1. DIY Recycled Plate Cake Stand; 2. Tea’s Me Tea Set, from Rosana (which has more yummy yummy cups & things); 3. The Sweet Tooth Tunic from Mod Cloth (on sale!); 4. Kesera Tablecloth from Anthropolgie; 5. Girly Girl Gloves in Peach (not even $15! though you can only wear these types of gloves to: weddings, proms, tea parties) from Mod Cloth; 6. Alice & Friends All Dressed in Red & Ready to Mail, 10 folded notecards w/handmade envelopes from Time2Cr8 on Etsy; 7. Gourmet Tea from Tea Forte

Ah, I could not resist my cutsie title, I apologize! I love tea parties. You can have scones, cupcakes, little sandwiches without crusts, and at the same time wear ridiculously frilly dresses. As Napoleon said, “From the sublime to the ridiculous is only a step” and thanks to Alice in Wonderland, I think you can take that step while drinking tea.

To highlight two of my faves from the group above:

Why I like: Vintage Alice & Wonderland! Each card is different! Space for your thoughts, such as: “COME TO MY TEA PARTY OR I’LL CHOP OFF YOUR HEAD!”

WHY I LIKE: Vintage-y; contains cupcakes; has sleeves for those of us worried about the visual attractiveness of our upper arms; on sale; unquie; sweeeet!

A while back, one of my fellow AIGA board members noticed my blog post on a tea towel I had just finished embroidering and quickly recommended this great new book that local KC publisher, Andrews McMeel, just released. So for the past month and a half, I have been leisurely enjoying The Kitchen Linens Book by EllynAnne Geisel.

Personally, I think I was born in the wrong decade. I absolutely LOVE vintage clothes, home décor, and especially vintage handicrafts. So I am of the opinion that this book was pretty much written just for me. For the novice vintage kitchen linens collector, this book should be your bible. Not only does Geisel give excellent suggestions on collecting and shopping for vintage tablecloths, tea towels and napkins, but she also gives you the history of their use. For those of us who missed out on home ec classes in high school, Geisel explains the difference between various fabric fibers and weaves, and embellishment techniques. Her how-to’s include a handful of fun recipes (I’m rather partial to the recipe for Quiche Lorraine), directions for using iron-on embroidery patterns (there’s one included in the back of the book), step-by-step instructions for making hot pads, and tips on keeping your vintage finds in tip top shape.

Geisel gives some tips on shopping for and re-purposing vintage linens, but here are a few of mine.

1. Aside from flea markets and antique stores, look for vintage doilies, tablecloths, and tea towels at garage sales in more established neighborhoods. Often, older women are ready to part with their “old” decorations for cheap prices.
2. Look for pieces that may have a small stain or tear away from the design. You can always launder or hide the flaw and might get a cheaper price.
3. Hang embroidered doilies on your wall next to antique keys strung up with ribbon; complete the look with antique doorknobs used as curtain hangers or vintage photographs and postcards.
4. Don’t be afraid to mix-match vintage with newer, modern pieces: contrast is necessary in design!
5. Search etsy for vintage and modern pieces to complete your look. How cute are these aprons (as seen above) by KC designer, dirtylaundry??

PS: the font in today’s college is Argent by my friend, Ryan Baker, if you were curious