{"id":6934,"date":"2017-03-01T06:00:29","date_gmt":"2017-03-01T11:00:29","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.elfster.com\/?p=6934"},"modified":"2023-05-09T10:38:06","modified_gmt":"2023-05-09T14:38:06","slug":"never-grow-up-a-peter-pan-read-across-america-day-book-club-pajama-party","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.elfster.com\/blog\/2017\/03\/01\/never-grow-up-a-peter-pan-read-across-america-day-book-club-pajama-party\/","title":{"rendered":"Never Grow Up: A Peter Pan Inspired Read Across America Day Book Club Pajama Party"},"content":{"rendered":"

“Think of the happiest things; it’s the same as having wings,” sings the television. <\/span><\/p>\n

\"never,<\/a>
Never, ever grow up | Image courtesy Etsy seller PraisePrints<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

I’m five years old, watching my absolute favorite movie, Peter Pan. From the first time I saw Pan loop up into the sky, I wanted to be the one to fly with him to Neverland, stopping at Big Ben on the way before soaring into the stars straight on \u2018til morning. It almost seemed possible; all I needed was some fairy dust. Unfortunately for my mom, I had a pretty good feeling that if I just threw a handful of glitter on my head, I\u2019d be floating through the air on my way to fight Captain Hook. I also developed a passion for leaping off of furniture, earning more than a few bruises, glitter falling from my hair in my attempts to fly off into the sunset.<\/p>\n

I was so obsessed with Peter Pan that I even thought I saw him once, silhouetted in the moonlight streaming through my bedroom curtains\u2014I was convinced he had been listening in on my mom telling me bedtime stories. So, when I grew older, my Nana gave me a little book containing two of J.M. Barrie’s works: <\/span>Peter Pan in Kensington Gardens<\/span><\/i> and <\/span>Peter and Wendy<\/span><\/i>. She knew how much I loved the movie, and correctly guessed that I would love the slightly stranger, darker world of the books as well. I still have my well-worn copy perched on my bedside table.<\/span><\/p>\n

When <\/span>my book club<\/span><\/a> chose <\/span>Peter and Wendy<\/span><\/i> for National Read Across America Day, I immediately volunteered to host the event at my place. <\/span>Peter and Wendy<\/span><\/i> is a book about<\/span> kids, yes, but it\u2019s really a book for adults\u2014you have to be a grown up to understand why childhood is so precious and fleeting, and even a little dark. The book has become so much more to me now that I\u2019m older, transforming from an adventure story into a wistful love poem to youth and imagination. I was determined to throw a party with the same introspection and whimsy as the book.<\/span><\/p>\n

DIY Wendy-Inspired Pajamas<\/h4>\n

Imagine going on a trip to an exotic land, only to be stuck in your nightgown the whole time. One of the most charming things about Wendy, John, and Michael’s adventures in Neverland is that Peter comes to them at night, so they go off fighting pirates and running through the forest with the Lost Boys in their pajamas.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"edwardian<\/a>
Vintage Edwardian nightgown | Image courtesy Etsy seller denisebrain<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

In keeping with the books, I threw a grown-up pajama party. I thought it would be a great icebreaker. Sometimes people feel uncomfortable voicing their opinions in a group, but in a room full of adults in their pajamas, it somehow seems less intimidating. <\/span><\/p>\n

I found a long white nightgown at a thrift store that I knew I could easily DIY to give it an Edwardian look\u2014floor length, with feminine embellishments like ruffles, ribbons, and lace. It\u2019s definitely a more formal look than my usual nighttime get-up of sweatpants and a tank top. To add DIY Edwardian embellishments to your nightgown you\u2019ll need:<\/p>\n