Clara’s big birthday shindig is tomorrow! Along with her actual birthday. It seems utterly insane to think that this time last year she was just arriving. Oy, how time flies. And since so many of you were asking for par-tay details I figured I’d toss up a quick little pre-party-prep post about all of my “supplies” for the bean’s big day. You’ll have to excuse me if you think I’m going overboard. I’m just a little obsessed with our girl and we’re so honored and excited to celebrate her first year here (more on the reasons for my über appreciative b-day behavior here).
First I made these easy paper poms with tissue paper and some string in our three main party colors (blue, green, and pink- just like her nursery).
You’ll probably remember those colors from her invite (which we made here). Those hues are based on her bedroom- she just loves blue, green, and a hint of pink. At least for now. She’ll probably go through a goth black-loving phase someday so I’ll take pink, blue, and green while I can.
Now we have a handy little numbered photo. Because we all know I like listing stuff. Explanations below.
- This is a cloth party hat that gets passed around our entire family for every child’s birthday. It was last worn in October by Clara’s older cousin Emanuel on his first birthday and she’s been eying it ever since.
- This is the birthday fabric that we designed on Spoonflower for Clara’s 52 week photo. We also plan to use that as a backdrop for a little photo station where everyone at the party can stand and hold those white pieces of paper with colored borders while they pose for a pic. We plan to take each photo and add the person’s name on the blank piece of paper in Photoshop and make a little album for Clara so she can start to learn and see names like “Granny” and “Nona” (her two grandmas) and look back to see everyone who came to celebrate her.
- Here are the fun patterned napkins and plates that we got from Party City on sale. Since our party’s “theme” is based vaguely on Clara’s weekly photos (which inspired her invitation) we thought the patterned napkins and plates looked like a background we would have chosen for one of her weekly shoots.
- Those are giant punch balloons that we grabbed from Target (I thought they’d look fun hanging from the trees on the patio if it doesn’t rain on my
paradeparty). - These are the two banners I’ve made (one a long time ago with paper, and one recently with my stubborn sewing machine) full of fun patterns and colors that also remind us of backdrops for those weekly pics.
- Here we have piles of pink, blue, and green balloons from Target that I’d love to blow up and make into huge balloon garlands to be swagged around outside (or inside if it rains).
- Those are two tablecloths in pink and blue. Just to cover things like odd outdoor tables that don’t match and to add more pops o’ color.
- This is a festive table runner that I made with some of Clara’s weekly fabrics (just like her quilt, but it was way faster and easier- I’ll post the detailed instructions for ya soon).
- Then we have some sidewalk chalk to entertain the kiddos out on the patio. And next to that are little containers of bubbles shaped like ice cream cones (from Target) that will serve as favors for our wee guests (I want to personalize them with each of their names).
I still have to make her smash cake and arrange for the rest of the food, but that shouldn’t be too hard (famous last words?). Oh and we’re going to make a little time capsule that guests can add stuff to for her to open when she’s 18. That should end up being hilarious. I hope.
Operation Start Blowing Up All Those Balloons is about to commence.
We also mentioned that we wanted to DIY a piñata a while back, but the jury is still out on whether it’s going to work. So far I made paper maché (mixing approximately two parts water to one part flour)…
… and blew up one of those punch balloons from Target that wasn’t in our color scheme (the orange one)…
… and cut a bunch of newspaper strips…
… which I paper machéd to the big balloon…
… which I then let dry a bit overnight and then hung outside this morning to hopefully speed up the drying process (since it was still soggy and looking a bit – uh – questionable). Might be a womp-womp project. We’ll have to see.
I still have to let it dry, pop the balloon, fill it with little toys or candy, and add ruffled tissue paper all over it so it doesn’t look like a big goiter (we actually want to make it a pull string piñata since that works well for smaller kids but we’ll have to see how it goes and post details if we get ‘er done).
But more nerveracking than my homemade piñata’s fledgling looks is the forecast. Boo. What’s the deal with the whole scattered t-storms thing?
Please for the love of balloons in trees and bubble yielding ice cream cones, let it be clear and sunny-ish for just two early afternoon hours. Then it can rain cats and dogs all night.
Ann says
Good luck! Goiter! You guys always crack me up!
