How to Throw a Tea Party Part 2

Gyfarchion Anwylyd Gyfeillion,

Now you know how to write an invitation. The next step is to plan, plan, plan!

1: Know Your Theme
I assume you already have an idea of what you wan to do since you made up the invitations. (I don't send them out as soon as I make them. I wait until I have an idea of what the party will be first.) Because it is a tea party, it doesn't have to be fancy or a big to do. A tea party can just be you and a few friends having tea or a large group of friends at an Alice and Wonderland Unbirthday Tea. Themes are of immense importance. Themes help you plan the activities and the menu.

2: Plan the Activities
You have a theme and a couple of hours to fill... Now what? Well, this is the fun part. You get to decide what you would like to do at your tea party. Are you going to make crafts? Will you play games? It's all up to you. I like to make a schedule. I wouldn't recommend handing out schedules. Just keep it as your own loose guide to the party. For my birthday, I am having a Tea at the Plaza. The entire party is a New York/Broadway theme. Here is a glimpse of the activities I chose to use at my own party.

Have Tea At the "Plaza"
Play Truth and Liars : A Variation of Truth or Dare
Play the Dating Game using Broadway Characters: An Improv Game
Play Apples to Apples: Because New York is the Big Apple
Play Bench in “Central Park”: Another Improv Game
Play Dance on Broadway: A Wii Game
Play Presents: Yet Another Improv Game

Also, think of your guests. All of my guests are involved in theater, so I picked some games they would already know, such as improv games. If you and your friends enjoy art, make something like a scrapbook or a sunhat. If your guests like sports, play croquet or have a scavenger hunt. The most important thing to do at a party is to make sure your guests enjoy themselves!

3: Plan the Menu
This is always the hardest part. You want to have enough food for everyone and enough choices. Choose food that reflects your theme. For my New York theme I am going to serve pretzels, pizza, and other typical NYC food. Classic tea party choices are: sandwiches, crumpets, scones, and eclairs. I recommend serving the food buffet style. That way, your guests can get how ever much of whatever they like. For a small tea, set the food up on the table on tea trays.
        Tea: This is probably the most important part of the tea party. Choose flavors like English Breakfast and Earl Gray that appeal to most people. Always have water, lemonade, carbonated drinks, etc. for those who do not care for tea.

I hope this guide is helping you plan the perfect tea party. Next time, we will talk about decorations!

Until our next meeting,
Miss Emily

"Strange how a teapot can represent at the same time the comforts of solitude and the pleasures of company."  
    -Author Unknown

An Apology to All Readers

My Dear Friends,
    I apologize that posts have been few and far between. I have been so busy with finishing up this semester, ending extra curricular activities, and rehearsing for shows. I hope that I will be able to get back into the swing of things soon. Thank you so much for being patient and understanding.

Good luck to you and all you do,
    Miss Emily

"Hope is the thing with feathers that perches in the soul, and sings the tunes without the words, and never stops at all."
- Emily Dickinson

How to Throw a Tea Party Part 1

Good Day Friends,

    What better way to spend time with friends than an elegant, old-fashioned tea party. Over the next few weeks, I will be explaining how to throw a tea party. The first step to having a tea party is to send invitations. Your invitations have to include where it is, when it is, a way for your guests to contact you, and any additional information.  If I was to have a tea party my invitation would look like this
(All the addresses and numbers have been changed):

You Are Invited to Miss Emily's Birthday Tea Party

Where: 123 On the Street Where You Live, Old London Town, England

When: Four O' Clock, Saturday, July 5th, 2013

In lieu of gifts, please wear your best party dress, gloves, and a hat.

R.S.V.P

218-867-5309

(R.S.V.P. stands for "respondez, s'il vous plait". That means" please respond" in French.)

    You really should mail your invitations out, but you can also email them to your friends. Please, do NOT pass them out in public. (That's just a little rude to the people you don't invite.) Please, do NOT text people the invites. You can call people, yet it is easier for guests if they have the time and date written down. 

  That's the first step to planning a tea party or any party for that matter. Next time, I will be telling you how to plan the tea party. 

Adieu pour aujourd'hui, mes chers amis,

    Miss Emily

"I pretend I am a princess, so that I can try and behave like one." 

    - Sarah Crewe, A Little Princess

Fashion Flashback: The 20's

Today's the day! The sun is shining, and The Great Gatsby has opened in theaters across the country! Here are few outfits in honor of the silver screen adaptation of F. Scott Fitzgerald's brilliant novel.

Note: These are all modern dresses that I own and have decided to model for you. The purpose of the Fashion Flashback post are to show you how vintage designs are still used today!

Pretty in Pink

In the 20's, dresses generally had lots of layers. The layers were often made up of tulle or fringe. Most belts were worn at the hip, but I put my belt up high to make it empire waisted. Long strands of pearls were also extremely popular.

