What do you get when you combine a pop-up picnic, an epic charcuterie board and the most whimsical sleepover tents?  The best Tampa birthday party ever!  My daughter Anna requested a sleepover for her 11th birthday and being that it was her first, I wanted to make it extra special for her.

This is a different kind of a blog post than you’re used to seeing here, but I am a mom and a photographer who always wants to give Kudos where they’re due, so I just had to share about these Tampa based party companies that took all of my stress away.

Confession- I’m a mom of three and when their birthday’s start creeping up, I get mildly stressed.  Ok, really stressed.  Why you ask?! I am NOT a Pinterest mom who cuts their kids sandwiches into cute little hearts.  I don’t create custom balloon arches for their events.  I don’t own a Cricut and don’t make personalized shirts and water bottles.  I have been to some over-the-top events for kids and I just DO NOT compare to these crafty moms who pay attention to the littlest of details.  So when it’s time to throw a party, I start already feeling defeated.  That’s when I start googling for help!!

These talented ladies came to my rescue!  My first dilemma was figuring out where four extra girls would sleep.  I do have a guest room, but being that it was a sleepover, I knew that these girls would all want to sleep in the same room.  That’s when I found In Your Dreams Sleepovers.  This was exactly what I was looking for!  Not only does she come to your house and set everything up, she also had a ton of themes to choose from.  Anna chose “Glitz and Glam” even though I was secretly hoping she’d pick “Let’s Glow Crazy” complete with a black light setup and body paint.  Oh well, there’s always next year…

She happens to work with these other women who add even more special touches to Tampa events.  Picnic Ave is a company that specializes in pop-up picnic set ups. You have to check out her site too as she has many different themes.  This set-up complimented our Glitz and Glam theme perfectly.  But how could I have a fancy picnic and not have something epic on the table for Anna and her friends?  In comes Sapphire Lagoon with her amazing charcuterie boards!  Now this is a special talent.  I have tried to create charcuterie  boards for holidays, but they never turn out like the ones I see online.  Never!  (Again, not a Pinterest mom)   Obviously we did a dessert theme, but she makes all kinds of boards to go with any event you’re planning.

I am so grateful for these Tampa based companies all coming together to make Anna’s 11th birthday an event that she and her friends won’t forget.  If you’re like me and stress about the details, please consider reaching out to these ladies.  You’ll be so relieved you did!

Here are the links once again:

In Your Dreams Sleepovers

Picnic Ave

Sapphire Lagoon