Ladies to a Tea
Story
by: Janie Hellstrom
Photos
by: Eric Hasert
Dainty
little misses dressed up in ruffles and lace gather around a
beautifully-appointed dining room table.
For the moment, these little girls sit quietly, delicately sipping cups of
tea and eating teapot shaped cookies.
It’s a celebration, organized by the St. Lucie County mother-daughter
team of Liz Hancock and Becky Springsteen.
Their new business, called “Once Upon a Tea Party” features “magical tea
parties for girls,” according to their brochure.
“We
offer a variety of themed tea parties and fun activities for ages five and up,”
says Hancock who dreamed up the idea.
Her
daughter says, “We have themes like Princess for a Day, Glamour Girl, Garden
Tea Party, Mom & Me Tea Party, Barbie Tea Party, and more.”
The
pair will come to your home and create a fantasy party for special
occasions. While they cater mostly to
the little girls, they will also provide parties for bridesmaids’ luncheons,
tea parties for adults and holiday parties for all ages.
On
this particular day, everything is in place.
There’s a rack of pretty, ruffled dresses for the party guests to choose
from, stacks of wide-brimmed hats, tiny high heels, bracelets, even a feather
boa. The dresses are made of satin and
illusion with seed pearls and sequins and beautiful trims.
All
the outfits are coordinated right down to the pearls and sequins on the shoes.
“About
30 minutes before the party begins, Mom and I start doing our work at the
guest’s home,” says Springsteen.
“Mom
starts setting the table and putting all the china and all the beautiful things
in their places. She’s really the
detail person,” she adds.
“I
get all the dresses and dress-up items out, including jewelry and hats and high
heels,” she says.
The
menu can be as simple or as complicated as the honored guest desires.
“We
serve everything from peanut butter and jelly sandwiches cut out in fancy
shapes, to cream cheese-filled and cucumbers.
Whatever our party girl wants is what we serve,” says Hancock.
Each
guest receives a sugar cookie in the shape of a teapot with her name written on
it in frosting. The party theme is also carried out in the craft projects. “For the glamour party, we might have the
guests made fragrances or glitter gel,” she says. “Or for younger guests, they might make magic wands and paper
crowns that they can take home,” she adds.
Becky
Springsteen is a former elementary education teacher who works in the
Foundation Department at