Alice has gone Steampunk for the Mad Tea Party 2016

It has been a couple of years since I participated in the Mad Tea Party hosted by Vanessa over at http://afancifultwist.typepad.com/.  This hop is loosely based on Lewis Carroll's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland.

This here is a story about a doll named Alice. She made a journey from the land of shopgoodwill.com but she got lost in transit. (sung to the Brady Bunch theme song). She showed up the day before the Mad Tea Party.

Effanbee had been waiting for Alice.

But Alice had fallen down the rabbit hole again and this time she went steampunk. Effanbee went to look for her friend Alice and she went steampunk too!

When they both returned to the Mad Tea Party, there was homemade strawberry rhubarb pie waiting for them.

Link to 2013 submission and my late submission 2012 edition.  Each year there are some amazing fantastical tea partiers.  Look in the comments section and the sidebar of the blog host to visit those participating.

In pursuit of patterns and upcoming events

I have added patterns from the 1960s through the 1970s to my thrift shop checklist.  These bevy of  beauties (pattern price 50 cents or $1.00) have joined my collection.  The first image is from 1964, the last from 1974.

My birthday is the 25th of this month, let's just say it is a milestone birthday (and leave it at that). This is a shameless appeal to my audience - I know you are out there - to send me some birthday swag.  There is a birthday button up and running ...

Barbie doll birthday cake (1964 Cake and Food Decorating Ideas by Wilton)

Just prior to my birthday is the biannualblogathonbash on June 20-23, 2014.  The hosts write:

The next one is June 20-23,2014 – sign ups open May 9

Basically I suggest you aim for 24 TOTAL but NOT consecutive hours of blogging tasks all weekend but you can join in even if you can’t commit that much. Just make your own goals and do what you can. However the more you participate, the better chance you have of winning a prize.

Notice I said blogging tasks. I don’t expect anyone to write blog posts all weekend long! You can clean out your email inbox, work on your blog design, organize a meme or event or any of these many ideas listed below.

On 8am EST Friday I’ll post a kick off post. Make a post on your blog saying you are participating and some of your personal goals for time spent blogging and things to get done and link it up to the starting line. You must do this to be eligible for any prizes but you can do it when you start so if you can’t start till 9pm that night then link up then.

There will also be a finish line post at the end with survey questions. This is optional but encouraged as it will help with the next blogathon and you can say how much you accomplished.

Mini challenges will be available during the weekend. Choose which ones you want to do and do them when you can, but before the end of the blogathon. You will get a chance to win for every mini challenge you do so the more you do, the better your chance to win.
What can you do? Anything! Some ideas:

1. Transfer your blog to WordPress (if you want)
2. Write up some blog posts and schedule them.
3. Catch up on reviews or other posts.
4. Start a new blog meme or event
5. Brainstorm ideas for blog.
6. Start a Social Media profile you don’t have yet./
7. Change the Design/Template of your blog.
8. Do the “paperwork” of having a blog
9. Moderate/Pick Winners of Giveaways that have ended.
10. Review an Item
11. Clean up your labels/tags
12. Backup your blog
13. Work on an e-book you are writing
14. and lots more….

As you can see it doesn’t have to always involve the blog directly, maybe not even the computer. You could be sorting review items in your house, brainstorming with pen and paper, or cleaning up your email box.

We hope you will join us!

Sign Up!

And a main event in July

I am not sure my garden will be in bloom in time for the event.  Our summer temperatures can top over 100 degrees, so only small amounts of time are devoted garden maintenance.  The bees and hummingbirds appreciate the bee balm in bloom.

Partay of the Mad Tea sort

Garden toad has made an appearance this year to ring in Year Three of my participation in The Mad Tea Party hosted by Vanessa at A Fanciful Twist.  My focus has been to utilize mainly thrifted items with garden backgrounds.  

The creative bunch that link up range from professional artists to scene-staging bloggers.  You will see macro photography fashioned in whimsical ways.

