Fire Pixie Happenings

Party Game Ideas -- Fairy Costume Relay

2018-07-18T10:30:00.003-07:00

Throwing a Fairy themed party and looking for ways to keep those mischievous Fairies entertained and having fun?

Here's a great variation on a well known party game: Fairy Costume Relay! It's super simple to set up, and a great way to keep the kids engaged until your own Fairy entertainer arrives.

You will need two sets of the following items: fairy tutu, slippers, halo and wand. Divide the players into two teams. Make a path for them to follow to get to the items. You can line a path with flowers or toadstools or even balloons staked into the ground. Players must put on the costume and flutter, dance or “fly” like a fairy down the fairy path and back to their teams.

Once a player has completed this task, she passes the costume to the next player, who will do the same thing.

The first team to have all of its players run the course in the costume wins the race.

Party Snack Idea -- Shark Melon

2018-07-03T09:23:00.000-07:00

Looking for creative ideas for snacks for your upcoming party? This watermelon shark is perfect for Pirate and Mermaid parties, and has the added bonus of encouraging kids to eat their fruits!

It's so simple to make! All you need is a watermelon (additional fruit optional) a knife, a melon baller, some toothpicks, and a little time.

Check out the full step-by-step instructions from Watermelon.org

Party Game Ideas -- Cowby Hat Musical Chairs

2018-06-20T11:21:00.001-07:00

Here's a great idea for a themed twist on a traditional party game: Cowboy Hat Musical Chairs! It's super simple to set up, and a great way to keep the kids having fun until your Cowboy entertainer arrives.

Here's how it works:

Line Cowboy hats up in a side-by-side row, one less hat than there is Cowboy.
Start the music. Someone will have to stand by and control the music player as it is used during the game.

Line kids up at one end of the row of hats and have them walk in a circle, around the hats, as the music plays.
The person in charge of the music will stop the music at random intervals.

Any time the music stops, the players must put on a hat. Because there is one less hat than needed, this will cause kids to hurry to find one.
When all the hats have been claimed, one player will be left standing. That player is out of the game.

Take away another hat, start the music and play as many rounds as it takes until you are left with one hat and two players. The player who grabs the last hat when the music stops wins.

Party Game Idea -- Earn Your Fairy Wings

2018-06-13T15:31:00.003-07:00

If you’re planning to give out fairy wings at your party, this game is a fun way to do it!

Start by writing several tasks on small pieces of paper. Fold the papers and insert them into red balloons. Blow up the balloons and decorate them with white, round stickers to make them look like mushroom tops. Then, scatter the balloons around the garden.

Gather the fairies and tell them that in order to earn their wings, they must find a mushroom balloon, sit on it until it pops and retrieve the command that is inside. The fairies must bring their commands to the holder of the wings (a parent, or your own Fairy Princess entertainer) and perform the written task. The holder bestows the wings upon a fairy when she completes her task.

Tasks can be as simple or extravagant as you desire, and should probably be decided according to the age of the players. Some ideas include:

Balance a fairy wand on your head.
Flutter around the party space on your tip-toes.
Make up a fairy rhyme.
Name three famous fairies.
Draw a flower.

Party Decor Idea -- Balloon Arch

2018-05-22T11:54:00.000-07:00

We've got you covered for balloon animals, but why not take it one step further and make this beautiful balloon arch to decorate your party, and create a beautiful backdrop for all those party photos?

Here's what you'll need:

Chicken wire
Glue gun & glue
Nails
Hammer
Command hooks
Balloon pump
Shipping tape
Duct tape
Gorilla tape
Balloons
Wire cutters
Fishing line

Check out the full tutorial from The House That Lars Built.

Bay Area Parent's "Best of the Best" Voting is Open

2018-03-16T11:47:00.000-07:00

It's that time of the year again: time to vote for your favorites in the Bay Area Parent's Best of the Best contest!

Fire Pixie has had the honor of receiving this award several times, including in 2017, and we'd love if you could take a moment to vote for us for 2018!

"Join with other parents to highlight what makes the Bay Area such a vibrant place to raise your family. Vote for your family favorites in categories ranging from museums to martial arts instruction, day camp to dance class and so many more!"

Thousands of votes will be tallied and the resulting top businesses and organizations in each category will be published in our Best of the Best 2018 issue and on BAP's website in late July.

Voting is quick, easy and lots of fun! Polls close at midnight on April 30, so don't miss this opportunity to make your vote count!

