Dapper Day!

I hardly know where to begin! Dapper Day was beyond magical. It was a Disney and vintage-lover's dream. Today I'll tell you a bit about the day itself, and then soon I'll be posting up construction details and more photos of each of our dresses. 

We began our day with the Keys to the Kingdom Tour. It's a 5-hour backstage tour that takes you through a lot of history of the park as well as down into the underground system (called utilidor) that cast members use to get around the park. Andi and I have both been to the park several times, and it was really thrilling to get a deeper look behind the show. It was absolutely wonderful, and I highly recommend it.

As a result of the tour, we ended up getting into the park before it even opened. I practically cried with the excitement of it. We snapped a few photos before the park was overflowing with people, and there were a lot of people! A new parade debuted for the first time in about 12 years on Dapper Day, and boy it was crowded.

Our dresses turned out so wonderfully! I can't wait to show you them up close. I was tickled pink when people would accidentally mistake us for cast members. It made me feel like I was part of creating the magic for people that day! 

The first Dapper Day event was meeting at the Liberty Square Riverboat for a dandy ride. I can't imagine what it was like for people in the square, seeing this boat full of vintage-styled folks. It was stupendous to walk up to.

One couple even dressed up in black and white makeup. And they wore it all day! 

We also had a dashing ride on the carousel, another great sight to see. There was even a group of dapper men that sang along to the Aladdin songs as we rode round and round.

We finished the evening with after dapper drinks at the Grand Floridian, which is by far my favorite hotel on the property. My family stayed there for one evening three years ago when we went, and it holds some really special memories for me. There was a jazz band playing, and Andi and I ended up getting dinner at the garden cafe.

It was the perfect ending to the perfect day. Stay tuned Thursday to see all the sewing details of Andi's blue dress! 

1950s Sock Hop Party

My birthday was Monday, so this week I'm sharing with you my favorite birthday party ever, a 1950s sock hop from last year. I've included links to tutorials and my inspiration in each section so you can recreate it if you like. So let's go to the hop, oh baby!

The Poodle Skirts

My sister-in-law shares the same birthday, and I knew a sock hop birthday party would have to begin with sensational poodle skirts for both of us. 

My Telephone Poodle Skirt

My poodle skirt is a circle skirt made out of felt. I used the telephone applique template from Tuppence Ha'Penny. 

My Sister-in-Law's Elephant Poodle Skirt

My sister-in-law, Suki, loves elephants, so I did an elephant applique for her. I used wool gabardine for the circle skirt. I wanted to use a nicer fabric in case she wanted to make this skirt part of her normal wardrobe! It was my first time using horsehair braid, which is a great detail on hems for a bit of extra flair.

Photo Booth

At the entry to the house, we set up a photobooth, complete with fun signs and props.  The old juke box is an antique we've had in the family for ages. I made the signs with poster board and paint sticks.

• Soda shop table and stools
• Chiffon scarves
• Cat eye glasses prop
• Sign inspiration

Food and Decor

My papa's business was making miniature dollhouses when I was growing up, and we have all sorts of wonderful miniatures to this day. He had an entire sock hop vignette, complete with a burger joint, so we decorated the table with it. Our menu consisted of

• Main meal: Grilled burgers and veggies
• Dessert: Homemade strawberry cupcakes and rootbeer bourbon floats
• Movie: Stovetop popcorn and vintage-style candy

• Record player birthday sign inspiration
• Similar paper plates
• Cupcake recipe 
• Cupcake toppers
• Soda fountain glasses
• Bourbon Rootbeer float inspiration from Hillside Farmacy in Austin, TX

The Drive-In

The pièce de résistance of the whole party was the backyard drive-in. My brother found a screen on eBay for fairly cheap, and we borrowed a projector from friends.  We played American Graffiti for the main event and put Pillow Talk on late in the evening. It's a favorite of both of ours.

• Arrow marquee tutorial
• Similar popcorn boxes
• Vintage candy from Big Top Candy Shop in Austin, TX

As I'm sure you can tell from photos, the party was a smashing success. It was a perfect evening of twisting and shouting, soda shop delights, and classic drive-in charm. Happy birthday to me!