Academy Star -1yr- The After Party

ACADEMY AWARD FOR THE "STAR OF THE SHOW" - A Party for a 1 Year Old Girl  It all started with the fact that our daughter had a very pretty dark red tank style dress she wore at Christmas.  I wanted to pick a theme she could where it again.  Being 1 she was not into princesses yet and I want to save that for another year.  So I figured let's mak her our little "Movie Star" and I can make her own Movie. 

Here's what the I did for the invitation.  I dressed her up in her pretty dress, added some of mom's pearls, a pair of star studded sunglasses, actually a furry white lingerie shear jacket I received from a bachelorete party years ago to put over the dress, some high heels and a purse (that of course just layed next to her).  She sat for the photos.  I took many different photos. 

The front of the invite I took the photo and print it on the computer in black & white with a fancy frame....above the photo it read " Her Full Name"...underneath the photo it said "In Her First Award Winning Performance."  It opened vertically vs. horizontally (now with background colors of red & gray tone roses)- the top of the inside said had black & a dark wine fancy print that read "You are exclusively invited, by invitation only, to the "BLACK TIE" grand event of the year. Makenzie (last name) Award Winning Performance Extravaganza!  Come Celebrate "A Year In The Life of Makenzie".  In smaller print it read, "this upcoming star is known throughout the world as a young miss with a budding personality and tremendous talent and non-stop electrifying energy!" 

Then centered in the middle it said the date & time, followed by: "The Academy Award After Party" and the address.  It then said:  "Light refreshments & hor'dourevs will be served."  Under that in the red print "\*\*Please No Press Allowed, we have installed the highest security measures for this event and Makenzie will be accompanied by her own body guard.  Mr. MJ - "The Rock"  Street Wear Not Permitted.  The back of the invitation now in full color had some of the cute not-so-serious photos with the little "take-1 Flip Chart Icon" below these two photos it said:  Sponsored by the White Bear Academy Film Association". 

For decorations we had a long roll of red tablecloth we used as the "Red Carpet" down the sidewalk, I made Palm Trees out of wrapping paper tubes and green construction paper (remember this is January in Minnesota - there was snow on the ground).  I also made the "Stars" like you'd find on the Hollywood Walk of Fame with each of the kids name on them and the appropriate icon, megaphone, etc..you can find these on websites and download them - I just imported it into a file I could type over.  We laminated them and tiled them on the floor in the basement so the kids could take them home.  I had copied photos of the pictures I took of Mak and made them look like blown up movie posters with the title of her movie "A Year In the Life of Makenzie" across them and posted throughout the house.  We had silver stars dangling everywhere. 

Although you can purchase stars at any party supply place - my husband works at company that carries various materials and we found a great two sided glittery rainbow silver styrene.  We put Mak's face in the center on some of these starsGold, Silver, & Red Balloons (helium filled so kids could take home).  We used Gold & Silver  Party Wear with a Red Table Cloth flounced and scattered with silver confetti.  We also made a large "Oscar" for out front - cutting out of card board and covering with foil.  .   

Guests arrived and were greated by the "Valet Parking Attendant" - my husband.  We actually made a board with numbers and hooks to hang keys on, and they put the corresponding number in the window.  "The Maid" - me, who continually walked around during the "Academy Award After-Party" with trays of kid friendly Hor d'ourves.   The Body Guard "Mr. MJ - The Rock" - my 6 year old son dressed in all black and shades with muscels stuffed in his shirt.  And of course the "Star" dressed in her red dress, white boa, and sunglasses.  She was somewhat walking so we decided not to add the heels - although we found some great white sparkley infant shoes from Target. 

Games consisted of: 

1) Roll the Limo Across the Floor (using a straw you see who can blow the Limos (toy matchbox cars from my son's collection) the furthest. 

2) Pin the Sunglasses On Makenzie (a blown up picture of her, and then I found a pair of sunglasses in clip art and made a bunch of pairs)

3) Star Toss (I had different bowls set out throughout the room each with a number in them)  Each child received 10 stars and got to throw them.  Then they choose prizes that were grouped in 5 different categories corresponding to the bowls.  So the small bowl of course had some of the nicer prizes, where the big bowl had candy.  They added these to their goodie bags.  

The goodie bags consisted of: sunglasses, make up, jewlery, camera, limos, this of course was in addition to the other general prizes they won from the games.  Food consisted of:  Mini Egg Rolls, Small Taco Roll-Ups, Mini Corn Dogs, than I used a shaped bread tubes (put in pillsbury french loaf rolls in and cook then slice into strips) on top you can put a dallop of egg sald, tuna salad, peanut butter and jelly, crab.  We had punch and of course a non-alcholic champagne toast for the star. 

