“Somewhere
over Isobel’s rainbow”
Sun.Star
Davao, Feb. 8, 2014
“Somewhere
over the rainbow
Skies
are blue
And
the dreams that you dare to dream
Really
do come true”
Ylisha Isobel
Patiño-Ong is certainly a dream come true for her parents, Randall and Vanessa
Ann.
“We are so
blessed by the miracle of Isobel. She came when we’ve accepted that we will
only have two kids. It was such an amazing surprise for us. She is our ray of
sunshine, a happy beautiful baby”, Mommy Vanessa, a furniture and interior
designer, reveals.
With skin as white
as snow, angelic eyes and calm temperament, doting sisters Zoe and Caelie
immediately fell in love with the newest addition to the family.
Isobel also had
that magical and magnetic effect on other family members, her parents’ friends
(including me!) and even random people at the mall. One can’t just help but be instantly
drawn to this darling cherub!
Oz-worthy
Charming Isobel
recently celebrated her 1st birthday at the grand ballroom of The
Marco Polo Hotel with a whimsical “Wizard of Oz” theme.
“When I heard
that "Wicked" would be staged in Manila, I thought that it would be a
perfect theme for Isobel’s birthday. It was something new. After researching
through the internet and Pinterest, I saw cartoon-like “Wizard of Oz” characters
that were so cute. It got me extremely excited with the theme!” the creative
mom shares.
Vanessa
collaborated with the ever-reliable party planner Annie Paz-Lim to make sure that
Isobel’s party will be Oz-worthy. Annie has always been the Ong family’s go-to
person in conceptualizing and organizing their important milestones.
Invitations to
the grand event were nestled in ruby red slipper paper cutouts and came with a
reminder to guests to send their “regrets to the good witch” a.k.a. Mommy
Vanessa.
Somewhere
over the rainbow
As guests entered
the ballroom, a huge and colorful board surrounded with red balloons displayed
the lyrics from the song, “Somewhere over the Rainbow”. This was the enchanting
ballad that Dorothy crooned in the movie version of the “Wizard of Oz”.
Amiable party
host Jymmez Infiesto gamely donned the Cowardly Lion’s costume while the
assistants were playfully dressed as the Wicked Witch and the Scarecrow.
The birthday
celebrant looked dainty in her Dorothy-inspired attire from the Rajito line of
top designer Rajo Laurel.
Meanwhile, eldest sister Zoe
especially requested that she be dressed as Finley, the witty monkey from “Oz
the Great and Powerful”, sans the wings. Edgar Buyan happily obliged with her
young client’s request and designed her shiny blue porter suit and hat. On the
other hand, Caelie fancied being the Good Witch in her lovely Rajito dress.
This
way to Emerald City
“We wanted the
ballroom to look like we were walking on the yellow brick road on our way to
the Emerald City”, explains the meticulous Vanessa.
With Emerald City
as the party’s backdrop, the venue had a rustic feel to it. “We incorporated elements
from the movie like ceiling decorations made of red and powder blue fabric, hot
air balloons as well as Japanese lanterns. In addition, gingham patterns of
white and blue reflected Dorothy’s character in the party decorations", Vanessa details.
The guest tables
had different Oz elements such as picnic baskets full of apples, paper cutouts
in vases, red balloons, characters like the Tin Man and Scarecrow, hot air
balloons, as well as picture frames bearing famous lines from the movie.
The
fun and interactive kiddie games such as “Search the Tin Man's Heart”, “Pass
the Cowardly Lion's Crown, “Witch of the West Relay”, “Dorothy's Learn the
Wizard Dance” and “Scarecrow's Race Relay” also carried the “Wizard of Oz”
theme.
Layers
of love
The four-tiered birthday
cake was a labor of love from the wonderful women behind Baby Cakes. Vanessa’s
good friend and business partner Maite Gempesaw baked the scrumptious cake
while Isobel’s godmother Kay Gempesaw masterfully decorated it.
Each layer was a tribute to
a character or a particular scene from the movie. The first layer featured the gingham
pattern of Dorothy with a house and the Cowardly Lion’s badge of courage while
the second tier was colored silver as a tribute to the Tin Man with his heart.
On the other hand, the third
layer had a garden full of red flowers while the topmost layer highlighted the
3-D character of Dorothy carrying her dog Toto with a vibrant rainbow in the
background. The iconic yellow brick road to Emerald City was strategically
placed in the center of the towering cake.
Guests feasted on the
sumptuous food from Marco Polo’s Lotus Court with the dishes personally and
carefully chosen by maternal grandmother Janice Ong; Basti’s Brew’s Pinoy
Pizza, shakes and coffee; and Alor’s fabulous dessert spread.
As the party ended, the
kiddie guests eagerly received “Wizard of Oz” bag organizers brimming with
goodies.
We share photos
of Isobel’s splendid “Wizard of Oz” party by Simply Gray.
E-mail the author at
mom.about.town.dvo@gmail.com. Visit www.momabouttowndavao.blogspot.com.
No comments:
Post a Comment