Jessica Lewis’ daughter Elisa has always loved “The Golden Girls” ― though as a toddler, she hardly understands anything that happens in the show.
“I would watch them every time I nursed her so I think the sounds of their voices and that iconic theme song comforted her,” Lewis told HuffPost. “In fact, the only way I could often calm her down would be singing the theme song for her or playing an episode from our DVR. Her favorite to listen to would be the episode where they sing ‘Mr Sandman.’ One time, she woke herself from a deep sleep to dance to the theme song.”
So when it came time to plan Elisa’s second birthday party, the mom had the perfect theme in mind.
The toddler’s “Golden Girls” birthday party took place last October at their home in Arizona.
Lewis tried to incorporate elements of the show in almost every part of the celebration ― from the invitations to the cheesecake desserts. The mom printed photos of the four ladies and even added Elisa’s picture and name to a banner with the opening credits.
“I had pictures of each Golden Girl with the food that would describe them,” Lewis said. “For instance, we had ‘Better than Mama Celeste’s Pizza’ for Sophia. I even found a website featuring food Rose Nylund would make from St. Olaf. We had Sparhearven Crispies. They were delicious.”
The party colors were mint green and pale pink to reflect Blanche’s bedroom wallpaper. There was a photo area with a frame that said “Picture it: Elisa’s party 2016.”
The mom also found “the most 80s piece of artwork” in her parents’ house and added the words “Thank you for being a friend” to display at the party. And she made shirts for all of their family members with different quotes from the show.
Lewis’ shirt said “Back In St. Olaf” while Elisa’s said, “Shady Pines, Ma!”
Lewis said the party guests enjoyed the unconventional theme and the fact that Elisa was such a fan of the show.
“Elisa is loving, feisty, knows what she wants, whimsical, and funny!” the mom told HuffPost “She is quite like Sophia Petrillo herself. I always say she is like a little old lady. She loves to have fun and wants the world to know she is here. She is talkative. She loves to dance. She completes our family in every way possible.”
Lewis hopes people who read about Elisa’s party think it’s funny and charming. She also hopes it encourages people to think outside the box with birthday themes.
“Anything can be turned into a party!” the mom said. “If your child loves something, no matter how random it is, it should be celebrated. We should cherish the uniqueness in our kids and I hope that people see that is what I tried to do.”
