The One With Olivia's Parisian Bistro Brunch Birthday Party

Could I think of a longer title? Probably.

We didn't have a lot of time to prepare for Olivia's birthday party this year, what with being out of town and doing lots of house projects to get ready for the new baby's imminent arrival. So a few days before my mom came in to town to help with said projects, we decided we'd throw a little birthday brunch for our breakfast-loving two-year-old. And what better theme than Parisian bistro? It was really easy and so adorable. This is pretty much the perfect party idea for so many occassions - birthdays, showers, welcome home parties, weddings. It's my new favorite. It was almost as cute as the birthday girl herself (but not quite). We even played the Carla Bruni station on Pandora to help set the French cafe mood.

It was perfect. I'll be sharing recipes in the next few weeks, but here's a little rundown of the menu:

• Dutch Baby Pancakes baked in individual oven-safe jars for easy serving and strawberries, blueberries, mixed berries, powdered sugar and maple and strawberry-vanilla syrup for toppings
• Mini Chocolate Croissants
• Parfaits made with Greek yogurt, granola and mixed berries
• Individual Egg Quiche Cups
• Chocolate Cake with Vanilla Frosting and Gold Pearlized Sugar
• Double Chocolate Silk Pie

I didn't have my normal paparazzi following her around to take pictures, so these were the only ones I got, but I do think the birthday girl was quite pleased to be the center of attention for the event. She sang Happy Birthday to herself along with everyone else and loved her gold-flecked cake.

Additional sources: Eiffel Tower Centerpiece, Botanicals Garland by Rifle Paper Co