Tea Parties. And Such.

*FaiRy TeA TiMe* WHiMSiCaL aLTeReD aRt TiN SHaDoWBoX ViNTaGe PaPeR CoLLaGe oRiGiNaL, originally uploaded by sPaRK*YouR*iMaGiNaTioN.

You know, more than anything, I would love to have friends over for tea. Not all friends are suited for tea. But I have certain friends, who I wish I could say "come over for tea" and we could be childless, wear fancy hats and drink tasty tea and eat tiny tea sandwiches cut into pretty triangles and follow up with fabulous desserts and pastries and cookies.

tea party cupcakes (for bridal fair), originally uploaded by kylie lambert (Le Cupcake).

I love tea. I love to try new tea. Today I got my new Republic of Tea catalog in the mail, and I picked out several new types of tea that I want to try. They sell traveler's tins (which besides being awesome cute) are just 6 round teabags and just enough for me to try... and take with me if I want to have tea while out and about. They also have a new travel tea mug with a built in tea press. And I want it. Badly. I have added my choices to my amazon wish list, but I bet that my husband pays no attention to that, so I will be SOL when it comes to a gift of tea for Christmas.

It makes me think of garden paths and gazebos and warm breezes with wafting scents of blooming flowers. Ah. Not happening here in 30 degree Illinois, but I can dream, right? I can't wait until Ardyn gets old enough to REALLY have a tea party. I will live vicariously, and have tea with her as often as possible. Right now she loves to pretend tea parties. She loves to taste my tea, but she usually backwashes. I got her a crazy straw out a few minutes ago so she could taste the "Ginger peach Green tea" I was having, without constantly backwashing, and she swished it around in her mouth a bit and then spit it out down her shirt and on the floor. LOL. Someday...

Whimsical Rose Cupcakes., originally uploaded by Le Cupcake - Australia.

Today I had a mini-photo shoot with Ardyn and took about 150 pictures. I picked about 9 of them to use on our Christmas Card, and then made the Christmas Cards, and an 8x10 poster collage, and ordered them. They should be here next week which means we should get our Christmas Cards out the first week of December. Yay! The pictures turned out too cute of course, and I can't wait for everyone to get their cards.

I heart tea parties, originally uploaded by Sílvia Leite.

Many of you probably don't know that today is my 30th Birthday. My dad brought over my card and a cute little gift, and mom came by later with a cheesecake sampler for dessert tonight, and two pieces of pumpkin cheesecake for she and I to share. It was yumm-o! I spent the day in pajama pants and slippers, which was nice. Per usual. LOL. Ardyn took a bath and I sat by the side of the tub and read my new Redbook that arrived yesterday.

Chicken at the Tea Party, originally uploaded by Mark Klotz.

Evan introduced my to last.fm today. Holy cow. It's an awesome website that is all streaming music. You can listen without a login, or create a free login and add artists to your library, and songs to your own playlists. If I was a cubical person I would so use this at work. It will download to your ipod, but right now I am just using it to listen to awesome music on the computer, and because we have surround on our computer and it's now in the dining room, it works really well.

mistaken identity, originally uploaded by shutterxdown.

Right now I am listening to Elizabeth Mitchell. She is a fabulous artist that sings songs for kids, but they aren't annoying, more like your mother singing to you (which mine always did, and I sing to Ardyn alot) and they are songs that you know, and enjoy, like You Are My Sunshine, Shoo-Fly, etc. Her voice is soothing much like an Allison Krauss or Sarah McLachlan.

Tea Sandwiches (1), originally uploaded by creampuffsinvenice.

So. 30. Today. Ack. But it's okay. Someone said "30 is the new 20" ha ha. Last night I took my OWN bath. And I took the badly chipped polish off my toenails and trimmed them... and for the first time in, oh, 19 years, I left them a blank slate. Seriously. That's huge. Is that what 30 is? Au Naturale? Or is that just pregnant mother of a toddler-esque? For supper we are going to have tacos, but we had lunch at almost 3pm, so it will be a while. Evan is out hunting and gathering taco supplies. Ardyn is reading books and listening to Elizabeth Mitchell Radio. We are quite the ball of excitement around here. Pretty low key, which is perfect. Occasionally I have felt bored today, but I assume that's the feeling that you get when you do nothing on what is supposed to be a big fabulous day. I did get invited to take Ardyn and do lunch and shopping in Geneseo with MIL and GIL, but I was still not dressed and Ardyn had just woke up and hadn't bathed, and I was just unmotivated. And I still am, so that's okay. Another time I suppose.

The Mad Hatter, originally uploaded by david.raphael01.

So, anyone for a tea party? Have these fabulous flickr images helped you get in the mood yet? Finger sandwich anyone? Chai Cake? Honey in your tea? Sugar?

Mini Chai Sponge Cakes (2), originally uploaded by creampuffsinvenice.