Vote for Fire Pixie Entertainment in the East Bay Entertainment section, under party entertainer.

Party Craft Idea -- Cardboard Superhero Phone Booth

2017-06-07T13:58:00.000-07:00

Here's a great idea for a DIY cardboard phone booth for your little superhero's birthday party! This makes a great backdrop for all those adorable superhero pictures, and you can even use it as part of a Superhero relay race, where guests race to put on an oversized blazer, shoes, and glasses, and run to their team's phone booth to change out of the disguise and in to the superhero cape, mask, and boots. Then, they rush back to their team and remove the superhero costume, and pass it to the next member of their team, who put it on, and runs back again. The first team whose members complete the race wins!

What you'll need to make your very own phone booth:

2 cardboard wardrobe boxes (approximately 24" x 20" x 48")
Masking tape
Ruler
Craft knife
Red latex interior paint
Light blue paper
1" painter's tape
White poster board
Shoe box
Cardboard tube
Paper cup
Hot glue gun & glue sticks
Yarn

And here are the step-by-step instructions from parents.com.

Selfie Saturday Part 3 -- A Behind the Scenes Look at our Weekend

2017-04-19T14:23:00.000-07:00

Ever wonder what a day in the life of a Fire Pixie entertainer looks like? Well, wonder no more! It's time for another Selfie Saturday!

Party Snack Ideas -- Descendants Apple Dipping Station

2017-03-27T10:26:00.000-07:00

What a great idea for Descendants themed parties: an apple dipping station! Your party guests will have so much fun creating their very own sweet snacks, and with so many dipping options, there's something for everyone! This party snack station is super easy to put together and customize for your favorite Descendants characters.

What you'll need:

Red apples
Melting chocolate for dipping (white, milk, and dark)
Caramel dip (1 bag of caramels and 1 5oz can of evaporated milk)
Chopped cashews or peanuts
Shredded coconut
Sprinkles (choose colors to match your favorite Descendants characters: blue, white, green, black, and silver for Evie or red, white, and black for Carlos, etc.)

Here's the full step-by-step guide from Tonya Staab.

Party Ideas -- Rapunzel Tower Photo Booth

2017-02-24T14:09:00.000-08:00

Create a unique photo booth for your upcoming Rapunzel themed party using nothing but a few large cardboard boxes, tape, paint, a couple of plastic cups, and a little time. Your party guests will love posing for pictures with their friends in this fantastic tower, and it's so easy to make, your little Princess can even help! Make just the front as a photo booth, or go all out and make a full tower, and after the party it turns in to a mini tower playhouse for your little one. :)

What you'll need:

A few large cardboard boxes
Paints (spray paint in light purple, dark blue, and brown tones for the castle walls, and acrylic greens for the vines)
Faux flowers (for decorating)
Hot glue gun
A sturdy chair or stool for your models

Here are a few examples of towers people have made to get you started, and here's a great step-by- step guide from Melissa Williams Design Blog.

A Life In Gowns: Meet Princess Naomi

2017-02-17T12:25:00.000-08:00

Ever wonder who we are when we're not all glitzed up, entertaining your little ones with our mad face paint and balloon skills, or dazzling them with our big bag of magic tricks? We're a diverse group of folk, each coming from a different performance background, and with a little bit of a different story.

Allow me to introduce: Princess Naomi!

Naomi is one of our most experienced and most requested entertainers, and it's really no wonder why. A classically trained theater actor and musical theater performer, Naomi truly embodies each character, and brings her own special brand of silly along, too. She's an incredibly versatile entertainer, and switches easily between the more traditional Princess roles and other, sillier characters. When Naomi was little, her favorite Princess was always the Little Mermaid.

"She's super goofy and fun, but seriously curious, and always questions everything. Plus, being a mermaid is just awesome!"

As a kid, Naomi used to spend hours in the bath, her little feet crossed, make believing she was a mermaid herself, but she never imagined that she would one day be pretending professionally.

Naomi had always been passionate about performance and costuming, and when she was little, she dreamed of becoming a professional Ballerina. The first Halloween when she chose her own costume, she was a Mouse Fairy Ballerina.

After studying musical theater at the Chicago College of Performing Arts, Naomi moved to the Bay Area to pursue another long time love: circus. A friend who had been working as a kids' entertainer suggested that Naomi might make a perfect Princess, so Naomi applied to Fire Pixie (thank you, whoever you are!). It started as a great survival job for her while she worked on a variety of different projects and trained circus, but Naomi very quickly fell in love with making kids happy.

