I will be the first to admit it: I went overboard.  Waaaaay overboard.  But it’s my baby’s first birthday and it had to be celebrated BIG!  Even more than that, this was a celebration of his life, his being here, and our family having finally gotten to this place.  Besides, it has been a while since I’ve done anything crafty, and I’ve been wanting to sculpt as of late, so with that and our “go big or go home” attitude, you had to know this was going to get out of hand…

Months of planning, a morning and evening party for crowd control, and a baby hopped up on sugar who loves a crowd – this might be the most images in one blog post on this site ever so get ready! ;0)

Seven has been enamored with the sound of Dr. Seuss books since he was only days old.  I think it’s the rhythmic sound of the phrases.  I’ve even memorized the first 1/3 of Cat in the Hat and recite it to him to settle him on airplanes.  Dr. Seuss was a natural pick for his birthday theme!




Our friend Jessica is an amazing culinary artist and she did the most incredible job putting together the Seuss themed food for the party!  She worked tirelessly for us, in planning, preparation, and just keeping things well put together on the day, and did I mention she is also in her first trimester of pregnancy?  What a friend!  We inhaled copious amounts of food coloring and it tasted glorious!  Jessica thank you SOOOOO much!!












You may have heard me mentioning on twitter about making trees.  Here they are – Truffula Trees from The Lorax to frame up my crazy-over-the-top cake focal point. (More to come on that in a bit…)


We had a Photo Booth set up in the back for fun photos of our guests – and Sean. ;0)



I’ve been seeing these cute month-by-month photo collages at first birthdays, but our favorite photos weren’t usually taken exactly at one month intervals and I couldn’t narrow them down so I went with a general progression of Seven’s life instead.



With a birthday right after Valentine’s Day, Seven will probably always have a candy bar at his party — at least until he starts to complain about all the pink!



So the cake…

I knew I wanted to try to make it myself so I took at Fondant I class at Sweetwise (which I highly recommend by the way!).  I figured the only right way to do a Dr. Seuss cake would be for it to be a topsy-turvy cake and since I didn’t have time to take a class on that too, I watched a youtube video instead.  The cat on top I sculpted out of clay because, as I mentioned earlier, clay has been seeming like a lot of fun lately so this was a good excuse to try it.  The cake definitely had it’s flaws, but over all, I thought it turned out pretty nicely – especially for my second time ever laying fondant and my first ever tiered cake!



So those were the details. I had this secret fear that I would plan all of this stuff and in the end, what seemed so elaborate to me would end up looking like a few well decorated tables sitting in my house instead of a Seuss wonderland.  In the end though, I was really happy with the results.  What made us so much more happy though was the great turn-out!  We really do have the best friends and family anyone could ever ask for!  It warmed our hearts to have them all here to celebrate with us.  Seven was thrilled too.  He loves people – big and small alike – and a bunch of people at his house just to see him was perfect. :0)


If you can believe it, I used to be these kids’ (on the left) nanny, starting with when the oldest was 5 months old. She’s 12 now and carries my son around like a little lady.  How time flies!



We completely lucked out with the weather and got the one nice day of the week for Seven’s birthday.  The little girls all played outside with sidewalk chalk and each made Seven birthday cakes. :0)


Happy Birthday!







Seven and Violet are little buddies!  When they were a little younger, Seven was constantly grabbing at her and now it’s her turn to return the favor. Here she is giving him a sweet kiss – right before she tried to take his ears off. ;o)






Seven talking to his very-soon-to-be new friend Baby Crafton.  It’s about time we got some more boys around here!



That’s a wrap!  Happy Birthday My Love! You are the best thing that has every happened to us and no celebration if any size could ever fully express our joy! We love you SO MUCH!


81 Comments

  1. Savannah Kenney on March 3, 2011 at 6:02 pm

    Oh my goodness Mel! It is everything you told me and more! It looks fabulous and Seven looks like he had the time of his life! Well done!!

