Candy Land Birthday Party

Are you ready?  Here we go.

 

In the fall of  2006, the back cover of Taste of Home Magazine had a picture of this cake:

 

I decided right then and there that I needed to have a baby, that baby needed to age a few years and I needed to make that cake.

 

The next September, Spencer was born.  And I've been planning the Candy Land birthday party since then.

 

I made candies out of styrofoam balls, tissue paper and ribbon.  They were hanging by the walkway to the front door.

 

We used foam squares to make a Candy Land colored path. 

 

It started in the driveway, continued inside and led to the cake.

 

Once inside, balloons hanging from the ceiling were color coordinated to match the floor path. 

 

We had crepe paper streamers that looked like candy land, but were actually from the "aloha" line at the party store.

 

Same with these lanterns.

 

We had CANDY, CANDY, CANDY! 

 

The menu was displayed above the buffet of food.

 

 

Let me interrupt myself for a moment.  I spent all of Friday evening and night decorating and making food.  I had baked the cakes on Thursday night, but I didn't even make the frosting until after midnight Saturday morning.  This is what the cake looked like at 12:30 am. 

 

And this is what it looked like at 2:00 am.  Which is when Michael and I went to bed.

Back to the party.

 

We had many boxes of Candy Land for the Candy Land play-off.

 

People ate.

 

I was mean and took pictures of people mid-chew.  And then posted them on the internet.

 

My mom and dad somehow ended up at the kids table.

 

After eating, the kids decorated gingerbread men.

 

 

And the adults started Round 1 of the Candy Land play-offs.

 

The competition was intense.

 

Elliott drank out of a red solo cup.  Whacha got in there baby?

 

I remembered to take a picture of the food.  After it had been mostly eaten.

 

The Candy Land play-offs moved in to Round 2. 

 

 

 

And then finally, the championship round.  It was my mom versus Michael's Uncle Gary.

 

 

Everyone gathered around.  Nobody wanted to miss the action.  It was silent as all eyes watched each and every move.

And then.  A Grand Champion.  Congratulations Uncle Gary.  You are the Candy Land King of the World.

 

The winner and the runner-up with their prizes.

 

The adults decided that cookie decorating wasn't just for kids.

 

Cake time!

 

The birthday boy could hardly wait.

 

Presents, of course.

It was right after this that my camera battery just up and died.  It was close to the end of the party though.

 

It was an awesome day.  Somehow, even with a baby this year, we managed to have all the food ready before people got here and everything just flowed.  We also remembered to start turning the AC down the night before, so our house didn't feel like hell on earth, which is always nice.

 

I think this cake progression is really funny.

 

Saturday 12:30 am 

 

Saturday 12:30 pm 

 

Saturday 12:35 pm

 

Thanks to all who attended.  You made Spencer's special day so, well, special.  He's still talking about it, which is always a good sign.