We celebrated Clara’s first birthday like it was 1999. The party was a blast, and miraculously the weather cleared up—credit goes to all the anti-rain dances, of course. You’re all virtually invited, so here’s a peek at how the living room looked, decorated with giant balloons and the fabric flag banner I reluctantly made for the little one just minutes before guests arrived.
On the opposite side of the room I hung a paper pendant I made earlier above the hallway sliders, and John taped Clara’s 52 weekly photos across the fireplace. It became a favorite spot for guests to gather and compare their top picks. Seeing how much she’s changed over a year was truly special.
It rained that morning, but I was determined to use the new patio John worked so hard on, so I strung balloons from Target to give the space a festive feel. The forecast promised clearing by noon (party time), but ten minutes before kickoff it was still misty—thankfully that didn’t last.
Note the privacy fence progress—John’s been busy. More details once he catches his breath.
Most importantly, Clara was happy, and that didn’t depend on the weather. We actually had to wake her from a nap when guests arrived, but she rolled with it like a champ. Look at that grin—also, that dress is from Target.
Our dog Burger was an excellent sport, wearing the curly pink ribbon I tied around his collar and surprisingly not fussing with it. He kept it on the whole time—what a good big brother.
We thought the kitchen paneling would be an eyesore in photographs, so we moved the kitchen table into the sunroom and turned it into a food-and-drink buffet. We even used one of Clara’s toy buckets as an ice bucket. The fabric runner on the table was made from fabrics used as Clara’s weekly photo backdrops, and in the corner you can see the special Spoonflower fabric we had designed as an intended photo backdrop.
We did manage to photograph a few guests in front of that backdrop holding blank pieces of paper we planned to later personalize for an album, but the day flew by and we didn’t get everyone. We’ll likely add photos we already have to that album and maybe turn the fabric into a beanbag someday.
For food we kept it simple and meaningful—easy crowd-pleasers that worked for both kids and adults. We printed little cards explaining why we chose certain items: pizza to honor many of John and my casual dates in New York, and chips and salsa that had a special story tied to the moment we learned we were headed to the hospital to meet Clara. Ordering five pies was blissfully easy compared to the full-on catering we did for our backyard wedding.
We included snacks kids love—like Clara’s favorite veggie sticks—and displayed a card noting that she specifically requested them. We also set out cinnamon “labor cookies” with a cheeky card about when John baked them the day the doctor said Clara was ready; they didn’t start labor, but they were delicious.
About 25 friends and family came, which felt just right. Our brother-in-law Todd shot many of the photos while we hosted, and his help was priceless. As the sun came out, guests flowed onto the patio and the backyard even saw some ball playing.
The big colorful balloons were a huge hit with kids—two popped, but because they did so loudly an adult could quickly gather the pieces to keep little ones safe. Clara’s cousin enjoyed a balloon while checking out the hallway frame wall; the kids loved poking and chatting with the balloon garlands.
We set up a time capsule and invited guests to drop notes or artifacts from 2011 into a basket, which we’ll transfer to a tin for Clara to open on her 18th birthday. People contributed heartfelt notes, a newspaper from that day, a party hat, and cards with fun stats—things that should make for a nostalgic trip down memory lane years from now.
We reused striped pens saved from our wedding stationery and cut 8 x 10 cardstock into quarters to create inexpensive note cards—simple and free. For party favors we bought bubble containers shaped like ice cream cones from Target, labeled each with a child’s name in silver Sharpie, and added a little thank-you note. Those small favors were a big hit.
Some guests gathered in the carport where the dancing kicked off. That felt like the perfect cue to bring out the homemade piñata—the quirky, lumpy creation I tested before the party. After fixing a moisture issue with a blow dryer, I turned it into a pull-string piñata so the little ones could safely open it and grab individually wrapped treats like Teddy Grahams and Goldfish.
Next up was Clara’s smash cake: a tiny cake made just for her to dig into. For those unfamiliar, a smash cake is a fun tradition where the child is encouraged to make a big, messy, adorable scene while everyone giggles and photographs the moment. Clara dove right in and it may have been the cutest thing I’ve ever seen. She even shared a little with us—there was icing in my hair and a cake goatee on John afterward.
After the smash cake we broke out three dozen cupcakes from our favorite bakery and invited everyone to help themselves. The cupcakes matched the party colors and, miraculously, came in for under $14—an economical and delicious win that let me focus on the smash cake instead of baking dozens of cupcakes myself.
We wrapped the celebration with a year-in-review video John edited and burned to DVD so guests could watch it in the living room. Clara received heartfelt gifts: a quilt I made, a stacking sandwich game she loves, and a soon-to-be-built sandbox from John. She also got activity gifts like a museum membership and nature classes, plus sweet presents from friends that will keep her busy and learning.
All in all, Clara’s first birthday was full of food, family, friends, bubbles, balloons, cupcakes, and so much laughter. As the evening wound down, we celebrated the little moments and felt grateful for the people around us. And the cycle of babies continues—John’s sister recently announced she’s expecting, so we’ll no doubt be back at another first birthday before we know it.