A Gentleman Jack Fete

 Well, Jack's first birthday party has come and gone and it was lots of memory-making fun.  It all went down on his actual first birthday, June 21st, and I'm posting about it on the day he turns 13 months old.  At least we're still in the counting-age-in-months stage.  It makes aging easier for some reason.  

I knew we'd be having a gentleman party.  It described him. Just as Molly Sunshine had a sunshine soiree in honor of her sunshiney disposition through the first (very eventful and taxing) year, Jack had been the perfect, sensitive, loving gentleman through his.  Even before he was born his room took on gentleman-like qualities when I used Caps for Sale as inspiration and of course he was named after two wonderful gentlemen as well.

I made the invites and just went with something I could fashion out of paper and scraps I had on hand.  They went out around father's day so I'm sure my dad, Ryan's dad and the like were thinking how sweet we were to think of them at this time of father-acknowledgment when they opened the envelope and saw this:

And then they looked inside expecting wonderful words of...oops, nope not for you--but would you like to come to Jack's party?

I did the inside of the invitations on word (because it's what I know best) and used plenty of cheesy puns...just like I like it.  This girl helped me put them all together, while the little gentleman himself played in the kitchen drawers:

The goody bags were born out of the same necessity--to use things that I already had on hand because 1) it's cheaper, and 2) I can create when the mood strikes and not have to run to the store (store "runs" are always an event).  I saw some father's day gift bags on pinterest that were paper neckties clothes pinned to paper bags so I went with that idea and cut bowties out of scrapbook paper (used a cookie cutter for a template) and had Molly find all the matching buttons out of the button basket.

At the party they sat on the piano guarded by Sir Wellington the frog, who donned a bowtie for the event, and joined by a crate of Cracker Jack boxes that were an adult take-away treat:

They were filled with bubble pipes and bubbles, mini Wooly Willy game boards for never ending whisker-making fun, some finger mustache tatoos, a little Gufus and Gallant board book for the younger crowd (remember that duo from Highlights magazine?  They both lived up to their name.  I thought it a good gentleman handbook of sorts.), and handmade mustache duct tape wallets for the older three.

A couple weeks prior to the shindig I got an 101 free print offer from Shutterfly.  I never need prints when those come but I decided to pick some of my faves from this past year and they soon arrived--FREE--on my doorstep.  I hung some upholstery trim up around the dining room and Molly helped me choose and clip the photos on for decoration.

And just like Molly's first birthday party I put out Jack's monthly pictures along the table interspersed with gentlemanly things old and young.  The tablecloths were two twin flat sheets that I had on hand that reminded me of pin-striping and the runners were made by my grandmother for my senior recital reception way back when.

Ryan's grandfathers' pipes, Ryan's actual shaving brush (he's a little old-fashioned;), Leigh, if you're reading this--yes!  those are the sweet little oxford saddle shoes you passed on to me!  They don't fit anybody yet, but they sure do look sweet:)

More trim, more pics, more baby shoes (Jack's, Ryan's, and mine), and a couple of pageboy hats

You'll notice the multiple flower arrangements I had my personal florist, a.k.a. my awesome mother-in-law, put together for me.  She did something like 8 arrangements with $12 worth of Trader Joe's flowers and some yard clippings.  I know, right?!

I bundled the utensils in striped napkins bowtie style with strips of paper.  My friend Emily did this for her son Tyler's Bow Ty bash back in February (see what she did there?  Bow TY as in TYler) and it was super cute and I knew it would translate well for our theme.

I found the following on a Google image search and copied it onto our kitchen wall with a few minor alterations.  I also put on a Rat Pack Pandora station to set the mood for the evening.

I swapped out our big, turquoise clock that usually hangs in the entryway for a mirror to serve as a grooming station.  I didn't get a chance to set this up exactly as I'd envisioned but there were finger and face mustaches to choose from, some all-the-rage photo booth props on sticks that I picked up for fifty cents that I thought would be fun to look in the mirror with, some Target dollar bin--no check that, clearance dollar bin gingham bow and neck ties (part of the goody bags), and Jack's beloved birth-stat subway art (that usually hangs in his bedroom) done by my awesome friend Jennifer. 

Grooming Station

I also happen to have a sizable collection of vintage neckties from my dad and Ryan's granddad so Pop tied them up in case someone needed a gentlemanly lift for the party.  The hats, well, did I mention I do a bit of musical theater on the side?

Dress-up rack

The guests of the party outdid themselves again with donning theme-appropriate attire.  Molly was excited to wear a bowtie and vest to "Jack's Gentleman Jack Party"--she referred to it as that every time;). But she soon lost her gentlemanly accessories.

My nieces were simply fabulous dressed up as perfect little ladies to balance all the gents.

