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Lynlees

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Maryellen’s Fabulous 50’s Diner Play Date

December 13, 2015 By Lynlee

This post is spon­sored by Amer­i­can Girl, but as always, all ideas and opin­ions are my own!

Maryellen Larkin Doll ~ Lynlee's

My daugh­ter, Anabelle, is a huge fan of the adorable Amer­i­can Girl dolls, as are many kids her age… and, let’s face it, so am I! As you may recall we were inspired by the 2015 Girl of the Year, Grace, for her 8th birth­day, so we cel­e­brat­ed with An Amer­i­can Girl in Paris Patis­serie Par­ty. So at the end of August when Amer­i­can Girl debuted BeFor­ev­er™ Maryellen Larkin, a fab­u­lous 50’s girl grow­ing up in Day­tona Beach, Flori­da, we knew she was a must on our wish list!

The One and Only Maryellen book ~ Lynlee's

Amer­i­can Girl describes Maryellen as opti­mistic and ener­getic girl, liv­ing on the Flori­da sea­side. In her own words:

I have a heart full of high-fly­ing hopes and a head full of pie-in-the-sky ideas, even though they don’t all get off the ground. But I know that if I stay true to who I am and what I believe, the sky’s the limit.

Anabelle and I just loved the premise of her sto­ry {we can’t wait to read her book, The One and Only, togeth­er!}, as well as her out­look on life, so we decid­ed to plan a play date inspired by Maryellen and her 1950’s diner!

American Girl Maryellen Diner's Party ~ Lynlee's

Anabelle real­ly liked the idea of a din­er theme to resem­ble that of Maryel­len’s, so I decid­ed to style a tablescape to match. First, I set­tled on a col­or palette that would pair per­fect­ly with Maryel­len’s striped sweet­heart dress: aqua and pink! I made sure she was used as the cen­ter­piece of the table and cre­at­ed a sim­ple back­drop with met­al cor­ru­gat­ed let­ters spelling out DINER. To soft­en the let­ters a bit, I tied some twine and added lit­tle cabo­chon flow­ers in coor­di­nat­ing colors.

Maryellen Larkin Diner Tablescape ~ Lynlee's

Maryellen American Girl doll ~ Lynlee's

How cute are Maryel­len’s acces­sories?! She has a pearl neck­lace and bracelet, along with a cable knit purse to patch her sweater! So sweet!

Maryellen jukebox ~ Lynlee's

For addi­tion­al table decor, I used what is my absolute favorite item from the Maryellen col­lec­tion: her juke­box! Not only does it light up and play six pre-record­ed mini 50’s-inspired songs, but {now here’s the over-the top amaz­ing part!}, you can plug it into an elec­tron­ic play­er to play your own songs! So, we were able to con­nect it my phone to play music through­out the play date!

Maryellen's Diner Menu ~ Lynlee's

Maryellen Diner Table ~ Lynlee's

We kept the menu fair­ly sim­ple and true to a clas­sic din­er from the 1950’s, offer­ing cheese­burg­ers, french fries, choco­late milk­shakes and soda pop, which was actu­al­ly a blue punch mixed with a lemon-lime car­bon­at­ed soda!

Burgers & Fries served 50's Chevy food box ~ Lynlee's

The burg­ers and fries were served in THE most adorable pink 50’s Chevy food box­es from Via Blos­som! Aren’t they just per­fect?! Not only did they won­der­ful­ly fit the theme and match with the col­or palette, but they also come with food safe inserts so you don’t have to wor­ry! I also put some ketchup in met­al can­is­ters so each girl could have their own and it would­n’t mess up the cars.

Condiment Canisters ~ Lynlee's

50's Chevy food boxes ~ Lynlee's

Soda Pop ~ Lynlee's

The drinks con­sist­ed of the juice blend served in glass soda bot­tles, along with home­made choco­late shakes in tra­di­tion­al milk­shake glass­es! I added paper straws in the coor­di­nat­ing col­ors, along with some addi­tion­al twine and cabo­chon flow­ers for added details. By doing so, you can eas­i­ly match basic items back to your theme at a min­i­mal cost and be able to save them for future use!

Chocolate Shakes ~ Lynlee's

Salt Water Taffy ~ Lynlee's

I also found some taffy that came in these cute and charm­ing box­es that resem­ble the can­dies them­selves! They were ide­al as par­ty favors, espe­cial­ly since taffy is essen­tial for a sea­side diner!

50s Photo Props ~ Lynlee's

And I can’t have a par­ty with­out pho­to props from the incom­pa­ra­ble paper & cake! I just love uti­liz­ing pho­to props because, not only are they a great activ­i­ty for guests and pro­vide fun mem­o­ries, but they also serve as great par­ty dec­o­ra­tions! These 50’s themed print­able props fit per­fect­ly! I set them up in foam inside a milk­shake glass, then added pink cot­ton can­dy to look like a straw­ber­ry shake.