"It's hard to not love what you do when you see all those adorable smiles!" she says.

Since staring with Fire Pixie, Naomi has done a ton of parties for kids of all ages, but especially loves the 4 year old crowd because "They're old enough that they're engaged, but magic is still very much alive in their imaginations."

Naomi loves all the characters she plays, but especially enjoys being Ariel and Elsa, since they're both singers, and they really give Naomi a chance to show off her vocal chops.

"Elsa is also a very powerful character, and definitely not your damsel in distress, so she's really fun to play." says Naomi. "Plus, all the kids absolutely love her."

Naomi is an excellent face painter, and her magic show is top notch, but she says she really loves doing Crafts with the kids "Because you get to play with them instead of for them, and make something awesome together."

Naomi remembers one party in particular, where she appeared as Elsa at a birthday celebration for a very special little Princess who was recovering from chemotherapy.

"Her hair was just starting to come back, and it was so touching watching this little girl and her friends just belting out Let It Go. Overcoming your obstacles and staying strong through your struggles is really what it's all about after all." she says.

When Naomi's not entertaining kids at parties, she can often be found flying through the air with the greatest of ease as a professional aerialist, or twisting herself in to unfathomable shapes as a contortionist. Learn more about Naomi's circus performance here.

Naomi on her Aerial Frame. Photo by RJ Muna.

If you'd like to invite Naomi to your party to inspire and amaze your little Princess, you can book her here.

Party Snack Ideas - Frozen Olaf Ice Cream Treats

2017-02-10T13:42:00.000-08:00

Do you wanna eat a snowman? These Frozen Olaf ice cream treats are a great idea for Frozen themed parties (or any time really). They're the perfect mix of smooth creamy ice cream, crunchy cookies, and chocolatey goodness -- your party guests will absolutely love them! Plus, they're easy to make, and super cute!

What you'll need:

All purpose flour
Vanilla ice cream
Sugar cookie mix
1/3 stick butter
1 egg
Hot fudge
Heart cookie cutter
Tear drop cookie cutter
Black cookie icing
White cookie icing
Orange gummy slices

Here's the full tutorial from Nerdy Nummies:

Being a Mermaid - My Visit to the NC Mermania Convention 2017

2017-01-26T15:29:00.000-08:00

Photo by Mertography

January 21-22 found me at NC MerMania 2017: the largest gathering of Mermaids and Merfolk in the world. Performers and hobbyists from all over the globe came to splash around, connect, giggle and play at the Greensboro Aquatic Center in Greensboro, NC.

This was the largest Merfolk convention to date: over 400 mer-people and their families came out to join in the fun.

I spent all of Saturday morning and afternoon in the pool, swimming and connecting and laughing. There were so many faces I'd only seen online -- mermaids are a close knit bunch on Facebook -- and it was great to meet these incredible ladies in person. I also got to reconnect with friends from past mermaid portfolio destination trips to the Bahamas and Hawaii and Mexico.

Tail Making

I make all my own mermaid tails (I brought my newest Ariel tail and my Light-up Glimmer tail this year), so I loved talking to the other mermaids wearing handmade creations. I met one mermaid who'd found my Neoprene Mermaid Tail Tutorial and created her own unique tail based on my methods. I could barely contain myself.

The range of materials and tail designs was endless. Sequins, fabric, neoprene, duct tape, paint, glue, silicone, monofins, and real shells or found materials all came together in a splash of form, color and function.

For the non-maker mermaids, there are a handful of companies that create customizable silicone "realistic" tails for purchase. Some of the larger companies include FinFolk Productions, MerTailor and MerNation tails. I also encountered plenty of gorgeous tails made by smaller companies or individuals looking to participate in the mermaid craze -- Merbella Studios is one of my favorites among these.

Kid's Swim

I got the chance to participate in the kid's swim. Watching little girls becoming a mermaid for the very first time is really powerful. I perform at a lot of kid's birthday parties as a swimming mermaid, so swimming with the kids just feels so right and so natural to me, and I can really connect with them and watch their spirit unfold and soar. This might have been my favorite part of the day.

