DIY TUTORIAL - Tea Party Hat - Wedding - Derby - Pretty Hat! PART ONE

 

Hello, Upscale Party Readers! 

 

 

This is the first of many craft tutorials. My instructions assume that you are new to crafting. Of course, if you are crafty or artistic, you can adjust these instructions as desired. But if you are not yet crafty, you can make this lovely hat by following these steps.

 

Step 1: Find a hat blank.

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You can find a plain hat like the one I used here in a craft store or a thrift store.  Sometimes department stores will have very inexpensive hats that may have a band or decoration that can easily be removed without damaging the hat. This hat came with a small braid around the crown. I only needed to snip a few threads and I have a perfectly fine hat blank.

 

 

Step 2: Gather your supplies.

You will need  a yard and a half of ribbon, 16 to 20 small silk roses, one large silk rose,  a hot glue gun, glue sticks, some paper covered wire or thin ribbon, wire cutters and scissors.  All of these can be purchased at  any craft store.

 

Notes for First Time Crafters:

• RIBBON. When you shop for ribbon, you will find many different kinds at a craft or fabric store. The ribbon that I used on this hat is "flora-satin" ribbon, the kind a florist would use in a fresh flower arrangement. Floral ribbon is less expensive than fabric ribbon, which is usually softer and often made of a satin, silk, organza or velvet like material. Some ribbon will be wired to hold its shape, but in a bow this size, the floral ribbon seems to hold its shape very well. Choose whatever ribbon you like.

 

• ROSES.  New crafters are sometimes confused when they buy silk flowers because they come on stems. Each stem will usually have 3 or more flowers. In order to use the flowers in a craft project like this hat, you will need to cut the flowers off the stem. The stems are made of plastic covered wire. In order to cut the flower off, you will use your wire cutters. Don't throw away the green leaves that are also on the stem. You will want to use some small leaf groups peeking out from beneath some of the flowers.

 

• HOT GLUE GUN.  If you have not used a HOT GLUE GUN before, I suggest that read a separate article on glue gun use. They get VERY HOT and children should not use them. There are lots of glue gun tutorials. Here is a good one to start with: http://www.craftsunleashed.com/craft-basics-main/how-to-hot-glue-tips/

 

Step 3: Come back next week!

The next step in making your beautiful hat is to assemble the large bow for the back of the hat. Assembling the bow is the most difficult step and will probably take a full post to explain. (Experienced Crafters: Remember, I am writing this for readers that have NO experience!) Next time, I will explain - step by step- how to make this lovely bow.

 

 

 

Queenisms.com
 

 

Beautiful Tea Party Hat, Wedding Hat, Summer Hat, Tutorial PREVIEW

Hello, Upscale Party Readers!

I promised that I would post once a week and I've already gotten behind. Things certainly get in the way when you are a working-full-time single mother!

I have started to draft a DIY tutorial on how to make this lovely hat:
Because I want readers who do not consider themselves "crafty" to be able to follow my directions (and because once a teacher - always a teacher), I am being very specific about each step in the process. Therefore, of course, it is taking me much longer than I had planned to create the post.

 

I wanted to show you the pretty hat that you will be able to make so that you will check back in a few days.

 

The tutorial will be up very soon, and even if you have never done any crafting in your life, you will be able to make this lovely hat!  PROMISE!

 

Crafting Your Way Out of Depression

Hello, Upscale Party Readers!

As I explained in my profile, I want to use this blog, not only to talk about crafting beautiful things and planning upscale events, but also to share my experience living with major depressive disorder. Entertaining and creating beautiful things has probably been the one constant in my life, other than the presence of mental illness.

TRIGGER WARNING (depression)

My childhood ...

My mother was always entertaining and she did so in truly upscale style! Throughout my childhood, our beautiful home was always elaborately decorated for parties and holidays! These are the memories that I cherish. These are the times when my family was together and life seemed happy.

In between the picture perfect holidays and behind the beautiful facade, however, my family was in constant turmoil. I always knew that something just wasn't right; I always felt that somehow I was not normal. But it wasn't until long after I became an adult that I understood how unhealthy my upbringing had been and that it was still affecting my life. 

 



http://www.jinbiban.com

Both of my parents suffered from undiagnosed and untreated mental illnesses. My father was a suicidal manic-depressive, obsessive compulsive alcoholic. And yet he was high functioning and able to succeed in his career as a prominent attorney. My mother, among other things, was codependent, depressed, had attention deficit disorder and narcissistic personality disorder. And yet she was also a gracious hostess, able to welcome guests from all walks of life and make them feel comfortable at any occasion.

More about my tumultuous childhood later. In the meantime, if you are interested in learning more about adult children of alcoholics (ACA) here are some resources:

http://www.adultchildren.org/lit-Laundry_List

http://www.thefix.com/content/5-characteristics-adult-children-alcoholics

This little glimpse into my childhood was intended to put my depression in c0ntext. Growing up in a home environment where the parents are unpredictable and often abusive

http://www.iechar.org

is no easy task. I still suffer from feelings of anger, abandonment and shame, and feelings of great sadness and loss, all of which basically come down to severe depression.

 

Through a series of unfortunate events, I do not have the affluence of my childhood, but I have my mother's legacy of sophisticated taste and appreciation for elegance. I began crafting and doing DIY projects because I wanted beautiful things that I could not afford to buy.

Recently, I realized that my obsession with crafting has been a way of coping with my depression. Crafting produces a calm state similar to the idea of Zen.

