Oh man did we party like it was 1999. Clara’s big birthday bash was so much fun, and even the weather miraculously cleared up for us (which I fully contribute to all the anti rain dances you guys did – so thanks). Of course you’re all virtually invited, so let’s get this show on the road. Here’s what the living room looked like decorated with some giant balloons and the fabric flag banner that I begrudgingly made for the bean just minutes before the first guests arrived.
On the other side of the room I hung a paper pendant that I made a while back above the hallway sliders and John taped up all of Clara’s 52 weekly photos (see the whole collection here) on the fireplace. It turned out to be a great place for people to stand and study them all (everyone had a different favorite) and it was so amazing to see how much she has grown and changed.
It had rained all morning but I refused to let the dream die (you know, the dream of actually using the patio that John worked so haaaaaard to build before the party) so I strung up some balloons that I got from Target for a few bucks to create a festive come-hither-and-enjoy-the-new-patio look. The forecast said it might stop raining by noon (which was the beginning of the party) but I snapped this picture around ten minutes before and it was still misting and overcast. Boo.
Pssst- Notice a privacy fence going on? Let’s just say John’s been busy. Details as soon as he catches his breath…
Thankfully, all that mattered to us was keeping Clara smiley, which didn’t hinge on the weather at all. We actually had to wake her up from her nap to attend her own party after a few guests showed up right on time. But she didn’t mind. Look at that happy girl. And isn’t her dress cute? It’s from Target.
Burger was possibly the best sport of the day to wear these ridiculous curly pink ribbons that I tied around his collar. I figured he’d immediately attack them until he got them off, but he didn’t seem to mind them at all. So he ended up wearing them the entire time. What a good big brother.
As for the food and drink set-up, we decided the kitchen was just waaaay too ugly to work as the main party backdrop (oy, that paneling) so we moved the kitchen table into the sunroom to create a little food and drink buffet. We even improvised and used a cute toy bucket of Clara’s for ice. Oh and here you can see the fabric runner that I made for the table using some of Clara’s weekly photo backdrop fabrics (I’ll have to share the steps for making that guy soon – it was really simple). And in the top right corner of the photo you can also see Clara’s special fabric that we designed on Spoonflower which we intended to use as a photo backdrop for everyone at the party.
Intended was the key word. We did manage to grab photos of a few guests in front of it (holding blank pieces of paper that we planned to later photoshop with their names so we could make an album for Clara to learn to recognize everyone). But the day was just such a blur that we didn’t get a chance to capture everyone. Maybe we’ll just have to make her an album with photos that we already have of everyone without that cute backdrop (which I plan to make into a beanbag someday).
As for the spread, we landed on a few simple crowd pleasing foods that work for babies and adults alike… and also had special meaning to us. We even made little cards to explain why we chose certain eats (just printed out on card stock on our own computer). For example, the pizza card said “Many of John & Sherry’s casual dates in New York City were enjoyed over a slice of New York pizza.” It was really nice to order five pies and call it a day (instead of slaving away making the food like we did for our backyard wedding – we must have been crazy back then).
We also had some of the most delicious chips and salsa in Richmond on hand – which also happened to have special meaning for us when it comes to our favorite girl. The card explained it all: “John was eating these Cafe Olé chips on his last day of work when Sherry called to announce that she was in labor.”
We also figured the other kids and parents would appreciate an easy little snack (one of Clara’s favorites). In fact when we held up a few things (Cheerios, Goldfish, these) she picked these (by pointing at them and saying “dis” – which isn’t a dis, but actually means “this”). And so the card read: “Clara loves munching on these veggie sticks and specifically requested them at her party.”
And although we would serve cupcakes along with Clara’s smash cake later in the party, we set out some cinnamon cookies with the food just to fill up the table with one more crowd pleasing treat (they’re also known as “labor cookies” because it’s an old wives tale that the spices somehow can start labor when you’re ready to pop – but it didn’t work when John whipped up a batch for me). So the card on these guys read: “John baked these ‘Labor Cookies’ when the doc said Clara was ready. They didn’t work – but they were good!”