Out On the Town

This is just a straight black dress with a beading below the bust. Many dresses had beads all over or in layer around the dress. Gloves were essential in the 20's. They were either wrist length, like I have, or opera length, right above the elbow.

Moonlight Sonata

Once again, here is a dress with layers of fabric. I decided to put the belt at my natural waistline, instead of at the hips. As you can see, my heels aren't very high. Most women wore low heels with all outfits. 

Tips for Creating a Gorgeous Ensemble:

1. Pick colors that suit you.

2. Top off the look with a headpiece or hat. 

3. Shawls look more glamorous than sweaters. Just saying.

4. Wear tights or hose. No woman went around without stockings.

5. Big jewelry and long strands of pearls are a must. (Costume jewelry looks just as good as the real thing.)

I hope this post has helped you on your quest for a Gatsby inspired look. If you have any questions, comments, critiques, or concerns, do no hesitate to comment below. If you want to send us any pics of your terrific twenties look, email us at teasetssunhatsandtableclothes@gmail.com.

With love,

Miss Emily

Post Script: Thank you, Miss Jayne, for taking all of the splendid photos in this post. 

"Can't repeat the past? Of course, you can!"
- Jay Gatsby

We're Back!

Hello there,
Oh my goodness, you all! I have missed you. We are all absolutely mortified that we haven't written in so long. We have all been very busy with several shows. (A big CONGRATS goes out to Miss Logan for her first HUGE role! We all know there will be more to come.) But, now our lives are getting back to normal. We have some great ideas for new posts in store, so, please, don't give up on us! : ) I will also probably be posting a lot more... There are lots of surprises in store!

Love from everyone here,
Miss Emily

Happy Easter!

Happy Easter,

  We hope everyone has a wonderful Easter! Be sure to celebrate by:

• Eating Chocolate
• Spending Time With Family and Friends
• Going on an Easter Egg Hunt With Friends (You are not too old, and you will not get to Neverland with that attitude.)
• Eating Chocolate
• Taking a Walk While Wearing a Sunhat.  To decorate one, see this post: http://teasetssunhatsandtableclothes.blogspot.com/2013/03/how-to-decorate-your-own-sunhat.html
• Throwing an Easter Tea Party
• Eating Chocolate... but we may have already mentioned that. Sorry, we LOVE chocolate!

Whatever you do today, we hope you enjoy yourself. Our best wishes go out to you and yours.

As Always,

Miss Emily and Miss Jayne


"Birds all the summer day
     Flutter and quarrel
Here in the arbour-like
     Tent of the laurel.
Here in the fork
     The brown nest is seated;
For little blue eggs
     The mother keeps heated.
While we stand watching her
     Staring like gabies,
Safe in each egg are the
     Bird's little babies.
Soon the frail eggs they shall
     Chip, and upspringing
Make all the April woods
     Merry with singing.
Younger than we are,
     O children, and frailer,
Soon in the blue air they'll be,
     Singer and sailor.
We, so much older,
     Taller and stronger,
We shall look down on the
     Birdies no longer.
They shall go flying
     With musical speeches
High overhead in the
     Tops of the beeches.
In spite of our wisdom
     And sensible talking,
We on our feet must go
     Plodding and walking."
Robert Louis Stevenson,  A Child's Garden of Verses

St. Patrick's Day Fun!

Happy St. Patrick's Day! 

I wish you luck on this day of celebration!! I have also included a few activities you can do:

1. Dress like the Irish! Make sure to wear green, or you will get pinched! When Ireland was under England's rule, you were considered a traitor if you wore green or spoke Gaelic. Now, Irish people wear green to show that they are proud of their heritage. Even if you aren't Irish, it is fun to wear green.  If you don't like green, dress in gold or rainbow! There is a legend that if you find a the end of the rainbow you will find a pot of gold... or Lucky Charms. Whichever way, it is a good find!
2. Have a Picnic! You and your friends can eat outside and look for four leaf clovers! Four leaf clovers are supposed to bring you luck. If you only find three leaf clovers, you can always make a clover chain. Here's how:

• Collect a large number of clovers
• Make a half inch slit in all of the clovers
• Pull the each clover through the slit of a different clover
• Repeat the last step until all of the clovers are in the chain
• Make the slit in the last clover larger than the others
• Pull your first clover through the slit of the last clover. Your chain should be a circle now.
• Wear your clover chain or give it to a friend!

3.  During your Picnic, while wearing green, you can eat green food! Like mint chocolate chip ice cream,  or you can color yellow cupcake mix green with food coloring. You can make green tea or better green punch! Here is the recipe:

Ingredients:

• 1 two liter bottle of lemon lime soda
• 1 juiced lemon
• 1 juiced lime
• 4 drops of green food coloring
• Sugar to taste

Directions:

• Combine all of the ingredients into a punch bowl.
• If it is not sweet enough, add extra sugar
• Makes 10 to 12 servings

I hope you have a wonderful St. Patrick's Day. Have fun and stay safe!

