"A daughter is a gift of love." ~ Unknown
In our family, turning 10 has become a rite of passage that we have celebrated in a big way. When the boys hit double digits, we surprised them with parties brimming with friends and extended family. (See Carson's rockin' surprise party here. We bowled Christian over here and here.) I have always told the girls they could get their ears pierced when they turned 10, so we celebrated that milestone for Mary Ashley with a Tiffany-themed brunch. Emma is not interested in getting her ears pierced yet, so we thought about a number of other themes. Initially, she wanted to do a Parisian fashion show, but as her guest list kept growing, I couldn't envision carrying out this theme at home. Ultimately, we settled on hosting a French Patisserie Tea Party.
With more than 30 little girls in attendance, I was in heaven decorating tables for this celebration. We were able to seat all the guests inside, so I will be sharing more photos of our tablescapes in an upcoming post. But for now, welcome to our dining room.
Fresh tulips brought glimpses of springtime to this happy setting.
Instead of hot tea, I served sparkling French lemonade for the girls. Punch cups we inherited from Joe's grandmother were perfect for this event. (I think Nanelle would have relished this party!) Instead of place cards, Emma wrote the girls' names on tags that we tied to the handles.
One of my favorite aspects of entertaining is filling the house with flowers. Tulips and other spring blooms from Trader Joe's and Fresh Market brought beauty to the dining room tablescape.
We invited all the girls from Emma's classes at school and church, so I opted for the ease of these pretty Caspari Tulip Dance Cocktail Napkins instead of linen napkins. The artwork and coloring brought loveliness to our table.
Springy shades of pink and yellow always make me smile!
Softening the mirror is a Martha Stewart Crafts Pom-Pom Garland in white.
For these petite arrangements, I wrapped a tulip leaf around the inside of the glass jar then placed three to five stems inside.
Rather than having one large arrangement, I clustered smaller posies along the length of the table. This allowed for conversation and gave each guest something pretty to look at.
Paper doilies from Dollar Tree and Michaels added detail beneath the dessert plates and the dinner plates I treated as chargers.
We enjoyed these blooms for more than a week!
Here is our precious birthday girl enjoying a strawberry during the party.
And here are a few of the friends who joined us for the festivities.
Thank you for stopping by today! There is much more beauty to come at Emma's Patisserie, so please visit again soon. And don't forget to enter for your chance to win a bundle of French-themed magazines here.
"A daughter is the happy memories of the past, the joyful moments of the present, and the hope and promise of the future." ~ Author Unknown
Photos by Nathan Prichard. Used with permission.