When one mindfully dwells in the present moment, one completely dissolves into whatever activity manifests.  One becomes the activity.  Most people have had peak experiences, which all involve being so totally involved with life that one’s sense of separateness dissolves into the experience.  Very Zen.

 http://www2.bc.cc.ca.us/resperic/what_is_the_meaning_of_zen.htm

 

To read more about the benefits of crafting for those of us who suffer from anxiety, depression or chronic pain, see this recent article by Jacque Wilson, of CNN:

http://www.cnn.com/2014/03/25/health/brain-crafting-benefits/index.html

 

More about living with depression to come.

 

Next up: My first Craft Tutorial!

 

Upscale Etiquette - Part One

Alice Meets the Mutton

“You look a little shy,” said the Red Queen. “Let me introduce you to that leg of mutton. Alice – Mutton: Mutton – Alice.”

The leg of mutton got up in the dish and made a little bow to Alice, and Alice returned the bow, not knowing whether to be frightened or amused.
“May I give you a slice?” Alice asked.
“Certainly not,” the Red Queen said, very decidedly: “It isn’t etiquette to cut any one you’ve been introduced to.”

What comes to mind when you hear the word ETIQUETTE?

Snobbery? Elitism? Unnecessary constraints on behavior? Uncomfortable clothing? Little girls at tea parties? Pinkies up?

This passage from Through the Looking Glass is one of many in Lewis Carroll's Alice books mocking the Victorian rules of etiquette. The Victorian era was a time in which adherence to social protocol was of tremendous importance. Although rules of proper behavior had been around for thousands of years (the oldest book of etiquette in existence was written in 2400BC during the reign of Rameses of Egypt), it was during the Victorian era that books of Etiquette became available to the masses.

The Victorians developed a system of rules taking the concept of proper behavior to an extreme, devising rules for every social situation. The introduction of Alice to the leg of mutton was intended to be a mocking of a particular rule of etiquette which states that a lady should never "cut" someone, meaning fail to acknowledge their presence, after having been introduced, "unless it is absolutely necessary." I tried to find out under what circumstances a "cut" would be absolutely necessary but was only able to find out that it was "only in the most extreme of circumstance."

 
One of Alice's most memorable encounters with skewed social etiquette is, of course, the Mad Hatter's Tea Party.
 

 

Even today we associate a tea party with High Society and Rules of Etiquette. I suppose that this association with the Victorian concept of proper behavior is the reason why so many people seem to hate the idea of having rules of etiquette.
 
Certainly there have been social crimes committed in the name of etiquette, but it was never meant to be used as a tool to shame or belittle others.
 
"[E]tiquette isn’t about showing other people how sophisticated you are, ...  It’s about knowing how to make [others] feel welcome, special, and valued.” 

http://www.theteahousetimes.com/

 

 

Etiquette simply "means treating people with

 consideration, respect, and honesty."

http://www.emilypost.com/

 

There are hundreds of books, articles, and blogs that discuss etiquette as it applies in contemporary society. Because an Upscale Party necessarily requires the host to be familiar with rules of behavior that will make her guests feel welcome, I will be covering at least some rules of behavior in future posts. But don't worry, there will be no requirement of pinkies up!

 

 

 

My Upscale Wedding

 

Isn't this a beautiful place for a wedding? It could easily be mistaken as the setting for a Royal Wedding!

Actually, this is a photo of the Princeton University Chapel taken at my wedding in 1984. That's me in the middle kneeling in front of the priest during the ceremony, alongside my future ex-husband, but let's not spoil the memory.

My wedding nicely illustrates the concept of an Upscale Party (or Wedding, in this case) as opposed to an Expensive one. I had a beautiful wedding, fit for a princess, on a teeny tiny budget!

Elegant and sophisticated entertaining takes creative thinking. Although the university chapel doesn't have the historical significance of Westminster Abbey, it is certainly a beautiful venue, and it can accommodate 2,000 of you dearest friends!

Obviously, I could not afford to have 2,000 guests at my wedding! I don't think that I even know 2,000 people! Wouldn't it just be silly to have a wedding with only 50 guests in such a gigantic place?  Well, no. Like the cathedrals of Europe, the university chapel has an "elevated choir."

Below is a photo from Will and Kate's wedding at Westminster Abbey. See the choir sitting on each side? If you look at the picture of my wedding above, you can see that my guests are seated in the choir. The overall effect was a cozy intimate ceremony in a fabulous upscale setting.

So, aside from bragging about my beautiful wedding, what am I trying to say here? YOU can have the wedding (or other event) of your dreams by thinking creatively UPSCALE!

About Upscale Party by Kim

Somewhere between the lavish pageantry of a Royal Wedding and the modest celebrations of the "middle class" is an entertaining style called Upscale Party.

Just because you were not born a princess, haven't had the luck to marry a handsome prince, or haven't yet made your first million, doesn't mean that don't love and appreciate high quality things, beautiful places, and elegant events.

Of course, money helps when you have upscale taste, but not everyone with money, or even royal blood, recognizes elegance and high quality when they see it.

I love to entertain lavishly, but can't afford to shop where royalty and the very rich shop. And the big party supply stores don't generally appeal to my upscale taste. So, over years of entertaining, I have learned to use my creative and artistic talents to craft celebrations that are remarkably beautiful, elegant and fun!

My plan for this blog is to share my thoughts and provide practical advice on creating an Upscale event, regardless of your budget!

Although I am excited about this opportunity to exchange ideas, I am still working full time, so for now I can commit to posting at least once a week. I am also looking forward to hearing your ideas, comments and suggestions.

Welcome to UpscaleParty!