LilliAnn's 2nd Birthday: A Two-Two & Tie Party

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I cannot believe that it has been three months since LilliAnn's 2nd birthday and I am just now getting around to doing a little post about her party....well, actually I can believe it. We have been extremely busy the past few months! LilliAnn turned TWO on April 6 and we had her party at a cupcake and candy store in Bricktown, called Pinkitzel. I was a little unsure about the party at first, because I didn't think that the little ones would sit still in a little room for 2 hours eating cupcakes and playing games. We only invited about eight kids and they were all 4 and under. Toddlers - in a tight space - in a store with unlimited candy and shelves of toys, seemed pretty scary at first! Thankfully, they all did amazing and we had a wonderful birthday party! The theme of the party was TWO TWO & TIE. Everyone wore their tutus and ties for the celebration! I was excited because I ordered LilliAnn the cutest little hot pink and yellow tutu outfit on Etsy...and I just couldn't wait for her to put it on!

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Pinkitzel has two party rooms...a black and white room and a vintage circus room. The vintage circus room was the only room available for children's parties, so that was the room that we rented. I was so worried about her outfit matching the vintage circus colors (yes, I know). When we got there for the party, we found at that just that week they had done a make-over of the vintage circus room and changed it to a "pink, girly, and whimsical" look. It was PERFECT! The room was hot pink with stripes and lots of bright colors. There was jars of candy everywhere and these adorable black crystal chandeliers were hanging from the ceiling. The lighting was crazy in the room...there was a pinkish, orangish tone to it and I couldn't get my pictures to look the way I wanted. So...my picture quality isn't what I would have liked. 

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Our little family at the party

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The decorations were fantastic!

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Each child received a goody bag of candy and a lollipop. They brought out sandwiches, wraps, fruit and cheese trays, and pink lemonade for lunch. 

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Lollipop Littles

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These were LilliAnn's birthday cupcakes! Pink Vanilla Birthday and Malt Shop Chocolate

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Reid and Jett were having so much fun! The party coordinator played a game that was kind of like Bingo with all of the kids. The winner would get prizes and they thought that was so cool!

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LilliAnn was a little bit overwhelmed by all of the people in that one room. She was being clingy at first and it was difficult for us to get a smile.

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She started to warm up towards the end of the party when we sang 'Happy Birthday' to her. We had to sing it twice because she wanted everyone to "do it again."

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The Birthday Princess

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Jeb and I got LilliAnn some Matilda Jane clothes, and from Reid she got a cupcake necklace that was in a little cupcake box. I thought this was just perfect to remember her cupcake party at the cupcake store! She was so excited to put it on! I also gave LilliAnn my "add-a-pearl" necklace from when I was little. It only had one pearl on it, so I had another pearl added. I plan on adding a pearl every year for her birthday.

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How sweet is this cupcake necklace?

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She LOVED opening presents! My mom got her a couple of outfits and a new bathing suit. The bathing suit is sooooo cute! It's bright peach with a flamingo on it and has a flamingo cover-up and beach hat to match!

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At the end of the party, the party coordinator made cotton candy for everyone...can you tell they liked it?

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Josslynn, Layla, & Emma

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Of course all of my besties (Logan, Kari, & Julie) and cousin Mica were there to party with us!

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After we left Pinkitzel, we all went to the zoo! The was the BEST thing for a two year-old birthday! After eating tons of sugar at the cupcake and candy store, the kids were able to run wild and free with the animals! It was mostly our family that went to the zoo with us and it was such an enjoyable afternoon. It was raining a little on our way to the zoo, but by the time we were inside the rain had stopped and it was a cool, spring afternoon...a perfect zoo day! We all rode the carousel, rode the swan paddle boats on the lake, and played on the playground. The kids' favorite animals that day were the elephants, gorillas, and the little birds that they got to feed in the Children's Zoo. 

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It truly was the perfect second birthday. It was small with just close family and friends, and I felt like I really was able to enjoy LilliAnn on her special day. This was the first birthday party that I have had for my children that wasn't a huge production of a party and I loved it! I'm thinking that I'm going to start doing all their birthdays a little more low-key. Reid doesn't even remember his "baseball birthday" at the lake last year that I worked on for months. However, he does remember going to Chuck E. Cheese's on the actual day of his birthday. I have decided that the smaller and more intimate the party, the more memorable it is for the child. I really cannot believe that my baby is two...but here's to many more memorable birthday parties, new milestones, and no more diapers!

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On LilliAnn's actual birthday, I took pink glitter cupcakes to her dance class and she wore her pink "Two" tutu outfit and matching pink glitter squeak shoes. That night she got to blow out the candles on her pink smash cake and we sang 'Happy Birthday' to her...about twenty times! I accidentally dropped the cake, so it was a little banged up when I opened the box. Oops!

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She could not get enough of blowing out the candle. We kept re-lighting it so she could keep blow it out again! She's wearing her first Matilda Jane platinum piece...a tank dress, "Little Bow Pink."

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Happy Birthday LilliAnn McKenzie Rollins!