Sesame Street Chic: 2nd Birthday Party

Who knew Sesame Street could be…well…CHIC?! Well Pizzazzerie reader Dana Nussbaum certainly shows us how with her daughter Maddie’s 2nd birthday party full of darling mini desserts, chic decorations, and Sesame street fun! It all started with the invitations. Guests received mini Sesame Street boxes filled with all sorts of goodies to excite them for the party. Upon arriving down the “Sunny Days” walkway, they were transformed into a wonderland of Sesame Street activities and treats. Read on…

THE THEME
Sesame Chic.  My daughter loves Sesame Street (as most kids do), but I was desperate for a new spin on the theme and decided to do a party filled with “Sesame Chic”. J I thought the best way to incorporate the theme and really make it feel accessible and magical was to use the environment of Sesame Street as the backdrop of the party.  My intention was for everyone at the party to really feel like they were on Sesame Street.  We even replaced our street sign with a custom made one for the day!

THE INVITES
I always think the invites set the tone for the party so I wanted guests to know what they were in store for on Maddie’s 2^nd birthday.  Each guests received a box filled with miniature alphabet blocks, a Sesame Street figurine and a small board book which was custom designed to tell the story of a sunny day and give all of the details needed for the party.  They were definitely unique and a fun way to get all of the little ones excited for Maddie’s big day!

THE DÉCOR

• Every table had a centerpiece featuring a plush Sesame Street character and a street sign with Madison’s name
• Every chair was graced with a custom designed chair backer with an M or a 2 and trailing primary colored ribbons
• The kids table was a favorite element – it featured brightly colored gumball machines filled with kid friendly snacks like puffs, fruit snacks and cheerios that kids could dispense themselves into brightly colored candy cups.  Alphabet blocks were also scattered across the table for fun during mealtime!
• The walkway to the party featured signs alerting guests to “Sunny Days Ahead” and even a faux Subway sign directing guests to take either the “M” or “2” trains to Sesame Street
• Wooden props of characters like Big Bird and Oscar the Grouch set the tone for the party and really transformed the yard into Sesame Street
• At the end of the walkway was a beautiful photo posing booth designed bySend in the Clowns and mirrored after the famous Sesame Street brownstone.  Guests could pose in front of the brownstone for a Polaroid pic  before entering the party
• Madison loves pinwheels so I filled all of our planters with brightly colored ones I found at Target – they gave such a fun pop of color to the party
• A giant elmo prop (5 feet tall!!) was the centerpiece of the backyard and was flanked by multicolored balloon bouquets

 THE PARTY ACTIVITIES

• Each of the activities was inspired by one of the famous inhabitants of Sesame Street…
• Elmo’s Edible Beading (kids made their own edible necklaces using Fruit Loops and licorice strings)
• Cookie Monster’s Cookie Doh Creation Station (kids used glittery Play Doh and assorted cutters and rollers to make dough masterpieces)
• MADISON’S Lunchbox Decorating Center (kids used foam appliqués, Sesame Street characters, glitter glue and stickers to decorate their very own metal lunch box!)
• Abby & Zoe’s Dressing Room (The little ones got dressed up in Abby Cadabby headbands, tutus, Zoe’s jewelry and magic wands)
• Big Bird’s Seed Search (The kids sifted through tubs of birdseed to find treasures like jewelry, stickers and more!)
• Mr. Hooper’s Store (This was Madison’s favorite element of the party!! We customized a Melissa & Doug lemonade stand to turn it into “Hooper’s Store”.  The shelves were stocked with kid favorites like bouncy balls, mini tambourines, crayons and coloring books.  Every child got a pouch of play money so they could “buy” all of their favorite treats and place them in custom Mr. Hooper’s store shopping bags!)
• Picture Frame Decorating Station (Kids decorated photo frame keychains to display their Polaroid pics and remember their day on Sesame Street)
• Sesame Street Playhouses designed to look like landmarks from the famous street were scattered through the yard and filled with comfy red pillows so kids could take a break and just relax!

 THE DESSERTS
Desserts are always a big part of any family event and this was no exception! As with the rest of the party, I wanted the desserts to represent the characters / environment of Sesame Street.

• Bert & Ernie’s Celebration Krispies (Dipped rice krispy treats with colored sprinkles to match the incomparable duo
• Abby Cadabby’s Magic Pretzel Wands
• Zoe’s Candy Jewelry (Candy Necklaces, Bracelets and Ring Pops were strung along multicolored ribbons on a white Manzanita tree)
• Oscar’s Dirt Cake push pops (displayed in mini trash cans of course)
• Big Bird’s “Bird Seed” (tubes of candy coated sunflower seeds)
• Elmo’s Crayon Colored Frosting Cones (miniature gourmet sugar cones filled with brightly colored buttercream and displayed on a white painter’s pallet…I had the best time making these!!)
• Cookie Monster’s Cookies (an array of delicious cookies complete with take-home boxes for families to bring a bit of the Sesame Street sweetness home with them)
• The dessert table was finished off with delicious red velvet cake pops, a tower of adorable Sesame Street themed cupcakes and of course the polka dot birthday cake replete with a custom street sign styled topper!

 CREDITS + RESOURCES

– Sesame Street Posing Station & Props (Concept & Creation), Glitter Tattoos & Face Painting, Cookie Doh Creation Station, Edible Beading – Send in the Clowns
– Photography: Jen St. John (jenstjohnpix@gmail.com OR @jenstjohn on Twitter)
-Custom Signs, Foam Character Props / Centerpieces: Playpatterns
-Centerpiece Sticks, Custom Labels, Table Signs: Party On Designs
-Invitations, Table Tents, Favor Tags, Chair Backers, Cake Topper, Cupcake Picks: Mary Had a Little Party
-Balloons: Balloon Emporium
-Birthday Cake: Hansen’s Bakery
-Custom Desserts (Rice Krispy pops, cake pops, cupcakes, dipped marshmallows): Blue Cupcake
-Additional Desserts (dirt cake push pops, candy coated sunflower seeds): Yum Dessert Décor
-Cookies: Diddy Riese
-Birthday Tutu: Chic Baby Rose
-Custom Birthday Tank / Rhinestone Converse Shoes: Princess Patch
-Abby Cadabby Headbands: 21 Creations
-Abby Cadabby Wands: Tutu 2 Cute
-Tutus for Dressing Room: Melody’s Mama