matryoshka party - decor and a feature!

Today, Jaina's party is being featured on Hostess with the Mostess! They've graciously agreed to feature it in one of their weekly Party of Five posts. Pretty psyched about this! It's always nice to be recognized for your hard work. 

Click here to check it out!

I know it's been a while (over a month, whew!), but let's check out these party details.

The main decor inspiration came from all of Mom and Mimi’s vintage linens. These set that folksy tone I was after. 

I also used vintage cake stands for the desserts and these cute, old children’s chairs I have to set the drink dispensers on. 

I used lots of ribbon and ric-rac; from the drink tags around the jars to the ribbon tassel bunting I created for the pavilion and Jaina’s highchair. 

The cupcake toppers, favor bags, and invitations were made with kraft paper, rubber stamps, and black embossing powder. 

I also made matryoshka doll banners using black and white printouts of Jaina’s face and patterned paper. I got the idea from this adorable face banner on Pinterest. (My friend, Holly, from Curious Sprinkles, also made one way back for her son's first birthday. Super handsome.) 

I used several sets of matryoshka dolls as decoration. The boys especially liked the set of sailors and pirates. Jaina’s special present this year was a stuffed doll that I made. She was the star of the dessert table!

 Everyone loved the painted matryoshka cut-outs.

And the kiddos had fun hunting for these adorable matryoshka eggs.

There is no one photo that can adequately sum up how hilarious it is to try to get seven children five-and-under, holding bubbles, to pose for a picture, so here's a little montage. I should make a flip book of these.

The boys all got "Russian hats" (newsboy caps from Hobby Lobby), and the girls got babushkas (plain bandanas). I also found bubbles at the Dollar Store that looked an awful lot like nesting dolls.

The grown-ups got Russian Tea Cakes.

I put them in cellophane bags and stapled cute paper to the top. Totally my go-to wrapping choice from now on.

And you wanna know the coolest thing about this party? Not counting the items that I'll be using over and over for years to come (like the drink dispensers and jars), the decor and favors for this party only cost me $35. I'm not kidding. I used so much of what I already have that I only needed a few special items to bring it all together.

Check out more of the decor and Jaina's cute matryoshka outfit!

And check out my feature on Hostess with the Mostess! Woohoo!


Vendor Credits

Party Styling: Kara of Kara’s Domestic Life

Photography: Faith Scheuerman

Cheesecakes: Carol Scheuerman

Linens: vintage

Fonts for invites and signs: Free Fonts for KevinandAmanda.com

Drink dispensers: Target

Stamps: Hero Arts from A.C. Moore

Candy melts and lollipop sticks: A.C. Moore

Kerchiefs, newsboy caps, patterned paper, cellophane bags: Hobby Lobby

Fabric for matryoshka outfit and invites: Joann Fabrics

Mason jars: Walmart

Matryoshka doll pattern: Sew Daily Shop on Interweave Store

Bubbles, plates, napkins: The Dollar Store

 

remembering

There are lots of reasons for my radio silence over the past few weeks. It's been a time of celebration, relaxation, and exasperation. It's been full of joy, sorrow, confusion, stress, excitement, and some pretty intense grief.

The Thursday before Jaina's party my grandpa found out he might have cancer. We went on with the party, steeling ourselves for the possible fight ahead. On Monday he found out that it was, indeed, cancer, and that it was inoperable. By the following Monday he was gone.

One week.

We had one week to wrap our minds around his sickness, his death, and the space he would leave in our lives.

That week was spent almost entirely at the hospital, and I am so thankful for the privilege of being a stay-at-home mom and having the time to be there. We sat with him as he slipped into a coma, and we talked, laughed, and cried together.

Having only one week to say goodbye was difficult for all of us, but there is so much to be thankful for. He was spared the usually excruciating pain of pancreatic cancer. He didn't have to go through months or years of painful and exhausting treatments. The family was spared many of the difficult decisions. We were all able to remember him as he always was; a funny, crazy, honorable, strong man.

Everyone has a story about Pappap. He made quite an impression wherever he went. He had an extendable fork that he would carry in his suit pocket. He loved to bring it out at restaurants and pretend to pick at the food on strangers' tables (much to the grandkids' embarrassment, of course). He also carried a whistle which he would blow when it was time to go, or just to get people's attention. ; )

He and Mimi took two trips to China, a trip to Hong Kong, and two trips to Thailand to visit us. He once figured out how to pack a full turkey in dry ice so we could have an American Thanksgiving. Pretty sure that wouldn't fly with TSA now. ; )

The first time Zach met him was at a family cook-out where he dropped his pants just to prove that he was, indeed, wearing his American flag boxers!

I usually keep these posts pretty light and centered on home and baby things. However, I really felt the need to stop and remember Pappap before I could get my head back into decor tutorials and shopping recaps. Thanks for listening to some of my grandpa's stories. He left quite the legacy, and I'm so proud to be Harry Sprenkle's granddaughter.

snuggles with mama & walks in the woods with dada

We spent the week of the 4th at Zach's parents' lake house in North Carolina. We had a great time, and really got to relax.

Our little girl grew up SO MUCH this week. She loved splashing in the water and playing by the pool.

And walking back and forth between the grandparents and great-grandparents' houses.

This little girl loves her mommy and daddy, and gives big sloppy kisses all day long. Loving this stage!

Stay tuned for a few more details on her birthday party, and check out this hilarious video of her and Zach.

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matryoshka party - jaina's outfit

Well, if the theme of your party is Russian nesting dolls you've gotta come dressed as a little doll, of course. I had a fun time making a little outfit for Jaina to wear. If you didn't catch the first round of pictures from her Matryoshka Party make sure to check them out!

I made her appliqued onesie, her apron, and her babushka. I knew she wouldn't leave that kerchief on for long, so we took as many pictures as we could.

 

Aren't those little feetsies just dear?

For the kerchief I just measured a bandana (they're 22x22", by the way) and cut a piece of fabric just a little bit bigger. I pressed the edges down about 1/4" all the way around. After that, I just zig-zag stitched around with colorful thread.

 I used this adorable calico from Joann Fabric for both her outfit and her doll.

For the apron, I used her denim skirt as a guide. I just kept cutting a square of pink fabric down until it seemed like the right scale for the skirt. I pressed and hemmed the edges and sewed a cute piece of ric-rac to the bottom.

The waistband was, again, trial and error. I used the waistband of the skirt as a guide and cut a strip of fabric long enough to tie a bow. It was about 3" wide and 43" long. I folded it in half, long ways, with right sides together. Then I sewed along all edges, leaving a gap right in the center a little wider than the lap of the apron. I turned the band right side out, ironed it, then tucked the apron in and sewed the rest of the band closed.

Sorry I don't have any progress pics of all that. I was totally in the zone, and never thought to pick up the camera. Here are some shots of the individual pieces.

Make sure to check out the tutorial for the appliqued onesie.

I also made a pair of bloomers for her to wear to eat cake.

I made the same cake the week before on her actual birthday. This time I used a 30oz. can, and I liked the size a lot better. 

Nothing like eating cake in your bloomers, under the trees, with all of your parents' friends watching. ; ) Now she'll think she gets cake every weekend!


For more photos and a full vendor list click here.

(Linked up to Sunny With a Chance of Sprinkles Trendy Littles link party.)