Darling Nut Berry (Big 13 Party Day)

Any guesses as to Piper's party theme?! 

Any Redwall fans among this blog's scant readership, knowing of my great love of food, will understand why I was excited about Piper's choice. The Redwall books dwindle to nothing without descriptions of food, so of course that was our focus for the party. And thank goodness that Millie loves the Redwall books as much or more than Piper! She was excited to pitch in and help, and there's no way we could have pulled it off without her enthusiasm.

Some of Piper's favorite characters from the books are Basil Staghare and his fellows, with their carefree spirits and voracious appetites,  so we also incorporated a lot of hares. (*Credit for the invitation doodle is due to this gorgeous pencil sketch by "KaiserFlames" that I copied.)

And MILDRED ELISE AMAZING OWEN gets the credit for a large portion of the food you see in this post. I was able to make some of the feast ahead of time, and make initial preparations for a bit more, but much of it had to be baked fresh, so as soon as we got home on Thursday evening, Millie planted herself in the kitchen and bustled around in there with Piper until Saturday morning (with a small break for sleeping, I think).

It poured on Friday night and Saturday morning, so we could only decorate on Saturday morning, right before the party. It was a hectic mess. I'm glad I won't have to repeat that exact morning ever again, but the end result was nice enough. We mostly had bolts of fabric, candlesticks, and flowers to work with, so it didn't take too terribly long. (OH! And credit for all the fragrant cross-sections of wood go to Matt and Rebecca, who unbeknownst to me until later, had to slice them all fresh for us.)

And as long as I'm handing out credit, credit for almost all of these pictures go to Millie, Piper, Adele', and Rebecca Newman. There. I think I'm done now.

Pip is a fan of bright reds, oranges, and yellows, so I was happy the day lilies were in bloom. Free bouquets from the woods and roadsides are where it's at.

I scoured the internet for these coloring pages. I found most of them on DeviantArt (just searched for Redwall). Thank you and sorry to all the unknown artists who drew these.

The dessert was perfect. Millie had made two giant Meadowcream Trifles, and when the Purdys arrived, their arms were loaded down with two enormous fruit tarts.  No planning needed! It was a serendipitous meeting, and by the end of the party, pretty much all four containers were licked clean. :)

Millie is always a big help when it comes to baking projects, and she usually prefers working in the kitchen to outdoor work, but this was a feat even for her. In the midst of juggling all the other stuff she made (EIGHT loaves of bread, anyone?), she made these delicious Minted Leek and Potato Pasties. Millie and Piper are the only two children so far who latched onto the Redwall books, and Millie devoured (groan)  the entire series multiple times when she was younger. These pasties have loomed large in her culinary imagination ever since she first read about them, so creating a recipe for something she's always wanted to try was a triumph.  

Grandma Owen bought a bright piñata and a slew of candy, and it was the perfect end to the meal.  Nothing like whacking candy with a stick to make everybody happy! And, alas, after ten+ years of faithfully holding our piñatas, this was the last piñata in the cherry tree.

It rained a few times during the party, so Pippi opened her presents indoors. Even with the patio full of people outside, the living room got a mite crowded. :)

A sweet moment between Cadie and Marnie...

Everyone was so thoughtful and generous to this brown-eyed girl on her big day. This handmade, wood-burned box (with a skunk!) from Deirdre is just one example. 

Pippi and a bunch of the guests went on a long evening walk while I tidied up a bit and waited around. This is when Dylan arrived, for those who know Dylan, and his arrival was a Big Deal. Normally, the evening walk is the end of the party, but in this case, it was the beginning of the second half of the party.
AND LOOK WHAT I FOUND! AN ALBUM CHOCK FULL OF LOVELY PICTURES TAKEN BY FAMED PHOTOGRAPHER HEIDI DAGES!

ALSO! ANOTHER ALBUM OF MISCELLANEOUS PHOTOS! (Names of photographers are on photos.)

We were so glad and grateful to celebrate our Piper Joy. She is growing into a lovely young woman, and she still retains the sweet nature and tender heart she had when she was a small lass.  She watches out and cares for the little people, melts over babies (both human and otherwise), observes quietly, is skilled at sewing and crafting, and has a wickedly goofy sense of humor and a fine set of giggles when you get to know her. We love you, Pip! May God grow you and bless you and guide you in these years! <3