Magnificent Maggi

Sophisticated Sophi

Thoroughly Modern Marci

A couple of gentlemen playing a gentleman's game

Mister and Master

Sporting a finger moustache

It was so wonderful to have Grandma there:)

The man of the hour was fashionably late (don't hold it against his gentleman rating--see the "rules" above;).  His normal 2-4 p.m. naptime ended at the time it should have begun so I ended up putting him down again just before his guests showed up at 5.  He woke up to a party in full swing and was in a bit of a daze for a little while as he wrapped his mind around all the festivities.  I super-glued a little mustache magnet onto one of his pacifiers for an amusing touch that kept things light despite his just-woke-up somber stupor.

Gentleman Jack Oliver--dapper as ever!

Joined by 7 (out of 10) of his favorite cousins

It was so wonderful to have so many of our family in town for the festivities!  *I just realized everyone looks super serious in the picture below but I promise we had a good time.*  My Uncle Tim and Aunt Charlotte happened to be in town for a conference so they were able to join us and my grandma came too! Along with  both sets of our parents and my sisters and their families.  Jack, buddy, that should make you feel pretty special:)!

The menu was easy...I called Pollo Tropical and had them take care of it!  We had all of Jack's faves--black beans, rice, chicken, plantains--and I supplemented with a mango salad and some little extras like the close-but-no-cigar bar (shown below, already raided)...born out of looking through my cabinets for things that resembled cigars that kids would eat.

And by kids, I mean Mark:

Balsamic tomatoes, mango salad, fried plantains, citrus roasted chicken....mmm...

The cake was last minute.  Why do I always do that?  I used to have a real knack for cake decorating and I used to spend lots of time and creative energy on a quality product.  This time (and last time, and I think the time before that) not so much. But it works, right?  After I haphazardly squirted some chocolate buttercream on the mustache in a mediocre manner via Ziplock bag corner, I handed some vanilla buttercream to MiMi at 4:45ish and said, "could you frost the bowtie?"  And, as always, she obliged.

Chocolate mustache and vanilla bowtie with Necco polka dots.  Jack's (smash)cake was the center section of the bowtie.

All the GP's.  We missed Ryan's grandparents, MawMaw and PawPaw.

The aunts and uncs--we missed Aunt Tad and Uncle Josh who are a bit far away.

The "big kids" table flanked by barber poles

What a lady:)

Enjoying a distinguished time together

Wyatt keeping the birthday boy occupied

Gentleman Jack enjoying his birthday fare

We moved the celebration outside for awhile to complete our Gentleman Course.  

To complete the course you must: 

1) weave around the barber poles (you may remember these from their 2005 debut as street lights in Annie, or perhaps from their second life as Sesame Street poles for Molly's second birthday, they were reincarnated a third time as barber poles for Guys and Dolls in 2012, and wouldn't you know we had need for them yet again in this year's Bugsy Malone.) 

2) sit for a shave by the finest faux-barber I know

What fine patrons!  Maggi, Wyatt, Molly, and Sophi

The older set--Marci, Jonah, and Sammy

3) Don a gentlemanly ensemble (tie, hat, and other extras).

4) Take flowers to a lady (in the "audience")

5) Give a gentleman a firm handshake (in the "audience")

6) Go back to home base (and receive some gentlemanly candy)

Ready for my close-up!

Wyatt looking date-ready,  Sophi choosing her get-up, and Maggi presenting flowers to a special lady

Offering the Birthday Boy a firm handshake

A gang of supportive spectators cheer on the little gentlemen

Molls shows off her loot to Grandma

One game we didn't get around to was Name That 'Stache that involved guessing the personality by looking at below-the-nose pictures of famous mustaches.  On the list? Albert Einstein, Alex Trebek, Burt Reynolds, Captain Hook, Charlie Chaplin, Clark Gable, Groucho Marx, Hulk Hogan, Mario and Luigi, Mr. Potato Head, Sam Elliot, Teddy Roosevelt, The Lorax, Tom Selleck, Wyatt Earp, Yosemite Sam and this guy...

The one and only...

Sadly, we didn't get around to it!

Back inside, it was time for cake!

He was a bit enthusiastic for the candle.  

After a rousing rendition of the birthday song (in 4 part harmony) it was time for the digging-in part.  Okay, so he didn't exactly dig in at first...

Soon enough, though, he got down to business:

He's a fan:

Experiencing cake.

Going in for more

After a bit of clean up and a change into a more comfy gentleman ensemble, Jack got to do his, well his cousins' and sister's, favorite thing...open presents.

My two favorite guys

Sophi's such a good little mommy:)

Bidding farewell to Grandma Dot

Jack slept well that night and I imagine his dreams were full of all the people who love him so.  The next morning he seemed just a bit older and wiser and I suppose that will be the case always.  He's such a wonderfully happy, easy-going, cuddly little fella and I'm so glad he's my little gentleman.

Playing with Pop the morning after