Photo by Mertography

Fathoms Below Ball

The evening festivities included a gala dinner and a Fathoms Below Ball dance party. I provided the entertainment with my LED Light Dance Show, which I customized to the event by adding mermaid-themed persistence-of-vision (POV) images to my Supernova Poi and Morning Star Double staffs (with Adafruit inside!). The crowd went wild whenever mermaids made of light appeared in the air around me.

photo by Mertography

The theme of the ball was illumination, and lots of people came in light-up costumes. These ranged from Luminex dresses, to custom-made angler-fish masks, to the cheap but effective method of just adding battery powered light strands to a dress. I've never performed for such a luminous audience.

Mermaid Glimmer

After the ball wound down, everyone headed over to the hotel pool for an after-hours swim with Mermaid Glimmer. Glimmer is my own personal one-of-a-kind creation: an arduino powered, bluetooth-controlled swimmable mermaid tail with around 200 addressable LEDs. When the lights go out, Glimmer lights up the pool with LED rainbows and everyone watching turns into a 7 year old girl.

I am filled with gratitude for getting to be a part of such a wonderful, accepting, loving community. With the Live-Action Little Mermaid Movie set to come out in 2017, mermaids are coming more and more into the public eye. Mermaids are the new Vampires! You heard it here first.

My Little Mermaid FanFic Photo!

Party Craft Idea -- DIY Disco Ball Piñata

2017-01-06T12:27:00.002-08:00

This is a great idea for a Diva themed party! Part family craft, part party decor, part party activity, and a whole lot of fun! Invite your own Diva Popstar to come get your guests all glitzed up with makeovers, glitter tattoos, or hair bling, and get them rockin' their fancy new dance moves under this fabulous DIY disco ball piñata! Then, at the end of the party, have your guests take turns hitting it to see who can reveal the goodies inside.

Here's what you'll need:

1 large balloon or punch ball (a regular balloon will do just fine, but a large round one works best; check your local party supply store)
1 batch of wheat paste
Newspaper
Plastic cup full of rocks (to weigh down your balloon while you papier maché and paint it
Silver paint
Silver glitter
Large sequins, pailettes or reflective tape cut in to small squares
Fishing line
Candy or prizes for inside the piñata

Here's a step-by-step tutorial to get you going.

Have fun!

Company Christmas Party Entertainers

2016-12-23T09:57:00.000-08:00

We love this time time of year so much! Of course, at Fire Pixie, we do tons of birthdays and private parties, but we also provide entertainment for lots of corporate holiday parties and events, and we're always thrilled to be invited to help create happy holiday memories for companies' staff and their families. Nothing brings people together quite like the holiday season and we're always so happy to get to be a part of it!

Yesterday, a few of our Snow Fairies and Elves joined forces and attended a wonderful company Christmas party. There were balloon twisters to greet guests in the lobby, face painting Elves in Finance, airbrush artistry, and even a glitter tattooing Snow Fairy!

As guests arrived, they were offered Elf hats and reindeer antlers, to help them get in to the Christmas spirit. They were also given small passport books which they used to go on a scavenger hunt to find little elves hidden around the beautifully decorated office. Then, once their passports were full, they were entered in a raffle to win all kinds of Christmas goodies.

From the elaborate decorations, to the delicious food (so many cookies!), to the laughter and joy, this was an event our Elves and Snow Fairies won't soon forget!

And of course, what holiday party is complete without a visit from the big man himself?

Thank you to our gracious hosts, and from all of us here at Fire Pixie: Happy Holidays!

New Characters!

2016-11-30T11:28:00.000-08:00

We've added a couple new characters to our team!

First up, all the way from sunny Hawaii, it's Disney's newest heroine (and first ever Polynesian Princess): Moana!

Launch your canoe full of fun and adventure! Learn about Hawaiian history and culture while Moana entertains and delights your guests, and make your birthday girl feel like the hero she's always dreamed of being.

Next, transport your birthday party to a world of magic, wizards, and witches by inviting Harry Potter to come teach everyone some spells that will make your birthday child remember this day forever.

Our Harry Potter specializes in truly amazing magic that will leave even the adults scratching their heads. Book him alone, or invite Hermione too for a truly unforgettable party!

If you'd like to invite Moana or Harry Potter to your party, you can book them here.

Mermaid Adventures: My Ariel Photo shoot with Dolphins in Hawaii

2016-11-22T09:34:00.000-08:00

I'm not very good at relaxing. Every time I take a vacation I always seem to find a way to work.

