Name: Etta (1)
Location: Grand Rapids, MI
When my sweet niece Etta made her first ultrasound appearance, she looked so much like a little bean, we started calling her "Jelly Bean" - so when she turned one, the party theme was a no-brainer! Because her birthday fell on Labor Day weekend, we decided to throw a big barbecue for family and good friends at my parents' lake house - with a sweet twist.
The party was definitely a team effort. Etta's godmother is a graphic designer and she created invitations covered in candy colored pennants. My sister, Etta's mama, strung the tent with tissue paper puffs and made centerpieces out of mason jars filled with jelly beans and pinwheels. Inside, she hung a ribbon clothesline above the fireplace featuring photos of Etta taken every month of her first year.
Grandma was in charge of the menu - a classic barbecue spread with chicken, potato salad, baked beans, and corn on the cob. And like any adoring auntie with pastry skills, I made dessert - a miniature layer cake covered in pave jelly beans for Etta, and cupcakes topped with jelly beans for everyone else.
Instead of organized games, we passed out life jackets and let the kids in attendance go wild with the paddle boat, swimming, and tube rides. At the end of the day, Etta gave her guests one final sweet treat as they left - they scooped assorted jelly beans into small paper bags, and took home mini tins filled with jelly beans printed with her adorable little face.
Sources:
• Party favor tins from Jelly Belly
•Jadeite cake stand from P.O.S.H. Chicago
•Tissue paper poms from Martha Stewart
Thanks Emily! Readers, find Emily at Big Fork, Little Spoon.
(Images: Emily Deveau)
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mmmmm........jelly beans
Very, very cute!
Though I must confess my main impression is: Wow - thatsa lotta sugar!
Jelly beans on cake to me is like drinking orange juice after brushing my teeth. the flavors do not mix well. I guess it is ok if you like fruitcake.
HOMEBODY: I was thinking the exact same thing when I saw that cake with all those jelly beans. Visually, it's pretty but my teeth hurt just from thinking about it.
is anyone else nervous about a one-year-old chowing down on lots of tiny jelly beans? the first thing that comes to mind is choking hazard! as long as someone is watching her eat every bite i guess it would be okay...
Hi, Auntie here! Totally agreed on the sugar AND the choking hazard - we actually scraped the jelly beans off her side of the cake before we let her eat it. However, I tried a piece with jelly beans on it and it was delicious!
I love it! Very cute, and seems appropriate for a 1 year olds birthday. I'm a bit put off by the huge show that people seem to put on these days for small childrens parties. This seems thoughtful and adorable, without being obnoxiously over the top.
To be totally honest, I also thought the same thing, "whoa, that's a lot of sugar!" However, when my lil one was growing up & had birthday parties, sweets were part of the "party." Two years ago, my daughter and I cut down on our sugar intake. Seeing this was a sort of shock but she's only one, and auntie set the record straight. Sweet lil girl awesome First Jellybean party! Loves, makes me want to be a kid all over again...
hehehe jelly belly beans!!
Cute, class, vibrant and peppy. I love it! This party looks colorful, cool, simple & sunny, just as I imagine the lovely Etta's personality to be. I'll be finding a way to replicate the month-by-month photo garland and pinwheels in jelly bean-filled jars.
MY Name is Stephen!!!!!!
AWWWWWWWWWWW she is so cute!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
If people say a one year old can choke on a peanut, I would think a jelly bean has the same choking factor? Cute party idea, but I'd have used it for an older kiddie.
I like the photo idea!
Our kids are a little older, but we let them go wild with life jackets & fun, too. We have always had big, wild, festive family celebrations of good food & treats, and action.
Nice to feel like there's someone on the same page! :)
I shared some of my thoughts on kids' birthday parties here: http://ourfunwithfive.blogspot.com/2012/08/some-thoughts-on-kids-birthday-parties.html
So colorful! I like it : )
I'm glad I'm not the only who saw the post title and started freaking out about choking hazards. I don't think everyone is familiar with what the top 12 choking hazards are for children under age 3, I think it should be posted in every pediatrician's office alongside the vaccination schedule. That being said - the colors all looked very nice!!
Ummm, gonna borrow this idea for my husband's next birthday...he's kiiind of a big jelly bean fan. lol ;)
obviously the people freaking out about the jelly beans being choking hazards didn't read the comment about how they removed the jelly beans off the side of the cake the baby was eating off it.
and my first thought wasn't about choking hazards or how much sugar it all was - is was HOW CUTE is that cake?! cute party too, good job! i hope you guys had a great time. :)