  2. JoshLi on March 3, 2011 at 6:05 pm

    So happy we were able to be a part of Seven’s first year! Party looked great – I can already see a Star Wars themed one later on… Also good to see Grandpa Jim and Elaine!

  3. Matt Dudley on March 3, 2011 at 6:09 pm

    Luckiest. Child. Ever.

  4. Bekah on March 3, 2011 at 6:14 pm

    Mel! It turned out so wonderful! I was amazed to see how your drawings turn into reality! What a special party for a special little man, so glad to have been apart of it!

  5. Kate Crafton on March 3, 2011 at 6:30 pm

    Baby Crafton is ready to meet him (and you guys) too! Love all of the work you put into the party…it was precious. Thanks for having us!

  6. Sarah Addison on March 3, 2011 at 7:27 pm

    What a lucky boy! The best kids parties are fun for the children and the adults- this one looks like it fit the bill!

  7. Jane Cato on March 3, 2011 at 8:26 pm

    A feast for my senses! Speechless. Love the little peek into The World of Sean, Mel, & Seven! ♡

  8. Karen Ziemkowski on March 3, 2011 at 10:09 pm

    Happy, happy birthday, Seven! What a beautiful, fun party! I loved all of the images, and Mel, that cake is insanely awesome. Wish I could have a slice right now. Yum!!

  9. Jennifer Hamilton on March 3, 2011 at 10:11 pm

    WOW!!! I love this party!! Now this is the type of detail I go ga-ga for! ;) Just amazing!

  10. Kristyn Hogan on March 3, 2011 at 11:16 pm

    Great job on the decorating, Mel, so cute! Looks like you all had so much fun! Happy Birthday Seven :)

  11. diana on March 4, 2011 at 12:51 am

    how cool is this?! you did such a great job with everything!!

  12. Grace Lightner on March 4, 2011 at 7:57 am

    (Oops meant to leave this here!) Wow… just wow, wow, wow, wow, WOW! Oh my goodness the details of every beautiful little & big thing. A ton of love, time and effort was obviously put into this. I can’t even begin to imagine how you brough everything together so deliciously. You deserve parents & party planner of the year! And of course gorgeous coverage, I felt I could taste each morsel of food through your yummy photos! Happy 1st Birthday to your little 7!

  13. esm on March 4, 2011 at 8:26 am

    A day that will be remembered forever!! The planning, the work the finished product, incredible!!! It was so wonderful to be a prt of it. Thank you, Sean, Mel and Seven. I love you with all my heart!!

  14. Emily on March 4, 2011 at 9:24 am

    Happy birthday to Seven! I am a huge Dr. Seuss fan, and I am SO IMPRESSED with all the details! Mel, you did a FABULOUS job!!!!! What a fun party!

  15. Rachael Earl on March 4, 2011 at 1:13 pm

    As a fellow Seuss fan, this is incredible!!! Just love it so much! Bravo on the cake, Mel!

  16. ting on March 4, 2011 at 4:05 pm

    That’s one lucky child! Great job with everything! No detail left untouched. I LOVE the cake! HAPPY BIRTHDAY SEVEN!

  17. Bradford Watson on March 5, 2011 at 12:14 am

    This is one of the most incredible things I’ve ever seen. Miss you guys.

  18. staci dunn on March 6, 2011 at 4:53 am

    Adorable! Looks like he wants the only person who had a blast at the party. Love all your ideas and decor.

  19. Renata Walczuk on March 6, 2011 at 4:37 pm

    What a Sweet Heaven you two created for Seven’s First Birthday! Parent’s love has no limits for a child. Have fun raising you son and enjoy the ride!