Everyone ate their little hearts out and had a merry old time. Our party guest total ended up being 25 of our closest friends and family members, which was just about perfect. Here’s Clara taking time off from pizza eating to flirt with the camera man (our brother-in-law Todd very graciously snapped a lot of photos while we “hosted” and soaked up the day since he’s a pro photographer – and we’re oh so grateful).
And by this time it started to get nice and sunny out, so while most people were venturing outside onto the new patio (miracle of all miracles!), some people ate inside as well.
And Clara’s cousin John checked out our hallway frame wall with his new balloon friend. Btw, the giant colorful balloons were a huuuge hit with the kids. And two of them did pop, but they did so nice and loudly – which was helpful because one of the eighteen adults could quickly grab all the pieces (since deflated balloons can be choking hazards- safety first!).
We also mentioned that we wanted to create a birthday time capsule for people to contribute to at the party (we talked about it back in this post, which also has sources for a lot of our party supplies). What we ended up doing was grabbing a basket for people to drop notes and “artifacts” from 2011 into, which we would then transfer into a tin box for Clara to open on her 18th birthday. Oh and the note to direct people to contribute said: “Add something to Clara’s Time Capsule! We’re making a time capsule for Clara to be opened on her 18th birthday. So please write a note to be slipped in. (Something about her, about 2011, or even about yourself. Whatever!)” She ended up with lots of well wishes, a newspaper from that day, a party hat, and some stat cards full of gas prices and top recording artists and TV shows today. It should all be really fun to look back on when she’s eighteen.
See those little striped pens? Those were from the sentiment cards that people filled out for our wedding. I was so glad to spot them in the drawer when I went digging around for some fun little pens. And as for the note cards, they were just pieces of 8 x 10 card stock that I cut into quarters and drew a little heart at the top with pink, blue, and green markers. So the whole time capsule project was f-r-e-e.
And speaking of cheap thrills, these bubble containers shaped like ice cream cones were less than fifty cents a pop at Target (they sell them four per pack in the party aisle) and I used a silver sharpie to write each child’s name on them to create cute little favors. Once again, we printed out a little card stock sign to explain the whole shebang: Thank you for coming to my party! If you’re a young bubble enthusiast like myself, please take the party favor with your name on it. (This means you Laney, Elsa, John, Emanuel, Hayes, and Edison!) xoxo, Clara
Happily, they were a hit. Especially since everyone was gravitating outside to the patio (with rain clouds nowhere to be seen).
The balloon garlands were also pretty fun for the kiddos to look at, poke, smile at, and talk to (kids are kind of weird, but very cute). Look at my sweet momma and my sweet baby girl, living it up underneath them.
People even started spilling out into the carport, which is where some crowd rallying dancing took place. Here’s Clara’s cousin John getting the party started with some Macarena-ish moves.
We took the carport fun as a sign that it was time for my homemade piñata. That’s right the ugly goiter-esque creation that I shared on Friday actually worked out! I used a blow dryer to eliminate the moisture issue, popped the balloon, and then covered it with tissue paper “scales” for a fun girly effect inspired by this one I pinned on Pinterest a while back. I’ll be back with a detailed tutorial to share all the steps (I tweaked it to create a “pull string” piñata so the wee ones didn’t need a bat to get to the goodies inside, they each just yanked a bunch of strings to pop open the bottom and get to their treates – which were individually wrapped packets of Teddy Grahams and Goldfish). Long story short: it was lots o’ fun.
And because some of the party-goers stuck around in the carport for more bubble adventures (while others made their way back to the patio or the sunroom for more snacks/drinks/time capsule fun), we decided that it was time for some smash cake for the bean…
For those unfamiliar with a smash cake (my own Italian momma had never heard of it) it’s a tradition where you bake a tiny kid-sized cake for your one year old…
… and encourage them to dig in and make a big ol’ mess while snapping lots of photos and giggling uncontrollably. Clara was not shy.
It might have been the cutest thing I’ve ever seen.
And she even generously shared some with us, so I ended up with a little icing in the hair situation and John got a cake goatee. Best time ever.