This week I hope to get Ardyn over to see Santa at the mall. Last year we used her Santa picture on some of our Christmas Cards, but of course the mall Santa has a copyright. So even after paying the $20 + to have her pic taken and printed on crappy photo paper right then and there, I still have issues putting it on a Christmas Card because it's all copyrighted and crap. That is a perfect example of the commercialization of Christmas- when Santa has a copyright on his photo so you can sit on his lap but you have to pay him money for every print you use. Seriously. Santa gets royalties. Isn't that fucked up? Of course Evan mentioned that Santa isn't getting royalties. His comment was about how Santa doesn't "belong" to anyone, and that he is essentially "free" and so in a way it's unfair that they can say you can't use the picture of your child with Santa, because that's acting like they have a copyright on santa, which no one does. This conversation cracks me up. I'd like to go to Wal-Mart to pick up my photos and argue that the Mall doesn't own Santa Claus and therefore Santa has no right to prevent me from making unlimited copies of his photo. LOL. They would be like "oh boy, here she goes again!"

The Spread, originally uploaded by traoki.

It appears I am not the first blogger to ask this question. Check out this post.
Damn you Disney! Seems like they were the squashers of the spirit of Christmas.
http://therhetoricalsituation.blogspot.com/2006/12/who-owns-santa.html

Finger Sandwiches, originally uploaded by marimelle.

Ardyn got two new pair of Hanna Andersson Mocs today. Well technically used, but you can barely even tell they are used as they are immaculate! They are both pale pink, and in the size she wears now, and the size she will move up to next. I got them from a mom on eBay, and they are just perfect in every way. Even the price was freaking great. She has been wearing them all afternoon and loving them. They are stinkin cute and so practical! We will be getting more, specifically a pair of little brother also.

Island Park Gazebo, summer (Fargo, North Dakota), originally uploaded by post.ndakota.

Ardyn is now dancing around the living room with a crazy straw, in her diaper and mocs and a turquoise shirt. Could she GET any cuter? We are also hosting Thanksgiving this year. Usually I am SUPER excited but to be honest, this year I don't really care. I feel badly about that, but since Ardyn is now old enough to really enjoy Christmas more than last year, I just want to skip to Christmas. That's probably a sad thing to say. But I can't wait. We are having Italian Beef on rolls, 7-layer lettuce salad, potato casserole, beans, deviled eggs, and apple dumplings with vanilla ice cream. That seems to be a simple menu. We usually do traditional, and for the past two years have done deep fried turkey and ham, but I just wasn't into all that this year, with being pregnant, and having Ardyn. I just want simple. I was relaxed. I want casual. So that's what everyone else is getting.

Big Mac, originally uploaded by ittybittybirdy.

In the above photo, all I think about is how I want that bike. And the big mac. I have picked out a very simlar bike that I want by Schwinn, and it has a big fat seat for my fat bottomed girly figure. And I can't wait to get it someday, so that we can ride bikes. I am not wishing away Ardyn's childhood, but just reminding myself that as she gets older there are always new things to look forward to.

tea for the kiddies, originally uploaded by sevenworlds16.

Just this evening, we were all sitting around watching "Holiday Inn" which is an old black and white movie with Bing Crosby and Fred Astaire that is the first time the song "White Christmas" was introduced. I was telling Evan how disappointed I am in the fact that we no longer see occasions as special enough to dress up. Men in suits and ties with fedoras and women in pearls with their hair done up and pretty dresses and mink stoles, fancy hats... ah. It just seems a shame to have all these pretty things at our finger tips and never choose to look fabulous. And when the men came by to date, they had flowers and chocolates and they danced and sang and god damn it's frustrating that none of that exists now.

Picnic anyone?, originally uploaded by Romantic Home.

A year or so ago, I asked my grandpa if he remembered dressing up to go places. Whenever you watch an old movie, when traveling, everyone is so dressed up, women with their matching handbags and pillbox hats, and smart colored suits, and I wondered if you truly traveled looking that fabulous (as compared to today's comfy airline attire, flip flops and stretchy pans) and he told me he didn't remember. I just wanted to find out if when he went to an airport back in the day, people were truly walking around all pretty like in the movie that stars James Stewart (Not "It's a Wonderful Life", Not "Shenandoah", not "Winchester '73"...)

Summer Birthday Virtual Tea Party 2008, originally uploaded by 3littlemiracles.

So, Help me find a reason to have a tea party. I believe that one should NOT have to have a reason to host a tea party, but in this day and age, I would be having tea alone. Why do you need a reason to wear a fancy hat and eat finger sandwiches? You should NOT I tell you! Maybe if I had gay man friends I could have a tea party just because. It would be fabulous.

Placement, originally uploaded by mattymatt.

Chicken Salad on a buttery fresh croissant. Mmmmm. Fresh Fruit like watermelon, kiwi, and strawberries. Mmmmm. Cheesecake. Cupcakes.

Fancy Dress Tea Food, originally uploaded by AmyBaby5784.

And why not feather boas. or Tiaras. Or sparkly jewels over elbow length gloves if that suits your fancy. I mean, a tea party should just be all about fabulous. The Sky's the limit.

Fancy Nancy Tea Party 006, originally uploaded by acpl.