This month I took my new neoprene Ariel mermaid tail to Hawaii and did an underwater photo shoot with the fabulous folks at Sea Through Sea. I worked with them last year doing a photo shoot for my Elsa mermaid tail, and when I found myself on the Big Island again I gave them a call.

I wanted to show off the translucency of the monofin in this tail since that's it's most unique feature. I also thought it might be fun to try and recreate some movie poster shots from The Little Mermaid, since this tail is so unabashedly Ariel.

I made a Pinterest board with some ideas, and realized a lot of them were cave shots -- Ariel's Grotto is just so lovely, and I haven't done many shots like that before. However, when we got to Hawaii the tides were unusually high thanks to the SuperMoon that happened in November 2016, so we ended up changing plans last-minute and going on board a dolphin swim boat instead, with Neptune Charlie's Adventures. Yay, Dolphins!

There's nothing quite like swimming with wild friendly sea creatures in the ocean.

We chased a pod of spinner dolphins around and had some wonderful encounters with mom and baby dolphins. On our last pass, just as we popped our heads up and took a breath, an adult spinner dolphin launched out of the water not 20 feet away from us, flipped around in the air and landed back in the water. We all screamed with delight, and then whooped again when a second dolphin jumped joyfully in the air right behind us.

Such a wonderful time, such a wonderful trip, such a wonderful life. Being a mermaid is just the best.

And here are a few of my favorite Mermaid photos! Hooray!

See the whole album

New Character -- Princess Moana

2016-11-21T13:37:00.001-08:00

If you saw Pixar's Finding Dory in theaters, you might have seen a little hint at something new and super exciting, set to be released in just a few short days. It's the 56th Disney animated feature, and it's got us here at Fire Pixie really excited!

"Three thousand years ago, the greatest sailors in the world voyaged across the vast South Pacific, and discovered the many islands of Oceania. But then, for millennia, their voyages stopped - and no one today knows why. Enter Moana, a spirited teenager and born navigator (and Disney's first Polynesian Princess) who sets out on a daring mission to prove herself a master wayfinder, and sails the Pacific Ocean to complete her ancestors' unfinished quest. Join her and Maui, the legendary Hawaiian demigod, as together they traverse the open ocean on an action packed voyage, encountering enormous fiery creatures and impossible odds in search of a fabled island."

The CG-animated film is being directed by Ron Clementsand and John Musker (who were both the directors of Aladdin, The Little Mermaid, and The Princess and the Frog), and Auli'i Cravalho and Dwayne Johnson provide the lead voices. It also features music written by the Tony award winning Lin Manuel Miranda, creator of Broadway's Hamilton.

We can't wait to see what Disney has in store for us this time!

If you'd like to invite Moana to your upcoming party to teach your guest all about Hawaiian culture, dazzle them with her big bag of Island magic tricks, or even teach them a little hula dancing, you can book her here.

A Life in Gowns: Meet Princess Lanie

2016-11-04T12:48:00.000-07:00

Allow me to introduce: Princess Lanie!

Lanie is one of our most experienced and most requested entertainers. In her 9 years working with Fire Pixie, she's appeared at almost 1000 parties, and brought joy and laughter to countless kiddos. Now, she's spread those sparkly wings, and flown off to Los Angeles to open a brand new Fire Pixie branch, and we couldn't be more excited!

Lanie's always loved storytelling, dressing up, magic, and everything fairytale related. When she was quite little (about 3 - 4), like so many girls that age, she dreamed of becoming a Fairy Princess when she grew up. As she got older though, her dream evolved, and she decided that since Fairyhood might not exactly be an option, she'd be an actress and a writer, so she could share her love of storytelling with the masses.

In pursuit of this dream, Lanie studied theater in school, and started working in the wonderful world of the arts, doing marketing and design for some small theater companies, art studios, and galleries. She traveled to Turkey when she was in college, where she discovered the beautiful art of Turkish shadow puppetry and was absolutely blown away! When the time came for her to do her undergrad thesis, Lanie wrote a grant and got to go back to Turkey, to study it more closely. It was there that she learned how to make puppets, learned all about the social and political history of puppetry, and learned that there were even a number of modern puppet troupes doing political shows right here in the US.

When she returned from her trip, the summer after college, Lanie worked with Bread and Puppet theater in Vermont, which boats the largest puppet in the world.