I'm preparing my summer garden now for what I hope will be a spectacular event!

Here we go a'Floraling, ain't no blues got us down

Things are heating up here in Northern California with temperatures climbing into the 90s.  This outfit is oh-so-comfy for this type of weather.  I'm wearing an Alfani light grey top and a recent thrift shop find of a silk floral print Evan Picone skirt ($2).

I kinda went wild with thrift shopping this past weekend.  I don't know how people manage to find stuff for resale.  On average, I visit 5 thrift shops a week.  Most times I find nothing. What I did find was this Italian scarf ($2), Fossil sunglasses ($3 - I'm sporting the frames in the picture above) and a Ballinger-Gold vintage sweater ($7).  The sweater and an exquisite Camelhair Hunter's Glen M. Lady Bruhn blazer (not pictured, $4.50) are both headed to the dry cleaners and then the cedar chest storage for the winter months.  

My newest bare root rose I planted this season, a Purple Tiger Floribunda, in full bloom.

The Mad Tea Party hosted by Vanessa at A Fanciful Twist will take place in a couple of months.  This is one blog hop event that combines my love of gardening, whimsy and fashion (Barbies and Muffy Vanderbears are the stars of that show).  The event is loosely-based on Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll.  

Linking up with Patti for VM #130 at Not dead yet style for

I swear I must have read her mind - it is a blue-based day with her sporting blue velvet.

Mad Tea Party and a Barbie Fashion Show!

Peace frog and garden toad welcome you to this year's Mad Tea Party ~

Invitees this year are the Muffies:  Fortune Teller Muffy Vanderbear and Mardi Gras Muffy Vanderbear.

The Muffies and Maddies came wandering by, what did they spy?

A Mad Tea Party, of course, hosted by Vanessa of a Fanciful Twist.

There was glam and glitz, joy and spritz (cookies, that is).

It is, you know, the party of the year!  

Granny Madame Alexander was the featured poetry reader.

And a Barbie fashion show!  Bikini Barbie led off with the latest in swimwear.

New Barbie styled vintage wear (Barbie clothes made by mom, circa 1960s). 

Scuba diving Barbie showed off her tan and athletic wear.

Fashionista Barbie glammed in evening wear. 

Please leave a comment and "thank you" for stopping by!  Here is the link to the other participants A Fanciful Twist.

Link to my 2012 irreverent post on the Mad-Tea-Party.



Yeah Write's 31dbbb has been pre-empted for this day's post. The challenge instructs the blogger to "Take a trip to the mall," I just took a detour to visit my Mad Tea Party friends!

Day 11 - Come up with 10 post ideas - I've listed hops and challenges.

Day 11 - Come up with 10 post ideas.  While I have never been at a loss as to what to post, something always comes to mind.  Most hops have a theme.  Only once have I been kicked off of a blog hop for "not following the rules."  I especially like the writing and photography challenges.  I have also found unique link ins such as:

No. 1:  The upcoming Mad Tea Party post with Vanessa at A Fanciful Twist on July 13th.

No. 2:  Le Mysterieux Carnival.  This group is quiescent all year long with the exception of October or All Hallows Eve.

Those two sites require some creative photography and highlight some truly inspired bloggers.

I also keep an eye out for blog hops, in particular hops that I have not participated in before.  If you just hop around with the same group of people, you will never encounter new blogs and potential new readers.

No. 3:  I'll be joining a no-rules blog hop monday-mingle with Tough Cookie Mommy.

No. 4:  I glommed onto sarahsblogoffun.com - this gal has THREE blog hops coming up.  One this month for the new and timid blog hopper.



No. 5:  No-rules blog hops are the best.  There is one every weekend at Sincerely, Paula



No. 6:  Low pressure participation hops such as Unknown Mami

The idea is that you enjoy your city (or suburb or town), take pictures, and then share them with your bloggy friends and family.

