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Entertaining

Renee’s Table: Hawaiian Birthday Celebrations

Celebrating two special birthdays on Big Island, HI.


As many of you know, the Big Island is one of my favorite places to visit. With a cool breeze off the ocean, surrounded by lush plant life, my time here serves as a wellspring of inspiration and rejuvenation for both me and Bob.

Bob and Renee Parsons at dinner with friends

With a tight-knit community of friends who also love to spend time here, we have a fun tradition where every winter, we throw a birthday celebration for two of our friends’ daughters. With an age gap of a few years between the two (10 & 17), we wanted to ensure each party felt unique for the birthday girl. This year’s parties were especially festive and fun, and I had an absolute blast curating themes to these girls’ youthful exuberance and adorable personalities.

Jars of sweets

First up, the birthday of the daughter of our dear friend, who was turning seventeen. She rows crew, so we had a custom shell-boat cake made for her, along with a fun and delicious milkshake bar, knowing she loves them too! After dinner we had a Silent Disco with a live DJ, a new experience for me! Now I’m sold on it! Highly recommended for your next party.

Sushi Bar

Next on the agenda, crafting the party for the 10 year old. We began with a vintage VW photobooth, added a sushi station, and ended with a full Boba Tea bar (boba tea is one of her faves!) I must admit, I had never had Boba, but the kids assured me I couldn’t go wrong with lychee or mango. 

Boba Bar

These evenings were such a blast!