storybook-cottage: A Wintery Frozen Party

UN-Frozen.

That's what I want to be...How about you?

Today we were finally able to open the doors and window. The horses came out without their coats. I think we're through the winter, and with that and the time-change, I could not be happier!

Last year a few friends and I put together a Christmas surprise for a co-worker and friend of ours...

We invaded her apartment, replaced her furniture, bought some single-girl living type of stuff, cleaned everything, including her underwear drawer, and then proceeded to throw up Christmas all over her apartment...while she was working.

Three Christmas trees, red curtains, lights inside and out...in each room...and snowflakes everywhere...stockings for her, her dog, and her sugar gliders...Christmas candles, throws, and Christmas presents under the tree, not to be opened until Christmas day.

We baked cookies and set the table with hot chocolate and milk. Then we sat exhausted and excited, waiting for her to come home.

It was AMAZING. She received it all so gracefully.

Our mission was to let her know that she is thought of, loved, and deserving. And we left, knowing she was feeling all of those things...well, except maybe deserving...but it was one step closer (and believe me, she IS deserving).

This year she joined in our elf-like adventures to pull off a special surprise for two more of our co-workers.

They are sisters. They both have their hands full.

K's husband is in Dubai for a year, and would not be home for Christmas. They have two girls.

P is an incredibly hard worker...putting others before herself regularly. She is a single parent with one son. She's always there for others.

Our mission was the same...to let them know they are thought of, loved, and deserving.

As cute as they are, we didn't want it to become all about the kids.

We wanted them to be involved, enjoy it, and also feel loved, but it was the moms we were looking to bless.

We got busy planning.

We decided to surprise them with a Christmas dinner. It would be a winter wonderland. We would buy them presents, and decorate with whimsy, and cook them yummy things.

Sara was the hostess. They arrived at our home at the time given, the weekend before Christmas. The blue carpet was put out for them. Sara met them with hand-made menus, seated them, and welcomed them.

The table was surrounded with curtains of snowflakes and "snow"...the floor as well. And lights everywhere, with three lit-up trees.

The adults, dressed in wait staff-like outfits, hid behind the door upstairs, listening and watching their reactions as Sara seated them. It was so much fun!

When they were comfortable, Sara pronounced, "Let the party begin."...while clicking a clicker that at once turned all the white lights on around them.

love how the snowflakes cast shadows on the stairway wall

before and after the snow

I think my favorite part is that at the beginning of dinner, K and P opened up a pretty box with a tiara. They were the princesses of the night.

The kids had small presents by their seats also. The girls had glittery blue and white play dough (found at Dollar Tree), and A had a small Spiderman puzzle.

Everything was wrapped in glittery snowflakes and sparkle. We cut out snowflakes, and used large and small glitter snowflakes bought during the after-Christmas clearance last year at Walmart. For "charter plates", we used silver cardboard cake liners, found in the wedding aisle, also at Walmart. I made the chocolate-covered strawberry stand with them too.

The silver napkins rings are from Dollar Tree. The glitter letters could be made easy enough, but these were 98 cents in the Walmart's Christmas Wonderland section.

K's husband skyped in from Dubai...

We served their meal in courses...ending in chocolate-covered strawberries and simple angel food, strawberry cake desserts.

These "angel food parfaits" were topped with whipped cream with one small candied heart at the tip top, before we served them with hot chocolates and coffee.

We did a little dinner theater, acting out the story of Jesus' birth...only it was a bit silly...with wigs and hats and other props. It was also interactive, singing Christmas carols intermittently...and in the end Jesus was played by the cutest Christmas puppy. The kids were the shepherds and those shepherds came to see baby Jesus...~~and that puppy~~ Jesus was excited to see them. He did not, however, lay down his sweet head.