Here’s the cake carnage. Not a bad job for a dainty little girl, eh?
Then we pulled out three dozen cupcakes from our favorite bakery (Ukrops) and announced that everyone else should dig in too, since Clara set a great example. And did they ever. Oh and since all the other food got a label, of course the cupcakes earned one too: “These are the same cupcakes that John & Sherry enjoyed at their wedding, which Clara was unable to attend due to scheduling conflicts.”
And in some miracle of bulk cupcake ordering magic, three dozen of these pink, green, and blue babies came out to under $14. Yes, that’s less than 38 cents a cupcake. And I didn’t have to make them. I’m actually not sure I could have made and iced three dozen cupcakes for under $14, so it was definitely money well spent. And it freed me up to make Clara’s smash cake, which was lots of fun.
Here’s where everyone was outside and we realized that we hadn’t taken a wide shot of the sunroom with the kitchen table all set up with food (well, cupcakes and cookies at this point) so we snapped one (that table in the corner is where the bubble favors and time capsule stuff was set out for everyone).
And here’s a shot of everyone hanging out on the rain-free patio (there was even some ball playing in the backyard). We felt so lucky to end up with a nice day to celebrate the bean.
And we capped off the event with a little year-in-review video that John made for Clara on the computer using iMovie (and then burned to a DVD so we could share it with everyone on the TV in the living room). Look how many people we can fit on good ol’ Karl the Sectional.
Oh and as for the bean’s presents, you guys know I made her this quilt (which she very cutely pawed and smiled at when I gave it to her) and we also got her this fun little stacking game where you make sandwiches from one of our favorite eco companies. She loves it! And John will be building her a sandbox any day now to complete the gift trifecta. She also got lots of books and some great “activity presents” like a membership to the Children’s Museum and a series of toddler nature classes from the family. And her boyfriend Will Bower got her a super fun bathtime bubble blower and an über stimulating book called First 100 Words and this gorgeous dress that she’ll wear to woo him the next time she sees him.
So there you have it. Our precious baby girl’s first birthday party full of food, family, friends, fun, bubbles, balloons, cupcakes, chaos, and laughing til we cried. And the cycle of babies continues! John’s sister Katie recently announced that she’s expecting again (you can see her cute baby bump in the photo above our Clara video). Congrats to Katie and Martin! I’m sure we’ll blink our eyes and find ourselves at that baby’s first birthday party before we know it.
Kiersten says
It looks like it was a great party! Has anyone else had trouble seeing the video? I am on a Mac, and where the video should be is just blank/empty. I’m new to the Mac, so is there something I’m not doing and should be? Thanks!
YoungHouseLove says
Maybe try going here (the direct video link):
Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Sarah M. says
It looks fantastic! Looks like Clara had a very happy birthday! I love that Burger was into it as well! Definitely going to steal some ideas down the road!
Brita says
What a fun party! I love the big Martha poofs.
Side note, I totally had a dream on Saturday that I was reading a Clara Birthday recap post and you guys had switched out the big green rug for one I had pinned (http://pinterest.com/pin/21357067/). In my dream I was so surprised that you’d get rid of a rug so quickly, and with no explanation!
Does dreaming of blogs mean I need to read less YHL? Gosh, I hope not :)
YoungHouseLove says
Haha, that’s too funny. We work our way into a surprising number of dreams (or so we hear) and it never fails to crack us up. No more reading YHL before bed. Haha.
xo,
s
Emily says
Happy birthday Clara! What a fun party. These pictures are gorgeous- especially the one where people are still eating inside. Your home is so bright and comfortable. :)
annabelvita says
I loooove how the weekly birthday pics look over the fireplace – going to leave em there?
