Anyway. Despite that, there was a wedding! (What, you didn't know?) For months, the news coverage proved to be extremely annoying what with all the obsessive hoopla cutting into my normal Good Morning America watching. But then, when it was actually the week of the wedding, I was hooked. A prince getting married! To a "commoner" (blech - who says that? The English)! A princess-to-be (actually duchess to be, but that doesn't sound as cool)! What a brilliant excuse for a party, even at 5:30 in the morning!
I found a few friends to join me in my excitement and I began planning. Obviously, we needed tea and scones. Megan brought crumpets. I bought lemon curd for the scones because that sounded fussy and British. I downloaded and used these adorable decorations.
Only one thing left. Fascinators.
The truth is that I got hooked on the wedding not because I love Royalty but because I'm obsessed with Kate. Which is probably what happened 30 years ago for women around the world with Diana. I didn't get the Di thing, but Kate? With her tiny little hats and her perfect outfits and that expression on her face that says, "I don't need to be princess but I'm not afraid of it either"? She's just precious.
So, my wedding-watching friends and I needed fascinators.
Aren't they cute? Don't you want to make them for your next tea party? Here's what I did.
First: Go to the Dollar Store and buy anything sparkly, flowery or feathery. Plus, buy circle-shaped craft foam. Then go to Wal-Mart and buy a small length of netting, a feather duster, and a few bags of party-favor sparkly rings, and some alligator hair clips.
Second: Cut a slit in your foam circle to the middle and overlap the edges to form a shallow cone. Hot glue it in place. Realize you're going to be working with plastic, netting, foam and everything is going to melt easily so be careful.
Third: Start ripping feathers out of your feather duster and glue them to your hat. Hot glue and feathers don't work well together, but you can figure it out. Dismantle flower stems and start adding flowers to cover up the ends of the feathers. Cut apart your plastic jewels and glue those on too.
Fourth: Figure out how you want the fascinator to sit on your head, and glue the clip and the netting on accordingly. Gluing netting to foam is tricky. I finally figured out to put the glue on the foam, let it cool a bit and then bunch the netting into it.
There you go! Granted, the cheapness of the supplies used means you're not going to actually wear this to a wedding, but these would be so fun for your next girly party - for you or the little princess in your life.
Talya snuck out of bed at 6 am yesterday crying, "I want to go to the party," so I let her stay up with us. She put her fascinator on and watched the princess get married and the little girl giggle made the whole 5:30 am thing completely worth it.
*See the comments for a little discussion on this. I have a "thing against" a lot of things. I'm working on that - really, I am.
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8 comments:
LOVE it! Great idea I can actually use one day NOW THAT I HAVE A GIRL!!!! Miss you friend. Would have loved to join you at the party... but I have to admit that I was one of those people who asked John, "What is all this talk about a Royal wedding on facebook?" Guess that's what happens when you don't check the news and don't have US TV in Mexico! ha!
Aren't you so fun! Can we please be neighbors?
Wow, Susie - fascinators at 5.30am?! That is some party! I think this royal wedding has brought out some great spirit in people and that's what I think is great. Also, that we tune in to admire not a reality-tv star or a WAG, but a young man and woman who (whether they will always achieve this, who knows - I hope so) promote dignity, responsibility, charity, honour ... and partnership. That, and this little history lesson I've had in working out who is who, has made it a pretty special occasion too.
Incidentally, Kate is in fact a princess - she isn't a royal princess (i.e. princess by birth) but since she is married to Prince William of Wales, she can be styled Princess William of Wales, in the same way as the wife of the present Queen's cousin, Prince Michael of Kent, is known as Princess Michael of Kent. It's a bit old-fashioned sounding (like calling a woman Mrs John Smith) but it is correct. And the Palace's communications staff are encouraging people to call Kate, "Princess Catherine" if they want to. I suppose it's not her formal title but lots of people might refer to her more easily that way.
I love your blog, Susie, but I was a bit surprised by your comment about having "a thing against England". I don't think anyone could look back at history, including India's, and say that that colonialization was a job well done. I'd hate to think, though, that people would write off England because of its lack of foresight or failings in that era. A good part of England's population had no hand in that dark period, and (just as many Germans I know would struggle with the idea that, generations on, they might still responsible for the actions of the Nazis) would bridle at being tarred with that brush. I'm sure your feelings are much more nuanced than that comment ... after all, as a citizen of the U.S., you must sometimes consider what might have been for America (and Native Americans) had Europeans never arrived to settle and colonize the region?
It was a happy occasion, none more so than for the couple, and I can only imagine how humbled they must feel by the good will extended to them by so many across the globe. If only for a few days, it has been a pleasure to bask in just a little of that shared benevolence with people all over the world. We can always use a little love!
ok. that's awesome.
uhhhh...the party. NOT the comment right before mine ;)
Anonymous, thanks for your thoughts. My "thing against England" (which is not my most eloquent terminology) is similar to my thing against thanksgiving and the fourth of july and the feelings clouding my hawaiian vacation. Sometimes it's hard for me to celebrate happy occasions clouded by unfortunate history or consequences. I certainly don't write off the country or the general population of England, and it's not very nice of me to say things like that. I do think it's appropriate, however, to always bear in mind the "sins of our fathers" as we move forward in history. Probably a lighthearted, craft-related post is not the best time for me half-heartedly do that.
Thanks to you and everyone for your kind words and sharing in my royal enthusiasm. Oh, and thanks for the lessons in royalty too - I have a lot to learn if I'm going to continue my obsession with Princess Catherine!
Absolutely, I agree, that's the greatest tribute we can pay those who have borne the brunt of colonialism (or any oppressive regime) - to not forget and to learn a lesson. As I also will from your Fascinators 101 class - thanks!
i died laughing at your ramona-ish eye comment...i just started watching rhnyc and am obsessed. hilarious. nice fascinators by the way.
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