The Bubbly Hostess: Candy, Cupcakes, and Beer | Photographed & Styled by Gretchen Wakeman Photography

This post is just a tad later than the actual event.....I just realized I still had it sitting in draft mode, what is wrong with me? This party was amazing!

My friend...and neighbor, Gretchen recently styled and hosted a birthday party for her little girl who was turning the big ONE! I was pretty excited when I received the invitation telling us this was going to be a birthday happy hour. The invitation read that the birthday girl's favorite things included: after-nap playtime + bottle + snack....which = happy hour!

Beer and cupcakes were served and a candy bar was available for the kids to attack and fill up their goodie bags with delicious treats. We also enjoyed chips, salsa, chicken burritos, rice, and beans as part of our happy hour.

There was a batch of lemonade for the kids and of course a tub of beer on ice for the adults. I brought a bottle of Wilson Creek Almond Champagne for my friend - one of her favorites. She was so excited she added it to the beer tub and enjoyed during the party. Oh, and I can't forget the chocolate fountain complete with pound cake, fruit, and marshmallows. This was the appetizer for the kids....at least, that's how they understood it!

Gretchen's mom made the gorgeous smash cake for her granddaughter....unfortunately, the birthday girl wanted nothing to do with it. Couldn't even get her to dive into one of those beautiful cupcakes made by my friend. The one year old did manage to eat several of the Oreo pops!

What are 5 year old big sisters for? Well, they are there to hug you when you don't want to have your cake and eat it too.....they are also there to set up an impromptu craft table for your party guests after the cupcakes are consumed and gifts are opened. They are available to walk around offering various treats from the candy bar to your guests throughout the party. It was so cute - and tough to resist her generosity. I never had a big sister - they seem pretty cool! I do have a sister-in-law who is older and have considered her MY big sister for the past 16+ years, she's awesome! This 5 year old is definitely a hostess in the making - her mom sets a great example.

I have included a few photos from the candy bar courtesy of Gretchen below - you'll have to check out her blog to see the rest. I took the photo of the wrapped gift and wanted to share, since we knew there was going to be a candy bar ahead of time, I topped off the packaging with a giant Whirly Pop in hopes that her mom will get some great photos of her with it. I love adding a little something extra to the top of a gift.

I wanted to include this party on my blog to give you more ideas for a great event! Enjoy the photos and get inspired!