My daughter is turning 16 next Friday. I am giving her a surprise birthday party at a very upscale marina. The lake will provide the perfect backdrop for outdoor pictures. The dinner will be a pasta buffet. They wanted me to use their pastry chef as they do not allow outside cake without charging you a fee, plus a $1 slice just to cut it. I explained that i did not want my daughter to have the standard sheet cake and that the cake was my gift to my daughter, they agreed to let me do my own cake without incurring penalties. To keep the cost down, I am also providing two chocolate fountains (bought after Thanksgiving at 50% off) and all desserts. I am also making driver's license cookie favors. I hate the MTV show Super Sweet 16. Those kids are rotten brats who don't value money or appreciate their parents. This is my version of Super Sweet 16. I am the youngest of 8 and never had a party--EVER! Not even when I graduated college. I am so excited. I started planning last year and bought everything on sale or made it myself. Here's a couple of examples, I purchased this set at Joann's on clearance for $4.97. I embellished it to match the theme. In the second photo, I decorated the scrapbook and the ink pens. I know I'm not asking a specific question here, but please give me some input and ideas.
Thanks so much.
Here's the other photo that I wanted to attach.
I think that your favors are just darling. I really hope that she appreciates all that you are doing for her. I agree with you, I hate that sweet 16 show myself. Shame on the parents for letting thier children behave that way.
Be sure to post pics of the cake and good luck. 
How exciting for your daughter. I am sure your daughter will love all the thought and effort you have put into her sweet sixteen!
That show is just awful. Those kids have no idea about the real world and don't appreciate the things they have! It's all about trying to look "cool". None of those parents put the time, thought, or effort into those parties that you are going to/already have. They just write the checks!
I love the things you have made so far. They look really cute. Perfect for a sweet 16!
Let us know how the party goes! Jodie
Well the big day has come and gone. It is a bittersweet memory, mostly bitter. I found out five days before the party that my daughter knew about the surprise Sweet 16 party and had begun to invite more kids without consulting me. I nearly cancelled the party, because I didn't know who she thought was going to pay for more people. I made her call each person and un-invite them. This kind of knocked the wind out of my sail and I never recovered. I was really upset that she wasn't upfront with me. The next thing that really upset me was the lewd way that 80% of the kids were dancing. I had to let them know that their behavior was totally inappropriate. I mean it's like they were having sex on the dance floor, but with clothes on. Near the end of the party, I saw one girl stick her fingers in my chocolate fountain then lick her fingers. I just can't believe how ill mannered the kids were. This was an upscale marina and they behaved like they were raised by wolves. I was too disgusted to take pictures, but I did manage to take one of the cake that I baked. It's not flawless, but this is my first 3 tier cake and an improvement for me:
http://www.cakecentral.com/modules.php?name=gallery&file=displayimage&pid=780673
You are a WONDERFUL Mom for doing what you did... I am so sorry that things turned out the way they did, my heart just breaks for you. I KNOW that one day your daughter will look back at this and know why you were so upset, I think it takes being a parent to actually understand those things. Anyway, you are an angel for planning such an elaborate party, and even though you were very disappointed I am sure your daughter was still thrilled. Your cake is gorgeous, and I am sure everyone was impressed.
I'm sorry it didn't turn out like you wanted it too. For some reason kids don't understand how much work and love goes into planning such an event or how much it costs when it's not their money. When your daughter gets older and so do her friends they will realize how baddly they behaved---of course their hearts will be broken too by their own children at some point in time and then everything will hit home.
You are a wonderful mother! Any girl would love to have you as a mom growing up. My mother never did something like this for me as a teen--in fact she forgot about one of my birthdays when she was busy at work. I wish there were more people willing to do something like this for their kids. I'm sure your daughter loved the party and the beautiful cake!
I'm so sorry about the party! But the cake was nice and I'll bet it was delicious! You are very kind and thoughtful to have thrown the party!
And yes, those brats on MTV are way out of line. Most of them need a good spanking!
We are throwing a sweet 16 for our daughter this year. Now I'm a little nervous... I catch any of them near the golf carts, it's gonna get ugly!
Hugs to you for being such a sweet mom and raising your kids to know enough not to stick their fingers in the chocolate fountain!
And, not to worry you or anything, but, so you realize the next party will be the wedding! 
AAArrrrrrrrrrgggggggggghhhhhhhhhhhh! They're growing up too quickly! I want my babies back!
Thanks to everyone for your words of encouragement. I guess my daughter and I just had two different views of "party" in mind. I imagined an elegant dinner followed by wholesome dancing. The kids just wanted to take it as a teen club or date night. I don't think they even cared about the venue. I'm from the Motley Crue, heavy metal generation so I didn't think much shocked me, but I still cannot believe the way the kids danced right in front of my husband and me. No wonder a lot of school districts have banned high school dances. Well, I'll never do that again.
I'm so sorry you had a bad experience. You seemed so excited too so I think it's more disappointing. Your cake looked wonderful.
