A Vintage Costume for a Vintage Birthday

One of the writing prompts at Writer’s Digest suggests writing about a time you got dressed up in your favorite costume and describe why it was your favorite.

This was a hard one for me because I’m part of a family that loves to party and I’m embarrassed to admit how many times we’ve celebrated events with themes and costumes. But one event does top all the others. Months before I turned 50, my oldest daughter approached me with an offer I couldn’t refuse. She told me to think about how I would like to celebrate my special birthday and she would do anything possible within her means to make my dream come true. I told her my secret desire that I pondered often was to host an elegant Victorian high tea party and would she be my maid?

The girls in my Bible study responded to my tea party invitation with girlish glee. To my amazement, three of them found Victorian patterns and began to sew their outfits. A few of the others began to team up and go “thrift store shopping” hunting for vintage treasures. I got busy researching the Victorian Era and found tidbits of interesting information to share about the women of that time. I designed my daughter’s maid costume and made my own Victorian skirt. When I wasn’t sewing, I was baking dainty cookies and pastries and freezing them for the big event. I purchased a tea set at an antique store. I placed doilies everywhere! The lady at the craft store was as excited as me helping me with my homemade flower arrangements. I bought hand mirrors for each woman that I decorated with fabric and flowers. During our last cup of tea, it warmed my heart when I gave the mirrors to the women and watched everybody lift up their mirrors and primp at once! It was a snapshot memory I keep in my heart.
I will always be grateful to my daughter for supporting me in this dream and making it come true for me. She was exhausted by the end of the day meeting all of my needs. It was, indeed, a landmark birthday!