HOT NEW Scottsdale Restaurant hosts a "Magical" Children's Party featuring Wine AND Pixie Dust!!!

Yesterday, I had the ABSOLUTE JOY of doing a birthday party for Alex (4) and Talullah (2). Alex and T's parents (Rich and Julie) are the proud owners of Scottsdale's NEWEST HOT SPOT - 5th and Wine. It is a FANTASTIC new restaurant located at the corner of 5th Avenue and Marshall Way in Old Town Scottsdale. The food and wine are fantastic and who would have thought... It's the PERFECT place for a birthday party... But, not just a rockin' adults birthday party - a children's birthday party! BRILLIANT! 5th and Wine does have a gorgeous room at the front of the restaurant for private parties that I have utilized for birthday celebrations, meetings, wine tastings and many other things, but it also has a great patio in the back that is covered with sail shades. It allows in just enough sunlight for a great afternoon, but also provides just enough coverage if we happened to get a drop of unexpected rain in sunny Arizona.

For this particular event, we utilized the patio - VERY KID FRIENDLY! The chef, Steve B., created the PERFECT menu for the kids consisting of fried bologna and cheese sandwiches, tiny tots grilled cheese sandwiches, mini sliders, french fries and of course a wide variety juice boxes. For the adults, there was an assortment of fresh gourmet bruschetta, delicious antipasto trays and AN OPEN BAR! YES!!! You heard me right... The bartender was making everything from bloody marys and mimosas to margaritas and cosmopolitans. It was AWESOME! Chef Steve is great! He is always willing to take special requests... If there's something the party really prefers to serve, he is always willing to try it. For instance, I did a really upscale 40th birthday celebration at the beginning of the month and the birthday boy wanted a nice three-course plated dinner with Prime Rib. Now, 5th and Wine has a much more relaxed menu than Prime Rib, but Steve didn't hesitate. And not only did he graciously accept the special request, HE HIT IT OUT OF THE PARK! It was incredible!!! He has done this with other parties too! So nice to have such menu flexibility!

Scott Y. and Scott V., the restaurant managers are continuously AWESOME about allowing me to be SUPER CREATIVE with my designs for the events I have done at 5th and Wine. For this children's party, my vision was to really turn the patio into a Mickey and Minnie Wonderland. I can tell you from lots of experience in doing events at restaurants... THIS IS HUGE! Most places tell me this is what we have and we really can't change anything around. SO FRUSTRATING! But, not 5th and Wine. I always come in asking for something crazy and they are ALWAYS so obliging and ready to get out there and help me. It really is so refreshing! The patio at the restaurant is completely surrounded by buildings and is stanchioned off so it was perfect. The adults could relax with a cocktail and the kids could run wild and just have a blast!!! It really was the perfect venue for so many reasons... Take a look at all the fun stuff I did to make this a Simply Spectacular children's party!

This is the invitation that I created for the party. I really wanted to do something that was TOTALLY DIFFERENT and reflective of Mickey! I wanted it to be something people hadn't seen before and people loved it! They were a lot of fun! I pieced them together so they truly are hand made! Several parents actually came up to me and told me that their children asked to see the "Mickey Invitation" almost every day prior to the party. Soooo cute!!!

I found these great Mickey and Minnie Airwalker Balloons and tied them at the entrance of the patio. So, as the kids came in they were greeted by Mickey and Minnie... It got them soooo excited!

Here are some close up pictures of the balloons! They are 52" Tall so it was soooo cool that they were bigger than the kids! They all kept running up to give Mickey and Minnie big hugs!!! SOOOOO CUTE!!!

Ok... These are the kids tables! Aren't they soooo fun! I have a company that I use all the time for these! They are the perfect size for kids and worked PERFECTLY on the patio at 5th and Wine. They are draped in black linens with yellow runners and of course... RED CHAIRS! Then, red, black and yellow balloons tied to each chair. I set them up together and then the adults section was just to the left. So, the kids could take their little chairs and sit and eat and the parents were right there to watch them!

This was the birthday cake! Trish at "Icing on the Cake" created this masterpiece! It was a banana flavored cake with vanilla butter cream frosting! It was PRECIOUS! The Mickey and Minnie attached to the cake are actually piggy banks so the kids got to take them home!

And... of course we had to dress the kids in the Mickey and Minnie costumes. I am telling you... It MADE the party! They were ADORABLE! The costumes were pretty inexpensive and it made a huge impact. The kids loved it!

