Marie Antoinette Had a Sad Ending

I've had this theme week on my mind for a while, and I'm really excited about it. I even asked Facebook for suggestions, and I got some good ones! It's Unconventional Princess Week! Our home is so filled with Disney Princesses, that I wanted to expand the girls' concept of princesses, and Day 1 was an awesome success.

We read the life of Marie Antoinette over breakfast. This book had Ellie completely enthralled.

After reading, we built the palace and gardens of Versailles with Legos. We listened to Mozart while we built so we could really get in the mood. Ellie was in charge of planting the flowers; I added a table with a cake on it... fun little details are my thing. The girls had fun playing out the story with their Legos, and we even made a mob of Lego peasants to overthrow the monarchy.

Aerial view of the grounds.

I bought this paper doll book on Amazon as an in-between activity while I prepared the next craft. Ellie and Katie played while our cupcakes (of course we had to have cake today!) baked.

Since Marie Antoinette actually fits their idea of a princess, we did embrace the pretty fashions aspect and decorated paper shoes with beads, feathers, pompoms, and bows.

Then it was makeover time.  I put their hair up, tried to curl Katie's hair a bit, and stuck a bunch of feathers in their Marie Antoinette-style updo. I powdered their faces and put some of my makeup on them. They felt beautiful.

They looked beautiful. Then we made some paper dresses, Mayhem-style.

I did most of Katie's, but she was in charge of design direction... and pose selection. 

Ellie made most of her dress on her own. Original poses too.

And now here are a lot of pictures of them looking really cute and silly in their paper dresses.

Sorry, I couldn't pick just one. Paul got home while we were making them, and he just had to try on Katie's.

After dinner, we decorated the cupcakes we made. The flower sprinkles represented the flowers in the gardens of Versailles, the chocolate coin represented the money Marie Antoinette spent on her lavish life, the pearl sprinkles represented her jewelry, and the Reese's Pieces were just yummy.

Let them eat cake!

We did talk about the guillotine and Marie Antoinette's unfortunate ending... thankfully our day had a happy ending!

Anthony didn't participate much today (he had a rough day), and Princess Week isn't geared toward him very much to begin with, but he sure enjoyed the icing on his cupcake.

Stay tuned for more royal adventures for the rest of the week!