A Post Just Because

Seeing her smiling face was a nice way to start my morning, and I thought it might be a nice start to yours also.

Wonder what she has up her sleeve for today?

Thank You

5x7 Folded Card

View the entire collection of cards.

this party's in the {tea} bag!

We have 2 June baby girls around here, and so birthday season is upon us.  As we are trending toward doing the big on-location birthday party every other year, this is a year for small-ish at-home birthday parties.  And you know I love me some at-home birthday parties. Fancy decided she wanted to have an intimate fancy tea party, with the theme based on her loves of all things French and sting rays.  All righty then!  Eclectic and very doable.  Rella got wind of the tea party and decided she also wanted a tea party, despite us having had a very nice little family party and a day trip to the beach to celebrate her turning 4 earlier in the month.  I figured we could set up a joint celebration, with the big girls in the dining room and the little girls in the living room.  Fancy was very gracious in agreeing to the double tea party, and so it was time to get decorating!  Did I already say I love me some at-home birthday parties?  I love them, and I really love decorating for a tea party!

 tea cups I found at the neighborhood Goodwill shop, and sweet little French cafe' themed plates from big-box home store

OK, enough of the cups.

Fancy's display - I let her be in charge of decorating the small buffet in the dining room, and she brought all the "fancy" stuff she treasures from her bedroom.  Stuffed doggies, Eiffel Towers, geodes, boas, her pillowcases and bedskirt, her painted cat statue, her Paris trunk, and all of her stuffed stingrays.  ooh-la-la!

a stash of the girls' fanciest finery - just in case any of the guests want to get dolled up a bit

the little girls' tea room - themed in flowers and butterflies

view into the big girls' tea room

tea party food.  Y'all - this post is going to go on for ages... ;)

shortbread - and I've got one of these left for my lunch today! yum.

 the little girls' shortbread.  Same cookies, different table.

little girls' fruit kabobs.  Their food was set up on a buffet since their table was small.

tea pot and pinwheels.  My grandma always slices swiss cake rolls for tea parties with my girls, so these were a special request and a special treat.

 the little girls' berries and jelly tea sandwiches in the background

I think perhaps the strawberries were my favorite.

 When the girls arrived, we made "fancy lady tea hats" (isn't that what they're called? I was inspired by the royal wedding...).  Who would have ever thought the cheapest kinds of paper plates and bowls could be turned into such finery?  

 ready for tea

my big birthday girl went all out - even added a veil to her hat!

 quite a hat!

What good sports these little girls were! The hats really were all for my benefit ... :)

our tea was fresh squeezed lemonade.  I love my girls - three bags of lemons and a cramped hand's worth.

Fancy demonstrates how to properly drink tea.  Pinky style.

She's got it.

The little birthday girl drank her's pointer style.

Yep - I see the pinky back there.

Cupcakes.  Fancy requested no artificial colors.  I researched making my own food colorings, but with all the other preparations for the party, it was just easier to let Whole Foods do all the work.

 We're almost done, dear reader :)  Cupcake for you for hanging in there.

 And that's it!  I'm declaring that the Fancy Tea and the Sweet Tea were smashing successes.  Thanks to the mommies who were able to stay and help me run 2 parties at once.  Otherwise I do believe I would have bitten off more tea sandwich than I could have chewed ... And I'm leaving the tea room decorations up for  a while.  It's fun to live in a house filled with pink, Paris, butterflies, tulips, white linens, streamers, and stingrays.