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As we started having things like our “last summer” & “last Christmas” here in Portland, the move started to feel a bit more real. Then the house went on the market. Reality started to sink in. In my life prior to babies, I was in real estate, so even after we got an offer on our house, I knew it didn’t mean that it had sold. To spare my friends & family from premature tears, I kept that information to myself. But once the inspection contingency was removed and the appraiser was scheduled to come to come out, I realized that our time here was rapidly coming to a close…. and MUCH quicker then I was ready for.
With only three weeks left in this little house, and with a long list of things I wanted to do, I knew I had to move FAST. My oldest daughter turns 5 in May. I couldn’t leave without throwing her one last party. With the weekend of April 13th being the only one free before the move, I would only have five days to put together a party (Five days?!! That is just crazy talk!).
Now, I have gotten pretty good at throwing parties together over the years, but five days was REALLY pushing it….even for me. The hardest part being that I had to decide on a theme in a single day so I could order supplies from the shop & have them arrive in time. Then, it occurred to me that it couldn’t be JUST a birthday party, it had to be a Goodbye party too! So, on top of my already rushed state, I now had to come up with a theme that was not only kid friendly, but was suiting for an adult celebration as well. Feeling a little overwhelmed, I thought taking a bath might help me calm down…..and that was when it hit me, BUBBLES! No adult celebration is complete without popping a bottle of bubbly….and I am pretty sure every little kid loves bubbles….. So bubbles it would be! Whew!
After the theme was chosen, the rest of the party came together beautifully without too much effort. Even though it took the bulk of my party planning time, I am so in love with how the confetti “5” turned out (even if I did stay up into the wee hours of the morning taping paper circles to my wall….and yes, I am well aware of the fact that it might be time for a craftervention!)
Just like the party planning process, the day went perfectly. The kids sipped on bubbly drinks made of sparkling juice and sorbet, while my mommy friends & I chit chatted and reminisced over Prosecco & Rose. The day was so wonderful & bittersweet, I could tell that none of us wanted it to end.
Saying goodbye to dear friends is never easy, but this final celebration couldn’t have been any sweeter & I will treasure the memories for many years to come!
Can you tell that we ALL had a really good time?!
Goodbye, Portland….. We Will Miss You!!
party styling, crafting, baking & photography: stevie pattyn