A Whole Hand

“A Half-Decade of Happiness”

The loud humming of two giant bounce houses eventually turned into a lullaby.  

It’s 4:32 AM. The temperature inside the event venue is freezing, and my neck hurts from staring upwards toward the ceiling for the last six hours. My childhood best friend, a creative genius, entrepreneur, and the Principal Designer for @harlan_haus, is adding the finishing touches of balloons on Journei’s 5th Birthday castle. Over our heads, upwards of 7 feet, was a towering pastel castle adorned with bright balloons of every shade of pink and purple. I beamed with pride as I visualized Journei’s reaction to this masterpiece. Once again, Sharelle and @harlan_haus created something beautiful. 

Pro Tip #1: Invest in amazing vendors. Their high-quality work and efficiency will make your event memorable. For the best results, use the best talent and give them the creative reigns to make their magic come to fruition. Click HERE to shop everything from balloons and decor to her favorite pink dress from Journei’s celebration. 

Let’s talk more about decor. If you have followed DSLB over the years, you know I adore the pomp and circumstance of a celebration. 

This year's 5th birthday fete theme was simple: flood the gates with Barbie, pink, butterflies, sparkle, glitter, rainbows, unicorns, and anything girly.

And we went bold—a giant princess pastel castle, glitter bounce houses, stunning florals in every shade of pink, bright marquee lights, and giant life-size cutouts of Journei. This was accompanied by a custom art wall, phenomenal music, artistic face paint, plastic balls flying across the room from the soft play area, and screams of joy from happy partygoers. 

My kids love celebrating their birthdays, and because our household is blessed to celebrate a new birthday every quarter, Coty and I work extremely hard to ensure it’s an unforgettable fete. 

At 3 AM, we strung the marquee lights together, “J-O-U-R-N-E-I,” positioning them directly in front of the castle. As we plugged in the lights, smiling from ear to ear, we knew this installation would be epic. We used a 4-foot cutout of Journei posing in her dance recital costume, looking cute as a button, and forming the “I” in her name—a little extra pizazz in the decor to match her personality. 

By 2 AM, my newly manicured hands, now dry and coated with film from cutting fresh florals, ached. Seven hours earlier, I managed to sneak away for 45 minutes before the party set up commenced to meditate, relax, and prep my mind for the next 48 chaotic yet beautiful hours celebrating my princess. 

At 6 AM, “Mommy, I am a whole hand,” Journei says the morning of her birthday. With her magnetic and bright smile, although gleaming with baby teeth, she is confident and excited about her special day. Watching her hold up her hand and wiggle her five fingers made my heart smile. As parents, we deeply desire that our children know they deserve to be celebrated and loved. Our primary job is to ensure they always receive it inside our home as they grow up. 

The planning for her party started months before her actually birthday. My best friend, business partner, and life coach, Dr. France Jackson, lead strategist and designer for Rice & Gravy Studio, has been working diligently behind the scenes (and computer screen) nonstop to make this 5th birthday celebration an event of epic proportions. Rice & Gravy created Journei's 8x4 ft custom art wall featuring unicorns and all the whimsy. In addition to selecting the best finger paint supplies to please all the tiny artists, she ensured we turned the wall sideways so the kids could reach it and that it was printed on heavy-duty foam core, so it was durable. 

Pro Tip #2: To ensure every branding element of your event is cohesive and print materials are correctly executed, outsource design elements to an expert. While DIY-ing on Canva is an option, letting a professional handle design is one less thing for you to stress about, and the results will most likely look better. 

Beautiful Photo by Brandon Grate Photography

Many DSLB supporters still rave about the Epic 2024 Galentine’s Celebration. The secret sauce was Dr. Jackson and Rice & Gravy Studio; her ability to execute efficiently at a high level has drastically elevated the DSLB Brand and events. 

Rice & Gravy also created the party floor plan, which allowed @harlanHause to work her magic and decorate (and fit) every activity and decor element within the venue space. This is an excellent resource for your vendors and allows you, the planner, to execute tasks faster and create a game plan for what needs to happen during a quick setup/turnaround.

Pro Tip #3: Create a floor plan, no matter how grand or intimate your event. Being organized and prepared with a floor plan will expedite your set-up time and help your vendors feel more confident about setting up for your fete. 

Custom Florals

Trader Joe’s finest florals were perfect for Journei’s soiree. @harlanhause and I created six bright and bold arrangements featuring an array of pink roses, stock, spray roses, eucalyptus, delphinium, and spray-painted hot pink gypsophila. Sharelle used different adornments like feathers and spray paint to add pizazz to the florals. 