YoungHouseLove says
I wish- they’re just held up with painter’s tape (so we don’t damage the walls) so they already started popping off. Oh well, we’re going to get a big book made with all of them so we can see them all the time!
xo,
s
lisa says
HEHEHHEEEHEEE. Love the surprise spit up at 1:19 in the video….A question I wanted to ask the two of you…will you get Clara’s ear’s pierced or wait ’til she is much older? Great party.:)
YoungHouseLove says
I got mine pierced around ten years old so I think we’ll wait til around then with Clara. I remember being so excited about picking out the earrings they pierced me with, so I want her to be able to pick hers too.
xo,
s
Lea says
Yay, so happy that the rain cleared up for her big party!! It looked like a fun time!!
That video was so sweet, it made me tear up. :)
Happy belated Clara!!
Meredith says
I like how in every picture I’ve seen of your mom with Clara, your mom is just looking worshipfully at Clara. They’re so cute together.
YoungHouseLove says
They’re so in love. It’s adorable!
xo,
s
Julie says
That video was amazing! I don’t even know your baby girl, but I had tears in my eyes watching it! You guys are great parents :)
danielle says
So cute!!! Did you make the tissue paper poms?? I neeeeed those in my daughters room!
YoungHouseLove says
Yes! They were easy. I just followed the “paper pom” tutorial on marthastewart.com.
xo,
s
Renee says
My 17 month old, who won’t sit still long enough to watch 2 minutes of tv, sat and watched the whole video. At the end she kept say, “More Baby, Mommy?” :)
YoungHouseLove says
That’s so cute!
xo,
s
Corey says
Everything looks amazing! great job and thank you for sharing. And Happy Birthday, clara!
Patty says
HAPPY BIRTHDAY CLARA!!!
The party looks like it was a huge success! Can you believe Clara is a one year old? The first year always seems to go by so fast and there are so many incredible changes in a baby!! It has been such a wonderful experience following your blog for the past year!
John, The patio came out fantastic!!!!
Caroline says
Pretty sure I just cried more at that video than I did at my own wedding video. Great job!! Clara’s 1st birthday party looks like it was amazing. She’s one lucky little bean!
jodi says
oh my goodness. the party looks like it turned out amazingly! and the video?! gah. slayed me.
Jennifer S. says
We always seem to spend so much on parties. If you don’t mind sharing, how much did this one set you back? Do you try to stay under a certain amount? Happy Birthday Clara!
YoungHouseLove says
Good question! Hmm, well the decor was really cheap (balloon garlands = under $8 total, paper poms = under $6 total, fabric runner I made with leftover fabric = free, time capsule = free, bubble favors = $4 total, printed cards for food = free) and the food wasn’t too bad (under $14 for cupcakes, around $50 for five large pizzas with a coupon, $6 for chips and salsa, around $5 to bake labor cookies, $6 for the homemade smash cake) and a few guests very thoughtfully brought drinks. Maybe the whole thing was around $100 to feed and entertain 25 people?
xo,
s
Hallie says
Happy 1st birthday to Clara! It’s been fun following your family’s adventures over the past year (I just started reading your blog about the time Clara was born). Looks like you had a GREAT party, and it’s a delight to see a family that is so clearly filled with love.
Sara says
Love the pictures of the guests. We spend hours making our homes (and parties) look good, but in the end it is the people that make it beautiful! So happy for you that the weather did what you wanted!
kristin blake says
Clara’s party was beautiful! You guys did a great job! And I totally teared up watching her sweet video. But I came across an adorable toddler bed on babble.com that reminded me of you guys. Seeing as how Clara is pretty much a toddler now and one day you’ll move her into a big girl bed, (and the fact that this bed is made out of wooden pallets like your DIY sofa table) I though I’d share this link with you. I can so see you guys doing this for little Clara :)
http://blogs.babble.com/family-style/2011/05/16/diy-toddler-bed-of-cuteness/
YoungHouseLove says
Wow- that is super cute!
xo,
s
Laura says
Happy Birthday to Miss Clara! My how time flies! Loved the video! My baby will be 18 on the 18th! I think I may cry a tear or too!
Toodles
caitlin says
you all may have answered this long long ago, but what sort of video editing software do you use when you put together your videos?
thanks :)
YoungHouseLove says
We just use iMovie which came free on our Macbooks. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Andrea says
Beautiful party! Thanks for sharing the sweet video…I teared up watching it too! Happy birthday, Clara!
