A Touch of Style with Meredith: Celebrating a Very Special Three Year Old Girl

Three years ago I became “Aunt Mere,” a title that has brought me so much happiness. When my sister asked me to style and plan a third birthday party for my niece, Lyra, I was overjoyed! We decided on an intimate, outdoor family gathering at Riverside Park in Janesville, Wisconsin.

Lyra is a little too young to have a strong preference on a party theme, so I was able to fully design every aspect of her party. Daisies seemed like the perfect theme for a little girl’s late summer birthday party! I used light pink as the focus, and turquoise and yellow as the accent colors.

Style Details

Every party I host includes a beautiful tablescape, so naturally, I had so much fun styling the picnic tables for Lyra’s party. I was able to find many cute daisy-themed decorations while browsing Michael’s Arts & Crafts store. I designed my picnic tables using all disposable paper plates, plasticware, and cups and napkins, which is obviously ideal for a party with children. The gorgeous white, yellow, and pale pink floral arrangements on the tables were provided by daffodil*parker.

Finally, no birthday party is complete without balloons and bubbles! We had lots of pink and yellow balloons and many bubbles for Lyra and her cousins to play with during the party. While I did not put together party favors for our guests, that is also a fun and exciting idea to explore with endless options for what to include!

I loved picking out my outfit for this outdoor summer birthday party. After considering many options I chose this soft yellow maxi dress from abercrombie. The yellow and white colors blended with the theme of the party perfectly. Lyra wore a dark pink dress, which I paired with the most adorable daisy flower crown, also arranged by daffodil*parker.

Food & Drink

Planning the menu for a children’s party was an interesting challenge compared to my usual dinner parties. I prepared a few easy and fun kid-friendly foods for our guests.

Lyra’s Birthday Party Menu:

Mini Sandwiches

Pigs in a Blanket

Popcorn Cups

Cheese & Cracker Platter

Sliced Watermelon

Mini Sandwiches:

Angelic Bakehouse slider buns
Deli turkey and/or ham
Provolone and/or cheddar cheese slices
Lettuce
Cut slider buns in half. Layer deli meat, cheese slices and then lettuce on bottom half of bun. Top with the remaining half of the bun and secure with a skewer. Serve with condiments on the side.

Refreshing drinks at this party included a pitcher of pink lemonade, juice boxes, and sparkling waters.

Homemade Pink Lemonade:

1 1/2 cups sugar
1 cup chopped strawberries
Zest of two lemons
2 cups fresh lemon juice
Combine sugar and strawberries with 2 cups of water in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for about 3 minutes. Stir in the lemon zest. Set aside and let cool. Serve with lemon slices.

Birthday Cake

Designing Lyra’s birthday cake was one of my favorite aspects of planning her party. My sister works for Sweet Velvet Cake Company, and together we designed a three-layer chocolate cake with light pink buttercream frosting, beautifully decorated with small sugar daisy flowers. For my gluten-free guests, we included one dozen gluten-free chocolate cupcakes as well as one dozen almond cupcakes, all topped with buttercream frosting and sugar flowers.

This was my first time planning and hosting a party for children, and while it was much different (and more chaotic) than what I’m used to, I loved every minute of it! I adored the daisy-themed decor and the adorable combination of pink and turquoise. Happy Birthday, Lyra!