Of course, we couldn't leave big brother John out! He dressed as Sorcerer Mickey. He came with a gorgeous pristine face and with the incredible face painter we had, he turned into SCARY Sorcerer Mickey before the afternoon was over.

Tina Celle, an AMAZING photographer here in Phoenix also came to the party and set up a photo station. We had a white backdrop with lots of red, black and yellow balloons and then we had a big stack of Mickey and Minnie stuffed animals. The kids got to get their pictures taken. Some families even got great shots that they could even use for Christmas Cards... It was a really special touch. Tina was FANTASTIC with the kids and interacted with them the whole day. She captured some incredible shots that I will FOR SURE share with you once she sends them to me! Its tough to get great pictures at children's birthday parties and it is so worth it to have a photographer come so that you as the parents can just relax and know that at the end of the day, you have it all on film to look back at and remember that special time! So, call Tina! She is QUITE THE PRO!!! http://www.tinacelle.com/ or (480) 264-0977 YOU WILL LOVE HER!

We also worked with the Terry at Scottsdale Horse and Carriage. Ernie the Clydesdale and his beautiful carriage pulled up to the doors of 5th and Wine every 15 minutes to take the children and their families on a quick little ride through Old Town Scottsdale. It was AWESOME!!! This could be done for any event at 5th and Wine but I have to tell you... The kids loved it! They loved riding in the carriage like Cinderella and mostly petting Ernie the horse and giving him kisses!

Here are some pictures of the EXTREME face painting provided by Mr. Rainbow. He is BY FAR the best face painter I have ever worked with! I was blown away! I mean, look at these faces... If you click on the picture, it will blow up the picture so you can see the detail. I DEFINITELY recommend Mr. Rainbow! He will be coming with me to all the children's birthday parties I do from her on out... HE ROCKS!!!

Mr. Rainbow's son Jeremy is the EXTREME balloon maker! He is available too and look at his creations! WOW! The Buzz Lightyear back pack super shooter was incredible! And how about that Mickey and Minnie Mouse! WOW!!! The evil skeleton mask was pretty amazing too! What a team these two were... LOVED THEM!

The boys and girls both had personalized take home gifts that were OF COURSE Mickey and Minnie themed... They had darling little trinkets that the children just loved! They were super simple but were absolutely precious!

Then, to top it all off, I had my dear friend Erin Sweeney and her precious mother make THE CUTEST Mickey Mouse Rice Crispy Treat Pops! I bought one of these at Disneyland a few years ago and just thought it would be the most adorable take home treat for a kids birthday party! And they really were! Erin and her mother do the most UNBELIEVABLE cupcakes for me all the time and when I came to her with an unusual request, she was thrilled to help and completely outdid herself! They were cut out to look like Mickey and dipped in chocolate and covered in rainbow sprinkles! They were PERFECT! Something tells me Erin and her mother will be making these again VERY SOON!!!

These are the little thank you notes I designed for Alex and Talullah. They turned out super cute! They are individual fold over cards with the image on the front and they each have their own. Lots of fun...





So, Alex and Talullah's Mickey and Minnie Birthday Celebration was a HUGE SUCCESS thanks to sooooo many people who helped. Hopefully, this shows you AGAIN that thinking outside of the box can make for a SUPER FUN and SUPER MEMORABLE event! Even if it is a children's birthday party. Of course, you can always have it at Chuck E. Cheese, in your backyard or at a Bounce House, but why not venture out of your comfort zone and try something a little more non-traditional.





I can assure you that all the parents in attendance yesterday at 5th and Wine would assure you it was an afternoon not to be forgotten. It was soooooo much for ALL! And isn't that important??? Parents and kids should both have fun and 5th and Wine was the PERFECT spot to accomplish that! I guarantee you that the restaurant will be added to each of those parents repertoire as a place they can go alone for a quiet night out, a place they can take other couples that is sure to impress and MOST IMPORTANTLY a place they can take their kids and be assured that they will not only be welcomed at the front door but will all have a great time dining out as a family too!





If any of you readers are hosting a party in the future and need assistance, please feel free to contact me. Simply Social Event Design is always here to help with anything... I do anything from party/wedding invitations and day of coordination to complete design and coordination of any type of event. I have 10 year of experience in social events, fundraisers, corporate meetings and trainings and of course weddings. I love creativity and most of all love entertaining, so give me a call!





Until next time...