Radhika Paruchuri says
Your pom poms look adorable. I made them for my daughter’s birthday and tied them on a long sting and put it along door frame patio and everwhere and looked so colorful. I hope it doesn’t rain for you and will have a blast. Happy 1st birthday to Clara and to you Mom! Have a wonderful time!
Kaitlyn says
I’m cracking up about that pinata right now… i’m an art teacher teacher for kids with special needs and i literally JUST finished making a few dozen of those with the exact same balloons from target! what a week..
a few words of advice from someone who’s been up to her eyeballs with the same issues: go for a fan or a blow dryer on low if it’s really still a problem. putting it in the freezer will crack the flour and make more problems. also, if you can avoid it ( i know sometimes they start to deflate on their own), don’t pop the balloon until after you’ve decorated it and given it a bit more time to dry. we had a few issues in class with the balloon-less pinatas sagging a bit from the glue we used to decorate it with tissue paper. the balloon provides some much-needed support in the mean time. good luck and hope you have fun!
Van says
I’m keeping my fingers crossed, but I’m sure the party will be great whether inside or out…
Lindsay says
I LOVE tissue paper poms. I made a TON for my wedding a couple years back. So festive. So easy. So inexpensive. Win, all around. :)
Unrelated – I know you’ve mentioned trying the whole local honey thing to avoid allergies (with no luck, if I remember correctly). Turns out, no one else has any luck either:
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/10/health/10really.html?_r=1
(Too bad. I really liked the idea of eating something yummy to get rid of allergies. sigh)
Have a great time at your party! I’ll be thinking “no rain” thoughts for you guys.
YoungHouseLove says
Oh man I thought I was just weird or doing it wrong. Haha.
xo,
s
Paulina J! says
Not sure if anyone has mentioned this, but if your balloon pinata doesn’t work, you can always try this. I thought it was pretty ingenious that she used a paper bag:
http://www.infarrantlycreative.net/2011/05/paperbag-pinata.html
You might be bale to rig it to where Clara can pull the bottom out.
YoungHouseLove says
Love it!
xo,
s
J'Ann says
Happy Birthday when it comes Clara!
Chelsea says
I can’t wait to see pictures of the party! (Rain or No Rain, hoping for sun, of course). I am already starting to mentally plan my little boy’s first birthday at the end of September. Seeing your planning & decorations just makes me more excited! You have so many great ideas!
Hope you all have a wonderful day with Your Little Bean!
May says
POM POMS! I love pom poms. So much so that I’ve been banned from doing anymore pom poms for parties. So tomorrow might be the first time I have a party without pom poms since forever. Except I still have some time to make some…which I will probly do. I love pom poms. Happy to see them in your decorations. Crossing my fingers for you for no rain! Happy bday Clara!
Lara says
I was one of those babies with a time capsule first birthday party! Mine was opened on my 21st birthday,and it included a VHS tape of the family filling the box (highly recommended! It was really fun to pull out that tape and see my grandparents, siblings and neighbors twenty years earlier!) It also had newspapers, clothing ads (I swear one of the JC Penny ads had a picture of little Katherine Hiegl in it.), and a copy of LIFE magazine from that year. Clara will definitely love her time capsule. I’ll do a no-rain jig for you tonight! Have a wonderful weekend.
YoungHouseLove says
Wow that sounds so fun!
xo,
s
Meredith says
Katherine Heigl was a model as a child, so that’s totally possible. :)
Stephanie says
That was the exact forecast for my 9yo’s party we had last Saturday here in Missouri. It stormed like crazy from 5-7 a.m., so we had a muddy yard, but the rest of the day was beautiful. We just spent our time on the patio. So, sending good weather vibes your way!!
Jaclyn says
Wow!! I stumbled upon your web page while looking for an orange area rug for my new home. I been looking through your pages for hours now! I am so inspired by you both. I am currently a teacher and have always wanted to study design. I now see, that it’s possible to make something of a passion without having a background in the field. All you need is a little love!
I closed on my first home (a ranch like yours) a week ago and I was hoping you had some advice…I have a horrible smelling dishwasher! Any tips?
I can’t wait to get some “after” pictures to possibly post on your house crashers page.
Thanks for the inspiration!
