The invite was a carefully selected pre-made one with a small magnet attached... it was the theme for the gift showbags at the end of the party for the other little ones. Goes to show even off-the-rack invites can be truly personalised if you allow the theme to be repeated in other areas.
Mich invited about 15 of her close friends. All but 2-3 couples have lil' ones around the same age (0-3).
The event was a satay one and since all of us hail from Malaysia/Singapore, we had very high standards for satay, sauce etc. Her family are real Asian foodies plus Mich's sister just opened a satay joint in Melbourne, so we rested easy knowing that the satay would be quality and as authentic as possible. We weren't disappointed. Mich's dad had the use of an authentic satay "oven"! (A find-in-Malaysia-only satay trough where you lay the sticks over coals to get that all-important charcoal burn and scent.) Along with the sticks were the must-haves of cucumber and onion pickle, authentic peanut curry sauce, ketupat (steamed rice cakes), chicken curry with nasi briyani (cumin rice with aniseeds). MMMMmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm!
The theme was clearly baby blue and red. Evident first from the invite, and the birthday cake-lets. Mich had prepared small cupcakes in blue and red liners, put a small dollop of icing and topped it with blue and red smarties. (The other colours were in a small bowl on the table and on the birthday cake which Mich also baked herself - never waste! Mich had bought two cake stands and stood one on top of the other and tied a red and white striped ribbon at each base.
The same red and white ribbon was also tied on the handles of the small brown-paperbags for each lil' one. The child's name was labeled on a elephant that Mich had cut out on some blue paper using the invite template. Clever repetition of something off-the-rack that makes it totally personalised!
I'd peeked inside the bag and saw that Hannah's had a deep pink tee. Which I thought was sweet of Mich... but it was only 3 days after, when I got around to cleaning the car out that I had a proper look at the Hannah-discarded-because-the-brown-paperbag-was-more-interesting tee.
What touched my heart was the one-step-further Mich took in these little give-aways: she hand-appliqued on Hannah's tee a pink mushroom! (Dunno as yet what was on the boys' tees.) So cute! I love the idea! (Can't be so bothered myself but I must say this is great inspiration I'l def take on board!)
The outside where the main event (food, of course!) was simply decorated. Mich had strung across the small courtyard a few garlands of simply made short mobiles. Circles in blue and red scrapbooking paper had been strung together and then hung from the garland.
All in all, it was such a well-planned birthday do for a lucky young boy. Well-planned because Mich was determined to keep things simple... almost understated. No fancy china, no fancy 4 course meals, no formal seating, no sit around and open gifts session, no flowers, not even a balloon in sight... she and her husband thoughtfully spent their budget instead on gifting each child-guest with something personal, something that will last past the party!
Real inspiration Mich!
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