Tea Party!

I am never going to win any awards for keeping my blog updated, but that doesn't mean that I haven't been very busy creating new things. I had a few "product development days" last week and came up with some really cute new things for my shop and have a really full show line-up for the summer and fall with some new shows that I am really excited about.

But the thing that has really been the focus of my time and energy over the past couple weeks is getting ready for Nadia's birthday party. It started out like this:

Katie: Let's have a tea party for Nadia's birthday!
Me: OK. We can invite her three little cousins and one friend over for a little party.
Katie: Great! I'll start planning the menu!

What followed was a month of planning, baking, decorating, sewing and organizing for a party for 20 people. I really need to learn to control myself. And I have passed my disease down to Katie, who also has a tendency to go way overboard in the planning process as well.

This is the birthday girl. I made the pettiskirt. And the shirt. And the hat, too. See what I mean about needing to learn to control myself? But she looks so cute that I just can't help it!

This is the view from behind so you can see the fabulous hat. I may be out of control with my ideas, but I really know how to stick to a budget. I made a hat for each of the little girls at the party from hats I found at the dollar store and flowers that were just sitting around my house. Total cost for 11 hats: $15.

These are all of the little girls at the party in their hats. It was so cute and the girls loved being all fancy. I didn't plan any games or anything, but you know your party is a success when the guests tell their mom that they want to have their birthday party at your house!

These are my babies. I made their pettiskirts, too, but they aren't quite finished. Their birthday is coming up and they will be fabulous for their pictures. Their party is going to be amazing, too. They are going to have a birthday cake with a "Teddy Bear Picnic" scene. See... told you I have a disease. I really can't help myself.

I really wish photography was one of my skills, but sadly, it is not. This is the table with all of the food. I am not a fan of baking, but Katie is, so she got to do a lot of the baking for the party. We had finger sandwiches (cucumber, egg salad, and PB&J), fruit skewers with mini raspberry muffins and dip. mini quiches, crumpets with clotted cream and jelly (there is a great story behind that which is worthy of it's own blog post), assorted tea cookies, strawberry lemonade, and sherbet punch. All of it was served on my fancy display pieces that I have sitting around because they are all a part of my booth display. Nadia got in on the baking action the day before the party. Don't you love the chef hat and apron? She insists on wearing them every time she helps out in the kitchen. Amy made them and you can buy them from her Etsy shop. (The link is on my sidebar.)

Of course, there were cupcakes baked in teacups, big tissue paper poofs hanging from the tree branches, tables with cute eyelet tablecloths and teacup centerpieces with fresh flowers cut from my yard, and a canopy draped with flower garlands and a chandelier hanging from the center. Of course, almost all of this was stuff from my booth. Total cost of decorations: $3.

Now that that party is over and I'm done homeschooling Katie for the summer, I will post some pictures of all of my new stuff for my shop and put up info about my upcoming shows on the sidebar.