It's Almost Tea Party Time! {And A Winner!}

.

.

I know that we are still in the dead of winter here in Tennessee but once the days start getting a little longer, I feel like it’s time for a tea party!  And tea parties with little girls are the best!  Have you given a tea party for the little (or big) girls in your life lately?  If not… it’s time and I’ll help you!

.

.

I think because of Valentine’s Day, February is a great month for a tea party.  You can add some hearts and flowers and it just seems to make it super special!  I made a very simple bunting by cutting burlap in a pendant shape and painted a letter of the word LOVE on each pendant with pretty hot pink paint!  When you add some home made turquoise pompoms in between each letter, it really makes it come alive.  The minute I hung this bunting in the window, the rain outside didn’t bother me a bit!  (It’s a simple, inexpensive project that can be used year after year.))

.

.

I also took the time to make some little place holders for each of the little girls by cutting a tea pot out of colored card stock and adding their name.  It was a little time consuming and definitely not necessary, but I think the girls felt really special when they saw them!

.

.

I think cloth napkins are a must for a tea party!  I used plastic rings from the dollar store and put the napkins through them!  It worked great and they were so cute!

.

.

You must pull out your prettiest china to use.  I love my antique Taylor Smith & Taylor turquoise dishes and they looked so pretty with the pink.  I purchased all kinds of fun plastic costume jewelry and used it to decorate the table.  The girls had fun putting that on immediately!

.

.

And a tea party calls for the prettiest of tea cups.  I have a small collection of beautiful tea cups and saucers… none of them match, but they are oh so pretty.  (And don’t forget the sugar cubes!)

.

.

I love making cupcakes.  And this was a perfect day to make Red Velvet Cupcakes with beautiful home-made buttercream frosting and pink and turquoise sprinkles!

.

.

And cake pops.  Oh how I love making cake pops.  Have you ever made them?  They are a bit of work and require some patience (and some practice) but there is something so rewarding about them when they work!  (And frustrating when they don’t!)  I loved how pretty these were on the table though.  I put them in my antique milk glass goblets and turned them into a bouquet!

.

.

Making tissue flowers is not something that I am very good at.  I worked hard to try to make these huge tissue flowers and honestly they were such a job!  I do think they added something pretty to the setting, but let me tell you what… I sure want to spend some time with someone that is a pro at making them so I can learn the tricks!

. 

.

.

The dining room was a fun and happy setting for a little (and big) girl tea party!

. 

.

.

.

I had a spur of the moment idea the night before the party to make the little girls some purses.  I have to say that they were so sweet and I hung them on the back of each of the little girls chairs.  And guess what?  If you want to make one of these darling little purses, be sure to get the April/May issue of MaryJanesFarm magazine because I have a step by step tutorial in the magazine to make them.  They are so easy and so fun to make!

. 

So Farmgirl friends…  celebrate (a very early) Spring with your own tea party and tell me all about it!  I’d love to see pictures and stories about it!  You can email me at redfeedsack@gmail.com.  If I get enough pictures and stories there just might be a future blog post featuring them!

.

Now for a WINNER of MaryJanes Cast Iron Kitchen cookbook that I talked about last month. I know this is what you’ve all been waiting for!  The winner is…

.

Deborah W. Moore!!

.

Thank you all for entering the giveaway and writing such awesome comments about how much you love and use cast iron.  I really enjoyed reading every comment.  You Farmgirl Friends really and truly are the VERY best kind of friends to have!  And if I could have a tea party on my hilltop farm and invite each and every one of you to come, I would.

.

I hope you are enjoying the few extra minutes of sunshine every day and seeing some little tiny glimpses of spring around the corner!

.

Until our gravel roads cross again… so long.

.

Dori