After moving to the Bay, Lanie discovered that this area is a hotbed for puppeteers (who knew??), and began working with a few groups here, doing puppet design, mostly for adult shows, but some for kids too.

She also continued working in theater, and found herself in a Fairytales for Kids show being performed in schools and libraries with Fire Pixie's own Sarah. Upon learning of Lanie's love of storytelling and puppets, Sarah suggested that Lanie meet Erin.

Lanie had no idea that such a job existed; one that could combine her love of laughter, storytelling, and magic so well, and her three-year-old self was absolutely over the moon! So she met with Erin, and it was clear from the get-go that this was exactly where Lanie needed to be.

Since then, Lanie's had the great pleasure of appearing at tons of parties, as a variety of different characters, but is especially fond of being a Fairy Princess or a Pirate.

"They're both super fun and flexible characters" she says. "I get to make up my own stories and improv with kids, instead of having a set script to work with."

Lanie is adored by kids of all ages, and really gets a kick out of the 3 - 6 age range:

"Three to six year olds just love being silly!" she says. "Give me a group of three-year-olds and I can keep them laughing forever with one joke. They just love it! The threes and fours are in that silly wordplay area, which is really fun. The fives and sixes are really in to the stories, and know everything there is to know about their favorite characters, which means you can get in to really cool story nuances with them."

An excellent entertainer all-around, Lanie particularly loves doing activities like magic, puppets (of course), and birthday theater.

"Magic is always fun because I can really be silly and joke around with the kids. The birthday theater is great because you get to help the kids come up with their very own story" she says.

After so many years of performing at kids' parties, Lanie of course has tons of happy party memories, but one in particular stands out:

"I was doing a Fairy Princess party" says Lanie, "and had a guest request something special for her face paint design: a waterfall on one cheek with 5 droplets of water splashing off it, because she was 5 years old."

Always up for a challenge, Lanie set to work creating this special design, and apparently, she nailed it!

"When I finished and showed this little girl her face in the mirror, she absolutely lit up, and said 'I LOVE MYSELF!', which as a children's entertainer is what we call a BIG win!"

Lanie's party hosts and hostesses always have wonderful things to say about her performances, and it's no wonder she's one of our most popular entertainers.

"Lanie was great with the kids. She had great energy and did awesome face painting and balloons. Kids had lots of fun!! She also made the birthday girl feel really special. Thank you Lanie for making my child's birthday more special."

"My daughter absolutely LOVED it! She was so excited when she saw Elsa walking down the street. And Lanie made her feel so special and like a princess!"

"Lanie had everyone mesmerized and entertained the moment she came through the door -- girls, boys and all the grown ups too! She had a beautiful voice and did the most awesome face paintings and glitter tattoos. Several of the adults ended up getting their faces painted and glittered up too."

So, why the move to LA?

Lanie had been feeling as though she'd kind of plateaued a bit in the Bay, and was looking for a new challenge. She and her partner had been talking about making a move to LA for a while, and Lanie had been considering opening a business of some kind there. So she asked Erin if she might pick her brain a bit about small business in general. Erin was more than happy to help, and sat down with Lanie to brainstorm. It wasn't until Erin said "You know... you could always open a Fire Pixie branch in SoCal, too" that Lanie realized that she could take her love or performing, magic, and storytelling down to LA with her, and keep right on working in this awesome family of performers. She was overjoyed, and Fire Pixie SoCal was born!

When Lanie's not out performing or in the office booking parties for lucky Southern California kiddos, these days she's focused mostly on motherhood, having just welcomed her own bundle of joy to the world. Since she loves performing, and making silly voices, she's begun exploring the world of voiceover acting, too, and looks forward to getting in to that more soon.

If you'd like to invite Lanie or any of her wonderful LA-based entertainers to your next party to inspire your little ones to follow their dreams, you can fill out our online booking form, or contact the SoCal office directly at 714.831.1880.

A Life In Gowns: Meet Princess Windy

2016-10-21T11:06:00.000-07:00

Allow me to introduce: Princess Windy!

A born performer, Windy got her start onstage at age 6, when she landed the role of Charlene "Cha Cha" DiGregorio in a production of Grease at her school. She had 4 speaking lines, which was the most of anyone in her age group, and got to dress up and wear makeup, which she thought was the best thing ever! The production was a hit, and Windy was officially hooked.

