Pink Poodle in Paris -5yr- Le Menu

A Pink Poodle Paris Party-5 year old  For my daughter's 5th birthday, we got inspiration from the pink poodle partyware sold at BirthdayExpress.com.  We took it a step further my adding a French theme.   I painted a sign for the door that said "Bienvenue" (Welcome in French)

Our decoration colors were pink, (of course!), black and white.  I used pink tablecloths, white and black streamers and pink polka-dot balloons.  Each table had a flower arrangement of dark pink roses with a black and white striped ribbon around each vase.  Next to the vases were black cardboard Eiffel Towers I purchased at Stumps.com.  I have three daughters and therefore an abundance of poodle stuffed animals.  These were used to decorate the buffet and drink tables next to flower arrangements. 

For the buffet table, I made a sign with black poster board and white paint marker that resembled a chalkboard outside a French cafe.  This listed "le menu".  We served French fare for the adults; chicken crepes, spinach and mushroom crepes, baby greens with mustard vinaigrette.  The kids got PB and J and tuna salad sandwiches cut with a dog bone cookie cutter.  I also made sugar cookies in the shape of poodles.  Trader Joe's sells a terrific French sparkling pink lemonade.  The labels are even pink, black and white!  I offered the usual sodas and juices for the kids and mixed up pink Cosmopolitans for the adults.   

I made a two-tier chocolate cake and decorated it with pink fondant.  I used dark chocolate candy wafers for polka dots on the cake and made a free-form, snooty poodle out of white melting chocolate colored pink.  We had French cafe music playing in the background to set the mood.  I found some wonderful imports on Amazon.com.  We liked Edith Piaf and Gus Viseur-very old-fashioned French accordian music. 

For activities, I made poodle ears for the kids out of inexpensive plastic headbands and pink and grey faux fur.  Each kid received these when they arrived.  I also painted their noses black and they had so much fun staying in doggy character throughout the party.  We also had a pink poodle pinata from BirthdayExpress.com. 

One game was Toss the Dog Biscuit.  I labelled three buckets-25,50,100, and spaced them apart, the 100 point one being furthest away.  The kids then tossed real dog biscuits into the buckets.  The one who gets the highest points wins.  We then had a poodle drawing contest.  Each kid is blind folded and has to draw a poodle on a piece of paper.  The birthday girl then judges the best one. 

For favors, I found adorable pink poodle purse kits at Oriental Trading Co.  I put these together before the party for each little girl.  Inside were tiny pink poodle stuffed toys, (Oriental Trading) pink poodle stickers, and pink poodle charm bracelets. (Birthday Express)  My daughter had a wonderful time!  My friend even sewed a pink poodle skirt for her to wear to the party.