The party turned out fabulous! Approx. 50 guests showed up. The food was great! The stuffed Pinnochio hats w/my grandpa's sauce came out great! My mother, Elena, and I were up cooking all night and into the morning. We were so tired! We had Italian sausages, lasangne, bread, pasta, fruit, and green salads, beef and chicken terriaki kabobs, fruit, cheeses, wine, beer, soda. Someone brought egg rolls and pork ribs. Elena's sister brought over her trays of chocolate covered strawberries, frozen bananas dipped in chocolate w/colored sprinkles, cookies, and marshmellos also dipped in chocolate colored sprinkels. The kids loved them.
My party favors/decorations received a lot of compliments. One guest said, "You should go into business with your party favors. You'd be a millionaire!" I said, "That's what I'm working on." :) Since it was a Pinnochio themed party I stuck with Italian colors for the balloons, fabrics, and Pinnochio hat favors. All the wooden Pinnochio's looked stunning. I put Pinnochio masks from Venice, Italy on the wall. My brother made a lollipop tree I put large suckers into. Another guest said, "This is the best 'first' birthday party I have ever been to!" This was really a big production. I feel like I did a wedding! My cousin joked, "We're not going to have another party for 5 years! "He doesn't know I already started on the Mexican cowboy theme for Alex's 2nd birthday!
My cousin rented one of those jumpers. That thing was a kid magnet. They couldn't get enough of that thing! Which was fine with me. They were all boys! Most of the men and teen-agers were outside with them talking sports, drinking beer, playing music. The women were inside talking and playing with the baby, drinking wine, and taking pics. Alex never cried and was enjoying all the attention and excitement. Elena invited Kristopher's teacher to set me up with. He teaches Chicano Studies and history and is moving back down to LA. He was tall, and Mexican, and had a Masters~my 3 prerequisites! Something bugged me about him that I can't pin down.
Later in the evening when only family was left we brought out the tequila bottles BECAUSE WE MEXICANS KNOW HOW TO PARTY! We did so many shots my cousin had to do Tequila runs. I only did three shots and that was enough because I was also drinking Margaritas. A few people brought out their guitars and started playing and singing. My cousin John from a punk band was even playing songs by 'X'. Everyone was buzzed or drunk and laughing.
THEN my uncle's Palistinian friend busts out with his cool Hookah pipe! We all go outside and he sets it up. In minutes we are all in a circle taking turns puffing tabacco. The tabacco was apple flavored and comes in a variety of flavors like cherry, lemon, melon, strawberry, and cotton candy! Dude, I'm getting one of those! He even put tequila inside the pipe. So I'm sitting right next to Nimer, the Palistinian guy and he was telling me about his Catholic background and how his anscestors are from the village where Jesus preached and rose from the dead. I had no idea there were Catholic Palistinians! I thought his background was pretty cool and interesting to listen to. He's really involved in his church and has a son in Israel right now.
All of the sweat, drama, and work was worth every minute of Alex's first b-day party! We are all grateful Alex is healthy and thriving and is a happy little boy. It was a party fit for a king's son!
I made this altered Paul Frank inspired stencil organizer out of this cool red glitter paper I found at my LSS.
Vijay Iyer, Zucchero & Co.
Joe Nichols,
The Howling Bells
