Last weekend we threw the girls an ice cream soiree. I have a whole bunch of party pictures to go through, so I thought I'd show you some party details before I showed you the adorable birthday girls.
I knew I wanted to have an ice cream party because both my kiddos are not the biggest cake eaters, so I went hunting around the amazing world-wide-web for some inspiration. When I found this blog I knew my job was going to be so much easier.
Darin got to work downloading the graphics and making them easier for me to edit, and I put together a little invitation.

I had a lot of fun putting together some details to make the party even more fun. It was a lot of work, but totally worth it.
I decided to keep the drinks simple: water bottles and pink lemonade.
This blog post inspired me to take the water bottles up a notch and cover them with custom labels. Since Darin already prepped the artwork for me, these were really easy to design and print. Once they were trimmed, I cut the labels off each water bottle and taped my own labels on. The little bit of glue left behind from the original label was awesome to keep my label stuck down while I was wrapping it around. And I didn't worry too much about just using regular ole scotch tape to attach my label.
Aren't they so cute all lined up? I'd totally recommend adding this touch to any party!

My sweet sister picked up this cute beverage dispenser for me, so we filled it with pink lemonade, some ice, and a few lemon slices too. I wanted to be sure the kiddos could enjoy the lemonade without parental worry, so we were sure to buy cups with lids and a bunch of pink straws too! Inspired by this idea, I wrapped some cleaned jars with scrapbook paper and ribbon for the straws and silverware.

We all enjoyed a delicious potluck dinner (which I refused to organize, telling people to bring whatever they wanted, and was pleased with the variety and yummyness of the food offered) and the kids played at the park for a bit...and then the main event: ice cream!
At the front of the table, specially chosen paper ice cream bowls with custom labels. Printed on sticker paper, cut out, and stuck down. Easy peasy...except for the part about cutting out 50 labels! Good thing my sweet husband agreed to help me.

Darin kindly dished out ice cream as folks chose what sauces they'd like. We decided to make homemade sauces, and it took us less than an hour in the kitchen on Thursday night to make four choices: peanut butter, chocolate, strawberry and caramel. They were so amazing. We were fortunate to be able to borrow the syrup pourers and attach sticker labels to them as well.

Then, of course, came the sprinkle toppings: mini chocolate chips, chopped peanuts, coconut, sprinkles, and gummy bears. I loved seeing how everyone decorated their sundaes! The toppings were placed in paper sacks and labeled with stickers on popsicle sticks. I was inspired by the idea here.

A little whipped cream and a cherry on top to end it all. And of course, a pink napkin and spoon.

Then on to enjoy the sundaes! This girl certainly did...declaring it the "best day ever!" as she dove into the ice cream.

This little one was pretty happy as well.
Friends and family lined up to get their own sundaes.

I forgot to photograph them, but I did up a little party favor in keeping with the theme as well. Inspired by the idea here, I used the same ice cream bowls but added a labeled lid, and some ribbon and a pink spoon to decorate it. Inside the bowl was a handful of kid-appropriate candies and an ice cream game that I cut using a cricut cartridge. The girls and I played the game yesterday and it was a lot of easy fun.
With my girls having birthdays just two months apart, it was wonderful to split the difference and share a party! And I've got a whole year before we do it again!
Here's a few other ice cream ideas I bookmarked but didn't get around to using:
-an ice cream pinata
-an ice cream favor made from a washcloth
-I liked our pink and white color scheme, but this party had pink and orange and white that was adorable too
-I would have loved to package favors in these adorable bakery bags
-too many cute things at this party to mention
-ice cream cone crafts here and here
-and I really wish I had had the time to make these poms...maybe next party!