What heat wave? Zoe's Cool Pool Party!

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Last Friday’s forecast called for 97 degrees and thunder showers......so you can imagine our concern as we prepared for Zoe’s Rainbow Pool Party.  However, the high temps were no match for the cool and colorful scene we designed for the pool area. Mother Nature heard our prayers and luckily t-storms started moving into Newton as we finished cleaning up!

Zoe celebrated her 6^th birthday 2 months early, so that her friends could attend before summer vacations started ....and what fun they had! The pool was the star of this show.  The girls splashed happily, jumped off the diving board, and floated on noodles.  Jen Marchio, swimming instructor/ lifeguard extraordinaire, was on hand with in-pool entertainment and made sure everyone stayed safe.  Other activities included jump roping, hula hooping, sidewalk chalk drawing and water balloons tossing (mostly at Zoe’s dad, who was such a good sport, getting soaked all  day). 

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We set the pool area with a healthy mix of Gold+Bee’s signature handmade decor and kitschy poolside props (we just couldn’t say no to the lawn flamingoes!). The magic of this party was in all the little details. Tiny mismatched wooden chairs and 3 kid-sized tables were set feast style with plenty of streamers and bows. At each place setting, guests received a purple sequined "mermaid crown", beach "goody bucket" filled with colorful squirt toys, rainbow sunglasses and lollipops.  Vintage pastel melamine plates, turquoise napkins and purple forks were set atop a white paper runner with crayons so that the girls could color as they feasted.  As centerpieces, we half-filled antique milk bottles with skittles to display hand stamped muslin “Hooray” flags for guests to wave as Zoe blew out her candles.

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For décor, Sonal made her longest bunting yet, in a scalloped design, that hung along the back fence, framing the scene with a sense of girlish whimsy.   Beneath a giant shady tree, adorned in bright tissue poofs, we set the tie dye rainbow refreshment table and the gift cart.  The girls munched on savory snacks served in pink flamingo and grosgrain ribbon buckets, and were served fresh lemonade to keep them hydrated! Other special treats included a trifle bowl filled with rainbow fruit salad, chocolate mermaid cake with a “Zoe – Hooray” cake topper, and individual rainbow cakes baked in mason jars and topped with cocktail umbrellas.  

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 Around the pool itself, we set bunches of pastel rainbow balloons, enormous flower shaped pinwheels (that looked super cool as they spun in the breeze), and of course, the pink lawn flamingoes (that remind Zoe’s mom of old people in California!).  This party was so cool, we didn’t even notice the heat wave!

* a giant Thank You to the very talented Elizabeth Sullivan, who endured the high temperatures to captured timeless moments with photography!!!

Cheers and happy party planning,

Sonal+Melissa