Extreme Tea Parties (PLUS PHOTOS!!!! :)

Yesterday we had a house full of cowpokes, cowgirls, and some urban cowgirls. It was the date of the annual Girl Cousin Tea Party, organized by the oldest family cousin, Mona. The twelve girls, between six and eighteen years old, gather from across the MidWest for an after noon of fun and bonding doing themed girly-things: dressing up, eating, playing games and doing a craft. “Tea Parties’ to an extreme! The best part is the photo of all the girls at the beginning.

Two years ago it was a Disney Princess Party. Four years ago, a Minnie Mouse party. This year, the theme was Cowgirls. It looked like something out of Pioneer Woman around here. The tables were draped in red clothes, with picnic napkins, a mini-bail of hay as a centerpiece surrounded by one of the girl’s horse collection. There was an Arabian, of course! The party favors were cowboy hats and bandannas. The girls were too cute in braided pony-tails, jeans and plaid shirts. Lil Kinz even had boots passed on from an older cousin.

Table Decor

The TABLE

Mona had fun surprises in store. The boys were involved as bandits, having created a drama where two of the girls were kidnapped and the ‘gold’ (chocolate coins, also a table decoration) stolen! This led to a neighborhood-wide scavenger hunt to reclaim the girls and gold. BUT, before that, they had to cross a path loaded with rattle-snakes, and they had to stomp the snakes to get across to their goal. The snakes were long skinny balloons .

 

 

Stompin\

Then is was craft time. Aunt Jane is quite creative, and designed those tied-fringe pillows, decorated with horseshoes, cactus and cowboy boots. After lunch they decorated picture frames with cowboy themed foam stickers, and of course, lots of bling rhinestones. The cowpoke brothers stayed downstairs playing chess, until lunch. 

Lunch was an event that kept four sisters and sisters-in-law busy for hours. Cowgirl burgers, corn on the cob, cottage fries, deviled eggs and a huge horseshoe cake filled with strawberries and covered with whipped cream. Aunt Jane is the Cake Queen, so it looked like something out of Chez Hilda. Delish, too. Just to add a touch of elegance in the midst of wild-West-ness, the plates and glasses were etched glass.

THE Table

After every dish was done and every pillow completed, us moms fell on couches comatose. A very happy coma.

***SO……..Didja  notice there are PHOTOS in this post? Thanks to Tech Wiz Niece Mona, who patiently instructed me in this ridiculously easy step.