Kayt says
Happy happy birthday Clara! I loved the video. It didn’t help with my baby fever at all, though. My son is two and a half, and I have it baaaaad, especially for a sweet, giggly baby girl.
Kara says
I have enjoyed your blog for quite some time now! Clara is one cute baby, and always smiling! Thanks for sharing this wonderful day with us!
As a new home owner, young(ish), and thinking of starting a family soon, I cannot wait to check in with you all every day to compare notes, and mainly steal ideas…borrow ideas!
Michelle says
Happy birthday, Clara! Such a fun party!
Michelle says
Happy belated birthday to Clara! Looks like the party was a blast! Love the decorations! And yippie to being able to enjoy the patio for her birthday! Glad she loved the smash cake. :P One of my friend’s sister’s baby (that’s a mouthful…!) had a smash cake at her first birthday… but unlike Clara, one look at the cake and she gagged! They tried offering her the cake several times throughout the party, but she kept gagging at the sight of it! Then again, she doesn’t like ice cream, sugary treats, and only eats organic baby food… talk about a picky/healthy eater! Anyway, there’s my two cents on the smash cake. So very glad Clara’s first birthday party went great. :) Happy Birthday!!!
YoungHouseLove says
Haha, that’s too funny! We worried Clara wouldn’t eat it since she’s never had anything like it, but we should have known she’d go for it! The girl eats kale and pickles and fish – so she has thankfully never been a picky eater!
xo,
s
Christine says
What a great little party! Happy belated birthday to Clara and congrats to you guys for surviving the first year!
I absolutely love the time capsule idea! Where are you going to hide it? I can just imagine how hard it would be not to peek in there every year!
YoungHouseLove says
I know right? I told John she’s totally going to try to sneak into it if she knows it exists so I think we’ll hide it in John’s workshop in the basement or the attic or even in our safety deposit box at the bank!
xo,
s
Harinee says
Ummm she’s gonna be reading the blog long before she’s 18……..!!
YoungHouseLove says
D’oh! Looks like I’ll need to figure out a new hiding spot. Haha. But I have a few years at least!
xo,
s
Amber says
Happy Birthday Clara! It looks like you guys had a blast :)I’m glad the weather held up for the party.
Amber says
Looks like a such a fun first birthday party! My little girl turns 1 in July so thanks for sharing all your great ideas :) Happy Birthday, Clara! And that video was so sweet.
Jasmine says
What a fun 1st birthday for Clara! The video you made was the sweetest thing ever, I certainly teared up too. My oldest is about to turn 21 (!) and I rememeber his 1st birthday as if it was a year or two ago…
BTW, it’s official-YHL has become part of my day! You guys are great.
Fun Mama says
This made me miss Ukrops. Seriously, their cupcakes are the best in the world. Living in DC, we practically have a cupcake bakery on every corner, none compare to Ukrops!
Glad to know they are still making them, I heard the chain was sold.
YoungHouseLove says
Yes, Martin’s bought them out but they still have the whole Ukrops Bakery – and it still tastes just as good!
xo,
s
Jessica B. says
love the video!!! looks like you had a great time! :)
Michelle says
And totally just finished watching your video/photo montage to Clara. So cute and so many funny faces! Absolutely loved it! Thanks for sharing it with us!
Ashley @ Spite or Flight says
The party looked amazing! You guys did such a great job, and omg that video!! She’s going to love that when she’s older (if she doesn’t already… babies are so narcissistic!) Happy Birthday, Clara!
Val says
How sweet! Some kiddie parties are so over-the-top these days, but this was the perfect combination of special but still laid-back. Looks like everybody had a great time!
Katrina Gelino says
If that movie doesn’t pull at your heart strings I don’t know what will. It was simply beautiful and it is exactly why my husband and I keep trying for our first.
I envy you! xoxo
Katrina
jbhat says
What a sweet, happy family you are. Happy birthday to your girl, Youngsters. She’s lucky to have you.
jbhat
Heidi says
beautiful video. i just know clara will cherish that one day. :) and you can tell she’s having such a fun, love-filled childhood! that’s the best gift any parent could ever give! happy birthday!