When she was small, Windy was convinced that one day, she'd grow up to be a Princess. Not a make-believe Princess, mind you, but real life royalty. Her mother rained on that parade somewhat, though, telling Windy that being Jewish she likely couldn't be a real princess, since most royalty was Christian. But Windy wasn't about to let that stop her, and decided that if real life royalty wasn't in her future, well then she'd be an actress, so she could be whatever she wanted! She spent her childhood with this dream in mind, playing dress up and pretending to be a Queen, and all her friends were, of course, her servants. Her favorite Disney princess was always Ariel, and Windy used to spend hours swimming around in the pool like a mermaid and playing all kinds of mermaid games.

Years later, Windy's love of theater was alive and well, and she worked in theater admin doing marketing and development, helping to bring the magic of live performance to the masses. She started developing her own material, and found that the world of physical comedy was where she wanted to be more than anything. So she attended the Clown Conservatory in San Francisco to develop her skills. It was there that she met Drea, another wonderful entertainer (and Fire Pixie Princess), who clued Windy in to the magic of children's entertainment.

"Kids are the most honest audience," Drea told her. "They'll really tell you if you're funny or not."

Windy had been on the road, touring her one-woman show through the US and Canada, and needed a job when she landed back in the Bay. Drea had been working with Fire Pixie for a while and was loving it, and thought Windy would be a fantastic addition to our team.

Boy, was she right! Since then, Windy's performed at tons of parties with Fire Pixie, and her clients absolutely love her!

"I loved Windy's character! She wasn't a 'typical' Fairy Princess, all cutesy and saccharine. She was more like a wacky, bumbling Fairy Godmother with TONS of energy."

"Windy was awesome and the kids loved her. She was a natural and the birthday girl wants another party tomorrow with Windy :). She connected on a personal level with most kids in the party. Several other parents commented that she was the best Elsa they'd seen in a Frozen themed party. She has great energy and improvised adeptly to a variety of situations. I'd work with her again any day! Thanks again for making this a great experience!"

She's got a great repertoire of characters, but especially loves being a Balloon Pixie or Clown, since those are really open and flexible and really give her the opportunity to flex her comedic muscles. She still loves being a Princess too, though, and brings her own flavor of physical comedy to every character she plays.

"No matter what costume I'm in, I'm always a silly variation on that character, which makes it a little more accessible to the kids. They love seeing Elsa, who's usually a little hard and cold, loosen up a bit and just play with them!"

Windy loves doing her comedy magic show for kids, especially as Elsa, doing ice and snow magic. The way she does her magic, everything is a joke on her, and she gets to be super silly and make fun of herself. She absolutely loves getting the kids all riled up and poking fun at her, too.

"It's the most fun ever when kids are sitting there yelling 'It's right there, Elsa!' when you can't find your rainbow or what-have-you", she says.

She also really loves doing dance parties because she gets to be super physical and run around and really play with the kids, which they absolutely love. She brings tons of fabric to parties, and literally throws them around over the kids' heads, or uses them to make tents for the dance party to happen in, or plays parachute type games.

Kids of all ages love Windy's show, but she really loves working with the 4 - 5 age group.

"Four and five-year-olds are the best!" she says. "They understand the magic and really get the comedy and jokes, but they're not trying to challenge it or look for holes in it. They get why it's funny that your rainbow disappeared, or changed in to ice crystals, and they love being a part of making it happen."

Windy's got so many happy memories form parties, but remembers one party in particular with especial fondness:

"A while back, I was Elsa at a birthday party for an adorable little girl named Emma, who had just turned 5. She was absolutely blown away and just couldn't believe that Elsa had come all the way from Arendelle just to celebrate her birthday with her! She'd drawn 6 pictures for me, which she presented to me with obvious pride, along with a giant rock, which she said I was to take back to Arendelle as a souvenir. She took great care throughout the party to be a good hostess, and make sure I had everything I needed. It was a hot day, and assuming I must be parched, she made me multiple glasses of her very own hydrating birthday cocktail: a combination of lemonade, birthday cake, goldfish crackers, and blueberries."

Wise beyond her years, Emma knew that doing all that magic and face painting musty be making Elsa hungry, too.

"I brought you a tomato, Elsa!" she said. "A what?" said Windy/Elsa, "We don't have these in Arendelle!" This prompted Emma to take her inside to show her the fridge where they keep all their food. At the end of the party, she threw her arms around Windy and gave her a big kiss. "I love you Elsa!" she said. "My heart just melted", says Windy.

