Charissa's Karaoke party!!!

I threw a very low-key shindig for my sister's birthday today.  I can't believe my LITTLE SISTER is 27 years old!  :)  She's even older than Paul.  ;)

For the party, we invited a few of her closest friends and family to a karaoke party at Echo Karaoke.  This isn't your usual karaoke bar, this is authentically ASIAN STYLE!  In all the Asian dramas we watch together, when they do karaoke, it's in a private room with black squarish sofas and all the control is on YOU for your own private party.  When we saw this open up near campus about a month ago, we were STOKED to introduce it to everyone!  And it's super affordable ($4/hour on weeknights, $6/hour on weekends).  No, I'm not getting paid to put this plug in here, I really just love. it. that. much.

Caida loved dancing to all the upbeat songs!

Caida and Cerene singing "King of Anything"...Caida knows just about all the words to any Sara Bareilles song!  :)

Tanner and mommy (Brittany)

Sisters singing

The Watson sisters and their best friends singing "the best friends song" ("Livin' on a Prayer")

And, of course, I made a small Japanese/Karaoke themed cake.  It was uber-simple, and the icing was super melty between the July heat wave and the warmth of the kitchen, but still.  Pretty fun, and I'm kinda proud of it--especially the microphones and the chocolate color I achieved with food coloring (since my sister and one of her best friends can't eat chocolate).  One of these days I will buckle down and master fondant, but until then, the melty storebought kind will have to do.  :)

Charissa's cake was on FIRE!

She's so popular.  :)

We are so broke right now, especially after Florida, that I didn't have money to buy Charissa anything (after covering the cake and ice cream and admittance into the karaoke place for us and our other sister and niece).  But I DID have an old karaoke machine with two microphones and a whole BUNCH of karaoke CDs that we had been considering selling on Craigslist (who wants a karaoke machine anymore with games like Rock Band out there?).  It fit so well into the theme of the party, and I still wanted to get her something to open SO BADLY, that I decided it just seemed right for a gift.  :)

Like my handmade bow on the karaoke machine?  :)

Happiest birthday, Charissa!  I hope 27 is your year!!!