, loves a good theme, and decorating for any event (even just a typical Tuesday family dinner with us four). With that said out of any four year old child I knew she would appreciate the work that went into this party we are so grateful for all those that came and were a part of it. I cannot believe we now have a four year old! We are so proud of what a smart, funny, witty and beautiful little girl she is growing into!
Thank you for taking the time to stop by, let me know if you have any questions about the party in comments!
Also, if you’re local and available on April 13-14th Carol Watson Greenhouse is hosting their 21st annual celebration of the Senses! It looks like an amazing event to benefit the Red Cross and showcases the finest artists, musicians and restaurants in the area. To find out more head here!
xoxo,
Jenny