A Veri Mini Birthday

On November 29, 2014 I lost my baby brother due to a senseless act of violence. I vowed to him that I would do everything that I could {no matter how large or small} to make a meaningful impact in the life of his daughter and my beautiful niece, Ameliah.
Ameliah was only 6 months old when her father died… His sudden and tragic death made me realize how important it was to cherish and celebrate life to the fullest because in the end all you are left with are the memories. Those “mini” memories gives us the strength to continue moving forward.
When I started to plan her birthday party, my initial ideas were big and lavish… Much bigger and much more lavishing than my moderate budget could handle… And so… I asked myself… Am I doing this for her or for me?
I immediately scaled everything down to what she loved… Minnie Mouse and sweets. After all, my goal was to create a day that she would love and a “mini” memory that she could cherish in the years to come. Thus, her theme was born… “A Veri Mini Birthday.”
We decided to trump the traditional Minnie Mouse color palette and opt for one with brighter and more vivid colors to grab her interest. Most of the items that I used were items that I had on hand. While working on the backdrop, I realized that I needed more paper fans. I had already met my $150 budget and so I skipped the store and shopped my home. By doing so, I discovered that round place mats for the table made a great substitution for paper fans… You can find some “veri” creative ways to repurpose items when you shop your home and it’s also budget friendly!
All and all, the party turned out beautifully… She had a blast…. I kept my promise…. And “mini” lasting memories were made!
I would also like to extend a special thanks to my insanely talented baker, Rachael Conway Smith of Hot Mama’s Bakery in Florence, Alabama and my incredibly gifted cousin Justin Tyson of Prototype Designs and Photography for the beautiful images!!!
You all are amazing!
Remember, when you are celebrating any event in life… It doesn’t have to be lavish… It just needs to be memorable!!!

• What People Ate

  It was held on July 4th so we ate bbq, baked beans, hamburgers, hot dogs, dill pickled salad, collards, corn on the cob and southern cornbread!

• What People Drank

  Classic Coca Cola and Juicy Juice for the kiddos!

• Desserts

  We had this beautiful dessert spread for the desserts!!! It included vanilla flavored cake, cake pops cookies and cupcakes! My niece's actual birthday was July 5th, but the 4th was the perfect time to celebrate!

• Party Favors

  Sunglasses, toys and treats from the Minnie Mouse Bowtique!

• Activities / Games

  It was super hot so the children enjoyed water balloons, riding bikes to catch a cool breeze and relaxing in the shade.

• Rachael Conway Smith of Hot Mama's Bakery

  Baker

  Rachael is super creative and insanely talented. Her vision of the our treats were executed flawlessly!

• Justin Tyson of Prototype Designs and Photography

  Photographer

  Justin is my incredibly gifted cousin who has been shooting for less than a year!!! He captured this party beautifully!!!!