Saturday 25 April 2009

Garden Party

Yesterday was my Mum's 70th Birthday, so I hosted a garden party all day for her family and friends to visit. Fortunately we were blessed with a beautiful sunny day. Guests were invited to drop round between 11am and 5pm (I handmade the invites but forgot to take a piture!!) and my sister and I served salads, sandwiches, a selection of cakes, cream teas, tea,coffee and champagne all day. My mum had made up a photo albumn using all old photographs and featuring every guest that had been invited. Some of these photo's were really old, and every one loved looking at it. My Grandad (Mums, Dad) had been a woodcutter (working on the estate at Wentworth) for most of his life. This must have been extremely hard work, but when he came home at night, he also kept a small holding, mainly crops which he ploughed with a horse and cart. The photo's of this could have been straight out of Larkrise to Candleford. After 5pm we were joined by a few very close friends and although Mum, my sis and I were all shattered, we continued on until 11.30pm!! My 2 very best friends M and L were fabulous. They helped clear everything away.

For the Garden Party, I dug my Grandma's Tea Set out of the loft. Why did I ever put this in the loft in the first place??!! It has 12 cups and saucers and 12 side plates and it is so pretty. It not going back into the loft


Sorry about the bright light in the corner, but I prayed for the sun to shine and it did. This was taken at about 6.45 am just as the sun popped over the fence. (We did place a warning on the trampoline stating that it was used by pensioners at their own risk!!). I also brought out the 2 crochet blankets I had recently completed, as a bit of a joke really (as hubby says they look like they should be in an old folks home). It amused me all day to see the older ladies pop them over their knees when the sun went behind a cloud. My cousin had her eye on the St Ives blanket!!


I got chance to use some of my lovely old table cloths. Most were my Grandma's, but my sister bought me this for £5.00 from a small antique shop a whoile ago. On the label, it said that it had been embroidered in an air raid shelter in 1942 near Chatham Docks. It is so beautiful and I wonder about the lady who made this every time I use the cloth.


The birthday girl arrived at 8.15am in a limo !!!courtesy of a friend of my sister. She had thought that I was going to pick her up, so she had a shock when this turned up.

I took photographs of her friends and family throughout the day, and the dancing queen printed these off and made them them into a little albumn before she went home. Several of her friends rang me when they got home to thank us for a wonderful afternoon. It was really hard work - but I enjoyed every minute of the day, and I know she did too.



9 comments:

Rowan said...

What a lovely way to celebrate your mum's 70th birthday, I love your grandma's teaset - so very pretty and definitely not one for the loft! You asked in your comment if I've ever been a teacher. The answer is 'no' and frankly it's a job I wouldn't do however much you offered to pay me! I spent 10 years working in a Bank before I was married and since then I've spent the last 36 years as a housewife.

Gilly said...

What a fantastic Birthday Party! Something I'd like for my next "important" birthday. Trouble is, I was born in November! Maybe a dinner somewhere nice!

You must have worked really hard, I know what organising something like that takes, so congratulations to you and your sister for doing all that and giving your mother such a lovely party - I'm sure she enjoyed it!

Anonymous said...

I love your teaset, so pretty.
I hope you dont mind, but I've added your blog onto my blogroll on my site.

Have a wonderful weekend.

Take Care
Melanie xx

Rosie said...

What a wonderful way to celebrate your Mum's birthday, sounds like a wonderful day and her happiness would make all your hard work worthwhile - glad you had good weather:)

Lisa said...

Belated birthday wishes to your mum.
Sounds like everyone had a great time, pleased to note the weather behaved itself for you too and all the hard work and effort that must have gone into the day paid off.
Don't blame you for not putting the teaset away again, it's so pretty.
Lisa

noelle said...

well done! sounds like it went really well, your mum looks lovely! What a lovely treat for her. glad the weather was fine,unlike here! St. Ives was flooded again! lovely pics and lovely tea set!! x x

Cooking with the Joneses said...

Hello Diane,
What a lovely idea for your Mum!
We did an indoor version for my Dad a few years ago, he moaned a bit!...about the fuss, but we know he really enjoyed it ;0)
I hunted high & low for Tea cups like yours for my lemon cup dessert...finally found a set in a charity shop, 20 miles away...hang on to them!

Shabby Chick said...

That sounds like a wonderful day, I'm so pleased the sun shone for you. Your grandma's tea set is absolutely gorgeous, I bet it won't be going back into the loft!

Mel xxx

Country Cottage Chic said...

What a wonderful birthday party! I *really* want to have a garden party now!