When she's not entertaining kids at parties, Windy's busy running her very own company: taking care of all the marketing, outreach, costuming, and production. "It's a full time job," she says, "but I can't think of anything I'd rather be doing!" She continues to tour her award winning one woman theatrical comedy show around the US and Canada with great success, and is working on developing a half hour kid's stage show, too.

If you'd like to invite Windy to your party to make your guests giggle with glee, you can book her here.

New Character -- Princess Elena of Avalor

2016-09-30T12:19:00.000-07:00

Someone new has joined the Disney Princess ranks, and she's got us here at Fire Pixie super excited! It's Princess Elena, the oldest princess of the Kingdom of Avalor, next in line for the throne, and Disney's first Latina princess!

After saving her magical kingdom from an evil sorceress, Elena must now learn to rule as the crown Princess. With the heart and mind of a true leader, she is devoted to the welfare of her subjects, her family, and her friends, and values keeping promises above all else. A wizard-in-training and a magical flying creature join Elena in adventures that will lead her to truly understand that her new role requires thoughtfulness, resilience, and compassion.

Our very own Sarah & Avdeep have been busy putting together their Elena costumes, and they're all ready to go, so visit our website & fill out our rate request form to invite Elena to your upcoming party!

Party Snack Ideas: Spiderman Red Velvet Whoopie Pies

2016-09-23T13:33:00.000-07:00

Such a great idea for a Spiderman themed party! These red velvet whoopie pies are super easy to make, and would look great on a Spiderman themed snack table. Use melted white chocolate to decorate your pies with webs, or even make a little Spiderman mask!

What you'll need:

1 box Betty Crocker yellow cake mix
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup vegetable oil
3 eggs
1 box chocolate instant pudding
2 tbsp red food coloring
1 7oz jar of marshmallow creme
1 8oz package of creme cheese (softened)
1 tsp vanilla extract
Melted white chocolate (for decorating)

Follow along with Popsugar Food's great tutorial to make your own:

Party Craft Ideas -- DIY Harry Potter Wands

2016-09-09T12:02:00.000-07:00

Here's a great party giveaway idea for your Harry Potter themed party: chopstick wands! They're super quick and easy to make, and you'll save a bundle on party favors. Make them in advance and give one to each party guest, and invite your own Harry Potter entertainer to teach them how to use them!

What you'll need:

15" bamboo cooking chopsticks (like these ones)
Assorted colors of brown acrylic paint
Foam brushes
Hot glue gun and glue sticks (about 2 sticks per wand, to be safe)
Glossy spray paint

Remember, each wand is a little different, so don't be afraid to get creative! Follow along with this great step-by-step guide from Boxy Colonial.

Party Snack Ideas - Minion Cupcakes

2016-08-26T12:00:00.000-07:00

Having a Minions themed party? Here's another great idea for your snack table from Nerdy Nummies. These Minion cupcakes are super easy to make, and they're oh-so-cute!

What you'll need:

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, (spooned and leveled)
3/4 cups sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
1 1/2 cups mashed bananas (about 4 ripe bananas)
2 large eggs
Twinkies (one package will make 4 cupcakes)
Smarties
Black decorating icing
White creamy frosting
Blue food coloring

Use Martha Stewart's Banana Cupcake recipe to make the base, then follow along with Rosanna to "Minionize" them. :)

Party Game Ideas - Panning for Gold

2016-08-05T14:14:00.001-07:00

Having a Cowboy or Toy Story themed party? This super simple party game is a great way to keep your little Buckaroos laughing and having fun until your Cowboy entertainer arrives!

What you'll need:

a kiddie pool
aluminum pie pans
rocks
gold spray paint
sand (enough to fill the pool just over half way)
buckets for collecting gold

First, you'll want to spray paint your rocks gold a couple days before the event to be sure they're 100% dry on the day. Then, poke holes in your aluminum pans with a hammer and nail, just big enough to let sand slip through. Fill your kiddie pool just over half way with sand water (for older kids, add a few extra inches of water, for a bit more of a challenge), and bury your "gold" throughout. Have the kids use the pie pans as the sifting pans to scoop up a pile of sand and rocks. Move the pan from side to side emptying out the pan to reveal if there are any gold nuggets. No hands allowed - kids must only use their pans, and whoever discovers the most gold nuggets wins! Or, you can even set up a mini trading post, where kids can exchange their nuggets for prizes or candy.