AboutGeorgia Blair Expertise Are you planning a child's birthday party at home? Want to make it more exciting than exhausting? A little expert advice can help make it a more memorable event. The Party Fairy's strategies for successful parties can help parents turn down the chaos level and turn up the fun. We specialize in fantasy tea parties - but whether you're planning a sweet and nostalgic tea party or a rough-and-rowdy treasure hunt for boisterous little pirates, we have plenty of tips, tools and techniques to share. Need an idea for a centerpiece? A party game? Wondering whether the activities you have selected are age-appropriate for your guests? Not sure what to do with the two little boy cousins invited to a very girlie-girlie tea party? We can answer a variety of questions on many topics. Chances are good that we've heard your question before - but if not, we've created an entire business from the ability to create and imagine workable programs for children!
Experience As the owner of The Party Fairy, I have personally conducted more than 500 birthday parties for children on a paid basis - and did this free of charge for years before I decided to trun it into a business. All told, I have probably conducted more than 650 parties. My parties feature original storytelling, games and crafts - and offer parents the complete package of party decorations as well. I travel to preschools to perform storytelling programs which combine improvisational drama and interactive role-playing with children, and conduct a variety of imaginative programs for children as part of the special events offerings at The Party Fairy Store. I also host themed summer day camps for children.
Organizations None are relevant.:) And don't worry; nothing odd. Just church and school organizations.
Publications New York Times regional newspapers chain (I was an employee for several years and worked at various newspapers during my 20-year journalism career) I also worked at many smaller newspapers throughout Alabama
Education/Credentials I was a journalism major many, many years ago - shortly after the world was created. :) Although a journalistic background is not particularly relevant to the business of children's party planning, a communications background could prove useful in answering questions from the public. Other Party Fairy employees whose opinions may be sought for particularly challenging questions include a former elementary school music teacher, a newly-graduated marketing major and a new MBA grad. :) What a mixed lot we are!
Awards and Honors Hmmm....
The only ones possibly relevant here are several Associated Press newswriting awards
Past/Present Clients No one of national note or significance (yet!) because my clients are all pretty much under 9 years old! But to their parents, of course, my little clients are all shining stars! :)
Question QUESTION: Hi I am adopting my baby sister. It is also her birthday (She's turning 3) and we are dedicating her (like baptism)all in the same weekend. Do you have any suggestions on how to combine all three in one party?
ANSWER: Good things come in threes!
This is a very exciting weekend, and to be just perfect it should reflect elements of commitment, joy, fun and reverence. To decide how best to do that in one party, I need to know a couple of things from you:
Where will you hold this party? Your home, your church fellowship hall, etc.?
Who are you inviting? How many? Will it be a large, diverse group of family and friends? Will it be open to the entire congregation? Are you including any little friends just for your little sister, as you would at a regular birthday party?
Finally, I need to know a little about her. What's her favorite book, television show, game to play, etc. What does she play with or talk about the most?
I will try to help you come up with some great ideas based on these answers!
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QUESTION: Thank You for your quick response. The party will be in my backyard, I will be inviting about 50 adults and about 50+ children. She loves Dora and Cinderella.
Answer
As soon as I read that she loves Cinderella, I thought about that song, "A Dream Is A Wish That Your Heart Makes..."
It seems to me to be such an appropriate song for this occasion. It even has a line in it about feeling small....and another line about "Have faith, and someday your rainbow will come shining through."
This little girl's celebration certainly is a very special dream-come-true event, as she becomes part of your loving family, and by dedicating her to God at the same time, you are making a pledge to teach her to have faith all her life, that her faith will sustain her and keep her.
Does that song resonate with you as strongly as it does with me as the perfect theme song for this event? :)
I think it would be a wonderful treat for everyone if you could hire a singer to wear a Cinderella costume and show up at this event to meet your little sister, talk to her for a little while and then perform this song for all.
You can do a search online to get the complete lyrics.
I'm envisioning a sort of dreamy, Cinderella blue theme for this event with a lots of sparkle...Imagine Cindrella's dress meets Garden Party!
The yard would look great filled with card tables or patio tables draped with light blue tablecloths. Toss some silver stars (in different sizes) arond on the table and in the center of the table, bunch up some white sparkle tulle. You can set something as inexpensive as a silver metallic balloon weight on the tulle (the kind with the silver stars and spangles) and add some silver and blue helium balloons -- or even blue and white. It will have just enough sparkle and pizazz to make a little girl's eyes widen with delight -- but will be quietly elegantenough to pass muster with the more discerning adults.
If your minister presents a sermon as part of the dedication service, please make sure he knows the lyrics to the song. I'm thinking he (or she) can probably develop a wonderful sermon about having faith and finding rainbows based on the lyrics. :)
I would try to do customized invitations in blue and silver. I'm imagining the kind of card that opens up, with something on the front that says, "Please join us for a Dream-Come-True kind of day..." Then, when you open the card, on the left side you can print a quote from the song. You wouldn't want to print all the lyrics, just a nice quote of three or four lines. And then on the other side, you can have all the information about the dedication ceremony, the reception and birthday party.
This would be my first choice for decor and invitations and invitations because it's simple, it's something she really likes, and it will work on a dual level. The children will love seeing Cinderella, and the adults will get the point behind the song. The decorations will look quite elegant, and the blue and silver is a very classy decor for an outdoor reception.
I would try to use clear or silver plastic plates,etcl for any food being served -- and then look for a Cinderella themed pattern in blue for just the cake service. That way you keep everything a tad more elegant a child's birthday party -- but bring in the fun, age-approriate element for the cake service.
The pictures of Cinderella in her blue dress singing to your little sister surrounded by clouds of silver and blue balloons and blue tablecloths should be absolutely -- well, dreamy! :)
You might have Cinderella present a special gift to your little sister before she leaves after singing the song. You could purchase a pretty little tiara (Michael's sells these and if you use a 40-percent off coupon from the Sunday newspaper, they're reasonable!) all wrapped up in a beautiful blue and silver box.
If you can't find one at Michael's, I can send you to some web sites selling them.
I hope you like this idea and some of it works for you!
