Thank you Cleggy...

 The boys decided that a frozen spanish tiramisu cake wasn't special enough to mark the fact that Mum had (quietly tried to) become 40....so planned the most spectacular tea party. Since we had been away for Granny's birthday it made for a perfect double celebration.

Yesterday I was duly sent out at 10am to 'find something to do' until 3pm - well, that alone is worth having a birthday for! I found myself mooching around John Lewis - meeting the Granny, Nelly and Mabel for lunch and being on the receiving end of some serious camera buying advice (more of which another day).

On my return I was met at the back door by three excited boys and a transvestite mannequin....which, admittedly sounds more like something I would have written 20 years ago!! (those were the days...)

[NB for anyone who doesn't personally know the man known as Cleggy, alongside collecting farm animals, he is also partial to keeping the most bizarre items of nostalgia. Bertha the mannequin has been with us for almost 20 years. We acquired her when I worked at Monsoon, under the guise of being useful for school. She was indeed useful, but when Cleggy left teaching a couple of years ago she moved back in. She was brought down from the loft bedroom recently after a couple of sleepover incidents ('maybe you shouldn't mention to your Mum that you couldn't sleep because you were terrified of Bertha the transvestite mannequin?') Anyway, since then, the boys (who love her) have tried to justify keeping her by finding times when having such a mannequin is handy...like a family tea party. She was manning the drinks table...]

So, basically, Cleggy and the boys created a boudoir of delights at the bottom of the garden. It was truly magical, using all sorts of things from around the house and workshop!

 a table set up for tea:

 a sweetie cabinet:

 a french inspired present table:

a love seat:

 and a dressing table of treats! 

The girls were all completely overwhelmed by the spectacle - it was like a mini bazaar,

The (pasting!) table of food was a feast for the eyes and full of our favourite treats, including caramel wafers and corned beef sandwiches in memory of my lovely dad! Big thanks to G Kisby for helping make the wonderful food...

An ingenious drink cabinet:

amazing cakes:

I had insisted on immediate family only for any birthday celebrations (can't bare the thought of fuss!) so we were joined by Nelly, G Kisby and Mabel, and my brother Mark with his boys Sonny and Luca. We missed Auntie Janet v much....and hope she gets better soon x 

[Message to Janet: I really (really) hope Sonny wasn't tooooo giddy on his return...he did take rather a liking to the jam tarts, and it was really very funny (at the time)feeding him sherbet spaceships (sorry)]

[...and yep, that's your littlest boy in a giant teacup (another nostalgic keep), we couldn't resist! (sorry)]

Apart from the last mosaic of favourite pictures from the day I just need to say another

Thank you

to my lovely family for making my 'real' birthday so special, my friends for such beautiful presents (real life thanks to follow). I was overwhelmed by the beautifulness of my gifts (will share soon) and will spend the rest of the afternoon looking at them some more.

And to Cleggy and the boys for putting on the best tea party a girl could wish for, (almost) worth turning 40 for! I feel very cherished and appreciated - and hereby grant license to remind me of this next time I say I'm not! Fee x

 

(french vintage inspired gift cards from here and fairground photographs from here)