Themed Parties, Special Times!!!  More Entertaining, part two

Ode to the Cherry Blossoms

The thought behind this luncheon was based on a charming observance practiced In Japan. In appreciation for the natural beauty of the blooming cherry  trees, as each new variety begins it’s bloom cycle, the Japanese travel there. Enjoying the spectacular beauty while picnicking under the trees.  As the next variety of cherry tree begins it’s bloom cycle, they travel to see the next spectacular display of beautiful blossoms, this continues until the last trees lose their blossoms. Isn’t that such a beautiful tradition?

How do they know where to go and when the different varieties have begun their bloom cycle? Updates are announced, I imagine them like ski reports, “Fresh snow at Tahoe, good ski conditions”. I may be oversimplifying the cherry blossom tradition, I read about it in a book and was instantly delighted by the beautiful images it conjured in my mind.thought. I wanted  to have my own  tribute to the cherry blossoms, and this luncheon came from that idea. Ode to the Cherry Blossom!

Celebrations!

                                                                                                                                                                                             A Party For A Special Friend 

Here’s a going away luncheon for a friend who was, you guessed was moving away. I wanted it to fit her personality. She loves cats, no she isn’t a quilter but does do many beautiful hand crafts, I believes she crochets as well.

She collects childhood memorabilia, that stir special childhood memories, like Raggedy Ann. Do you remember her? I sure do. Oh, the fun of imaging a world filled with fairies, trees that had little houses in them & candy growing on trees and dolls who had candy hearts. The book’s were from a gentler time, they contained the most beautiful illustrations that stirred a young girl’s imagination.

However, a problem I encountered, I just couldn’t find enough Raggedy Ann memorabilia  [ at least what I could afford] to support a tea luncheon. But her quilt [ of course there was quilt giving involved!] was old fashioned and fit that kind of childhood  memory.

I’m no pro but tried to make the cake cute. I made one in a style that I thought she would like. It had  to have a kitty on it! She loves her kitty cats .

 

Spring Tea Parties

Surrounded by Overflowing Gardens, Fragrance in the Air, Gentle Sun Light and The Romance of Yesteryear

Here are a few cakes I made for my annual spring Victorian tea parties. Ladies who love to dress up in older romantic styles, big hats, lace tablecloths who are  surrounded by a spring garden overflowing with roses, foxglove and maybe a few late blooming peonies, pretty tea cups, tiny sweets and cucumber sandwiches, this is a party for you.

I know there are many quilters drawn to this sort of thing, not all of course, but quite a few. There are many gardeners among us & flower lovers. These proclaim a happy “Ouugh, that’s so pretty” when seeing a beautiful teapot. I’ve seen you on Pinterest and know my theory is right. Why, just judging from the many old fashioned floral fabrics and patterns, that proves my That much is obvious, because manufactures wouldn’t keep manufacturing them, if no one liked them. Look around at the fabric in popular quilt shops, and at the patterns. Thumb through a few quilting magazines, you’ll have to agree, even if your taste runs towards more contemporary,  you’ll still see my point. And by the way, you can like both styles,[ I know that I do].

Back to the topic of spring tea parties. I haven’t done a spring tea in a long time, just not up to it. But I love doing them, despite the massive work involved, maybe you would enjoy throwing one someday soon? Be sure to post the pictures, I would love it!!! And I think that many other closet romantics would as well.

So there you have it, a few cakes and parties I’ve thrown for several special occasions. I’m a self taught amatuer and it takes me literally a whole day to do one, not including the baking. At the end of the day’s work. my entire self, kitchen, floor and sink are covered with colored icing & powdered sugar. There’s so many discolored bowls, dishcloth’s and fingers tinted by the cake decorating colors that it looks like an unsupervised 2 year old was let loose, having the best unsupervised time of his life. Throwing sugar up into the air, pretending it was a snow storm. Painting the walls with icing, as he had observed daddy painting walls last week, but Daddy used a brush, he’d made due..Rolling in icing like Spot does on the lawn. Then painting his entire body with icing and making his own tattoos on himself, just like the ones his older teenaged brother had, but lots more. Of course his bro would never choose pink cake coloring as the ink color, but no matter, sometimes we must make due with what is available to us. The he finger painting with the food coloring, like the paintings his sister brings home from kindergarten. But he couldn’t think of any way imitate his mother’s eyes with lighting bolts coming out of them as soon as she saw this lovely mess, so he skipped her. But all in all, his unsupervised play day was a complete success and the most fun he had ever experienced in his whole supervised  life of 2 years. That’s my kitchen and me after a cake!

You’ve never seen such a mess!  I save it for only a few special occasions  I have to admit it though, it is fun, if it doesn’t turn out to be a flop that is. I take pictures of my masterpieces and force them on other people, at any excuse, just as I am doing now. But at least you have to option to leave my blog, just imagine if I had you corned in my living room, you’d be trapped with no polite way to escape me and my boring photos. Count yourselves fortunate, at least I haven’t drug out travel photos yet, but  don’t think for a minute I wouldn’t do it. I do have a miniscule amount of common sense, you can only  push a person so much, before they go postal on  you. And besides, I’d  lose all my readers for sure!