With princess-themed parties the hottest new trend in children's birthdays, Disney characters like Ariel and Jasmine are replacing yesterday's magicians and clowns as the entertainment of choice. And local companies, like the Fremont-based Firepixie Entertainment, which the Eisips family used for Sylvie's party, are jumping on the royal bandwagon.

After attending a friend's princess party, which featured Firepixie Entertainment founder and princess-for-hire Erin Glover in full costume, Heidi Eisips, Sylvie's mother, was inspired to throw one for her daughter.

"[Princess parties are] definitely the rage," the self-described "not trendy" mother says.

Neighbor and family friend Dana Lowy, who attended the party with her daughter, Abigail, says she has attended quite a few royal soirees recently.

"All of [Abigail's] friends have had similarly themed parties, although not always with a hired entertainer," Lowy says. For Abigail's fifth birthday, Lowy hired an entertainer to play Ariel, the star of the Disney movie The Little Mermaid.

And entrepreneurs who are willing to don a tiara and gown for an afternoon are cashing in on the craze. Glover says a party can run between $150 and $200 per hour. But parents are willing to shell out the money to make their little princesses' day extra special.

"I think [princess parties] are the new phenomenon," Glover says. "It's really growing ... I think a lot of it has to do with Disney. They are really marketing princesses right now. And little girls love princesses."

Sylvie is one girl who can't resist the lure of a majestic life. Although her mother says she is trying to raise Sylvie and her two brothers--3-year-old Yonathon and 6-year-old Ariel--in a gender-neutral environment, her daughter's feminine side seems to dominate these days.

"As soon as she could decide for herself, it was princesses and dollies," Eisips says.

A family joke illustrates Sylvie's new career goal. When she was a newborn, her tiny fist grabbed onto the doctor's scissors as he cut the umbilical cord. Her mother and father joked that this gesture was a sign that meant Sylvie was destined to become a doctor. Then one day she informed her parents that she did not want to study medicine--she wanted to become a princess.

"It's currently her vocation of choice," Eisips says.

For one day, at least, Sylvie's fantasy became reality. A Barbie princess--a cleverly disguised Glover--paid a visit to the Eisips' home and entertained the party-goers with balloon animals and face painting, giving Sylvie and her friends the royal treatment. Sylvie's mother and two aunts, Robin Bernhard and Lily Livingston, joined in the fairytale fun and dressed up as fairy godmothers.

Although Sylvie was the star, Eisips says Glover's sense of humor kept the adults every bit as entertained as the children.

"Erin's fabulous," Eisips says. "She is a savvy princess. She is as good as any clown. And she's not prissy--she is a princess with attitude."

Far from portraying her characters as spoiled and helpless, Glover is reclaiming the fairytale princess as a symbol of girl power--a hero who can save the day without smudging her lipstick or losing her tiara.

"Princesses are icons of beauty," she says. "Girls want to grow up and be that. But the stories are about hardship and overcoming obstacles."

And Glover uses the figure of the princess to instill feelings of empowerment in the younger generation as well. As part of her act, she improvises fairytales with the birthday girl as the star and the one who saves the day.

Eisips says she was impressed by Glover's ability to create a story on the spot that engaged the young party guests. And even the boys who attended the party got in on the act by playing knights and other male characters.

"Even my 3-year-old fully gets gender," Eisips says. "To be able to involve boys is a gift."

For more information, visit www.fire pixie.com.