I’m never one to turn down a party planning opportunity so when Payam’s mom’s 80th birthday rolled around you know I was all over that. We celebrated her actual birthday last week with a sushi dinner (with a shooting firework ice cream sundae). But now we are planning the real deal birthday party. I am so excited.

She loves flowers and purple so I am snatching that theme up and adding a dash of drama by throwing a sunset to dusk dinner outside in her beautiful backyard. It’s going to be so pretty! I’m thinking big glowing balloon balls in the pool, candles and party lights hung from the arbor over the tables. I can’t wait!

The thing I love about Persian parties is they often have festive music that everyone of all ages gets up and dances to, or at least chair-dances to. I love a good chair dance. I have to come up with a play-list and invest in one of those outdoor-music roll-around speakers that works off bluetooth. I’ve always wanted one of those anyway. I bought a silly i-home speaker for Bug’s Princess birthday party but it didn’t work worth beans over the fans of the bounce house. I got to step that up a notch or five.

I also want to compile a slideshow of all her old pictures. Eighty years is a long time to get sentimental about! I’m about knee deep in scanning old photo albums.

Of course there will be Persian food and faloodeh, which is a cold noodle-y-ice cream sort of dish with dripping cherry juice or pomegranate juice. It’s so yummy.

This is my mood board so far. (Images found on pinterest. And one from the family photo album!)

I shall keep you posted!