Pro Tip #4: If you are new to arranging florals, select stems in the same color palette. This will make your arrangement more cohesive and look more professional. Click here for the birthday floral supply list. 

La Comida 

When I curated this celebration, I led with the kids' desires, but I frequently thought about what the guardians and parents may need to enjoy the moment. As a busy parent, especially one with multiple children, I find the weekends to be typically sacred rest days. Still, as the kids age, their social calendars full of birthdays take over the schedule. Sporting events, extracurricular activities, and birthday parties every weekend have become the norm, and quite frankly, they can be intense and overwhelming. Whenever I plan an event, I want the parents to have a moment of reprieve in conjunction with their kids having fun. I want them to relax and enjoy themselves, and indulging in a good meal is good for the soul. For Journei’s 5th, I incorporated a combination of quick finger foods plus substantial bites for the adults. With the help of my mother, Journei’s Nana, and her Aunt Felicia, both of whom are highly skilled in the kitchen, I mixed homemade staples like baked beans, mac & cheese, fruit salad, and banana pudding with catered chicken tenders, chicken sandwiches, home fries and an array of specialty sauces like honey mustard, Nashville hot, and garden ranch.

For the birthday cake, I used my trusted Publix Supermarket, which provided a scrumptious cake and a whimsical unicorn cupcake tray that was beautiful yet easy for the kiddos to enjoy. 

The Libations 

REPEAT AFTER ME: An open bar for adults only at a kid's party is the equivalent of an uninterrupted nap on a random weekday. It will always be valued and appreciated. Allowing adults to indulge in the festivities is always fun, and having a custom-curated cocktail menu from Pour Mixology was a win. 

PRO TIP #5: Create beverage names that complement the party theme. Also, there should be non-alcoholic options and beverage options for the kids so everyone can enjoy themselves. 

Meet the Vendors 

I firmly believe that you are only as good as the team you assemble, and I would not be half as successful without the fantastic team of vendors who helped make Journei’s celebration magical. The vendors that made her party exceptional are listed below, and I am forever grateful for their hard work and dedication to make my Journei girl’s day extra special. 

🎀 Venue @Bellezaeventspace

🎈Balloons & Decor @harlan_haus 

✨Production & design @riceandgravystudio

🏰 Giant castle @queen_charlotte_design

📽️Videographer @fadeawayzproductions

📸 Photographer @brandongrate_

🎵DJ @mickiblendz

🍭Sweettreats @raevincreationcookies 

🦋Bouncehouse @paradiseplaylandcharlotte

🔠Marquee Letters @charlottemarqueelights

🌈Giant Coloring Wall print @emeraldvinyl 

🎨Facepaint @facepaintcharlotte

🎠Balloon Artist @madeyalookballoons

🧁Softplay @tinytots_clubhouse 

🥂 Mixology @iamtaylorred 

I need to improve in many areas as a parent. Sadly, I'm not the best at leisure kid activities, like arbitrary games and pretend play. I can occasionally sing educational songs, but playing with dolls or hide and seek isn’t my forte. Even with four kids, my desire to maintain structure and a regimented schedule does not always allow me to play pretend freely. Perhaps I cannot handle overstimulation and loud noises in abundance. However, as a parent, I always excel at one thing: planning epic, memorable birthday parties for my babies. I find joy in knowing that on their birthdays, I can create magical moments that they remember and talk about forever. 

I have been struggling to accept that my firstborn baby girl is growing up to be a full-blown big girl. It’s the craziest thing to see your little squirmy angel turn into a blow-walking, talking, fierce queen, but it’s also one of God's greatest gifts. Her agency and confidence as she navigates through the world is inspiring. Recently, during a parent-teacher conference, Journei’s teacher raved about how wonderful it was to have Journei in her class, and she called her a brave princess who knows how to solve all her problems. As a mother, hearing that brings joy to my heart. 

Thankfully, Journei is still at the age where she loves to cuddle and hug (hug attack, as she calls it when runs jumps into my arms), and preparing for this 5th birthday party to honor her was creatively rewarding yet physically taxing. Still, her smile, gratitude, deep belly, and high-pitched laugh (always filled with joy) will make it worth the ride and the lack of sleep. 

Marri is turning 7 in a few months, and those who remember his Epic Superhero Spider-Man 5th Birthday Celebration know that I am ready to execute for the young king. 

Stay tuned… & Follow the DSLB Social Channels for more pro tips on how to DIY your festive celebrations and make them unforgettable.