Sweet and Sour 16

We decided to make a twist on the ole Sweet 16 birthday party. 

This is the front of the invitation.  I got ideas in multiple places and added my own twist, putting our daughter's face in the number 16 spot.  I printed the cards in color on white card stock and had the standard invite information inside.

SOUR:  We decked the house in citrus colors-- lemon, lime, orange, and pink grapefruit.  I got beautiful looking slices of limes and oranges at a Michaels store and taped the discs to the yellow flat sheet backdrop.  We had the citrus-colored party globe lights from another party, so they were just perfect.  On the little yellow bench that I propped on the counter are four frosted lanterns, in the citrus colors, that I got at Joann's.  (I used votive candles inside the lanterns.)

SWEET:  Yummy cupcakes were dispersed among lemons and white party lights on a yellow framed mirror.

SWEET & SOUR:  We set out a variety of sweet and sour (and very sour) candies on our citrus-themed tray, (that we had had for years, purchased, maybe, at Target?).

For the party girl and her SWEET guests, pedicures, courtesy of an aunt.

Then it was off to the mall, (Bath and Body Works), to make gift bags of fruity (SWEET) soaps and lotions, courtesy of the same SWEET aunt.

Back home for SWEET N' SOUR tofu and chicken, sparkly citrus drinks, on citrus-colored plates.

Then, with inexpensive hairbands and a glue gun, the teens whipped up these SWEET hair accessories, wrapping and decorating all sorts of craft supplies to make the adornments look like old-fashioned candies.

After the dessert of the party cupcakes, the gals retired to the family room to watch such classics as 16 Candles and The Breakfast Club.  More SWEET N' SOUR candies were consumed before the slumber part of the party occurred.

For breakfast:  SWEET fruit crepes.

We actually had a second version of this party, for a different set of guests.  This time, for friends, not from school, but from the ballet studio, and their moms.  It was a late afternoon event, not a slumber party.  Note the different use of the mirror.  Still SWEET cupcakes and SOUR lemons.

The gift bags were filled with SWEET N' SOUR treats.

The Sweet and Sour 16 Party theme was definitely a hit.  Friends in other places were inspired by my Facebook posts about this party to have their own Sweet and Sour 16 parties and/or to tell their friends.

(The thank you cards our daughter sent were written on photographic lime (fruit) cards we picked up at Michaels for under $2 a pack.)