YoungHouseLove says
Hmm, I’m not sure other than to worry there’s a drainage problem or something causing swampy water to build up and not go away. Maybe try calling a plumber for an hour’s pay and seeing what they think? Anyone else have an idea?
xo,
s
Cair says
Clean out all the little holes in the sprayers, sometimes little pieces of plastic, paper, or food get stuck and then the water sits in some places (and gets stinky). A bunch of toothpicks will help with this job. Wipe all the surfaces with a bleach solution, and then run a cycle (or 2) with just bleach. Then it never hurts to leave the dishwasher open so that everything can really dry out.
Jen @ Domesticated Nomad says
Looks like we are both in party planning mode. My little guy turns 7 and his party is tomorrow. We are going all out Star Wars. But we have rain in our forecast too! Boo. I hope it stays dry enough because I don’t really want 18 kids running around my house. I’ll be doing my party details early next week on my blog if you are interested…you never know, you may need a Star Wars party someday…for John? ;)
YoungHouseLove says
Haha, or Burger! It’s always a possibility!
xo,
s
Kristina Strain says
A little follow-up to my earlier comment follow-up: I totally understand about those bland, beige compostable plates. Maybe someday demand for them will be so high they’ll be available in different colors and patterns. As far as reusable, kid-friendly dinnerware etc goes, what about bamboo? Enamelware? I see kids drinking out of little enamelware cups on other blogs, and it melts my heart every time. So fun and Little House on the Prairie! :)
YoungHouseLove says
That’s true! We’ll have to keep an eye out for them. We usually try to avoid enamelware and plastic stuff in general since sometimes it feels less green than glass and paper since they break down eventually. But if you reuse it enough it’s got to be green, right?
xo,
s
Chelsea & Kyle says
Love the fun colored Poms! She is one lucky little lady.
When I saw the photo of the paper mache, I thought “It looks like a wasps nest”, that would not be a good party decoration…
Everything else looks amazing! ::fingers crossed for good weather::
YoungHouseLove says
Haha, totally! A goiter-esque wasp’s nest.
xo,
s
Melissa says
My now 7 1/2 year old daughter also had a rough entry into this world and we went INSANE for her 1st birthday. You deserve this, she deserves this… enjoy!
erika m says
I may come off as really blonde sounding (I am one!) but I have heard before that the percentage of precipitation is not the chance of it occuring but rather, the percent of that certain geographical area that will get rain…i.e. 40% of Richmond will not get showers tomorrow. I did not google or confirm this, but I heard that and it was like…Did you know that….{in a trivia voice}?? If thats right….shoot for the 40% ;) Wonderful Birthday Bash to your family and little one.
YoungHouseLove says
Haha, I would love if that was true! It would give us more of a chance! My dad is really into meteorology and he says by looking at the radar it might be ok (he’s more optimistic than the forecast on weather.com and wundergound.com). Here’s hoping!
xo,
s
Kristin H. says
Totally off topic, but your engagement ring is beautiful!! (and quite large!) Have you ever posted about it/the proposal before? I’m so random.. Happy Bday to C Dawg of course! :)
YoungHouseLove says
Haha, I’m very much in love with my ring (although I do have small hands so it’s not the Hope Diamond or anything- haha). I never take it off as you can see – even to paper mache. As for the proposal – here’s that story for ya: https://www.younghouselove.com/2009/07/wedding-week-ii-i-liked-it-so-i-put-a-ring-on-it/
xo,
s
Nora says
I tried to make a fish pinata for a friend’s party a few years back. If the forecast is rain/humid, it won’t dry at all (or worse, may grow mold/spots like mine did :( I tried to let it dry inside through a week of rain). I’d be really interested to see if the oven trick works!!
YoungHouseLove says
I did the hairdryer trick and it worked like a charm! Whew.
xo,
s
Amy L. says
Have you seen these by Martha. Though with drying already an issue, paint might not be what you want.
http://www.marthastewart.com/268958/papier-mache-hot-air-balloons
YoungHouseLove says
So cuuuuute!
xo,
s
heyruthie says
BIG WARNING on those Target punch baloons! (was that dramatic enough?) Ours were defective.
I just bought that same pack at Target for my kiddos for their easter baskets, and 3 out of the 6 had holes in them near the “punch” part–they were defective. This was really a bummer because we needed all 6 of them (my 4 kids, plus our 2 neices from out of town.) There were quite a few tears Easter morning over the defective punch baloons ;-(
We love those things.
