This past weekend, we celebrated my mother’s birthday with a Rio party! A couple of years ago, we commemorated my mom’s big day with a Pan Am party, harking back to her days working at the airline. Though last year’s vibe of her Namaste Spa was serene and tranquil, we decided to spice it up a bit this year!
As you may or may not know, I was born in Brazil and lived there until I was almost 12. Though I’m from São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro is such an iconic city (the second largest in the country) and represents the quintessential Brazilian spirit! We traveled there often to visit our family members growing up and I was excited to introduce my husband on his first trip to Brazil when we graduated college. And coincidentally, my parents met for the very first time in Rio!
Our family also fell in love with the 2011 animated movie “Rio” like so many others, introducing the incredibly friendly and fun Brazilian enthusiasm to audiences of all ages. My daughter was the blue macaw character, Jewel, for Halloween that same year and we are all looking forward to the sequel, “Rio 2”, scheduled to be released in the Spring of 2014! Plus, the spotlight will continue to shine on Rio and Brazil, as the next Fifa World Cup will be taking place there next year {you have to know that soccer/futebol is HUUUUUGE there!}, along with the 2016 Olympic Games!
Here are the details of the colorful tropical party that will make you want to hop on the plane, put on your Carnaval mask and dance the samba on the beaches of Rio!
For the buffet set-up, I decided to combine both the food and dessert options on one table. I knew I wanted the iconic and recognizable sidewalk pattern from Copacabana beach as a backdrop, which was achieved with a printed shower curtain! Since the Brazilian flag is primarily green and yellow, I focused on these hues, but also wanted to infuse additional bright colors especially found in the country’s gorgeous native birds. The first two letters of the hanging “RIO” are wood covered feathers, while the “O” is a ring carrying a multi-colored toucan I found at a local swap meet. I designed the buffet labels and signs with clip art from Foto In Scena and Klouise Digi Art.
The food consisted of authentic Brazilian items, including a steak and linguiça barbecue, feijoada {a stew of beans, beef and pork}, rice, pão de queijo {cheese bread~my absolute favorite!} and coxinha {fried chicken croquettes}.
The cupcakes anchored the table, resembling the Rio beaches with the sandy {crushed graham cracker} tops and colorful sea of umbrellas. I decorated a couple of the cupcakes with fondant toppers inspired by a souvenir magnet I had purchased on a trip to Brazil, with green and yellow striped towels. One included a pair of the super popular Brazilian flip flops, Havaianas, while the other depicted a sunbathing beauty with a flag beach hat! And I couldn’t forget the nation’s #1 sport: futebol! The soccer ball was created from fondant and rested in the beachy sand, while the landmark statue of “Cristo Redentor” {Christ the Redeemer} looks over as it does in reality atop Corcovado mountain.
The remainder of the desserts offered included traditional Brazilian goodies, such as brigadeiro {gooey, chocolatey bon bon goodness!} and pudim {flan}, as well as a variety of refreshing fruit!
I re-used the lemonade stand, which originally made an appearance at my daughter’s Vintage Luau earlier this year to display several tropical juices and the Brazilian soft drink, Guaraná. I originally planned on making some carnaval masks for the celebration, but found some fancy and colorful ones adorned with stones and feathers at our local swap meet that were just perfect for the occasion! I found some playing cards from Michaels for less than $1 that I decided to use as coasters. For some party activities, beach paddle balls were offered, along with some mini soccer balls!
For the adults, I set up a Caipirinha bar to make Brazil’s national cocktail, consisting of cachaça {a sugarcane alcohol}, limes and sugar. Instead of a regular glass, I thought it would be fun to serve them in coconut cups with striped paper straws left over from the luau as well!
Once we were all ready to eat, we moved some of the food to a table that was set with burlap table covering and set with colorful plates and wooden utensils. Again the utensils were originally purchased for my daughter’s luau and were stamped with “ALOHA” on the handles, so I re-purposed them by covering them with yellow yarn, which added more color and interest to the table setting! As you can see, there were many elements that I re-used from the Hawaiian party, but by changing details and colors, it was extremely helpful in differentiating the two celebrations, while being cost-effective at the same time!
With samba playing in the background, we had a fabulous time celebrating my mom, Brazilian style! And with all the upcoming events occurring in my native country in the next few years, it looks like the party won’t stop! It is Brazil, after all! Obaaaaaaa!!! ♥
Merci Beaucoup!
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Mayra Rivera says
What a meaningful party! I loved reading all the details about the different foods. I love havaianas sandals, those are such cute fondant toppers! Oh wow, where do I stop…it’s lovely! And so is the design on the cards that perfectly match the background!
Margaret says
I am so glad I found you and your blog! Lovely party! Had a lot of fun reading this post!
Anna Fahrenholz says
Adorei sua festa e estou usando algumas das suas ideias, como o cartaozinho com o nome da comida. Onde vc achou o clipart do tucano? Obrigada, Anna
Lynlee says
Muito obrigada, Anna! Eu comprei na loja da Etsy https://www.etsy.com/shop/KlouiseDigiArt. Nao esta aparecendo agora, mas talvez manda uma mensagem para ela para perguntar! 🙂