  20. Mel on March 8, 2011 at 3:46 pm

    Thank you all so much! I had way too much fun putting this all together and the party turned out better than I could have hoped! Too much fun! :)

  21. anna on March 9, 2011 at 7:35 am

    gah! AMAZING!!! love this to bits, love him, love you. this party was to die for! thank you for letting us be a part of such a truly special day. :o))

  22. Evan Hurst on March 9, 2011 at 11:48 am

    Ok now this is my kind of birthday party!!

  23. Kayla on March 9, 2011 at 6:09 pm

    He is so cute and sweet! I can’t belive he is 1 already! The decorations were so cute! You and Sean are SOOOO creative! Love you and hope to see you again soon! :)

  24. Steph Owens on March 10, 2011 at 11:02 am

    OMG.. this is fab.. I remember when my daughter turned 1~ we had a 4 pc quartet surprise me and it just added to everything and made it even more special! So you totally didn’t go overboard~ I think it is all perfect! I have to ask about the trees~ did you make them~ and if so please (pretty please) do share! These are incredible!

  25. Incredible! Seriously, the decorations and food are just amazing, amazing, amazing. This looks like the sort of party that any Dr. Seuss fan would love, no matter if they’re one year old or ninety!

  26. Mel on March 16, 2011 at 9:26 pm

    Thanks you guys!! :) And Steph – I do have step by step photos of how I made the trees. I thought maybe a children’s party blog might want them so keep an eye out on our twitter feed for if and when we send them off for publication! :)

  27. Laurie Noblit on March 17, 2011 at 8:33 am

    OH MY GOSH!! I love everything about his b-day party! You are so creative and crafty! Looks like you guys had a great day with little man!

  28. Ally on March 21, 2011 at 12:48 am

    OMG! 1. Your cake owned!!!! and 2. Seven and Violet must get married someday. Cutest. Thing. EVER.

  29. Mary on March 26, 2011 at 6:42 am

    Amazing. In my next life I wanta to a McLellan baby!! So sweet he is! Happy Birthday 7!!!

  30. Maggie on April 19, 2011 at 3:41 pm

    Love the overall theme especially the cake and the Trees! How was the trees created?

  31. susan on May 10, 2011 at 11:14 pm

    wow. i LOVE your party! i am having a seuss party in 2 weeks for my 2 year old and I love those tablecloths? did you make them, where did you get the circles? I would love to make them for our party!

  32. Mel on May 11, 2011 at 11:18 am

    Thank you all so much! :) To answer a couple of the questions, Maggie – the trees were made from chicken wire, pvs pipe, and paper mache for the trunks. The tops are polyfill pinned to styrofoam. Susan – the circles are just cut from felt rectangles. You can buy a multi-color package of them in your local store’s craft department. They were secured using fabric glue.

  33. chris on May 24, 2011 at 1:30 pm

    LOVE everything about your party!
    Can you tell me how you colored your Truffala tops? They are amazing!

  34. Mel on June 2, 2011 at 1:31 pm

    Thank you! :) I spray painted the tree tops – after sectioning off the pieces and pinning them to the styrofoam head, but before attaching them to the trunks.

  35. Kacey on July 29, 2011 at 11:21 pm

    Hello! I’m using your incredibly fabulous party as inspiration for my daughter’s first birthday. Love your decorations, how did you do the fireplace mantle? What is the green puffy material made from? Also, where did you and your husband get your t-shirts? Thanks for your help & advice! Great party, what a lucky boy you have.

  36. Mel on August 3, 2011 at 9:17 am

    Thanks Kacey! We have a wiry berry garland on our mantle and the green stuff is tissue paper shoved into that and piled on to cover the garland. I cut it into little stacked squares, fanned them out, scrunched them up, and taped them into little flower shapes. Best of luck with your party!

  37. Patty on September 15, 2011 at 3:04 pm

    Hi I am so inspired by your party. Can you tell me where you got your party invites? and also where you got the Dr. seuss font for the signs you made? THanks-Patty

  38. Mel on September 16, 2011 at 12:53 pm

    Patty – thank you so much! The invitations were made by me using photoshop. I can’t remember exactly where I got the font, but I think I just googled “free Dr Seuss font” or something like that. I seems like the font name might even be “grinched”. Best of Luck!