YoungHouseLove says
Oh man that stinks! We have blown up that orange one and it was ok but who knows about the others. I might find myself crying tomorrow morning. Haha. I’ll try to blow them up with time to run out for more if need be (we have to pick up a few things in the morning anyway).
xo,
s
Jen @ The Decor Scene says
I LOVE it all!!! Love those colors.
Happy Birthday Clara!!! Enjoy your 1st birthday.
No matter if it’s sunny or raining (but I will pray for sun for you), you guys will have a great time anyway. Bubbles can be used in the house anyway. ;) Can’t wait to see the party pictures, if you are sharing them with us of course. ;) ENJOY!!!!
Lindsey says
I am keeping my fingers crossed for you that it will be a perfect, rainfree afternoon! LOVE the icecream cone bubbles!
sophie says
kid parties are so much fun to organize! It looks like you’ve got everything in control (which will leave you enough room on the big day to cry a little – and believe me, you will!)
Our foolproof pinata ‘recipe’ – make a ‘pancake mix’ (water, flour and egg). The egg makes it harden up well. Tie the string around the balloon in four directions (as though wrapping ribbon around a present) and put the paper strips across it. This makes it strong enough when you pop it and hit it. And then coat with two or three layers of leftover newsprint. Then decorate as you like. Our easy version is just to add squares of tissue paper. And finally, hit. hard. a lot! We’ve made at least one every year for the past 8 years. And some years, we’ve made two (one for each kid).
Have a great day, guys.
YoungHouseLove says
Wow- thanks so much for the tips!
xo,
s
Mia says
Just wanted to wish Clara a very Happy 1st Birthday! and please give her a hug from me! I am sending a day of sunny weather from California along with many thanks to Sherry and John for the nice details of the party day. Hope you enjoy this special day and keep us posted with lots of pictures! I may ‘borrow’ some of your party ideas for my daughters birthday later this year. Oh yah, she’s a little older, but a great party is all about fun, good food, and being surrounded by family and friends!
Kirsten says
I am so glad I wasn’t eating or drinking when I read the word “goiter.” I laughed just typing it. Best word ever. Oh, I must be tired….the more I think about it, the more I laugh…crying with laughter now. I hope you don’t end up with a GOITER PINATA. HAHAHAHAHA.
YoungHouseLove says
Hahahaha. Now I’m cracking up at the idea of you cracking up.
xo,
s
Jillian says
Yay! How exciting! I’m doing my triplets’ 6th birthday party tomorrow & it’s a circus theme. We’re hoping the weather cooperates, too, although here in Arizona the concern is it being too hot. Our high is supposed to be 95 tomorrow!!
YoungHouseLove says
Woah! Three six year olds! Have fun!
xo,
s
K (Barking Babymama) says
Sherry, saw your reply about flour and water as a ring-cleaner, and I actually read a while ago that baking soda with a little bit of water can be used as a jewelry tarnish-remover. It worked like a charm! (I blogged about it here:
http://barkingbaby.blogspot.com/2010/08/tarnish-be-gone-natural-solution.html
YoungHouseLove says
So funny! My ring is looking so shiny! Haha.
xo,
s
Tina says
Happy 1st birthday to Clara! I hope she has a wonderful day and party. Watching her grow up has been like watching my oldest daughter again. Her birthday is also on May 14th (22 tomorrow), so it’s a very special day for us also. Just wait til the years when her birthday and Mother’s Day are the same day ;). My daughter was actually born on Mother’s Day. I wish your sweet family the very best!!
andrea says
De-lurking to share a link to an easy-peasy (and cheap!) pinata that doesn’t require paper mache (in case yours doesn’t turn out). btw – this isn’t my site but one that I frequent.
http://www.infarrantlycreative.net/2011/05/paperbag-pinata.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+InfarrantlyCreative+%28infarrantly+creative%29
And since I’m de-lurking… LOVE, LOVE, LOVE your site! You have inspired me to take on many of my home projects. Keep up the good work!
YoungHouseLove says
Love it! Thanks so much!
xo,
s
Krista Haws says
Happy birthday Clara!!! Hope the day is wonderful!!!! :)
kd says
call me paranoid…but make sure the kiddos don’t try to eat the pieces of popped ballon….just a thought
YoungHouseLove says
No worries the balloon gets popped before the treats get added (I did that this afternoon) so it’s not in the piñata when the kids play with it!
xo,
s
Kim says
Everything looks adorable! Just love those colors :) Hoping it doesn’t rain for the bean’s birthday bash! But I’m sure she’ll have tons of fun no matter what! And yes, the time really does fly by. And it goes faster every year!
