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On this day, November 19, 2007

You were and always will be the sweet blessing that was sent from Heaven.

My Oh My! Look how big you have grown!

These past 7 years with you have been full of blessings and have flown! 

Your 3 older siblings couldn't come see you at the hospital when you were born because your oldest sister had strep throat. :(  I don't know if they were more excited to meet you for the first time or if they were more excited to see what "gift" you brought them.  :) 

You went from a little cutie pie...

 

Happy Birthday, our star daughter and gymnast! 

This past weekend we celebrated our daughter's birthday with some of her friends and this was the first year I really didn't have a "theme" for the birthday party (I know, GASP!)  I love themed parties and have had several in years past and you can check out all the cakes I've made in the past and probably guess what each birthday's theme had been.   

But, for whatever reason, my daughter's party this year was "eclectic", but still so memorable and fun!  I found out two things about hosting a non-theme birthday party.....1) My daughter still had a great time with friends and she had fun helping me make her cake with her sister. 2)  I had a great time not stressing over NOT having a themed birthday party :)  So for all you theme and non-theme party planners out there that want to know how to NOT have a themed birthday party, here's how I got one done...

You ask your soon-to-be 7 year old what kind of cake she wants.  She suggests the homemade funfetti cake with chocolate mouse layers and homemade (green) cream cheese icing.  I realized that's the same cake she requested last year, but last year's icing was pink, not green. 

Then I asked what she wanted on top of her cake.  She disappeared upstairs for a few minutes and came running down the stairs with her Rapunzel figurines. Perfect!

We asked our neighbor if we could borrow her #7 birthday candle.  It sorta looks like a "1" candle, but hey it worked! 

When the guests arrived the day of the party, I had them make a craft with tissue paper, glue and jars or "vases".  I want to thank my dear friend, K.C., for the jars and tissue paper that she had left over from her twin daughters' party a few weeks prior. 

I ran out 2 hours before the party started and bought pens, plastic flowers, and butterfly picks at the Dollar Store. I also went to the craft store to buy green floral tape.  I then wrapped the sides and top of each pen with green floral tape with the flowers and the butterfly pick so each guest took home their colorful jar vase and flowered pen.

  

We then played some relay games outside.  One game had the kids use plastic apples and they had to balance them on plastic spoons.  In another relay game they had to run and drop the apples in a basket and tag the next person in line.    The plastic apples and baskets were borrowed from K.C. too who had an "apple" themed birthday party for her children a few weeks ago.  

Continuing with my daughter's non-themed birthday party, she asked to have a unicorn pinata.  I was all for that since we were able to clear out almost all our Halloween candy by using it in the pinata!  There are advantages to having a party just after Halloween and stuffing a unicorn with the loot is one of  the best advantages!  

The kids got a kick out of the unicorn becoming headless during the pinata beating. :) 

Then it was time for some cake and ice cream!  Here's the inside of the homemade funfetti cake with chocolate mousse layers:

So my first non-themed birthday party was a great success filled with smiles and memories!  I may just have to plan another party like this one for future birthdays!  :-)