My Mad Hatter Tea Parties

My friends and I had our first hat party during one of our summers renting a house "down the Jersey Shore". Just a small little twist to a party and it was a lot of fun. Easier than figuring out of a costume to wear and though there were some people who showed up in a baseball cap, everyone was wearing a hat at the party and there began my idea for my own hat parties, my "Mad Hatter Tea Parties".

The first year I think there were lots of baseball caps as well, especially the guys, but by the next year even they were way more into the theme party and trying to outdo each other. I made a up my own medal and started having a contest for the Mad Hatter of the Year. I wish I had more pictures from the parties but I was always having too much fun!

As the host and the official "Mad Hatter", I wore the same hat each year, copied from the original "Mad Hatter" from the Disney movie "Alice In Wonderland". I did serve beer but the main drink was ice tea and vodka with my cooler designed as a tea pot, and a hat as did my life-sized cut out of Bruce Springsteen and my brother's life-size cut out of Michael Jordan.

And extra special, at one of my Mad Hatter parties, my friends Kathy and Dave were brought together by mutual friends and fell in love and have been married over 20 years. Dave became a dad to her beautiful children and made a big difference in their lives. A wonderful couple and family, they belong together.

Even if you're having a summer family BBQ, add the hat idea in your invitation, I think kids would love designing their own funny hats for a party and you can serve ice tea minus the vodka! I also suggest decaf ice tea for them as well!!!