The cake I actually used the picture of Makenzie and the bakery copied it onto a cake and add a lot of sparkles to it, lining it with red.  Mak of course had a small individual cake that matched the large one - for her own birthday candle to blow and to take her first "photo" bite. 

The highlight of this party of course was Mak's Homemade Movie.  She was a trooper and I just took the family camcorder and did it all in one day.  Since I'm not technically inclined and didn't have the highest electronic devices I actually carried a little boombox next to me so there was sound the whole time.  I changed the music according to the scenes of the movie.  There was only one scene with actual "diolague".  For the Title Page and Credits I made a page on Power Point and actually filmed my computer screen as I clicked (I'm sure if you are technical and have a nice digital camcorder there are easier ways to do this).  But it was easy and turned out well.  So the movie starts and you see the power point page 1 "A Life of the Little & Famous", page 2 "Starring "Mak" Makenzie (last name), page 3 Co-Starring "MJ" - The Rock, Page 4 - "Directed by (my name), page 5 "Film & Edited by: (dad's name), page 6 "Produced by the White Bear Film Association Release Date (her birthday)"

Then the movie:
Scene 1) Slowly pan the street name, then pan the house from the street and walk up to it, opening the front door, going up the stairs, pan a large family photo hanging in the living room, then walk over to the bathroom and open the door - there you find our little one year old star with one of mom's oriental looking silk robes on, an all-natural mud mask (one of mom's that won't hurt her skin) and foam rollers in her what little hair she has.  She has one of those electric tooth brushes in her mouth to keep her busy. 

Scene 2) Mak is supposively "sun-bathing" - since we didn't have a beach - we found a spot in the living room with the light from the window coming through - put down a beach towl, lotion, beach ball, sunglasses, Mak was in a polka-dot bikini (actually sleeping - she is only 1 and it was nap time at this point of filming).

Scene 3) Excerise-I layed my 15 videos out, my aeorbic step, weights and mat, filmed them then showed the TV which was playing one of the videos and then it panned over to Mak as she tried to step on and off the step wearing a little Reebok Pink & Blue Jog Suit & Tennis Shoes - she fell a couple of times and laughed, then layed and tried to do sit-ups (so Cute). 

Scene 4) Music Time - You see the empty piano,You hear Mozart and see the Music on the Pino in a close up so you can read the composer, then you see her sitting at the piano wearing a fancy dress plunking and "singing" along. 

Scene 5) My son (the bodyguard) is in our Ford Explorer driving with his leather coat and sunglasses on.  You see Mak in the backseat in a fur coat (we borrowed) and a pair of sunglasses. 

Scene 6) (my parents had a bar and stools set up in their basement), we propped Mak up against the bar with the stool (we had someone below her to catch if she fell but you didn't see this person) - she's wearing a sweater, blue jeans, has a purse, and a hat (to like hide herself in this public place) her body guard is sitting next to her and another "customer" (her 2 year old cousin - who is drinking out of her adult looking cup) all of a sudden a "fan" approaches her (her 6 year old cousin) screaming" Makenzie, Makenzie, can I have your autograph".The bodyguard approaches this "fan" and says "I'm, sorry she's not taking autographs right now"  we actually get Mak to look at the fan and hold a pen"the fan" helps her scribble something and then she goes off running so excited to receive this stars autograph. 

Scene 7) A candlelight dinner - we had a crystal looking - plastic sippy cup and dish set - we put cut up grapes and cheese & red juice (to look like wine) in her sippy - we tied her into a grown up chair - again she's dressed formally for this candle light dinner.

Scene 8) Disco - A scene wear her & her brother are dancing in his room with stobe lights, rainbow globes, lava lamps (you can find funky lights cheap at various stores like Target, Walmart).  MJ is break dancing (spinning on the floor) and Mak is bouncing up and down, in her short jean skirt and top with tights & tall boots.  Scene 9) Bath Time - Have a lot of bubbles and candle light (a short scene because she couldn't sit alone long) Scene

10) She Sleeps - closing with a really precious song about "daddy's girl"

Scene 11) The Credits - and it scrolls and says the following:  Makenzie (full name) as herself, Mr. MJ - The Rock (brother's full name), Lady At Bar. (cousins name), Fan.(cousins name), Director.(mom), Editor.(dad), Key Grip (cousins mom - who helped with the bar scene so kids didn't fall).  That was it.  We showed the movie during the party and it was a huge hit.  We made copies for the grandparents. 

Her Thank You Card contained photos from her 1 year old portraits and said "This is more than a Thank You (inside) It's a paper Hug with a fold down the center.  Then had more photos of party on it and "Thank You's".   

Overall - it was a great party and one of the gifts she received her Oscar! (Her God Parent started a charm bracelet for her at her baptism given her a silver bracelet with a cross and she was able to order a special "oscar" charm and said each year she'll buy a charm that represents her party theme) So Mak got her "Oscar!"