With an impending move on the horizon, Hilda Ramirez wanted to have one last hurrah in her East Dallas digs before leaving her beloved Lakewood behind for life in the ’burbs with her daughter, Sophia. With Sophia’s third birthday close at hand, Hilda had the perfect reason to celebrate; she just needed to fine-tune the details.
Feeling nostalgic for the days when kids’ parties were more about fun with family and friends than pomp and circumstance, Hilda decided to make use of her outdoor space by throwing a good, old-fashioned backyard bash complete with a piñata and pinwheels, sidewalk chalk and bottles upon bottles of bubbles.
Hilda’s vision came to life when, on the day of the party, guests lounged on quilts (miniature lawn chairs for the pint-sized attendees) and kids decorated the sidewalk with chalk art, blew bubbles and swung at a piñata, filled with toothbrushes, stickers and, of course, pieces of candy. When Sophia and friends weren’t busy doodling and having at the custom-made snow cone piñata, they had their faces painted, ordered up balloon animals and enjoyed real snow cones, courtesy of the Enticed Shaved Ice truck. “Everyone there, from the littlest baby to the grandma, loved the snow cones,” Hilda says.
In concept, the party was simple and sweet, but Hilda went all out when it came to the details. Pops of red, turquoise and white accented the party, from custom water bottle labels to balloons and colorful cupcake toppers. Before heading home, each guest grabbed a party favor, a bucket filled with warm-weather essentials: sidewalk chalk, bubbles and sunglasses.
The cake, from Hilda’s all-time favorite bakery, was classic wedding-cake white filled with lemon custard and iced in buttercream frosting – perfect for the warm weather. But it was the cupcakes the kids were after. Hilda paid a visit to Whole Foods where she picked up traditional white cupcakes, which she “jazzed up” with fun liners, toppers and the always-quintessential sprinkles.
For Hilda, the party was bittersweet as it signaled a wrap on her time in Lakewood, but she says it was an overwhelming success and, more importantly, an afternoon where memories were made. Her vision of a sweet, low-key get-together was perfectly executed – going to show that bigger isn’t always better. “I felt like I accomplished that good, ol’ fashioned fun outside,” she says. “Everyone was happy and comfortable. It all came together really well.”