Seaside Diner Food ~ Lynlee's

Seaside Diner Shakes ~ Lynlee's

Diner Waitress ~ Lynlee's

Diner Food ~ Lynlee's

Diner Shake ~ Lynlee's

Diner Hat Photo Prop ~ Lynlee's

BeForever Maryellen doll ~ Lynlee's

American Girl Maryellen Larkin ~ Lynlee's

As you can clear­ly see, Anabelle just adores Maryellen! The 50’s motif is sim­ply adorable and we just can’t get over her amaz­ing wardrobe from the era. But a 1950’s theme is not com­plete with­out a poo­dle skirt and some clas­sic sad­dle shoes!

Maryellen Poodle Skirt Outfit ~ Lynlee's

Maryellen Poodle Outfit ~ Lynlee's

The premise of Maryel­len’s din­er lends itself per­fect­ly for a get-togeth­er! It allows for plen­ty imag­i­na­tive play, from tak­ing orders and serv­ing food to dress­ing up and danc­ing to icon­ic music from the decade! Maryellen has fit in per­fect­ly with Anabelle’s exist­ing Amer­i­can Girl col­lec­tion! And did I men­tion she asked San­ta for Kit Kit­tredge?! Now we’re just eager­ly wait­ing the announce­ment of the Girl of the Year for 2016! Any guess­es what she might be like?

Resources:

Doll and Acces­sories: Amer­i­can Girl

50’s Chevy Food Box: Via Blos­som

Pho­to Props: paper & cake

Fabulous 50's Maryellen Diner Play Date with American Girl ~ Lynlee's

 

Merci Beaucoup!



This page may con­tain affil­i­ate links. For more infor­ma­tion, please read my Terms & Dis­clo­sure policy.
 

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Filed Under: Lynlee's Parties Tagged With: 50's diner, american girl, party, play date

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Comments

  1. Robin Rue (@massholemommy) says

    December 14, 2015 at 12:21 pm

    How fun! I have all boys, so I don’t get to do fun things like this 🙂

    • Lynlee says

      December 15, 2015 at 7:09 pm

      Lol! Boys are fun in oth­er ways! 😉

  2. Heather lawrence says

    December 14, 2015 at 12:49 pm

    This is so cute it makes me want to squeal!! My daugh­ters are a huge fan of Amer­i­can Dolls and this would be so much fun!

    • Lynlee says

      December 15, 2015 at 7:10 pm

      Thank you so much, Heather! Amer­i­can Girl dolls are huge in our household! 🙂

  3. Helene Cohen Bludman says

    December 14, 2015 at 2:03 pm

    That is just the cutest idea ever! My girls were so into Amer­i­can Dolls.

    • Lynlee says

      December 15, 2015 at 7:11 pm

      I tru­ly appre­ci­ate it, Helene! ♥

  4. Cassandra @ CraveLocal.com says

    December 14, 2015 at 2:14 pm

    That skirt is just the cutest! Reminds me of the sock­hop par­ty we threw as kids. Only thing miss­ing is a recipe for malt­ed milk!

    • Lynlee says

      December 15, 2015 at 7:12 pm

      Isn’t it?! I just love the poo­dle skirt! We love malt­ed shakes, too! 🙂

  5. Mama to 5 BLessings says

    December 14, 2015 at 5:01 pm

    What a cute theme! I love Amer­i­can Girl Dolls, they are so well made and unique. My daugh­ter would love this!

    • Lynlee says

      December 15, 2015 at 7:12 pm

      Thank you so very much! We com­plete­ly agree… we love the qual­i­ty and sto­ry behind each one! ♥

  6. maria @closetohome says

    December 14, 2015 at 5:04 pm

    What an amaz­ing par­ty. I hope your daugh­ter was just amazed by this.

    • Lynlee says

      December 15, 2015 at 7:13 pm

      I real­ly appre­ci­ate it, Maria! She def­i­nite­ly loved it! ♥

  7. Tamara says

    December 14, 2015 at 6:10 pm

    This is time­ly! We got the Amer­i­can Girl cat­a­log in the mail and my six-year-old fell in love with Maryellen. I’m not sure we can make it hap­pen for Christ­mas but we’re dream­ing about it for her birth­day next year.

    • Lynlee says

      December 15, 2015 at 7:14 pm

      Isn’t Maryellen the cutest?! We just love all her 50’s-inspired clothes and acces­sories! And my daugh­ter is always pour­ing through the cat­a­log, too! ♥

  8. Liz Mays says

    December 14, 2015 at 6:12 pm

    Oh how sweet! I’m lov­ing this throw­back theme! You total­ly hit the mark with the 50s din­er aesthetic!

    • Lynlee says

      December 15, 2015 at 7:19 pm

      Thank you so very much, Liz! It was super fun to put together! ♥

  9. Keikilani says

    December 14, 2015 at 6:52 pm

    I am pret­ty sure I would have DIED if I had had a par­ty like this when I was a girl. So adorable! Sav­ing for ideas for my twin girls some­day soon.