Future Mama says
How special! And the video was adorable :-)
Much love,
Future Mama
http://expectingablessing.blogspot.com/
Keri says
What a wonderful party! That video is just precious – Clara will be lucky to have that when she gets older.
r8chel says
Looks like you had a fun time celebrating Clara’s first year! Also, I noticed that privacy fence right away. :) Good choice.
AT says
Lovely party and beautiful family! My son is celebrating his 3rd birthday this Saturday, and you’re pictures are making me excited with anticipation! We alternate years with big party/small get together so since we had 40+ in attendance last year, we’re planning a very intimate gathering of around 10 this year. Like a previous commenter, my parties tend to be budget busters, so I really appreciate some of your hints and ideas for DIY decorations!
Funnelcloud Rachel says
Oh my gosh, that video was fantastic! What a sweet keepsake. Will you continue to do the weekly photos for her second year? I’m sure she’ll change so much over the next 12 months, so I was curious as to how you’ll document months 12-24!
YoungHouseLove says
We’re planning to continue to do them monthly instead of weekly since we can’t just stop cold turkey! She’s so wiggly we don’t think she’ll lay for them anymore though, so we’re thinking about changing her pose. More on that later in the week!
xo,
s
Lisa in Seattle says
Faking an allergy attack at my desk so nobody will ask why I’m sitting back here with tears on my cheeks. She had such a scary start in the world, and it’s wonderful to see her so happy and healthy and surrounded by so much love. Just when I thought I had identified my favorite moment in the video, an even better one came along.
How does Burger do in large gatherings? Does he make an appearance and then find a quiet corner? Or does he play the gracious host and visit with people?
A great day for a great family. Thank you for sharing it with us.
YoungHouseLove says
He loves food, so with more people (and food being served) he loves that the odds of dropped crumbs are upped! I think you can see him outside in the pic of everyone milling around at there towards the end of the post. He usually hangs out with everyone for a while and then slinks off for a nap and comes back out when it’s time for dessert. Haha.
xo,
s
Laura says
It looks like a wonderful party and I’m so glad the weather cleared. I love her one year video!
Alisya H says
Party looked amazing! You guys are such awesome parents, and Clara is one very lucky little bean! Happy belated birthday Clara! xx
cappy says
Happy Birthday Baby P! Clara looked like the star of the event and seemed to really enjoy her special day! I love Burger’s support by wearing pink…Real Men-dogs wear pink! He too is very cute! I have a goofy question for you Sherry…Where did you find your sweater? I have been on a hunt for one just like that and have come up short. Yours is awesome. Happy Birthday again! Can’t wait for the new monthly photo updates!
YoungHouseLove says
That was from the Banana Republic Outlet in Delaware a few weeks back (we spent Easter there with John’s fam). Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Tara says
Happy Birthday Clara! Seriously, you guys throw one heck of a party! Loved every minute of the play by play! :)
Misty says
You are so blessed to be able to work from home and be able to spend so much time Clara! The video is amazing and the pictures of Clara are absolutely adorable! She is so lucky to have great photographers as parents :)
Melanie says
Sherry and John,
Your house is the perfect party house now with the gorgeous new back paver patio! Those giant colorful balloons add so much to the festivities, and manage to look really elegant like lanterns strung up. The photography from that day is beautiful, and so much attention to detail for Clara’s big day, yet it still feels intimate and “just right” for a child’s party. It looked like a good time was had by all! Happy Birthday to adorable Clara!
I wanted to share with you our recent DIY job, our master bathroom remodel. I choose (after following YHL for about 6 months) your bedroom color Carolina Inn Club Aqua. It’s the perfect color for our bathroom which does not get any direct sunlight in the room. Thanks for the endless awesome project ideas and inspiration!
http://unruffledlanie.blogspot.com/
YoungHouseLove says
Wow- wow- wow. What a gorgeous and amazing bathroom! Love it so much!
xo,
s