As far as "kids these days" technology has made it possible for kids to be more grown up than ever. I remember I couldn't wear red nail polish as a teen because it was too "grown up"
Now we have explicit music/videos, internet, cell phones....etc. Everybody thinks they are 21 at 16. I hope it doesn't get worse...my daughter is only 1. How will it be when she's in high school? I'll chain her up!!!
Perhaps your daughter will realize one day and apologize. I hope so...
I am so sorry that the party wasn't what "you" wanted. I think that the cake was perfect.
Now I guess that I will be the odd man out.
My daughter is now 12 and she LOVES the MTV show, well I sit and watch it with her and we talk about it and how the kids act. Now, we will be celebrating her Quinceanera ( in the Spanish culture we celebrate the 15 - so it will be her "Sweet 15") and I have told her that I can control the function up to a certain point and that I would hate to see the party turn into some "porn style" video. But that it is up to her what Type of friend she invites and what type of party and memories she will have her special day. My cuz will be celebrating her 15 in Dec. and her mom isn't letting her invite her friends, she is really sad because she say that it is her moms party not hers. I would hate to put that much into a party and not include my daughter because it is the party that I wish I had or the one that I have dreamed for her. My dreams and hers might not be the same but I an very sure that her and I can meet in the middle. It saddens me to think that she can't get "her" party she is getting her moms. So with all that being said, my point is, We have to keep in mind that it is our kids and not us that are growing up now and it is very tough with all the explicit things that they see and all the temptation. We can't control how others raise their kids and we just have to be sure of ourselves and know that we have raised our children right and that they will make the right decisions. I know that it is tough to see the kids dancing and acting like that but we have no control over how other raise their kids and if they teach them manners or not. In my opinion I would have cut my kids arms if they would stick their finger in chocolate or if they dance like fools, I think that they would never leave my house until they are old and grey. lolol. But think of it like this too, when our kids are in front of us they behave a certain way and they will follow our rules, when they are out of our site they will be different, so we go back to the point of being sure that we have done a good job and feeling that we raised them right.
Sorry so long.
Vicky
My cuz will be celebrating her 15 in Dec. and her mom isn't letting her invite her friends, she is really sad because she say that it is her moms party not hers. I would hate to put that much into a party and not include my daughter because it is the party that I wish I had or the one that I have dreamed for her.
Vicky
My friend's daughter just had her Quinceanera. He limited it to family. I was a little disappointed because I wanted to go. He did not want to end up with rowdy kids, plus he was recently laid off so most of the family pitched in to make it happen. I wanted my daughter's sweet 16 to be a surprise meaning without my daughter's input, because she thinks that I can actually invite 200 people and have all this fanfare as if I'm rich. It was nice not to have her constantly in the way asking for one thing after another.
My boyfriend has a company that provides the lights, screens, dj's etc for school dances, parties and all that stuff.
He comes home absolutely flustered at how kids dance, what they wear, etc. He has had 14 and 15 year old girls proposition him openly--its like a badge of honor for young girls to catch an older man!
We don't have kids yet, but he comes home and we have long talks about all of this behavior. His feeling is: He would rather our kids be honest and open with us and not afraid to behave the same way in front of us as they do their friends. He's seen enough, he knows what really goes on . . . he just hopes that by making it not such a big deal and nothing to hide, maybe he can take the wind out of their sails.
I think you did something that my mom tends to do a lot . . . planned a party that you thought was appropriate, but you didn't realize what teenagers want. They want lights, noise, dancing, sugar, non-alcoholic drinks that look like cocktails, etc. They want to feel like they are in an adult nightclub . . .
My mom had a similar plan for my 30th birthday (coming up) . . . my boyfriend stepped in and had to tell her that I didnt want that. I want blowup sumo wrestling, giant twister, a cotton candy machine, the margarita man, 80's music . . . . exactly the opposite of what my mom would have picked for me. It would have been a nice dinner, but it would have been her style--not mine.
My boyfriend has a company that provides the lights, screens, dj's etc for school dances, parties and all that stuff.
He comes home absolutely flustered at how kids dance, what they wear, etc. He has had 14 and 15 year old girls proposition him openly--its like a badge of honor for young girls to catch an older man!
We don't have kids yet, but he comes home and we have long talks about all of this behavior. His feeling is: He would rather our kids be honest and open with us and not afraid to behave the same way in front of us as they do their friends. He's seen enough, he knows what really goes on . . . he just hopes that by making it not such a big deal and nothing to hide, maybe he can take the wind out of their sails.
I think you did something that my mom tends to do a lot . . . planned a party that you thought was appropriate, but you didn't realize what teenagers want. They want lights, noise, dancing, sugar, non-alcoholic drinks that look like cocktails, etc. They want to feel like they are in an adult nightclub . . .
My mom had a similar plan for my 30th birthday (coming up) . . . my boyfriend stepped in and had to tell her that I didnt want that. I want blowup sumo wrestling, giant twister, a cotton candy machine, the margarita man, 80's music . . . . exactly the opposite of what my mom would have picked for me. It would have been a nice dinner, but it would have been her style--not mine.
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