4 1/2 Birthday Par-Tea

We celebrated my daughter's 4 1/2 birthday (her birthday is Dec 23, so we have parties for her half birthdays) with a dressy tea party.

• Best Dressed

  The invitation said "Over-dressing is not possible," so all the girls wore princess costumes or Easter dresses. They were all adorable, especially once they put on their hats and jewelry from their favor bags.

• Desserts

  Fancy cookies stacked on tiered stands, tea-cup-cakes, and tea party table cake

• Activities / Games

  Crafts, the girls got their nails painted, and they had a tea party etiquette lesson (how to hold their tea cup, how to curtsey, etc)

• Budget

  $125

• Party Favors

  Each girl got a fancy hat (found in a dollar bin at Easter time) and a fancy purse filled with necklaces and other jewelry and candy jewelry, a mirror, a lip gloss, and a pretty emery board. They also did craft projects of a beaded necklace and a tea pot container to take home.

• Best Moment

  My daughter looked like she was in her own dream world! She and her friends had a lovely time, and they were all very well behaved and just precious.

• What People Ate

  We ate finger sandwiches, rolled appetizers, fruit, pasta salad (birthday shaped pasta), and lots of fancy cookies

• What People Drank

  "Apple juice tea," "Fruit punch tea," and assorted hot tea for mommies

• Most Touching Moment

  My daughter and her friends saying it's the best party they've ever been to.

• Funniest Moment

  Watching the younger girls learn how to curtsey.

• The special chair

  The room where we had the party had an arm chair outside of it. I used it in our room as the special present-opening chair. It wasn't nearly "girly" enough, though, so I covered it with one of my daughter's bed sheets, and it was perfect for her to open presents and for taking pictures with each of her friends in.

• Princess Amanda

  Assistant

  My friend helped with my party for free to just get started. She's not sure about doing it "for real," though. She was so sweet, though. She invited each of the girls by name to paint their nails and give them eye shadow. Then she taught them all proper tea party etiquette. It would not have been the same without her.