  39. Silvana Rivero on December 15, 2011 at 9:01 am

    Love your decor…as may other has said, I’m also using it for inspiration for my kids b-day party…would mind haring what you use to make the schlopp?

  40. Mel on December 15, 2011 at 4:41 pm

    Thanks Silvana! The schlopp was made by my friend so I’m not completely sure, but I’m fairly certain it is made with pound cake dyed different colors with food coloring and vanilla pudding that was also colored with food coloring.

  41. Amber on January 17, 2012 at 8:57 am

    How were the Cat in the Hat pizzas made?

  42. Cassie on March 8, 2012 at 9:42 am

    Everything is so cute and you thought of every detail. Love it!! What is in the truffula tree pops?

  43. brooke on March 12, 2012 at 11:28 am

    I love your party! where did you get the cut outs for the walls?? I love them. Your party is so beautiful and inspiring.

  44. Paige on March 20, 2012 at 8:17 pm

    This is amazing! We’ve been planning on a Dr. Seuss party for my son for a couple months now, and came across your blog via Pinterest. Would you mind sharing your secret on how you made the Truffula Trees? They’re fantastic!

  45. Mel on March 20, 2012 at 10:39 pm

    Thank you all so much! Amber – the pizzas were made using small sections of pizza dough and strips of pepperoni and cheese. Cassie and Paige – the truffula tree pops are minced veggies rolled up with with a cream sauce that has been dyed in colorful tortillas. You just slice up the rolls and stick a sucker stick in them. Brooke – I can’t remember for sure where the stickers came from, but I want to say Birthday Express or something like that. It was an online store. I’m sure if you googled for dr seuss wall decals they would pull up.

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  49. kid party places in brooklyn ny on September 11, 2013 at 8:06 am

    Dr. Seuss is such a great theme for kids birthday parties. There’s just so much you can do with it!

  50. RuthLeslie on October 15, 2013 at 9:20 am

    beautiful

  51. NATALIE on February 4, 2014 at 2:46 pm

    Could you please email, I came across your blog and am planning my twins 1st birthday and I love your ideas I just wanted to know what was your main menu. Im having trouble planning this.

  52. Sarahbrooks on March 2, 2014 at 8:28 am

    Love how colorful everything is!! How did you get your tv hook up to your photo booth?

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  54. Poptop Children Parties on November 10, 2016 at 7:50 am

    OMG these are some awesome ideas! I wish I could come to Seven’s next birthday party :D Looks so bright, creative and delicious! Did you use marshmallows for the birthday cake? Can you share some recipes?

  55. Chaitanya on January 19, 2017 at 9:33 am

    Hi Mel,
    I want to start by saying how much I love, love and love your photos. I’m planning to do this theme for my daughter’s first birthday. how did you do the invitation card? Also I really really want that cake , where can I order it from? I don’t have baking skills like you so I may to order it. please share. Thanks

    • Mel McLellan on January 19, 2017 at 4:59 pm

      Thank you so much! The invitation was mostly done in photoshop. We did a white seamless backdrop for the photos (I painted the figures and “Seven’s 1st birthday” on there) and then I pieced the rest of it together on the computer. For the cake, I don’t know where you can order it from specifically because I made it myself, but I’m guessing any professional baker could do it if you bring them photos of this one. :) It’s all fondant on the outside. I made the topper out of clay, but you could do the same with fondant for that too. Best of luck! :)

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  57. Tiana on February 27, 2020 at 6:48 pm

    For a 1st birthday? These are all about the parents. So funny to see all of these IG/Pinterest parents. It will be interesting to see how you try to top this each year as he gets older and older. Wait until he actually is cognizant of the situation, that’s really going to put the pressure on. lol

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