Sincerely,
Miss Emily


"While the moon her watch is keeping 
All through the night 
While the weary world is sleeping 
All through the night 
O'er thy spirit gently stealing 
Visions of delight revealing 
Breathes a pure and holy feeling 
All through the night"
- My favorite verse of "All Through the Night", a traditional Irish song

A Vintage Lovers Guide to Spring

    Spring is one of the most wonderful seasons. The flowers start to bloom. The birds sing. Stores begin to put all of their wonderful winter wear on sale and sell beautiful spring clothes. Here are a few of the Must Have spring items for anyone:

1. An Easter Dress: It doesn't have to be expensive (or white). An Easter dress just has to be something nice enough to wear to church or a tea. It is important to find a dress, because you can plan your other purchases around it. Your dress should be a color that you love and can accessorize with easily. For example, if almost everything in your closet is orange and yellow, don't buy a purple dress. Instead, try a light green gown. Remember, you don't have to go buy a new dress if you have a perfectly good one already. Just buy some accessories to make it look new.
2. Gloves: These are a must have for any fashionable person. Your gloves should be white, the same color as your gown, or in a complementary shade (e.g. a blue dress with light purple gloves.) Try matching your gloves and shoe color, if you want.  The gloves should be wrist length. 
3. A Sunhat: I mean a real wide brim hat, not a baseball cap. The brim should be small enough, so that you can see your face. It should also be large enough to shield your face from the sun. (Nothing is less elegant than a sun burn.) Don't spend time or money trying to find a fancy hat. Buy a plain hat. Mostly because I am going to show you how to decorate your own next week.

Now that you have an outfit for Sunday morning and tea time, let's focus on weekdays.

1. Blouses: Should be in pastels. I personally like white, cream, pink, blue, and green. Try to see what you already have before going out and buying anything. If you know a friend or your sister has an item you really love, and wears your size, ask them to do a clothes swap. That way both you and the friend can borrow each other's clothes and create a stylish ensemble by mixing and matching pieces. Just be careful when wearing your friend's clothes and replace anything you damage as soon as possible.
2. Skirts: If you opted for blouses with out prints, I would suggest skirts with patterns, such as: stripes, dots, flowers, etc. I would choose plain skirts, too. This way you can purchase a few blouses with patterns. Try not to put 2 patterns together, and if you are shorter than most, like me, beware patterns that are too busy. They make you look even shorter.
3. Pants: I would try colored jeans in yellow, pink, green, purple, and white. Better yet, corduroys are very classy. Avoid pants with rhinestones on the back pockets or rips and tears. Shorts are also a good thing to have. Plaid shorts in all sorts of colors and denim shorts are great for picnics on the beach. It is very stylish to pair long and 3 quarter sleeves with shorts. My favorite style is bermuda, but many people opt for shorter shorts. I would be wary of this option if you have long legs. although they may be an appropriate length, they appear much shorter that they are. NEVER wear shorts that are too short. The appropriate way to tell is to put your hands at your sides. If the pants are to your middle finger tip. Then you are good to go. The only exception to this rule is when you are at the beach.
4. T-shirts and Tanks: Whatever color you want with whatever you want on them. I love to wear Harry Potter, Dr. Who, MLP, and other fandom tees. T shirts are a way to express what you love. Tank tops are very useful. You can wear them under shirts or as a shirt by themselves. They can be dressy or casual depending on how you where them. Try to find tank tops that have dots, flowers, anchors, etc. Tanks with ruffles, beading, and appliques are very elegant. Remember spaghetti straps should be worn as evening wear or to the beach, park, etc. They should not be worn to school, church, etc. You can always wear a short sweater with your tank top.
5. Dresses: I LOVE dresses. They are so easy to wear and accessorize. Try to find pink, green, blue, yellow, purple, and cream dresses. I tend to stay away from all white dresses, but the choice is yours. Dresses with patterns are fun to wear. I like plain dresses, too. Just remember to wear shorts under dresses that come above your knee. The trick with all clothes, especially dresses, is to find clothing that becomes your shape and complexion. For example, I am short, pale, with green eyes and light brown hair. I would not look as nice in an orange and pink empire waist dress that reaches my ankles as someone with darker hair and who is a little tanner than I would. But a pale pink blouse, and white circle skirt with blue and pink flowers may not be their best choice of outfit. Everyone has different look and style, so what may work for your sister or friend or favorite movie star may not be right for you. It doesn't mean you aren't as pretty or as fashionable; it just means you have your own unique, beautiful style.

    I hope this guide will help you choose all of your spring fashion needs. If you have any suggestions, questions, comments, and/or concerns, feel free to contact me at teasetssunhatsandtableclothes@gmail.com or post a comment below.

Yours always,

    Miss Emily

"I believe in manicures. I believe in overdressing. I believe in primping at leisure and wearing lipstick. I believe in pink. I believe happy girls are the prettiest girls. I believe that tomorrow is another day, and... I believe in miracles."
- Audrey Hepburn