If your “Sunday” happens on a Friday, that’s fine, just post the pictures on Sunday. If you live in a suburb instead of a city, I don’t care; I still want to see it. If it’s raining and you’re stuck inside, take a picture of the view outside your home. You can even cheat and take pictures one Sunday and post them the next Sunday.

No. 7:  At the beginning of the year Vicki-2bagsfull will host the Grow Your Blog hop - tons of participants!

No. 8:  How could I forget the annual http://www.a-to-zchallenge.com/?  That is the best challenge of all and is scheduled every April.  Those posts practically write themselves *chorkles to self.*

No. 9:  I am thinking Nicky and Mike, the duo behind We Work For Cheese, will be hosting some type of month-long writing or photography challenge (fingers crossed). 

No. 10:  When all else fails, there is Pinterest.  What I mean is that bloggers cross-post on Pinterest any challenges or events.  It never hurts to look there for inspiration.  As long as you don't get sucked into looking at all the pretty pictures (guilty as charged).

Strangers in the night (and an upcoming hop and month-long photo challenge)

Here it is month end, time for the 5 photograph challenge with P.J. of a lil hoo haa.  This month's theme was NIGHT.  (P.J. - what in the world were you thinking?)  I knew I couldn't slide by with images of sunsets and the moon.  All I could muster up was three images - but three is better than none.

Solar light reflecting on cactus.

What Muffy Vanderbears do at night.

Nighty night Xena WARRIOR PRINCESS.  I pinky swear I took this at nightfall ~

Be sure to visit the other talented bloggers posting along with this challenge.



One of my favorite hops is coming up ~

I am so jazzed about the party, it's got me ...

I've got a light workload on my college coursework this summer session (goofing off, I know), so I'm joining in with i Heart Faces photography for a June Photo Challenge.  A no-pressure post one day or all days no guidelines (family friendly) challenge.

Day 28 ~ Flowers and a Mad Tea Party

Yellow gladiolus - my photo challenge topic of flowers.  I had removed nearly all of my gladiolus bulbs to re-do my garden this year.  When these glads came up, I was delighted that they were YELLOW, one of my favorite colors.

I have joined in with Vanessa at A Fanciful Twist for her Mad Tea Party, and my party cohort is Mad Hatter Muffy Vanderbear!  Here is a link-back to the Mat Tea Partiers Mad Tea Party 2012.

Also, for those interested, I am hosting a photography challenge for the month of August.  Fun, light-hearted topics to finish out the last month of summer.

How to Treat Elves

Morris Bishop

I met an elf-man in the woods,

The wee-est little elf!

Sitting under a mushroom tall --

'Twas taller than himself!

"How do you do, little elf," I said,

"And what do you do all day?"

"I dance'n fwolic about," said he,

"'N scuttle about and play;

"I s'prise the butterflies, 'n when

A katydid I see,

'Katy didn't' I say, and he,

Says 'Katy did!' to me!

"I hide behind my mushroom stalk

When Mister Mole comes froo,

'N only jus' to fwighten him

I jump out 'n say 'Boo!'

"'N then I swing on a cobweb swing

Up in the air so high,

'N the cwickets chirp to hear my sing

'Upsy-daisy-die!'

'N then I play with the baby chicks,

I call them chick chick chick!

'N what do you think of that?" said he.

I said, "It makes me sick.

"It gives me sharp and shooting pains

To listen to such drool."

I lifted up my foot, and squashed

The G** d**n little fool.

Day 27 Photography challenge topic (From a distance) and upcoming Mad Tea Party.

I was sure I wouldn't be able to capture an image under this topic "from a distance."  Luckily, the deer family showed up to finish off the last of the fallen plums.  It is the first time I've seen the fawns.

Be sure to check out my July 28 post, Vanessa of A Fanciful Twist Wonderland calling ... has created an unusual thematic blog.  I've also popped onto What Jean Likes for her Aloha Friday Hop.