Loco Motive: Handmade Cards and Party Scaping

We could not resist throwing a party that was so perfectly captured in the very catchy line from the classic movie.

We sent out Save the Date emails:

For the actual invitations, I made telegram invites,

a nod, of course, to the movie:

To set the scene, just one simple touch on the front door, we hung our daughter's childhood mittens.

Since our daughter was turning 17, a few of her friends are already driving. As a surprise, the girls contacted me to see if it was okay if they "kidnapped" the birthday girl to take her out to a fast food dinner before the evening events began. To keep it a surprise, I had to fib a little to get my daughter in her white dress (and shoes) early so that the plan would go off without a hitch. It worked.

And they returned, girls in white dresses. Upon arrival, they were adorned with blue satin sashes.

Before I get too far into the actual party, here are the details, with all sorts of re-purposed items from other parties, loaned items, and items purchased by the Birthday Fairy Aunt.

Here is the party backdrop:

I hung a flat bed sheet. The Alps are made from felt. (A few friends helped me-- I started to doubt my mountain carving skills.)

The garland is, of course, "wild geese that fly with the moon on their wings" from the movie's song, "Favorite Things."

We bought the customized garland on Etsy from Bagsy Blue Co. The shop owner, Ashley, loved working on it and was super sweet about stringing me some felt geese and not the bird silhouettes she usually makes. Bagsy Blue co.

I added a paper lantern to stand in for the moon. Bright copper kettle from the thrift shop. I got the tree for a song at the end of the winter holiday season at Cost Plus World Market, (it was a wee damaged).

I strung the blue striped and polka dot banner garland along the window side of our nook to keep the colors going, (bought online at Oriental Trading). I ended up pinning flower buttons down the "meadow" part of the Alps. Hanging near the bright copper kettle is a goat marionette. Dangling on the foyer side are snowflakes and sleigh bells I strung with fishing line.

The birthday girl in her white dress with a blue satin sash.

An Austrian boy in the Alps?

A pre-party gift...

...from a pre-party visitor who loves posing in front of our backdrop every time!

I bought the marionette online:

Sunny-Puppets-Grey-Baby-Marionette

More warm woolen mittens, snowflakes, and a sleigh bell-- this time hanging on the kitchen wall.

Apparently January/February was too late in Northern California

to get mittens at the dollar store,

so my father mailed me these my sister bought in New York.

The gift bags are a nod to the brown paper packages tied up with string.

Inside the party favor bags were:
Dog head lollipops-- "When the dog bites..."
Burt's Bees lipbalm-- "when the bee stings..."
Bells-- "doorbells and sleigh bells..."
Buttons/badges from the movie, bought from OneHappyGran on Etsy. Might not be a shop any longer.
Hurdy Gurdy Music Boxes that play Edelweiss

Dog Head Lollipop Suckers

Hurdy-Gurdy-Music-EDELWEISS by MindaMusic

From the umbrella I hung raindrops and bright copper kettles.

On the table and hearth were white and blue rose petals: "raindrops on roses..."

The raindrops were ornaments we've had for years;

the kettle beads were bought on Etsy from DIY Beadshop.

DIY Beadshop

On the buffet, I placed vintage rose lights and the cupcake stands. The cupcakes were made by Angela, again, the Birthday Cupcake Fairy. I bought the kitten cupcake toppers on Etsy.

"Whiskers on kittens..."

The shop owner at Apprentice Wizart customized these for me,

including making the backside very decoratively finished.

Apprentice Wizart

I hung a strand of an icicle garland and from it hung handmade Edelweiss cards, embroidery and all, made by my mother-in-law. I also printed and hung clip art of the song, "Favorite Things."