Little Girl Movie Star Parties Freaked Me Out, Not Anymore

I’ve been Professor McGonegle. I’ve been Medusa. And now I’ve been Makeup-Artist-to-the-Stars, Gilda.

I blame my myriad incarnations on my daughter Bridget, because she loves Theme Birthdays every. Single. Year.

When she was seven, Henry and I mounted a massive Harry Potter birthday party, replete with sorting hats, care of magical creatures and potions classes all while kids noshed on Honeydukes sweets and Butter beers.

Not one photograph was taken at this event, because we were too busy running our asses off, so there’s no way to really extort my kid later. Hmm.

When Bridget turned eight, she asked for a Greek Gods party, wherein she was Athena and all of her friends were various lesser Gods. (Think Hestia and Iris — who remembers them?)

This year, when I asked what she wanted for her 9th birthday, she said she liked the idea of Movie Star parties.

Ack. Ack ack.

The fear of sexualizing little girls loomed large.

Or worse yet, the fear that they may aspire to one day become a Kardashian, which trip-wired a memory from several years ago, when the Bitchy-Mommy Rumor Mill spat out judgements against a mom, who threw her four-year old a Come-as-a-Celebrity party.

Where children were to garb themselves in sequins and tuxedos. Drive up to a red carpet and walk the gauntlet of the paparazzi.

Then have their hair, nails and makeup done, after which there’d be a fancy four-course meal and a dance.

Minus the four courses and the dance, I threw Bridget the exact same birthday party last weekend.

Her eight girlfriends arrived dressed to the nines and chose their movie star names; among them Evelyn LeFaye, Calista Cruise, Wisteria Chrysanthemum, Marilyn Mayo, Cassandra Charlotte and, bucking the norm, Waffle.

Then I ferried them into my Enshantment makeup room (i.e la toilette) where I curled everyone’s hair and gave them all “smokey eyes,” while Henry — known only to the starlets as Minion — served the girls Coca Cola in champagne glasses.

Everly LaFaye in makeup
Evelyn LaFaye in makeup
When Bridget says she needs therapy when she's 20 I'll shriek, "I burned my fingers for you, kid!"
When Bridget says she needs therapy at 20, I’ll shriek, “I burned my fingers for you, kid!”
B and P in bathroompic
Every starlet needs to relax in the bathroom with Barq’s root beer.

Bridget hairpic

I was judging us, until I saw how happy the girls were to receive such elaborate attention.

How excited they were to see their little faces transformed by movie star makeup, replete with beauty marks.

Ms Charlotte Fox post-make-over enjoying a lovely Dr. Pepper.
Ms. Charlotte Fox post-make-over enjoying a lovely Dr. Pepper.
Three silver screen doyennes cloistering before meeting the madding crowd outside.
Three silver screen doyennes, cloistering before meeting the madding crowd outside.

How they laughed and joked as they walked the red carpet with paparazzi cries of:

  • “Who are you wearing?”
  • “Is it true you broke Justin Bieber’s heart?”  
  • “Did you attend The Great and Powerful Oz with Harry Stiles and what does than mean?”

What seemed like an error in judgement, quickly morphed into the best party ever.

J and B red carpetpic
Having been helped from their Mercedes by Minion, Ms. Marilyn Mayo and Ms. Cassandra Charlotte greet their fans on the red carpet.
Calista Cruise dazzles.
Calista Cruise dazzles.
This starlet favors boas and pink!
This starlet favors pink fur! Don’t worry PETA, it isn’t real!
Ms. Charlotte Fox exits the vehicle to a standing ovation.
Ms. Charlotte Fox exits the vehicle to a standing ovation.
Ms. LeFaye at her most devastatingly beautiful.
Ms. LeFaye at her most cruelly beautiful.
One of the paparazzi stops to lend a hand to a starlet whose feet are sore.
A paparazzi stops to lend a hand to a starlet whose heels were a bother.
This starlet only needs one moniker. Waffle.
This starlet only needs one moniker. Waffle.

Even our favorite neighbor got in on the act.

Hitana red Carpetpic

I try not to impose my beauty mishegoss onto my children.

Case in point, when I asked me eldest, Clare, if she’d like her hair and makeup done, her expression indicated that was like asking a fish to walk on land, so I quickly dropped it and assigned her paparazzi duty.

But I realized it’s okay to let Bridget and her friends pretend to be movie stars.

That doesn’t mean they’ll give up their other interests and become Paris Hilton some day. I realized every once in a while it’s fun to find that rare, rainbow unicorn, Glamour, and embrace her.

Everyone on red carpetpicThese seemingly frivolous moments of happiness leave their indelible marks and bedazzle the memories of childhood.

I’d love to hear about things you’ve done for your children that might be next year’s birthday party. And if I could be a Super Hero that would be icing on the proverbial cake.  xo S

All the starletspicstars

10 thoughts on “Little Girl Movie Star Parties Freaked Me Out, Not Anymore”

  1. Yeah – it’s a tough call. The whole glam thing can be a total blast and sometimes the special treatment is a reminder that you are special. It’s all part of the balance, right? And the kids looked like they had a great time.

  2. Oh…love this idea! Probably my Quinnlin is too old now (11!).

    We’re all about the theme parties…favorites among them being a Come as You Are Party (for breakfast and play), an Arts and Crafts Party (with friends I had different art stations set up)…but Movie Star Glam is awesome.

  3. Love the glam party! I also have cursed myself for setting my kids’ party expectations high by doing creative parties myself, steering away from the “party in a box” type of birthdays.
    This looks like sooo much fun!

  4. Best. Mom. Ever. This is so sweet and wonderful!

    I have to admit that every time I saw this title in my reader I keep seeing it as “Little Girl Movie Star PANTIES Freaked Me Out…,” which is totally understandable.

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