    • Lynlee says

      December 15, 2015 at 7:21 pm

      Oh, you are sweet, Keik­i­lani! Thank you so very much! Your girls will love them! ♥

  10. Seattle Travel Blogger says

    December 14, 2015 at 7:20 pm

    This is very cute!
    You took some won­der­ful pic­tures here also!

    • Lynlee says

      December 15, 2015 at 7:25 pm

      Thank you so very much! I real­ly appre­ci­ate it! ♥

  11. Ashley @irishred02 says

    December 14, 2015 at 7:54 pm

    I love Maryellen she is pre­cious! Her out­fits are the best!

    • Lynlee says

      December 15, 2015 at 7:29 pm

      Isn’t she adorable, Ash­ley?! I love her out­fits, too! 🙂

  12. Amanda || Growing Up Madison says

    December 14, 2015 at 8:09 pm

    My daugh­ter is total­ly into Amer­i­can Girl and loves the fact that she can buy new out­fits because she loves dress­ing them up. Maybe we can next Mary Ellen the next time we go back.

    • Lynlee says

      December 15, 2015 at 7:47 pm

      My daugh­ter also loves buy­ing the out­fits and switch­ing them out with her dolls, too! Maryellen is super sweet! ♥

  13. Dawn says

    December 14, 2015 at 8:44 pm

    I love how they have dif­fer­ent themed Amer­i­can Girl dolls. They are so pret­ty and come with such pret­ty clothes.

    • Lynlee says

      December 16, 2015 at 3:20 pm

      Me, too, Dawn! I love that they each have a sto­ry behind them from dif­fer­ent eras! 🙂

  14. Tonya C says

    December 14, 2015 at 9:28 pm

    I LOVE IT!!! It just makes me want to go watch the grease movies and make an old fash­ioned din­ner to go with it. The Amer­i­can girl dolls are all so dif­fer­ent, I love how they all have their own style. Great pho­to­shoot you did!

    • Lynlee says

      December 16, 2015 at 3:47 pm

      Awww, thanks so much, friend! Total­ly reminds me of the Grease movies, too! I love all their dif­fer­ent sto­ries and per­son­al­i­ties, too! 🙂

  15. Rosey says

    December 15, 2015 at 1:33 am

    I’m just lov­ing the whole post! What a fun theme, and a great way to real­ly get into it too!! There’s just some­thing about that whole 50s era that is nice. 🙂

    • Lynlee says

      December 16, 2015 at 3:48 pm

      Oh, thank you so very much, Rosey! I tru­ly appre­ci­ate it! The 50’s are super fun! 🙂

  16. Tiffany Cruz says

    December 15, 2015 at 7:13 am

    This is just too cute. I love this time in his­to­ry and think the doll and her acces­sories are adorable.

    • Lynlee says

      December 16, 2015 at 3:50 pm

      Me, too, Tiffany! I love the clothes and acces­sories! Thank you so much! 🙂

  17. Janeane Davis says

    December 15, 2015 at 7:46 am

    This was a cute set up. All the lit­tle acces­sories and spe­cial touch­es go a long way to set­ting the mood.

    • Lynlee says

      December 16, 2015 at 3:51 pm

      Thank you so much, Janeane! I real­ly appre­ci­ate it! 🙂

  18. LauraFunk says

    December 15, 2015 at 8:35 am

    I love this play date. How adorable. The decor is per­fec­tion and y our daugh­ter looks so happy

    • Lynlee says

      December 16, 2015 at 3:51 pm

      She just adored it! Thank you so much, Laura!!! 🙂

  19. Jessica Harlow says

    December 15, 2015 at 11:21 am

    This looks like so much fun! lol I love the theme and play­set. My mid­dle daugh­ter has asked for an Amer­i­can Girl doll for Christ­mas this year. Wink, wink! 🙂

    • Lynlee says

      December 16, 2015 at 3:52 pm

      Oh, thanks so much, Jes­si­ca! Maryellen is super cute! My daugh­ter also asked San­ta for an Amer­i­can Girl this year! 🙂

  20. Autumn @Mamachallenge says

    December 15, 2015 at 6:23 pm

    That is all so cute! My daugh­ter would go crazy over this!

    • Lynlee says

      December 16, 2015 at 3:52 pm

      Thanks so very much, Autumn! 🙂

  21. Annie {Stowed Stuff} says

    December 20, 2015 at 6:59 pm

    We don’t have any Amer­i­can Girl dolls and I’ve nev­er been to the cafe. What an adorable theme from the din­er! I love this!

Trackbacks

  1. Lea Clark's Brazilian Tropical Playdate - Lynlees says:
    March 14, 2016 at 2:32 pm

    […] and whose life is changed after a trip to Brazil ~ my native coun­try! Last Decem­ber, I styled Maryellen’s Fab­u­lous 50’s Din­er Play Date inspired by the doll Maryellen Larkin, so I thought it’d be fun to pro­vide some fun ideas for a […]

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