Princess and the Pea

Mati Claire is 6!  I love this girl "more than peanut butter!"  She has grown up so much over the past year, and its bittersweet.  I miss that she's not a baby anymore, but I am loving the new stage of being independent and self-sufficient to a degree.  She keeps us laughing with her insanely funny sense of humor.  I love that she is an awesome big sister (but thinks she is their mommy as well).  She tries to please everyone all the time and gets very upset when that doesn't happen.  Bless her - she tries SO hard to be perfect all the time.  I love it, but I also wish she would relax sometimes.  I love that MOST of the time she is very cooperative and helpful.  She loves all things girly:  arts/crafts, clothes, dolls, makeup, shoes, and glitter.  Yep, she asks me to spray her hair with glitter almost everyday.  lol!  
She had a dramatic entrance into this world 6 years ago today, and she is still full of drama! love her and all her drama though!  She wants hair like Rapunzel, so she won't let me cut it... but she's about to sit on it soon and I worry how she will go to the bathroom if we don't cut it soon ;)  Happy Birthday to the one who teaches me the first time.  Happy Birthday to the one who changed my world and taught me what unconditional love is about.  Happy Birthday to my sweet Matilyn Claire!   I love you!

Princess and the Pea Party

Mati Claire wanted a slumber party this year...... ugh.  No offense to other kids and mommas out there (more power to ya) - but MC just doesn't handle sleeping away from home as well as other kids.  I told her we could do the nighttime pajama party and they could even come back the next morning for pancakes if they wanted - but could we please skip the "slumber" part?  So I came across this theme while browsing pajama party ideas.  And Mati Claire loved the idea!  

I told her she was turning 6 so she could invite around 6 friends this year.  Merritt is having a bigger party so I needed to tame one of them.  After counting the chairs in my dining room, that number ended up being 9 but I still consider that small (3 cousins + 7 friends + 1 birthday girl).  If I can contain it to my dining room then its small by my definition!! ;) 

Inspiration

Most of the ideas and DIY kits came from SnowyBliss.  I only dream of being that original and creative... and a mom at the same time.  Her kids must be so cool.  

Invitations

Mati Claire has never had a photo invitation before...and I thought "how often can you stack several mattresses on each other and lay on top like a princess???"  Can't say I've ever done that!  Jeanelle shot the invites for me.  fun times!

Cake

Her actual birthday is on a Monday night in the middle of the summer - and everyone invited was ok with a Monday night party.  However...all of the cake bakeries/shops are closed on Sundays and Mondays!  :/  So I enlisted the help of a friend at church, Mrs. S. Prather!  Awesome job.  Mati Claire liked the cake from SnowyBliss, but tweaked it a little and incorporated the crown and pillow.

Food

• "Pea"-zza  (pizza)
• Pink Lemonade
• Cake
• DippinDots Ice Cream (Pic below are my nieces enjoying theirs!)

Decorations

• I made the table cloths myself.  Not easy when you have a large dining room table.  
• The headboard and pillows are from SnowyBliss designs that you can purchase from her Etsy site 
• All of the chargers, bowls, glasses, string lights came from Hobby Lobby and Party City
• Heart shaped plates are from Kroger during the Valentine season. (yes I'm a planner months in advance)
• Thank you tags, gift tags, buffet tags, and signs all from Etsy's myPaperLily

Party Favors

• Princess and the Pea book - from Amazon.
• "Beauty Rest" Slee-Pea Eye Masks - custom made from Etsy's Verboloza
• Slippers - from Amazon.

Her Outfit

I've learned to give her some control in making decisions - after all it is HER party and not mine.  I know yall probably think I don't know that.  But I really do let her make her own choices (after I've narrowed the list down).  SHE picked her own outfit and Merritt's bubble. They came from Castles & Crowns' Princess and the Pea Collection.  And then just for fun - I let her go through my closet and pick out my outfit...anything at all.  And luckily she chose one of my new summer jumpsuits!  Ah - she does have good taste after all! ;)  She also chose her own tiara/crown from Etsy's MoniquesCrafts.  I figured we would definitely get good use out of that...I foresee many princess parties in our future. :)

A Few More Pics...

Mattox is smart and stayed away from all the girls....in the kitchen eating his DippinDots!

The girls minus 3 of them.

MC and her "twin"