Stacy says
Wow! Beautiful colors. They are so bright and fun. Hope all goes well. Showed my kiddo’s picture of the decor and they loved them. Kid approved! Rain, rain… go away…you can come back some time next week! :o)
Tamara says
My sister in law just did the pom-poms for her daughter’s 1st birthday and from 12 diff. pom-poms she strung from the center with ribbon and and a paper made frame a different picture from each of the 1st 12 months of her daughters life. It was so sweet to see her grow up in those photos!
Mason says
Just a tip for future pinata fun – for the little ones, pack up the treats in individual goody bags, then load the pinata up with those. This keeps treats from flying all over the yard and getting lost in the bushes, and it also stops fights and tears – you know, the ones that start because someone dove in there first and got the most candy and then boasted about it . . . saw this done at my sons kindergarden end-of-year party. Hope it helps.
Also, don’t be too surprised; when they dry, those flour and water pinatas can dry really hard – have a strong stick ready and maybe an adult can soften it up with some power wacks!
Good luck! Happy Birthday , little Clara!
Carole says
crossing my fingers for good weather! My kids and I are doing the race for the cure tomorrow in Columbus, and the forecast is looking ominous, but I’m hoping for the best!
Teresa says
I thought Burger would look AWESOME dressed like this! What do you think?
http://thephobia.com/tagged/rufio/page/4
YoungHouseLove says
Oh my gosh- hilarious!
xo,
s
Gisele @ brindes says
hi ! Loved all those ideas you had for your baby’s party ! Back in my house, I’m the family party planner as well ! When I was living in NY, I used to buy all my stuff at Party City.. oh gosh, loved it so bad, that sometimes I used to go at the store, just to dream about my next party ! lol
r8chel says
The time capsule is a great idea! It will be interesting to see what people contribute!
Lisa G. says
I have taught art camps for kids and I found the very best way for paper mache is to use modpodge with napkins…
Michelle F. says
happy birthday clara! Hope you guys have a wonderful day full of loving memories, rain or shine!
Rachel says
What a fun looking party! I love all your ideas. :) My husband and I are so happy that my due date for our first child (a daughter) is coming up soon! Then on HER first birthday I can look back at this time, too. I might use some of your ideas for her 1st bday…very fun. :)
Jenny says
Looks like great fun. Good luck with the pinata!
Michele says
Can’t wait to see the party pics! Happy Birthday, Clara : )
Kristina says
Everything looks so cute! I hope the party goes well. I’m glad for you that John finished the patio in time. :) Just a coincidental sidenote, my birthday is also tomorrow…the same as Clara’s. And I started reading this blog on a whim…what a wacky coincidence! Happy birthday to Clara! I hope it’s a good ONE! (thought you might appreciate that knee-slapper)
YoungHouseLove says
Wahooo! We love all May 14th babies, even grown ups! Haha.
xo,
s
Ann Marie says
I found your blog months ago and decided to start from the beginning – your 2007 kitchen renno – and work forward. As I watched your style (and your family!) grow, I made it a goal to get caught up by Clara’s party. :-) I made it!
I just wanted to thank you for the laughs, inspiration, and honesty that you have shared with everyone. You are truly wonderful people. Good luck with your party tomorrow – I know it will be amazing! I will be sending thoughts of sunshine your way!!!
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks so much for reading all the way up. Wow- so glad you made it just in time for Clara’s party!
xo,
s
Sarah says
Happy birthday to Clara!:) all the way from New Zealand!! Everything looks so great together!:) I love all the use of your weekly fabrics, and I’m trying to do something special on spoonflower for my daughters 8th birthday in June, so thanks for sharing that site!
tricia says
Happy 1st Birthday, Clara! Have a wonderful time today! Praying for some sunshine for you this afternoon:)
Nathalie says
One word- WOW!!!
And a few more … I love how creative you are and how much thought and effort you put into Clara’s birthday party!!! Makes me want to organize a party for my nieces or nephews or the neighbours kids…anyone…this is sooo cute!!!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY, CLARA!!! Hope you’re all having tons of fun and a great birthday! Time capsules… custom made everything… amazing!!!
(Hoping that the weather has not looked at the weather report and that it will be a dry and pleasant enough day weatherwise)